VATICAN
Pope Inducts New Cardinals
Pope Benedict XVI inducted 22 new cardinals, including India’s Major Archbishop George Alenchery, at St Peter's Basilica in Rome on February 18, 2012. The 84-year-old Pope presented the new "Princes of the Church" with scarlet-red birettas and gold rings during the consistory.The new cardinals "are asked to serve the Church with love and vigour, with the clarity and wisdom of masters, with the energy and moral force of pastors (and) with the faith and courage of martyrs," the Pope said.
Pope: End Syrian Violence
During his Angelus Address on February 13, Pope Benedict XVI made an urgent appeal for an end to the bloodshed in Syria. “In recent days, there have been many victims, some of them children. I recall them all in my prayers, just as I do the wounded and those who are suffering the consequences of an increasingly worrying conflict,” he said. “I also renew my urgent appeal to put an end to the violence and bloodshed and, finally, invite everyone — particularly the Syrian authorities — to favour the paths of dialogue, reconciliation and commitment to peace,” the Pope continued.
LOURDES
Pilgrims Flock for 154th Anniversary of Apparitions
Every February 11, thousands of pilgrims flock to Lourdes, France to the site where Bernadette Soubirous saw 18 apparitions of the Virgin Mary. Pilgrims from across the world gather to celebrate Mass, pray at the statue of the Virgin Mary, and pass through the cave, touching its walls, just as Bernadette did 154 years ago. Fr Caesar Atuire, CEO, Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi said, “Coming back to Lourdes on February 11, the anniversary of the Apparitions of Our Lady to Bernadette, is always an occasion to remind ourselves that Mary is with us, and in times of difficulty, she’s even willing to suspend the laws of nature to help her children.”The evening before the anniversary, a massive candlelight vigil is held every year, with an illuminated statue of the Virgin Mary at the head of the procession.
Pope says “No Future Without Children”
Pope Benedict XVI called on governments and communities to help large families, saying children represent hope and the well-being of every nation. “There is no future without children,” he said at the end of his general audience on February 15 in a greeting to members of an Italian association of large families.“In today’s social context, a family made up of many children constitutes a witness of faith, courage and optimism,” he said. more>>
Pope Warns of Abuse of Power in Finance, Media
There are two great powers in today’s world that are both good and useful in themselves, but “so subject to misuse that they often go against their true goals,” said Pope Benedict XVI on Feb 15, when he visited the Major Seminary of Rome. These are the power of finance and the power of the media. Today “we see how the world of finance can dominate mankind. Possession and appearance dominate and enslave the world. ... Finance is no longer a tool to promote well-being and to support the life of man, but a force that oppresses him, one which almost has to be worshipped.”
JAPAN
Bishops Offer Mass Ahead of Anniversary
All 17 active bishops in Japan offered Mass at Sekiguchi Cathedral in Tokyo on Feb 15, ahead of next month’s first anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake Disaster.The Mass, attended by around 400 people, was dedicated to the memory of the disaster victims and prayers for recovery. Although the actual anniversary is on March 11, the bishops wanted to make the Mass a united expression of the whole Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Japan (CBCJ), and so scheduled it to coincide with its plenary assembly in session.
MEXICO
Website for Pope’s Visit
The Mexican Episcopal Conference gave a warm welcome to the official website of Pope Benedict XVI’s Apostolic Visit in Mexico, which began on the evening of Feb. 13. They expressed that this site would be a source of valuable information for the Church in Mexico and throughout the world. The Episcopal Conference invites all to visit the new site, which shows the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe and the picture of Pope Benedict XVI with the words: “Our Hope is felt throughout Mexico ... Welcome Benedict”.
