Bulletins, Newsletters, and Flocknotes

Resignation and appointment of metropolitan archbishop of Seville, Spain

Appointment of bishop of the diocese of Callao, Peru

Appointment of consultors of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints

 

Resignation and appointment of metropolitan archbishop of Seville, Spain

The Holy Father has accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the metropolitan archbishop of Seville, Spain, presented by Archbishop Juan José Asenjo Pelegrina.

The Holy Father has appointed Bishop Josep Ángel Saiz Meneses of Terrassa as metropolitan archbishop of Seville, Spain.

Curriculum vitae

Bishop Josep Ángel Saiz Meneses was born on 2 August 1956 in Sisante, Cuenca. He carried out his first ecclesiastical studies in the seminary of the metropolitan archdiocese of Barcelona. He transferred to the seminary of Toledo, and was ordained a priest on 15 July 1984 for the primatial archdiocese of Spain. In 1989 he was incardinated in Barcelona and was awarded a licentiate in theology from the Faculty of Theology of Catalonia.

He has held the following roles: parish vicar and parish priest in the metropolitan archdiocese of Toledo (1984-1989); in Barcelona he was parish vicar of Sant Andreu de Palomar (1989-1992), rector of the Virgen del Rosario in Cerdanyola del Vallés (1992), head of university pastoral care in the Autonomous University of Bellaterra (1992), supervisor of the Cursillos de Cristiandad Movement (1994-1996), and secretary general and chancellor of the Curia (2001-2001).

On 30 October he was appointed as titular bishop of Selemsele and auxiliary of Barcelona, and consecrated the following 15 December. He became the first bishop of the newly-erected diocese of Terrassa on 15 June 2004.

In the Spanish episcopal conference he has served as member of the Episcopal Commission for the Lay Apostolate (2002-2017); member of the Commission for Teaching and Catechesis (2002-2005); member of the Commission for Consecrated Life (2005-2008); president of the Commission for Seminaries and Universities (2008-2014); and member of the Episcopal Commission for Pastoral Care (2017-2020). Since March 2020 he has served as member of the Executive Committee and the Permanent Commission.

 

Appointment of bishop of the diocese of Callao, Peru

The Holy Father has appointed Bishop Luis Alberto Barrera Pacheco, M.C.C.J.,

of Tarma as bishop of the diocese of Callao, Peru.

Curriculum vitae

Bishop Luis Alberto Barrera Pacheco, M.C.C.J., was born on 16 November 1966 in Gorgor, Cajatambo, diocese of Huacho. He gave his solemn vows with the Comboni Missionaries on 19 November 1994. He was ordained a priest on 10 June 1995.

He carried out his studies in philosophy and theology at the Instituto Superior de Estudios Teológicos Juan XXIII in Lima.

He has held the following offices: parish priest of Santa Ana in Dekoa, diocese of Kaga-Bandoro, Central African Republic (1996-2000); formator of Comboni postulants in Bangui, Central African Republic (2001-2007); superior provincial of the Comboni Missionaries for Peru and Chile (2011-2016); and vice president of the Conference of Major Superiors of Religious Orders in Peru (2012-2016).

He was elected bishop of Tarma on 25 October 2016, and received episcopal ordination the following 18 December.

 

Appointment of consultors of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints

The Holy Father has appointed as consultors of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints the Reverend Vito Mignozzi , rector of the Theological Faculty of Apulia, and the Reverend John Mockler , doctor in spiritual theology.

 

 

 

This morning the Holy Father Francis received in audience:

- His Eminence Cardinal Marc Ouellet, P.S.S., prefect of the Congregation for Bishops;- 

- Bishop Lazzaro You Heung-sik of Daejeon, Korea.

 

On the occasion of the month of Ramadan - which began this year on 13 April - and for the feast of ‘Id al-Fitr 1442 H. / 2021 A.D., the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue has sent a message of good wishes to Muslims worldwide, entitled “Christians and Muslims: Witnesses of Hope”.

The following is the text of the message, signed by the President of the Pontifical Council, His Eminence Cardinal Miguel Ángel Ayuso Guixot, M.C.C.J., and by the secretary of the same Pontifical Council, the Reverend Msgr. Indunil Kodithuwakku Janakaratne Kankanamalage:

 

Christians and Muslims: Witnesses of Hope

Dear Muslim brothers and sisters,

We at the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue are glad to offer you our fraternal good wishes for a month rich in divine blessings and spiritual advancement. Fasting, along with prayer, almsgiving and other pious practices, brings us closer to God our Creator and to all those with whom we live and work, and helps us to continue walking together on the path of fraternity.

During these long months of suffering, anguish and sorrow, especially during the lockdown periods, we sensed our need for divine assistance, but also for expressions and gestures of fraternal solidarity: a telephone call, a message of support and comfort, a prayer, help in buying medicines or food, advice, and, to put it simply, the security of knowing that someone is always there for us in times of necessity.

The divine assistance that we need and seek, especially in circumstances like those of the current pandemic, is manifold: God’s mercy, pardon, providence and other spiritual and material gifts. Yet, what we need most in these times, is hope. At this time, then, we think it fitting to share with you some reflections on this virtue.

As we are aware, hope, while certainly including optimism, goes beyond it. While optimism is a human attitude, hope has its basis in something religious: God loves us, and therefore cares for us through his providence. He does this in his own mysterious ways, which are not always comprehensible to us. In these situations, we are like children who are certain of the loving care of their parents, but are not yet able to comprehend its full extent.

Hope arises from our belief that all our problems and trials have a meaning, a value and a purpose, however difficult or impossible it may be for us to understand the reason for them or to find a way out of them.

Hope also carries with it belief in the goodness present in the heart of every person. Many times, in situations of difficulty and despair, help, and the hope it brings, can come from those whom we least expect.

Human fraternity, in its numerous manifestations, thus becomes a source of hope for all, especially for those in any kind of need. Thanks be to God our Creator, and to our fellow men and women, for the quick response and generous solidarity shown by believers and also persons of good will with no religious affiliation in times of disaster, whether natural or man-made, like conflicts and wars. All these persons and their goodness remind us believers that the spirit of fraternity is universal, and that it transcends all boundaries: ethnic, religious, social and economic. In adopting this spirit, we imitate God, who looks benevolently upon the humanity he created, upon all other creatures and upon the entire universe. This is why the growing care and concern for the planet, our “common home”, is, according to Pope Francis, yet another sign of hope.

We are also aware that hope has its enemies: lack of faith in God’s love and care; loss of trust in our brothers and sisters; pessimism; despair and its opposite, unfounded presumption; unfair generalizations based on one’s own negative experiences, and so forth. These harmful thoughts, attitudes and reactions must be effectively countered, so as to strengthen hope in God and trust in all our brothers and sisters.

In his recent Encyclical Letter  Fratelli tutti , Pope Francis speaks frequently of hope. There he tells us: “I invite everyone to renewed hope, ‘for hope speaks to us of something deeply rooted in every human heart, independently of our circumstances and historical conditioning. Hope speaks to us of a thirst, an aspiration, a longing for a life of fulfilment, a desire to achieve great things, things that fill our heart and lift our spirit to lofty realities like truth, goodness and beauty, justice and love… and it can open us up to grand ideals that make life more beautiful and worthwhile’ (cf.  Gaudium et spes , 1). Let us continue, then, to advance along the paths of hope” (No. 55).

We, Christians and Muslims, are called to be bearers of hope, for the present life and for the life to come, and to be witnesses, restorers and builders of this hope, especially for those experiencing difficulties and despair.

As a sign of our spiritual fraternity, we assure you of our prayer, and we send best wishes for a peaceful and fruitful Ramadan, and for a joyful ‘Id al-Fitr.

From the Vatican, 29 March 2021

Miguel Ángel Cardinal Ayuso Guixot, MCCJ

President

Msgr. Indunil Kodithuwakku Janakaratne Kankanamalage

Secretary

This morning the Holy Father Francis received in audience:

- His Eminence Cardinal Luis Antonio G. Tagle, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples;

- Dr. Filippo Grandi, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and entourage;

- Archbishop José Rodríguez Carballo, O.F.M., titular of Belcastro, secretary of the Congregation for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life, with

  - Archbishop Arrigo Miglio, emeritus of Cagliari, Italy.

The Pope will receive in audience today:

- His Eminence Archbishop Mon Anthimos Jack Yakoub, of the Syro-Orthodox Church of Antioch.

The Fifth International Conference: Exploring the Mind, Body & Soul. How Innovation and Novel Delivery Systems Improve Human Health.

The Pontifical Council for Culture and the Cura Foundation are organizing the Fifth International Conference on the theme:  Exploring the Mind, Body & Soul. How Innovation and Novel Delivery Systems Improve Human Health . The Conference will take place virtually from 6 to 8 May 2021, and bring together physicians, scientists, ethicists, religious leaders, patient rights advocates, policymakers, philanthropists and commentators to discuss the latest breakthroughs in medicine, healthcare delivery and prevention, as well as the human implications and cultural impact of technological advances. The organizers will also promote a roundtable on  “Bridging Science and Faith” , aimed at exploring the relationship of religion and spirituality to health and wellbeing, including the relationship between mind, body and soul. The discussion will deal with the deeper meaning of human existence and seek areas of convergence between the humanities and the natural sciences. At the conclusion of the Conference, Pope Francis will address a video message to the participants. Priests, pastoral health care workers and students from Pontifical and Catholic Universities worldwide are invited to take part in the Conference. More detailed information can be found on the website of the Pontifical Council for Culture:  www.cultura.va  and at: VaticanConference2021.org.