4 Let us love one another; because love is from God and everyone who loves is bom of God and knows God. ^ SUNDAY, MARCH 3 - 10, 2002
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(1 Jn 4:7)
Vol. 52 No. 5
PRESS C O N FER EN C E ON POPE S M ESSA G E FOR LEN T 2002
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On Tuesday 5 February, Pope John Paul’s Message for Lent 2002, was released to the Press, (for text of message see last issue of the Catho lic News).
4 (W h at can each one of us do to change things and to bring hope to our world7 9
On this occasion two presentations were given. The first was delivered by His Excellency Monsignor Paul Josef Cordes, President of the Pontifical Council "Cor Unum"an organization founded by Pope Paul VI in 1971 to disburse funds from the Vatican as a rapid response of the Church to catastropies that might occur around the world. The second presentation was made by Mr Jean Vanier, Founder of the Movement L ’Arche. The movement was founded by him in 1964 to reach out specifically to those with mental handicaps.
Address of Msgr. Cordes In his presentation, Msgr Cordes re called that true to its mandate, the Pontifical Council Cor Unum had, since its inception in 1971, disbursed a total of US$87,510,201 in emer gency relief funds, and recently, the Pope had entrusted the organization with the collection that was made in conjunction with the declared day of fasting on 14 December 2001. As at 31 January 2002, this fund stood at more than 2,000,000 Euros.
Lenten collections should therefore be occasions to give thanks to God precisely because we have receved everything we have from the gener osity of God. This should give rise to a new dimension in almsgiving that rejuvenates our faith.
afflict so many in the world of today can well be occasion for us to go beyond ourselves and to even give of ourselves. Hence, the Holy Father in his message thanks all those in so many parts of the world who give this witness of love.
A mentality of autonomy
Volunteering
It is in this context that the Holy Fa ther mentioned a growing mentality of the autonomy of man, given the tremendous advances of medical and biotechnological sciences which could lead man to think that he can one day become the creator of himself, (a clear reference to genetic sciences) The conviction of autosufficiency would lead one to believe that one does not need anyone else. The situations of misery which
Turning his attention to the subject of volunteers, who precisely give of themselves to others, the President of "Cor Unum" informed his audience that in just one of several instituions of volunteers in Italy there are 650,000 members while a similar or ganization in Spain disburses to the Third World some 40 million US dol lars a year, raised exclusively by vol unteers. The voluneer, he said, was of ex treme importance to the mission of
The role of aid disbursment However, Monsignor Cordes pointed out that "Cor Unum" does not see its role simply as an aid institution. We need, he said, "...more than just bread and a roof." Our attention, he continued must not be limited to the material necessities of mankind. As the Pope had poiinted out in his mes sage, his appeal is not only to the generosity of the faithful towards their brothers and sisters, but he un derlines that generosity must rest on the conviction that we have received so much from God. The traditional
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the Church. Volunteering offers to each one, the possibility of living out in a practical way, the commandment of Jesus to love our neighbour. At the same time, it reinforces the credibility of the Church. The Pope in his message pointed out that the volunteer represents the most eloquent form of evangelization, because, responding to human need he reveals to man the love of God, a provident father always concerned for each one. More than that, pointed out Msgr Cordes, the volunteer travels on the path of educuation for himself as his work helps him to open his eyes to the action of God in society and in history. By way of conclusion and illustration of what he had just pointed out about volunterering, Monsignor Cordes introduced the
second presenter. "We have among us", he said, "one of the great initiators of Catholic volunteeriing in our time, the wellknown Mr Jean Vanier, a Canadian who lives in France, and who in 1964 founded the first group of the move ment L’Arche. Today there are 117 such communities in 29 countries of the w orld." The organization is geared to creating communities where those who suffer from learning disabilities may find community and be integrated with others so that they may have the possiblity of living as independently as possible and discovering God. In his work with the weak, Mr Jean Vanier has gathered thousands of persons in a movement known as "Faith and Light". The witness of his work demonstrates powerfully that charitable work does not have as its end the mere alleviation of human suffering, nor does it completely satisfy anyone. It is above all a journey that discovers God.
Address of Mr Jean Vanier With words that only a truly com m ited person who has discovered God in others, Mr Vanier began his address with a challenge which is addressed to all of us. We quote from the original text.
• Continued on back page
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