Exhibition of the Holy Shroud in Turin

Vatican City, 5 November 2014 (VIS) – A press conference was held in the Holy See Press Office this morning during which Archbishop Cesare Nosiglia of Turin, Italy, presented the next exhibition of the Holy Shroud, to be held in Turin from 19 April to 24 June, on the theme “The Greatest Love”. He also presented the initiatives for the celebration of the bicentenary of the birth of St. John Bosco and remarked that Pope Francis intends to visit Turin during this period.

Other speaks in the conference were Piero Fassino, mayor of Turin; Elide Tisi, deputy mayor; and Marco Bonatti, Press Officer for the Exhibition Committee.

This will be the third time the Shroud has been displayed to the public during this millennium and the event will focus on two themes: the young, and those who suffer. It is precisely for this reason that the Pope has allowed the solemn exposition, which coincides with the Jubilee for the 200th anniversary of the birth of St. John Bosco.

As on previous occasions, special attention will be paid to the sick who visit the Holy Shroud. The pastoral ministry for healthcare in Turin will make two reception centres available for pilgrims and carers. In addition, with the collaboration of more than 3500 volunteers, moments of prayer will be held, and a confessional service in different languages will be available in locations in the area near the Cathedral.

The visit will be free of charge but booking is obligatory, to enable the effective management of the flow of pilgrims. Booking is online, at www.sindone.org.

Other Pontifical Acts

Vatican City, 5 November 2014 (VIS) – The Holy Father has appointed:

- Bishop Milton Kenan Junior, auxiliary of the archdiocese of Sao Paulo, Brazil, as bishop of Barretos (area 8,770, population 354,000, Catholics 284,000, priests 42, permanent deacons 1, religious 106), Brazil.

- Bishop Joao Jose da Costa, O. Carm., of Iguatu, Brazil, as coadjutor of the archdiocese of Aracaju, Brazil.

- Rev. Pr. Corrado Maggioni, S.M.M., as under secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. Rev. Fr. Maggioni was previously Office Head of the same congregation.

The Holy See at the United Nations: solidarity to eradicate poverty

Vatican City, 4 November 2014 (VIS) – Archbishop Bernardito Auza, Holy See Permanent Observer at the United Nations in New York, spoke at the 69th Session of the General Assembly held on 23 October, regarding the “Eradication of Poverty”.

Speaking in English, the nuncio expressed the Holy See delegation's belief that “countries should develop evidence-based policies and strategies to combat extreme poverty, rather than relying on pre-conceived one-size-fits-all solutions. Analyses and suggested solutions need to be based on on-the-ground expertise and lived experience, rather than on imposed ready-made solutions from the outside, which are not always devoid of ideological colourings”.

He also remarked that sustainable development “requires the participation of all in the life of families, communities, organisations and societies. Participation is the antidote to exclusion, be it social, political, economic or cultural”. Another barrier to sustainable development, he noted, is “the exclusion of women from equal and active participation in the development of their communities. Excluding women and girls from education and subjecting them to violence and discrimination violates their inherent dignity and fundamental human rights”.

“My delegation wishes to highlight that poverty is not mere exclusion from economic development; it is as multifaceted and multidimensional as the human person. … Other than its more obvious economic expression, poverty also manifests itself in the educational, social, political, cultural and spiritual dimensions of life. … Development is more than the sum total of resources invested into development projects and their measurable material results. … In our efforts to eradicate poverty, we must always return to the foundational principle of our efforts, namely to promote the authentic development of the whole person and of all peoples. Each of us needs to contribute. Each of us can benefit. This is solidarity”.

Other Pontifical Acts

Vatican City, 4 November 2014 (VIS) – The Holy Father has appointed:

- Bishop Peter F. Christensen of Superior, U.S.A., as bishop of Boise City (area 218,272, population 1,584,985, Catholics 174,348, priests 91, permanent deacons 75, religious 91), U.S.A. He succeeds Bishop Michael P. Driscoll, whose resignation from the same diocese upon having reached the age limit was accepted by the Holy Father.

- Bishop Christopher Kakooza, auxiliary of Kampala, Uganda, as bishop of Lugazi (area 4,595, population 1,549,134, Catholics 667,362, priests 80, religious 209), Uganda. He succeeds Bishop Matthias Ssekamanya, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese upon having reached the age limit was accepted by the Holy Father.

- Bishop Adolfo Armando Uriona, F.D.P., of Anatuya, Argentina as bishop of Villa de la Concepcion del Rio Cuarto (area 58,519, population 466,000, Catholics 443,000, priests 93, permanent deacons 10, religious 82), Argentina.

- Rev. Fr. Carlos Enrique Trinidad Gomez as bishop of San Marcos (area 3,791, population 982,000, Catholics 637,000, priests 45, religious 103), Guatemala. The bishop-elect was born in Guatemala City, Guatemala in 1955 and was ordained a priest in 1984. He holds a licentiate in theology and liturgy from the Higher Institute of Liturgy in Barcelona, Spain, and has served in a number of pastoral and academic roles, as parish priest and episcopal vicar in the diocese of Santiago de Guatemala and as lecturer, bursar and rector of the interdiocesan major seminary.

The communion born of faith is not interrupted by death

Vatican City, 1 November 2014 (VIS) – “The first two days of November represent for all of us an intense moment of faith, prayer and reflection on the 'last things' in our lives. Indeed, celebrating all the Saints and commemorating all the departed faithful, the earthly pilgrim Church lives and expresses in the liturgy the spiritual bond that unites her with the heavenly Church”, explained the Holy Father to the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square to pray the Angelus.

“Today's Solemnity thus helps us to consider a fundamental truth of the Christian faith that we profess in the 'Creed': the communion of saints. It is the communion that comes from faith and unites all those who belong to Christ by Baptism. It is a spiritual union that is not broken by death, but continues in the next life. In fact there is an unbreakable bond between us living in this world and those who have crossed the threshold of death. We here on earth, along with those who have entered into eternity, form one great family. This beautiful communion between heaven and earth achieves its highest and most intense manifestation in the Liturgy, and especially in the celebration of the Eucharist, which expresses and fulfils the deepest union between the members of the Church. In the Eucharist, we encounter the living Jesus and His strength, and through Him we enter into communion with our brothers and sisters in the faith, those who live with us here on earth and those who have gone before us into the next life, life without end. This reality of communion fills us with joy: it is good to have so many brothers and sisters in the faith who walk alongside us, supporting us with their help and together we travel the same road toward heaven. And it is comforting to know that we have other brothers and sisters who have already reached heaven ahead of us and who pray for us, so that together in eternity we can contemplate the glorious and merciful face of the Father”.

Finally, the Pope emphasised that in the great assembly of the saints, “God has reserved the first place for the Mother of Jesus. Mary is at the centre of the communion of saints, as a unique custodian of the bond between the universal Church and Christ, the bond of th family. … For those who want to follow Jesus on the path of the Gospel, she is a safe guide because she is the first disciple, an attentive and caring Mother, to whom we can entrust every desire and difficulty”.

After the Angelus prayer, Francis commented that this Sunday's liturgy refers to the glory of the heavenly Jerusalem, and invited the faithful to pray that the “The Holy City, dear to Jews, Christians and Muslims, that in these days bears witness to different tensions, may increasingly be the sign and harbinger of the peace that God wishes for all the human family”.

He also recalled that today in Vitoria, Spain, the martyr Pedro Asúa Mendía is beatified. “A humble and austere priest, he preached the Gospel with the sanctity of his life, catechesis and devotion to the poor and needy. Arrested, tortured and killed for having expressed his desire to remain faithful to the Lord and to the Church, he is a wonderful example of strength in the faith and witness of charity for us”.