HOLY SEE HIGHLIGHTS FOR The First Quater of 2011

Hear are the Highlights of the Papal Activities for the first quarter of this year as releasd by the Vatican Information Service (VIS)

JANUARY

14: Benedict XVI authorises the Congregation for the Causes of Saints to promulgate the decree of the miracle attributed to the intercession of Venerable Servant of God John Paul II (Karol Wojtyla).

15: In accordance with the provisions of the Apostolic Constitution "Anglicanorum coetibus" of Pope Benedict XVI (4 November 2009), the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith erects a Personal Ordinariate within the territory of England and Wales for those groups of Anglican clergy and faithful who have expressed their desire to enter into full visible communion with the Catholic Church. The Decree of Erection specifies that the Ordinariate will be known as the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham and will be placed under the patronage of Blessed John Henry Newman..

24: Presentation of the Holy Father's Message for the forty-fifth World Day of Social Communications, on the theme: "Truth, Proclamation and Authenticity of Life in the Digital Age". The Day is celebrated on 5 June.

24: Benedict XVI receives a group from the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Germany, visiting Rome for the close of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

25: Publication of the Pope's Message for the eighty-fifth World Mission Day, which falls on Sunday 23 October. The theme of the document is: "As the Father has sent me, so I send you".

FEBRUARY

1: Publication of a Message from Benedict XVI to the second Latin-American Continental Congress for Vocations, being held in Cartago, Costa Rica, from 31 January to 5 February.

3: Presentation of Benedict XVI's Message for the nineteenth World Day of the Sick, to be held on 11 February

3: Benedict XVI receives the Letters of Credence of Alfons M. Kloss, the new ambassador of Austria to the Holy See.

10: Publication of the Pope's Message for the forth-eighth World Day of Prayer for Vocations, to be celebrated on 15 May on the theme: "Proposing Vocations in the Local Church".

17: The Holy Father receives in audience Dimitry Medvedev, president of the Russian Federation.

18: Benedict XVI receives a group of prelates from the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines at the end of their "ad limina" visit.

22: Presentation of the 2011 Lenten Message of the Holy Father Benedict XVI, entitled: "You were buried with Him in Baptism, in which you were also raised with Him".

24: The Holy Father receives in audience Michel Sleiman, president of the Republic of Lebanon.

28: The Holy Father receives in audience Jerzey Buzek, president of the European Parliament.

MARCH

1: A new "Law concerning citizenship, residency and access" to Vatican City, promulgated by Benedict XVI on 22 February, Feast of the Chair of St. Peter, comes into effect today.

2: The Holy Father receives in private audience Josette Sheeran, executive director of the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP).

3: The Holy Father receives in audience Sebastian Pinera Echenique, president of the Republic of Chile.

3: Benedict XVI receives a group of prelates from the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines at the end of their "ad limina" visit.

4: The Holy Father receives in audience Olafur Ragnar Grimsson, president of the Republic of Iceland.

10: Presentation of the second volume of Benedict XVI's book on Jesus of Nazareth: "From the Entrance into Jerusalem to the Resurrection".

15: Activation of a new Facebook page concerning John Paul II in view of his beatification, at the address: www.facebook.com/vatican.johnpaul2.

16: Publication of a Message from the Holy Father addressed to Giorgio Napolitano, president of the Italian Republic, for the 150th anniversary of the political unity of Italy, on 17 March.

18: Presentation of the "Courtyard of the Gentiles", an initiative by the Pontifical Council for Culture involving two days of meeting and dialogue between believers and non-believers in Paris, France, on 24 and 25 March.

20: Benedict XVI makes a pastoral visit to the Roman parish of St. Corbinian, where he celebrates Mass and consecrates the new church.

25: Benedict XVI receives prelates of the Syro-Malankar Church, who have just completed their five-yearly "ad limina" visit.

25: The Pope grants the "Ecclesiastica Communio" requested of him in accordance with canon 76 para. 2 of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches by His Beatitude Bechara Rai, canonically elected as Patriarch of Antioch of the Maronites by the Synod of Bishops of the Maronite Church meeting in Bkerke, Lebanon, on 15 March.

27: Benedict XVI visits Rome's "Fosse Ardeatine" to commemorate the 335 victims executed there in 1944 by German occupying forces in Rome, in
reprisal for a bomb attack which had left thirty-three Germans dead.

28: The Holy Father receives in audience His Beatitude Chrysostomos II, archbishop of New Justiniana and All Cyprus, primate of the Orthodox Church of Cyprus, accompanied by Fr. Demosthenis Demosthenous and by Ioannis Charilaou.


Source:

V.I.S. -Vatican Information Service