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Vatican City, 11 February 2013 (VIS) ? The Holy Father, at the end of today's consistory for causes for canonization, announced his resignation from ministry as Bishop of Rome to the College of Cardinals.
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Comment: We enter a time of great uncertainty, so let us relfect on the writings of Benedict XVI, giving thanks for the wisdom & insights of his leadership.
Let us pray every day for the Church, and for guidance in the election of a new leader under the power of the Holy Spirit
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THE CHURCH MUST PREACH TRUTH AND JUSTICE Vatican City, 15 July 2012 (VIS)
"The first reading presented the same perspective, showing us that often God’s messengers are not well received. This is the case of the prophet Amos (who) preached with great energy against injustice, especially denouncing the abuses of the king and chiefs, abuses that offend the Lord, and render acts of worship vain. ... But, whether accepted or rejected, Amos continued to prophesy, preaching what God says and not what people wanted to hear. This remains the mandate of the Church: she does not preach what the powerful want to hear. Her criterion is truth and justice, even if that garners no applause and collides with human power".
"The other very important indication of the Gospel is that the Twelve must not be content to preach conversion: their preaching must be accompanied, according to the instructions and example given by Jesus, by the bodily and spiritual care of the sick. He speaks of the concrete curing of diseases, ... of purifying the human mind, ... of cleaning the eyes of the soul that are obscured by ideology and therefore cannot see God, cannot see truth and justice. ... The apostolic mission must always include two aspects: preaching the word of God and manifesting His goodness with acts of charity, service and dedication". More....
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THE UNITY OF PENTECOST OVERCOMES DIVISION AND ENMITY
Vatican City, 27 May 2012 (VIS) - Benedict XVI focused his homily on an essential aspect of the mystery of Pentecost which, he said, is particularly important in our own times. "Pentecost is the feast of union, of human understanding and communion. Yet it is evident to everyone that in our world, although are closer to one another than ever before thanks to the development of the communications media, ... understanding and communion among people is often superficial and difficult. Imbalances remain and not infrequently lead to conflict; dialogue among generations is problematic; ... we daily witness events which seem to show that mankind is becoming more aggressive and quarrelsome; understanding one another seems too arduous an undertaking, and we prefer to remain within ourselves and focus on our own our interests".
"Thanks to scientific and technological progress we have acquired the power to dominate the forces of nature, to manipulate the elements, to fabricate living beings, almost going so far as to fabricate human beings. In such a situation praying to God seems outmoded and useless, because we ourselves can construct and achieve anything we want". Yet "men are nursing a sense of diffidence, suspicion and reciprocal fear, to the extent that they have even become a danger to one another". We have greater power to communicate but, paradoxically, we understand one another less. More....
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INDULGENCES FOR THE SEVENTH WORLD MEETING OF FAMILIES
Vatican City, 25 May 2012 (VIS) - The Apostolic Penitentiary today issued a decree granting Indulgences to faithful for the seventh World Meeting of Families, due to be held in Milan, Italy, from 30 May to 3 June.
The decree explains that, in order to help the faithful in their spiritual preparations for the event, Benedict XVI grants Indulgences so that, "truly penitent and stimulated by charity, they may dedicate themselves to the sanctification of the family, following the model of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph".
Plenary Indulgence is granted under the usual conditions (sacramental Confession, Eucharistic communion, prayer in keeping with the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff) "to faithful who, completely detached from any form of sin, devoutly participate in one of the celebrations to be held during the World Meeting of Families, and in its solemn conclusion". More....
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Vatican City, 23 May 2012 (VIS) - "God is our Father because He is our Creator. Each one of us, each man and each woman, is a miracle of God, desired by Him and known personally by Him. ... For Him we are not anonymous and impersonal, we have a name. The Holy Spirit, which speaks within us and says 'Abba! Father!', leads us to this truth, communicating it to the most intimate depths of our being and filling our prayer with serenity and joy".
The Pope explained that: "Perhaps mankind today does not perceive the beauty, greatness and profound consultation contained in the word 'Father' with which we can address God in prayer, because often the paternal figure is not sufficiently present or positive in daily life". Yet, the Pope explained, "the love of Jesus, the only-begotten Son Who even gave Himself on the cross, reveals the true nature of the Father: He is Love". More....
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Wisdom of Benedict
Every day the Vatican publishes the Pope's itinerary and his messages of wisdom to the faithful : let us share this insight and help shoulder the burden of spiritual leadership through the guidance of the Holy Spirit in a hostile world - and let us pray for Pope Benedict