(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Saturday morning met with the President of Belarus, Aleksandr Lukashenko, who subsequently met with the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who was accompanied by Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Secretary for Relations with States.
A statement from the Holy See Press Office called the discussions “cordial”, and said “satisfaction was expressed for the good state of bilateral relations and various themes of mutual interest were considered, with particular reference to the life of the Church in Belarus and the peaceful co-existence between Catholic and Orthodox communities, and with other religious confessions, in the country.”
The statement also said the role played by the capital of the country, the city of Minsk, which hosted recent discussions with the aim of seeking solutions for peace in the Region, “was underlined.”
President Lukashenko presented several gifts to Pope Francis: A cross, an icon, and a model of a carriage made from homemade pasta.
Pope Francis gave the President copies of the three most significant documents of his papacy: The Encyclical Laudato si’ , and the Apostolic Exhortations Evangelii Gaudium and Amoris Laetitia .
Ahead of this visit, the Vatican Museums hosted an exhibit of sacred art from Belarus, consisting of 31 icons and 2 icon covers dating as far back as the 17th century.
(from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) Pope emeritus Benedict XVI has said he never told anyone the publication of the “Third Secret of Fatima” in the year 2000 was incomplete, and confirmed the document was published in its totality. A Communiqué was published Saturday by the Holy See Press Office on various articles regarding the “Third Secret of Fatima.” “ Several articles have appeared recently, including declarations attributed to Professor Ingo Dollinger according to which Cardinal Ratzinger, after the publication of the Third Secret of Fatima (which took place in June 2000), had confided to him that the publication was not complete,” – the Communiqué reads – “In this regard, Pope emeritus Benedict XVI declares ‘never to have spoken with Professor Dollinger about Fatima’, clearly affirming that the remarks attributed to Professor Dollinger on the matter ‘are pure inventions, absolutely untrue’, and he confirms decisively that ‘the publication of the Third Secret of Fatima is complete’.” Three children in Portugal saw apparition of the Virgin Mary six times between May and October 1917 According to one of the visionaries – Sr. Lúcia de Jesus Rosa Santos – on July 13, 1917, Our Lady entrusted the children with three secrets, which she later wrote down and delivered to the Pope. The third secret was not revealed with the others, but Pope John Paul II decided to release it in the Jubilee Year of 2000. (from Vatican Radio)…
(Vatican Radio) The Holy See and the Democratic Republic of Congo signed a framework agreement on Friday regarding matters of common interest. A communiqué from the Press Office of the Holy See explains that the agreement, consisting of a preamble and 21 articles, notes the respective independence and autonomy of the Church and the State and their good relations, and sets the legal framework for mutual relations.
In particular, the document establishes the legal position of the Catholic Church in the civil sphere in the country, and so the liberty of the Church to apostolic activity and regulate matters within its competence.
Various specific areas are addressed, including the institutions of Catholic education, the teaching of religion in schools, the welfare and charitable activities of the Church, pastoral care in the armed forces and prison and hospital institutions, as well as property tax and the obtaining of entry visas and residence permits for religious personnel.
The framework agreement also provides for the implementation of functional understandings between the Bishops’ Conference and the State on certain matters of common interest.
(from Vatican Radio)…
The
Egyptian Armed Forces have announced that pieces of the wreckage of the
Egyptair plane which disappeared yesterday have been found. According to
spokesperson, Brigadier General Mohamed
Samir: “on Friday military aircraft and the Egyptian Navy found wreckage of the airplane and passenger
items in the area north of Alexandria, 295 km” from the coast. Human remains,
two seats and luggage were found in the sea where the search continues. A
telegram, signed by Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, was sent by the
Pope to the President of Egypt Abdel Fattah Al Sisi. The commission created to
investigate the cause of the crash “will go immediately to the site to examine
the wreckage and the two black boxes upon their detection”, according to
airport sources in Cairo. The commission is led by Ayman El Mokadem, head of
the investigative commission for the Ministry for Civil Aviation who also led
the investigation of the Russian charter which
exploded in Sinai in October. These experts “will hold meetings with
French investigators of Airbus”. The creation of the Committee was announced
yesterday by the Office of the President of Egypt. Three
experts of the France’s investigative agency BEA and an Airbus technician
arrived this morning in Cairo to assist the team already on the group in Egypt.
The head of diplomacy announced that tomorrow he will receive the victims
families at the Quai d’Orsay….
(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis has issued a binding clarification of a question arising under Canon Law with regard to the proper procedure for the creation of new diocesan Institutes of Consecrated Life. Specifically, the Holy Father has, by way of Papal Rescript, established that prior consultation by the local Ordinary who desires to erect a new Institute of Consecrated Life within his jurisdiction and under his authority, must have prior consultation with the Holy See before deciding to erect any such new Institute.
The Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts, Bishop Juan Ignacio Arrieta, told Vatican Radio the Rescript does not require local Ordinaries to obtain permission, per se , but only to consult with and hear from the Holy See (through the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life ) before proceeding.
“The bishop is always responsible in his diocese – but he has to evaluate the answer, the opinion, of the Congregation [ for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life ]: after [hearing] the opinion of the Congregation, he remains free to act in one sense or in the other; but he has to balance, to think about, the opinion – the very high[ly regarded] opinion – of the Congregation, and that is important – very important – even in diocesan governance.”
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The Rescript followed a request from the Congregation for Consecrated Life, and came from the Holy Father through the Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin. The operative sentences – which clarify the meaning of Canon 579 of the Code of Canon Law – read: In the Audience granted to the undersigned Secretary of State on April 4, 2016, the Holy Father ruled that the prior consultation of the Holy See is to be understood as being necessary ad validitatem for the erection of a diocesan Institute of consecrated life, on pain of nullity of the decree of erection of the same Institute. This rescript will be promulgated by publication in L’Osservatore Romano , entering into force on 1 June 2016, and then published in the Acta Apostolicae Sedis .
(from Vatican Radio)…