Pope Francis

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http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/the-pope/10447007/Pope-Francis-may-be-at-risk-from-Italian-mafia.html

Pope Francis 'may be at risk from Italian mafia'
The Pope's efforts to tackle corruption within the Catholic Church could put him at risk from the Italian mafia, a leading prosecutor warns
3:15PM GMT 13 Nov 2013

Pope Francis is at risk of mafia retribution as a result of his determination to clean up corruption and cronyism within the Catholic Church, one of Italy’s best known anti-mob prosecutors said.

Nicola Gratteri, who has lived under police protection for nearly 25 years, said the Jesuit Pope’s campaign to tackle graft was upsetting powerful crime organisations in Italy, which have in the past enjoyed a cosy relationship with the Catholic hierarchy.

“Those who have up until now profited from the power and wealth deriving from the Church are now nervous, agitated. The Pope is dismantling centres of economic power in the Vatican,” said Mr Gratteri, 55, who has spent his career fighting the ‘Ndrangheta mafia of Calabria in the far south of Italy.

"I don't know if organised crime is in a position to do something, but certainly they are thinking about it. It could be dangerous. If the godfathers can trip him up, they would not hesitate to do so,” he told Il Fatto Quotidiano, an Italian daily.

The Church had often turned a blind eye to the activities of mafia groups like the ‘Ndrangheta said Mr Gratteri, who earlier this year was appointed by Enrico Letta, the prime minister, to a national task force which was ordered to come up with new ways of combating organised crime.
 
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http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/pope-francis-his-life-is-in-danger-from-ndrangheta-warns-antimafia-judge-8937661.html
Pope Francis: his life is in danger from 'ndrangheta, warns anti-mafia judge
Wednesday 13 November 2013
 

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http://whispersintheloggia.blogspot.com/

Wednesday, November 13, 2013
On "Coercive, Frustrating" HHS Mandate, Bishops "Stand United to Resist"

As a nearly two-year fight now stands within seven weeks of its determining call, at the close of today's six-hour executive session, the following statement on the HHS contraceptive mandate and its looming specter on church ministries has just been released as a "Special Message from the Bishops of the United States":

The bishops of this country have just concluded their traditional fall meeting in Baltimore and have spent time on issues important to them and their people: help to those suffering from Typhoon Haiyan; an update on the situation in Haiti; matters of worship and teaching; service to the poor; and comprehensive immigration reform. Among those priorities is the protection of religious freedom, especially as threatened by the HHS mandate.

Pope Francis has reminded us that “In the context of society, there is only one thing which the Church quite clearly demands: the freedom to proclaim the Gospel in its entirety, even when it runs counter to the world, even when it goes against the tide.”

We stand together as pastors charged with proclaiming the Gospel in its entirety. That Gospel calls us to feed the poor, heal the sick, and educate the young, and in so doing witness to our faith in its fullness. Our great ministries of service and our clergy, religious sisters and brothers, and lay faithful, especially those involved in Church apostolates, strive to answer this call every day, and the Constitution and the law protect our freedom to do so.
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/11/14/pope:_the_spirit_of_curiosity_distances_one_from_god/en1-746498

2013-11-14 11:54:56
Pope: the spirit of curiosity distances one from God

(Vatican Radio) The spirit of curiosity generates confusion and distances a person from the Spirit of wisdom, which brings peace, said Pope Francis in his homily during Thursday morning Mass at Casa Santa Marta.

The Pope began his homily by commenting on the first reading from the Book of Wisdom, which describes “the state of the soul of the spiritual man and woman”, of true Christians, who live “in the wisdom of the Holy Spirit. And this wisdom carries them forward with this intelligent, holy, single, manifold and subtle spirit”.

“This is journeying in life with this spirit: the spirit of God, which helps us to judge, to make decisions according to the heart of God. And this spirit gives us peace, always! It is the spirit of peace, the spirit of love, the spirit of fraternity. And holiness is exactly this. That which God asked of Abraham—‘Walk in my presence and be irreproachable’—is this: this peace. To follow the movement of the Spirit of God and of this wisdom. And the man and woman who walk this path, we can say they are wise men and women… because they follow the movement of God’s patience.”

In the Gospel, the Pope underlined, “we find ourselves before another spirit, contrary to the wisdom of God: the spirit of curiosity”.
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/11/14/justice_and_peace_council_holds_conference_on_faith_and_politics/en1-746605

2013-11-14 15:54:46
Justice and Peace Council holds conference on faith and politics

(Vatican Radio) A first international meeting of chaplains serving in Parliaments is taking place at the Pontifical Justice and Peace Council this week, reflecting on ways of supporting Catholics engaged in political life.

The encounter, entitled ‘Pastoral Care of Politicians: Spiritual Companionship and Promotion of the Common Good’, was opened on Thursday by Council President, Cardinal Peter Turkson, who spoke of “new and serious issues” facing those searching for a right relationship between Christian faith and political decision making.
During a break in the meeting, Philippa Hitchen caught up with Cardinal Turkson to find out more about the goals of the two day conference:
Listen: RealAudioMP3

Please find below the text of Cardinal Turkson's introduction to the meeting:

Your Excellencies, Rev. Fathers, Distinguished Speakers and Participants, dear friends:

1. It is a joy for me to welcome you to the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace for this first meeting of chaplains serving parliaments. Thank you for making yourselves available for these two days of discussion and labour. Let me especially thank the speakers who have agreed to enrich our reflections.

2. We are gathered here to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of Vatican II. As we begin our deliberations, we cannot avoid thinking of the emphasis in Gaudium et Spes on participation in the political sphere: “There is no better way to establish political life on a truly human basis than by fostering an inward sense of justice and kindliness, and of service to the common good, and by strengthening basic convictions as to the true nature of the political community and the aim, right exercise, and sphere of action of public authority.” The mission of priests involved in various ways with political figures fits into this desire of Vatican II. This mission is not only one of defending particular positions, even if it is sometimes necessary to do so. Above all, it is imperative to assist those in public life to give their political engagement proper foundations and direction in an interiorized manner, through reflection and prayer, rather than leaving it merely to formal conventions.
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/11/14/pope_francis_visits_italian_president_giorgio_napolitano_at_quirinale/en1-746542

2013-11-14 13:26:11
Pope Francis visits Italian President Giorgio Napolitano at Quirinale Palace



(Vatican Radio) Pope Francis on Thursday paid his first official visit to Italy’s head of state, Giorgio Napolitano, at Rome’s Quirinale Palace where he also met leading members of the Italian government. In his address to President Napolitano, the Pope touched on the social and economic problems afflicting Italy such as unemployment and urged the state institutions to do their utmost to support the family. He also said he would like to knock at the door of every home in Italy to offer the healing words of the gospel.
Susy Hodges reports: RealAudioMP3

Pope Francis visited President Napolitano at Rome’s Quirinale, a Renaissance Palace, which up until 1870 had been a residency of the papacy for many centuries. His visit to the Italian head of State came 5 months after President Napolitano was received in audience by him at the Vatican.

In his address to Napolitano, Pope Francis said his visit confirmed the excellent relations that exist between Italy and the Holy See and recalled his predecessor’s visit to the Quirinale Palace in 2008. "Ideally," said the Pope, "I would wish to knock at the door of every inhabitant of Italy and offer to everybody the healing and ever new words of the Gospel."
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/11/14/lateran_pacts_explained_.../en1-746545

2013-11-14 13:56:28
Lateran Pacts explained ...



(Vatican Radio ) When Pope Francis visited the President of the Republic of Italy Giorgio Napolitano at the Quirinal Palace on the morning of Thursday 14th of November he mentioned the so called 'Lateran Pacts'. But what exactly were these Pacts?

That's what Veronica Scarisbrick asks Jesuit historian Gerald Fogarty who's currently teaching at the University of Virginia in the United States: ..."There's never been a Concordat in an English speaking country because of the use of common law ...in the Roman law tradition which runs throughout most of Europe you have the rights the State gives you, so therefore the Concordat was an agreement between the Holy See and the government to guarantee the rights of the Church within a particular country"...
 

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http://abcnews.go.com/International/pope-francis-danger-mafia-vatican/story?id=20886918

Pope Francis Not in Danger From Mafia, Vatican Says
ROME Nov. 14, 2013

The Vatican dismissed concerns today that Pope Francis could be a target of Italian organized crime because his reforms threaten what one mafia expert said were long-time ties between the church and criminal syndicates.

"There is no concrete reason that would lead us to worry. There is no reason to feed alarmism," the Rev. Federico Lombardi, the director of the Vatican's press office, told ABC News. "We are very calm."

Recent news reports quoted Nicola Gratteri, a respected Italian anti-mafia prosecutor, as having said that the pope's drive to reform the Catholic Church was making organized-crime members "nervous." He added, "I cannot say if the organization is in a position to do something like this, but they are dangerous and it is worth reflecting on."
 
At his weekly Sunday prayer to the faithful, he called on members of the Italian organized crime to repent. His words, recalled soon-to-be-saint Pope John Paul II's words 20 years ago when during a 1993 pilgrimage to Sicily, John Paul angrily shouted his call to Mafia members to repent or face the judgment of God.
 

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http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1304800.htm

Nov-14-2013
Year of two popes leaves indelible mark on Year of Faith
By Cindy Wooden
Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The goal of the Year of Faith, which concludes Nov. 24, has been to educate Catholics about basic church teachings, strengthen their faith and inspire them to share it with others. If it has succeeded, as organizers say it has, the credit ultimately lies less with its special projects and events than with the historic papal transition that occurred in its course.

"The election of Pope Francis has given new visibility to the core teachings of Jesus Christ, which ultimately is what the Year of Faith sought to achieve," Msgr. Paul Tighe, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, told Catholic News Service.

Both Pope Benedict XVI, who opened the celebration in October 2012, and Pope Francis dedicated their Year of Faith talks to explaining the creed, looking at modern cultural challenges to faith, recognizing faith as a gift, and urging Catholics to proclaim God's love and share the Gospel.

But a different pope means a different personality and a different style, even when teaching or preaching on the same themes. In addition, a new pope tends to draw more visitors to the Vatican because many Catholics are eager to meet their new shepherd.
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/11/15/popes_audiences_cancelled_because_hes_suffering_from_a_cold/en1-746988

2013-11-15 15:37:05
Pope's audiences cancelled because he's suffering from a cold

(Vatican Radio) The Vatican announced on Friday that all of Pope Francis’ scheduled audiences in the morning were cancelled because he is suffering from a cold.
 
However, Father Lombardi said the Pope would preside, as planned, over a Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica on Friday afternoon during which he was due to ordain as Bishop, Monsignor Fernando Vergez Alzaga, Secretary General of the Vatican City State’s Governing Body.

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http://www.catholicculture.org/news/headlines/index.cfm?storyid=19693

Pope's Repubblica interview removed from Vatican web site
CWN - November 15, 2013

The text of a controversial interview with Pope Francis which appeared in the Italian daily La Repubblica has been removed from the Vatican’s web site.

The interview, conducted by Repubblica’s founder Eugenio Scalfari, had caused an international sensation. In the text published by the Italian newspaper, the Pope was recorded as saying that he was not interested in converting the atheist journalist, that youth unemployment is the world’s most serious problem, and that it is sufficient for a non-believer to follow his own conscience. The Pope was also harshly critical of attitudes that he said were commonplace at the Vatican.

Later it emerged that the text published in La Repubblica was not an exact transcript of the papal interview. In fact, the octagenarian Scalfari had not taken notes during his conversation with the Pontiff, and had reconstructed the Pope’s remarks from memory.

Father Federico Lombardi, the director of the Vatican press office, told reporters that because the Pope’s words were not reproduced exactly, it seemed inappropriate to carry the text on the Vatican web site. He said that the Secretary of State, not the Pope himself, had made the decision to remove the text—contradicting reports in the Italian press that the Pontiff had been unhappy with the presence of the interview on the Vatican site.
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/11/16/pope_francis:_gods_only_weakness_is_our_prayer/en1-747212

2013-11-16 13:25:48
Pope Francis: God's only weakness is our prayer

(Vatican Radio) The Lord is a fierce warrior in defence of His people – the prayers of His people are His only weakness. These were the words of Pope Francis during Mass on Saturday morning in the Vatican’s Santa Marta.
Listen to Giulia Cirillo's report: RealAudioMP3

Pope Francis focused his homily on the strength of the Lord as saviour of His chosen people, and on the strength which His people can find in prayer.

Jesus tells His disciples a parable about the necessity of praying without ever becoming weary, like the widow who insistently petitioned a dishonest judge for justice, until she eventually obtained it. God “will secure the rights of His chosen ones who call out to him day and night”, Pope Francis said, just as He did when Moses led the people of Israel out of Egypt.

When God calls Moses, He says to him: “I have heard the cry, the lament of my people”. The Lord listens, Pope Francis said: His “all-powerful word from heaven’s royal throne bounded, a fierce warrior”. That’s what the Lord is like, the Pope explained, when He defends His people: He is a fierce warrior, He saves His people.

This is the strength of God, Pope Francis continued, but what is our strength? Ours is the strength of the widow: to knock at the heart of God, to knock, to lament our many problems, many pains, to ask the Lord to free us from these pains, from these sins, from these problems. Our strength is prayer, the Pope said, and the prayer of a humble person is the weakness of God. The Lord is weak only in this one sense: He is weak before the prayers of His people.
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/11/16/pope:_missionary_outreach_is_paradigm_for_pastoral_action/en1-747328

2013-11-16 17:05:23
Pope: missionary outreach is paradigm for pastoral action

(Vatican Radio) Missionary outreach is “the paradigm for all pastoral action,” said Pope Francis in his remarks on Saturday in a video message to participants at a four-day pilgrimage-encounter in Mexico. The conference, held 16-19 November, was organized by the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.

The Pope spoke about the need for creativity and about the missionary impulse in the evangelizing work of the Church, making reference to the conclusions of the Fifth General Conference of Latin American Bishops, held in 2007, commonly referred to as Aparecida.

“Aparecida,” he said, “proposes to put the Church in a permanent state of mission… And this, in the certainty that missionary outreach, more than being one activity among others, is a paradigm, that is, the paradigm for all pastoral action.”

The intimacy of the Church with Jesus is an “itinerant intimacy,” he said, which calls people out of themselves to reach out to others.

“It is vital for the Church not to close in on itself, not to feel already satisfied and sure with what it has accomplished,” he said. “If this happens, the Church will get sick, it will get sick with imaginary abundance… in a certain sense it will ‘get indigestion’ and will weaken.”

All pastoral activity is oriented by the missionary impulse to reach everyone, he continued. “It is necessary to go out of one’s community and to have the boldness to go to the existential peripheries, which need to feel God’s closeness,” he said.
 

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http://www.ncregister.com/blog/jimmy-akin/did-pope-francis-just-tip-his-hand-on-medjugorje-10-things-to-know-and-shar

Did Pope Francis just tip his hand on Medjugorje? (10 things to know and share)
by Jimmy Akin  Thursday, November 14, 2013 10:53 PM

Many people are wondering what will happen at the end of the current investigation of Medjugorje.

As a result, they’re trying to figure out what attitude Pope Francis takes toward the reported apparitions.

On Thursday, Pope Francis made remarks which some people think tipped his hand and revealed his attitude.

Here are 10 things to know and share . . .

1) What is Medjugorje?

Medjugorje is a location in Herzegovina where, in 1981, a group of young people began reporting visions of the Virgin Mary.

Currently, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith at the Vatican is investigating the reported phenomena.

When their investigation is finished, they are expected to report its findings to the Pope, who will make the final determination of what, if anything, is to be done regarding the apparitions.
 

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http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/commentandblogs/2013/11/15/the-cdf-has-done-something-about-medjugorje-finally/

The CDF has done something about Medjugorje – finally!
Much confusion could have been avoided
Friday, 15 November 2013

The latest news about Medjugorje has caught my attention. Archbishop Müller, the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, has asked the US Papal Nuncio to instruct clergy and laity not to participate in any meetings, conferences or public celebrations in which the authenticity of the apparitions are taken for granted. It seems that the proposed visit of one of the “seers”, Ivan Dragicevic, is the impetus behind the intervention of the CDF.

Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, the US Papal Nuncio, has written to all the US bishops: “His Excellency wishes to inform the Bishops that one of the so-called visionaries of Medjugorje, Mr Ivan Dragicevic, is scheduled to appear at certain parishes around the country, during which time he will make presentations regarding the phenomenon of Medjugorje. It is anticipated, moreover, that Mr Dragicevic will be receiving “apparitions” during these scheduled appearances.”

The instruction continues: “As you are well aware, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith is in the process of investigating certain doctrinal and disciplinary aspects of the phenomenon of Medjugorje. For this reason, the Congregation has affirmed that, with regard to the credibility of the “apparitions” in question, all should accept the declaration, dated 10 April 1991, from the Bishops of the former Republic of Yugoslavia, which asserts, “On the basis of the research that has been done, it is not possible to state that there were apparitions or supernatural revelations.”

The Papal Nuncio concludes, “In order, therefore, to avoid scandal and confusion, Archbishop Muller asks that the Bishops be informed of this matter as soon as possible.”
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/11/17/pope_francis_at_angelus:_don’t_be_tricked_by_false_saviours_who_try/en1-747448

2013-11-17 13:31:43
Pope Francis at Angelus: Don’t be tricked by false saviours who try to substitute Jesus: Pray for the many persecuted Christians.

(Vatican Radio) At his Angelus address Pope Francis warned the faithful not to be taken in by false saviours or leaders in our world who seek to influence the minds of people, especially the young. He also urged solidarity with the many Christians undergoing persecution throughout the world, praising their courage and testimony.
Listen to Susy Hodges' report: RealAudioMP3

The Pope’s Angelus reflections were taken from this Sunday’s gospel reading where Jesus warns his disciples of the future trials and tribulations they will face along with the false prophets they will encounter en route. The Pope said the two main messages contained here are: “Firstly, do not be taken in by false messiahs and don’t be paralysed by fear . Secondly, live this time of waiting as a time of witness and perseverance.”

He told the faithful that this message from Jesus is just as valid in our present time and encourages us to show "discernment. " “Nowadays,” he continued, “there are many false saviours who try to substitute Jesus, leaders in this world, fake saints and personalities who wish to influence the hearts and minds of people, especially the young.” But Jesus warns us, said the Pope: “Don’t follow them.” At the same time, Jesus also helps us not to be afraid when faced with "wars, revolutions and natural disasters."

Quoting from Christ’s warning to his disciples about “the painful trials and persecutions” facing Christians , the Pope said these trials are an opportunity for witness and stressed they should not cause us to move away from the Lord. Let us spare a thought, he continued, for "our many Christian brothers and sisters who suffer persecution because of their faith. There are so many of them. Maybe, many more than in the early centuries.” “We admire their courage and testimony.”
 

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http://www.newser.com/article/daa4crk00/pope-promotes-prayers-like-medicine-for-heart-crowd-in-square-gets-pillboxes-of-rosaries.html

Pope promotes prayers like medicine for heart; crowd in square gets 'pillboxes' of rosaries
Pope jokes he's a pharmacist, prescribing prayers
3 hours, 49 minutes ago


Pope Francis shows a box shaped like a pill box but which contains a rosary during his traditional Sunday appearance in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, Sunday, Nov. 17, 2013. Pope Francis said that...   (Associated Press)


Felipe Penna, of Brazil, holds a box shaped like a pill box but which contains a rosary that was distributed at the end of Pope's Francis traditional Sunday appearance in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican,...   (Associated Press)

Appearing on Sunday at his studio window, Francis held up a rosary in a box designed to resemble a packet of pills, before volunteers distributed thousands of those boxes, which feature a design of a human heart.

Francis said he was recommending reciting the rosary prayer as a "spiritual medicine" that is "good for the heart."
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/11/16/new_secretary_of_state_arrives_at_vatican/en1-747211

2013-11-16 13:19:06
New Secretary of State arrives at Vatican



(Vatican Radio) Archbishop Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s new Secretary of State, arrived in the Vatican on Saturday and will be in his office at the Apostolic Palace as of Monday.

Archbishop Parolin was installed as Secretary of State in absentia on 15 October, due to an unexpected surgical procedure he had to undergo that day.
 
The archbishop will reside at the Casa Santa Marta for the time being.

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/11/18/pope:_lord_save_us_from_the_subtle_conspiracies_of_worldliness/en1-747663

2013-11-18 14:31:49
Pope: Lord save us from the subtle conspiracies of worldliness

(Vatican Radio) Drawing inspiration from a reading in the Book of the Maccabees, Pope Francis warned the faithful to be attentive in our secularized and pleasure-seeking life-style which often attacks the Church and imposes unjust rules on Christians.
Listen to Linda Bordoni's report... RealAudioMP3

Referring to the first Reading of the day, the Pope spoke of the passage which portrays the effort by the Jews to regain their cultural and religious identity after Antiochus IV Epiphanes suppressed the observance of Jewish laws and desecrated the temple after having convinced the people of God to abandon their traditions.

Lord, the Pope prayed, give me the discernment to recognize the subtle conspiracies of worldliness that lead us to negotiate our values and our faith.

During his homily, Pope Francis warned the faithful against what he described as a “globalized uniformity” which is the result of secular worldliness.

Often he said, the people of God prefer to distance themselves from the Lord in favour of worldly proposals. He said worldliness is the root of evil and it can lead us to abandon our traditions and negotiate our loyalty to God who is always faithful. This – the Pope admonished – is called apostasy, which he said is a form of “adultery” which takes place when we negotiate the essence of our being: loyalty to the Lord.

And he spoke of the contradiction that is inherent in the fact that we are not ready to negotiate values, but we negotiate loyalty. This attitude – he said – “is a fruit of the devil who makes his way forward with the spirit of secular worldliness”.

And referring again to the passage in the Book of Maccabees, in which all nations conformed to the king’s decree and adopted customs foreign to their culture, the Pope pointed out that this “is not the beautiful globalization, unity of all nations, each with their own customs but united, but the uniformity of hegemonic globalization, it is – he said - the single thought: the result of secular worldliness”.
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/11/18/pope_issues_motu_proprio_on_new_financial_intelligence_authority/en1-747656

2013-11-18 14:17:52
Pope issues Motu Proprio on new Financial Intelligence Authority

(Vatican Radio) The Vatican press office on Monday announced the publication of a Motu Proprio in which Pope Francis officially approves the new statutes of the Holy See’s Financial Intelligence Authority. This document follows up on earlier regulations from Pope Francis, and from his predecessor Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, to put in place norms on financial transparency and oversight of the Institute of Works of Religion (IOR), commonly known as the Vatican Bank.

Please find below the full English text of the note from the Vatican press office on the new Motu Proprio:

The Apostolic Letter issued Motu Proprio of 15 November 2013, by which Pope Francis has approved the attached new Statutes of the Financial Intelligence Authority (F.I.A.), is being published today. This pontifical document will enter into force on 21 November 2013.

As is known, with his Motu Proprio of 8 August 2013 and with the Law N. XVIII of 8 October 2013 on norms on transparency, supervision and financial intelligence, Pope Francis had strengthened further the institutional framework of the Holy See and the Vatican City State to prevent and contrast potential illicit activities in the financial sector and had accorded to the F.I.A., in addition to the functions that it already had on the basis of the Motu Proprio of Benedict XVI of 30 December 2010, the function of prudential supervision of those entities that carry out professionally financial activities. The present Statutes adapt F.I.A.’s internal structure to the functions it is now called to perform.
 

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http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/11/18/pope_francis_receives_chief_of_international_labour_organization/en1-747738

2013-11-18 16:48:49
Pope Francis receives Chief of International Labour Organization

(Vatican Radio) The welfare of workers, and particularly of migrants, was a key issue of concern raised in a meeting Monday between Pope Francis and the Director General of the International Labour Organization (ILO), Guy Ryder. Mr. Ryder, who was received in private audience in the Vatican by Pope Francis, told Vatican Radio following that encounter that “we discussed many of the issues that I think the Church shares concerns about with the International Labour Organization. We are very much concerned with promoting decent work in the world at the ILO and Pope Francis spoke about the dignity of work, the importance with which the Church and he personally attaches to the dignity of work and the challenges that that presents in today’s world. And we talked particularly about the plight of some of the most vulnerable people in the world. And he spoke particularly about his concerns about human trafficking, and he spoke about (the southern Italian island of) Lampedusa and migrant workers. And I think we shared very much a concern that the way that the global economy is working right now does not always work in favor of those who are weakest and this needs to be corrected.”