VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXII - # 153
DATE 12-09-2014

Summary:
- To the bishops of the Democratic Republic of Congo: work for a society based
on respect for the dignity of the person
- The exegete perceives the Divine Word through a fervent spiritual life
- Catholics and orthodox in Amman on "Synodality and the Primate"
- Archbishop Tomasi: human trafficking is not confined to poor and developing
countries
- Audiences
- Other Pontifical Acts
- Notice

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 To the bishops of the Democratic Republic of Congo: work for a society based
on respect for the dignity of the person
 Vatican City, 12 September 2014 (VIS) - The education of young people in order
to overcome violence and inequality, the participation of the Church in
building society and the consolidation of peace and her mission in aid of
"those whom life has wounded" were the main issues in the discourse Pope
Francis handed to the bishops of the Democratic Republic of Congo this morning,
at the end of their "ad Limina" visit.
 "The Church in the Democratic Republic of Congo is a young Church", writes the
Holy Father. "However, it is also a Church of youth. Children and adolescents,
in particular, need God's strength to help them resist the many temptations of
a precarious life in which they are unable to study or find work. I am
sympathetic to their plight, and I know you share their sorrows, their joys and
hopes. I think with horror especially of those children and young people
conscripted into militias and forced to kill their own countrymen. I encourage
you, therefore, to pursue the pastoral care of youth. By providing the greatest
assistance possible, especially through the creation of spaces for human,
spiritual and professional formation, you can help them discover their deepest
vocation that predisposes them to encounter the Lord".
 "The most effective way to overcome violence, inequality and ethnic divisions
is to equip the young with a critical mind and to offer them the opportunity to
mature an understanding of Gospel values. It is also necessary to strengthen
pastoral care in universities and in Catholic and public schools, combining
education with the clear proclamation of the Gospel. ... Similarly, to face the
problem of family breakdown, caused in particular by war and poverty, it is
essential to promote and encourage all initiatives to strengthen the family,
the source of brotherhood and the foundation and first road to peace".
 "Fidelity to the Gospel also implies that the Church participates in the
construction of the city. One of the most valuable contributions that the local
church can offer your country is to help people rediscover the relevance of
faith in daily life and the need to promote the common good. Similarly, leading
figures in the nation, enlightened by pastors and in relation to their skills,
can also be supported in incorporating Christian teachings in their personal
lives and in the exercise of their duties in the service of the state and
society. In this sense, the Magisterium of the Church, especially the
encyclical Caritas in Veritate, the post-Synodal apostolic exhortation "Africae
munus" and the recent apostolic exhortation "Evangelii gaudium", are invaluable
tools".
 The Pope urges the Congolese bishops to "work tirelessly for the establishment
of a just and lasting peace through a pastoral of dialogue and reconciliation
among the various sectors of society, supporting the process of disarmament,
and promoting effective collaboration with other religious denominations". He
emphasises that at this time, when the country is currently experiencing
political events that are important for the future, "it is necessary for the
Church to make her contribution, avoiding the risk of becoming substitute for
political institutions and temporal realities that must retain their autonomy".
In particular, pastors must be careful not to take on roles that rightfully
belong to the lay faithful, whose mission is justly that of bearing witness to
Christ and the Gospel in politics and in all other areas of their activities".
 After highlighting the need for collaboration between all pastoral workers in
the various fields of the apostolate, especially in education, health and
charitable aid, Francis reminds the prelates that there are high expectations
of them "in defence of spiritual and social values", and he urges them to
"provide guidance and solutions for the promotion of a society based on respect
for the dignity of the human person". In this regard, "attention to the poor
and needy, as well as the elderly, the sick and disabled, should be the subject
of adequate pastoral care under constant review". Indeed, "the Church is called
to be concerned with the wellbeing of these people and to bring the attention
of society and public authorities to their situation".
 The Holy Father concludes by encouraging the bishops to be "men of hope for
the people" and gave thanks for the work of all missionaries, priests,
religious and other pastoral workers dedicated to the service of "those who
have been wounded by life, the victims of violence, especially in the most
isolated and remote areas of the country", and reserved special mention for
"the internally displaced and the many people who come from neighbouring
countries".

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 The exegete perceives the Divine Word through a fervent spiritual life
 Vatican City, 12 September 2014 (VIS) - This morning the Holy Father met with
the participants in the 43rd National Biblical Week, organised by the Italian
Biblical Association, a meeting that inaugurated the celebrations for the
fiftieth anniversary of the Dogmatic Constitution of Vatican Council II on the
Divine Revelation "Dei Verbum", promulgated on 18 November 1965.
 "Faith, to respond, and so as not to be suffocated, must be constantly
nurtured by the Word of God", said the Pope, expressing his esteem and
acknowledgement of the "valuable work" that the Association has carried out
through the teachings of its lecturers and Bible scholars. He continued, "God
has made the most of all the possibilities of human language, but at the same
time He has had to submit His Word to the limitations of this language. True
respect for the inspired Scriptures requires us to make all the efforts
necessary to fully grasp their meaning". As it is not possible for every
Christian personally to carry out the research of every type necessary to
arrive at a good understanding of Biblical texts, he added, "this task is
entrusted to exegetes, those who are responsible in this sector for the good of
all. ... Therefore, alongside academic competence, the Catholic exegete needs
above all, faith: received from and shared with all believers who, in their
entirety, cannot be mistaken".
 Pope Francis recalled the words of St. John Paul II: "to respect the coherence
of the faith of the Church and the inspiration of the Scripture, Catholic
exegesis must be careful not merely to comply with the human aspects of
biblical texts. First and foremost, exegesis must help Christian people to
perceive more clearly the Word of God in these texts, so as to accept it
better, to live fully in communion with God. ... Naturally it is necessary for
the exegete to know how to perceive the Divine Word in the texts, and this is
possible only if his spiritual life is fervent, rich in dialogue with the Lord;
otherwise exegetic research remains incomplete, and the main objective is lost
from sight".

--- MPost/386 v1.21