Bulletins, Newsletters, and Flocknotes

Resignation and appointment of metropolitan archbishop of Durban, South Africa

Appointment of bishop of Jerez de la Frontera, Spain

Appointment of bishop of Palmares, Brazil

Appointment of member of the Congregation for the Eastern Churches

 

Resignation and appointment of metropolitan archbishop of Durban, South Africa

The Holy Father has accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the metropolitan archdiocese of Durban, South Africa, presented by His Eminence Cardinal Wilfrid Fox Napier, O.F.M.

The Holy Father has appointed, as archbishop of the same metropolitan see, Bishop Mandla Siegfried Jwara, C.M.M., until now titular of Elephantaria in Proconsulari and vicar apostolic of Ingwavuma.

Curriculum vitae

Bishop Mandla Siegfried Jwara, C.M.M., was born on 1 February 1957 in Saint Nivard, diocese of Mariannhill. After attending the Kwa-Hluzingqondo School in uMkhomazi and completing his high school studies, on 1 February 1981 he entered the Congregation of the Missionaries of Mariannhill, in whose monastery he carried out his novitiate. He gave his religious vows in 1986, completing his preparation in philosophy and theology at Saint Joseph’s Theological Institute in Cedara (1982-1986).

He was ordained a priest on 14 February 1987.

After ordination, he first served as parish vicar and parish priest at the Clairvaux Mission in Mpendle, diocese of Mariannhill (1987-1992). He then obtained a diploma in Human Development, Leadership, Formation & Community Building at the Institute of Saint Anselm, London, England (1992-1993), after which he served as master of novices at Mariannhill Monastery, briefly rector at Merrivale and provincial counsellor of the C.M.M. (1993-1998). In 1998 he obtained a master’s degree in theology from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg. He has also served as superior of the Mariannhill Province (1998-2002) and general counsellor of the C.M.M. in Rome (2002- 2004); parish priest in Port Saint Johns and in the Saint Patrick Mission of the diocese of Umtata, and again counsellor (2005-2006) and provincial superior of the C.M.M. (2006-2009); parish priest of Saint Patrick , diocesan consultor and dean of the Eastern Deanery, in the diocese of Umtata (2009-2014); regional superior of the same diocese and again parish priest of the Saint Patrick Mission (2014-2016).

On 30 April 2016 he was appointed as vicar apostolic of Ingwawuma and elected to the titular see of Elephantaria in Proconsulari. He received episcopal consecration the following 25 June.

 

Appointment of bishop of Jerez de la Frontera, Spain

The Holy Father has appointed Bishop José Rico Pavés, until now titular of Mentesa and auxiliary of Getafe, as bishop of Jerez de la Frontera, Spain.

Curriculum vitae

Bishop José Rico Pavés was born on 9 October 1966 in Granada. He carried out his ecclesiastical studies in the Seminario Mayor San Ildefonso de Toledo (1985-1992). He was awarded a licentiate in dogmatic theology (1994) and a degree in patristic theology (1998) from the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome.

He was ordained a priest in Toledo on 11 October 1992, and subsequently held the following offices: coadjutor in the Corpus Christi parish in Granada (1994-1995); adjunct professor at the Pontifical Gregorian University (1996-1998); parish priest of Nuestra Señora de la Purificación , Toledo (1998-2001), director of the Secretariat of the Episcopal Commission for the Doctrine of the Faith of the Conferencia Episcopal Española (2001-2012); ordinary professor of the San Ildefonso Theological Institute (1998-2012) and director of the same Institute (2008-2012); professor in the Faculty of Theology of the Universidad San Dámaso , Madrid (1999-2012); ordinary professor of the Institute of Spiritual Theology in Barcelona (1996-2012); collaborator in the Santo Tomé parish, Toledo (2001-2012) and director of the Secretariat for the Doctrine of the Faith and Ecumenism of the metropolitan archdiocese of Toledo (2005-2012).

He was appointed as titular bishop of Mentesa and auxiliary of Getafe on 6 July 2012, and received episcopal consecration the following 21 September. Within the Episcopal Conference he has served as member of the Commission for the Teaching of Catechism (2014-2020) and, from this year, member of the Episcopal Commission for Evangelisation, Catechesis and Teaching.

 

Appointment of bishop of Palmares, Brazil

The Holy Father has appointed Bishop Fernando Barbosa dos Santos, C.M., as bishop of Palmares, Brazil, transferring him from the territorial prelature of Tefé.

Curriculum vitae

Bishop Fernando Barbosa dos Santos, C.M., was born on 5 March 1967 in Sertânia, diocese of Pesqueira, in the State of Pernambuco. He studied philosophy and theology at the Instituto Regional de Pastoral in Olinda-PE and specialised in literature at the Universidade de Pernambuco in Arcoverde-PE.

On 11 February 1995 he gave his religious vows in the Congregation of the Mission (Lazarists) and was ordained a priest on 20 January 1996.

In the course of his priestly ministry, he has held the following positions: parish vicar of Santo Antônio in Quixeramobim, diocese of Quixadá-CE (1996-1998); formator in the Preparatory Seminary of the Lazarist Fathers (1998-1999) and parish administrator of São Pedro e São Paulo in Fortaleza-CE (1999-2000); formator in the Redemptoris Mater Seminary of the metropolitan archdiocese of Belém do Pará-PA (2000-2003); superior of the Lazarist province of Fortaleza-CE (2003-2006 and 2006-2009); parish priest of São José in Tucuruí, diocese of Cametá-PA (2009-2010); bursar of the Lazarist province of Fortaleza (2009-2014) and parish priest of Nossa Senhora dos Remédios in the same city of Ceará.

On 14 May 2014, he was appointed as bishop prelate of Tefé and received episcopal ordination the following 28 August.

 

Appointment of member of the Congregation for the Eastern Churches

The Holy Father has appointed His Eminence Cardinal Luis Antonio G. Tagle, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples as member of the Congregation for the Eastern Churches.

This morning’s general audience was held in the San Damaso Courtyard of the Vatican Apostolic Palace.

In his address in Italian, the Pope continued his cycle of catechesis on prayer, focusing on the theme: “Persevering in love” (Bible reading: 1 Th 5: 15-20).

After summarising his catechesis in various languages, the Holy Father addressed special greetings to the faithful.

The general audience concluded with the recitation of the Pater Noster and the apostolic blessing.

 

Catechesis of the Holy Father

Dear brothers and sisters, good morning!

In this penultimate catechesis on prayer we are going to speak about perseverance in praying. It is an invitation, indeed a command that comes to us from Sacred Scripture. The spiritual journey of the Russian pilgrim begins when he comes across a phrase of Saint Paul in the First Letter to the Thessalonians: “Pray constantly, always and for everything give thanks” (5: 17-18). The Apostle’s words struck the man and he wondered how it was possible to pray without interruption, given that our lives are fragmented into so many different moments, which do not always make concentration possible. From this question he begins his search, which will lead him to discover what is called the prayer of the heart. It consists in repeating with faith: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner!”. “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner!” A simple prayer, but very beautiful. A prayer that, little by little, adapts itself to the rhythm of breath and extends throughout the day. What was it? “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner!”. I can’t hear you. Louder! “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner!”. And repeat it, repeat it, eh! This is important. Indeed, the breath never stops, not even while we sleep; and prayer is the breath of life.

How, then, it is possible always to preserve a state of prayer? The Catechism offer beautiful quotations from the history of spirituality, which insist on the need for continuous prayer, that it may be the fulcrum of Christian existence. I will look at some of them.

The monk Evagrius Ponticus thus states: “We have not been commanded to work, to keep watch and to fast continually” – no, this is not demanded – “but it has been laid down that we are to pray without ceasing” (2742). The heart in prayer. There is therefore an ardour in the Christian life, which must never fail. It is a little like that sacred fire that was kept in the ancient temples, that burned without interruption and which the priests had the task of keeping alive. So there must be a sacred fire in us too, which burns continuously and which nothing can extinguish. And it is not easy. But this is how it must be.

Saint John Chrysostom, another pastor who was attentive to real life, preached: “Even while walking in public or strolling alone, or seated in your shop, while buying or selling, or even while cooking” (2743). Little prayers: “Lord, have pity on us”, “Lord, help me”. So, prayer is a kind of musical staff, where we inscribe the melody of our lives. It is not in contrast with daily work, it does not contradict the many small obligations and appointments; if anything, it is the place where every action finds its meaning, its reason and its peace. In prayer.

Certainly, putting these principles into practice is not easy. A father and a mother, caught up in a thousand tasks, may feel nostalgia for a time in their life in which it was easy to find regular times and spaces for prayer. Then come children, work, family life, ageing parents… One has the impression that it will never be possible to get through it all. And so it is good for us to think that God, our Father, who must take care of all the universe, always remembers each one of us. Therefore, we too must always remember Him!

We can also remember that in Christian monasticism work has always been held in great esteem, not only because of the moral duty to provide for oneself and others, but also for a sort of balance, an inner balance – work, no? It is dangerous for man to cultivate an interest so abstract that he loses contact with reality. Work helps us to stay in touch with reality. The monk’s hands joined in prayer bear the calluses of those who wield shovels and hoes. When, in the Gospel of Luke (cf. 10: 38-42), Jesus tells Saint Martha that the only thing that is truly necessary is to listen to God, He does not in any way mean to disparage the many services that she was performing with such effort.

Everything in the human being is “binary”: our body is symmetrical, we have two arms, two eyes, two hands… And so, work and prayer are also complementary. Prayer - which is the “breath” of everything - remains as the living backdrop of work, even in moments in which this is not explicit. It is inhuman to be so absorbed by work that you can no longer find the time for prayer.

At the same time, a prayer that is alien from life is not healthy. A prayer that alienates itself from the concreteness of life becomes spiritualism, or worse, ritualism. Let us remember that Jesus, after showing the disciples His glory on Mount Tabor, did not want to prolong that moment of ecstasy, but instead came down from the mountain with them and resumed the daily journey. Because that experience had to remain in their hearts as the light and strength of their faith; also a light and strength for the days that were soon to come: those of the Passion. In this way, the time dedicated to staying with God revive faith, which helps us in the practicalities of living, and faith, in turn, nurtures prayer, without interruption. In this circularity between faith, life and prayer, one keeps alight that flame of Christian life that God expects of us.

And let us repeat the simple prayer that it is so good to repeat during the day. Let’s see if you can still remember it. All together: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner!”. Saying this prayer continually will help you in the union with Jesus. Thank you.

 

Greeting in English

I cordially greet the English-speaking faithful. I invite everyone to grow in a spirit of constant prayer, capable of uniting our daily lives and making them a sacrifice pleasing to the Lord. Upon you and your families I invoke the joy and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ. God bless you!

The Holy See welcomes the  Moneyval  Report published today and the invitation to continue on the path already undertaken. While noting the efficacy of the measures adopted by all the authorities involved in the fight against money laundering and the financing of terrorism, the Holy See renews its commitment to continue working towards full compliance with the best international parameters and, to that end, it will consider carefully the recommendations contained in the Report.

Appointment of apostolic nuncio in Canada

The Holy Father has appointed Archbishop Ivan Jurkovič, titular of Corbavia, as apostolic nuncio in Canada. Archbishop Jurkovič has served until now as Holy See Permanent Observer at the United Nations and Specialised Agencies in Geneva and at the World Trade Organisation, and Holy See Representative at the International Organisation for Migration.

This morning, the Holy Father Francis received in audience:

- His Eminence Cardinal Michael Czerny, under-secretary of the Migrants and Refugees Section of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development;

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

- Mr. George Henry Johannes, Ambassador of South Africa, on his farewell visit;

- Mr. Luigi Sbarra, secretary general of the Confederazione Italiana Sindacati Lavoratori (Italian Confederation of Trade Unions);

- Young people of the “Progetto Policoro” of the Italian Episcopal Conference.