VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 152
DATE 11-09-2014

Summary:
- Dialogue, religious freedom and rejection of extremism and violence at the
centre of the Pope's meeting with the president of Tunisia
- Pope Francis to visit the European Parliament
- The Pope's message to the Ecclesial Pan-Amazonian Network
- Satisfactory meeting of the Vietnam - Holy See Joint Working Group
- Cardinal Sandri: educate so as not to fall prey to a vision of conflict
between civilisations or religions
- Audiences

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 Dialogue, religious freedom and rejection of extremism and violence at the
centre of the Pope's meeting with the president of Tunisia
 Vatican City, 11 September 2014 (VIS) - Today the Holy Father Francis received
in audience Mohamed Moncef Marzouki, president of the Tunisian Republic, who
subsequently met with Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin, accompanied
by Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, Secretary for Relations with States.
 During the cordial discussions, various themes of common interest were
reviewed, such as the promotion of peace, interreligious dialogue and human
rights, with particular reference to the defence of freedom of conscience and
religious freedom, as well as the refusal of every form of extremism or
violence. The Parties noted the commitment of the Catholic Church in social
issues and the fields of health and education, in the service of all Tunisian
citizens, especially the poorest and most in need.
 Finally, various questions of an international and regional nature were
examined, paying special attention to the situation in the Mediterranean Basin.

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 Pope Francis to visit the European Parliament
 Vatican City, 11 September 2014 (VIS) - This morning the director of the Holy
See Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi, confirmed the communique issued this
morning in Strasbourg by the president of the European Parliament, Martin
Schulz, that Pope Francis has accepted the invitation to visit the European
Parliament and to address its members during a solemn session. The visit will
take place on 25 November.

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 The Pope's message to the Ecclesial Pan-Amazonian Network
 Vatican City, 11 September 2014 (VIS) - Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro
Parolin has sent a message on behalf of the Holy Father to the participants in
the meeting of the Ecclesial Pan-Amazonian Network in Brasilia, Brazil, which
concludes tomorrow. The message is addressed to Archbishop Pedro Ricardo
Barreto Jimeno S.J., of Huancayo, Colombia, president of the Department of
Justice and Solidarity of the CELAM (Latin American Episcopal Council).
 The Pope, referring to his apostolic exhortation "Evangelii gaudium", remarks
that the participants in the meeting respond to the crucial challenge of
"living together, of mingling, of meeting, of taking each other's hands, of
supporting each other, of participating in this chaotic and high tide so that
it may be transformed into a true experience of fraternity, a cavalcade of
solidarity, a holy pilgrimage. In this way, the great potential of
communication translates into greater possibilities for encounter and
solidarity".
 Francis expresses his joy at seeing the results of his appeal for the creation
of an innovative network dedicated specifically to ecological matters related
to the Amazon and his hopes for the outcome of the initiative. He also takes
the opportunity to remind those present that the network must be rich in
humanity - a network not of threads, but of people. "It is not enough to
circulate on digital 'paths'", he writes. "It is necessary for this connection
to be accompanied by true encounter: we cannot live alone, closed up in
ourselves; we need to love and be loved, and we need tenderness. Only in this
way can Christian witness, thanks to this network, reach the existential
peripheries of humanity, facilitating the work of Christian leaven and bringing
progress to the living cultures of Amazonia and their values".

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 Satisfactory meeting of the Vietnam - Holy See Joint Working Group
 Vatican City, 11 September 2014 (VIS) - The Vietnam - Holy See Joint Working
Group held its fifth meeting in Hanoi from 10 to 11 September, co-chaired by
Bui Thanh Son, deputy minister for foreign affairs and head of the Vietnamese
delegation, and Msgr. Antoine Camilleri of the Holy See Secretariat for
Relations with States and head of the Holy See delegation.
 According to a press release published at the end of the meeting, the Holy See
delegation "appreciated the support given by the competent authorities at all
levels to the Catholic Church in Vietnam for the accomplishment of her mission.
It also took note of the development in the religious policies of Vietnam,
reflected in the 2013 Amended Constitution. The Vietnamese State has
facilitated working visits to Vietnam by the non-resident special envoy of the
Holy See to Vietnam, Archbishop Leopoldo Girelli. The Holy See delegation
reaffirmed that it attached great importance to the development of relations
with Vietnam in particular and Asia in general, as evidenced by the recent and
upcoming papal trips to the continent. The Holy See reaffirmed its commitment
towards the goal of establishing diplomatic relations with Vietnam, and,
together with the Catholic Church in the country, wishes to make more active
contributions to the country's development where the Catholic Church is strong,
for example in health care, education, charity and humanitarian works. The
Vietnamese side reiterated the consistent policy of the State and Party in
respecting freedom of religion and belief of all people and supporting the
Catholic Church in Vietnam to actively participate in national social and
economic development".
 "Both Parties emphasised again the underlying principles of 'living the Gospel
within the Nation' and that 'being a good Catholic means being a good citizen'.
The Holy See delegation stressed that Pope Francis had followed with interest
recent developments in relations between Vietnam and the Holy See, and
encouraged the Catholic Community in Vietnam to continue contributing towards
the country's major goals. Both Parties noted with satisfaction the positive
developments in relations between Vietnam and the Holy See, as shown by
increased exchanges and contacts at all levels, meetings of the Joint Working
Group and working visits of the non-resident special envoy in Vietnam. They
agreed on maintaining dialogue and contacts while creating favourable
conditions for his mission, as he helps the Catholic Church in Vietnam to
implement papal teaching".
 "The meeting took place in a sincere, candid and mutually respectful
atmosphere. The Parties agreed to convene the 6th meeting of the Vietnam - Holy
See Joint Working Group in the Vatican, at a date to be arranged through
diplomatic channels".
 "On this occasion, the Holy See delegation paid a courtesy visit to the deputy
prime minister and minister of foreign affairs Pham Binh Minh, and met with the
deputy minister of of the interior and Chairman of the Government Committee for
Religious Affairs Pham Dung. The delegation also took the opportunity to visit
some Catholic institutions in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City".

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 Cardinal Sandri: educate so as not to fall prey to a vision of conflict
between civilisations or religions
 Vatican City, 11 September 2014 (VIS) - Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, prefect of
the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, addressed the Permanent Council of
the United States Episcopal Conference in Washington D.C. on Tuesday 9
September. The prelate declared that after his trips to Syria in January 2011
and Iraq in December 2012, he "never would have imagined that we would find
ourselves in the present situation". He added, "Still in the twenty-first
century, as if history has taught nothing, we must witness barbarities and
atrocities which strike above all the weakest: the elderly, women and children.
Along with my preoccupations for the thousands of refugees ... I have ever in
mind the bishops and priests still in the hands of kidnappers in Syria, and I
cannot forget the journalists so brutally killed".
 Cardinal Sandri remarked that, "On the one hand, the action of the Holy Spirit
continues to make the Church fertile in every part of the world, manifesting
its characteristic maternity. Yet, on the other hand, it must be recognised
that the Churches, which gave rise in great part to the diffusion of the Gospel
in the Apostolic era, are now shaken at their foundations and threatened in
their very existence". He also referred to the difficulties experienced by the
Church in Jerusalem, reiterating his conviction that "a durable peace in the
Holy Land would contribute significantly to the stability of the whole Middle
East", also highlighting "the drama of the Church in Antioch". He emphasised,
"If these Churches, the historic mothers of the evangelising mission, are
struck at their foundations, we, as their children, cannot be silent. ... God
chose that part of the world as 'the cradle of a universal plan of salvation in
love'", adding that "for nearly two thousand years these Christians have kept
alive the flame of the first Pentecost in those lands".
 Cardinal Sandri repeated the words of Pope Francis to the members of the
Oriental Congregation at the end of their Plenary Session last November: "Every
Catholic owes a debt of thanks to the Churches that live in that region. From
these Churches we may learn, among other things, the effort of the daily
exercise of the spirit of ecumenism and of interreligious dialogue. The
geographical, historical and cultural context in which they have lived for
centuries has indeed made them natural interlocutors with numerous other
Christian confessions and with other religions".
 He thanked the American Episcopal Conference for the "constant and generous
attention" shown to the Oriental Churches, especially in relation to efforts to
raise the awareness of the political authorities. He also thanked the Catholic
Near East Welfare Association (CNEWA) for the work of the Pontifical Mission
for Palestine, as well as Aid to the Church in Need and Catholic Relief
Services, and highlighted the "great hospitality the United States has given
over the decades to all of the Eastern Churches in the diaspora".
 He mentioned the situation "of extreme urgency" in Iraq, and remarked that "in
dialogue both clarity and fraternal respect are needed. ... We have the
responsibility of educating our faithful lest they yield to a vision of
conflict between civilisations or religions. We must recall that it has taken
Catholic theological and biblical reflection centuries to arrive at its present
capacity for interpreting our sacred texts without undue fear of violating the
depositum fidei".
 He concluded by encouraging those present to follow with attention the
interventions of the Holy See in its various modes and the representatives of
the Holy See in various international organisations, and to support the role of
the United Nations, an "effective forum through which to prevent the repetition
of violence and injustice".

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 Audiences
 Vatican City, 11 September 2014 (VIS) - Today the Holy Father received in
audience:
 - Archbishop Santo Gangemi, apostolic nuncio in Guinea and Mali
 - Twenty-four prelates of the Episcopal Conference of Congo, on their "ad
Limina" visit:
 - Archbishop Francois Xavier Maroy Rusengo of Bukavu;
 - Bishop Melchisedech Sikuli Paluku of Butembo-Beni;
 .- Bishop Theophile Kaboy Ruboneka of Goma;
 - Bishop Placide Lubamba Ndjibu, M. Afr., of Kasongo;
 - Bishop Willy Ngumbi Ngengele, M. Afr., of Kindu;
 - Bishop Sebastien Muyengo Mulombe of Uvira;
 - Archbishop Marcel Madila Basanguka of Kananga
 - Bishop Valentin Masengo Nkinda of Kabinda;
 - Bishop Pierre-Celestin Tshitoko Mamba of Luebo;
 - Bishop Felicien Mwanama Galumbulula of Luiza;
 - Bishop Bernard-Emmanuel Kasanda Mulenga of Mbujimayi;
 - Bishop Gerard Mulumba Kalemba of Mweka;
 - Bishop Nicolas Djomo Lola of Tshumbe;
 - Cardinal Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya, archbishop of Kinshasa, with his
auxiliaries, Bishop Edouard Kisonga Ndinga, S.S.S., and Bishop Timothee Bodika
Mansiyai, P.S.S.;
 - Bishop Cyprien Mbuka, C.I.C.M., of Boma;
 - Bishop Jose Moko Ekanga, P.S.S., of Idiofa;
 - Bishop Philippe Nkiere Kena, C.I.C.M., of Inongo;
 - Bishop Jean Gaspard Mudiso Mund'la, S.V.D., of Kenge;
 - Bishop Edouard Mununu Kasiala of Kikwit;
 - Bishop Fidele Nsielele Zi Mputu of Kisantu;
 - Bishop Daniel Nlandu Mayi of Matadi; and
 - Bishop Louis Nzala Kianza of Popokabaka.
 - Archbishop Emil Paul Tscherrig, apostolic nuncio in Argentina.

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