Vatican

• 19 January 2004
  VATICAN - “WE MUST FIND WITHIN US THE COURAGE OF PEACE. WE MUST IMPLORE FROM ON HIGH THE GIFT OF PEACE AND THIS PEACE WILL SPREAD LIKE OIL WHICH SOOTHES, IF WE WALK WITHOUT RESTING THE PATH OF RECONCILIATION.”: THE POPE’S CALL ON THE OCCASION OF A VATICAN CONCERT FOR RECONCILIATION BETWEEN JEWS, CHRISTIANS AND MUSLIMS Vatican City (Fides Service) – “The wish which we all together express is that men may be purified from the hatred and evil which continuously threaten peace and are able to reciprocally hold out their hands unaware ...
• 19 January 2004
  VATICAN - THE POPE SAYS AT ANGELUS: “IN A WORLD THIRSTING FOR PEACE, IT IS URGENT FOR CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIES TO UNITE TO ANNOUNCE THE GOSPEL TOGETHER. IT IS INDISPENSABLE FOR THEM TO BEAR WITNESS TO DIVINE LOVE WHICH UNITES THEM AND FOR THEM TO BE BEARERS OF JOY, HOPE AND PEACE Vatican City (Fides Service) – A heartfelt call to “pray intensely” for full unity among Christians of different confessions “meditating on the Gospel’s gift of peace and the duties it involves” was launched ...
• 17 January 2004
  VATICAN - 18/25 JANUARY, WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY: “MY PEACE I GIVE YOU” Vatican City (Fides Service) – The annual week of prayer for Christian Unity 18 to 25 January, this year has the theme of peace, peace of believers in Christ for peace for the whole of humanity: “My Peace I Give You� ...
• 16 January 2004
  VATICAN - THE POPE RECEIVES CHIEF RABBIS OF ISRAEL: “WE MUST SPARE NO EFFORT IN WORKING TOGETHER TO BUILD A WORLD OF JUSTICE, PEACE AND RECONCILIATION FOR ALL PEOPLES” THE RABBIS ARE IN ROME TO ATTEND CONCERT FOR RECONCILIATION AMONG CHRISTIANS, JEWS AND MUSLIMS Vatican City (Fides Service) – On January 16 Pope John Paul II granted a private audience to Chief Rabbi of Israel Jona Metzgher, Chief Rabbi of Israel Slomo Amar and Oded Wiener, Director General of Chief Rabbinate, w ...
• 16 January 2004
  VATICAN - FEAST DAY OF BLESSED PAOLO MANNA FOUNDER OF THE PONTIFICAL MISSIONARY UNION: A SOUL OF FIRE AFLAME WITH ARDENT LOVE FOR GOD AND PEOPLE Vatican City (Fides Service) – January 16 is the feast day of Blessed Paolo Manna, a priest of the PIME Missionaries (Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions), founder of the Pontifical Missionary Union (PMU), beat ...
• 15 January 2004
  VATICAN - THE POPE RECEIVES ADMINISTRATORS OF LAZIO REGION AND ROME CITY AND PROVINCE: “THE FAMILY IS THE HUMAN SPACE IN WHICH THE PERSON, FROM THE BEGINNING OF LIFE, CAN EXPERIENCE THE WARMTH OF AFFECTION AND GROW IN HARMONY”. Vatican City (Fides Service) – “The way to defeat and prevent all forms of violence is to work to build the "civilisation of love"... How can we fail to think of the family as the principle place in which to achieve ...
• 13 January 2004
  VATICAN - THE POPE’S ANNUAL NEW YEAR ADDRESS TO DIPLOMATIC CORPS: “IT IS MORE THAN EVER NECESSARY TO LEARN FROM THE PAST, REMOTE AND RECENT. IN ANY CASE ONE THING IS CERTAIN: WAR DOES NOT SOLVE CONFLICTS BETWEEN PEOPLES!” Vatican City (Fides) – Pope John Paul II gave his annual new year audience to Ambassadors on 12 January in the Vatican. Today a total of 174 individual countries have diplomatic ties with the Holy See, as well as commu ...
• 12 January 2004
  VATICAN - THE POPE’S TEACHING AT GENERAL AUDIENCE: “JESUS IS THE SACRIFICIAL LAMB WITHOUT STAIN WHOSE PRECIOUS BLOOD WAS SHED FOR OUR RANSOM. HE IS THE JUST ONE WHO OFFERS HIMSELF FOR THE UNJUST IN ORDER TO LEAD THEM BACK TO GOD.” Vatican City (Fides Service) – After the festivities of Christmas, for his teaching at the general audience on January 14, Pope John Paul II resumed his reflection on the Liturgy of Vespers commenting the Canticle kno ...
• 12 January 2004
  VATICAN - THE POPE ADDRESSES PLENARY ASSEMBLY OF THE CONGREGATION FOR THE CLERGY: “THE STRUCTURE OF THE CHURCH CANNOT BE CONCEIVED ACCORDING TO PURELY HUMAN POLITICAL MODELS. HER HIERARCHICAL CONSTITUTION IS FOUNDED ON THE WILL OF CHRIST AND AS SUCH IS PART OF THE "DEPOSITUM FIDEI", WHICH MUST BE INTEGRALLY PRESERVED AND HANDED ON THROUGH THE CENTURIES.” Vatican City (Fides) – “The task of the clergy is to form, govern and sanctify the people of God, and with them the laity take an active part in the Church’s mission in a constant synergy of efforts and with respec ...
• 12 January 2004
  VATICAN - THE POPE’S ANGELUS REFLECTION: “WITH THE BAPTISM AT THE JORDAN THE MESSIANIC STYLE OF JESUS IS CLEARLY MANIFESTED… AFTER CELEBRATING AT CHRISTMAS THE GREAT EVENT OF THE INCARNATION WE ARE INVITED TO KEEP OUR GAZE ON JESUS, THE HUMAN FACE OF GOD AND THE DIVINE FACE OF MAN Vatican City (Fides Service) – “In the baptism at the Jordan the messianic style of Jesus is clearly revealed: He comes as the "Lamb of God", to take upon himself and wash away the sin of the world. This is how the B ...
• 9 January 2004
  VATICAN - CARDINAL SECRETARY OF STATE PRESIDES REQUIEM MASS FOR ARCHBISHOP COURTNEY IN ST PETER’S: “HE CARRIED THE TESTIMONY OF HIS ADAMANTINE FAITH ALONG THE ROADS OF THE WORLD, LIKE THE GOOD SHEPHERD HE GAVE HIS LIFE FOR THE PEOPLE OF BURUNDI TO WHOM THE POPE SENT HIM AS AN APOSTLE OF PEACE ” Vatican City (Fides Service) – A solemn requiem Mass in memory of Archbishop Michael Aidan Courtney, Apostolic Nuncio in Burundi brutally assassinated on 29 December, was presided by Cardinal Angelo Sodano, Secretary o ...
• 9 January 2004
  VATICAN - PAPAL MESSAGE TO SYMPOSIUM ON THE DIGNITY AND RIGHTS OF PERSONS WITH MENTAL DISABILITY: “A PERSON WITH A DISABILITY, EVEN WHEN WOUNDED IN MIND OR SENSORIAL OR INTELLECTUAL CAPACITY, IS A FULLY HUMAN SUBJECT WITH SACRED AND INALIENABLE RIGHTS PROPER TO EVERY HUMAN PERSON Vatican City (Fides Service) – “The point of departure for any reflection on disability is rooted in the fundamental persuasions of Christian anthropology: a person with a disability, even when wounded in mind or sen ...
• 8 January 2004
  VATICAN - DURING FIRST GENERAL OF THE YEAR 2004 THE POPE INVITES PEOPLE TO CONTEMPLATE THE SILENT PRESENCE OF THE VIRGIN MOTHER MARY BESIDE THE INFANT JESUS: “LET US ASK HER TO GUIDE OUR STEPS IN THE NEW YEAR WHICH DIVINE PROVIDENCE GRANTS US TO LIVE ”. Vatican City (Fides Service) – In his teaching during the first general audience of the year on Wednesday 7 January, Pope John Paul II reflected on the mystery of Mary’s divine motherhood. “Mary, Mother of God! Thi ...
• 7 January 2004
  VATICAN - THE POPE’S ANGELUS REFLECTION ON THE FEAST OF THE EPIPHANY: “THE STAR THAT LED THE WISE MEN TO CHRIST RECALLS THE RICH SYMBOLISM OF LIGHT…GOD IS LIGHT AND THE WORD MADE MAN IS THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD, A LIGHT TO GUIDE THE WANDERING OF PEOPLES Vatican City (Fides Service) – During his midday Angelus reflection on Tuesday 6 January, the feast of the Epiphany a bank holiday in many countries including Italy, before blessing the people gathered in St Peter’s ...
• 5 January 2004
  VATICAN - ON FIDES WEB SITE POPE JOHN PAUL II’s MESSAGE FOR WORLD DAY OF PRAYER FOR PEACE NOW AVAILABLE IN CHINESE Vatican City (Fides Service) – To enable Catholics in mainland China, Taiwan and many overseas communities to read in their own language, Pope John Paul II’s 2004 message for World day of Prayer for Peace celebrated ...