FROM VATICAN
President of Germany with visit at the Pope’s
HE ARRIVED AS A MAN AND A CHRISTIAN
Benedict XVI welcomed the president of Germany Joachim Gauck in Vatican on 6 December this year. – The issue of our conversation over half an hour was the crisis of euro sphere and the role of Germany in Europe – said Gauck after the meeting with the Pope.
The former evangelical pastor defined the meeting in the Apostolic Palace as very friendly and open. – We were in a complete agreement that during this crisis everything possible should be done so that the awareness of the European idea would maintain among people – said Gauck. Before entering the private papal library, the president of Germany welcomed Benedict XVI with the words: - I am the president of Germany, but, first of all, I arrived as a man and a Christian.
Before the general audience, while visiting the Basilica of St. Peter, the German politician was praying at the grave of blessed John Paul II. This visit was a great experience for the former fighter for civilian rights in NRD. As he noted, he was impressed by the resistance which the Catholic Church in Poland was expressing towards the communist regime in the 70s and 80s of XX century.
– You know, when one is standing at the grave of John Paul II and is at the same age as me, and comes from the East, it comes to mind what strength faith gave to those people, let’s say, it gave a bigger potential of hope. It is not so that believers are automatically better but maybe they have a bigger potential of hope which was developing in the times of oppression – said the president of Germany.
A General Audience
GOD AMONG US
The mystery of the arrival ofGod’s Son, His desire to attract us to Himself so that we could live in a full communion of joy and peace with Him and encouragement so that we would become a sign of God’s action in the world – these are main issues of the papal catechesis during the general audience on 5 December this year. Benedict XVI noted that Christ revealed to the man in the incarnation is a gratuitous gift of God’s love which embraces and changes us, but he also expects a man to become a sign of God’s action in the world.
The Holy Father noted that time of Advent reminds us about a shining mystery of the arrival of God’s Son and a great plan of liking through which Jesus wants to attract us to himself so that we could live in a full communion of joy and peace with Him. – invisible God in his great love speaks to people like to friends – said Benedict XVI following ‘Dei Verbum’. The Holy Father invited everybody so that at the time of Advent, among difficulties, they would renew confidence that God is present among us.
BENEDICT XVI TEACHES
I address cordial greetings to Poles. The liturgy of the first Sunday of Advent reminds about the announcement of the arrival of Christ. It encourages for being vigil and a prayer, so that we would be ready for a joyful meeting with Lord. In this spirit let’s experience the Advent time of waiting. May God bless you!
To Poles during the prayer of Angelus 2 December 2012
I greet Polish pilgrims. Dear friends, Advent invites us to renew our confidence that God is present among us: He entered the world, becoming a man, in order to fulfill his plan of love. And we, through our faith, hope and love, can be witnesses of this presence towards the world. May His blessing be with you.
To Poles during the general audience 5 December 2012
A NEW PREFECT OF THE PAPAL HOUSE
The Holy Father nominated his previous personal secretary prelate priest George Ganswein the prefect of the Papal House. At the same time he raised him to the honour of archbishop, assigning the titular capital Urbisaglia to him.
Georg Ganswein was born on 30 July 1956 in the town Waldshut in Schwarzwald as the oldest one of five children. He studied in FryburgBryzgowijski and in Rome. He received priestly ordinations on 31 May 1984 and belongs to the presbytery of the archdiocese in FryburgBryzgowijski. Initially he worked in the pastoral ministry in his home diocese and later he studied canonical law in Munich. He was also an academic assistant in the Canonical Institute there, and then in 1993 he received the title of PhD of the canonical law at University of LudwikMaksymilian. In 1994 Ganswein became a personal referent of archbishop of Fryburg and a parish priest of the cathedral.
In 1995 he started to work in the Congregation for Divine Cult and Discipline of Sacraments and in 1996 he started to work as a referent for German matters in the Congregation of Faith. He has been a prelate since 2000. Since the election of Benedict XVI for the Holy See he has been a personal secretary of the pope. Beside German and Italian, he also can speak Latin, French, English and Spanish.
The appeal of the pope
CONGO IS WAITING FOR HELP
At the end of the general audience on 5 December this year, the Holy Father appealed for uniting between the quarreling parties of the ongoing conflict in the province Kiwu in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo. Benedict XVI said: - There are still worrying news coming about a serious humanitarian crisis in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo which has been an arena of military conflicts and violence for a few months. A big number of people lack basic means for life. Thousands of inhabitants were forced to leave their homes in order to look for a shelter somewhere else. So, I am remaking an appeal for a dialogue and reconciliation and I am asking the international community to undertake attempts for helping people living there.
(AA)
"Niedziela" 51/2012