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BENEDICT XVI: NEWS, PAPAL TEXTS, PHOTOS AND COMMENTARY

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31/07/2012 20:42
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Event-filled week marks end
of the Pope's official vacation



VATICAN CITY, July 31 (Translated from TMNews) - The Pope resumes tomorrow, August 1, the Wednesday General Audiences which were suspended for the month of July, his official vacation time.

Benedict XVI, who is spending the entire summer at the Apostolic Residence in Castel Gandolfo, will deliver his catechesis there instead of going by helicopter to St. Peter's Square, as he will do after August, which is typically scorching in Rome.

Then, on Friday, August 3, the Pope will attend a presentation of Bavarian folk music and dancing offered by the Archdiocese of Munich-Freising led by Cardinal Reinhard Marx, who will be joined by a thousand pilgrims from Bavaria.

And on Saturday, he will be honored at a concert offered by the Caritas of Regensburg, the last German city called home by Joseph Ratzinger before be became Pope. It is also where his brother lives, and the former diocese of the new Prefect for the Doctrine pf the Faith, Archbishop Gerhard Mueller.

On Sunday, August 4, the Holy Father will lead the noontime Angelus in Castel Gandolfo, broadcast direct to St. Peter's Square in Rome.

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Pope's visit to Lebanon
just six weeks away


July 31, 2012

Preparations are continuing for Pope Benedict XVI’s apostolic visit in Lebanon, which is just 6 weeks away. The Holy Father will travel to the country from September 14-16, and deliver the Post-synodal Exhortation for the Middle East Synod.

The preparations are “at many levels: material preparing, and moral and psychological preparing,” said Archbishop Paul Boulos Matar of Beirut. “In the government, everybody is trying to keep the country at peace, and to prepare an atmosphere of reconciliation and brotherhood in order to receive the Pope as a united people.”

He told Vatican Radio a mass media campaign will also be used.

“We are preparing people by a campaign on television and we will start at the beginning of August to prepare them about every event that will occur,” he said.

On Sunday, Pope Benedict XVI appealed for peace in Syria, Lebanon's next=door neighbor, calling on the international community to guarantee humanitarian care for all those affected by the violence and to work toward a just, lasting solution to the crisis.

The Nuncio to Syria, Archbishop Mario Zenari, told Vatican Radio that the Holy Father’s words were very welcome. “The appeal of the Holy Father,” said Archbsihop Zenari, “for the cessation of the violence in Syria, and his solidarity with the sufferings of the people, was of great consolation.”

The Nuncio went on to describe the situation in Syria as very grave. “At this moment,” he said, “the feeling among the people is of a great [uncertainty].” Archbishop Zenari called on all the religious leaders of Syria to unite in the cause of reconciliation and peace.

“Come together,” he said, “all of you – and with all the strength of your moral authority, launch a joint and severe warning to the parties to the conflict, to stop, in the name of God, the violence and repression that take the country to destruction.”


Caritas official fears fullscale war in Syria may
force cancellation of Pope's trip to Lebanon


July 30, 2012

The civil war in Syria, which began 16 months ago as protest demonstrations against the regime of Syrian dictator President Bashir Assad, has resulted in an estimated 17,000 people killed and 120,000 refugees. Those who flee, mostly go to Lebanon, Turkey, and Jordan.

The Catholic aid organization Caritas Internationalis is one of the largest non-governmental organizations helping these people by providing food, shelter, and medicine. Caritas Secretary General Michel Roy says the situation of Syria is being made worse by arms being brought in from the outside.

There has also been the worry that the spreading violence could cause the Pope to cancel his trip to Lebanon in September, a trip that's expected to be a landmark trip for the different Churches in the region as well as the Church's relation with the Arab world.

Roy said: “If the war develops, which is the case right now and I don't think it will stop very easily, there is already fighting in the northern part of Lebanon where the Sunni and Alawi people live. The border between Syria and Lebanon on the Mediterranean is a border between people of the same tribes.”

There are also many Iraqi refugees living in Syria that are now returning home after facing a new wave of violence, Roy said.

“Over the past years, Caritas Syria has been very active with Iraqi refugees coming from Iraq and staying in Syria or going to the West. A new team has been put in place with emergency response programs from January onwards.”

The situation still carries many question marks for Syrians and their neighbors. In the meantime Caritas Internationalis continues to offer help to the thousands of refugees who continue to flee.
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By this time next year, WYD 2013 in Rio de Janeiro will have been over. Despite the shorter time the organizers have to prepare compared to previous international WYDs which were four years apart, they seem to be well abreast of what they have to do, holding a sort of general dress rehearsal this weekend...

General dress rehearsal
for WYD in Rio de Janeiro

Translated from the 7/29/11 issue of


A preview of WYD 2013: That was the objective of 'Prepare the
way', a three-day initiative held last weekend in Rio de Janeiro, at the big Maracana sports stadium.

One year exactly from the start of the 38th World Youth Day, which takes place July 23-28, 2013, the Church in Brazil started a kind of dress rehearsal with the three-day event, which began on July 27 with a Mass celebrated by Archbishop Giovanni D'Aniello, Apostolic Nuncio to Brazil, and ended Sunday, July 27, with events of prayer and celebration, musical programs by Brazil's most popular music stars, as well as lectures.

All that was preceded on July 22 by marches that took place simultaneously in all 120 dioceses of the nation to symbolically start the countdown to WYD Rio site and the Brazilian Catholic web-TV Redentore.

Organizers expect that millions more will be coming to Rio for WYD 2013 - more than the visitors expected for the World Cup in 2014 and the Olympics in 2016.

"Let us prepare the way together," said Mons. D'Aniello, "pastors of the Church and the People of God,. We all share the expectation as well of welcoming the Pope to Rio de Janeiro". He said that it would be his own first time to attend a WYD.

Referring to words said by Benedict XVI at the recent World Meeting of Families in Milan, the Nuncio observed: "The Pope said that families constitute the gentle, smiling face of the Church. The young people are, too".who formally opened the drive to raise funds for the event, with the slogan "Share your faith".

The Brazilian bishops have also published a WYD resource aid entitled "On the way to WYD Rio" prepared by their pastoral commission for youth ministry. It is addressed to the new generations, urging them to live according to the Gospel. The booklet is also an aid that teaches young people how to evangelize their contemporaries. It discusses topics like a personal encounter with Christ, the culture and faith of Brazil, attention to the poor and needy, and the practice of the sacraments of Reconciliation and the Eucharist.

The resource was also prepared with a view to the Mission Week which will precede the official WYD program, and which will replace the usual Days in the Diocese, during which visiting pilgrims have an opportunity to live and work in a diocese of the host country. This time, they will be carrying out specific missions to help the needy.

Recently, the organizing committee also published the official prayer for WYD 2013, invoking God the Father to make young people "missionary disciples of the new evangelization - the evangelizers whom the Church needs in the third millennium, great builders of the culture of life and peace, and protagonists of a new world".

Earlier, the patrons and intercessors for WYD Rio had been announced. The patrons are Our Lady of Aparecida, St. Sebastian (patron saint of the Archdiocese of Rio), St. 'Antonio di Santana Galvão (the Capuchin canonized by Benedict XVI in Sao Paolo in May 2007), St. Therese of the Child Jesus (Lisieux), and Blessed John Paul II, father of WYD.

The intercessors are the South American saints Rosa of Lima and Teresa of the Andes; St. George; Saint Andre Kim and his fellow Korean martyrs; and a number of Blesseds who died young: Laura Vicuna, José de Anchieta, Albertina Berkenbrock, Chiara Luce Badano, Suor Dulce, Adílio Daronch, Pier Giorgio Frassati, Isidoro Bakanja and Frederic Ozanam.

The official hymn will be made public on Sept. 14, Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross. It is inspired by the theme chosen by Benedict XVI for WYD 2013 - "Go and teach all nations" (Mt 28,19).

The preparations and activities of WYD are under the overall supervision of the Pontifical Council for the Laity.


Preparing to attend WYD must
be both spiritual and physical

by Elizabeth Morales


Planning for WYD takes about one and half years, and with WYD Rio nearly one year away, here is some practical advice from Steve Kerekes, who has been leading pilgrim groups to WYD since Denver in 2000. He encourages pilgrims to begin focusing on the spiritual and physical aspects of preparation.

First, WYD isn’t a festival, social event or party. It is a pilgrimage. There usually is a spiritual cross to be carried or sacrifice to be offered up in union with Christ’s love and suffering for us.

“God gives extra graces to those who make a pilgrimage,” said Kerekes. Pilgrims’ hearts need to be open to the grace God is giving. The greatest opportunity on pilgrimage is that God can transform hearts. It is a time to cry out and beg Him to know your mission in life.

According to Kerekes, “God usually reveals their mission to persons who go on pilgrimage. Many people have been transformed because of World Youth Day.”

On the physical aspect, WYD isn’t a walk in the park, he points out. It consists of walking and hiking, morning and night. Pilgrims may be outside 15 or more hours a day. ”If you can sleep, it’s usually on the ground,” said Kerekes.

Reinforcing the need for physical preparation, the closing weekend in Rio will include a longer-than-usual walking pilgrimage. Pilgrims walk to the Closing Ceremony site and sleep on the grass. ”It is physically demanding. Chaperons underestimate it,” said Kerekes. “The last two days are difficult. It’s a two day-hiking camp trip. Be fully prepared for that.”

In Rio, the closing weekend events will be held 40 miles from Rio at the Santa Cruz Military Airport. Kerekes said, “Pilgrims have journeyed much shorter distances in the past, with options of buses or trains, to the final weekend location where the Pope celebrates Mass and gives a speech to the pilgrims.”

Kerekes is not sure how the organizers plan to facilitate transportation to and from Santa Cruz. “You can’t make people walk 40 miles.”

The weekend events are open to everyone, and attendance is expected to be as many as 4-8 million.
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Wednesday, August 1, 17th Week in Ordinary Time
MEMORIAL OF ST. ALFONSO LIGUORI


ST. ALFONSO MARIA LIGUORI (Italy, 1696-1787), Bishop, Confessor, Founder of the Redemptorist Order, Doctor of the Church
Another saint born to nobility, Alfonso was a multi-talented child prodigy who earned a double doctorate in canon and civil law from the University of Naples when he was just 16. By age 21, he owned a law firm and was one of the leading lawyers of Naples. He was also a music lover, especially of opera, and played the harpsichord. The more he got on in the world, the less he liked it. He turned down an arranged marriage, studied theology, and was ordained a priest at age 29. He quickly became known for his simple direct preaching and his kindness and understanding as a confessor, emphasizing moderation and genuine penitence. In his time, Alfonso fought to liberate moral theology from Jansenist rigorism; in fact, his main work on Moral Theology underwent 60 editions in the century following his death. In 1732, he founded the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (thus, Redemptorists) as a community of priests and brothers dedicated to the imitation of Christ and propagating the Gospel through popular missions, especially among peasants. It took 17 years for their Rules to be approved by Rome. Critics accused them of laxity because of Alfonso's policies on confession. In 1762, Pope Clement XIII named him Bishop of Sant'Agata de Goti, then one of the most corrupt dioceses in Italy. He worked to reform the clergy and revitalize the faithful but resigned in 1775 due to continued failing health (he was virtually immobilized by severe rheumatism). In 1777, shortly after the Jesuits were expelled from Italy in 1773, the Redemptorists were also threatened with disbandment by the Kingdom of Naples. The aging and near-blind Alfonso defended his order personally and obtained royal approval. But he was tricked into signing a revised Rule of the Congregation which suited the King and his anti-clerical government. Seeing the revised Rule, Pope Pius VI condemned it and removed Alfonso as leader of the Order. This afflicted him in the final years of his life, during which 'dark nights of the soul' alternated with ecstasies. He was canonized in 1839. In his lifetime, he wrote 111 works on spirituality and theology - 21,500 editions and translations into 72 languages attest that he is one of the most widely read Catholic authors. He was a Marian devotee whose The Glories of Mary and other Marian works rediscovered the Mariology of Saint Augustine and and other fathers, and represented an intellectual defence of Mariology in the 18th century. In 1882, there was a popular edition of his Sermons for all Sundays of the Year. His prayers and meditations for the Way of the Cross have been the most popular version used throughout the Catholic world. He also wrote the Italian Christmas carol Tu scende dalle stelle, popularized by Pope Pius IX after he translated it from Latin to Italian. Pius IX later proclaimed Alfonso a Doctor of the Church, and in 1950, Pius XII dedicated an encyclical to him.
Readings for today's Mass:
www.usccb.org/bible/readings/080112.cfm



WITH THE HOLY FATHER TODAY

General Audience - Resuming his catechetical cycle on Christian prayer at the first GA after his official
summer vacation, the Holy Father cited the example of the saint who feast day is celebrated today by the Church -
St. Alfonso Liguori, "founder of the Redemptorists, a great moral theologian and a master of prayer... (who)
teaches us the beauty of daily prayer, in which we open our minds and hearts to the Lord’s presence and receive
the grace to live wisely and well". Because of the crowd size, the Pope held the audience facing the main
plaza of Castel Gandolfo instead of doing it in the internal courtyard.


POPE'S PRAYER INTENTIONS
FOR AUGUST 2011



General intention:
"That prisoners may be treated with justice and respect for their human dignity.”

Missionary intention:
"That young people, called to follow Christ, may be willing to proclaim
and bear witness to the Gospel to the ends of the earth.





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One of the last services by VIS, which formally came to an end on July 31, was its monthly summary of the activities of the Holy Father and the Vatican in the past months, along with other significant events for the Church, from January to July 2010...

The Pope and the Church:
January-July 2012



JANUARY
1: Benedict XVI presides at a Eucharistic celebration for the Solemnity of Mary Mother of God, and for the forty-third World Day of Peace which has as its theme this year: "Educating Young People in Justice and Peace".
3: Publication of the Holy Father's Message for the World Day of the Sick, to be held on 11 February, Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes. The message, dated from the Vatican on 20 November 2011, Solemnity of our Lord Jesus Christ Universal King, is entitled: "Stand up and go; your faith has saved you".
14: The Holy Father receives in audience Mario Monti, prime minister of the Republic of Italy.
19: The Holy Father receives a group of prelates from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (Regions 4 and 6), at the end of their "ad limina" visit.
20: The Pontifical Council for the Laity publishes a decree approving the celebrations contained in the Catechetical Directory of the Neo-Catechumenal Way. The decree, dated 8 January, Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, bears the signatures of Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko and Bishop Josef Clemens, respectively president and secretary of the council.
24: Presentation of Benedict XVI's Message for the forty-sixth World Day of Social Communications, entitled: "Silence and Word: Path of Evangelisation".
25: The Holy See, acting also in the name and on behalf of Vatican City State, adheres to the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism (New York, 1999) and to the United Nations Convention Against Transnational Organised Crime (Palermo, 2000). On the same date the Holy See ratifies, likewise in the name and on behalf of Vatican City State, the United Nations Convention against Illicit Traffic in Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Vienna, 1988), which it had already signed in the year in which it was adopted.
31: Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua, former archbishop of Philadelphia, U.S.A., dies at the age of 88.

FEBRUARY
6: The Pope receives Laurence Argimon-Pistre, head of the delegation of the European Union, for the presentation of her Letters of Credence.
7: International symposium entitled "Towards Healing and Renewal" bringing together bishops and religious superiors from all over the world with the aim of relaunching the Church's commitment to protecting minors and vulnerable people from child abuse.
7: Publication of the 2012 Lenten Message of the Holy Father Benedict XVI, the title of which is taken from the Letter to the Hebrews: "Let us be concerned for each other, to stir a response in love and good works".
13: Publication of the Pope's Message for the forth-ninth World Day of Prayer for Vocations. The Day is due to be celebrated on 29 April on the theme: "Vocations, the Gift of the Love of God".
14: Official visit to the Vatican of a delegation of ministers from the United Kingdom to mark the thirtieth anniversary of the establishment of full diplomatic relations with the Holy See.
16: The Pope receives Budiarman Barar, the new ambassador of Indonesia to the Holy See, for the presentation of his Letters of Credence.
16: The Pope receives Daniel Edgardo Ramada Piendibene, the new ambassador of Uruguay to the Holy See, for the presentation of his Letters of Credence.
18: Benedict XVI celebrates the fourth ordinary public consistory of his pontificate, during which he creates twenty-two new cardinals.
24: The Holy Father receives in audience His Majesty Siaosi Tupou V, King of Tonga.
29: Inauguration of an exhibition entitled "'Lux in Arcana' - the Vatican Secret Archives unveiled", organised to mark the fourth centenary of the foundation of the Archives.

MARCH
4: Benedict XVI visits the Roman parish of "San Giovanni Battista de La Salle al Torrino".
9: Cardinal Jose T. Sanchez, prefect emeritus of the Congregation for the Clergy, dies at the age of 91.
9: The Holy Father receives a group of prelates from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, at the end of their "ad limina" visit.
10: The Holy Father presides at Vespers in the Roman monastery of San Gregorio al Celio, to mark the visit to Rome of His Grace Rowan Williams, archbishop of Canterbury and primate of the Anglican Communion.
14: Presentation, in the German embassy to the Holy See, of a work by Joseph Ratzinger: "The People and the House of God in Augustine's Doctrine of the Church". The book, the Pope's doctoral thesis from 1953, is part of a series of sixteen volumes which aims to bring together all Joseph Ratzinger's theological works up to the time of his election to the papal throne in 2005.
16: The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith opens a new domain within the official website of the Holy See, to facilitate the consultation of its documents which, having the express approbation of the Holy Father, participate in his ordinary Magisterium as Peter's Successor.
23-28: The Holy Father makes an apostolic trip to Mexico and Cuba.

APRIL
7: His Beatitude Cardinal Ignace Moussa I Daoud, prefect emeritus of the Congregation for Oriental Churches and patriarch emeritus of Antioch of the Syrians, dies in Rome at the age of 82.
10: Cardinal Luis Aponte Martinez, archbishop emeritus of San Juan de Puerto Rico, dies at the age of 89.
14: Benedict XVI sends a message to Bishop Stephan Ackermann of Trier, Germany, for the fifth centenary of the first public display of the "Heiliger Rock", said to be the Holy Robe which Jesus wore before His crucifixion.
19: On this seventh anniversary of the election of the Holy Father Benedict XVI, the new www.vatican.va widget becomes available to users of the Internet.

MAY
1: Benedict XVI visits Rome's Sacred Heart Catholic University to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the "Agostino Gemelli" Faculty of Medicine and Surgery.
4: The Pope receives five new non resident ambassadors to the Holy See for the presentation of thier Letters of Credence: Teshome Toga Chanaka of Ethiopia, David Cooney of Ireland, Naivakarurubalavu Solo Mara of the Republic of Fiji, Viguen Tchitetchian of Armenia and Dato' Ho May Young, the first ambassador of Malaysia to the Holy See.
5: The Holy Father receives a group of prelates from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (Regions 10 to 13) at the end of their "ad limina" visit.
5: The Holy Father receives in audience Bamir Topi, president of the Republic of Albania.
13: Benedict XVI makes a pastoral visit to the Italian region of Abruzzo.
18: The Holy Father receives a final group from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, whose prelates have been travelling to Rome over the past six months on their quinquennial "ad limina Apostolorum" visits.
24: The Holy Father receives participants in the sixty-fourth general assembly of the Italian Episcopal Conference.
24: The Pope receives in separate audiences Rosen Plevneliev, president of the Republic of Bulgaria, and Nikola Gruevski, prime minister of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, each accompanied by a delegation, for the commemoration of the Feast of Sts. Cyril and Methodius.
25: The Holy Father receives in audience Petr Necas, prime minister of the Czech Republic.
27: After celebrating Mass for the Solemnity of Pentecost, the Holy Father announces that on 7 October he will proclaim St. John of Avila and St. Hildegard of Bingen as Doctors of the Universal Church.
28: The Holy Father receives in audience Laura Chinchilla Miranda, president of Costa Rica.

JUNE
1-3: The Pope makes a pastoral visit to the Italian archdiocese of Milan to participate in the seventh World Meeting of Families. Following the closing Mass he announces that the next World Meeting of Families will take place in Philadelphia, U.S.A., in 2015.
4: Cardinal Rodolfo Ignacio Quezada Toruno, archbishop emeritus of Guatemala, Guatemala, dies at the age of 80.
8: The Holy Father receives in audience Mahinda Rajapaksa, president of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka.
9: Benedict XVI receives in audience prelates from the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands, at the end of their "ad limina" visit.
15: The Holy Father receives in audience Nassir Abdulaziz al-Nasser, president of the sixty-sixth session of the General Assembly of the United Nations.
16: The International Theological Commission updates its webpage. The page is to be found on the Vatican website (www.vatican.va) under the section dedicated to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
17: A video message from Benedict XVI is transmitted at the end of the closing Mass of the fiftieth International Eucharistic Congress, which was held in Dublin, Ireland, from 10 to 17 June on the theme: "The Eucharist. Communion with Christ and with One Another".
20: The Holy Father receives in audience Valdis Dombrovskis, prime minister of the Republic of Latvia.
21: The Holy Father receives in audience Filip Vujanovic, president of Montenegro.
22: The Holy Father receives a first group of prelates from the Episcopal Conference of Colombia, at the end of their "ad limina" visit.
25: The American journalist Gregory Burke, currently Rome correspondent for Fox News, is designated for the post of "communications advisor" to the Secretariat of State.
26: Benedict XVI visits areas in the Italian region of Emilia Romagna which have been badly affected by a series of earthquakes.

JULY
9: Benedict XVI makes a private visit to to the "Ad Gentes" Centre of the Verbite Missionaries in Nemi, a village near Castelgandolfo.
9: Cardinal Eugenio Araujo Sales, archbishop emeritus of Sao Sebastiao do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, dies at the age of 91.
10: The Holy Father makes a pastoral visit to the Italian diocese of Frascati, near Rome.
16: Announcement of the theme chosen by the Holy Father for the forty-sixth World Day of Peace, which will fall on 1 January 2013: "Blessed are the peacemakers".
25: Publication by the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant Peoples of the Message for World Tourism Day. The theme for this year's Day, which falls on 27 September, is: "Tourism and Sustainable Energy: Powering Sustainable Development".

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GENERAL AUDIENCE
August 1, 2012





Pope Benedict XVI resumed his weekly General Audience on Wednesday, August 1, at Castel Gandolfo's main plaza. The audiences and other public activities of the Pope, other than the Sunday Angelus, were suspended in July, officially the Pope's vacation month.

Resuming his catechetical cycle on Christian prayer, the Pope used the occasion of the liturgical feast of St. Alfonso Liguori to illustrate how the saint and Doctor of the Church who founded the Redemptorist order taught the faithful to pray for the grace to live wisely and well.



Here is a translation of the Holy Father's catechesis:

Dear brothers and sisters:

Today is the liturgical commemoration of St. Alfonso Maria de Liguori, Bishop and Doctor of the Church, founder of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer (Redemptorists), patron of moral theology scholars and of confessors.

St. Alfonso was one of the most popular saints of the 18th century for his simple and straightforward teaching and for his doctrine on the sacrament of Penance. In a time of great rigorism, which was an outcome of the Jansenist influence, he urged confessors to administer the sacrament by manifesting the joyous embrace of God the Father, who, in his infinite mercy, never tires of welcoming the penitent son.

Today's observance offers us the occasion to dwell on the teachings of St. Alfonso on prayer, which are ever more valuable and replete with spiritual inspiration.

In 1759, he wrote the tract Del gran mezzo della Preghiera (published in English as "The Great Means of Salvation and of Perfection'), which he considered the most useful of his writings. He describes prayer as the necessary and sure means to obtain salvation and all the graces we need to achieve it
(Introduction). This sentence synthesizes the Alphonsian understanding of prayer.

First of all, by calling prayer a 'means', he reminds us of the goal to be reached: God created out of love, to be able to give us life in full. But this goal, life in full, has become distant, so to speak, because of sin, as we all know, and only the grace of God can make it accessible.

To explain this basic truth, and to make it clear with urgency that the risk for man to 'lose himself' was real, St. Alfonso coined a famous and very elementary maxim, which says: "He who prays is saved; he who does not pray is condemned".

Commenting on such a lapidary statement, he added: "In short, to be saved without prayer is most difficult, if not impossible, but by praying, salvation is certain and most easy"
(II, Conclusion).

He also says: "If we do not pray, we have no excuse, because the grace of prayer is given to everyone... If we are not saved, it is all our fault for not having prayed" (ibid.).

By saying that prayer is a necessary means, St. Alfonso wished to make it understood that in every situation in life, one cannot do less than to pray, especially in times of trial and difficulty.

We must often knock on God's door, knowing that in all ways, he takes care of his children, of us. Therefore, we are asked not to fear going to him and presenting him our requests with trust, in the certainty that we will obtain what we need.

Dear friends, this is the central question: What do I really need in my life? With St. Alfonso, I say: "Health and all the graces that are necessary for it"
(ibid.). Of course, he meant not just the health of the body, but above all, that of the soul which Jesus gives us.

More than anything else, we need his liberating presence that makes us fully human, and thus makes our existence replete with grace. Only through prayer can we welcome him, his grace, which, enlightening us in every situation, makes us discern true good, and strengthening us, makes even our will effective - it makes us able to do the good that we discern.

We often recognize what is good but we are not able to do it. With prayer, we are able to carry it out. The disciple of the Lord knows that he is always exposed to temptation and must never fail to ask God's help, through prayer, in order to overcome it.

St. Alfonso cited the example of St. Filippo Neri, most interestingly, who, from the moment he woke up in the morning, would tell God: "Lord, hold your hand today over Phillip, because otherwise, Phillip will betray you"
(III,3).

What a great realist! He asks God to hold his hand over him. We, too, aware of our weakness, must ask God's help with humility, trusting in the richness of his mercy.

In another passage, St. Alfonso says: "We are poor in everything, but if we ask, we are no longer poor - God is rich" (II,4). And, following St. Augustine, he invites very Christian to pray and not be afraid to procure God's help, through prayer, to have the strength he does not have, and which he needs in order to do good, in the certainty that God will not deny his help to whoever prays to him with humility
(cfr III,3).

Dear friends, St. Alfonso reminds us that relationship with God is essential in our life. Without a relationship with God, we lack the fundamental relationship, and this relationship is realized by speaking to God, in our daily personal prayer and in our participation in the Sacraments, so that this relationship can grow is us, so that the divine presence that orients our journey enlightens it and makes it sure and serene, even amidst difficulties and dangers. Thank you.






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Cardinal Bertone says the Pope
has finished the 'infancy' book
and he may soon have a new encyclical

Translated from the Italian service of

August 2, 2012

A new encyclical from Benedict XVI, the conclusion of his work on the third volume of JESUS OF NAZARETH, and the new evangelization were the subjects touched on by Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone yesterday evening, after saying Mass at the parish church in Introd, Val D'Aosta, where he has been spending his vacation. Sergio Centofanti has the report:

The Pope has finished his book dedicated to the childhood years of Jesus and it will be a great gift during the Year of Faith which begins in October, according to Cardinal Bertone.

He added that Benedict XVI may also have a new encyclical soon, the fourth of his Pontificate.

"We shall read Benedict XVI's third book on Jesus with eagerness and great enjoyment", he said.

For his part, Bertone said that he has been reviewing matters that need priority attention, and that on his vacation, he has been in touch not just with the Secretariat of State and his co-workers, but also with the Pope.

In his homily, for a Mass commemorating St. Eusebius of Vercelli, he said: "The task of he who governs with responsibility is different from a mercenary who does service for pay. To govern means to take care of the weaker members of society, to defend the week and the needy, and to bring forth the shining kingship of Christ, who is also the Good Shepherd".

He recalled the evangelizing work of St. Eusebius who "did not stay home" but :faced during difficult and dangerous trips, misunderstandings and persecutions from his enemies, while he sought to spread the Gospel of Christ's salvation everywhere".

"Thus we can understand the great importance of the proclamation of a Year of Faith by Benedict XVI, which starts in October on the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council.

"Conscious of our dignity as collaborators and operators of the new evangelization," he said, "we must also try in many ways to discover anew, through a truly Christian formation, the many treasures of our faith which have escaped many or have become otherwise unrecognizable".

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Thursday, August 2, 178th Week in Ordinary Time

ST. EUSEBIUS OF VERCELLI (Italy, 283-371), Bishop and Confessor
Benedict XVI dedicated his catechesis on October 17, 2007 to this early Father of the Church
www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/audiences/2007/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20071017...
Born in Sardinia, he grew up in Rome where he became a priest at the height of the Arian heresy and was named the first bishop
of northern Italy, with his seat in Vercelli, in 345. He firmly allied himself to the fourth-century Fathers, including St. Athanasius
and St. Hilary of Poitiers, in defending the divinity of Christ against the Arian heresy. Inspired by Athanasius's Life of St. Anthony
Abbot
, the father of eastern monasticism, Eusebius organized his priests into a community within the city where they lived like
monks, setting a standard for apostolic holiness that inspired other bishops who were subsequently named in northern Italy, many
of whom also became saints. For defending Arianism, Eusebius, like Athanasius and many other bishops, was exiled by the philo-
Arian emperor Constantius II. Eusebius lived in Palestine from 355-360, where he wrote about his life, then went on to Asia
Minor and Egypt until 362, when a new emperor, though he wished to restore paganism, allowed all exiled bishops to return.
In Alexandria, he took part in Anastasius's Council which confirmed the divinity of the Holy Spirit and the orthodox doctrine on
the Incarnation. He was bishop for ten more years until his death.
Readings for today's Mass:
www.usccb.org/bible/readings/080212.cfm



FROM THE VATICAN TODAY

A communique from the Press Office announces what Cardinal Bertone said earlier about the Pope's new book:

In recent days, the Holy Father has finished his draft of the third volume of JESUS OF NAZARETH, dedicated to the narrations about the childhood of Jesus (Die Kindheitsgeschichten), which completes the trilogy.

It will now be translated directly from the original German to various languages. It is expected that the book will be simultaneously released in the major languages. Therefore, enough time will be needed for a careful translation of an important and much-awaited text.


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Devotees of traditional Mass
to gather in Rome on pilgrimage
as Year of Faith begins

by Andrea Tornielli
Translated from the Italian service of

August 2, 2012

The faithful who follow the traditional Mass thanks to Benedict XVI's 2007 Motu Proprio will gather in Rome for a pilgrimage around the start of the Year of Faith to conclude with Mass at St. Peter's Basilica, it has been just been announced.

"Through the initiative of representatives from various lay groups like the International Federation Una Voce (One Voice) and Italy's National Coordination for Summorum Pontificum, the Coetus internationalis pro Summorum Pontificum (international group in support of Summorum Pontificum) has been formed, with the end of organizing an international pilgrimage of associations, groups and movements supporting Benedict XVI's motu proprio during the Year of Faith. The pilgrimage will conclude with a Mass to be celebrated in St. Peter's Basilica on Saturday, November 3. An official presentation of the event will be made kin Rome on September 18"

The organizers said the event is intended as "a great mobilization in Rome, bringing together in pilgrimage and prayer all the faithful who are devoted to sacred liturgy and to the Holy Father who, now more than ever, at a time of attacks against his person, needs our unanimous manifestation of affection, obedience and support. Start to organize yourselves!"

It will not be the first time that a traditional Mass will be celebrated in St. Peter's Basilica after the motu proprio was issued in 2007. The latest was offered on May 17, 2011 by German Cardinal Walter Brandmueller, at the end of a similar gathering of traditional-rite devotees held in Rome. [Cardinal Leo Burke has also celebrated the traditional Mass in St. Peter's at one of the annual lecture-conferences held in Rome by an association of priests supporting the traditional rite.]

The organizers did not say anything about a possible meeting with the Pope, but they are obviously hoping that the Pope will find a way to address their pilgrims coming to Rome.

In September 2010, three years after the motu proprio formally went into force, the French-based group Paix Liturgique released some relevant statistics, both quantitative as well as qualitative. A study was conducted in 30 countries where Catholicism is most solidly established, in terms of the number of places where it is offered regularly, the frequency and schedule, evaluating, for instance, if the schedules are appropriate for the whole family.

The survey was carried out in Spain, Portugal, Ireland, Switzerland, the Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Great Britain, Poland, France, the Netherlands, Hungary, Austria, Canada, the USA, Mexico, Colombia m Chile, Brazil, Argentina, Australia, India, the Philippines, New Zealand, South Africa, Gabon and Nigeria.

The data has been corroborated by two independent sources. At the time of the survey, the traditional Mass was being said in 1,444 places. Of these, 340 had a Mass on at least one weekday; 313 celebrated Sunday Mass but not every week; 324 regularly celebrated Mass but not at a schedule favorable to family attendance (i.e., not between the hours of 9-12 am). But 467 places held Sunday Mass every Sunday at a family=friendly time, accounting for 32.3% of all the Masses, while 25% of Masses were offered on weekdays.

Interestingly, the Lefebvrians at the time of the survey were offering the traditional Mass, as they have always done, in 690 places - half as many as those who have only been doing so since 2007.

So, despite difficulties and resistances put up by bishops and priests in many parts of the world, the traditional Mass is getting to be known and attended, albeit slowly, by a growing number of Catholics.
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Friday, August 3, 17th Week in Ordinary Time

ST. PIERRE JULIEN EYMARD (France, 1811-1868), Marist priest, Founder of the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, Apostle of the Eucharist
This contemporary of Jean-Marie Vianney was born in the southeastern region of Isere in France. He was ordained in 1834 and joined the Marists five years later, where he became an esteemed spiritual adviser for seminarians priests. He also worked with laymen to promote devotion to the Eucharist and the Virgin Mary. In 1856, following a dispute with the Marists, of which he had become the provincial for France, he established the Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament, distinguished by carrying out active apostolate as well as a contemplative life; and two years later, the Servants of the Blessed Sacrament for women. All his life, Eymard was sickly, but his greatest personal struggle was against his own Jansenistic striving for perfection. In 1862, the sculptor Rodin joined his congregation as a lay brother, but Eymard persuaded him to continue with his art; Rodin later made a famous bust of Eymard. he was beatified in 1925 and canonized by John XXIII at the closing of Vatican-II's-s first sessions in December 1962.
Readings for today's Mass:
www.usccb.org/bible/readings/080312.cfm



WITH THE HOLY FATHER TODAY

At the Apostolic Palace in Castel Gandolfo, the Holy Father received a Bavarian tribute in the afternoon
from his former Archdiocese of Munich and Freising, led by Archbishop Reinhard Marx, who brought folk singers,
dancers and the famous Bavarian mountain guards, along with some 1,000 faithful who travelled by special
train from Munich.


Sorry... I must make up for yesterday. I have new work demands that requires fulltime commitment away from computer access on Thursdays and Fridays, until I get back home at night. I will try to adjust somehow before the relative news drought of summer ends after August... Meanwhile, I would appreciate and be most grateful for all the help from anyone to post news about the Holy Father on the Forum whenever they can.
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Pope's message for international
prayer assembly in Japan


August 3, 2012

The Vatican today released the text of the Holy Father's message to the XXV inter-religious summit of prayer for world peace at the 1400-year-old Buddhist monastery of Enryakuki near Kyoto, headquarers for Tendai Buddhism (a major Japanese school of Mahayana Buddhism, the larger of the two Buddhist traditions).

The Pope;s messgae was read at the opening of the prayer assembly today by Mons. Pier Luigi Celata recently named Vice Chamberlain of teh Holy Roman Church, but until then, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Inter=Religious Dialog.




The Venerable Kojun HANDA
256th Tendai Zasu
Supreme Priest of the Tendai Buddhist Denomination

I am pleased to greet you and the religious leaders gathered for the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Religious Summit on Mount Hiei, in the spirit of the 1986 historic meeting in Assisi promoted by my predecessor Blessed John Paul II.

The commitment to the cause of peace by religious leaders is of the greatest importance and I am happy to learn that, thanks to your efforts, the Summit on Mount Hiei has become a major annual event that contributes effectively to dialogue between people of different beliefs.

I am confident that the work of the Summit and the Symposium studying the response of religious leaders to natural disasters will lead to greater solidarity and mutual help. According to the Christian perspective, the love given to those who suffer is a reflection of the divine charity of God who so loved the world that he sent his only Son Jesus Christ.

In this sense, my mind turns to the earthquake and tsunami in north-east Japan last year and the harrowing consequences for the whole nation. It was heartening to learn of the effective role of religious leaders in offering hope and support, as well as counsel and solace, to all those suffering. The tragic event also shows how people of different beliefs can cooperate with one another for the good of the human person.

With these sentiments, and as a pledge of goodwill and friendship, upon all gathered I invoke an abundance of divine blessings.




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A belated 85th birthday tribute
to the Pope from his fellow Bavarians

by Angela Ambrogetti
Translated from




CASTEL GANDOLFO, August 3 - An embrace, a gift, a celebration to bring the atmosphere of his 'Heimat' (homeland) to the Pope. [A belated greeting for his 85th birthday.]

In the internal courtyard of the Apostolic Palace, the sounds and accents of Bavaria resounded yesterday afternoon along with yodels and southern Germany's traditional Alpine songs, as a delegation more than a thousand strong, organized by Cardinal Reinhard Marx, Archbishop of Munich-Freising, brought Bavaria to Benedict XVI with a veritable musical tour of the various regions of Bavaria.

An hour of entertainment that climaxed a pilgrimage that had set off by special train from Munich on August 1 and will end tomorrow at the Vatican with Mass at St. Peter's Basilica

Joining the Pope at the feast was his older brother, Mons. Georg Ratzinger, who is spending the summer at Castel Gandolfo.

Earlier, the main square of Castel Gandolfo was jammed with spectators as the famous Bayerische Gebirgschuetzen (Bavarian mountain guard) fired their famous salvos, before the song and dance performances in the inner courtyard.

Cardinal Marx greeted the Pope by saying, "What better gift can we make to the Pope for his birthday but to bring him a bit of the Heimat?"

Every regional folklore troupe executed their own specialty, using traditional instruments. Announcing the events was Elizabeth Rehm of Werdenfels, who hosts the program Unser unterem Himmel (Under our skies) on Bavarian TV.

Her family, originally from Garmish-Partenkirchen, composes and performs sons for both civilian and religious celebrations. The parents and their daughter performed songs accompanied by zithers.

The troupe from Tegernsee presented the Pope with a porcelain bas relief of Our Lady and a golden medal naming him an honorary member of their troupe.

In his extemporaneous remarks afterwards, the Pope reiterated that Bavarian culture is beautiful and joyous, saying Yes to the world and to life while demonstrating the beauty of being human.

But how can this be when one sees so much evil in the world, the Pope asked. Because, he said, faith shows us that the world is beautiful and that God is good and suffers with us, and it is good to be human.

Among the notable members of the delegation from Bavaria were Cardinal Friedrich Wetter, emeritus Archbishop of Munich-Freising [he succeeded Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger in 1982 when the latter was called to Rome to be Prefect of the CDF and served until his retirement in 2009], the auxiliary bishops of Munich, federal German Minister Ilse Aigner, Vanarian state minister Joachim Herrmann, regional Counselor Michael Schwaiger, and the mayor of Freising, Tobias Eschenbacher.

The evening ended with everyone, including the Pope,singing the Angelus and a Bavarian sacred hymn.



Here is a translation of the Holy Father's remarks:

Dear Cardinals,
Dear brothers,
Dear friends!

At the end of this Bavarian hour I can only say Vergelt'ss Gott ['God will reward you', the Bavarian 'thank you'] It was just beautiful, here in the middle of Lazio, to be in Bavaria at the same time. I was truly 'at home' [he used the Bavarian variant 'dahoam' for standard German 'daheim' and I must compliment Cardinal Marx that he pronounced 'dahoam' beautifully!

We have seen that Bavarian culture is a joyful one: "Mir san koane Rowdies, ’s is koa Gaudi" [again in Bavarian dialect: "We are not rowdy, it is just sheer joy". It is joyous, permeated with joy, which comes from an inner accord with the world, from an inner Yes to the world, an inner Yes to life, which is a Yes to joy.

It says that we are in harmony with creatin, in harmony with the Creator himself, and that thereby, we have discovered that it is good to be a man.

Of course, one must say, that God has made it easy for us in Bavaria: He has gifted us with such a beautiful world, such a beautiful state, that it is easy for us to acknowledge that God is good and to be joyous because of this.

But at the same time, he has also helped so that the people of this lace, out of their inner Yes to life, they have given the land its full beauty through the culture of its people, their faith, their joy, their singing, their music, their art has become as beautiful not only as the Creator has made it, but with the help of the people themselves.

One might well ask: Can one rejoice when the world is full of sorrow, when there is so much darkness and evil? Is it permissible to be so exuberant and jopyful? And the answer can only be Yes. Because saying No to joy does not help anyone - we can only make the world darker. And he who does not love himself cannot give others anything - it does not help him, and he cannot be a messenger of peace.

We know this from our faith, and we see it everyday. The world is beautiful,a nd God is good. And because he came among us as a man, suffered and lived with us, we know it definitively and palpably: Yes, God is good, and it is good to be a man.

We live from this joy, from which we also seek to bring joy to others, to guard against evil, and to be messengers of peace and reconciliation.

And I must really thank a whole list of names one by one, but the memory of an old man is not reliable, and so I will not even begin to try. I must nonetheless thank my dear Cardinal Marx, who has organized this hour, who has transported Bavaria to Rome and has in this way made us feel the inner unity of Christian culture.

I am grateful that he has gathered Bavarians from our diocese, from Lower Bavaria to the Upper State, from Rupertigau to Werdenfelser. Thank you to the moderator, who has gifted us with her beautiful Bavarian language. I really don't trust myself to speak Bavarian and also sound 'classy', but she can.

I thank all the groups, the trumpeteers - I better not get started. You know that you have all touched me in my heart, and I am thankful and happy for this... Of course, the Gebirgsschuetzen [the Bavarian mountain guard], who I could hear from afar, deserve special thanks, since I am an honorary mountain guard myself. although rather a mediocre one!

And of course, I thank you especially, dear Cardinal Wetter, my immediate successor on the seat of St. Corbinian, for having joined the delegation. You led the diocese as a good Shepherd for a quarter century. Thank you for being here.


In Italian, he addressed the Governor of Vatican City State:
Cardinal Bertello, thank you for your presence. I hope that you too experienced tonight the beauty of Bavaria and of Bavarian culture.

He ended in German:
In gratitude, I can only give you all my Blessing. But first, let us sing together the Angelus, and then, as best as we can, the 'Andachtsjodler' [a prayer sung with yodelling.] A most heartfelt Vergelt's Gott!


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Saturday, August 4, 17th Week in Ordinary Time
MEMORIAL OF ST JOHN VIANNEY


ST. JEAN-BAPTISTE MARIE VIANNEY (France, 1786-1859), the Holy Cure d'Ars. Patron Saint of Parish Priests
Because Benedict XVI upheld him as the model for the recent Year for Priests, decreed to honor his 150th death anniversary, this French saint has become one of the best-known of all modern saints. The Holy Father dedicated his catechesis on August 5, 2009, to the 'saint of the year' in the Year for Priests www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/audiences/2009/documents/hf_ben-xvi_aud_20090805...
Readings for today's Mass:
www.usccb.org/bible/readings/080412.cfm



AT THE VATICAN TODAY

No events announced for the Holy Father.

He has accepted the resignation of the Regent (#2 man) of the Pontifical household, Mons. Paolo de Nicolo,
who has reached 75, and appointed to succeed him
Fr. Leonardo Sapienza, who has been an official in the same Prefecture.


Vatican Radio's English service has another indefensible editorial oversight today. announcing Fr. Sapienza's appointment as "Sapienza to head Prefecture of Pontifical Household" in its headline on the appointment. It does not repeat the line in the report itself, but neither does it mention that the Regent position is #2 to the Prefect, who is Archbishop James Harvey.The report does provide necessary background about this Prefecture:

It is the task of the Prefecture of the Papal Household to coordinate the services of the Antechamber and to organize the official audiences granted by His Holiness to Heads of State, Heads of Government, Governmental Ministers and other dignitaries, as well as to Ambassadors who come to the Vatican to present their Letters of Credence.

The Prefecture takes care of the preparations for all audiences - private, special and general - and visits from those who are formally received by the Holy Father. It is also responsible for arranging Pontifical ceremonies - except liturgical celebrations - as well as the Spiritual Retreat of the Holy Father, the College of Cardinals and the Roman Curia.

In addition, the Prefecture oversees the appropriate arrangements required each time the Holy Father leaves the Apostolic Palace to visit the city of Rome or travel within Italy.

I hope that before the day ends, Vatican Radio will correct its mistake. These errors of fact have been occuring too frequently for comfort. Somehow, whoever is in charge of the English service has not been exercising any editorial oversight, allowing his/her reporters to apparently simply file their reports as is, without benefit of fact checking or editorial rewrite, for that matter (many of these reports also require major rewrites in terms of simple expression. Radio is all about providing the most information in the simplest and most direct way possible. The RV English reporters often fail this test. preferring to be inappropriately verbose and circumlocutory). If the reporter is too young or inexperienced or irresponsible not to be able to do his own fact-checking, his editor has the duty to take up the slack and not allow inaccuracies or falsehoods to get on the air or online.

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'Believe first then act':
The Pope's next encyclical
will be about faith

by PAOLO RODARI
Translated from

August 3, 2012

In the homily that formally inaugurated his Pontificate on April 24, 2005, Benedict XVI said that his task - and that of the Church - was "to lead men out of the desert, towards the place of live, towards friendship with the Son of God".

He was probably already thinking then that it would get to this point. Of what? The decision to write an encyclical on faith, his fourth, and the third dedicated to the virtues that have to do with God, the so-called theological virtues.

Definite news bout this came out just now from Les Combes in Val D'Aosta, from the vacationing Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone, who also said that the Pope had finished working on the third book in his JESUS OF NAZARETH trilogy, this one dedicated to the infancy narrations (Die Kindergeschichten) about Jesus. Written in German, as are all of Joseph Ratzinger/Benedict XVI's manuscripts, the book must now be translated into the major languages in which it will be published initially.

So, what would the Pope say in an encyclical on faith? The Pope gave a preview in his Apostolic Letter Porta Fidei last October 11, with which he decreed the Year of Faith.

he said then that "It often happens that Christians are more concerned for the social, cultural and political consequences of their commitment, continuing to think of the faith as a self-evident presupposition for life in society". Whereas the Church "cannot accept that salt should become tasteless or the light be kept."

Therefore, faith ahead of social and political concerns, is a prerequisite that is not secondary in the German Pope's view of things. We know that he had Paul VI in mind, and his decision, which was in some ways rather shattering, to decree a Year of Faith in 1967, during a time of general upheaval, and in the Church, even of caving in: namely, action before belief - in the years immediately following the Second Vatican Council, when the truths of the faith were watered down by the winds of renewal. Paul VI thought a Year of Faith was necessary so that there would be "an authentic and sincere profession of the same faith" throughout all of the Church.

A profession by everyone, so that the faith may be purified of any drifts and betrayals: "The great upheavals of that year made even more evident the need for a celebration of this kind", Benedict XVI wrote. It had concluded with a Profession of Faith by the People of God, to attest how the essential contents of what had constituted for centuries the patrimony of all believers needed to be affirmed in a new way in order to give consistent testimony in historical conditions very different from those in the past.

It was not accidental that the encyclical should be timed, not just for the Year of Faith, but during the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council on October 11, 1962, and the 20th anniversary of the current Catechism of the Catholic Church. [That's gratuitous and circular reasoning, considering that the timing of the Year of Faith was intended to coincide with those two anniversaries!]

Joseph Ratzinger worked long, as Prefect of the Doctrine of the Faith, on the preparation of the Catechism {and later, of a Compendium). For him, as for Paul VI more than 40 years ago, the Catechism is the way not just for learning and transmitting the correct faith, but also for interpreting and reproposing the teachings of Vatican II in the most correct way.

On June 30, 1968, Paul VI pronounced at the end of the Year of Faith his 'Credo of the People of God'. On November 23, 2013. the Solemnity of Christ the King, Benedict XVI will celebrate "a Eucharist during which the Profession of Faith will be solemnly renewed".

Will that also be the date when his fourth encyclical will be published? It is difficult to say. Papa Ratzinger has shown, in drafting the third book of the Jesus trilogy, that he does not like racing against time. He will take the time he needs to finish his fourth encyclical.

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August 5, 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time

From left: Pope Liberius tracing out the church design on snow, from a triptych by Masaccio and Masalino, 1492; shower of white petals from the church ceiling on August 5; upper panel, the altar of 'Maria,
Salus Populi Romani', venerated at Santa Maria Maggiore; the icon itself; coronation of Mary from the apse mosaic at SMM; and detail of the mosaic; lower panel, various images of Our Lady of the Snows.

DEDICATION OF 'SANTA MARIA MAGGIORE'
FEAST OF OUR LADY OF THE SNOWS

Today's feast commemorates the Roman legend that God responded with a snowfall in August to the gesture of a couple who pledged their treasure to the Church and told them a church should be built on the site, the Esquiline, one of the seven hills of Rome. Pope Liberius first built a church on the site in the mid-4th century, but after the Council of Ephesus affirmed Mary's title as Mother of God, Pope Sixtus rededicated the church to her in 431. It is called Santa Maria Maggiore because it is the largest church dedicated to Mary in the Eternal City. It has undergone many renovations over the centuries but it retains its character as an early Roman basilica. Its 5th-century mosaic decorations are the most ancient in Rome, and its famous coffered ceiling was lined with gold leaf made from the first gold mined in the New World. It is one of four papal basilicas, along with St. Peter, St John Lateran and St Paul outside the Walls. Today, the miracle of the snow is remembered annually at the Basilica on August 5, with a shower of white petals from the ceiling.
Readings for today's Mass:
www.usccb.org/bible/readings/080512.cfm



WITH THE POPE TODAY

Sunday Angelus - The Holy Father reflected on today’s Gospel in which Jesus reminds the crowds who were enthused
over the recent multiplication of the loaves and fish, that as important as it is to strive for our daily bread,
we must not forget to strengthen our relationship with him who is the true Bread of Life.




- For whatever it's worth, and if you are still interested in what seems more and more a tawdry melodrama we may never know the truth about, a report in Corriere della Sera today claims that ex-papal valet Paolo Gabriele told Vatican investigators he was the source 'Maria' referred to by Gianluigi Nuzzi in his book that published private documents from the Pope's desk, and that he was also the self-confessed 'mole' who appeared 'disguised' and with tech-altered voice speaking to Nuzzi about the documents in a TV interview about two weeks before he was arrested by the Vatican police. The formal report of Gabriele's investigation by a Vatican magistrate is expected to be made known by the end of next week, along with the decision on whether to take him to trial for aggravated theft. All this betrayal of the most grievous kind, reduced to nothing more than theft! Unfortunaetly, the criminal system does not penalize anyone for betrayal unless it is betrayal of country.

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The reporter was obviously so fired up about being able to bring up the Pope himself in this case, but that does not excuse his omission of important facts relevant to the story, even if such a sloppy presentation aimed at making the Church look bad is SOP in these stories.


Plaintiff's lawyer finds reason
to involve Cardinal Ratzinger
in abuse case against diocese
for a dead priest's 1970s offense

By DAVE ALTIMARI


HARTFORD, Connecticut, August 4 - The Vatican's refusal to let the Norwich diocese remove an accused pedophile from the priesthood is expected to play a role in the upcoming trial involving a New London woman who says the priest molested her when she was 12. [Of course, as the story goes on to show, the priest in question had already been retired for years when, the year before he died, the diocesan bishop asked the CDF to laicize him. That does not minimize his offenses in any way, but it does illustrate the arbitrariness with which bishops have tended to deal with priest offenders, even decades removed from the offenses, after the 2001-2002 explosion of revelations about such offenses by some US priests.]

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger received the Norwich request days before On May 12, 2005, less than a month after Ratzinger became Pope, the Vatican responded to Cote, denying his request to laicize Fr. Thomas Shea. The letter indicates that the status quo — Shea in retirement with the restrictions not to wear a collar or say Mass — was sufficient.

It's unclear, though, if Ratzinger himself decided against laicizing Shea, who was accused of molesting as many as 15 girls at 11 different parishes throughout the Diocese of Norwich in a career that started in 1953.

"This case falls into prescription as it involves incidents which, while serious in nature, occurred over 35 years ago,'' wrote Archbishop Angelo Amato, the secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

Attorney Robert Reardon, representing the plaintiff in the lawsuit, said Amato was considered Ratzinger's "right hand man" at that time and would not have sent the letter without Ratzinger's approval.

Norwich Diocese spokesman Michael Strammiello said Cote would not comment on his letter or the Vatican's response because of the pending litigation. Vatican officials could not be reached for comment.

One of Shea's accusers, using the pseudonym Jane Doe, sued the diocese in 2008 alleging that Shea made her perform oral sex on him while he was pastor of St. Joseph's Church in New London. [WHEN DID THIS HAPPEN EXACTLY? Dates are important, in relation to the conduct of Shea afterwards, and the CDF's decision in 2008 not to defrock him. One gathers from the CDF reply that the offense took place in the early 1970s.]

Jury selection is scheduled to begin next week in Superior Court in Hartford. Shea died in a West Hartford nursing home in 2006, and he had left active ministry years before Bishop of Norwich Rev. Michael Cote made the request to strip him of his priesthood.

As a priest in good standing, Shea was being paid by the diocese a pension of about $15,000 annually and all of his health insurance costs, including his nursing home bills. [The fact that Shea remained 'in good standing' despite the allegations against him is not the responsibility of the Vatican but of the diocese. But if Shea was forbidden from wearing his priest's collar and to say Mass, as Amato's letter indicated, it appears the diocese did do something to discipline him. For Mons. Cote to then refer his case to the Vatican 35 years after the fact does raise questions.]

In an April 8, 2005, letter to Ratzinger, Cote wrote that the "trail of destruction caused by Thomas W. Shea is staggering." He wrote there were at least 15 credible cases of abuse by Shea of girls under the age of 18, including one girl who tried to kill herself three times before she turned 23. [So why did not Cote take account of what the diocese had apparently meted to Shea earlier? Could this have been a case of sanctimonious post-facto grandstanding in view of the widespread but relatively new awareness at the time of this problem?]

"The psychological, emotional, and spiritual damage wrought by this man is immeasurable,'' Cote wrote. "The people who have been directly affected by his behavior as well as the entire People of God would welcome his involuntary dismissal from the clerical state."

[Again, the time period during which the offenses were committed is not mentioned. Why would Bishop Cote have moved against Shea in 2005, a man who had long been in a nursing home and in fact died the following year? The reporter has the duty to find out all such relevant background data.

It appears the Church also takes into consideration the age and physical condition of priests who come under formal accusation in the final years of their life, as it did with Marcial Maciel and with Lawrence Murphy in Milwaukee, especially if in the case of Murphy and Shea, they have not gone on to commit more offenses after leaving active ministry. One may find the Church's concept of mercy and when to apply it to priests and bishops rather questionable, but one has to look at its applications case by case.]


Cote's letter was sent to the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, the office that decides whether accused priests should get so-called canonical trials that could eventually lead to their being defrocked.

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, before he became Pope Benedict XVI, headed the Vatican office in charge of ordering canonical trials from 1981 to 2005. Only the Vatican can take away a priest's powers.

Pope Benedict has come under criticism for similar actions in other cases. Last year in Wisconsin, documents surfaced showing that a bishop sent him a letter seeking to have a priest accused of molesting deaf children defrocked. But a Church trial never occurred after the accused priest wrote a letter to the Pope asking him not to go forward with the trial. [The reporter, of course, fails to mention the now well-known circumstances of this case - the priest, the aforementioned Fr. Murphy, committed his offenses in the 1960s, he was investigated in the early 1070s by the Milwaukee police on charges made against him who found nothing actionable, but still, the diocese forced the priest into retirement in 1972, after which no other complaints were received against him. The diocese, under a new bishop, decided to reopen his case in 1992 for something that may have involved canonical violation of the Sacrament of Penance, which therefore fell under the jurisdiction of the C,. The latter, through a letter from Mons. Tarcisio Bertone, then Secretary of the CDF, recommended that - because so much time had passed, the priest had not committed any offenses since then, and he was suffering from a terminal ailment - the diocese forego any canonical proceeding. The diocese decided it would proceed anyway but the priest died before they could do so.

"No Catholic official on the planet has more power or knowledge about clergy sex crimes than Pope Benedict. Yet he still takes virtually no steps to help and sometimes, like this case, takes steps that hurt,'' said David Clohessy, national director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.

"The letters also sadly show that only after and because of lawsuits do bishops often try to oust predator priests," Clohessy said.


The Norwich Diocese fought to keep the letter to Ratzinger secret along with more than 600 pages of Shea's personnel file. Superior Court Judge Marshall Berger ruled against the Church, and many of the documents including the letter from the Pope will become evidence at the upcoming trial, according to Reardon.

While the diocese has settled other abuse cases against Shea, they have not offered to settle this case, Reardon said. Court documents show that Reardon had asked for $1.5 million to settle.

The lawsuit claims that Church officials were aware of Shea's previous behavior when they assigned him to St. Joseph's. Shea had been on sick leave from 1973 to 1975 before he was placed at St. Joseph's, records show.

Shea was ordained a priest in 1946 and served in several parishes throughout the diocese, mostly in the New London area. Shea admitted as far back as 1953 that he had kissed a girl from his parish and taken photos of her in a bathing suit, according to court records.

The lawsuit alleges that the Diocese of Norwich concealed the results of an internal investigation that determined Shea had fondled other young girls and had been sent for treatment.
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ANGELUS TODAY




In his remarks before the Angelus prayers today, the Holy Father reflected on the Gospel reading in which Jesus Christ refers to himself as 'the Bread of Life' shortly after the multiplication of the loaves and fish.

Though material needs are important,” said Pope Benedict, “Jesus wants to help people move beyond the immediate satisfaction of them.”

He said in English:

I welcome all the English-speaking visitors and pilgrims present today and I pray that your stay in Rome will help you to grow closer to the Lord Jesus.

In today’s Gospel he says to the people: "I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, whoever believes in me will never thirst." Let us put our faith in him, and let us put our trust in his promises, so that we may have life in abundance. May God bless you all!




Here is a translation of the Holy Father's reflection today:

Dear brothers and sisters,

This Sunday's Liturgy of the Word continues with Chapter 6 of the Gospel of John. We are at the synagogue of Capharnaum where Jesus gave his famous discourse after the multiplication of loaves.

The people had been acclaiming him as King, but Jesus retreated, first to the mountain with God, with his Father, and then to Capharnaum. Not seeing him, the people started looking for him, they took to their boats to reach the other side of the lake, and finally found him in Capharnaum.

But Jesus knew very well why they were so eager to follow him, and he says so clearly to them: "You are looking for me not because you saw signs [and your heart was impressed] but because you ate the loaves and were filled"
(v 26).

Jesus wished to help them go beyond the immediate satisfaction of their own material needs, though that is important. But he wished to open for them a horizon of existence that was not simply that of the daily concerns of food, clothing and work.

Jesus spoke of a food that does not perish, which it is important to seek and to accept. He says: "Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you"
(v 27).

The crowd did not understand - they thought Jesus was asking for the observance of precepts that would result in the continuation of the miracle, and they asked: "What can we do to accomplish the works of God?" (v 28)

Jesus's response was clear: "This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent" (v 29)

The center of existence, that which gives sense and firm hope to the often difficult journey of life is faith in Jesus, the encounter with Christ. We too ask: What must we do to obtain eternal life?

And Jesus says, "Believe in me ". Faith is the fundamental thing. This has nothing to do with following an idea or a plan, but with meeting Jesus as a living person, to let oneself be totally involved in him and his Gospel.

Jesus invites us not to stop at a purely human horizon but to open ourselves to the horizon of God, the horizon of faith. He demands one work only: to welcome the plan of God, that is, "to believe in the one he sent"
(v 29).

Moses had given Israel manna, bread from heaven, with which God himself had fed his people. Jesus does not give something, he gives himself. He is the "true bread, descended from heaven". He is the living Word of the Father. In meeting him, we meet the living God.

"What can we do to accomplish the works of God?"
(v 28), the crowd asked him, ready to act so that the miracle of the loaves would continue. But Jesus, the true bread of life who satisfies our thirst for meaning, for truth, cannot be 'earned' by human work - he comes to us only as a gift of God's love, as the work of God to ask for and to welcome.

Dear friends, during days laden with worries and problems, but even on days of rest and relaxation, the Lord calls on us not to forget that it while is necessary to be concerned with material bread and to temper our strength accordingly, it is even more fundamental to make our relationship with him grow, to reinforce our faith in him who is the 'bread of life', who fulfills our desire for truth and for love.

May the Virgin Mary, on the day when we commemorate the dedication of the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore here in Rome, sustain us in our journey of faith.



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This is a rather belated commentary by Magister, which generally echoes the commentary by John Allen as soon as the Moneyval report came online [see post on the bottom of Page 330 of this thread], with a few minor differences. Nonetheless, any commentary is welcome, because the Moneyval report did not get the media attention it deserves, for the simple reason that it did not roundly condemn the Vatican, as the Cassandras predicted, but gave it positive points where they were deserved...

The Vatican and financial issues:
The ongoing effects of the Moneyval report

Benedict XVI's drive for transparency now obliges
all Catholic institutions to follow the example



ROME, August 3, 2012 – Very few have read it, and it is unlikely to be sold in bookstores, with its 500 pages of text and attachments. But the Moneyval evaluation report on financial regulation at the Vatican represents a historic watershed. {The attachments are particularly useful since they represent the texts of all Vatican laws and regulations relevant to regulating financial activities of all organisms within the Vatican, texts which would otherwise not be available online.]

For the first time, the Holy See has subjected its agencies and its laws to evaluation by an external international body [in this case, Moneyval, the agency of the Council of Europe that is responsible for enforcing international measures against money laundering and funding of gterrorism.]

For the first time, it has committed itself to being voted on and given tasks for compliance by a secular authority in the area of God and Mammon, where many offenses have been committed.

This watershed event marked by the Moneyval report once more obliges a rewrite of the conventional profile purveyed about Benedict XVI.

The theologian-Pope has shown himself an inflexible man of government. He gave the order that in the financial area, everything at the Vatican should be made transparent and exemplary, even at the cost of triggering conflicts within the Vatican of unprecedented harshness, as we have seen so far.


Moneyval has acknowledged that the Vatican "has gone a long way in a truly short time". It has been among the most recent among the states to legislate financial transparency measures, but in the space of only two years, it has been ranked 10th - following Germany and Italy - among the 29 states periodically evaluated by the Moneyval task force to measure how effective these measures are. After a Moneyval onsite inspection in April, the Holy See received nine positive votes out of the 16 'core and key' criteria which determine the rankings.

The Moneyval report focuses on two Vatican agencies that received most of its observations pro and con: the IOR and the newly created Authority for Financial Information (AIF), an investigative and supervisory agency required of each state monitored by Moneyval. Indeed, by the end of summer, Vatican sources expect major changes in both agencies.

The IOR will get a new president, after its administrative council ousted Ettore Gotti Tedeschi with a non-confidence vote, accusing him openly of manifest incompetence in office.

Gotti Tedeschi has said that his brutal dismissal from IOR was due to irreparable conflicts with the rest of IOR management, especially with Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone, regarding two major issues.

The first was the attempt to gain control of the financially-troubled San Raffaele medical center in Milan, which had been obstinately desired by Bertone, against the eventual strenuous opposition of Gotti Tedeschi [who, in fairness to Bertone, had initially considered the proposal favorably. Of course, the Pope himself thereafter vetoed Bertone's initiative.]

The second issue had to do with the changes introduced in 2011 by the Secretariat of State to the original Vatican law on financial transparency, Law 127 promulgated by the Holy Father on December 30, 2010.

Cardinal Attilio Nicora, whom the Pope had named to head the AIF created by that law, said the amendments represented a 'step backward' compared to the original, and Gotti Tedeschi said they could be rejected by Moneyval [since the amendments also gave supervisory functions to the Secretariat of State, the Vatican Governatorate, and the Vatican gendarmerie].

But this was apparently not considered negative by Moneyval, which recommended two major corrections in IOR regulations: a more stringent and selective verification of the profile of its clients, and a more rigorous accounting of cash flow, especially money sent to non-European countries who do not have transparency regulations.

Law 127 in general was positively seen by Moneyval, but it did note that the subsequent amendments weakened the investigatory functions of the AIF on all Vatican agencies, as provided for by the original law. [Allen's presentation of statements from Moneyval is more accurate and reliable than Magister's who is translating/knterpreting the English of the original Moneyval report into Italian.]

Although Moneyval agreed with Cardinal Nicora in this, they also directed two criticisms against him. The first is that he had not yet carried out any concrete investigation and supervision as he was authorized to do, and especially not of the IOR. Therefore, the AIF still has to prove that it can be effective.

The second is a conflict of interests, since he is also a member of the five-man cardinals' commission that oversees the IOR. Nicora is expected to leave the IOR commission soon, which means Cardinal Bertone will have one less adversary at IOR.

The above was published first in L'Espresso magazine which went on sale on August 3. On the www.chiesa site, Magister adds the following considerations:

First of all, the harm caused by Gotti Tedeschi's 'defenestration' from IOR, is far from being healed.

"Never in the recent history of the Western world has the president of a major institution been relieved of his position - for whatever reason - with such brutality. We consider Ettore Gotti Tedeschi a person of the highest personal integrity who has always placed his personal responsibility ahead of acritical obedience".

This was the statement issued by leading economists and financial leaders of Italy, most of them not observant Catholics, in a letter to Corriere della Sera on June 3.

And yet, the former IOR president appears to be under a true and proper damnatio memoriae at the Vatican, where even saying his name appears to be taboo.

But in doing so, Vatican authorities are contradicting two key factors in the financial transparency ordered by Benedict XVI: truth and setting the example.

Just as the Vatican opened itself to investigation by Moneyval and thereby agreed to open its institutions to public scrutiny, one also expects the truth about the true motives for chasing out Gotti Tedeschi and the conflicts that led to it, thus doing justice to his name and honor.

One cannot see how this absolute condemnation of Gotti Tedeschi fits into the intention of the Holy Father to make the Vatican set the example to the entire Church in terms of financial transparency.

There are numerous dioceses, religious orders, schools and hospitals around the world who are plagued by financial mismanagement. Now they no loner have any excuses, after the Vatican itself has undertaken an operation of transparency and financial cleansing. The road taken by the Holy See demands that all other Catholic institutions follow the same.

But precisely because of this, there is nothing exemplary in the behavior of Vatican authorities against the man they called to head the IOR in 2009 and whom they have barbarously thrown out of the window.

A second consideration has to do with IOR itself - the image that the public has of it, and its reality.

Compared to a few years ago, the image of the Vatican 'bank' in the media is more positive today, thanks in part to the recent briefings given by its management to ambassadors to the Holy See and to journalists covering the Vatican.

Even the Moneyval report was reassuring, from his viewpoint, since it confirms that an intense work of cleaning up and reorientation is taking place with respect to its accounts and account holders.

Moneyval also confirmed that IOR is able to operate around the world through its relations with more than 40 'corresponding' banks in Europe, the United States, Australia and Japan.

Nonetheless, this does not obviate the fact that Italian magistrates are still investigating some suspected financial transactions by IOR, and that explanations given to them so far have not been found satisfactory.

The best known of these investigations was a 23-million euro transaction in 2010, questioned by an Italian bank that had traditionally been friendly to IOR, Credito Valtellinese, under president Giovanni De Censi, who had been a member of the IOR administrative council at the time, an appointment was terminated on December 31, 2010.

After that, other banks, including JP Morgan, decided against continuing to be corresponding banks to IOR, claiming that it was unreliable in many ways.

A third consideration is the man who led the Vatican delegation to Strasbourg, at the plenary session of Moneyval last May, and who subsequently 'presented' the Moneyval report at a Vatican briefing.

Monsignor Ettore Balestrero, 45, is undersecretary for Relations with States, equivalent to being the deputy foreign minister of the Vatican.

Born in Genoa and a spiritual disciple of the late Cardinal Giuseppe Siri, who was a leading Church 'conservative', Balestrero has served in the Apostolic Nunciatures in South Korea, Mongolia and the Netherlands, and has been in the home office since 2001. He speaks English perfectly since his mother is American.

His mastery of English, the lingua franca of the international financial community, along with his competence on financial matters, give him an advantage on the international stage.

He defined the Vatican's 'success' so far with Moneyval as "a milestone in our constant commitment to combine our moral duty with technical excellence".

He appears to be a rising star in the Vatican firmament.

More background information about the Moneyval report is elicited by Andrea Tornielli in an interview with the Vatican lawyer who took part in the process...

Lawyer Jeffrey Lena sets the facts
straight about the Moneyval report
and how it has been reported only
partially to give a false picture

by Andrea Tornielli
Translated from the Italian service of

August 4, 2012

Jeffrey Lena, 54. is a Californian from Berkeley, oldest son of a family with Italian and Irish origins. He has degrees in history and law from the University of California, and taught those disciplines in the university before being tapped to defend the Holy See in cases filed in the United States.

In 2000, while he was teaching in Turin, he was first introduced to the Vatican by Franzo Grande Stevens who had handled various major cases for the Holy See. He then collaborated with Stevens on two cases filed against the IOR in the United States by Holocaust survivors who accused it of having accepted millions of dollars allegedly robbed from Jews during the Second World War.

Subsequently, Lena represented the Vatican in various cases that involved the attempt to directly involve the Vatican in cases filed against priests accused of sexual abuse, or allegations of fraud. A specialist in the law safeguarding the sovereign immunity of states, he has so far not lost a case for the Vatican.

Lena has always maintained a low public profile. No photograph of his has ever been published nor has he ever given a statement on TV. This discreetness was even more important in 2010 when accusations seeking to hold the Vatican responsible for various abuse cases against priests and dioceses reached a new intensity. He was forced to change his work habits, to transfer the location of his law office, and to take measures to protect the privacy of his family.

This year, Lena's work for the Holy See also stepped up. He now spends considerable time in Rome and was directly drafted into the work group constituted by the Secretariat of State to bring the Vatican in line with Moneyval standards.

In this interview, Lena - who was part of the Vatican delegation to the July plenary session of Moneyval in Strasbourg - answers questions about continuing criticism of the IOR in particular.

"Many criticisms one reads about the Vatican," he says, "arise from a lack of understanding of how things really are and how the Holy See functions. I hope that my initial training as a teacher can help today to communicate this in order to arrive at better understanding".

Before going on to the Moneyval report, I would like to ask you about the Italian prosecutors' investigation of Finmeccanica [Italy's top high-tech defense contractor, under investigation for alleged bribes to facilitate the purchase of helicopters]. It seems they want to know whether any Finmeccanica officials have any accounts with IOR. [Ettore Gotti Tedeschi was interrogated by Italian prosecutors in this connection because he is friends with the Finmeccanica president, and the Italian corporate giant also has accounts with Banco Santander, the Spanish bank whose Italian subsidiary Gotti Tedeschi has headed for years.] What can you say about this?
Unfortunately, some articles on IOR are hardly accurate. They often concentrate on speculation rather than facts.

Then what about Finmeccanica?
It is absolutely false that there are any Finmeccanica accounts in IOR, just as it untrue that there are numbered accounts or anonymous accounts of any kind. It is also untrue that IOR deals with 'shell' banks - fictitious ones. One regrets that a system of leaks has been used to spread false information.

Rather, more attention should be paid to the evaluation by Moneyval, which is that IOR, and the Vatican in general, have been very open and cooperative.

The way you put it, the fault lies with the reporting...
That is not my intention. Journalists play a very important role, and they often are pressed for time to do it. They must be helped, as well as appreciated for what they do. But precisely because they play such an important role, I think it is important that they are able to distinguish speculation and fact, and that they report facts in the right context. I don't think this is too much to ask.

About the Moneyval report - the evaluators say that there is still a lot of work that the Vatican needs to do...][Glass-half-empty approach to a report that was more than glass-half-full!!]
Your statement proves part of the problem. To say that there is still much work to be done, outside the context of what other states have done, gives the impression that the Vatican is an exception in this respect.

If one looks at all the reports for various states, one thing leaps to the eye: There is always much to be done by each state because the standards are constantly being updated and therefore ahead of corresponding national legislations.

But one thing that is not in other country reports but which is in the report on the Holy See is that the evaluators noted and appreciated the openness and the capacity not just of the IOR but of the Holy See itself to work solidly, and very validly, adapting in order to make progress in real time, even during the evaluation process itself.

Why does the report refer to the situation at the Vatican in November 2011?
It is a snapshot in time. November 2011 was the first onsite visit by Moneyval inspectors. The Vatican was given till January 2012 to introduce necessary reforms. So, the points we received even at that first visit were already quite good. It does not however reflect the situation of the Vatican on the date the report was published in July 2012. Much progress was made to improve the measures against money laundering after January 2012, but these later changes are only noted in the footnotes and not in the main text of the report.

The notes do acknowledge that the measures against money laundering, especially at the IOR, are much more advanced than they were nine months earlier. So the reality is even better than the main report says.

Let us come to the most congroversial point. Why does the Vatican have problems cooperating on the international level?
The Moneyval inspectors carefully examined this question of international cooperation with respect to how the VAtican responds to formal inquiries from other states, etc. One must note that although the Vatican has diplomatic relations with more than 170 states, a complaint of non-cooperation has come from only one country. [namely, Italy].

Contrary to what many Italian newspapers have been reporting these months, the Moneyval inspectors concluded, after a careful examination of the facts, that the Vatican has been 'largely compliant' in this respect. We passed this aspect quite easily.

The constant accusation of non-cooperation is unjust. For example, someone wrote in January that the Vatican 'never' responded to a formal request for information sent in 2002, when he could have easily checked to see that the inquiry was never sent, and was therefore never received by the Vatican.

Is it true that the IOR, in effect, rebuffed Italy by refusing to furnish information about events before April 2011, because the measures against money laundering were not retroactive?
The Moneyval inspectors examined the concrete facts and concluded, as the report says, that neither the IOR nor the AIF ever used the non-retroactivity of the law as an excuse for not providing information requested pertaining to any time before April 2011. That's an issue that's been resolved, I would say...

What about the accusations that the Vatican is 'not transparent' or even about 'corruption'?
The Moneyval report simply dismantles the myth of lack of transparency at the Vatican. In the first place, they say that the Vatican has been very cooperative and collaborative. But the other myth they dismiss is that of alleged widespread corruption.

The report says specifically, in paragraph 52 - "With regard to corruption, although there have been recent unfounded accusations of corruption made in the media, there is no empirical evidence of any corruption that has occurred in the Vatican." [A very important conclusion which the MSM, especially in Italy, completely ignored, because it belies what they have been trumpeting since January 2012 based only on Mons. Vigano's allegations, for which he presented no specific cases other than the infamously alleged 'overpricing' of the 2009 Nativity scene construction in St. Peter's Square, and which no one in the media even bothered to investigate.]

Can you tell us what really happened at the plenary session in Strasbourg, and how did the Italian delegation behave?
Under the rules of the Council of Europe, all proceedings are confidential, before and during the plenary session. Obviously, this also goes for the 'behavior' of any single national delegation. It would not be respectful of Italy and its institutions to discuss this, and obviously it would be violating Council rules.

How would you define the present status of the Vatican with respect to money laundering?
It happens that some people are seeking to credit the idea that the Vatican is somehow involved in money laundering. First of all, it should be clear that every jurisdiction and every financial isntitution can be the victim of money laundering, but to be a victim does not mean you are complicit, as news reports often make it appear.

In the second place, one must look at the statistics to understand where the problem lies. For instance, in recent months, it was reported that according to the United Sattes government, the Vatican iis 'potentially vulnerable' to money laundering. Only potentially. But the news in itself has contributed to spreading a negative image of the Vatican.

It is clear from reading the US report itself that the 'potentially vulnerable' list is not the category that is truly relevant to money laundering, but rather the list of nations that evoke 'primary concern' - a list that includes Japan, England, Australia and Italy. It is certainly curious, to say the least, that many news reports about the US list did not even bother to compare the 'potential' category of the Vatican compared to the countries which were considered 'risks of primary concern'.

What exactly does the category of 'primary concern' mean?
It means that the country so classified is not just vulnerable but also a primary destination of laundered money. One simply has to examine the reports of Moneyval and of FATF/GAFI* to see which countries are at the highest risk for money laundering and which also have significant problems with organized crime. One will certainly not find the Vatican in that list.

*[FATF/GAFI stands for the Financial Action Task Force against money-laundering, better known by the acronym GAFI of its French name, Groupe d'Action Financiere Inter-Gouvernmentale.]

Back to the Moneyval report, it would seem that the Vatican had failed more criteria than it passed - having passed 49% of all required criteria, while failing 51%.
Your observation demonstrates how easily statistics can be deceiving. An appropriate analysis of the numbers shows a totally different reality.

In the first place, the country that obtained the best rating from Moneyval only scored 75% as being 'largely or completely compliant' with all the criteria.

In the second place, no one has paid attention to the ratings obtained by other countries in similar evaluations - which is available on the Moneyval website. It shows that the Vatican ranked #11 among 30 countries evaluated by Moneyval in its Third Round evaluation, and 13th among 30 for its compliance in general with all of Moneyval's "40+IX' recommendations.

In fact, in more than one category, the Vatican surpassed members of the European Union, for instance, in the area of commitment to international treaties in combatting organized crime. I don't say thia to criticize other nations, but to affirm that the Vatican ought to receive just acknowledgment for what it has achieved.

Are you saying that the countries in the White List - the supposedly 'virtuous' nations - are no better than the Vatican?
I would avoid using the term White List, which is not linked to the evaluation by Moneyval and is no longr even used by FATF/GAFI as a category. Even the term 'virtuous' has become quite common but it is deceptive. There is no such 'virtuous' list, and certainly, the Vaticna cnanot be called a 'non-virtuous' state.

In fact, since the Vatican is among the countries with good results as evaluated by Moneyval, one must ask why it is being treated as a 'not equivalent'[????] state. In terms of financial activity, IOR has relations in more than 100 countries, it has banking relations with 40 of them, and has relations with financial entitities with all the members of the European Union. But it seems to me that only one of them treats the Vatican with disparity, namely, "not equivalent' in terms of combatting money laundering.

Do you mean Italy?
That seems to be a fact. But I believe that this issue will be sorted out by the competent institutions and not through the newspapers.

With the Moneyval process. what do you think is the image that emerges of the Holy See as an institution?
It is important to note that one of the stereotypes about the Holy See is that it needs to be reinforced by 'outside experts'. But all the work carried out to comply with international standards and Moneyval criteria was done for the most part with the VAtican's own internal resources.

Just think of the answers made to the hundreds of formal questions laid down by the evaluators, and to the thousands of pages of material translated by persons who will mostly be anonymous. Of course, external experts can help, but without the professionalism of the personnel actually involved in the Vatican's financial activities - in the Curia, the Governatorate, at IOR, APSA, and in the tribunals - the positive result we obtained would not have been possible.

The Holy See has shown it can act fast and achieve significant objectives, with results that deserve respect and acknowledgment.

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Monday, August 6, 18th Week in Ordinary Time
FEAST OF THE TRANSFIGURATION


Top panel, from left, The Transfiguration, by Fra Angelico; detail of Raphael's great painting; an 18th-century depiction; the Chapel of the Transfiguration at St. Peter's Basilica surmounted by a mosaic rendering of Raphael's painting. Bottom panel, from left; 14th-century icon by Theophanes the Greek; 13th century anonymous icon; icon by Andrei Rublev, 1405; an African painting; and a contemporary-art version by Chris Cook.

Jesus took Peter, John, and James
and went up a mountain to pray.
While he was praying his face changed in appearance
and his clothing became dazzling white.
And behold, two men were conversing with him, Moses and Elijah,
who appeared in glory and spoke of his exodus
that he was going to accomplish in Jerusalem.
Peter and his companions had been overcome by sleep,
but becoming fully awake,
they saw his glory and the two men standing with him.
As they were about to part from him, Peter said to Jesus,
“Master, it is good that we are here;
let us make three tents,
one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”
But he did not know what he was saying.
While he was still speaking,
a cloud came and cast a shadow over them,
and they became frightened when they entered the cloud.
Then from the cloud came a voice that said,
“This is my chosen Son; listen to him.”
After the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone.
They fell silent and did not at that time
tell anyone what they had seen.
- Luke 9:28b-36


]Readings for today's Mass:
www.usccb.org/bible/readings/080612.cfm



AT THE VATICAN TODAY

No bulletins on the Holy Father.

The Press office released the text of a message sent in the name of Benedict XVI by Cardinal Secretary of State
Tarcisio Bertone to the Knights of Columbus on their 130th annual convention held this year in Anaheim, California.


ON THIS DAY...

- In 1962, Blessed John XXIII issued an Apostolic Letter spelling out the Rules for the upcoming Second Vatican Council.
Surprisingly, its Introduction contained some eerily prophetic words about the potential difficulties in interpreting
'correctly' what the Council would eventually decide.

- In 1978, the Servant of God Pope Paul VI died at the Apostolic Residence in Castel Gandolfo. After ailing
for several months, aggravated by the kidnapping and death in early 1978 of his friend, Italian Prime Minister
Aldo Moro, at the hands of the Italian Red Brigade, he suffered a massive heart attack from which he died
three hours later. In 1993, John Paul II initiated the process for his beatification.




[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 06/08/2012 14:59]
06/08/2012 16:10
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Many reasons to remember Paul VI
on the 34th anniversary of his death

Translated from


Thirty-four years ago, on August 6, 1978, Paul VI died at 9:40 pm, in the Apostolic Residence at Castel Gandolfo, on the Feast of the Transfiguration of our Lord. He was one month and 20 days away from his 81st birthday.

There is another August 6 that figures in the Pontificate of Papa Montini. In 1964, he signed his first encyclical, Ecclesiam suam (His Church), a programmatic document on dialog with the world, on doctrinal clarification and the Church's internal renewal, and of reconstituting Christian unity. These were themes that he would entrust to the work of the Second Vatican Council, which he had inherited to preside over after the death of John XXIII who had initiated Vatican II, opened it and presided over its first session in October-December 1962.

This year, there are and will be many reasons to look back on the figure of this great Pontiff, who was often misunderstood in life, but has since been revaluated and appreciated more and more as the years and history render him justice.

We remembered him last week with the government closure of Italy's largest steelworks IVA in Taranto, southeastern Italy. On December 1968, Paul VI visited the plant to say Christmas Midnight Mass for the workers and their families, including those who were working through their shift at the steel furnaces' 24/7 operation.

It was an unforgettable occasion with more than 10,000 steelworkers, apprentices and their families gathered in the huge shed housing the steel rolling mill.

Later, he walked among them, greeting them and shaking hands, before visiting the Nativity creche with the figures fashioned from steel, and other parts of the steelworks.

"The Church understands you," he told the workers. "We have the same thirst for justice in common".

We also remembered him with the opening on July 31 in Nairobi, Kenya, of an international congress on "Paul VI and the Church in Africa". Paul VI is the object of great veneration in Africa, having been the first Pope ever to visit the continent, visiting Uganda on July 31-August 2, 1969. [Moreover, in a four-country visit to Africa in 1962. before he was elected Pope, then Cardinal Montini, Archbishop of Milan, became the first cardinal ever to visit Africa.]

And we remember him every year on the first day of the year, when the Church marks the World Day for Peace, a day instituted by Paul VI on January 1, 1968.

And this year, 50th anniversary of the opening of Vatican II, it is inevitable to recall that after John XXIII, it was Paul VI who continued to guide Vatican II towards its conclusion, promulgated its constitutions and decrees, and started implementing them with fidelity and consistency.

We will also remember him on October 7, when the 13th General Assembly of the Bishops' Synod opens - it was he who instituted the Bishops' Synod in 1965 - and on October 11, when the Year of Faith formally opens on the anniversary of Vatican II's opening day, since he had declared a similar Year of Faith in 1967.

On February 22, 1967. Paul VI decreed a Year of Faith with his Apostolic Exhortation Petrum et Paulum to mark the 1900th centenary of the martyrdom of Saints Peter and Paul, at a time, as Benedict XVI said, 'of great cultural upheaval'. says referring to his predecessor. Celebrated from June 29, 1967, to June 30, 1968, Paul VI's Year of Faith coincided with the peak of the 1960s Counterculture Revolution.
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 06/08/2012 16:11]
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