16-09-2015 - Year XXII - Num. 157
Summary
- The universal scope of the family
- Francis asks for prayers for his trip to Cuba and the United States
- The Pope to EU environment ministers: it is time to honour our ecological debt
- Briefing on the eleventh meeting of the Council of Cardinals
- Other Pontifical Acts
- Message for the 24th World Day of the Sick
- Statistics of the Catholic Church in Cuba and the United States of America
- Participants in the 14th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops
- Other Pontifical Acts
The universal scope of the family
Vatican City, 16 September 2015 (VIS) – In the catechesis of today's general audience, Pope Francis concluded his reflections on marriage and the family, on the eve of events directly linked to this theme: the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia and the Synod of Bishops in Rome. “Both have a global reach, which corresponds both to the universal dimension of Christianity and to the universal scope of the fundamental and indispensable human community of the family”.
“Our civilisation currently appears marked by the long term effects of a society managed by economic technocracy. The subordination of ethics to the logic of profit is sustained by substantial means and enjoys enormous media support. … A new alliance of man and woman would seem not only necessary, but also strategic for the emancipation of peoples from their colonisation by money”, he continued. “This alliance must once again guide politics, the economy and civil coexistence. It decides the habitability of the earth, the transmission of the sentiment of life, and the bonds of memory and hope”.
“Of this alliance, the matrimonial-familiar community of man and woman is its generative grammar, its 'golden bond', so to speak. Faith draws upon knowledge of God's creation: He entrusted to the family not only the care of intimacy for its own sake, but also the project of making the entire world domestic. It is precisely the family that is at the origin and the base of this worldwide culture that saves us: it saves us from many attacks, many forms of destruction, and many forms of colonisation, for instance by money and ideologies, that so threaten the world. The family is a base from which we defend ourselves”.
“The Biblical Word of creation has provided us with the fundamental inspiration for our brief reflections on the family during the Wednesday audiences. … God's creation is not simply a philosophical premise: it is the universal horizon of life and faith. The divine plan consists only of creation and its salvation. It is for the salvation of the creature – of every creature – that God became man. … The world He created is entrusted to man and to woman: what happens between casts the die for all that follows. Their refusal of God's blessing leads them fatally to the delirium of omnipotence that ruins all things. It is what we call 'original sin'. And we all come into the world with the legacy of this disease”.
However, “we are not cursed or abandoned to our own devices. 'I will make you and the woman enemies to each other. Your descendants and her descendants will be enemies', God says to the deceitful and enchanting snake. With these words God bestows upon the woman a protective barrier against evil, to which she may resort, if she wishes, for every generation. This means that the women bears a secret and special blessing, for the defence of her creature against the Evil One. … Many stereotypes exists, often offensive, regarding the woman as temptress who inspires evil. Instead, there is space for a theology of the woman worthy of this blessing from God, for her and for her generation”.
“God's merciful protection of man and woman never ends. … The symbolic language of the Bible tells us that before casting them out of the Garden of Eden, God gave them animal skin tunics and dressed them. This gesture of tenderness means that, even in the painful consequences of our sin, God does not want us to remain naked and abandoned to our destiny as sinners. This divine tenderness, this care for us, we see incarnate in Jesus of Nazareth, Son of God 'born of woman'. ... It is God's caress to our wounds, our mistakes, our sins. But God loves us as we are and wants to lead us ahead with this plan, and the woman is the strongest at taking it forward”.
“The promise God makes to man and woman, at the origin of history, includes all human beings, up to the end of history. If we have enough faith, the families of the peoples of the world will recognise themselves in this blessing. In any case, may whoever allows him- or herself to be moved by this vision, regardless of the people, nation, or religion to which he or she belongs, walk with us and become our brother or sister, without proselytism. Let us walk together under this blessing and with God's aim to make us all brothers and sisters in life in a world that goes ahead and that is born precisely of the family, the union of man and woman”.
Francis asks for prayers for his trip to Cuba and the United States
Vatican City, 16 September 2015 (VIS) – After today's catechesis the Holy Father mentioned that this Saturday he will commence, with high expectations, his apostolic trip to Cuba and the United States of America. The main reason for the trip is the Eighth World Meeting of Families, which will take place in Philadelphia, but Francis will also visit the central headquarters of the United Nations to commemorate the seventieth anniversary of the founding of this institution.
“Until then, I greet with affection the Cuban and American faithful who, guided by their pastors, are preparing themselves spiritually. I ask all to accompany me with prayer, invoking the light and the strength of the Holy Spirit and the intercession of Mary Most Holy, patroness of Cuba as Our Lady of Charity del Cobre, and patroness of the United States as the Immaculate Conception”.
He also spoke about the forthcoming beatification of Pio Alberto del Corona (1837-1912), bishop of San Miniato, Italy, and founder of the Dominican Brothers of the Holy Spirit, to take place this Saturday in the same diocese. “He was a committed guide and a wise teacher of the people entrusted to him. May his example and his intercession help the Church to walk in the spirit of the Gospel, bringing fruit to good works”.
The Pope to EU environment ministers: it is time to honour our ecological debt
Vatican City, 16 September 2015 (VIS) – This morning, before the Wednesday general audience, the Pope received the environment ministers of the European Union who will soon face two important events: the adoption of the Sustainable Development Goals and the COP 21 in Paris. Francis remarked that their mission is increasingly important since the environment is a “collective good, a patrimony for all humanity, and the responsibility of each one of us – a responsibility that can only be transversal and which requires effective collaboration within the entire international community”.
He went on to suggest to the ministers three principles which should inspire their work, starting with the principle of solidarity. “A word that is sometimes forgotten, and at other times abused in a sterile fashion. We know that the people most vulnerable to environmental degradation are the poor, who suffer the most serious consequences. Solidarity therefore means creating effective tools able to unite the fight against environmental degradation with the struggle against poverty. Many positive experiences exist in this area, such as the development and transfer of appropriate technologies able to make the best use of human, natural and socio-economic resources, rendering them more accessible at local level, so as to guarantee sustainability also in the long term”.
Secondly, there is the principle of justice. “In the encyclical 'Laudato si'' I spoke about our ecological debt, especially between the North and the South, linked to commercial imbalances with consequences in the environmental sphere, such as the disproportionate use of natural resources historically made by some countries. We must honour that debt. These latter are required to contribute to settling the debt by offering a good example, substantially limiting their consumption of non-renewable energy, contributing resources to countries in need to promote policies and programmes of sustainable development, adopting suitable systems for managing forests, transport and refuse, and facing the serious problem of food waste, promoting a circular model for the economy and encouraging new attitudes and lifestyles”.
Thirdly, there is the principle of participation, which “requires the involvement of all the parties involved, including those who often remain marginal to decision-making processes. Indeed, we live in a very interesting historical moment: on the one hand, science and technology place unprecedented power in our hands, whereas on the other, the correct use of such power presupposes the adoption of a more integral and integrating vision. This requires us to open the doors to dialogue, a dialogue inspired by a vision rooted in that integral ecology that is the subject of 'Laudato si''. This is obviously a great cultural, spirital and educational challenge: solidarity, justice and participation respecting our dignity and respecting creation”.
The Pope concluded by encouraging the ministers in their work, emphasising that both he and the Holy See would guarantee their support “to adequately respond to the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor”.
Briefing on the eleventh meeting of the Council of Cardinals
Vatican City, 16 September 2015 (VIS) – The director of the Holy See Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., held a briefing this morning on the results of the eleventh meeting of the Council of Cardinals with the Holy Father, which began on Monday 14 November.
“The proposal for a new Congregation, provisionally entitled “Laity, Family and Life”, was again taken into consideration”, said Fr. Lombardi. “In this regard Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi, designated by the Holy Father in recent months to prepare a study on the feasibility of the project, was heard. At the end of their reflections the Council presented to the Pope a proposal orientated towards the implementation of the project.
Consideration of the proposal for a new Congregation dedicated to “Charity, Justice and Peace” was resumed and further reflections were made without yet reaching, however, a conclusive proposal by the Council.
The Cardinals went on to reflect on the procedures for the appointment of new bishops, or more specifically on the qualities and requisites for candidates in view of the needs of today’s world, and on the related issue of information gathering. Naturally the theme will need to be explored further and developed in collaboration with the competent Dicasteries concerned.
The Prefect of the new Secretariat for Communication reported to the Council on the first steps taken so far and in particular on the appointment of a group to draw up the Statutes for the new Dicastery. The working group has been constituted and has already commenced activity. It is made up of representatives of the institutes variously involved. The Statutes, while taking into account the progressive phase of consolidating the different entities that will form the Secretariat, defines the structure of the Dicastery as “definitive”. Particular attention will be given to evaluating legal and administrative aspects of the communication activities of the Holy See. The regulations will subsequently be drafted and issued.
The Cardinals expressed their unanimous appreciation and stressed that, despite the progressive nature of the work, precise guidance must be given to the institutions involved so that, as the Motu Proprio requires, the reform can make decisive progress towards integration and unitary management.
The theme proposed during the last session of the Council regarding issues linked to the abuse of minors was again taken into consideration. The matter of how to implement proposals was explored in further depth, especially with regard to the possibility of accelerating the resolution of the many cases still pending.
A draft Preamble of the new Constitution was also re-evaluated.
Cardinal Oscar Andres Rodríguez Maradiaga was absent for health reasons.
The next session of the Council is scheduled to be held from 10 to 12 December”.
Other Pontifical Acts
Vatican City, 16 September 2015 (VIS) – The Holy Father has accepted the resignation from the pastoral ministry of the diocese of Cajazeiras, Brazil, presented by Bishop Jose Gonzalez Alonso upon reaching the age limit.
15-09-2015 - Year XXII - Num. 156
Message for the 24th World Day of the Sick
Vatican City, 15 September 2015 (VIS) – “Entrusting oneself to the merciful Jesus like Mary: 'do whatever he tells you'” is the title of the Holy Father's message for the 24th World Day of the Sick (11 February, liturgical memory of Our Lady of Lourdes). This year the Day will be solemnly celebrated in the Holy Land, and for this reason, reflecting on the Gospel account of the wedding at Cana, the Pope recalls that illness, especially when grave, challenges our human existence and causes us to pose questions that explore the depths of the person. The following is the full text of his message, signed in the Vatican on 15 September, the memorial of Our Lady of Sorrows.
“The twenty-fourth World Day of the Sick offers me an opportunity to draw particularly close to you, dear friends who are ill, and to those who care for you. This year, since the Day of the Sick will be solemnly celebrated in the Holy Land, I wish to propose a meditation on the Gospel account of the wedding feast of Cana, where Jesus performed his first miracle through the intervention of his Mother. The theme chosen - Entrusting oneself to the merciful Jesus like Mary: 'Do whatever he tells you' is quite fitting in light of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy. The main Eucharistic celebration of the Day will take place on 11 February 2016, the liturgical memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes, in Nazareth itself, where 'the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us'. In Nazareth, Jesus began his salvific mission, applying to himself the words of the Prophet Isaiah, as we are told by the Evangelist Luke: 'The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to bring glad tidings to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to let the oppressed go free, and to proclaim a year acceptable to the Lord'.
Illness, above all grave illness, always places human existence in crisis and brings with it questions that dig deep. Our first response may at times be one of rebellion: why has this happened to me? We can feel desperate, thinking that all is lost, that things no longer have meaning.
In these situations, faith in God is on the one hand tested, yet at the same time can reveal all of its positive resources. Not because faith makes illness, pain, or the questions which they raise, disappear, but because it offers a key by which we can discover the deepest meaning of what we are experiencing; a key that helps us to see how illness can be the way to draw nearer to Jesus who walks at our side, weighed down by the Cross. And this key is given to us by Mary, our Mother, who has known this way at first hand.
At the wedding feast of Cana, Mary is the thoughtful woman who sees a serious problem for the spouses: the wine, the symbol of the joy of the feast, has run out. Mary recognises the difficulty, in some way makes it her own, and acts swiftly and discreetly. She does not simply look on, much less spend time in finding fault, but rather, she turns to Jesus and presents him with the concrete problem: 'They have no wine'. And when Jesus tells her that it is not yet the time for him to reveal himself, she says to the servants: 'Do whatever he tells you'. Jesus then performs the miracle, turning water into wine, a wine that immediately appears to be the best of the whole celebration. What teaching can we draw from this mystery of the wedding feast of Cana for the World Day of the Sick?
The wedding feast of Cana is an image of the Church: at the centre there is Jesus who in his mercy performs a sign; around him are the disciples, the first fruits of the new community; and beside Jesus and the disciples is Mary, the provident and prayerful Mother. Mary partakes of the joy of ordinary people and helps it to increase; she intercedes with her Son on behalf of the spouses and all the invited guests. Nor does Jesus refuse the request of his Mother. How much hope there is in that event for all of us! We have a Mother with benevolent and watchful eyes, like her Son; a heart that is maternal and full of mercy, like him; hands that want to help, like the hands of Jesus who broke bread for those who were hungry, touched the sick and healed them. All this fills us with trust and opens our hearts to the grace and mercy of Christ. Mary’s intercession makes us experience the consolation for which the apostle Paul blesses God: 'Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and God of all encouragement, who encourages us in our affliction, so that we may be able to encourage those who are in any affliction with the encouragement with which we ourselves are encouraged by God. For as Christ’s sufferings overflow to us, so through Christ does our encouragement also overflow'. Mary is the 'comforted' Mother who comforts her children.
At Cana the distinctive features of Jesus and his mission are clearly seen: he comes to the help of those in difficulty and need. Indeed, in the course of his messianic ministry he would heal many people of illnesses, infirmities and evil spirits, give sight to the blind, make the lame walk, restore health and dignity to lepers, raise the dead, and proclaim the good news to the poor. Mary’s request at the wedding feast, suggested by the Holy Spirit to her maternal heart, clearly shows not only Jesus’ messianic power but also his mercy.
In Mary’s concern we see reflected the tenderness of God. This same tenderness is present in the lives of all those persons who attend the sick and understand their needs, even the most imperceptible ones, because they look upon them with eyes full of love. How many times has a mother at the bedside of her sick child, or a child caring for an elderly parent, or a grandchild concerned for a grandparent, placed his or her prayer in the hands of Our Lady! For our loved ones who suffer because of illness we ask first for their health. Jesus himself showed the presence of the Kingdom of God specifically through his healings: 'Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them'. But love animated by faith makes us ask for them something greater than physical health: we ask for peace, a serenity in life that comes from the heart and is God’s gift, the fruit of the Holy Spirit, a gift which the Father never denies to those who ask him for it with trust.
In the scene of Cana, in addition to Jesus and his Mother, there are the 'servants', whom she tells: 'Do whatever he tells you'. Naturally, the miracle takes place as the work of Christ; however, he wants to employ human assistance in performing this miracle. He could have made the wine appear directly in the jars. But he wants to rely upon human cooperation, and so he asks the servants to fill them with water. How wonderful and pleasing to God it is to be servants of others! This more than anything else makes us like Jesus, who 'did not come to be served but to serve'. These unnamed people in the Gospel teach us a great deal. Not only do they obey, but they obey generously: they fill the jars to the brim. They trust the Mother and carry out immediately and well what they are asked to do, without complaining, without second thoughts.
On this World Day of the Sick let us ask Jesus in his mercy, through the intercession of Mary, his Mother and ours, to grant to all of us this same readiness to be serve those in need, and, in particular, our infirm brothers and sisters. At times this service can be tiring and burdensome, yet we are certain that the Lord will surely turn our human efforts into something divine. We too can be hands, arms and hearts which help God to perform his miracles, so often hidden. We too, whether healthy or sick, can offer up our toil and sufferings like the water which filled the jars at the wedding feast of Cana and was turned into the finest wine. By quietly helping those who suffer, as in illness itself, we take our daily cross upon our shoulders and follow the Master. Even though the experience of suffering will always remain a mystery, Jesus helps us to reveal its meaning.
If we can learn to obey the words of Mary, who says: 'Do whatever he tells you', Jesus will always change the water of our lives into precious wine. Thus this World Day of the Sick, solemnly celebrated in the Holy Land, will help fulfil the hope which I expressed in the Bull of Indiction of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy: ‘I trust that this Jubilee year celebrating the mercy of God will foster an encounter with [Judaism and Islam] and with other noble religious traditions; may it open us to even more fervent dialogue so that we might know and understand one another better; may it eliminate every form of closed-mindedness and disrespect, and drive out every form of violence and discrimination’ (Misericordiae Vultus, 23). Every hospital and nursing home can be a visible sign and setting in which to promote the culture of encounter and peace, where the experience of illness and suffering, along with professional and fraternal assistance, helps to overcome every limitation and division.
For this we are set an example by the two religious sisters who were canonised last May: S.t Marie-Alphonsine Danil Ghattas and St. Mary of Jesus Crucified Baouardy, both daughters of the Holy Land. The first was a witness to meekness and unity, who bore clear witness to the importance of being responsible for one another other, living in service to one another. The second, a humble and illiterate woman, was docile to the Holy Spirit and became an instrument of encounter with the Muslim world.
To all those who assist the sick and the suffering I express my confident hope that they will draw inspiration from Mary, the Mother of Mercy. 'May the sweetness of her countenance watch over us in this Holy Year, so that all of us may rediscover the joy of God’s tenderness', allow it to dwell in our hearts and express it in our actions! Let us entrust to the Virgin Mary our trials and tribulations, together with our joys and consolations. Let us beg her to turn her eyes of mercy towards us, especially in times of pain, and make us worthy of beholding, today and always, the merciful face of her Son Jesus!
With this prayer for all of you, I send my Apostolic Blessing”.
Statistics of the Catholic Church in Cuba and the United States of America
Vatican City, 15 September 2015 (VIS) – In view of the Pope's upcoming apostolic trip to Cuba and the United States of America, the Central Church Statistics Office has published the statistics relating to the Catholic Church in the two countries, current as of 31 December 2013.
Cuba has a surface area of 110,861 km2 and a population of 11,192,000 inhabitants, of whom 6,775,000 are Catholics, equivalent to 60.5 per cent of the population. There are 11 ecclesiastical circumscriptions, 283 parishes and 2,094 pastoral centres. There are currently 17 bishops, 365 priests, 659 men and women religious, and 4,395 catechists. There are 85 seminarians. The Church has six centres for Catholic education, from pre-school to university level. With regard to charitable and social centres belonging to the Church or directed by ecclesiastics or religious, in Cuba there are 173 hospitals and clinics, one home for the elderly or disabled, two orphanages and nurseries, and three special centres for social education or re-education and institutions of other types.
The United States have a surface area of 9,372,616 km2 and a population of 316,253,000 inhabitants, of whom 71,796,000 are Catholics, representing 22.7 per cent of the population. There are 196 ecclesiastical circumscriptions, 18,256 parishes and 2,183 pastoral centres. There are currently 457 bishops, 40,967 priests, 55,390 men and women religious, 381,892 catechists and 5,829 seminarians. The Church has 11,265 centres for Catholic education, from pre-school to university level. With regard to charitable and social centres belonging to the Church or directed by ecclesiastics or religious, in the United States there are 888 hospitals and clinics, two leper colonies, 1,152 homes for the elderly or disabled, 1,090 orphanages and nurseries, 981 family advisory centres and other centres for the protection of life, and 4,295 special centres for social education or re-education and institutions of other types.
Participants in the 14th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops
Vatican City, 15 September 2015 (VIS) – The following is a full and definitive list of the participants in the 14th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, to be held from 4 to 25 October 2015, on the theme, “The vocation and mission of the family in the Church and the contemporary world”.
A. LIST OF SYNOD FATHERS ACCORDING TO ROLE
I. PRESIDENT
Francis, Supreme Pontiff
II. SECRETARY GENERAL
Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri
III. DELEGATE PRESIDENTS
Cardinal Andre Vingt-Trois, archbishop of Paris, France
Cardinal Luis Antonio G. Tagle, archbishop of Manila, Philippines
Cardinal Raymundo Damasceno Assis, archbishop of Aparecida, Brazil
Cardinal Wilfrid Fox Napier, O.F.M., archbishop of Durban, South Africa
IV. RAPPORTEUR GENERAL
Cardinal Peter Erdo, archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, president of the Episcopal Conference, Hungary, president of the Consilium Conferentiarum Episcoporum Europae (C.C.E.E.)
V. SPECIAL SECRETARY
Archbishop Bruno Forte of Chieti-Vasto, Italy
VI. COMMISSION FOR INFORMATION
PRESIDENT
Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli, president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, Vatican City
SECRETARY
Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J., director of the Holy See Press Office, Vatican City
VII. FROM THE ORIENTAL CATHOLIC CHURCHES
Synod of the Coptic Catholic Church
ex officio
His Beatitude Ibrahim Isaac Sedrak, Patriarch of Alexandria of the Copts, head of the Synod of the Coptic Catholic Church.
Synod of the Greek-Melkite Catholic Church
ex officio
His Beatitude Gregoire III Laham, B.S., Patriarch of Antioch of the Greek-Melkites, head of the Synod of the Greek-Melkite Catholic Church.
ex electione
Archbishop Georges Bacouni of Akka, St. John of Acri, Ptolemaida of the Greek-Melkites.
Synod of the Syriac Catholic Church
ex officio
His Beatitude Ignace Youssif III Younan, Patriarch of Antioch of the Syrians, head of the Synod of the Syriac Catholic Church
Synod of the Maronite Church
ex officio
His Beatitude Cardinal Bechara Boutros Rai, O.M.M., Patriarch of Antioch of the Maronites, head of the Synod of the Maronite Church.
ex electione
Bishop Antoine Nabil Andari, auxiliary and syncellus of Joubbe, Sarba and Jounieh of the Maronites, president of the Episcopal Commission for the Family and Life.
Bishop Antoine Tarabay, O.L.M., of Saint Maron of Sydney of the Maronites.
Synod of the Chaldean Church
ex officio
His Beatitude Louis Raphael I Sako, Patriarch of Babylon of the Chaldeans, head of the Synod of the Chaldean Church.
Synod of the Armenian Catholic Church
ex officio
His Beatitude Gregoire Pierre XX Ghabroyan, Patriarch of Cilicia of the Armenians, head of the Synod of the Armenian Catholic Church.
Synod of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church
ex officio
His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk, major archbishop of Kyiv-Halyc, head of the Synod of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church.
ex electione
Bishop Hlib Borys Sviatoslav Lonchyna of Holy Family of London of the Byzantine Ukrainians.
Bishop Borys Gudziak of Saint Vladimir-Le-Grand of Paris of the Byzantine Ukrainians.
Synod of the Syro-Malabar Church
ex officio
His Beatitude Cardinal George Alencherry, major archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly of the Syro-Malabars, president of the Synod of the Syro-Malabar Church.
ex electione
Bishop Joseph Kallarangatt of Palai of the Syro-Malabars.
Archbishop Andrews Thazhath of Trichur of the Syro-Malabars.
Synod of the Syro-Malankara Church
ex officio
His Beatitude Cardinal Baselios Cleemis Thottunkal, major archbishop of Trivandrum of the Syro-Malankarites, head of the Synod of the Syro-Malankara Church.
Synod of the Romanian Church
ex designatione
Bishop Mihai Catalin Fratile of St. Basil the Great of Bucarest of the Romanians.
Council of the Ethiopian Church
ex officio
Cardinal Berhaneyesus Demerew Souraphiel, C.M., president of the Episcopal Conference, metropolitan archbishop of Addis Abeba, president of the Council of the Ethiopian Church.
Council of the Church Ruthenian, U.S.A.
ex officio
Archbishop William Charles Skurla, metropolitan of Pittsburg of the Byzantines, president of the council of the Ruthenian Church.
Council of the Slovak Church
ex officio
Archbishop Jan Babjak, S.J., metropolitan of Presov for Catholics of Byzantine rite, president of the Council of the Slovak Church.
Council of the Eritrean Church
ex officio
Archbishop Menghesteab Tesfamarian, M.C.C.J., metropolitan of Asmara, president of the council of the Eritrean Church.
Council of the Hungarian Church
ex officio
Archbishop Fulop Kocsis, metropolitan of Hajdudorog for Catholics of Byzantine rite, president of the Council of the Hungarian Church.
VIII. ELECTED REPRESENTATIVES OF THE EPISCOPAL CONFERENCES
AFRICA
NORTHERN AFRICA (C.E.R.N.A.)
Bishop Jean-Paul Vesco, O.P., of Oran, Algeria
ANGOLA and SAO TOME
Bishop Emilio Sumbelelo of Uije, Angola
BENIN
Bishop Eugene Cyrille Houndekon of Abomey, vice president of the Episcopal Conference
BOTSWANA, SOUTH AFRICA and SWAZILAND
Archbishop Stephen Brislin of Cape Town, Kaapstad, president of the Episcopal Conference, South Africa
Bishop Zolile Peter Mpambani, S.C.I., of Kokstad, South Africa
BURKINA FASO and NIGER
Bishop Joseph Sama of Nouna, Burkina Faso
BURUNDI
Bishop Gervais Banshimiyubasa of Ngozi, president of the Episcopal Conference
CAMEROON
Archbishop Joseph Atanga, S.J., of Bertoua
Archbishop Samuel Kleda of Douala, president of the Episcopal Conference
CHAD
Bishop Henri Coudray, S.J., apostolic vicar of Mongo
CONGO (Republic)
Bishop Urbain Ngassongo of Gamboma, president of the Episcopal Commission for Family Pastoral Ministry
CONGO (Democratic Republic)
Bishop Nicolas Djomo Lola of Tshumbe
Bishop Philibert Tembo Nlandu, C.I.C.M., of Budjala
COTE D'IVOIRE
Bishop Ignace Bessi Dogbo of Katiola, president of the Commission Episcopale Nationale de l'Apostolat des Laïcs
ETHIOPIA and ERITREA
Bishop Tsegaye Keneni Derara, apostolic vicar of Soddo, Ethiopia
GABON
Bishop Mathieu Madega Lebouakehan of Mouila, president of the Episcopal Conference
GAMBIA and SIERRA LEONE
Bishop Charles Allieu Matthew Campbell of Bo, Sierra Leone
GHANA
Archbishop Gabriel Charles Palmer-Buckle of Accra
GUINEA
Bishop Raphael Balla Guilavogui of N'Zerekore
EQUATORIAL GUINEA
Bishop Juan Matogo Oyana, C.M.F., of Bata
KENYA
Cardinal John NJUE, archbishop of Nairobi
Bishop James Maria Wainaina Kungu of Muranga
LESOTHO
Archbishop Gerard Tlali Lerotholi, O.M.I., of Maseru, president of the Episcopal Conference
LIBERIA
Bishop Anthony Fallah Borwah of Gbarnga
MADAGASCAR
Bishop Desire Tsarahazana of Toamasina, president of the Episcopal Conference
MALAWI
Archbishop Thomas Luke Msusa, S.M.M., of Blantyre, president of the Episcopal Conference
MALI
Bishop Jonas Dembele of Kayes
MOZAMBIQUE
Archbishop Francisco Chimoio, O.F.M. Cap., of Maputo, president of the Episcopal Commission for the Family
NAMIBIA
Bishop Philipp Pollitzer, O.M.I., of Keetmanshoop
NIGERIA
Archbishop Matthew Man-oso Ndagoso of Kaduna
Bishop Camillus Raymond Umoh of Ikot Ekpene
Bishop Jude Ayodeji Arogundade of Ondo
INDIAN OCEAN (C.E.D.O.I.)
Bishop Maurice Piat, C.S.Sp., of Port-Louis, Mauritius, president of the Episcopal Conference
CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
Bishop Cyr-Nestor Yapaupa of Alindao
RWANDA
Bishop Antoine Kambanda of Kibungo
SENEGAL, MAURITANIA, CABO VERDE and GUINEA-BISSAU
Archbishop Benjamin Ndiaye of Dakar, Senegal, president of the Episcopal Conference
SUDAN
Archbishop Paulino Lukudu Loro, M.C.C.J., of Juba
TANZANIA
Bishop Tarcisius J. M. Ngalalekumtwa of Iringa, president of the Episcopal Conference
Bishop Renatus Leonard Nkwande of Bunda
TOGO
Bishop Jacques Danka Longa of Kara
UGANDA
Archbishop John Baptist Odama of Gulu, president of the Episcopal Conference
Bishop Joseph Anthony Zziwa of Kiyinda-Mityana, vice president of the Episcopal Conference
ZAMBIA
Bishop Benjamin Phiri, auxiliary of Chipata
ZIMBABWE
Bishop Xavier Johnsai Munyongani of Gweru
AMERICA
ANTILLES
Bishop Francis Alleyne, O.S.B., of Georgetown
ARGENTINA
Bishop Pedro Maria Laxague, auxiliary of Bahia Blanca, president of the Comisión Episcopal de Laicos y Familia
Archbishop Jose Maria Arancedo of Santa Fe de la Vera Cruz, president of the Episcopal Conference
Cardinal Mario Aurelio Poli, archbishop of Buenos Aires
BOLIVIA
Bishop Braulio SAEZ GARCIA, O.C.D., auxiliary of Santa Cruz de la Sierra
Bishop Krzysztof Janusz BIALASIK WAWROWSKA, S.V.D., of Oruro
BRAZIL
Archbishop Sergio Da Rocha of Brasilia, president of the Episcopal Conference
Bishop Joao Carlos Petrini of Camacari
Archbishop Geraldo Lyrio Rocha of Mariana
Cardinal Odilo Pedro Scherer of Sao Paulo
CANADA
Archbishop Paul-Andre Durocher of Gatineau, president of the Episcopal Conference
Bishop Noel Simard of Valleyfield
Cardinal Thomas Christopher Collins, archbishop of Toronto
Archbishop Richard William Smith of Edmonton
CHILE
Bishop Bernardo Miguel Bastres Florence, S.D.B., of Punta Arenas
Cardinal Ricardo Ezzati Andrello, S.D.B., archbishop of Santiago de Chile, president of the Episcopal Conference
COLOMBIA
Bishop Pablo Emiro Salas Anteliz of Armenia
Cardinal Ruben Salazar Gomez, archbishop of Bogota, president of the Latin American Episcopal Council (C.E.L.AM.)
Archbishop Oscar Urbina Ortega of Villavicencio
COSTA RICA
Bishop Jose Francisco Ulloa Rojas of Cartago, president of the Comisión Episcopal para la Pastoral Familiar
CUBA
Bishop Marcelo Arturo Gonzalez Amador of Santa Clara
ECUADOR
Archbishop Antonio Arregui Yarza of Guayaquil
Archbishop Luis Gerardo Cabrera Herrera, O.F.M., of Cuenca
EL SALVADOR
Bishop Constantino Barrera Morales of Sonsonate
GUATEMALA
Bishop Rodolfo Valenzuela Nunez of Vera Paz, Coban, president of the Episcopal Conference
HAITI
Bishop Yves-Marie Pean, C.S.C., of Les Gonaives
HONDURAS
Bishop Luis Sole Fa, C.M., of Trujillo
MEXICO
Bishop Rodrigo Aguilar Martinez of Tehuacan
Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera, archbishop of Mexico
Bishop Alfonso Gerardo Miranda Guardiola, auxiliary of Monterrey
Cardinal Francisco Robles Ortega, archbishop of Guadalajara, president of the Episcopal Conference
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