VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 151
DATE 10-09-2014

Summary:
- GENERAL AUDIENCE: MERCY IS ESSENTIAL
- MAY THE LORD REWARD AND GIVE COURAGE TO CHRISTIANS IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND SYRIA
- CARDINAL MULLER TO TAKE POSSESSION OF HIS DIACONATE
- OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

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 GENERAL AUDIENCE: MERCY IS ESSENTIAL
 Vatican City, 10 September 2014 (VIS) - A special aspect of the
"maternity" of the Church is education through mercy, and this
was the subject of the Holy Father's catechesis during this Wednesday's
general audience in St. Peter's Square.
 Like a good mother and educator, the Church focuses on the essential, and
the essential, according to the Gospel, is mercy, as Jesus clearly tells
his disciples: "Be merciful, just as your father is". "Is it
possible for a Christian not to be merciful?" asked Pope Francis.
"No. The Christian must necessarily be merciful, because this is at
the centre of the Gospel. And so the Church behaves like Jesus. She does
not give theoretical lessons on love or on mercy. She does not spread
throughout the world a philosophy or a path to wisdom. Certainly,
Christianity is all of this too", the Pope remarked, "but as a
consequence, a reflection. The mother Church, like Jesus, teaches by
example, and words serve to cast light on the meaning of her
gestures".
 Therefore, "the Mother Church teaches us to give food and drink to
those who hunger and thirst, and to clothe those who are naked. And how
does she do this? She does it through the example of many saints who have
done it in an exemplary fashion, but she also does it through the example
of many fathers and mothers, who teach their children that what we have
left over is for those who are in need of basic necessities. In the most
humble Christian families, the rule of hospitality is always sacred: there
is always a dish of food and a place to sleep for those in need". And
to those who say they have nothing to spare, Francis gave the example of a
family in his former diocese who shared half of what they had to eat with a
poor man who knocked at their door. "Learning to share what we have is
important".
 The mother Church teaches us to be close to those who are sick. Like the
saints who have served Jesus in this way, there are many people who
practise this work of mercy every day in hospitals, rest homes, or in their
own homes, providing assistance for the sick.
 The mother Church also teaches us to be close to those who are imprisoned.
"'But Father', some will say, 'This is dangerous. These are bad
people'. Listen carefully: any one of us is capable of doing what these men
and women in prison have done. We all sin and make mistakes in life. They
are not worse than you or me. Mercy overcomes any wall or barrier, and
leads us always to seek the face of the human being. And it is mercy that
changes hearts and lives, that is able to regenerate a person or enable him
to be newly reintegrated in society".
 "The mother Church teaches us to be close to those who have been
abandoned and who die lonely. This is what Mother Teresa did in the streets
of Calcutta and it is what many Christians, those who are not afraid to
take the hand of those who are about to leave this world, have done and
continue to do. And here too, mercy offers peace to those who depart and to
those who remain, making us aware that God is greater than death, and that
by staying with Him, even the final separation is only 'until we meet
again'".
 "The Church is a mother", he continued, "teaching her
children the works of mercy. She has learned this path from Jesus; she has
learned that this is essential for salvation. It is not enough to love
those who love us. It is not enough to do good to those who do good to us
in return. To change the world for the better is it necessary to do good to
those who are not able to do the same for us, as our Father did for us, in
giving us Jesus. How much have we paid for our redemption? Nothing. It was
all free. Doing good without expecting anything in return - this is what
our Father did for us and what we too must do". For this reason, he
concluded, "let us give thanks to the Lord, who has given us the grace
of having the Church as a mother who teaches us the way of mercy, the way
of life".

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 MAY THE LORD REWARD AND GIVE COURAGE TO CHRISTIANS IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND SYRIA
 Vatican City, 10 September 2014 (VIS) - In his greetings in various
languages following the catechesis of today's general audience, the Pope
addressed, among others, the Arab-speaking faithful and in particular those
from Syria and the Middle East, to remind them that the Church, following
the example of her Master, excels in mercy: "she faces hatred with
love, vanquishes violence with forgiveness, and responds to weapons with
prayer".
 He added, "May the Lord reward your faithfulness, inspire you with
courage in the struggle against the forces of evil, and open the eyes of
those who have been blinded by evil, so that they may soon see the light of
truth and repent for the mistakes they have made. May the Lord bless you
and protect you always".
 He also greeted the officers and members of the Italian naval forces who
participate in the operation "Mare Nostrum", assisting migrants
and refugees who attempt to cross the Mediterranean. "I give thanks
for your admirable work in the aid of so many of our brethren in search of
hope", he said.
 Before the general audience in the Vatican's Paul VI Hall, the Holy Father
greeted a group of sick people, mostly children, who were not able to
attend the audience in St. Peter's Square. He thanked them all for their
visit and asked them to pray for him. "I ask you to pray for me. Don't
forget! Pray so that I can continue my work. I will pray for all of you and
for the children. And so, together, let us pray to the Virgin to bless
us", he exclaimed. After praying a Hail Mary with those present,
Francis wished them a good day and encouraged them to persevere with hope.

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 CARDINAL MULLER TO TAKE POSSESSION OF HIS DIACONATE
 Vatican City, 10 September 2014 (VIS) - The Office of Liturgical
Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff today announced that this coming
Sunday, 14 September, at 12.15 p.m., Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Muller,
prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, will take
possession of the diaconate of Sant'Agnese in Agone, Via di Santa Maria
dell'Anima, 30/A.

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 OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
 Vatican City, 10 September 2014 (VIS) - The Holy Father has appointed:
 - Archbishop Luigi Bianco, apostolic nuncio in Ethiopia, as apostolic
nuncio in Djibouti and apostolic delegate in Somalia.
 - Rev. Fr. Robert J. Geisinger, S.J., (U.S.A.), as procurer general of the
Society of Jesus.
 - Msgr. Robert W. Oliver of the clergy of the archdiocese of Boston, as
secretary of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors. Msgr.
Oliver was formerly promoter of justice of the Congregation for the
Doctrine of the Faith.

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