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Last Updated: 19 February 2013

Key Themes Raised During Visit

By Father John Flynn

ROME, MAY 21, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Brazil, Benedict XVI announced upon arriving in São Paulo on May 9, has a very special place in his heart. The Pope explained that this is due to it being the country with the largest number of Catholics and because of its potential that gives joy and hope for the Church.

During his first trip to the Americas, the Pontiff addressed many important themes in his discourses and homilies. Some of them were directed more toward Brazil, but many of the points raised had implications for the Church as a whole.

Evangelization an urgent task

The need for the Church to be imbued by a missionary attitude was repeatedly mentioned by Benedict XVI. In his brief address upon arriving in Brazil, the Pope commented that the Church has a "deep commitment to the mission of evangelization at the service of the cause of peace and justice" (No. 3).

The Holy Father returned to this theme in his address to some 400 bishops, gathered on May 11 to pray vespers in the Cathedral of São Paulo. God desires all to be saved and to know the truth, he observed. "This, and nothing else, is the purpose of the Church: the salvation of individual souls" (No. 2).

Therefore, there is an urgent need to instruct people in the faith and to celebrate the sacraments. In fact, in explaining why so many have left the Church Benedict XVI argued that: "It seems clear that the principal cause of this problem is to be found in the lack of an evangelization completely centered on Christ and his Church" (No. 3).

In general, he noted, those who are most vulnerable to the activity of the sects or to falling victim to the temptation of secularism and relativism, have been insufficiently evangelized.

The Pope urged the bishops to put into practice a pastoral plan to seek out and welcome back those Catholics who have left the Church, or who know little about Christ.

What must we do to have eternal life?

During his encounter with youth, held at the Pacaembu stadium May 10 in São Paulo, the Pope reflected on the implications of the question the young man made to Jesus when he asked what he should do to have eternal life (cf. Matthew 19:16-22).

We can also understand this interrogatory as meaning: "What must I do so that my life has meaning?" noted the Pontiff (No. 3). "Jesus alone can give us the answer, because he alone can guarantee us eternal life," he added.

Part of the answer, he continued, is to be open to goodness, and to see God in all that is around us and in all that happens. We also need to keep the commandments, but not just by knowing them, we must keep them and give witness in our own lives to them. This is much more than just obeying external rules, Benedict XVI commented. At the heart of the commandments we find both grace and nature, and by following them we fulfill our potential. We only have one life to live and it is important not to squander this opportunity, he urged.

The Pope also encouraged young people to evangelize, and to invite their friends and those around them to encounter Jesus, so they too can experience his love. He invited youth to demonstrate their faith in their commitment to marriage and the family, and to build a more just society.

In all of this it is important to remain close to Jesus through giving sufficient attention to the interior life: "The life of faith and prayer will lead you along the paths of intimacy with God, helping you to understand the greatness of his plans for every person" (No. 5).

The role of bishops

During his address on May 11 to bishops in the Cathedral of São Paulo, the Pope gave some advice on what he saw as the priorities for those chosen to be pastors of the Church. "Fidelity to the primacy of God and of his will, known and lived in communion with Jesus Christ, is the essential gift that we bishops and priests must offer to our people" (No. 2).

Bishops must also ensure that the work of catechesis is carried out properly. The catechist's task, the Holy Father explained, is not to merely communicate "faith experiences," but to be "an authentic herald of revealed truths" (No. 4). This means a faith that is characterized by conversion and discipleship.

Part of this catechesis, he continued, also consists in ensuring the correct implementation of liturgical principles. "For bishops, who are the 'moderators of the Church's liturgical life,' the rediscovery and appreciation of obedience to liturgical norms is a form of witness to the one, universal Church that presides in charity" (No. 4).

Bishops should also avoid any reductive vision of the mission they have been entrusted with, the Pope advised. "It is not enough to look at reality solely from the viewpoint of personal faith; we must work with the Gospel in our hands and anchor ourselves in the authentic heritage of the apostolic Tradition, free from any interpretations motivated by rationalistic ideologies" (No. 5).

The Pope also recommended that the bishops apply the social teaching of the Church in dealing with the economic and social problems of Brazil, and consider issues from the viewpoint of human dignity, which is a vision that rises above the mere interaction of economic forces.

Christ the Savior

On May 13, Benedict XVI gave the inaugural address for the 5th General Conference of the Bishops of Latin America and the Caribbean, held near the shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida. In his opening his remarks the Pope commented that the continent can count on a rich Christian culture, five centuries after the initial evangelization, but at the same time faces some serious challenges.

One interesting point raised by the Pontiff dealt with the arrival of the Christian faith in the region. This event meant the arrival of Christ, which the people living in those nations had been seeking, but without realizing it, in their local religious traditions. "Christ is the Savior for whom they were silently longing," the Pope stated (No. 1).

Seen in this perspective, "the proclamation of Jesus and of his Gospel did not at any point involve an alienation of the pre-Columbian cultures, nor was it the imposition of a foreign culture," he argued.

Turning to the challenges to be considered by the bishops, the Holy Father mentioned globalization. This brings with it benefits, he noted, but at the same time the risk of economic priorities dominating society. Globalization, like other activities, must be guided by ethics, the Pope exhorted.

He also spoke of progress made towards democracy in the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean. There are, however, still some regimes that follow ideologies that do not correspond to the Christian vision of man and society.

We must, the Pontiff enjoined, avoid the error of considering material goods as the only reality in our lives. This is the mistake made in the last century by both the Marxist and capitalist systems. "Only those who recognize God know reality and are able to respond to it adequately and in a truly human manner," he commented (No. 3).

Part of his address laid out what the Pope saw as priorities for the renewal of the Church. In this respect he mentioned the family, the role of priests and religious, and the mission entrusted to the laity.

In his words Benedict XVI observed that the region has been referred to as the continent of hope. He also augured that it could become the continent of love. An aspiration no doubt seconded by many.

Code: ZE07052129

Date: 2007-05-21

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Last Updated: 19 February 2013

VATICAN CITY, MAY 21, 2007 (Zenit.org).- After five years without an official meeting, the Bilateral Permanent Working Commission formed by representatives of the Holy See and Israel say they made important progress.

Today's meeting, originally scheduled for March but postponed after the Israeli delegates cancelled at the last minute, aimed to advance the negotiations on the 1993 Fundamental Agreement, signed by the Holy See and Israel.

The eight-member delegation of the Holy See was led by Monsignor Pietro Parolin, undersecretary for relations with states of the Vatican Secretariat of State.

Aaron Abramovich, director general of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, led Israel's nine-member delegation.

According to a Vatican statement: "The talks took place in an atmosphere of great cordiality, mutual understanding and good will, and produced important progress and hope for yet further advances in the coming months.

"The next meeting of the plenary will take place in the first half of December this year, in Israel, and in the meantime the commission will continue upon its task at the 'working level.'"

Code: ZE07052119

Date: 2007-05-21

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Last Updated: 19 February 2013

Also Urges Better Medicines for Children

GENEVA, MAY 21, 2007 (Zenit.org).- The Holy See reminded the U.N. World Health Organization that the Vatican shares its concern for women's well-being, and that it is in the front line of promoting authentic health care.

Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, the Holy See's permanent observer at the U.N. offices in Geneva, addressed the World Health Assembly, being held from May 14 to 23.

Archbishop Tomasi first expressed his appreciation that Margaret Chan, new director general of WHO, listed women and Africa among her priority concerns.

He said: "The Catholic Church has traditionally been in the first line in the promotion of the authentic health of women, by helping them to harmonize their physical, psychological and social well-being with moral and spiritual values. In this line, the Catholic Church is also convinced of the God-given, equal and complementary dignity of women and men.

"The Catholic Church also prioritizes the most fruitful expression of complementarity between woman and man -- that is, the family which is founded upon lifelong and mutually faithful marriage and which continues to serve as the mainstay of human society."

The 66-year-old archbishop expressed his hope that implementation of resolutions "will never be utilized to 'justify' doing harm to or destroying human life during one of its most vulnerable stages -- when still within the mother's womb."

"Furthermore," he said, "the Holy See wishes to invite the WHO member states once again to understand the term 'gender' as grounded in biological sexual identity, male or female."

Tragic loss

Archbishop Tomasi affirmed that the Holy See shares the concerns expressed in the WHO report on "Better Medicines for Children," regarding the "tragic loss" of life each year for some 10.5 million children less that five years old.

"Many of these children die of diseases that are treatable in adults but for which appropriate dosages and formulations have not yet been developed for pediatric use," he lamented. "The international community can no longer turn a deaf ear to the life-threatening needs of children, many of whom can be counted among our most needy citizens but who represent, as well, the future of the human community."

He encouraged, however, that the United Nations base health initiatives on sound anthropology.

He said: "In all the deliberations during this assembly and in the subsequent implementation of World Health Assembly resolutions at national and local levels, my delegation urges a perspective on health security that is grounded on an anthropology respectful of the human person in his or her integrity and looks far beyond the absence of disease to the full harmony and sound balance of the physical, emotional, spiritual and social forces within the human person."

Code: ZE07052107

Date: 2007-05-21

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Last Updated: 19 February 2013

Receives Ambassador From East Timor

VATICAN CITY, MAY 21, 2007 (Zenit.org).- People are fundamentally more valuable than all the social structures to which they belong, says Benedict XVI.

The Pope said this today when receiving in audience the new ambassador of East Timor to the Holy See, Justino Aparício Guterres, who presented his credentials to the Pontiff.

The Holy Father spoke about the improved relations between the Holy See and East Timor since diplomatic relations were established on May 20, 2002, the same day East Timor declared its national independence.

"It is the integral promotion of the person that will help countries to develop themselves, to be instrumental in their progress and 'partners' of international life, and to face the future with confidence," said the Pontiff, speaking in Portuguese.

Growing democracy

In his remarks concerning recent presidential elections in East Timor, a country struggling with violence and instability since winning independence from Indonesia in 1999, the Pope noted that the enormous voter turnout "showed the great civic maturity of the Timorese people, but also the hope they have to build a democratic state."

The Holy Father encouraged the new politicians "to not delude this hope but to work for a progressive democratization of society."

Benedict XVI encouraged them to "take the way of dialogue and collaboration, avoiding the temptation to lash out at political adversaries, not just because it is morally unacceptable, but also because this way favors democratic dialogue and an integral development for all citizens of the country."

"The task for those involved in politics, social structures and economics in East Timor is hard and not without obstacles," the Bishop of Rome continued. "There are internal and external misunderstandings, there is a lack of necessary resources to meet housing, health, education and employment needs; people are not willing to let go of personal or political interests."

After the Philippines, East Timor has the highest percentages of Catholics in Asia, at 98%. Benedict XVI appealed to Christians there "to collaborate in favor of progress and the common good, without forgetting the attention due to the poorest and least privileged."

"The Church's task," he said, "is not to come up with concrete programs, but rather to illuminate the moral consciences of political leaders, economists and financiers." He underlined "the principle of solidarity as the basis for a true economy of communion and distribution of wealth, both in the international and the national spheres."

The Pope concluded by assuring East Timor's ambassador of "the full and loyal collaboration" of the Church in which he could find "a valid counterpoint for bilateral questions, and in general a constant collaboration to further the common good of the international community."

Code: ZE07052103

Date: 2007-05-21

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Last Updated: 19 February 2013

Emphasizes Human Element of Development

VATICAN CITY, MAY 21, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Benedict XVI says that in today's globalized economy, there is no true development without solidarity.

On Friday and Saturday the Centesimus Annus Pro Pontifice Foundation invited some 350 experts to the Vatican to discuss "The Growing Role of Emerging Countries in Global Competition: Economic, Social and Cultural Consequences." The Pope received them in audience Saturday.

The lay foundation was created in 1993 by Pope John Paul II to promote the social doctrine of the Church in professional and business sectors.

Citing John Paul II's encyclical "Centesimus Annus," Benedict XVI noted: "Development must not be understood solely in economic terms, but in a way that is fully human.

"It is not only a question of raising all peoples to the level currently enjoyed by the richest countries, but rather of building up a more decent life through united labor, of concretely enhancing every individual's dignity and creativity, as well as his capacity to respond to his personal vocation, and thus to God's call."

Inspired principles

This message, the Holy Father explained, was already present 40 years ago in Pope Paul VI's encyclical "Populorum Progressio."

Benedict XVI said: "Attention to the real needs of the human being, respect for the dignity of every person, a sincere search for the common good are inspired principles that are good to keep in mind when planning a nation's development.

"Unfortunately, however, this does not always happen. Today's globalized society is filled with dramatic imbalances."

During the conference it was noted that China and India are experiencing economic growth, but that growth does not correspond mathematically to widespread social, cultural and economic development for the entire population.

The Holy Father said, "When we consider the sustained increase of taxes on economic growth, when we stop and analyze the problems linked to modern progress, not excluding environmental damage and irresponsible consumption of natural and environmental resources, it is evident that only a globalization that is attentive to the needs of solidarity can ensure an authentic future for humanity and a stable peace for all."

The Pope asked Catholics, in particular those involved in applying the norms of social doctrine in public life, to promote "the culture of solidarity and to favor an economic development that is sensitive to the expectations of individuals and peoples."

He added, "Only by weaving the three threads of development together -- economic, social and human -- can a free and just society be born."

Code: ZE07052102

Date: 2007-05-21

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Last Updated: 19 February 2013

In 330 AD, the Emperor Constantine established a new capital for the Roman Empire on the site of a Greek colony called Byzantium. At its most extensive, in the 6th century, the Byzantine Empire stretched from southern Spain in the west to the border of Persia in the east; but by the middle of the 15th century, it had disappeared. Myrna Kostash tells the story of this political, cultural and economic superpower that stood astride the European and Middle Eastern worlds for more than a thousand years, an empire that, for most of us today, is all but forgotten.

Documentary is by the well known Canadian author Myrna Kostash, who is the author of “All of Baba’s Children” and other titles encompassing may topics, including all things Ukrainian. Along with Kostash as the narrator the show features John-Paul Himka, Robin Cormack, Larry Wolff, Bishop Kallistos Ware, Averil Cameron, Warren Treadgold, Simon Franklin and the Jonathans Harris & Phillips.

Part one airs on CBC Radio One on Monday, May 21, 2007 at 9:00 PM ET

Part two on CBC Radio One on Monday, May 28, 2007 at 9:00 PM ET

To listen live click here. Archive information not available at the time of this writing but archives might be available at www.cbc.ca.