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L’O S S E RVATOR E ROMANOWEEKLY EDITION

Unicuique suum

IN ENGLISHNon praevalebunt

Fiftieth year, number 46 (2522) Vatican City Friday, 17 November 2017

Angelus

With the oilof charity

To leaders of Pacific Islands Forum

A global strategy

PAGE 9

To ‘Amoris Laetitia’ symposium

Family is the antidote

PAGE 5

Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development holds international conference on disarmament

Intimidation is not the wayThe Pope condemns the use of nuclear weapons as a threat in international relations

PAGE 10

Archbishop emeritus of Marseille

Cardinal Panafieu dies

PAGE 4

Addressing the faithful at the General Audience inSaint Peter’s Square on Wednesday, 15 November,Pope Francis continued his series of reflections dedic-ated to “the beauty of the Eucharistic celebration”, ex-plaining that it “is prayer par excellence, the loftiest,the most sublime, and at the same time the most‘c o n c re t e ’”. We must learn to pray, which requiresthat we first “humbly recognize that we need to betaught, and to say with simplicity: ‘Lord, teach meto pray’”, the Holy Father said. To do so, weneed “to recognize ourselves as children”, be-cause “to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, it isnecessary to become little, like children”.

PAGE 3

A two-day Conference on “Prospects fora World Free of Nuclear Weapons andfor Integral Disarmament”, sponsored bythe Dicastery for Promoting Integral Hu-man Development, was held in the Vatic-an on 10-11 November. The Conferencewas inspired by Pope Francis’ f re q u e n tcondemnation of nuclear weapons andarms dealing. The Holy Father and Sec-retary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin

each addressed the Conference. In his re-marks on Friday morning, 10 November,the Pontiff emphasized that the race to-ward nuclear armament arises from “amentality of fear” that now threatens “theentire human race”, and that “weapons ofmass destruction, particularly nuclearweapons, create nothing but a false senseof security. They cannot constitute thebasis for peaceful coexistence between

members of the human family, whichmust rather be inspired by an ethics ofsolidarity”. In his discourse given thesame day, Cardinal Parolin recalled thechallenge set by Pope Paul VI, who calledfor a global fund for the poor to be ap-propriated from military expenditures.

PAGES 6-8

At the General Audience

Prayer is a personal relationship with God

L’OSSERVATORE ROMANOWEEKLY EDITION

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page 2 L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO Friday, 17 November 2017, number 46

VAT I C A NBULLETIN

AUDIENCES

Wednesday, 8 November

Cardinal Angelo Amato, SDB, Prefectof the Congregation for the Causesof SaintsThursday, 9 November

Cardinal Beniamino Stella, Prefectof the Congregation for the ClergyH.E. Mr San Lwin, Ambassador ofthe Republic of the Union of Myan-mar, for the presentation of his Let-ters of CredenceArchbishop Savio Hon Tai-Fai, SDB,titular Archbishop of Sila, ApostolicNuncio in GreeceH.E. Mr Horacio Manuel CartesJara, President of the Republic ofParaguay, with his entourageFriday, 10 November

Cardinal Gualtiero Bassetti, Arch-bishop of Perugia-Città della Pieve,President of the Italian EpiscopalC o n f e re n c eCardinal Fernando Filoni, Prefect ofthe Congregation for the Evangeliz-ation of PeoplesCardinal Luis Francisco Ladaria Fer-rer, S J, titular Archbishop of Thibica,Prefect of the Congregation for theDoctrine of the Faith

Archbishop Pedro López Quintana,titular Archbishop of Agropoli,Apostolic Nuncio in Lithuania, Es-tonia and Latvia

Archbishop Gábor Pintér, titularArchbishop of Velebusdus, ApostolicNuncio in Belarus

Saturday, 11 November

Cardinal Marc Ouellet, PSS, Prefectof the Congregation for Bishops

H.E. Mr Ernest Bai Koroma, Presi-dent of the Republic of Sierra Le-one, with his entourage

Msgr Janusz Urbańczyk, Holy SeePermanent Observer to the UnitedNations and International Govern-ment Organizations in Vienna, andto the United Nations IndustrialDevelopment Organization (UNID O);Permanent Representative to the In-ternational Atomic Energy Agency(IAEA) and to the Organization forSecurity and Co-operation inEurope (OSCE)

H.E. Mr Mohammad Taher Rab-bani, Ambassador of the Islamic Re-public of Iran, on a farewell visit

Monday, 13 November

The Holy Father presided over anInterdicasterial meeting in the SalaBologna

CHANGES IN EP I S C O PAT E

The Holy Father appointed Fr An-drzej Kaleta as Auxiliary Bishop ofKielce, Poland, assigning him thetitular episcopal See of Maxita. Un-til now he has been episcopal vicarfor the permanent formation of theclergy (8 Nov.).

Bishop-elect Kaleta, 60, was bornin Busko-Zdrój, Poland. He was or-dained a priest on 25 May 1985. Hehas served in parish ministry and as:prefect of discipline at the diocesanMajor Seminary; Defender of theBond at the Diocesan Tribunal; dir-ector of the seminary library; pro-fessor of missiology at the seminary;adjunct professor at the Institute ofLibrary Science and Journalism atthe Jan Kochanowski University inKielce; spiritual father at the MajorSeminary and for the diocesanclergy of Kielce; diocesan visitor forcatechesis; member of the College ofConsultors and of the PresbyteralCouncil; canon of the CathedralC h a p t e r.

The Holy Father appointed Fr Mar-celo Fabián Mazzitelli, from theclergy of the Diocese of San Isidro,Argentina, as Auxiliary Bishop ofthe Archdiocese of Mendoza, Argen-tina, assigning him the titular epis-copal See of Pauzera. Until now hehas served as an Official at the Con-gregation for the Clergy (10 Nov.).

Bishop-elect Mazzitelli, 57, wasborn in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Hewas ordained a priest on 11 March1986. He holds a licence in theology.He has served in parish ministry andas: prefect and rector of the Dioces-an Seminary in San Isidro; memberof the Presbyteral Council; presidentof the Organización de Seminarios enArg e n t i n a ; missionary in Holguín,Cuba.

The Holy Father accepted the resig-nation of Bishop Andrzej WojciechSuski of Toruń, Poland (11 Nov.).The Holy Father appointed BishopWiesław Śmigiel as Bishop ofTo ru ń. Until now he has been titularBishop of Beatia and Auxiliary ofPelplin, Poland (11 Nov.).

Bishop Śmigiel, 48, was born inŚwięć nad Wisłą, Poland. He wasordained a priest on 29 May 1994.He was ordained a bishop on 21April 2012, subsequent to his ap-pointment as titular Bishop of Bea-tia and Auxiliary of Pelplin.

The Holy Father accepted the resig-nation of Archbishop Jairo JaramilloMonsalve of Barranquilla, Colombia(14 Nov.).

The Holy Father accepted the resig-nation of Bishop Víctor AntonioTamayo Betancourt from his officeas Auxiliary of the Archdiocese ofBarranquilla, Colombia (14 Nov.).The Holy Father appointed BishopPablo Emiro Salas Anteliz as Arch-bishop of Barranquilla. Until nowhe has been Bishop of Armenia,Colombia (14 Nov.).

Archbishop Salas Anteliz, 60, wasborn in Valledupar, Colombia. Hewas ordained a priest on 2 Decem-ber 1984. He was ordained a bishopon 2 December 2007, subsequent tohis appointment as Bishop of Espin-al, Colombia. On 18 August 2014 hewas appointed Bishop of Armenia.

CO N G R E G AT I O N FOR THEEVA N G E L I Z AT I O N OF PEOPLES

The Holy Father appointed as Sec-retary of the Congregation for theEvangelization of Peoples Arch-bishop Protase Rugambwa, Bishopemeritus of Kigoma. Until now hehas served as adjunct Secretary ofthe said Congregation and as Presid-ent of the Pontifical Mission Societ-ies (9 Nov.).The Holy Father appointed as Ad-junct Secretary of the Congregationfor the Evangelization of Peoplesand as President of the PontificalMission Societies Msgr GiovanniPietro Dal Toso, former Secretary ofthe Pontifical Council Cor Unum, atthe same time raising him to thedignity of Archbishop, assigninghim the titular episcopal See ofForatiana (9 Nov.).

PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FORLE G I S L AT I V E TEXTS

The Holy Father appointed as Ad-junct Secretary of the PontificalCouncil for Legislative Texts Arch-bishop Filippo Iannone, O. Carm.,Bishop emeritus of Sora-Cassino-Aquino-Pontecorvo, Italy. Until nowhe has served as Vice Regent ofRome (11 Nov.).

STA R T OF MISSION

On Monday, 21 July, ArchbishopSantiago de Wit Guzmán, titularArchbishop of Gabala, began hismission as Apostolic Nuncio in theCentral African Republic with thepresentation of his Letters of Cre-dence to H.E. Mr Faustin-ArchangeTouadéra, President of the Republic.On Monday, 11 September, Arch-bishop Giuseppe Pinto, titular Arch-bishop of Anglona, began his mis-sion as Apostolic Nuncio in Croatia

Cardinal takes Possession

On Sunday, 12 November,Cardinal Jean Zerbo,

Archbishop of Bamako,Mali, took possession

of the Title ofSant’Antonio da Padova

in via Tuscolana.The Cardinal was

welcomed on the parvisof the Roman Church

by the parish priestFr Pasquale Albisinni.

Celebration of Prayer for peace

CONTINUED ON PA G E 8

The Holy Father will preside at a Celebration of Prayer forPeace for South Sudan and for the Democratic Republicof the Congo, on Thursday, 23 November, at 5:30 pm, atthe Altar of the Cathedra in the Vatican Basilica.

number 46, Friday, 17 November 2017 L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO page 3

we arrive five minutes early and be-gin to chat with the person next tous. But this is not the moment forsmall talk; it is the moment of si-lence to prepare ourselves for thedialogue. It is the moment for recol-lection within the heart, to prepareourselves for the encounter with Je-sus. Silence is so important! Re-member what I said last week: weare not going to a spectacle, we aregoing to the encounter with theLord, and silence prepares us andaccompanies us. Pausing in silencewith Jesus. From this mysterious si-lence of God springs his Wordwhich resonates in our heart. Jesushimself teaches us how it is trulypossible to “b e” with the Father andhe shows us this with his prayer.The Gospels show us Jesus whowithdraws to secluded places topray; seeing his intimate relationshipwith God, the disciples feel the de-sire to be able to take part in it, andthey ask him: “Lord, teach us topray” (Lk 11:1). We heard it in theFirst Reading, at the beginning ofthe Audience. Jesus responds thatthe first thing necessary for prayer isbeing able to say “Fa t h e r ”. Let ustake heed: if I am not able to say“Fa t h e r ” to God, I am not capableof prayer. We must learn to say“Fa t h e r ”, that is, to place ourselvesin his presence with filial trust. Butto be able to learn, we must humblyrecognize that we need to be taught,and to say with simplicity: ‘L o rd ,teach me to pray’.

This is the first point: to behumble, to recognize ourselves aschildren, to rest in the Father, to

world; and he even marvels at littlethings because everything is new tohim. To enter the Kingdom ofHeaven we must let ourselves be as-tonished. In our relationship withthe Lord, in prayer — I ask — do welet ourselves be astonished or do wethink that prayer is speaking withGod as parrots do? No, it is trustingand opening the heart so as to letourselves be astonished. Do we al-low ourselves to be surprised byGod who is always the God of sur-prises? Because the encounter withthe Lord is always a living en-counter; it is not a museum en-counter. It is a living encounter, andwe go to Mass, not to a museum.We go to a living encounter with theL o rd .

The Gospel speaks of a certainNicodemus (Jn 3:1-21), an elderlyman, an authority in Israel, whogoes to Jesus to get to know him;and the Lord speaks to him of theneed to “be born anew” (cf. v. 3).But what does it mean? Can one be“reb orn”? Is it possible to return tohaving the zest, the joy, the wonderof life, even in the face of so muchtragedy? This is a fundamental ques-tion of our faith, and this is thelonging of every true believer: thelonging to be reborn, the joy of be-ginning anew. Do we have this long-ing? Does each of us have the wishto be born ever anew in order tomeet the Lord? Do you have thiswish? Indeed, one can easily lose itbecause, due to so many activities,so many projects to implement, in

At the General Audience the Pope continues his reflection on the Mass

Prayer is a personal relationship with God

Lamb orghinito be auctioned for charity

A white Lamborghini Huracan RWD bearing Pope Francis’ signa-ture will be auctioned off at Sotheby’s next May and the pro-ceeds will go to charities supported by the Pontiff. The HolyFather was gifted the unique, specially designed car by the Itali-an automobile manufacturer during a brief ceremony with thecompany’s top executives outside the Casa Santa Marta beforethe General Audience on 15 November. Pope Francis, alongsideArchbishop Angelo Becciu, Substitute of the Secretariat of State,paused to personally autograph the vehicle. The recipient organ-izations will include Aid to the Church in Need, which is assist-ing the return of Iraqi Christians to the Ninevah Plains andhelping to rebuild their homes, businesses and churches whichwere destroyed during the recent conflict. The Pope John XXIIICommunity will also receive a donation towards its recovery pro-ject for trafficked women, Casa Papa Francesco. Beneficiaries willalso include two Italian charitable associations which work inAfrica: GICAM, whose volunteer hand specialists perform surgicalprocedures for the needy, and Amici del Centrafrica (Friends ofCentral Africa) which provides services primarily to women andchildren in the region. CONTINUED ON PA G E 8

Mass “is a living encounter, and we go to Mass, not to a museum”, Pope Francissaid at the General Audience on Wednesday, 15 November. Addressing the faithfulin Saint Peter’s Square, he continued a series of reflections dedicated to “thebeauty of the Eucharistic celebration”, explaining that it “is prayer ‘par excellence’,the loftiest, the most sublime, and at the same time the most ‘c o n c re t e ’”. Thefollowing is a translation of the catechesis, which he gave in Italian.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,Good morning!We are continuing with the cat-echeses on the Holy Mass. To illus-trate the beauty of the Eucharisticcelebration, I would like to beginwith a very simple aspect: Mass isprayer; rather, it is prayer par excel-lence, the loftiest, the most sublime,and at the same time the most “con-c re t e ”. In fact it is the loving en-counter with God through his Wordand the Body and Blood of Jesus. Itis an encounter with the Lord.

But first we must answer a ques-tion. What truly is prayer? It is firstof all a dialogue, a personal relation-ship with God. Man was created asa being in a personal relationshipwith God who finds his completefulfillment only in the encounterwith his Creator. The path of lifeleads toward the definitive encounterwith the Lord.

The Book of Genesis states thatman was created in the image andlikeness of God, who is the Fatherand Son and Holy Spirit, a perfectrelationship of love which is unity.From this we can understand thatwe were all created in order to entera perfect relationship of love, in the

continuous giving and receiving ofourselves so as to be able to find thefulfillment of our being.

When Moses, before the burningbush, receives God’s call, he asksHim His name. And how does Godrespond? “I am who I am” (Ex3:14). This expression, in its originalsense, expresses presence and favour,

and indeed, immediately afterwardsGod adds: “the Lord, the God ofyour fathers, the God of Abraham,of Isaac, and of Jacob” (cf. v. 15).Thus, when Christ calls his disciples,he, too, calls them so that they maybe with Him. This indeed is thegreatest grace: being able to feel thatthe Mass, the Eucharist, is the priv-ileged moment to be with Jesus and,through him, with God and withbrothers and sisters.

Praying, as every true dialogue, isalso knowing how to be in silence —in dialogues there are moments ofsilence — in silence together with Je-sus. When we go to Mass, perhaps

trust in him. To enter the Kingdomof Heaven, it is necessary to becomelittle, like children. In the sense thatchildren know how to trust; theyknow that someone will take care ofthem, of what they will eat, of whatthey will wear and so on (cf. Mt6:25-32). This is the first perspective:trust and confidence, as a child to-ward his parents; to know that Godremembers you, takes care of you, ofyou, of me, of everyone.

The second condition, too, is be-ing precisely like children; it is to letourselves be surprised. A child al-ways asks thousands of questionsbecause he wants to discover the

L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO Friday, 17 November 2017, number 46

Bernard Panafieu was born on 26January 1931 in Châtellerault,France. He was educated in the Ma-jor Seminaries of Albi and Issy-les-Moulineaux.

He was ordained a priest for theArchdiocese of Albi on 22 April1956, and served as vicar at Saint-Sauveur in Mazamet, and as chap-lain of La Pérouse School in Albiand of the university parish. He wasalso chaplain for students inToulouse, parish dean of Brassacand general secretary of the Presby-teral Council of Albi.

Panafieu was appointed titularBishop of Thibilis and Auxiliary ofAnnecy on 18 April 1974, and re-ceived his episcopal ordination on 9June of that year. Four years later,on 30 November 1978, he was ap-pointed Archbishop of Aix.

On 24 August 1994, he was ap-pointed Coadjutor of Marseille withthe right of succession, and becameArchbishop on 22 April 1995, suc-ceeding Cardinal Robert-JosephCoffy. Presiding at his predecessor’sfuneral just months thereafter, thenew Archbishop stated: “It is thefolly of faith that makes us believein the Resurrection of Jesus, Son of

God the Father of all. It is the follyof faith that makes us believe in ourown resurrection”. Emphasizing theimportance of the Marseille region’sancient Christian roots, which he de-scribed as being “celebrated by thePeople of God through the worshipof saints”, he stressed the urgencyfor a new evangelization that wouldtruly touch people’s hearts. He be-came Metropolitan Archbishop on 8December 2002, when Marseille waselevated to Metropolitan See.

Among his many roles, Panafieuserved as a member of the Perman-ent Council of the French Bishops’Conference from 1980 to 1986, andas a member of the committee of theMission of France. From 1986 to1992, he led an Episcopal Commis-sion regarding schools and universi-ties, as he had a particular interest inthis pastoral area.

Panafieu was especially active inthe ecumenical field and in that ofinterreligious dialogue. In his role asPresident of the Episcopal Commis-sion for interreligious relations andnew religious trends, he addressed inparticular the issue of the Muslimpresence in France.

Together with the French inter-confessional ecumenical committee,he sought to create a climate ofunity and dialogue, calling for great-er awareness and mutual solidarity.He always held a special place in hisheart for the issue of migrants,whom he strived to make an “object

of privileged attention on the part ofthe charitable organizations of theCatholic Church, so as to ensuretheir welcome: they are the truepoor of our Western society”, hesaid, “coming first from North andSub Saharan Africa, and later fromEastern Europe and the MiddleEast”.

His particular attention to thetheme of dialogue was also seen inhis work as President of the Secret-ariat for Religious Relations with Is-lam and as a member of the Epis-copal Commission for the UniversalMission of the Church. He also par-ticipated in the Episcopal Commis-sion for Ordained Ministers. Withinthe Roman Curia, he served as amember of the Pontifical Councilsfor Justice and Peace and for Inter-religious Dialogue.

Panafieu was a leader in the de-bate over educational and culturaleducation in France. He was a trail-blazer in open and supportive dia-logue with the Muslim world, ad-vocating on behalf of immigrantsfleeing poverty and war, so that theywould be welcomed without delay.Thanks to his universally recognizedcontributions to society, Panafieu be-came a member of the MarseilleAcademy of Sciences, Literature andArts in April 1996 and, on 28 Au-gust 2009, was given the title ofCommander of the Legion of Hon-our, the highest honour of theFrench Republic.

John Paul II created and pro-claimed him Cardinal in the consis-tory of 21 October 2003, with theTitle of San Gregorio Barbarigo alleTre Fontane.

Cardinal Panafieu participated inthe conclave of April 2005, whichelected Pope Benedict XVI.

On 12 May 2006, CardinalPanafieu resigned as Archbishop ofMarseille. His funeral was celebratedin the Cathedral of Marseille at 3:00PM on Friday, 17 November.

Congregation for the Causes of Saints

Promulgation of Decrees

Sr Leonella Sgorbati

Archbishop emeritus of Marseille

Cardinal Bernard Panafieu diesCardinal Bernard Panafieu, Archbishop emeritus of Marseille, died on Sundayevening, 12 November, in France. He was 86 years old. On learning of the Car-dinal’s death, Pope Francis sent a telegram to Archbishop Georges Pontier ofMarseille. The following are a biography of the late Cardinal and a translation ofPope Francis’ t e l e g ra m .

On Wednesday, 8 November, theHoly Father received in audienceCardinal Angelo Amato, SDB, P re -fect of the Congregation for theCauses of Saints. During the audi-ence, the Holy Father authorized theCongregation to promulgate the fol-lowing Decrees regarding:

— the martyrdom of the Ser-vant of God János Brenner, dio-cesan priest, born on 27 Decem-ber 1931 in Szombathely, Hun-gary, and killed in hatred of thefaith on 15 December 1957 in Ra-bakethely, Hungary;

— the martyrdom of the Ser-vant of God Leonella Sgorbati(in the world: Rosa), professednun of the Institute of the Con-solata Missionary Sisters; bornon 9 December 1940 in Rezzan-ello di Gazzola, Italy, and killedin hatred of the faith on 17

September 2006 in Mogadishu,Somalia;

— the heroic virtues of BlessedBernard of Baden, Marquis ofBaden, born c. 1429 in the Castleof Hohenbaden, Germany, anddied on 15 July 1458 in Mon-calieri, Italy;

— the heroic virtues of theServant of God John Paul I (Al-bino Luciani), Supreme Pontiff,born on 17 October 1912 inForno di Canale, now Canaled’Agordo, Italy, and died on 28September 1978 in the ApostolicPalace, Vatican City;

— the heroic virtues of theServant of God Gregorio Fiorav-anti (in the world: Lodovico),

professed priest of the Order ofFriars Minor, Founder of theCongregation of the FranciscanMissionary Sisters of the SacredHeart, born on 24 April 1822 inGrotte di Castro, Italy, and diedon 23 January 1894 in Gemona,Italy;

— the heroic virtues of theServant of God Tomás MoralesPérez, professed priest of the So-ciety of Jesus, Founder of theCruzados and Cruzadas de SantaMaría secular institutes, born on30 October 1908 in Macuto,Venezuela, and died on 1 Octo-ber 1994 in Alcalá de Henares,Spain;

— the heroic virtues of theServant of God Marcellino daCapradosso (in the world: Gio-vanni Maoloni), professed lay-man of the Order of FriarsMinor Capuchin, born on 22September 1873 in Villa Sam-buco di Castel di Lama, Italy,and died on 26 February 1909 inFermo, Italy;

— the heroic virtues of theServant of God Teresa FardellaDe Blasi, widow and Foundressof the Institute of the PoorDaughters of the Crowned Vir-gin, born on 24 May 1867 inNew York, USA, and died on 26August 1957 in Trapani, Italy.

Having learned with regret ofthe death of Cardinal BernardPanafieu, Archbishop emeritusof Marseille, I offer my mostheartfelt condolences to you, aswell as to his family, the faithfulof his former diocese and thecommunity of Notre-Dame deVie, who were close to him inthese recent years. I ask theFather of all mercy to welcomeinto His peace and His lightthis wise pastor who conveyedthe goodness and love of Godto the people entrusted to hiscare, first as Auxiliary Bishop ofAnnecy, then as Archbishop ofAix-en-Provence and Arles, andlastly, of Marseille. Attentive tosituations of precariousness andto the diversity of the popula-tion of his diocese, he made asignificant contribution to inter-cultural and interreligious dia-logue, thereby favouring peace-ful coexistence among all. As atoken of comfort, Your Excel-lency, I impart the Apostolic

Blessing to you, as well as toyour Auxiliary, the family andre l atives of the late Cardinal,the faithful of his former dio-cese and to all those who willattend the celebration of his fu-neral service.

FRANCIS P P.


Video message to participants attending a symposium on ‘Amoris Laetitia’

Family is the antidote to individualismD evastating

earthquake nearthe Iran-Iraq

b order

New Ambassador of Myanmar

A devastating earthquake, measur-ing 7.3 on the Richter scale, struckthe mountainous region near theIran-Iraq border late Sunday af-ternoon, 12 November. The quakeclaimed more than 500 lives andinjured thousands of people.

In two telegrams sent to Iranand Iraq, signed by the Secretaryof State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin,Pope Francis expressed condol-ences and solidarity to the familiesof the victims. The Pontiff, themessages read, “was deeplysaddened to learn of the severeearthquake” that struck the twocountries, “and he assures all af-fected by this tragedy of his pray-erful solidarity. In expressing hissorrow to all who mourn the lossof their loved ones, he offers hisprayers for the deceased and com-mends them to the mercy of theAlmighty. Upon the injured andthe emergency and civil authoritiesengaged in rescue and recovery ef-forts, His Holiness invokes the di-vine blessings of consolation ands t re n g t h ”.

H.E. Mr San Lwin wasborn on 20 December1955 in Yangon, and ismarried with two daugh-ters. He holds a degreein Industrial Chemistry.

He has held the fol-lowing offices: juniorstaff member at the In-ternational Organiza-tions and Economic De-partment of the Ministryof Foreign Affairs (M FA );deputy assistant directorat the M FA ; official inthe Consular Division ofthe M FA ; official in theDepartment of Planningand Administration, In-ternational Organiza-

On Thursday morning, 9 November, the Pope received in audienceH.E. Mr San Lwin, first Ambassador of the Republic of the Union of

Myanmar, for the presentation of the Letters by whichhe is accredited to the Holy See.

director of the PoliticalDepartment and in theDepartment of Training,Research and ForeignLanguage of the M FA(1997-2000); first secret-ary and counselor at theembassy in Singapore(2000-2005); deputy dir-ector and director of thePolitical Department ofthe M FA (2005-2008);minister counselor anddeputy permanent rep-resentative at the UnitedNations in New York(2008-2011); director ofthe Division of Interna-tional Organizations ofthe M FA (2011); deputy

tions and Economic Department and in the ProtocolDepartment of the M FA (1984-1987); third secretary atthe embassy in Peking (1987-1991); section head of thePolitical Department of the M FA (1991-1993); consul inthe People’s Republic of China (1993-1997); assistant

director general of the Political Department of the M FA(2011-2013); director general of the Political Depart-ment of the M FA (2013-2015); Ambassador in Austria,where he resides (2015 to present); and Ambassad-or in Lithuania (2017 to present).

Romano Guardini

Iranian civilians among the rubble after thequake in Sarpol-e Zahab (E PA )

We must not confuse “the primacy of conscience, which is always to be respected,with the exclusive autonomy of the individual in regard to the relationships he orshe experiences”. Pope Francis warned of this risk in a video message sent toparticipants attending the Third International Symposium on the ApostolicExhortation ‘Amoris Laetitia’ which was held in Rome on Saturday, 11November. The event was promoted by the Italian Bishops’ C o n f e re n c e ’s Office forthe Pastoral Care of Families. The following is a translation of the Holy Father’sremarks, which he delivered in Italian.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,Good morning!

I cordially greet all of you who aretaking part in the Third Internation-al Symposium on the Apostolic Ex-hortation Amoris Laetitia, convokedby the Italian Episcopal Confer-

autonomy of the individual in re-gard to the relationships he or sheexp eriences.

As I said recently to the PontificalAcademy for Life, “some have evenspoken of an e g o l a t r y, a worship ofthe self, on whose altar everything issacrificed, even the most cherishedhuman affections. This approach isfar from harmless, for it inducespeople to gaze constantly in themirror, to the point of being unableto turn their eyes away from them-selves and towards others and thebroader world. The spread of thisapproach has extremely grave effectson every affection and relationshipin life”.3 And this is a form of “p ol-lution” that corrodes souls and con-founds minds and hearts, producingfalse illusions.

Romano Guardini, in one of histexts on the theme of conscience, in-dicates the path for seeking the truegood. He writes, “From this impris-onment within myself I am free onlyif I find a point, which is not myego, loftier than myself; somethingsolid, working within me. And herewe arrive at the crux of the matter… that is, religious reality. Thatgoodness ... is something living.... Itis the fullness of worth, which be-longs to the selfsame living God”.4

In each of our hearts lies a placewhere the Mystery reveals itself andenlightens the person, making onethe protagonist of his or her history.The conscience, Vatican Council IIreminds us, “is the most secret coreand sanctuary of a man. There he is

alone with God, Whose voiceechoes in his depths”.5 It is up tothe Christian to ensure that in thissort of tabernacle there is no lack ofdivine grace, which illuminates andstrengthens conjugal love and themission of parents. Grace fills the“amphorae” of the human heartwith an extraordinary capacity forgiving, renewing for today’s familiesthe miracle of the wedding at Cana.

In commenting on this Gospelscene, I have said that “by trans-forming into wine the water of thejars used ‘for the Jewish rites ofpurification’ (Jn 2:6), Jesus performsan eloquent sign: he transforms theLaw of Moses into the Gospel,bearer of joy”.6 Jesus indicates inparticular the medicine of mercy,which heals hardness of the heart,restoring the relations between manand wife, and between parents andc h i l d re n .

Dear brothers and sisters, I wishall the best for your work in thisSymposium. May it help theChurch in Italy to assimilate anddevelop the content and style ofAmoris Laetitia; may it contribute tothe formation of those who guidefamily groups in parishes, in associ-ations, in movements; may it sustainthe journey of many families, help-ing them to live the joy of the Gos-pel and to be active cells in thecommunity. I bless you whole-heartedly, and I ask you, please, topray for me.1 Apostolic Exhortation Am o r i sLaetitia, 31.2 Ibid., 37.3 Address to Participants in the Gener-al Assembly of the Pontifical Academyfor Life, 5 October 2017.4 Conscience, Brescia 1933, 32-33.5 Pastoral Constitution Gaudium etSpes, 16.6 General Audience, 8 June 2016.

ence’s Office for the Pastoral Careof Families.

The theme you have chosen, “TheGospel of love, between conscienceand rule”, is of great relevance andcan illuminate the path that theChurches in Italy are travelling, alsoin response to the yearning for familythat arises in the hearts of the younggenerations. Love between man andwoman is clearly one of the mostgenerative human experiences; it isthe leaven of the culture of encounterand brings an injection of sociabilityto today’s world. Indeed, “the wel-fare of the family is decisive for thefuture of the world and that of theC h u rc h ”.1 The family born of mar-riage engenders fruitful bonds,which prove to be the most effectiveantidote to unbridled individualism;however, on the path of conjugallove and family life situations arisewhich require difficult choices to bemade with rectitude. At times, inthe domestic reality untoward con-trasts must be addressed withprudent conscience on each person’spart. It is important that thespouses, the parents, not be leftalone, but accompanied in their ef-fort to apply the Gospel to the real-ity of life. On the other hand, weare well aware that “we have beencalled to form consciences, not toreplace them”.2

The contemporary world risksconfusing the primacy of the con-science, which is always to be re-spected, with the exclusive

number 46, Friday, 17 November 2017 L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO page 6/7

Intimidation is not the wayThe Pope condemns the use of nuclear weapons as a threat in international relations

Salvador Dali,“The Three Sphinxes of Bikini” 1947

A two-day Conference on “P ro s p e c t s

for a World Free of Nuclear

Weapons and for Integral

Disarmament”, sponsored by the

Dicastery for Promoting Integral

Human Development, was held in

the Vatican on 10-11 November. The

Conference was inspired by Pope

Fra n c i s ’ frequent condemnation of

nuclear weapons and arms dealing.

The Holy Father and Secretary of

State Cardinal Pietro Parolin each

addressed the Conference. In his

remarks on Friday morning, 10

November, the Pontiff emphasized

that the race toward nuclear

armament arises from “a mentality

of fear” that now threatens

all of humanity.

Dear Friends,I offer a cordial welcome to each ofyou and I express my deep gratit-ude for your presence here andyour work in the service of thecommon good. I thank CardinalTurkson for his greeting and intro-duction.

In this Symposium, you have metto discuss issues that are criticalboth in themselves and in the lightof the complex political challengesof the current international scene,marked as it is by a climate of in-stability and conflict. A certainpessimism might make us think that“prospects for a world free fromnuclear arms and for integral dis-armament”, the theme of yourmeeting, appear increasingly re-mote. Indeed, the escalation of thearms race continues unabated andthe price of modernizing and devel-oping weaponry, not only nuclearweapons, represents a considerableexpense for nations. As a result, thereal priorities facing our humanfamily, such as the fight againstpoverty, the promotion of peace,the undertaking of educational, eco-logical and healthcare projects, andthe development of human rights,

are relegated to second place (cf.Message to the Conference on the Hu-manitarian Impact of NuclearWe a p o n s , 7 December 2014).

Nor can we fail to be genuinelyconcerned by the catastrophic hu-manitarian and environmental ef-fects of any employment of nucleardevices. If we also take into accountthe risk of an accidental detonationas a result of error of any kind, thethreat of their use, as well as theirvery possession, is to be firmly con-demned. For they exist in the ser-vice of a mentality of fear that af-fects not only the parties in conflictbut the entire human race. Interna-tional relations cannot be held cap-tive to military force, mutual intim-idation, and the parading of stock-piles of arms. Weapons of mass de-struction, particularly nuclearweapons, create nothing but a falsesense of security. They cannot con-stitute the basis for peaceful coexist-ence between members of the hu-man family, which must rather beinspired by an ethics of solidarity(cf. Message to the United NationsConference to Negotiate a LegallyBinding Instrument to Prohibit Nucle-ar Weapons, 27 March 2017). Essen-

tial in this regard is the witness giv-en by the Hibakusha, the survivorsof the bombing of Hiroshima andNagasaki, together with other vic-tims of nuclear arms testing. Maytheir prophetic voice serve as awarning, above all for coming gen-erations!

Furthermore, weapons that resultin the destruction of the humanrace are senseless even from a tac-tical standpoint. For that matter,while true science is always at theservice of humanity, in our time weare increasingly troubled by themisuse of certain projects originallyconceived for a good cause. Sufficeit to note that nuclear technologiesare now spreading, also through di-gital communications, and that theinstruments of international lawhave not prevented new states fromjoining those already in possessionof nuclear weapons. The resultingscenarios are deeply disturbing ifwe consider the challenges of con-temporary geopolitics, like terrorismor asymmetric warfare.

At the same time, a healthy real-ism continues to shine a light ofhope on our unruly world. Re-cently, for example, in a historicvote at the United Nations, the ma-jority of the members of the inter-national community determinedthat nuclear weapons are not onlyimmoral, but must also be con-sidered an illegal means of warfare.This decision filled a significant jur-idical lacuna, inasmuch as chemicalweapons, biological weapons, anti-human mines and cluster bombs areall expressly prohibited by interna-tional conventions. Even more im-portant is the fact that it wasmainly the result of a “humanitarianinitiative” sponsored by a signific-ant alliance between civil society,states, international organizations,churches, academies and groups ofexperts. The document that you,distinguished recipients of the No-bel Prize, have consigned to me is apart of this, and I express my grat-itude and appreciation for it.

This year marks the fiftieth an-niversary of the Encyclical LetterPopulorum Progressio of Pope PaulVI. That Encyclical, in developingthe Christian concept of the person,set forth the notion of integral hu-man development and proposed itas “the new name of peace”. In thismemorable and still timely docu-ment, the Pope stated succinctlythat “development cannot be re-stricted to economic growth alone.To be authentic, it must be integral;it must foster the development ofeach man and of the whole man”(No. 14).

We need, then, to reject the cul-ture of waste and to care for indi-viduals and peoples labouring un-der painful disparities through pa-tient efforts to favour processes ofsolidarity over selfish and contin-

gent interests. This also entails in-tegrating the individual and the so-cial dimensions through the applic-ation of the principle of subsidiar-ity, encouraging the contribution ofall, as individuals and as groups.Lastly, there is a need to promotehuman beings in the indissolubleunity of soul and body, of contem-plation and action.

In this way, progress that is botheffective and inclusive can achievethe utopia of a world free of deadlyinstruments of aggression, contraryto the criticism of those who con-sider idealistic any process of dis-mantling arsenals. The teaching ofJohn XXIII remains ever valid. Inpointing to the goal of an integraldisarmament, he stated: “Unlessthis process of disarmament bethoroughgoing and complete, andreach men’s very souls, it is im-possible to stop the arms race, or to

reduce armaments, or — and this isthe main thing — ultimately to ab-olish them entirely” (Pacem in Ter-ris, 11 April 1963).

The Church does not tire of of-fering the world this wisdom andthe actions it inspires, consciousthat integral development is the be-neficial path that the human familyis called to travel. I encourage youto carry forward this activity withpatience and constancy, in the trustthat the Lord is ever at our side.May he bless each of you and yourefforts in the service of justice andpeace. Thank you.

Secretary of State relaunches the proposal to set aside a portion of military expenditures for a world fund for the poor

The challenge of Paul VIAddressing the Conference “Prospects for a WorldFree of Nuclear Weapons and for Integral Disarma-ment” at the Vatican on Friday, 10 November, Sec-retary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin recalled thechallenge set by Pope Paul VI, who called for aglobal fund for the poor to be appropriated frommilitary expenditures. The following is the Englishtext of Cardinal Parolin’s address.

Your Eminence,Your Excellencies,Ladies and Gentlemen,My deep thanks go to the Dicastery for the Ser-vice of Integral Human Development and inparticular to its Prefect, Cardinal Peter Turkson,for organizing this timely and engaging two-dayC o n f e re n c e .

In these complex and uncertain times, it mayseem somewhat unrealistic, if not downright uto-pian, to speak of “prospects for a world free ofnuclear weapons and for integral disarmament”.It also seems confirmed by an alarming fact: theconstant increase of expenditures on arms world-wide, including the costs of updating nuclear ar-senals.

To day’s meeting takes place amid this de-cidedly disheartening state of affairs.

All the same, to speak of “prospects for aworld free of nuclear weapons” invites us to re-flect on a question which the Holy Father askedon 27 March last, in his Message for the openingof the United Nations Conference to negotiate alegally binding instrument to prohibit nuclearweapons. Why set oneself the difficult and long-term objective of a world without nuclear arms?

It is interesting at this point to consider hiscarefully detailed response:

“If we take into consideration the principalthreats to peace and security with their many di-mensions in this multipolar world of the twenty-first century as, for example, terrorism, asymmet-rical conflicts, cyber security, environmentalproblems, poverty, not a few doubts arise regard-ing the inadequacy of nuclear deterrence as aneffective response to such challenges. These con-cerns are even greater when we consider the cata-strophic humanitarian and environmental con-sequences that would follow from any use ofnuclear weapons, with devastating, indiscrimin-ate and uncontainable effects, over time andspace. Similar cause for concern arises when ex-amining the waste of resources spent on nuclearissues for military purposes, which could insteadbe used for worthy priorities like the promotionof peace and integral human development, aswell as the fight against poverty, and the imple-mentation of the 2030 Agenda for SustainableD evelopment.

“We need also to ask ourselves how sustain-able is a stability based on fear, when it actuallyincreases fear and undermines relationships oftrust between peoples.

“International peace and stability cannot bebased on a false sense of security, on the threatof mutual destruction or total annihilation, or onsimply maintaining a balance of power.”1

What the Holy Father has given us is a seriesof recommendations for a world free of nuclear

weapons, which can assist in our reflections. Imight summarize them under four headings:

1. The inadequacy of defence systems based onnuclear weapons in responding to threats to na-tional and international security in the twenty-first century.

2. The catastrophic human and environmentalimpact of the use of nuclear weapons.

3. The waste of human and economic re-sources spent on updating those weapons, re-sources diverted from the overall pursuit of goalssuch as peace and integral human development.

tion of nuclear weapons, of which other inter-national legal instruments are already part, as,for example, the Treaty on the Non-prolifera-tion of Nuclear Weapons and the Nuclear TestBan Treaty. The three instruments are comple-mentary and aimed at strengthening the legalnorms against nuclear weapons and placing thelatter in the same category as other arms ofmass destruction, such as chemical and biolo-gical weapons that are already globally and uni-versally banned by international law. The cor-rect application of these three Treaties repres-

4. The creation of aclimate of fear, distrustand conflict.

One concrete re-sponse to these issueswas the recent adoptionand opening for signa-ture of the Treaty on theProhibition of NuclearWeapons, which wasalso ratified by the HolySee on 20 Septemberlast. The Treaty encour-ages States not only tosubscribe to it, but alsoto attempt to under-stand its letter and spiritand to follow throughon what it promotes.The Treaty is part of theimportant internationalregime on the elimina- “Peace No War”, mural by students of the Comprehensive Institute of Contursi Terme, Italy

CONTINUED ON PA G E 8


CONTINUED FROM PA G E 6

The challenge of Paul VI

General AudienceCONTINUED FROM PA G E 3

Renata Pantera, “Nuclear Disaster”

Vatican BulletinCONTINUED FROM PA G E 2

ents a fundamental step forward onthe road to a world free of nuclearweap ons.

I would like to reflect on yet an-other significant aspect of this roadthat we are called to take. TheTreaty on the Prohibition of NuclearWeapons recognizes the importanceof education for peace and for dis-armament in all its aspects, togetherwith the importance of raisingawareness of the risks and con-sequences of nuclear weapons forcurrent and future generations. Re-sponding along these lines entails acommitment to significant initiativesaimed at promoting a culture thatrejects nuclear weapons, a culture oflife and peace, one based on thedignity of the human being and onthe primacy of law. This is to beachieved by means of a multilateral-ism based on dialogue and the re-sponsible, honest and consistent co-operation of all the members of thecommunity of nations.

At the same time, as Pope Francispointed out in his Message of 27March last, “growing interdepend-ence and globalization mean thatany response to the threat of nuclearweapons should be collective andconcerted, based on mutual trust.This trust can be built only throughdialogue that is truly directed to thecommon good and not to the pro-tection of veiled or particular in-terests; such dialogue, as far as pos-sible, should include all.”2 Avoidingconflicts and building bridges; thisshould be the principal aim of an ef-ficacious collective and concerted re-sp onse.

It is my sincere hope that theConference that begins today willfavour a reflection on the ethics of

peace and multilateral security thatmoves beyond the “fear” s u r ro u n d -ing the debate on nuclear arms andbeyond the risk of an isolationismpresent in some current discussions.To this end, I would suggest startingfrom one of the key ideas found inPope Francis’s Encyclical LaudatoSi’ on the Care of our CommonHome: from the standpoint of the“integral ecology” so clearly set forth

all the more crucial to encouragedialogue and to create structures oftrust, for these are also part of theprocess leading to a world free ofnuclear weapons. It would be help-ful if today’s Conference could offerfurther points for reflection in thisregard. That would involve puttinginto practice another key concept ofLaudato Si’: namely, the need for achange of direction on the part of

for the work of national develop-ment. Only a concerted effort on thepart of all nations, embodied in andcarried out by this world fund, willstop these senseless rivalries andpromote fruitful, friendly dialoguebetween nations.[...] Is it not plainto everyone that such a fund wouldreduce the need for those other ex-penditures that are motivated byfear and stubborn pride? Countlessmillions are starving ... we cannotapprove a debilitating arms race.”3

This proposal of Pope Paul VI,which remains timely, might alsoseem unrealistic, if not utopian. Yetconsideration should still be givento whether, in the process of updat-ing the sustainable developmentgoals adopted in 2015, it would bepossible to encourage reflection onhow to reintroduce it, pointing outthe human and economic resourcesthat could be saved by reduced mil-itary spending, including outlaysused for the maintenance and updat-ing of nuclear weapons. Those re-sources ought to be directed towardsthe genuine goals of developmentand peace.

I leave this proposal to the delib-erations of this assembly and of oth-er symposiums devoted to these is-sues. The proposal does recognizehow important it is that the interna-tional community avoid a short-sighted approach to the problems ofnational and global security and ad-opt instead long-term action on be-half of peace and security. As theHoly See has stated in various con-texts, the pursuit of a real process ofinternational disarmament cannotfail to produce major benefits fordevelopment. And an integral hu-man development cannot in turn failto have profound and beneficial re-percussions on issues of security.

Thank you.1 Message to the UN Conference to Ne-gotiate a Legally Binding Instrumentto Prohibit Nuclear Weapons, Leadingtowards their Total Elimination, NewYork, 27 March 2017.2 Ibid.3 PAU L VI, Encyclical Letter Populor-um Progressio, 26 March 1967, nn.51-53.

the international community. In thisparticular case, such a change of dir-ection should start with a reconsid-eration of priorities and the bestways to ensure peace and interna-tional security in the twenty-firstc e n t u r y.

Allow me to offer one last reflec-tion. This year marks the fiftieth an-niversary of the Encyclical Populor-um Progressio, which proposed “set-ting aside a portion of ... militaryexpenditures for a world fund to re-lieve the needs of impoverishedpeoples. What is true for the imme-diate war against poverty is also true

in that text, “everything is connec-ted”.

The idea of “integral disarma-ment” recalls that concept of “integ-ral ecology”. If we realize thateverything is connected, it becomes

the end we are short of timeand we lose sight of what isfundamental: the inner life ofthe heart, our spiritual life, ourlife which is the encounterwith the Lord in prayer.

In truth, the Lord surprisesus by showing us that he lovesus even in our weaknesses. “Je-sus Christ ... is the expiationfor our sins, and not for oursonly but also for the sins ofthe whole world” (1 Jn 2:2).This gift, the source of trueconsolation — but the Lord al-ways forgives us — this con-soles; it is a true consolation; itis a gift that we are giventhrough the Eucharist, thatwedding feast at which theBridegroom encounters ourfrailty. Can I say that when Ireceive communion duringMass, the Lord encounters myfrailty? Yes! We can say so be-cause this is true! The Lordencounters our frailty so as tolead us back to our first call:that of being in the image andlikeness of God. This is theenvironment of the Eucharist.This is prayer.

SPECIAL GREETINGS

I greet the English-speakingpilgrims and visitors takingpart in today’s Audience, par-ticularly the groups from Eng-land, Denmark, the Nether-lands, the Philippines, HongKong and the United States ofAmerica. Upon all of you, andyour families, I invoke joy andpeace in our Lord JesusChrist.

I offer a special thought toyoung people, to the sick and tonewlyweds. Today we are celeb-rating the Memorial of SaintAlbertus Magnus, Bishop andDoctor of the Church. Dearyoung people, may youstrengthen your dialogue withGod, seeking him diligently inyour every action; dear sickpeople, may you find comfortin the reflection of the mysteryof the Cross of the Lord Jesus,who continues to illuminatethe life of all men and women;and may you, dear newlyweds,strive to maintain a steadfastrelationship with Christ, sothat your love may be ever-more a reflection of God’s.

with the presentation of his Lettersof Credence to H.E. Mrs KolindaGrabar-Kitarović, President of theRepublic.

On Wednesday, 11 October, Arch-bishop Francisco Montecillo Pa-dilla, titular Archbishop of Nebbio,began his mission as ApostolicNuncio in Qatar with the presenta-tion of his Letters of Credence toH.H. Tamim Hamad Al-Thani,Emir of Qatar.

On Wednesday, 11 October, Arch-bishop Paul Tschang In-Nam, titu-lar Archbishop of Amantia, beganhis mission as Apostolic Nuncio inMyanmar with the presentation ofhis Letters of Credence to H.E. MrHtin Kyaw, President of the Re-public of the Union of Myanmar.

CARDINAL TA K E S POSSESSION

On 12 November, Cardinal JeanZerbo, Archbishop of Bamako,Mali, took possession of the Titleof Sant’Antonio da Padova in ViaTu s c o l a n a .

NECROLO GY

Bishop Andrés Sapelak, SDB, Bish-op emeritus of the Eparchy ofSanta María del Patrocinio enBuenos Aires for Ukrainians, Ar-gentina, at age 97 (6 Nov.)Bishop Jacques Landriault, Bishopemeritus of Timmins, Ontario,Canada, at age 96 (6 Nov.)Cardinal Bernard Panafieu, Arch-bishop emeritus of Marseille,France, at age 86 (12 Nov.)


A global strategy for the environmentTo combat climate change and rising sea levels

Island of Aitutaki, Cook Islands

Conference in the Vatican

Good health accessible to all

Your Excellencies,Ladies and Gentlemen,I offer a warm welcome to you,the Pacific Islands Forum Lead-ers. Your presence here is a vis-ible sign of the rich variety ofcultures and the great naturalbeauty of the Pacific region.

I share your concern for thepeoples of the region, especiallythose exposed to the extreme en-vironmental and climate eventsthat are becoming more frequentand intense. Of concern too isthe grave impact of rising sealevels and the disturbing andcontinuous deterioration of thebarrier reef, a marine ecosystemof immense importance. In thisregard, I remember the disquiet-ing question posed almost thirtyyears ago by the Bishops of thePhilippines: “Who turned thewonderworld of the seas into un-derwater cemeteries bereft of col-our and life?” (cf. Laudato Si’,41). A number of causes have ledto this environmental decay and,sadly, many of them are due toshort-sighted human activity con-nected with certain ways of ex-ploiting natural and human re-sources, the impact of which ulti-mately reaches the ocean bed it-self (cf. ibid.).

When we speak of rising sealevels, which “mainly affect im-poverished coastal populationswho have nowhere else to go”(ibid., 48), our thoughts turn tothe problem of global warmingwidely discussed in various inter-national forums and meetings. Inthese very days COP-23, thetwenty-third session of the Con-ference of the Parties to the Con-vention Framework of the UnitedNations, is meeting in Bonn, un-der the presidency of one of thecountries you represent, the FijiIslands. It is my hope that the ef-forts of COP-23, and those yet tocome, will always keep in mindthe greater picture of that “earthwithout borders, with its highlyrarified atmosphere”, as it was de-scribed by one of the astronautscurrently orbiting in the Interna-tional Space Station, with whomI recently had a fascinating con-versation.

You have come here fromcountries far distant from Rome,yet that vision of an “earthwithout borders” dissolves allgeographic distances. It remindsus of the need for a global out-look, international cooperationand solidarity, and a sharedstrategy, which can prevent usfrom remaining indifferent in the

face of grave problems such asthe deterioration of the environ-ment and of the health of theoceans, which is itself linked tothe human and social deteriora-tion experienced by humanityto day.

Not only geographic and territ-orial distances, but also distancesin time are dissolved by the real-ization that everything in theworld is intimately connected (cf.ibid., 16). Almost thirty years havepassed since the Filipino Bishops’appeal, and yet it cannot be saidthat the situation of the oceansand marine ecosystem has reallyimproved. We still face any num-ber of problems regarding, for ex-ample, the management of fishingresources, activities in shallow

and deep waters, the situation ofcoastal communities and of fish-ing families, and the pollutioncaused by the accumulation ofplastics and m i c ro - plastics. “Whatkind of world do we want toleave to those who come after us,to children who are now growingup? This question not only con-cerns the environment in isola-tion.... When we ask ourselveswhat kind of world we want toleave behind, we think in the firstplace of its general direction, itsmeaning and its values” (ibid.,160).

I thank you for your welcomevisit and I invoke upon you andyour countries God’s abundantblessings.

Thank you.

gathering in the Vatican from 16to 18 November to discuss how toaddress the global disparity withregard to healthcare. The occa-sion is the 32nd InternationalConference organized by the

The primary goal, he explained,is to call attention to “what is amatter of social justice, becauseaccess to health [care] is deniedto too many people in so manyparts of the world”. The objectiveis to engage not only the Churchbut also “the international com-munity, governments and NGO s”.

The discussion, explained An-thony Tersigni, President ofCIISAC, is fundamental: “Sharingexamples of good practice” willhelp everyone “to better under-stand problems and possible solu-tions”.

The work, moderated by MsgrSegundo Tejado Muñoz, Under-secretary of the Vatican Dicastery,will illustrate “what the Church isdoing throughout the world,through her more than 100 thou-sand structures, to guarantee careto every person and above all tothe most vulnerable groups: thepoor, refugees, migrants”. For ex-ample, Msgr Namugera emphas-ized, Cardinal Mario Zenari is tospeak about ongoing initiatives toaddress the needs of the suffering

Syrian population, and CardinalLuis Antonio Tagle’s focus is onthe activities of Caritas Interna-tionalis, over which he presides.

New pharmaceutical innova-tions and technologies, bioethics,health management, field hospit-als and pandemics are also beingdiscussed. With regard to pan-demics, a parallel meeting is alsobeing dedicated to the theme ofAIDS and, in particular, to theneed for improving antiretroviraltherapies in children.

Experts from around the worldare presenting on a variety of top-ics because, Msgr Namugera spe-cified, there is no geographichierarchy to the health crisis andthe problem of disparities. Al-though “it is indeed true that dis-parities have more dramatic out-comes in developing countries,criticisms are found everywhere”and they reflect the disparitiesand economic injustices that existin every country. This is whyeveryone must feel engaged in theproblem and above all, “p oliti-cians and administrators mustfind the best ways to reconcileneeds and resources”.

“A global outlook, international cooperation and solidarity, and a shareds t ra t e g y ” are needed to combat environmental decay. Pope Francisemphasized this to leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum, whom he receivedin audience on Saturday morning, 11 November, in the Clementine Hall.The following is the English text of his remarks, which he gave in Italian.

Health is a fundamental humanright, and access to care shouldbe guaranteed to every person.But this is not happening any-where in the world, not even inthe supposedly “most evolved”places. This is why more than 500experts from 66 countries are

Dicastery for PromotingIntegral Human Develop-ment, in cooperation withthe International Confed-eration of CatholicHealthcare Institutions(CIISAC).

The inspiration for theevent, explained DicasteryOfficial Msgr CharlesNamugera, “comes dir-ectly from Pope Francis,who has recalled on sever-al occasions that healthcannot be managed bymarket rules: justice andsolidarity are needed”.Msgr Namugera spokewith journalists onMonday, 13 November, ata press event organized bythe Holy See Press Officeto present the topics andaims of the Conference.


With the oil of charityAt the Angelus the Pope speaks about the parable of the 10 virgins

With the President of Sierra Leone

Holy See and SierraLeone were evoked,as was the import-ant contribution theChurch offers to thematerial and moralreconstruction ofthe country, espe-cially in the educa-tional, social andhealthcare sectors.After acknowledgingre ligious freedom,peaceful coexistenceand mutual respectbetween the variousreligious groups, at-tention turned tothe importance of

Jorge CoccoSantangelo,“The ten virgins”

Dear Brothers and Sisters,Good morning!This Sunday, the Gospel (cf. Mt25:1-13) indicates the conditionthat would allow us to enter theKingdom of Heaven, and it doesso with the parable of the 10 vir-gins: it is about those maidenbrides who were designated towelcome and accompany thebridegroom to the wedding cere-mony and, since at that time itwas customary to celebrate the ce-remony at night, the maidenbrides were provided with lamps.The parable states that five ofthese maidens are wise and fiveare foolish: indeed, the wise oneshave brought oil for their lamps,while the foolish have broughtnone. The bridegroom’s arrival isdelayed and they all fall asleep.At midnight the bridegroom’s ar-rival is announced; at that mo-ment the foolish maidens realizethey have no oil for their lamps,and they ask the wise ones forsome. But the latter reply thatthey cannot give them any be-cause there would not be enoughfor everyone. Thus, while thefoolish maidens go in search of

oil, the bridegroom arrives; thewise maidens go in with him tothe marriage feast and the door isshut. The five foolish maidens re-turn too late; they knock on thedoor, but the response is “I donot know you” (v. 12), and theyremain outside.

What does Jesus wish to teachus with this parable? He remindsus that we must be ready for theencounter with him. Many times,in the Gospel, Jesus exhorts

keeping watch, and he also doesso at the end of this narrative. Hesays: “Watch therefore, for youknow neither the day nor thehour” (v. 13). But with this par-able he tells us that keepingwatch does not only mean not tosleep, but to be ready; in fact allthe maidens are asleep before thebridegro om’s arrival, but uponwaking some are ready and othersare not. Thus, here is the mean-ing of being wise and prudent: itis a matter of not waiting untilthe last minute of our lives to co-operate with the grace of God,but rather to do so as of now. Itwould be good to consider for amoment: one day will be the last.If it were today, how prepared amI? But I must do this and that....Be ready as if it were the last day:this does us good.

The lamp is a symbol of thefaith that illuminates our life,while the oil is a symbol of thecharity that nourishes the light offaith, making it fruitful and cred-ible. The condition for being pre-pared for the encounter with theLord is not only faith, but aChristian life abundant with loveand charity for our neighbour. Ifwe allow ourselves to be guidedby what seems more comfortable,by seeking our own interests, thenour life becomes barren, incap-able of giving life to others, andwe accumulate no reserve of oilfor the lamp of our faith; and this— faith — will be extinguished atthe moment of the Lord’s com-ing, or even before. If instead weare watchful and seek to do good,with acts of love, of sharing, ofservice to a neighbour in diffi-culty, then we can be at peacewhile we wait for the bridegroomto come: the Lord can come atany moment, and even the slum-ber of death does not frighten us,

because we have a reserve of oil,accumulated through everydaygood works. Faith inspires charityand charity safeguards faith.

May the Virgin Mary help ourfaith to be ever more effectivethrough charity; so that our lampmay already shine here, on theearthly journey and then for ever,at the marriage feast in heaven.

After praying the Angelus, the HolyFather continued:

Dear brothers and sisters, yes-terday in Madrid, Vicente QueraltLloret and 20 companion martyrs,and José María Fernández Sán-chez and 38 companion martyrswere beatified. Some of the newBlesseds were members of theCongregation of the Missions:priests, coadjutor brothers,novices; others were lay membersof the Association of the MiraculousMe d a l . All were killed in hatredof the faith during the religiouspersecution that took place dur-ing the Spanish Civil Warbetween 1936 and 1937. Let usthank God for the great gift ofthese exemplary witnesses toChrist and to the Gospel.

I greet you all, families, par-ishes, associations and individualfaithful, who have come fromItaly and from many parts of theworld. In particular, I greet thepilgrims from Washington, Phil-adelphia, Brooklyn and NewYork; the parish choir of SantaMaria Maddalena di Nuragus,Sardinia; the faithful fromTuscania, Ercolano and Venice;the Società bocciofila from Rosta;and the confirmands from Galzig-nano. I wish everyone a happySunday. Please, do not forget topray for me. Enjoy your lunch.Ar r i v e d e rc i !

On Saturday morning, 11 Novem-ber, in the Apostolic Palace, theHoly Father received in audience,the President of the Republic ofSierra Leone, H.E. Mr Ernest BaiKoroma, who then met withArchbishop Paul Richard Galla-gher, Secretary for Relations withStates.

During the cordial discussions,the good relations between the

promoting national cohesion, em-phasizing the richness of the vari-ous historical, religious and cul-tural traditions of the country,with respect for human andminority rights.

Finally, there was an exchangeof views on a number of themesof international interest, with par-ticular reference to the currentchallenges that affect the region.

“The oil is a symbol of the charity thatnourishes the light of faith, making itfruitful and credible”. Pope Francisexplained this as he commented on theparable of the 10 virgins at the Angelus inSaint Peter’s Square on Sunday, 12November. The following is a translation ofthe reflection which the Holy Father offeredin Italian.


The challenge of inclusionCardinal Parolin in Baltimore for the centenary of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops

Cardinal Parolin after celebrating Mass in the Baltimore Basilica

On Thursday morning,9 November, the HolyFather received in audi-ence H.E. Mr HoracioManuel Cartes Jara,President of the Re-public of Paraguay,who subsequently metwith Cardinal Secretaryof State Pietro Parolin,accompanied by Arch-bishop Paul RichardGallagher, Secretary forRelations with States.

The discussions,which took place in acordial atmosphere, fo-cused mainly on thethemes of educationand social promotion,as well as on a numberof regional issues.

Born in response “to the im-mense human suffering and dis-placement brought about by theFirst World War”, the UnitedStates Conference of CatholicBishops (USCCB) is continuouslycalled to bring “not only materi-al assistance, but also the spir-itual balm of healing, comfort,and hope to new waves of mi-grants and refugees who comeknocking on America’s door”.Expressing the hope that USbishops continue their “resp ons-ible contributions” in the areasof social justice and political de-bate, Cardinal Secretary of StatePietro Parolin urged the USCCB,this year celebrating the centen-ary of its foundation, to contin-ue to provide hope in a“wounded world”.

The Holy See’s Secretary ofState presided at the openingMass for the USCCB’s AnnualAssembly on Sunday, 12November, at the Basilica of theAssumption of the Blessed Vir-gin Mary in Baltimore. In hishomily, Cardinal Parolin re-called the efforts by Americanbishops 100 years ago to assistin the resettlement of manyEuropean families “forced toleave their homes and come tothe New World in search of se-curity and a better life”. He ap-plauded the bishops’ effortsover the ensuing decades in sup-port of moral values and in de-fence of the “right to life” of theunborn. In particular, he laudedtheir contributions towards en-suring adequate protection forfamilies and access to sustain-able health care.

Drawing on the day’s Gospelreading on the parable of the 10virgins, the Cardinal stressed theimportance of filling lamps“with the oil of the purity ofheart” and “the joy of the Gos-pel that the Church is called toproclaim before the world”. Inan age “increasingly marked bysecularization, materialism and acoarsening of human relations”,he said, “an essential aspect ofyour task as pastors of theChurch in America is to offerthat hope”. In this sense,through her vast network of par-ishes, and educational, health-care and charitable institutions,the Church in the US, he ob-served, has long sought to “in-tegrate a diversity of peoples,languages and cultures in theone faith” and “to inculcate asense of responsible citizenshipand concern for the commongo o d”. Faithful to this calling,she must work for “an ever morejust and inclusive society by dis-pelling the shadows of polariza-tion, divisiveness and societalbreakdown by the pure light ofthe Gospel”, he said.

Immigration, the right to life,religious freedom and interna-tional relations, meanwhile, werethe topics at the centre of a

meeting between the Secretaryof State and US Vice PresidentMike Pence. Afterwards, in aninterview with EWTN, CardinalParolin described the meeting as“very fruitful” and said that thetwo had discussed areas of pos-sible cooperation between theUnited States and the Holy Seeto bring peace and stability todifferent parts of the world.

Regarding the issue of immig-ration, the two spoke about re-cent White House decisions,particularly the ending of theDeferred Action for ChildhoodArrivals (DACA) programme re-garding the legal recognition ofchildren with irregular immigra-tion status. The Cardinal saidhe could not offer any judge-ment on the issue but that itwas discussed in his conversa-tion with the Vice Presidentwho told him that “there is on-going work on that topic” andexpressed the hope that it “canbe resolved”.

Immigration and racism wereamong the top issues discussedby the US Bishops in their An-nual Assembly. It was notedthat the DACA p ro g r a m m eshould be preserved as it hasoffered valid protection to un-documented persons brought tothe US as minors, many ofwhom have lived in the countryfor years and consider them-selves Americans. Moreover, the

bishops expressed concernabout any possible disruption oftemporary protected status (TPS)for migrants from El Salvador,Honduras and Haiti, and theirforcible return to their homecountries which continue to suf-fer insecurity from natural andmanmade disasters. The bishopsvoted to draft a declaration ad-

vocating the comprehensive re-form of United States immigra-tion legislation.

Cardinal Blase J. Cupich,Archbishop of Chicago, ob-served an increasing trend to-ward “poisoning rhetoric that isdegrading of immigrants andeven demonizing of them”. Andthe Catholic community, too, henoted, is getting caught up inthis phenomenon which is “hav-ing an effect on our ownpeople, because they pick upthat language”, he said. “T h e re ’ssomething wrong in ourchurches when the Gospel isproclaimed but people leaveparishes with that rhetoric stillin their hearts”. For this reason,the bishops agreed to promotenew educational programmes toraise awareness about socialjustice and the Church’s stanceon such issues. Bishop GeorgeV. Murry, S J, of Youngstown,Chairman of the Church’s adHoc Committee against Racism,spoke of the “evil of racism”which raises walls betweenpeople that only our faith candismantle. The Committee plansto hold a national convocationearly next year, as well as aseries of workshops across thecountry to “hear the voices ofpeople suffering as a result ofracism” and to explore thecauses and effects of racism inthe US.

During their Plenary, thebishops elected Archbishop Al-len Henry Vigneron of Detroitas their new Secretary, and re-newed the leadership of severalcommissions. In particular,A rc h bishop Joseph Fred Nau-mann of Kansas City in Kansaswas indicated to head up thecommission for pro-life activ-ities.

With the President of Paraguay


At lunch with the PopeMass and initiatives to mark the first World Day of the Poor in Saint Peter’s

Pope Francis dining with the poor on hisrecent visit to Bologna, on Sunday, 1 October

Pope Francis will celebrate a specialMass in the Vatican on Sunday, 19November, marking the first annualWorld Day of the Poor. Some 4,000needy, many of whom live in ex-treme poverty, and the volunteerswho assist them will attend themorning liturgy in Saint Peter’s Ba-silica. Afterwards, some 1,500 ofthem will sit down to lunch with theHoly Father.

The Pope established the WorldDay in his Apostolic Letter Miseri-cordia et Misera of 20 November2016, at the end of the Jubilee ofMercy. In it he called the Churchand the faithful to reach out to thepoor, the vulnerable and the needyand to do what they can to helpthem, as “the worthiest way to pre-pare for the celebration of theSolemnity of our Lord Jesus Christ,King of the Universe, who identifiedwith the little ones and the poor andwho will judge us on our works ofm e rc y ”.

The Pontiff chose “Love not inWord, but in Deed” as the themefor 2017. The World Day will beheld each year on the 33rd Sundayof ordinary time on the Church’sliturgical calendar.

An international event, the Vatic-an’s Sunday celebrations will includemembers of volunteer associationsnot only from Italy but also fromdifferent dioceses around the world,among them: Paris, Lyon, Nantes,Angers, Beauvais, Warsaw, Krakow,Solsona, Malines-Brussels and Lux-embourg. After the luncheon,adding to the festive atmosphere,the Vatican Gendarmerie band willperform, and the Le Dolci Note chor-us, composed of children from 5 to14 years old, will sing a repertoire ofsongs.

Other celebratory lunches havebeen organized for a further 2,500guests at Catholic soup kitchens,seminaries and colleges aroundRome. Meals will be served by 40deacons of the Rome diocese andsome 150 volunteers from the par-ishes of other dioceses.

The organizers, the PontificalCouncil for the Promotion of theNew Evangelization, engaged a seriesof charitable associations in the initi-ative. Among those to generouslytake part: Caritas, the Community ofSant’Egidio, the Order of Malta,New Horizons, the John XXIII Com-munity, Fratello 2016, Rome’s O p e reAn t o n i a n e , the Rome branch of theItalian Association of ChristianWorkers (ACLI), Vincenzian volun-teer groups; as well as many parishes.

In preparation for the day’s celeb-rations at the Vatican, a special on-site healthcare clinic has also beenset up in the nearby Pius XII S q u a re ,

offering services from Monday toSunday, 13-19 November, from 9 amto 4 pm. The medical facility offersfree clinical examinations and check-ups with specialists in numerousfields.

The Pontifical Council coordinat-ing the events has also issued a re-

source booklet entitled “Love not inWord but in Deed”, translated intosix languages and published in Italyby San Paolo publications. An Eng-lish version is available online at:http://www.p cpne.va/content/dam/p cpne/p df/giornatap overi/GiornataPoveri_EN.p df.

Initiatives for the day are not lim-ited to the Diocese of Rome,however. In fact, throughout theworld, diocesan communities andparishes have enthusiastically re-sponded to Pope Francis invitation,organizing many initiatives in favourof the less fortunate.

ol’ s s e rvator e romano · ol’ s s e rvator e romano price € 1,00. ... the pontiff...

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