NUNTIA – APRIL 2005
“HABEMUS PAPAM!”
35. Holy See
Habemus Papam! A humble, simple man of deep conviction. The life of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, now Pope Benedict XVI, was marked by world wars and by the Nazi persecution. He was born on 16 April 1927 in Martkl am Inn (Germany). He was the youngest of three children, son of Joseph and Maria. His family, out of necessity, moved several times to different cities. In 1933, Hitler rose to power. Cardinal Ratzinger experienced the Nazi persecution against Catholics. He made his First Communion in 1935. In 1937, he and his family moved to Hufschlang (outside Traunstein), where he spent his adolescence. There he began his studies in classical languages. In 1939, he entered the minor seminary in Traunstein. In 1943, he was recruited into the Flak (antiaircraft squadron) in Munich. He experienced firsthand the aerial attacks against the city. In 1945, he deserted the army. He was taken by the Americans for several months. Cardinal Ratzinger entered the seminary of Freising. In 1947, he began to study theology in Munich. On 29 June 1951, the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, he was ordained a priest together with his brother. He was sent to Precious Blood Parish in Munich. In 1952, he began giving classes in the seminary. In 1956, he met Karl Rahner. In 1957, he received a doctorate with a thesis entitled: The People and House of God in St. Augustine’s doctrine of the Church. After teaching dogmatic and fundamental theology in the Higher School of Philosophy and Theology in Freising, he continued his teaching activity in Bonn, from 1959-1963; in Münster, from 1963-1966; and in Tubinga, from 1966-1969. In this last year, he went to being professor of dogmatic theology and history of dogma in the University of Regensburg. From 1962-1965 he made a contribution to the Vatican Council as an “expert”; he went as a theological consultor of Cardinal Joseph Frings, Archbishop of Cologne. His intense scientific activity led him to carry out important responsibilities at the service of the German Episcopal Conference and on the International Theological Commission. In 1972, together with Hans Urs von Balthasar, Henri de Lubac and other theologians, he began the magazine “Communio.” On 24 March 1977, he was named Archbishop of Munich and Freising by Pope Paul VI, and he received episcopal ordination on 28 May. He chose as his episcopal motto: Cooperatores veritates (Collaborators of the truth). Paul VI created him Cardinal in the Consistory of 27 June of that year. John Paul II named him, on 25 November 1981, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and President of the Pontifical Biblical Commission and of the Pontifical International Theological Commission. He was president of the commission for the preparation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Among his numerous publications, several books stand out: Introduction to Christianity (1968); Dogma and Preaching (1973); Ratzinger Report: An Exclusive Interview on the State of the Church (1985); Salt of the Earth (1996), among others. In November 2002, the Pope approved his election as Dean of the College of Cardinals. In the Roman Curia, until the death of John Paul II, he was a member of the Council of the Secretariat of State for Relations with States; of the Congregations for Oriental Churches, Divine Worship and the Sacraments, Bishops, Evangelization of Peoples, Catholic Education, as well as the Pontifical Councils for Christian Unity and Culture; and of the Commissions for Latin America and Ecclesia Dei. He was elected Pope on 19 April 2005, becoming Pontiff number 265, successor to John Paul II. He chose the name Benedict XVI. On 24 April, 5th Sunday of Easter, he began his ministry as Bishop of Rome and Pastor of the Universal Church.
36. Curia General
Visit to the family in the United States. From 29 March-12 April, the Superior General traveled to Kingsville, Maryland to accompany his mother, Mrs. Jeanne Gay, who was seriously ill. His family, friends and neighbors came to the Eucharistic celebrations he presided. They were days when the love and deep faith of the family were felt in the midst of the pain of illness.
Australia. The Superior General participated in the meeting of the Asia-Pacific Visitors’ Conference (APVC) from 19-23 April in Sydney. Six Visitors met, and from the General Curia, Fr. José Antonio Ubillús, C.M., Assistant General for the Missions, Fr. Gérard Du Tran Cong, C.M., Assistant General and Fr. Manuel Ginete, C.M., Delegate of the Superior General for the Vincentian Family, assisted.
Piacenza and Florence. On 27 April the Superior General traveled, together with Fr. Mario Di Carlo, to Piacenza. At the Collegio Alberoni he participated in a meeting of young priests of the Province of Rome, met with the members of the community, the students of the Congregation, and celebrated with the formators and diocesan seminarians. He visited the Board of Trustees of the “Opera Pia Alberoni,” whose members are named by the Superior General. Later he visited the confreres and sisters of Bologna and, on 1 May, took part in the Marian Day organized by the Vincentian Family of Siena, which concluded with a musical show dedicated to St. Vincent with the participation of more than 1000 people.
Visit of the confreres. Three confreres who are participating in the Vincentian Session of CIF visited the General Curia from 3-10 April. They were Frs. Luis H. Gil, C.M., Johnier F. Rojas, C.M. (Province of Colombia) and Fr. Osvaldo Ayala Caballero, C.M. (Province of USA-Eastern). Fr. John E. Rybolt (USA-Midwest) was also here from 20 March-18 April, gathering information for his Vincentian research.
New Secretary in the Curia. Sr. Marie Claire Narainen, DC is the new member of the General Secretariat in the General Curia in Rome, for the French language. She was born on the Island of Mauritius. She worked for eight years in the General Secretariat of the Daughters of Charity in Paris. Welcome, Sr. Marie Claire!
Assistant General for the Missions. From 5-9 April, Fr. José Antonio Ubillús, C.M., Assistant for the Missions, participated in the COVIAM Assembly (Conference of Visitors of Africa and Madagascar) in Nairobi, Kenya. Fr. Ubillús brought back excellent impressions of this meeting for its good organization, for the serious work that was accomplished and for the atmosphere of fraternity, joy and hope.
Work Tool for Provincial Archivists. Fr. Rolando S. DelaGoza, C.M., Procurator General of the CM to the Holy See, has made public, through the Vincentian Family website, the “Manual for Provincial Archivists of the C.M.” which contains four chapters and five appendices. It is a valuable tool for confrere Archivists.
37. CONFERENCES OF VISITORS
APVC
Annual Meeting. From 18-22 April, the Asia-Pacific Conference of Visitors (APVC) of the Congregation of the Mission met at McKillop Place, in Sydney. Participating were the Superior General, Fr. Gregory Gay, C.M., the Assistant for the Missions, Fr. José Antonio Ubillús, C.M. and the Assistant for the Asia region, Fr. Gérard Du Tran Cong, C.M. with all the Visitors of the Asia-Pacific Region. The Visitors of the Region were Fr. John Wang, C.M. (China), Fr. Marcelo Manintim, C.M. (Philippines), Fr. Jose Aikara, C.M. (South India), Fr. Mathew Kallammakal, C.M. (North India), Fr. Antonius Sad Budianto, C.M. (Indonesia) and Fr. Gregory Cooney, C.M. (Australia). Also present was Fr. Manuel Ginete, C.M., Executive Secretary of APVC and Delegate of the Superior General for the Vincentian Family. The following points were on the agenda: reports by each province on the programs and activities of 2004 and the plans for 2005; reports on the Programs of Formation, Charism and Culture, Theological Forum, the Vincentian Centre of Asia Pacific and the APVC Website; topics for the Ongoing Formation of the members of APVC; the Postulates of the 2004 General Assembly concerning the relations between Christianity and Islam. The meeting next year will be in the Philippines.
CEVIM
In the land of St. Ambrose of Milan and Karl Marx. The Conference of Visitors of Europe and the Middle East (CEVIM) met from 7-13 April in Trier, Germany. Its objective was to seek procedures to give itself greater dynamism and organization. The participants worked on its identity, on a new Statute. Its new president is Fr. Corpus Delgado (Visitor of Zaragoza), Vice-president Fr. Stanislav Zonták (Visitor of Slovakia), and confirmed still as Secretary Fr. Giuseppe Turati (Turin). They also discussed various topics: relation with Islam, set out by Fr. Franz Kangler (Austria); the recommendations of the 2004 General Assembly. Collaborating in the meeting were the three young theological students (Andreas Müller, Mirko Wittich and Christian Rolke). The next meeting, in the second week of April 2006, will be in Istanbul (Turkey), where the Province of Austria has a community.
COVIAM
Being Vincentians in Africa. The Conference of Visitors of Africa and Madagascar met in the Formation House of the confreres of Nairobi (Kenya) recently. Representing the Superior General was Fr. José Antonio Ubillús, C.M., Assistant General for the Missions. The 12 confrere-superiors of COVIAM shared their experiences in order to see together how to develop the Mission in Africa. The topics studied at the heart of their discussions were above all formation and collaboration among the Provinces, the General Curia and COVIAM. It was decided that the formation of formators will take place during the coming month of July in Nairobi. During the meeting the new house was blessed. The next meeting will be in Madagascar.
38. Slovakia
Prisoner and pioneer in the Province. On 2 April, Fr. _tefan Kri_tin, C.M. died at the age of 95. He was a faithful confrere. He suffered various persecutions during the Communist period. He spent many years in prison, where he helped his companions. Cardinal Ján Chryzostom Korec, S.J, Archbishop of Nitra, visited him before his death and thanked him for his witness of fidelity and strength in his experience as a prisoner under the Communist system. “After being freed, wrote Fr. Stanislav Zonták, Visitor, “he always worked in the Lord’s vineyard. He gathered together the first confreres secretly and worked at their formation. He was always a living example of faith and generosity for everyone…. He died serenely and full of confidence in God.”
39. Nigeria
Young Confreres’ Seminar. The confreres of the Vice-Province of Nigeria ordained less than ten years had a seminar from 11-13 April, organized by the Ongoing Formation Committee. The seminar centered on the challenges of the apostolate and community living. The facilitators were Fr. Nicodemus Ugwu, O.P. and Fr. Ralph Egwu, Rector of the Diocesan Seminary in Enugu. While Fr. Nick explored the experiences of the apostolate with a view to seeing the importance of community and being more effective missionaries, Fr. Ralph insisted on the importance of prayer in priestly ministry. A panel of three lay faithful shared its expectation with regard to the Catholic priesthood. The seminar concluded with a social gathering on the evening of the second day. It was indeed another refreshing opportunity for the confreres, who at the end of the day left to continue their work of evangelization.
40. Poland
35th Anniversary of Episcopal Ordination. The Province of Poland celebrated the 35th anniversary of Episcopal Ordination of Msgr. Albin Ma_ysiak, C.M. He was born on 12 June 1917. He entered the Congregation in 1935. He was ordained a priest in 1941 in Kraków. On 14 January 1970, he was named Auxiliary Bishop of Kraków by Pope Paul VI. On 5 April 1970 he was ordained bishop by Cardinal Karol Wojty_a, Archbishop of Kraków. The main feast to commemorate this anniversary took place on 26 April 2005 in our seminary in Kraków. In the evening, in the church dedicated to the Conversion of St. Paul (the church of our seminary), there was a solemn Mass presided by Msgr. Albin Ma_ysiak, C.M., who also gave the homily. Along with this feast another anniversary was also celebrated: the 25 years of priesthood of five confreres ordained precisely on 26 April 1980. They concelebrated the Eucharist together with Fr. Arkadiusz Zark_ta, Visitor, and other confreres of the Provincial House and other houses of Kraków.
41. USA-Western
Multiple Evangelization Services. During 2004 more than 31.300 people attended programs at De Paul Evangelization Center. Among the weekend groups are the Spanish and English Engaged Encounter, Evangelization, Confirmation and grade school retreats, three formation programs for deacons, Filipino Marriage and Spirituality Foundation, various Spanish, English, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean prayer groups, and the Vincentian Service Corps. During the week they welcome two Spanish Cursillo prayer groups, six AA/NA (Alcoholics Anonymous/Narcotics Anonymous) group meetings, various basketball teams (gym use) from local parishes and YMCA (Young Men’s Christian Association), Confirmation retreats, the Montebello Unified School District and our own Vincentian gatherings. In 2004, the Center received a grant from the Carrie Estelle Doheny Foundation to expand the women’s restroom facilities. It is very grateful to the Doheny Foundation for the support of this important improvement.
42. VINCENTIAN FAMILY
Formation Day in Argentina. The Vincentian Family in Argentina organized a Formation Day for the members of the principal branches of the Vincentian Family in Argentina. “We must motivate the presence of the members of these groups in order to believe in unity and in knowledge and exchanges to be better instruments in our mission of evangelizing and caring for the poor.” Frs. Gustavo, Fabián and José Luis and the deacon Cayo, in charge of the provincial team of the Vincentian Family in Argentina, will be the animators of the meeting of those who coordinate future activities.
Regional Formation School in Fortaleza. The Regional Vincentian Family inaugurated, on 9 April, the first unit of the Vincentian Formation School in the Center of Unity of the Vincentian Family. One hundred per-sons participated (members of the C.M., of the Daughters of Charity, Vincentian seminarians, Religious of St. Vincent, members of the SSVP, of the AIC, of the Louise de Marillac, of JMV and of other branches). The objective is to provide greater integration and knowledge among the members of the Vincentian Family, through deepening studies, having in view the capacity for works of evangelization among the poor. The course will be given in four units, of three days each. “I call to attention,” wrote Fr. Fernando Barbosa, C.M., “the expressive participation of young lay people. They always want to know more of St. Vincent’s ideas for the Church and for the world.” Fr. Silvio Batista Mitozo, C.M., wrote saying that “we have the opportunity to know better the importance of working through the development of projects in favor of the poor.”
The Vincentian Family in Mexico in Numbers. Based on the latest statistics that the National Councils have provided, the Vincentian Family in Mexico has the following number of members: AIC: 2.097 volunteers; CM: 88 confreres; DC: 188 sisters; SSVP: 508 members; JMV: 3.298 members; AMM: 675 associates; MISEVI: 6 members in formation. That is a total of 6.860 members of the Vincentian Family.
Seminar on Vincentian Spirituality in Venezuela. The National Council of the Vincentian Family (CONFAVI) of Venezuela organized a Seminar on Vincentian Spirituality from 15-17 April in the Vincentian Pastoral Center (CEVIPAS). Around 40 lay Vincentians, belonging to different branches of the Vincentian Family participated. The workshop had a double objective: First, to give a general view of Vincentian Spirituality and persons; second, to prepare and animate the participants so that, later, they will transmit the contents of the workshop to other lay Vincentians in their respective work zones. The methodology used was varied (talks, presentation with Power-Point, work groups, personal reading, sharing written work personally, plenary session for sharing and clarification, discussion in groups, etc.).
International Association of
Charities
New International President. The International Association of Charities elected, at its International Assembly of Delegates, Mrs. Marina Costa as International President and Mrs. Patricia de Nava as representative of AIC for the Vincentian Family. The International Assembly was held on 11-12 February in Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic).
Vincentian Marian Youth
Second General Assembly. JMV continues preparing the Second General Assembly, which will take place from 7-13 August in the Motherhouse of the Daughters of Charity (Paris), when 180 participants from 48 countries will gather. Almost all the provinces have received positively the invitation, and a sign of this is the presence of 33 missionaries and 36 sisters from different countries, accompanying the youth to this meeting. In these months, many countries have requested approval of their National Statutes, in order to be able to participate as members with full rights (Nigeria, Eritrea, India, Taiwan, Central Africa, Togo, Angola, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and the United States). The members of the Council and the International Secretariat and two lay members for each National Association, accompanied by the National priest and sister Advisors will assist at the Assembly. Its fundamental task will be to elect the new International President, four lay members of the International Council, approve the financial report for the five-year period which is ending, and propose lines of action for the coming years. On the night of the 13th, 100 of the Assembly participants will travel by bus to Germany in order to participate in the 20th World Youth Day.
20th World Youth Day. Pope Benedict XVI has confirmed his participation in Cologne, in order to meet the young of the entire world for the first time. Our Vincentian Family has organized the Third International Meeting of Young Vincentians in order to continue the journey begun in Rome in 2000 and in Toronto in 2002. Approximately 500 young people from different branches of our Family — especially from JMV — will live together for five days, participating in all the activities proposed: Opening Mass, Catechesis and celebrations, pilgrimage to the Cathedral of Cologne, youth festivals, Prayer Vigil and Sunday Mass with the Pope. The Superior General and Fr. Manuel Ginete will also assist at the entire meeting. The Young Vincentians will hold their own Youth Festival on the evening of 19 August in the Parish of St. Margaret in Düsseldorf, with the theme: With Mary we come to adore you in the poor. It is an event open to anyone from the JMV who wishes to participate. There will be simultaneous interpretation in English, French, Spanish and German. If some numerous delegations is going to Cologne on its own and wishes to assist at the Festival, we would be grateful if it would get in contact with Ana Maria Escaño (amescano@telefonica.net) or with the International Secretariat of JMV (secinterjmv@telefonica.net).
******
APPOINTMENTS
THOTTAMKARA Varghese 15-04-2005 Procurator General – Archivist General
GIRMAY Abraha 15-04-2005 Director DC – Ethiopia
CABALLERO III Amado 15-04-2005 Director DC – Japan
_UCYSZYN Józef 15-04-2005 Visitor – Hungary
_UNGEL Bohumír 27-04-2005 Director DC – Slovakia
VOWS
SOTO DEL CARMEN Leocadio Por 10-02-2005
PRIESTLY ORDINATIONS
RAPHAEL Verlux Por 02-04-2005
DOMOND Osner Por 02-04-2005
BREMAUD Pascal Par 05-05-2005
NECROLOGIUM
NOMEN COND DIES OB PROV AET VOC
COCOYNACQ Max Sac 01-04-2005 Tol 71-52
KRI_TÍN _tefan Sac 02-04-2005 Slk 95-72
CHECCONI Giocondo Sac 10-04-2005 Rm 97-79
JIMÉNEZ ANTONIO Vicente Sac 16-04-2005 Cae 88-58
CONTE Giacomo Sac 17-04-2005 Nea 101-83
SYMES Joseph J. Sac 22-04-2005 Orl 81-61
CONLON Leo Sac 28-04-2005 Aul 84-67
GEORGE Bab Fra 29-04-2005 Aet 34-05
KIZHARAM Joseph Sac 11-05-2005 InM 75-52
******
Silver Jubilee of Priesthood of the Superior General
Fr. G. Gregory Gay, Superior General, will celebrate his Silver Jubilee of priesthood. Fr. Gregory was ordained a priest on 24 May 1980, at Mary Immaculate Seminary in Northampton, Pennsylvania, by Msgr. Joseph McShea, Bishop of Allentown. We unite with his family, his friends, the Church and the entire Vincentian Family in thanksgiving for the fruitful priesthood of Fr. Gregory. Congratulations! May God bless and enlighten you always!
