Text 2167, 57 rader
Skriven 2007-02-08 19:09:26 av Marc Lewis (1:396/45)
Ärende: Vatican Information Service (Press Release)
===================================================
Hello All!
                This Area is READ ONLY.  Do not post to this area.
                The following press release is Copyrighted by the
                          Vatican Information Service.
                ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
                               VIS-Press releases

THE VARIETY OF CHARISMS IS INSEPARABLE FROM LIFE OF CHURCH

VATICAN CITY, FEB 8, 2007 (VIS) - The Pope today received participants in the
annual meeting of bishops, friends of the "Focolare" movement, who are
considering the theme: "Christ crucified and abandoned, light in the cultural
night," and participants in the ninth congress of bishops, friends of the
Sant'Egidio Community, who are studying the question: "The globalization of
love."

The Pope told the bishops that their closeness to these movements "highlights
the vitality of new groupings of the faithful, and expresses the communion
between charisms that constitutes a typical 'sign of the times'."

This "multiplicity and unity of charisms and of ministries is inseparable from
the life of the Church," said the Holy Father. "The Holy Spirit wants the
variety of the movements [to be] at the service of the one Body which is, of
course, the Church, and He brings this about through the ministry of the people
He has placed to run the Church of God: the bishops in communion with Peter's
Successor."

"In the wealthy Western world where, although cultural relativism does exist,
there is no lack of a widespread desire for spirituality, your movements
testify to the joy of the faith and the beauty of being Christian. In the vast
deprived areas of the earth, they communicate the message of solidarity and
stand alongside the poor and weak with that love, human and divine, that I
sought to bring to everyone's attention with my Encyclical 'Deus caritas est'."

"The Focolare movement," he continued, "highlights the charism and service of
unity, which it puts into effect in various social and cultural fields ... and
through ecumenism and inter-religious dialogue. The Sant'Egidio Community,
placing prayer and liturgy at the core of its own existence, wishes to be close
to those suffering distress and social marginalization."

"Together we can face with greater fortitude the pressing challenges that call
our attention at the beginning of this third millennium," such as "the search
for justice and peace, and the urgent need to construct a more fraternal and
united world, starting with the countries from which a number of you come,
wracked by bloody conflicts."

Benedict XVI made particular mention of Africa "a continent," he said, "that I
carry in my heart and that I hope may finally see a period of stable peace and
real development. The forthcoming synod of African bishops will surely be an
appropriate moment to show the great love that God reserves for the beloved
people of Africa."
AC/FOCOLARE:SANT'EGIDIO/...VIS 070208 (430)

SUMMARY

--- MPost/386 v1.21
 * Origin: Sursum Corda! BBS =Meridian, MS= bbs.sursum-corda.com (1:396/45)