NEWS FROM VATICAN

The Angelus prayer
We must still pray for peace

On 8 September this year, during the Angelus prayer, the Holy Father thanked the Catholics, Christians belonging to other Churches, believers of other religions and people of good will for joining the fasting and prayer day in the intention of peace in Syria, in the Middle East and all over the world. He appealed for reconciliation of warring groups and nations and also for ending the illegal weapon trade.

Referring to the Sunday Gospel, the Pope explained that in order to be a disciple of Jesus, we cannot 'prefer anything else above love to Him, but we must carry our cross and follow Him'. - Following Jesus does not mean participation in a triumph procession! - said the Holy Father. - It means sharing His merciful love with others, entering His great work of mercy towards every man and all people – he explained. - A disciple of Jesus resigns from all the wealth because he has found the biggest wealth in Him, in whom any other wealth receives its full value and meaning: family bonds, other relationships, work, cultural and economic wealth – said Pope Francis.

Reforms of the Roman Curia
The summit meeting

Listening to remarks and advice of his cooperators was the main purpose of the meeting between of the Holy Father and chiefs of the discateria of the Roman Curia, the representative of the Vatican City Gubernatoriat, cardinal Giuseppe Bertello and cardinal vicar for the Roman diocese Agostino Vallini. There was also cardinal Tarcisio Bertone. The meeting was held on 10 September in the Bologna Hall of the Apostolic Palace. It is inscribed in the context of implementing suggestions presented during congregations of cardinals before the conclave, and also reflections of the Holy Father concerning governing the Church.

The general audience
Mother the Church

On 11 September pope Francis said about the Church as our Mother in faith during the general audience. The Holy Father emphasized that each of us contributes to motherhood of the Church and can contribute to making it easy for Christ's light to reach to the furthest parts of the world. He appealed not to separate faith in God from belonging to the Church.

He emphasized that one of the pictures of the Church, which were used by the Second Vatican Council, is just the picture of Mother. He points out to the fact that we are born to faith in the community, which teaches us to say 'I believe'. - We do not become the Christians alone, on our own, but faith is the gift from God, who is given to us in the Church and through the Church. And the Church gives us life of faith in the holy baptism – he emphasized. He added that this picture lets us understand that our belonging to the Church is not an outer or formal fact, but an inner and life-giving fact. - We do not belong to the Church like to a kind of an organization, political party or any other organization. This bond is life-giving, the same as we have with our mum – said the Holy Father.

Poland – Vatican
Nowina-Konopka submitted credentials

The pope welcomed a new ambassador of Poland in the Holy See at the general audience. Piotr Nowina-Konopka also met with the cardinal secretary of the state Tarcisio Bertone and submitted credentials. After the ceremony in the Apostolic Palace he went to the Vatican Basilica, accompanied by other people, where he was praying at the graves of St. Peter and Blessed John Paul II.

The new ambassador shared his impressions about the meeting with pope Francis: – I must say that I was going through these halls with a lump in the throat, especially that the key point was a talk with the Holy Father, and I had never met him before. I have experienced many talks with John Paul II, the Pole, to whom we had an extremely close attitude. I admit that I was a bit afraid that it would be necessary to break something in the relations in the talk of the ambassador of the Polish Republic with the current pope. I was completely wrong. It was a talk, which was proceeding in such a way as if we had met many times before. His way of behaving makes you so confident that you can talk about important issues openly. And the Holy Father speaks openly. It was a talk with gave me much confidence to fulfill my ministry. I am very agitated by it. I think that it is difficult for me to hide the fact that I speak to the microphone of the Vatican Radio still with a lump in my throat; please, forgive me this, but something like that happens only once in your life – said Nowina-Konopka.

(AA)

"Niedziela" 38/2013

Editor: Tygodnik Katolicki "Niedziela", ul. 3 Maja 12, 42-200 Czestochowa, Polska
Editor-in-chief: Fr Jaroslaw Grabowski • E-mail: redakcja@niedziela.pl