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The Future is God's
GIOVANNI MARIA
VIAN
An
unprecedented event, the news of which is still ringing around
the world: Benedict XVI has renounced the Papacy. The Pontiff
himself made the announcement with simplicity and solemnity
before a group of cardinals: from the evening of 28 February the
Episcopal See of Rome will be vacant and immediately thereupon a
conclave will be convened to elect the Successor of the Apostle
Peter. This was specified in the brief text which the Pope had
composed in Latin and read at the Consistory.
The Pontiff made his decision months ago, after his Journey to
Mexico and Cuba and its confidentiality was absolute, after
"having repeatedly examined" his conscience "before God" (conscientia
mea iterum atque iterum coram Deo explorata), due to his
advanced age. Benedict XVI explained, with the kind of clarity
that he is known for, that his strength is "no longer suited to
an adequate exercise" of the immense task of one chosen to
"govern the barque of St Peter and proclaim the Gospel".
For that reason, and for that reason alone, the Roman Pontiff,
"well aware of the seriousness of this act, with full freedom" (bene
conscius ponderis huius actus plena libertate) renounces the
ministry of Bishop of Rome which was entrusted to him on 19
April 2005. And the words that Benedict XVI chose indicate in a
transparent way his respect for the conditions prescribed by
Canon Law for the resignation from a post that is entirely
unique in the world because of it weight and spiritual
importance.
It is well known that Cardinal Ratzinger in no way sought his
election to the Pontificate, one of the quickest in history, and
that he accepted it with the simplicity of one who really does
entrust his life to God. That is why Benedict XVI never felt
alone, in an authentic and daily relationship with the One who
lovingly governs the life of every human being, and in the
reality of the Communion of Saints, sustained by the love and
the work (amore et labore) of his co-workers, and nourished by
prayer and by the love of so many people, believers and
non-believers alike.
It is in this light that we must also interpret his renunciation
of the pontificate, free and above all trusting in the
providence of God. Benedict XVI knows well that the papal
service, "due to its essential spiritual nature", is also
carried out "with prayer and suffering", but he underlined that
"in today's world, subject to so many rapid changes and shaken
by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith", to be
Pope "both strength of mind and body are necessary", strength
that in him is naturally deteriorating.
In the words with which he addressed the cardinals, who were at
first astonished and then deeply moved, and with his decision,
which is without a comparable historical precedent, Benedict XVI
shows a lucidity and a humility that is first of all, as he once
explained, adherence to reality, to the earth (humus). So,
feeling no longer able to "adequately fulfill" the ministry
entrusted to him, he has announced his renunciation. And he did
so with a humanly and spiritually exemplary decision, in the
full maturity of a pontificate that, from the outset and for the
duration of almost 8 years, day by day, he has never ceased to
amaze us and he will leave an indelible mark on history. Such is
the history that the Pope interprets with confidence in signs of
the future that is God's.
Sources: www.vatican.va
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MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS
BENEDICT XVI FOR LENT 2013
"Believing in charity calls
forth charity" “We have come to know and to believe in the
love God has for us” (1
Jn 4:16)
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
The celebration of Lent, in the context of
the Year of Faith, offers us a valuable opportunity to meditate
on the relationship between faith and charity: between believing
in God – the God of Jesus Christ – and love, which is the fruit
of the Holy Spirit and which guides us on the path of devotion
to God and others.
1. Faith as a response to the love of God
In my
first Encyclical, I offered some thoughts on the close
relationship between the theological virtues of faith and
charity. Setting out from Saint John’s fundamental assertion:
“We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us”
(1 Jn 4:16), I observed that “being Christian is not the result
of an ethical choice or a lofty idea, but the encounter with an
event, a person, which gives life a new horizon and a decisive
direction … Since God has first loved us (cf. 1 Jn 4:10), love
is now no longer a mere ‘command’; it is the response to the
gift of love with which God draws near to us” (Deus
Caritas Est, 1). Faith is this personal adherence – which
involves all our faculties – to the revelation of God’s
gratuitous and “passionate” love for us, fully revealed in Jesus
Christ. The encounter with God who is Love engages not only the
heart but also the intellect: “Acknowledgement of the living God
is one path towards love, and the ‘yes’ of our will to his will
unites our intellect, will and sentiments in the all-embracing
act of love. But this process is always open-ended; love is
never ‘finished’ and complete” (ibid., 17). Hence, for all
Christians, and especially for “charity workers”, there is a
need for faith, for “that encounter with God in Christ which
awakens their love and opens their spirits to others. As a
result, love of neighbour will no longer be for them a
commandment imposed, so to speak, from without, but a
consequence deriving from their faith, a faith which becomes
active through love” (ibid., 31a). Christians are people who
have been conquered by Christ’s love and accordingly, under the
influence of that love – “Caritas Christi urget nos” (2 Cor 5:14)
– they are profoundly open to loving their neighbour in concrete
ways (cf. ibid., 33). This attitude arises primarily from the
consciousness of being loved, forgiven, and even served by the
Lord, who bends down to wash the feet of the Apostles and offers
himself on the Cross to draw humanity into God’s love.
“Faith tells
us that God has given his Son for our sakes and gives us the
victorious certainty that it is really true: God is love! …
Faith, which sees the love of God revealed in the pierced heart
of Jesus on the Cross, gives rise to love. Love is the light –
and in the end, the only light – that can always illuminate a
world grown dim and give us the courage needed to keep living
and working” (ibid., 39). All this helps us to understand that
the principal distinguishing mark of Christians is precisely
“love grounded in and shaped by faith” (ibid., 7).
2. Charity as life in faith
The entire
Christian life is a response to God’s love. The first response
is precisely faith as the acceptance, filled with wonder and
gratitude, of the unprecedented divine initiative that precedes
us and summons us. And the “yes” of faith marks the beginning of
a radiant story of friendship with the Lord, which fills and
gives full meaning to our whole life. But it is not enough for
God that we simply accept his gratuitous love. Not only does he
love us, but he wants to draw us to himself, to transform us in
such a profound way as to bring us to say with Saint Paul: “it
is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me”
(cf. Gal 2:20).
When we make
room for the love of God, then we become like him, sharing in
his own charity. If we open ourselves to his love, we allow him
to live in us and to bring us to love with him, in him and like
him; only then does our faith become truly “active through love”
(Gal 5:6); only then does he abide in us (cf. 1 Jn 4:12).
Faith is
knowing the truth and adhering to it (cf. 1 Tim 2:4); charity is
“walking” in the truth (cf. Eph4:15). Through faith we enter
into friendship with the Lord, through charity this friendship
is lived and cultivated (cf. Jn 15:14ff). Faith causes us to
embrace the commandment of our Lord and Master; charity gives us
the happiness of putting it into practice (cf. Jn 13:13-17). In
faith we are begotten as children of God (cf. Jn 1:12ff);
charity causes us to persevere concretely in our divine sonship,
bearing the fruit of the Holy Spirit (cf. Gal 5:22). Faith
enables us to recognize the gifts that the good and generous God
has entrusted to us; charity makes them fruitful
(cf. Mt 25:14-30).
3. The indissoluble interrelation of faith
and charity
In light of
the above, it is clear that we can never separate, let alone
oppose, faith and charity. These two theological virtues are
intimately linked, and it is misleading to posit a contrast or
“dialectic” between them. On the one hand, it would be too
one-sided to place a strong emphasis on the priority and
decisiveness of faith and to undervalue and almost despise
concrete works of charity, reducing them to a vague
humanitarianism. On the other hand, though, it is equally
unhelpful to overstate the primacy of charity and the activity
it generates, as if works could take the place of faith. For a
healthy spiritual life, it is necessary to avoid both fideism
and moral activism.
The Christian
life consists in continuously scaling the mountain to meet God
and then coming back down, bearing the love and strength drawn
from him, so as to serve our brothers and sisters with God’s own
love. In sacred Scripture, we see how the zeal of the Apostles
to proclaim the Gospel and awaken people’s faith is closely
related to their charitable concern to be of service to the poor
(cf. Acts 6:1-4). In the Church, contemplation and action,
symbolized in some way by the Gospel figures of Mary and Martha,
have to coexist and complement each other (cf. Lk 10:38-42). The
relationship with God must always be the priority, and any true
sharing of goods, in the spirit of the Gospel, must be rooted in
faith (cf. General
Audience, 25 April 2012). Sometimes we tend, in fact, to
reduce the term “charity” to solidarity or simply humanitarian
aid. It is important, however, to remember that the greatest
work of charity is evangelization, which is the “ministry of the
word”. There is no action more beneficial – and therefore more
charitable – towards one’s neighbour than to break the bread of
the word of God, to share with him the Good News of the Gospel,
to introduce him to a relationship with God: evangelization is
the highest and the most integral promotion of the human person.
As the Servant of God Pope Paul VI wrote in the
EncyclicalPopulorum Progressio, the proclamation of Christ is
the first and principal contributor to development (cf. n. 16).
It is the primordial truth of the love of God for us, lived and
proclaimed, that opens our lives to receive this love and makes
possible the integral development of humanity and of every man
(cf. Caritas
in Veritate, 8).
Essentially,
everything proceeds from Love and tends towards Love. God’s
gratuitous love is made known to us through the proclamation of
the Gospel. If we welcome it with faith, we receive the first
and indispensable contact with the Divine, capable of making us
“fall in love with Love”, and then we dwell within this Love, we
grow in it and we joyfully communicate it to others.
Concerning the
relationship between faith and works of charity, there is a
passage in the Letter to the Ephesians which provides perhaps
the best account of the link between the two: “For by grace you
have been saved through faith; and this is not your own doing;
it is the gift of God; not because of works, lest anyone should
boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for
good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk
in them” (2:8-10). It can be seen here that the entire
redemptive initiative comes from God, from his grace, from his
forgiveness received in faith; but this initiative, far from
limiting our freedom and our responsibility, is actually what
makes them authentic and directs them towards works of charity.
These are not primarily the result of human effort, in which to
take pride, but they are born of faith and they flow from the
grace that God gives in abundance. Faith without works is like a
tree without fruit: the two virtues imply one another. Lent
invites us, through the traditional practices of the Christian
life, to nourish our faith by careful and extended listening to
the word of God and by receiving the sacraments, and at the same
time to grow in charity and in love for God and neighbour, not
least through the specific practices of fasting, penance and
almsgiving.
4. Priority of faith, primacy of charity
Like any gift
of God, faith and charity have their origin in the action of one
and the same Holy Spirit (cf. 1 Cor 13), the Spirit within us
that cries out “Abba, Father” (Gal 4:6), and makes us say:
“Jesus is Lord!” (1 Cor 12:3) and “Maranatha!” (1 Cor 16:22; Rev 22:20).
Faith, as gift
and response, causes us to know the truth of Christ as Love
incarnate and crucified, as full and perfect obedience to the
Father’s will and infinite divine mercy towards neighbour; faith
implants in hearts and minds the firm conviction that only this
Love is able to conquer evil and death. Faith invites us to look
towards the future with the virtue of hope, in the confident
expectation that the victory of Christ’s love will come to its
fullness. For its part, charity ushers us into the love of God
manifested in Christ and joins us in a personal and existential
way to the total and unconditional self-giving of Jesus to the
Father and to his brothers and sisters. By filling our hearts
with his love, the Holy Spirit makes us sharers in Jesus’ filial
devotion to God and fraternal devotion to every man
(cf. Rom 5:5).
The
relationship between these two virtues resembles that between
the two fundamental sacraments of the Church: Baptism and
Eucharist. Baptism (sacramentum fidei) precedes the Eucharist (sacramentum
caritatis), but is ordered to it, the Eucharist being the
fullness of the Christian journey. In a similar way, faith
precedes charity, but faith is genuine only if crowned by
charity. Everything begins from the humble acceptance of faith
(“knowing that one is loved by God”), but has to arrive at the
truth of charity (“knowing how to love God and neighbour”),
which remains for ever, as the fulfilment of all the virtues
(cf. 1 Cor 13:13).
Dear brothers
and sisters, in this season of Lent, as we prepare to celebrate
the event of the Cross and Resurrection – in which the love of
God redeemed the world and shone its light upon history – I
express my wish that all of you may spend this precious time
rekindling your faith in Jesus Christ, so as to enter with him
into the dynamic of love for the Father and for every brother
and sister that we encounter in our lives. For this intention, I
raise my prayer to God, and I invoke the Lord’s blessing upon
each individual and upon every community!
From the Vatican, 15 October 2012
BENEDICTUS PP. XVI
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‘Financial Policy of the
Diocese of Dibrugarh 2013’ released
On Bishop's
36th Ordination Anniversary, in a simple ceremony after the
Thanksgiving Holy Mass on November 27, 2012 in the Cathedral of
the Sacred Heart, Dibrugarh, in the presence of many Fathers and
Sisters, Bishop Joseph Aind sdb released the first ever
comprehensive ‘Financial Policy of the Diocese of Dibrugarh
2013’ and gave away the first copies to the Vicar General, the
Chancellor and the Financial Administrator of the Diocese. The
Decree for its promulgation was signed on November 5, 2012.
Guided by
Canon Laws and pastoral charity, much dedicated work has been
carried out to formulate this first ever comprehensive
‘Financial Policy of the Diocese of Dibrugarh’. Bishop put on
record his sincere appreciation for the cooperation that he have
received from all his Diocesan priests, members of the Diocesan
Senate, members of the Finance Committee and members of the
Diocesan Council, as they undertook the tedious task of
preparing the ‘Financial Policy of the Diocese of Dibrugarh
2013’. which will come into effect on April 1, 2013.
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‘Franciscan Sisters of St.
Mary of Angels’ at Woka Parish
Bishop
is happy to welcome the congregation of “Franciscan Sisters of
St. Mary of Angels (FSMA)”, of Jaipur Province to the Diocese.
On 4th November 2012, with the solemn Eucharistic celebration he
established the first FSMA convent in the Diocese of Dibrugarh,
at St. Peter’s parish, Woka. He warmly welcomed the first batch
of sisters: Sr. Sheila, Sr. Salomi and Sr. Nobline. He has
named the convent as, “Assisi Bhavan”. He was grateful to
Sr.Samina, the provincial who accepted his invitation and sent
the sisters to minister the people of Woka parish.
Prior to the
ceremony of blessing and inauguration of the Newly constructed
Girls’ Hostel Building, the sisters were solemnly escorted by
the people to the residence amidst the drum beats and dance. The
sisters will help in the pastoral work of the parish and also
look after the village community school at Ratanpur, under the
parish.
Bishop
wished them God’s blessings in abundance and prayed that they
may serve the Lord and His people with the true Franciscan
spirit. Further, they have a fruitful ministry at St.Peter’s
Parish, Woka. He take that opportunity to express his sincere
appreciation for the hard work put in by Rev. Fr. Caesar Henry,
the Parish Priest of St.Peter’s Parish, Woka and all his
collaborators in making the arrangements for welcoming the
congregation of “Franciscan Sisters of St. Mary of Angels (FSMA)”,
into the Diocese of Dibrugarh.
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Golden Jubilee
Celebration of St. Joseph’s Minor Seminary
The two-day
Golden Jubilee Celebration of St. Joseph’s Minor Seminary which
was established in 19 January 1962 under the initiative of
Reverend Orestes Marengo, the first Bishop of Dibrugarh,
concluded on 08th November 2012. The first day of the Golden
Jubilee Celebration began on 7th November with the hoisting of
the Jubilee flag and blessing of the Jubilee Memorial Statue of
St. Joseph by Bishop. This Seminary can be proud of the fact
that it has offered 182 priests to the Catholic Church.
On 7th
November 2012 at 09.00 am a seminar on “Effectiveness of Minor
Seminary Formation” was conducted. Rev. Fr. Kuriakose
Poovathumkudy did a good job in coordinating the seminar. After
the Seminar, Bishop concelebrated a solemn Hoy Eucharist with
Most Rev. Andrew Marak, the Bishop of Tura, and 90 priests. At
02.30 pm Past Pupils’ fellowship was marked with an interesting
basketball match between the Past pupils and the Seminarians.
After the refreshment at 05.00 pm a Jubilee Entertainment was
organized.
8th November
2012 was marked by a Solemn Eucharistic Celebration which was
presided over by Most Rev. John Moolachira DD, the Archbishop
of Gawahati, and concelebrated by Most. Rev. Akasius Toppo, the
Bishop of Tezpur, Bishop Emeritus Robert Kerketta of Tezpur and
myself. The 98 priests who joined the Eucharistic celebration
gave fitting praise to God for the gift of St. Joseph’s
seminary. After the Holy Mass a felicitation programme was
arranged for all the guests. The presence of the past Rectors of
the seminary made the occasion memorable.
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Seminar on Marriage
and Family Life at Jamuguri T.E
From November
15 – 18, 2012, Fr. Timothy Saldanha and his team have
successfully organized a seminar for the tea garden community of
Jamuguri, under St. Peter’s parish, Woka on Marriage and
Christian family life. About 80 couples participated in the
three day long programme besides many children and youth.
Fr. Timothy
explained the Biblical background of the Christian marriage and
the Catholic teaching on marriage, while Mr. Lawrence Minj
highlighted the various practical issues and the problems of
families and ways to handle those problems in Faith and in
charity. Sr. Emma MSMHC stressed the need of family prayer to
the parents and urged the importance of education to the youth
and children, besides teaching catechism to them.
Through the
medium of catechetical films; group discussions and talks, the
various topics on family life were explained to the people. The
importance of Holy Eucharist and the sacrament of confession
were given priority during the programme. The moral issues
discussed during the sessions were really an eye opener to the
people who have married for many years. The programme was well
accepted and benefited by the people. It was an experience of
reliving their marital promise which they had made at the time
of their marriage.
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Laity built two
village-churches in Tinsukia Parish
Kochujan
Catholic community of Tinsukia Parish has 35 catholic families.
Last year people decided to collect the necessary fund for the
construction of their new village church. Every family
cooperated in this fund collection. In the beginning of this
year, under the initiative of Mr. Michael Bara, Mr. Vijay Barla
and Mr. Vincent Thomas, Church construction started. The Local
MLA too gave some help. The community is blessed with required
skill workers and so all the work for the church construction
was done by lay people themselves. The beautiful church of Mary
Help of Christians at Kochujan was blessed by Bishop on 9th
October 2012.
Hukan Pukhuri
is a small but fervent catholic community of 16 families in
Tinsukia Parish. Here too we see the story of active cooperation
of the Laity to build their Village church. Mr. Thomas Xalxo
together with Mr. Vincent Thomas met a good part of the
expenses for the church construction. The Local MLA too offered
his financial support. So a worthy place for worship was ready
with the active involvement of all the Catholic families in
Hukan Pukhuri. The Church of the Holy Rosary in Hukan Pukhuri
was blessed by Bishop on 31st October 2012.
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Bishop's
pilgrimage to DHORI MATA
The miraculous
wooden statue of Mary with infant Jesus in her arms was found in
a Coal Mine at DHORI, in erstwhile Bihar, now in Jharkhand, on
12th June 1956.
As Rupa
Satnami, a Hindu, was cutting coal in a Coal mine, he heard a
gentle voice: “I am here”. He saw a statue and brought it out of
the coal mine. His pickaxe had hit the right arm of the statue
and broke it. At the request of Fr. Albert Varbrankan S.J, the
statue was brought to Jarangdih and installed there.
As the statue
of Mother Mary was found in Dhori Mine, it was called “DHORI
MATA”. In 1957 the statue was sent to Mumbai and Pune for
research analysis. Now it is certain that the statue was carved
from Jackfruit tree wood. When everything had turned coal,
only a miracle could have preserved this statue from becoming a
piece of coal!
A pilgrim
centre ( Tirthalaya ) was inaugurated on 30th October 1983.
Thereafter, the feast of DHORI MATA is celebrated on the last
Saturday and Sunday of October. Bishop was privileged to be
invited by Most. Rev. Charles Soreng S.J, the Bishop of
Hazaribagh, and Fr. Vikram Tirkey, the Parish Priest, to
participate in the feast of DHORI MATA and to offer Holy Mass
on October 28, 2012. It was indeed a spiritually enriching
experience for Bishop.
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Diamond Jubilee of Little
Flower Hr. Sec. School, Dibrugarh
One 6th
October 2012, Bishop joined the Salesian Sisters ( FMA ), staff
and students of Little Flower Hr. Sec. School, Dibrugarh in a
thanksgiving Mass at the beautifully decorated School
auditorium, as LFS School celebrated its Diamond Jubilee of
educational services to the Church and Society. The Holy Mass
was followed by a well prepared and tasteful felicitation
programme.
The students
performed graceful dances and other items to entertain everyone
present. It was indeed an apt moment for the Management, Staff
and students to raise their hearts in thanksgiving to God for
the many blessings that the Lord has showered upon the institute
through these past 60 years. The presence of many former
Superiors, Headmistresses, Sisters and Teachers made the day
meaningful.
May the School
Park which was inaugurated as a part of this Diamond Jubilee
celebration of Little Flower School Hr. Sec. School, Dibrugarh
always remind us all what Abraham Lincoln once said: “Die when I
may, I want it said by those who knew me best that I always
plucked a thistle and planted a flower where I thought a flower
would grow.”
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Syro-Malankara
Catholic Church gets a Cardinal
His Holiness
Pope Benedict XVI created His Beatitude Moran Mor Baselios
Cleemis Catholicos, the Major Archbishop of Trivandrum the new
Cardinal of the Universal Church in the Consistory held on 24
November 2012 in Vatican. He is the first Cardinal of the
Syro-Malankara Catholic Church and youngest of the universal
Church. High dignitaries, both religious and political,
witnessed the investiture ceremony at Vatican. The official
delegation of the Government of India, headed by Sri. P.J.
Kurian, Honorable Deputy Speaker of Rajyasabha was present to
greet the new cardinal on behalf of our nation. As we
congratulate the New Cardinal, we pray for his ministry as the
‘Prince of the Church’.
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Beatification of Sister
Maria Troncatti
Beatification of
Sister Maria Troncatti, a Daughter of Mary Help of Christians
took place in Macas, Ecuador, on 24 November 2012.
Sr Troncatti's Beatification is a privileged sign of God's love
for the entire Salesian Family and for the Institute of the
Daughters of Mary Help of Christians in particular. It is
significant and moving, in this Year of Faith, that the Church
officially recognises the holiness of this daughter of the
Church, wherein she becomes a sign of hope in a world where
religious illiteracy is spreading and on the increase.
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