PASTORAL VISIT TO NAPLES, October 21, 2007


Just consolidating previous posts about the Naples trip here.

8/29/2007 11:02 PM
TERESA BENEDETTA
Post: 9037



POPE TO MEET BARTHOLOMEW-I,
OTHER RELIGIOUS LEADERS IN NAPLES
BUT HE WILL NOT BE AT THE INTER-RELIGIOUS PRAYER


Here is a news update translated from PETRUS today about the Holy Father's pastoral visit to Naples on October 21, a Sunday:


Pope Benedict VXI will meet other religious leaders, including Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I and Metropolitan Kirill from the patriarchate of Moscow, when he goes to Naples on October 21.


Cardinal Sepe with the Pope in a recent visit.

Cardinal Cresencio Sepe, Archbishop of Naples, confirmed this today in an interview with Vatican Radio.

The Pope's pastoral visit to southern Italy's largest city coincides with the annual Inter-Religious Prayer Meeting for Peace sponsored by the Sant'Egidio community in a different city every year. It begins on Sunday, October 21, and will go on for two more days.

The meeting is patterned after the first Assisi inter-religious prayer meeting in 1987, but without the participation of the Pope. (Pope John Paul, whose original idea it was, took part in 1987 and 2000, which was also held in Assisi.]

Cardinal Sepe said the Pope would meet with the leaders of Christian churches and other religions after the Mass at the city's Piazza del Plebiscito.

"The Holy Father will arrive in Naples around 9:30 a.m., and after being greeted at the port by civil and religious authorities, he will proceed directly to the Piazza for the 10 o'clock Mass, which will be concelebrated with the cardinals and bishops of the region as well as visiting prelates. After the Mass, the pope will also lead the recital of the Angelus. He will then proceed to the Major Seminary at Capodimonte for a meeting and lunch with the heads of all the delegations to the Inter-Religious Meeting," Sepe said.

Other ranking Christian leaders expected, according to the Cardinal, are the Archbishop of Cyprus, the Patriarch of the Armenian Church and other ranking Orthodox Patriarchs.

After a brief rest, the Pope will venerate the remains of San Gennaro (St. Januarius), patron saint of Naples, at the Cathedral of Naples, then return to Rome at 5 p.m.


8/30/2007 6:13 PM
TERESA BENEDETTA
Post: 9050


A few more details about the Naples visit today from the Naples newspaper Il Mattino) which also published a locational diagram of the Pope's 8-hour stay in Naples:


Pope will pay homage
to Naples's patron saint
By PIETRO TRECCAGNOLI






Benedict XVI will say private prayers at the Chapel of the Treasury of San Gennaro in the Cathedral of Naples in the last event of his 8-hour visit to Naples on October 21.

In 1990, on a similar pastoral visit to Naples, John XXII also paid a similar private homage to the patron saint of Naples. And it is expected that, as with his predecessor, the vials containing the saint's miraculous blood will certainly be shown to Benedict.

When the Orthodox Archbishop Chrysostomos II of Cyprus visited Naples earlier this year, the blood - which normally 'liquefies' twice a year on the saint's feast days - reportedly liquefied.

[About the miracle of San Gennaro's blood, read stories, with pictures, posted in REFLECTIONS ON OUR FAITH... a few months back.]

[The story reiterates the program described by Cardinal Sepe yesterday, then adds more information about who will be at the noonday meeting and lunch with the Pope at the Major Seminary of Naples:

Some 200,000 people are expected to be at the Papal Mass to be concelebrated at the Piazza del Plebiscito at mid-morning.

At least three foreign heads of state will be present, as participants in the Sant'Egidio-sponsored annual Inter-Religious Meeting for Peace: Rafael Correa Delgado, president of Ecuador; Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete, president of Tanzania, and Michaëlle Jean, the Canadian governor-general; along with Italian president Giorgio Napolitano, who is a Neapolitan.

Cardinal Cresencio Sepe, archbishop of Naples, was asked 'which Naples' would the Pope see?

He said: "I will present to His Holiness Naples as it is and as we life it daily, made of so many beautiful things, such potential and a marvelo0us will to improve, but also the Naples of the problems that are evident to all."

Sepe calls on his flock that "Today, there is a categorical imperative for everyone and for the Church to renew oneself to assure a better quality of life."

He recalls the words of John Paul II to Naples 17 years ago: "The true danger for Naples is resignation, pessimism, closing your eyes and just letting things go on as they are. We should adopt Papa Wojtyla's words as our own: 'Let us rebuild our hopes.'"

Three hundred leaders of various confessions (Christian, Muslim, Jewish and Buddhist) will be taking part in Sant'Egidio's three-day inter-religious meeting, which marks its 21st year and has been held in different cities around the world every year.

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I will be conferred an honorary degree by the Oriental University of Naples and will be visiting nearby Amalfi to pray at the tomb of St. Andrew, patron saint of the Orthodox Church.

Metropolitan Kyrill of the Patriarchate of Moscow will be assigned a church where he can celebrate the Russian Orthodox rite for his flock.

Two more leading personalities added to the list of visiting religious leaders are the Grand Mufti of Lebanon, Raschid Kobbani, and the chief Ashknezai rabbi of Israel, Yona Metzger.

Il Mattino, 30 agosto 2007

PASTORAL VISIT TO NAPLES, October 21, 2007


Posted 10/15/07 in NEWS ABOUT BENEDICT:

Cardinal Sepe:
'The Pope's visit will instill
courage in our city and inspire
a humanly focused ministry



NAPLES, Oct. 15 (ZENIT.org) - The visit of Pope Benedict XVI to Naples will serve to rid its citizens of a sense of confusion about their many social problems and re-launch a ministry centered on the human being, according to Cardinal Cresencio Sepe, Archbishop of Naples.

At his invitation, the Pope will be visiting Naples on Sunday, Oct. 21, when the Church marks World Mission Day. It also coincides with the opening of the 3-day XXI World Inter-Religious Encounter for Peace sponsored by the Sant'Egidio Community.

Some 300 leaders and representatives of the world's religions coming from around 70 countries, will be taking part in round-table discussions and other activities in carrying forward an initiative begun by Pope John Paul II in Assisi back in 1986.

"The presence of Benedict XVI, his encouragement, will help us to transform our potential into energy, to identify an original course of action to which we can entrust the future of our city," Cardinal Sepe said in an interview published by Osservatore Romano on October 14.

The Cardinal singled out the Pope's visit on Sunday afternoon to the Chapel of San Gennaro in the Cathedral of Naples where he will pray before the remains of the martyr patron saint of the city.

Neapolitans have a particularly fervent cult for San Gennaro, and Cardinal Sepe said the Pope's visit is seen as "an act of homage to the history of faith and popular devotion among our people."

Spiritual preparations for the Papal visit have included weekly meetings held in the parishes for Biblical catechesis on the Petrine primacy and the communion of the Church with the Vicar of Christ on earth.

Cardinal Sepe said that chief among the pastoral objectives for the trip is to deepen 'the pastoral forms of our faith with a ministry that is centered on the individual human being."

It will be a unique missionary occasion of signal importance...for large-scale evangelization in order to stem so many of our actual problems: unemployment and 'black labor', organized crime which is conditioning business activities in the city, even the exaggerated individual and family approach to combatting the illegal practices that are widespread at all levels."

Parishes have paid special attention to preparing the youth for the papal visit, and Cardinal Sepe underscored the urgency of giving young people the right "human and spiritual education".

The diocese has a project to set up a youth chapel in every parish and to cooperate with businesses to establish computer training centers in the city's poorest districts.

"The youth are our future and they could reap the most spiritually from Pope Benedict's visit," he said.

The Diocese will sponsor a prayer vigil with songs, music and testimonies of faith and Christian living on the eve of the Papal visit. Called "From one piazza to another ... I announce the gospel", it will be held at the Church of Saints Peter and Paul in the suburb of Ponticelli.

As for the social problems that have always plagued Naples, Cardinal Sepe denounced, as he has often done, those who use arms to kill and impose their will, revealing "their tragic impotence, their inability to achieve anything on their own, using their own honest efforts".

Named Archbishop of Naples a year ago, he recalls having entered the Diocese to take possession, through the Scampia district, one of the city's most problematic areas, scene of frequent blood feuds among various factions of organized crime [Camorra, to use the Naples term]. It was intended, he said, "to launch a signal of hope, clear and unequivocal, to help overcome every possible form of discouragement among the citizens."

At the same time, he said, he also wished to inspire "the conditions necessary to rescue and revitalize the district, enabling it to marshal its energies and resources - often unexpressed or muffled - but which constitute the true spirit of Neapolitans."

In this context, the diocese has launched projects to tend to the problems of minors at risk, immigrants, prison inmates, the unemployed, the homeless, and the aged.

Cardinal Sepe also cited special projects like a unit devoted to children stricken by leukemia, set up at in the pediatrics department of the Santobono-Pausillipon hospital. This was begun with proceeds from the auction of all the gifts received by Cardinal Sepe during his episcopate, which included a long term as Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.

Likewise, because of that background, the Cardinal has been raising funds for an institution that takes care of children afflicted with AIDS in Chiengmai, Thailand.

The cardinal hopes that the Papal visit will inspire a citywide commitment "to act and be personally involved in transforming reality in a city like Naples which has immense resources that have been dormant."

"We cannot be condemned to pessimism and violence. Naples will launch the message of peace [from the World Inter-Religious Encounter] to the world even as we seek to project a new image of the city."

Finally, Cardinal Sepe said, "We hope to take from Benedict XVI's teaching new hope for the city...so we may not disperse our energies and not allow ourselves to be mired in disorientation, confusion and pessimism, and instead assume together the responsibility for creating a better future."

PASTORAL VISIT TO NAPLES, October 21, 2007



PASTORAL VISIT TO NAPLES
OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI
Sunday, Oct. 21, 2007

PROGRAM


08.15 Depart by helicopter for Naples.

09.15 Arrival at the Maritime Station of the Port of Naples.
Travel by Popemobile to Piazza del Plebiscito.

09.45 Arrival at Piazza del Plebiscito.

10.00 EUCHARISTIC CONCELEBRATION
- Homily by the Holy Father.
RECITAL OF THE ANGELUS
- Message by the Pope.

12.15 Travel by Popemobile from Piazza del Plebiscito
to the Archdiocesan Seminary in Capodimonte.

13.00 MEETING WITH THE HEADS OF DELEGATIONS participating in the World Encounter for Peace
Great Hall of the Seminary.
- Greeting by the Holy Father.

13.30 Luncheon at the Seminary with Cardinals, the bishops of Campania, participants of the World Encounter,
and the Pope's entourage

16.00 Travel by Popemobile from Capodimonte to the Cathedral of NAples.

16.30 ADORATION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT
and VENERATION OF SAN GENNARO'S RELICS
Cathedral of Naples

17.00 Travel by Popemobile from the Cathedral to the Maritime Station in the Port of Naples.

17.30 Departure by helicopter to return to the Vatican.

18.30 Arrival at Vatican heliport.

PASTORAL VISIT TO NAPLES, October 21, 2007



Naples (Italian: Napoli, Neapolitan: Nàpule) is the capital city of the Campania region and the Province of Naples. Its ancient name was Neapolis, that is "new city".



Its metropolitan area is the second most populated in Italy and one of the largest in Europe. It is located halfway between the volcano, Vesuvius and a separate volcanic area, the Campi Flegrei, both of which form part of the Campanian volcanic arc.

The city itself in the central area has a population of around 1 million, the inhabitants are known as Neapolitans, (Italian: napoletani) or poetically partenopei. It is rich in historical, artistic and cultural traditions and gastronomy. The Neapolitan language is the geographically most diffuse Italian language, similar variations of the Neapolitan dialect ('o napulitano) are spoken throughout most of Southern Italy.


HISTORY
Between 1266 and 1861, Naples was the capital town of the Kingdom of Naples (later of the Two Sicilies), usually simply indicated as "the Kingdom", other Italian states having different denominations. This history, coupled with its size, has given Naples the unofficial status of being the capital of the Italian South (Mezzogiorno).

Naples is an ancient city: its origins date back to the 9th Century B.C. when the city of Parthenope [hence, the adjective 'parthenopean' sometimes used to refer to Naples] was founded on the site where Castel dell'Ovo now stands.


Castell dell'Ovo

In the 6th century B.C., this city was abandoned and was given the name of "Palepolis" (old city) and the new city of "Neapolis" was founded next to it. Its name means exactly that, new city.

Under the rule of the Roman Empire, the city of Naples enjoyed economic and cultural prosperity. The area became popular for holidays due to its beautiful coastline. Luxury thermal spas sprung up around Naples which became famous throughout the empire and which attracted politicians and intellectuals such as Cicero and Virgil.

During the period of Roman domination, the town preserved its Greek language and customs. Following the Roman period, the city was dominated by many different groups of people (Goths, Byzantines, Lombards, Normans, Swabians, Angevins, Aragonese, Spaniards, Austrians, Bourbons and revolutionary French).

Nowadays one can see the traces of all those rulers in the monuments, in the culture and in the habits of the town. No other city in Italy has been under such a variety of rulers over long periods of time.

After the fall of the Roman Empire, Naples became an independent Duchy of Byzantium (763 A.D.), and was an essential part of the conservation of Byzantine dominion in Italy. This autonomous state under Byzantium lasted for almost four centuries, during which the city of Naples developed its economic and cultural affairs even further.

In 1140 Naples was acquired by the Normans, and after a brief rule by the Kingdom of Sicily, the city would be turned over to the Hohenstaufen dynasty in 1189. Frederick II, Holy Roman Emperor and King of Sicily, founded the university there in 1224. The city's intellectual heritage remains prevalent today.

Conflict between the Hohenstaufen house and the Papacy led in 1266 to Sicily's conquest by Charles I, Duke of Anjou. Given the Pope's encouragement, Charles, who was the King of Sicily, put an end to the Hohenstaufen Kingdom's rule of Naples and relocated his capital from Palermo to Naples.

Under the authority of Anjou, Naples would undergo massive transformation as many of the public works systems were improved. Trade and industrialization would also increase greatly leading the city of Naples to prosper over the next 200 years. Arts and intellect continued to flourish throughout the city as well.


Castel Nuovo

During Angevin leadership construction began on the Castel Nuovo and several other Gothic churches and structures were erected throughout the city.

The Kingdom of Naples was ruled by the Angevins the successful siege of the city in 1443 by Alfonso V of Aragon (Spain), who was already King of Sicily, thus forcibly uniting two kingdoms. whose siege of Naples ended in triumph February 26, 1443.

But Alfonso divided the kingdoms after his rule. He passed Naples to his son Ferdinand I of Naples, who ruled from 1458 to 1494, and Aragon and Sicily to Alfonso's brother John II of Aragon.

From 1494 to 1503 successive kings of France Charles VIII and Louis XII, who were heirs of Angevins, attempted to conquer Naples but failed, so the Kingdom was definitely reunited to Aragon.

Under Aragon rule, during the 16th century, Naples enjoyed its most flourishing era of artistic and cultural splendor: churches and monuments were built and the city became a central meeting point for many foreign artists.

Don Pedro Alvarez of Toledo (1532 to 1553) widened the city walls again, increasing the city’s surface area by a third. With the Rennaissance following, the city witnessed the development of some grand buildings, many of which still stand today.

Naples was held by the Aragonese kings until 1516, followed by the Kings of Spain until 1707. The Spaniards became extremely dictatorial and in 1647 there was even an unsuccessful popular uprising.

From 1707 to 1734 the city came under the rule of the mighty Hapsburg Empire, then embodying the Holy Roman Empire, but they could not hold on to this important maritime centre.

The Neapolitans had been blighted by the epidemic of 1691, and the city’s fortunes declined until Charles III of Bourbon attacked Naples and succeeded the Hapsburgs in 1734. He became Charles VII of Naples and Sicily.

The first institution imposed by the new monarch was to tax the property of the Church. This would provide additional resources for the Treasury, these resources would be used to seriously renovate the city's infrastructure.

From the mountains to the sea there would be a total overhaul of roads and bridges, continued expansion and the introduction of major architectural projects including the Teatro San Carlo, the Royal Palace at Capodimonte and the Church of Our Lady of the Annunciation.

In 1806, Napoleon gave the throne of the Kingdom of Naples to his brother Giuseppe Bonaparte, and thus started a second brief French period for the city (until 1815).

After the Congress of Vienna Naples became the capital of the united Kingdom of Two Sicilies back under the Bourbons, whose rule ended a few years later when Garibaldi entered the city in 1860. A plebiscite decided that the city of Naples should be annexed to the Kingdom of Piedmont, which then became the Kingdom of Italy in 1870.

This history, coupled with its size, has given Naples the unofficial status of being the capital of the Italian South (Mezzogiorno).

Naples, however, went into a long period of decline following the creation of the Italian State in the 1860s, but the city is making strides in recovering its eminence as a centre for culture.


THE CITY TODAY
Nevertheless, it is the largest and most prosperous city in Southern Italy and one of the largest cities in Italy, with a population of 1,000,449. It has a greater metropolitan population of 3,085,447 (other estimates include up to 4.2 million inhabitants in the metropolitan area).

In 1995 the Historic Centre of Naples was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Although Naples is one of the most beautiful cities in Europe and rich in history and monuments, it is sometimes overlooked by mass tourism and is, strangely, less visited than other Italian cities.


CLIMATE
Naples enjoys a typical Mediterranean climate with mild, wet winters and warm to hot, dry summers.

The mild climate and the geographical and morphologic richness of the bay of Naples made it famous during Roman times when emperors chose the city as a favourite holiday location.


LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
Today, it is a great starting point for one of the most rewarding and beautiful tourist itineraries imaginable, not just in Italy but in the whole world. Naples itself, some 190 km south, is a pleasant 3-hour drive or train ride from Rome.

The following may be visited within a radius of not more than a 2-hour drive or ferry ride from Naples:

- The islands of Procida, (famously used as the set for much of the film Il Postino), Capri and Ischia can all be reached quickly by hydrofoils and ferries.

- Sorrento and the Amalfi Coast - possibly Italy's most scenic area, though some might prefer the Alpine lake regions of northern Italy - are situated south of Naples.

- The Roman ruins of Pompeii, Herculaneum and Stabiae(destroyed in the 79 AD eruption of Vesuvius) are also nearby, as well as the pre-Christian Greek ruins in Paestum.

As well, Naples is near the volcanic area known as the Campi Flegrei and the port towns of Pozzuoli and Baia, which were part of the vast Roman naval facility, Portus Julius.


PEOPLE AND LANGUAGE
The city itself in the central area has a population of around 1 million, the inhabitants are known as Neapolitans, (Italian: napoletani) or poetically partenopei. It is rich in historical, artistic and cultural traditions and gastronomy.

The Neapolitan language is the geographically most diffuse Italian language, similar variations of the Neapolitan dialect ('o napulitano) are spoken throughout most of Southern Italy.

Unlike many Northern Italian cities where immigrants make up a large segment, there are fewer immigrants in Naples. In 2004, there were a total of 40,413 foreigners in greater Naples, numbering slightly over 1.3% of the total population.

Also unlike Northern Italy, where many cities have an older age profile, Naples and many other southern cities have higher proportions of youth. However, there has been a great exodus of young people leaving southern cities for the more prosperous and orderly north, such as the Lombardy region.

There has been a demographic shift in Italy over the past few years: fertility rates in northern cities have been on the rise, whereas southern rates have dropped drastically.


ECONOMICS AND EMPLOYMENT


The financial center of Naples.
The provincial economy is relatively weak compared to Italy as a whole, placing only 94th out of the total of 103 provinces in Italy in terms of GVA (Gross Value Added), which is a measure of wealth produced.

Such statistics do not include wealth generated by the so-called "submerged economy" — that is, the black market and untaxed wages — about which reliable statistics are difficult to come by.

Estimates of unemployment in the city of Naples run between 20% and 30%, again depending on accuracy of statistics that attempt to account for the relatively large number of persons who work in the "submerged economy".


EDUCATION
Naples has four major universities, the Theological Seminary of Southern Italy, as well as 22 other schools of higher learning and 8 research centres of the Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche (National Research Council).


PUBLIC TRANSPORT
Naples is served by the Naples metro, trams, buses, funiculars and trolleybuses. It has four suburban rail services, including funicular (cable car service) to Vesuvius and a line that goes all around Vesuvius.

In the modern day, the city is served by Naples International Airport at Capodichino, a civil airport hosted by a military one, once outside the town, now surrounded by built up area.


NEAPOLITAN CUISINE
Neapolitan cuisine is much varied with local ingredients that are easily affordable. Some typical Neapolitan dishes and products include: pizza, mozzarella, spaghetti, sfogliatelle, casatiello, tortano, struffoli, pastiera, babà and many others. Neapolitan wines and spirits include Lacryma Christi, red/white wine Vesuvio and limoncello. The city also prides itself in its gelato (icre cream).

Naples is traditionally the home of pizza. The two classic neapolitan pizzas are the "pizza marinara" with a topping of tomato, garlic, oregano, extra virgin olive oil and usually basil and the "pizza Margherita" with a topping of tomato, basil and mozarella. The Margherita is named after Queen Margherita who was served the dish during a visit to the city in 1889. La vera pizza ("true pizza") is made in a wood-burning oven. There is a certification body that issues recognition to pizza places around the world that have been deemed to make true Neapolitan pizza.

Neapolitan food forms the basis for much Italian-American cuisine.


MUSIC AND NAPLES
Naples has played an important and vibrant role over the centuries not just in the music of Italy, but in the general history of western European musical traditions.

This influence extends from the early music conservatories in the 1500s through the music of Alessandro Scarlatti during the Baroque period and the comic operas of Pergolesi, Piccini and, eventually, Rossini and Mozart.

The vitality of Neapolitan popular music from the late 19th century has made such songs as "O sole mio" and "Funiculì Funiculà" a permanent part of musical consciousness.

The msot famous tenor of the 20th century, Enrico Caruso, was a Neapolitan.


MILITARY FACILITIES


The Italian Air Force Academy at Pozzuoli.

Naples is the site of a number of Italian, international and US military facilities. These include the Italian Air Force academy in nearby Pozzuoli; the NATO Joint Forces Command Naples (JFC) (formerly AFSOUTH) in the Naples suburb of Bagnoli, responsible for the coordination of NATO forces in the Southern European Region; the southern NATO naval headquarters on the isle of Nisida; and the US Naval Support Activity Naples, located at the Capodichino airport, a major US Navy administrative base responsible for the support and control of US Naval assets in the 6th Fleet area of responsibility.


THE CAMORRA
It is a mafia-like criminal organization, or secret society, in the region of Campania and the city of Naples in Italy.

The Camorra was at its height in the 19th century, when the Bourbon monarchy in Naples used its members in the police, army, and civil service. Once Naples became a part of a united Italy in 1861, the Camorra was suppressed and many of its members fled to the United States where they joined the Italian-American Mafia. The Camorra was supplanted after Benito Mussolini's takeover in 1922.

Compared to its counterparts elsewhere in Italy, Sacra corona unita in Puglia, and 'Ndrangheta in Calabria, it was more involved in piracy. Also, compared to the Sicilian Cosa Nostra's pyramidal structure, the Camorra is made up of many clans that often fight each other. Drive-by shootings by camorristi often result in casualties among the local populations, but such episodes are often difficult to investigate because of widespread Omertà (code of silence).

Since the mid-1990s, the Camorra has taken over the handling of garbage disposal in the region of Campania, with disastrous results for the environment and the health of the general population. Heavy metals, industrial waste and chemicals and household garbage are frequently mixed together, dumped near roads and burnt to avoid detection, leading to a severe soil and air pollution.

As of June 2007, the region has no serviceable dumping sites and no alternatives have been found. Together with corrupt local officials and unscrupulous industrialists from all over Italy, the Camorra has created a cartel that has so far proved very difficult to combat for officials.


CURIOUS FACT: BENEATH NAPLES


One of the many caverns beneath Naples.

Subterranean Naples consists of old Greco-Roman reservoirs dug out from the soft tufo stone on which, and from which, the city is built.

Approximately one kilometer of the many kilometers of tunnels under the city can be visited from the well known "Napoli Sotteranea" situated in the historic centre of the city in Via dei Tribunali.

There are also large catacombs in and around the city and other visits such as Piscina Mirabilis, the main cistern serving the bay of Naples during Roman times.

This system of tunnels and cisterns covers most of the city and lies approximately thirty meters below ground level. Moisture levels are around 70%.

During World War II, these tunnels were used as air raid shelters and there are inscriptions in the walls which depict the suffering endured during that time.

two posters to papas forthcoming visit - seen in napoli last week

PASTORAL VISIT TO NAPLES, October 21, 2007


From the diocesan website:

JOSEPH RATZINGER'S PREVIOUS VISITS TO NAPLES AS CARDINAL

1992-1997-2004
Visits to Capri to receive the Capri-San Michele Prize, preceded by brief visits in Naples to greet Cardinal Michele Giordano. In June 1997, Cardinal Ratzinger was accompanied by his brother Georg.

January 18, 1995
The Cardinal gave the inaugural lecture at the Court Theater of the Palazzo Reale for the academic year of the Frederick II University and the Pontifical Theological Faculty of Southern Italy.

June 18, 2002
Cardinal Ratzinger gave a Lectio Magistralis at the University Institute of Suor Orsola Benincasa.

September 8, 2004
Cardinal Ratzinger presided at the Eucharistic Celebration in the Cathedral of Naples at which he ordained Mos. Bruno Forte, Archbishop of Chieti-Vasto, who is a native of Naples, a noted theologian and member of the International Theological Commission, where he worked with Cardinal Ratzinger.



JOHN PAUL II IN NAPLES

Pope Benedict XVI's visit will be the third pastoral visit by a Pope to Naples. John Paul II was here twice:


October 21, 1979
John Paul II made an evening stop at Piazza Plebiscito to greet the Church and the City of Naples, on his way back from a trip to the Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Rosary in Pompeii.

Benedict XVI's visit will take place on the 28th anniversary of John Paul's visit.

November 9-11, 1990
On Nov. 9, the Pope met the faithful in Piazza Plebiscito and the world of culture at Teatro San Carlo.

On Nov. 10, he celebrated Mass at the Archiepiscopal Seminary, followed by a meeting with entrepreneurs at Ansaldo headquarters; with young people at Stadio San Paolo; and at the Oltremare Fair grounds, with the residents of Scampia district; with the administrators of Campania region in Capodimonte; and with priests, religious and seminarians at Naples Cathedral.

On Nov. 1l, he met with detained persons in Poggioreale and visited the Correction Center. He then said Mass and Angelus at Piazza Plebiscito. In the afternoon, the Pope visited the patients at Cardarelli Hospital and a second group of entrepreneurs at the Theological Faculty in Capodimonte. In the evening, the Pope visited Torre del Greco (a town outside Naples) to venerate the remains of Blessed Vincenzo Romano.

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Strangely, the website does not carry a picture of the poster that Benevolens so thoughtfully shared with us!

But it has this prayer card for the visit:





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But the most distressing thing I found in researching covergae of the Pope's visit is that the site of the Comune di Napoli (the city) does not contain a single mention of the Pope's visit nor of the Pope. On its calendar of events, it lists the opening of the Inter-Religious Meeting on Oct. 21, without a mention of the Pope. It only appears on a link to the program card for the Inter-Religious Meeting
wich lists the Papal Mass as the first activity on Oct. 21.

PATRON SAINT OF NAPLES

PASTORAL VISIT TO NAPLES, October 21, 2007


Pope Benedict's last event in Naples on Sunday, Oct. 21, will be a private visit to the Chapel of San Gennaro in the Cathedral of Naples, where he will venerate the remains of the city's patron saint and his precious miraculous blood.

In 1851, Cardinal John Henry Newman wrote:

---

I think it impossible to withstand the evidence which is brought for the liquefaction of the blood of St. Januarius at Naples and for the motion of the eyes in the pictures of the Madonna in the Papal States.

---

The Miracle of San Gennaro, repeated thrice a year, is perhaps one of the most intriguing phenomena of popular religion that persists to this day. Whatever you may think about it, the city and people of Naples swear by it, if not everybody lives up to what such a sign should mean.

I am posting here various items previously posted in REFLECTIONS ON OUR FAITH that can serve as an introduction to the patron saint of Naples. Here first are the reports on the latest manifestation of the miracle.




NAPLES, Sept. 19, 2007 - The blood liquefied. The miracle has recurred. As it does every year.

At 9:31 a.m., Duke Riccardo Carafa of the confraternity of San Gennaro, the city's patron saint, waved the white handkerchief signalling to the faithful that the miracle had recurred.

At the Cathedral of Naples, Cardinal Cresencio Sepe, Archbishop of Naples, was visibly moved as he held up the vial containing the liquefied blood for the faithful (in photo above, he kisses the vial).

Shortly afterwards, he walked down the central aisle of the cathedral with the vial to show it as well to the crowd gathered outside the Church, many of whom wished to kiss the sacred relic.

Pope Benedict XVI will pay his respects before the relic when he visits Naples on October 21.

Naples hails annual miracle
of liquefying blood

NAPLES, Italy, Sept. 19 (Reuters Life!) - Roman Catholics in Naples crowded the city's cathedral on Wednesday to witness the annual miracle of Saint Gennaro, who died in the 4th century but whose dried blood is said to turn liquid on his feast day.

In a ritual first recorded in 1389 - more than 1,000 years after the martyrdom of Gennaro, also known in English as Saint Januarius - a church official waved a white handkerchief to the crowds to signal that the dried blood had liquefied on schedule when brought close to relics which are said to be his body.

Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, archbishop of Naples, then showed the glass phial of blood to the congregation and paraded it to the crowds outside, where fireworks were lit in celebration.

"It is a prodigious sign that shows the Lord's closeness and predilection for our beloved and long-suffering city," he said.

The "miracle of the blood" is also celebrated in May to mark the relocation of the saint's mortal remains to Naples.

Legend has it that when Gennaro was beheaded by pagan Romans in 305 A.D., a Neapolitan woman soaked up his blood with a sponge and preserved it in a glass phial.

Sometimes it liquefies immediately, other times it takes hours. Locals pray to the saint to protect them from earthquakes or the volcano Vesuvius and believe that if the blood should fail to liquefy, something terrible will happen to Naples.

More scientifically minded sceptics say the "miracle" is due to chemicals present in the phial whose viscosity changes when it is stirred or moved.


NAPLES
St. Gennaro's miracle
takes place on schedule
May 5, 2007

The traditional miracle of San Gennaro (Januarius), patron saint of Naples, took place today as expected. The saint's blood kept in a vial at the church of St. Clare liquefied one hour and 20 minutes after the traditional rites officiated by the Archbishop of Naples, Cresencio Sepe.

As soon as the blood liquefied, the Archbishop faced the crowded Church to show the vial with the saint's blood and said, "San Gennaro loves us and wishes us well."

A few minutes earlier, the faithful had applauded, thinking the liquefaction had taken place, but it was a false alarm. A few more prayers were needed before it actually did.

San Gennaro's miracle takes place three times a year: on his feast day in September; on the Saturday that precedes the first Sunday of May; and in December.

The rites today began with a procession from the Cathedral of Naples to commemorate the transfer of the saint's relic to the church where it is now venerated. It was the first such procession led by Cardinal Sepe, who assumed his seat in Naples only last July.

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St. Januarius
Martyr, Bishop of Beneventum


The image of San Gennaro venerated in Naples. Pictures accompanying this part of the post were taken by Italian-American pilgrim
Anthony Palmisano who was in Naples last year for the May event.

Saint Januarius, or San Gennaro, bishop of Benevento, is a saint and martyr in both the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox traditions.

According to legendary sources, he died in 305 during the persecution of Diocletian near Puteoli at the sulphur mines near the Solfatara, where he was visiting imprisoned deacons. He was beheaded along with many other companions (see Saint Proculus of Pozzuoli). His body was later transferred to Naples, of which he is now the patron saint.

St. Januarius is believed to have suffered in the persecution of Diocletian, c. 305. With regard to the history of his life and martyrdom, we know next to nothing.

The entry about him in the present Roman Martyrology says:
"At Pozzuoli in Campania, [the memory] of the holy martyrs Januarius, Bishop of Beneventum, Festus his deacon, and Desiderius lector, together with Socius deacon of the church of Misenas, Proculus deacon of Pozzuoli, Eutyches and Acutius, who after chains and imprisonment were beheaded under the Emperor Diocletian. The body of St. Januarius was brought to Naples, and there honourably interred in the church, where his holy blood is kept unto this day in a phial of glass, which being set near his head becomes liquid and bubbles up as though it were fresh."

In the Breviary a longer account is given. There we are told that "Timotheus, President of Campania," was the official who condemned the martyrs, that Januarius was thrown into a fiery furnace, but that the flames would not touch him, and that the saint and his companions were afterwards exposed in the amphitheatre to wild beasts without any effect.

Timotheus declaring that this was due to magic, and ordering the martyrs to be beheaded, the persecutor was smitten with blindness, but Januarius cured him, and five thousand persons were converted to Christ before the martyrs were decapitated.

Legend has it that the bishop's body, and severed head, still dripping blood, were gathered up by an old man who wrapped them reverently in a cloth. A good woman of Naples dried up the blood with a sponge and filled a phial with the precious red liquid.

Then, as the Breviary lesson continues, "the cities of these coasts strove to obtain their bodies for honourable burial, so as to make sure of having them advocates with God. By God's will, the relics of Januarius were taken to Naples at last, after having been carried from Pozzuoli to Beneventum and from Beneventum to Monte Vergine.

"When they were brought thence to Naples they were laid in the chief church there and have been there famous on account of many miracles. Among these is remarkable the stopping of eruptions of Mount Vesuvius, whereby both that neighbourhood and places afar off have been like to be destroyed.

It is also well known and is the plain fact, seen even unto this day, that when the blood of St. Januarius, kept dried up in a small glass phial, is put in sight of the head of the same martyr, it is wont to melt and bubble in a very strange way, as though it had but freshly been shed."

The first recorded reference to the 'miracle of the blood' was in 1389. According to Neapolitan tradition, Mount Vesuvius will erupt at some point during a year in which the saint's blood fails to liquefy.

It is especially this miracle of the liquefaction which has given celebrity to the name of Januarius, and to this we turn our attention. Let it at once be said that the supposition of any trick or deliberate imposture is out of the question, as candid opponents are now willing to admit. For more than four hundred years this liquefaction has taken place at frequent intervals.

If it were a trick it would be necessary to admit that all the archbishops of Naples, and that countless ecclesiastics eminent for their learning and often for their great sanctity, were accomplices in the fraud, as also a number of secular officials; for the relic is so guarded that its exposition requires the concurrence of both civil and ecclesiastical authority.

Further, in all these four hundred years, no one of the many who, upon the supposition of such a trick, must necessarily have been in the secret, has made any revelation or disclosed how the apparent miracle is worked. Strong indirect testimony to this truth is borne by the fact that even at the present time the rationalistic opponents of a supernatural explanation are entirely disagreed as to how the phenomenon is to be accounted for.


The reliquary holding St. Gennaro's blood - The phials are within the glass globe at the top, framed by the sunburst.
The priests are closely watching to see when the blood liqeufies..

What actually takes place may be thus briefly described: in a silver reliquary, which in form and size somewhat suggests a small carriage lamp, two phials are enclosed. The lesser of these contains only traces of blood and need not concern us here. The larger, which is a little flagon-shaped flask four inches in height and about two and a quarter inches in diameter, is normally rather more than half full of a dark and solid mass, absolutely opaque when held up to the light, and showing no displacement when the reliquary is turned upside down.

Both flasks seem to be so fixed in the lantern cavity of the reliquary by means of some hard gummy substance that they are hermetically sealed. Moreover, owing to the fact that the dark mass in the flask is protected by two thicknesses of glass it is presumably but little affected by the temperature of the surrounding air.

Eighteen times in each year, i.e. (1) on the Saturday before the first Sunday in May and the eight following days, (2) on the feast of St. Januarius (19 Sept.) and during the octave, and (3) on 16 December, a silver bust believed to contain the head of St. Januarius is exposed upon the altar, and the reliquary just described is brought out and held by the officiant in view of the assembly.

Prayers are said by the people, begging that the miracle may take place, while a group of poor women, known as the "zie di San Gennaro" (aunts of St. Januarius), make themselves specially conspicuous by the fervour, and sometimes, when the miracle is delayed, by the extravagance, of their supplications.

The officiant usually holds the reliquary by its extremities, without touching the glass, and from time to time turns it upside down to note whether any movement is perceptible in the dark mass enclosed in the phial. After an interval of varying duration, usually not less than two minutes or more than an hour, the mass is gradually seen to detach itself from the sides of the phial, to become liquid and of a more or less ruby tint, and in some instances to froth and bubble up, increasing in volume.


]"Blood liquefied at 7:38pm, May 6, 2006 - We are blessed", says Palmisano. Archbishop Michele Giordano displays the phials to the faithful.

The officiant then announces, "Il miracolo é fatto", a Te Deum is sung, and the reliquary containing the liquefied blood is brought to the altar rail that the faithful may venerate it by kissing the containing vessel. Rarely has the liquefaction failed to take place in the expositions of May or September, but in that of 16 December the mass remains solid more frequently than not.

It is of course natural that those who are reluctant to admit the supernatural character of the phenomenon should regard the liquefaction as simply due to the effects of heat. There are, they urge, certain substances (e.g. a mixture of spermaceti and ether) which have a very low boiling point.

The heat produced by the hands of the officiant, the pressing throng of spectators, the lights on the altar, and in particular the candle formerly held close to the reliquary to enable the people to see that the mass is opaque, combine to raise the temperature of the air sufficiently to melt the substance in the phial - a substance which is assumed to be blood, but which no one has ever analysed.

Further, ever since the early years of the eighteenth century, sceptical scientists, by using certain chemical preparations, have reconstructed the miracle with more or less of success; that is to say, they have been able to exhibit some red substance which, though at first apparently solid, melted after an interval without any direct application of heat. None the less, it may be said with absolute confidence that the theory of heat affords no adequate explanation of the phenomena observed.

For more than a century careful observations of the temperature of the air in the neighbourhood of the relic have been made on these occasions and the records have been kept. It is certain from the scientific memoirs of Professors Fergola, Punzo, and Sperindeo that there is no direct relation between the temperature, and the time and manner of the liquefaction.

Often when the thermometer has stood at 77° Fahrenheit or even higher, liquefaction has been delayed for as much as twenty or even forty minutes, while on the other hand the contents of the phial have sometimes liquefied in considerably less time than this when the thermometer remained as low as 60 or 65 degrees.

Moreover, the heat theory by no means accounts for another more remarkable fact observed for quite two hundred years past. The mass in melting commonly increased in volume, but when it solidifies again it does not necessarily return to its original bulk. Sometimes the whole phial is seen to be occupied, at other times hardly more than half.

This has led a Neapolitan scientist of modern times, Professor Albini, to suggest a new physical theory derived from observing the behaviour of a viscous fluid such as partly congealed honey. He conjectures that the unknown substance in the phial consists of some highly divided solid matter which is partly held in suspension by a disproportionately small quantity of liquid.

When at rest, the liquid sinks to the bottom of the phial, while the solid particles form a sort of crust not easily displaced when the vessel is turned upside down. This cohesion is however overcome by repeated movements, such as those that the reliquary experiences when the moment of liquefaction is impatiently waited for. Further, such a viscous fluid easily cakes upon the walls of the containing vessel, and admits large air bubbles which cause the deceptive appearance of a change of volume.

Professor Albini claims to have reproduced all the phenomena with a compound made of powdered chocolate and the serum of milk. On the other hand, those who have studied closely the process of liquefaction of the contents of the phial declare that such an explanation is absolutely impossible. Moreover, there seem to be well-attested instances of liquefaction taking place both in the case of this and other similar relics of blood, when the reliquary has been standing by itself without any movement whatsoever.

Accordingly, the suggestion has also been made (see Di Pace, "Ipotesi scientifica sulla Liquefazione", etc., Naples, 1905) that the phenomenon is due to some form of psychic force. The concentration of thought and will of the expectant crowd and specially of the "aunts of St. Januarius" are held to be capable of producing a physical effect. Against this, however, must be set the fact that the liquefaction has sometimes taken place quite unexpectedly and in the presence of very few spectators.

Probably the most serious difficulty against the miraculous character of the phenomenon is derived from the circumstance that the same liquefaction takes place in the case of other relics, nearly all preserved in the neighbourhood of Naples, or of Neapolitan origin. These include relics which are affirmed to be the blood of St. John the Baptist, of St. Stephen the first martyr, of St. Pantaleone, of St. Patricia, of St. Nicholas of Tolentino, of St. Aloysius Gonzaga, and others.

Further, it is asserted by eyewitnesses of scientific credit and high respectability that a block of basalt at Pozzuoli, reputed to bear traces of the blood of St. Januarius, grows vividly red for a short time in May and September at the hour when the miracle of the liquefaction takes place in Naples (se Cavène, "Célèbre Miracle de S. Janvier", 1909, 277-300)

Three other points attested by recent investigators seem worthy of special note.

It now appears that the first certain record of the liquefaction of the blood of St. Januarius dates from 1389 (see de Blasiis, "Chronicon Siculum incerti auctoris", Naples, 1887, 85), and not from 1456, as formerly supposed.

In 1902 Professor Sperindeo was allowed to pass a ray of light through the upper part of the phial during liquefaction and examine this beam spectroscopically. The experiment yielded the distinctive lines of the spectrum of blood. This, however, only proves that there are at any rate traces of blood in the contents of the phial (see Cavène, "Le Célèbre Miracle", 262-275).

Most remarkable of all, the apparent variation in the volume of the relic led in 1902 and 1904 to a series of experiments in the course of which the whole reliquary was weighed in a very accurate balance. It was found that the weight was not constant any more than the volume, and that the weight of the reliquary when the blood filled the whole cavity of the phial exceeded, by 26 grammes, the weight when the phial seemed but half full. This very large difference renders it impossible to believe that such a substantial variation in weight can be merely due to an error of observation.

We are forced to accept the fact that, contrary to all known laws a change goes on in the contents of this hermetically sealed vessel which makes them heavier and lighter in a ratio roughly, but not exactly, proportional to their apparent bulk (Cavène, 333-39).

The reality of the miracle of St. Januarius has repeatedly been made the subject of controversy. It has had much to do with many conversions to Catholicism, notably with that of the elder Herder. Unfortunately, however, allegations have often been made as to the favourable verdict expressed by scientific men of note, which are not always verifiable. The supposed testimony of the great chemist, Sir Humphry Davy, who is declared to have expressed his belief in the genuineness of the miracle, seems to be a case in point.

Neapolitan Folklore

The people of Naples have reached their own conclusions about the Saint. In their opinion he is not merely a "specialist" to involve in certain situations, but a "general practitioner" to whom they can have recourse in all needs and circumstances.

They pray to him for protection from fire, earthquakes, and eruptions of Vesuvius; for preservation from plagues and droughts; in short, for all the favors and blessings they need or desire. In every emergency San Gennaro is their powerful champion and universal helper.

Each year on the first Sunday of May, the blood of their venerated patron preserved in two phials and his head enclosed in a silvery reliquary are carried on procession. The crowds wend their way from the Duomo of Naples to the Franciscan Church of Saint Clare, where the miraculous liquefaction takes place.

The statues of several saints, including Saint Joseph and Saint Anthony of Padua, are likewise borne in the procession, which is often described as the procession "of the wreathed," because of the garlands used on this occasion.

The annual highlight is the solemn commemoration which the Neapolitans hold in their cathedral on September 19. Civil and church authorities are on hand, as are also vast numbers of the laity. The procession forms with the congregation singing the Litany of the Saints. When the prodigy of the liquefaction takes effect, the priest exhibits the phials of liquefied blood in full view of the gathering. A joyous Te Deum is sung and clergy and laity approach to venerate the relics of the ever-popular patron.

Nobody in Naples would care to miss that red letter event in honor of San Gennaro.

PASTORAL VISIT TO NAPLES, October 21, 2007


Posted in NEWS ABOUT BENEDICT, 10/19/07

In the PASTORAL VISITS thread the other day, I mentioned that the website of the city of Naples did not contain a word about the Pope's visit except for something that appears on a PDF of a program for the World Inter-Religious Encounter.

Well, they finally came out with something, though their 'banner' does not get bigger than this on the site:



It came with this notice, translated here:


CITY'S ARRANGEMENTS FOR POPE'S VISIT

On Sunday, October 21, Pope Benedict XVI will be visiting the city of Naples. The event falls on the first of three days, from Oct. 21-23, when Naples is hosting the Inter-Religious Forum for Peace, organized by the Community of Sant'Egidio and the Neapolitan Curia.

For the occasion, there will be an exceptional deployment of men and measures. Local police, forces of order, and volunteers for civil protection will assure peace and order for the occasion.

TV maxiscreens will be installed in Piazza Municipio, Piazza Dante e Piazza Matteotti. The Pope will celebrate Mass in Piazza del Plebiscito at 10 a.m.. For the occasion, a stage and thousands of seats have been installed.

A Situation Room has been established at the sala Pigniatello of Palazzo San Giacomo to monitor the course of events and coordinate management of any possible emergencies (tel 0817954256 - 4257. It will be in constant communications with the Operations Center of the
Police Prefecture of Naples.

The Situation Room is also linked to all the TV monitoring cameras mounted by the city at various parts of the Papal route and event.

The city administration will effect a specific traffic plan which protects the central area of the city from 6 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on October 21. The plan includes closure of certain streets, prohibited parking or stopping, and parking limited only to authorities and pre-registered buses.

It gives full details of the above arrangements, including a PowerPoint presentation with maps of the protected routes.



From Il Mattino today, translated here:

A CLIMATE OF CELEBRATION
ANTICIPATES PAPAL VISIT
By LUIGI ROANO



Great anticipation and a climate of celebration for the Pope's visit and the start of the inter-religious meeting for peace, the two events on Sunday, Oct. 21, which is reportedly costing the region and the city 750,000 euros in organizational costs. [Quite a modest sum actually compared to the economic benefits from the tens of thousands of visitors to the city.]

The countdown has started. Yesterday, the city formally presented its traffic and security arrangements for Sunday. Present were Mayor
Rosa Russo Iervolino and city authorities responsible for law and order.

The mayor said, "We will show the Pope a city with all its problems but also its enormous potential, and the Pope will give us the courage to go ahead."

More than half the city will be under strict traffic and pedestrian control from 1 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday. At the same time the zone of the great hotels along the coastal boulevard will be closed off at that time.

Starting Saturday, parking will be prohibited along the routes to be taken by the Pope. They have called this the 'yellow zone' after the primary Vatican color, but it is what is normally called a 'red zone' denoting maximum security.



18 streets are closed off with armoured cars, with 2000 policemen, 12oo firemen, and 600 volunteers for civil protection assigned. Not counting sharpshooters and plainclothesmen, and a whole array of TV monitoring devices.

A total of 14 kilometers of streets will be protected by police barriers along both sides, and an area within a 4.5-km perimeter will be accessible only to authorized persons and employees.

Neapolitans are advised to use public transport on Sunday. The metro, buses and funiculars (cable cars) will operate on holiday schedule.

The Pope is expected to arrive by helicopter from the Vatican at 9 a.m. at the Maritime Station in the Port of Naples. This will be followed by Mass and Angelus at Piazza del Plebiscito, then luncheon at the Archdiocesan Seminary in Colli Aminei, and his final event, a visit to the Chapel of San Gennaro at the Cathedral of Naples, before returning to the Vatican.

More than 100,000 requests were received for tickets to the Mass, but no more than 20,000 were given out for security reasons.

On the stage, there will be 1500 seats for prelates and authorities, as well as for 400 choir members. The piazza is divided into 16 sectors with 7,800 seats, and 10 sectors for 13,000 standing.

For everyone else, RAI is broadcasting live and this may be seen on 8 maxiscreens - four in Piazza del Plebiscito itself, one in Piazza Municipio and three more in other major squares.

The City of Naples will present the Pope with a Crucifix executed by sculptor Riccardo Dalisi, at the Theological Institute on Colle Aminei, where all of the gift presentations to the Pope will be done.

The sculpture will have the signatures of Naples Mayor Rosa Iervolino and the presidents of Campania region and province, respectively, Antonio Bassolino and Dino Di Palma.

It will be a very important week for Naples during which it will be in the world spotlight.

The XXI World Inter-Religious Encounter will be opened Sunday evening at Teatro San Carlo by Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi. The President of Italy, Giorgio Napolitano [as his last name indicates, he is a Neapolitan], arrives Tuesday for the final day of the event and will be in the city for a two-day visit.

Il Mattino, 19 ottobre 2007

PASTORAL VISIT TO NAPLES, October 21, 2007


Posted in NEWS ABOUT BENEDICT, 10/19/07:

Since he was named President of the Pontifical Council for Culture, Mons. Gianfranco Ravasi has given at least three major interviews to Italian newspapers, in which he discusses his view of his role and that of culture in the mission of the Church. Unfortunately, I have not found time to translate these. The following interview from Il Mattino today specifically refers to the Naples visit, but somehow neither the questions nor the answers are properly focused to come up with something beyond the usual platitudes. Here is a translation.


Why inter-religious dialog
continues to be a great challenge
By Alceste Santini



We spoke to Mons.Gianfranco Ravasi, president of the Pontifical Council for Culture about the visit of Benedict XVI to Naples and his symbolic presence at the opening of the World Inter-Religious Encounter promoted by the Sant'Egidio community.


First, we asked him what new step the inter-cultural and inter-religious dialog should take today.

We should widen our horizons with a more incisive dialog within Christianity itself among the various confessions, on the ecumenical level, and with the various non-Christian religions like Islam. Also, Islam itself does not have a single face. Along with fundamentalist Islam, there are a variety of other 'Islams' with their specific differences and nuances.


Are these the new aspects that concern Benedict XVI after the breakthrough initiatives by John Paul II?

John Paul II did a lot for dialog. But now, according to Benedict XVI, we should also look to non-believers - the agnostics and atheists. It is an area that is fraught with tensions and potential conflicts.

But one aspect of my dicastery encompasses dialog with non-believers, which Pope Paul VI anticipated, after Vatican-II, by setting up within this council a secretariat dedicated to non-believers.


So your efforts are tailored to current developments?

Not long ago, in Milan, in a subway coach, I found myself the only white person among passengers of different nationalities. To reflect such a social, economic and cultural reality, we need to have true dialog. We look at the experience of certain American cities like New York and Chicago, where there is great ethnic diversity, in which the communities keep their respective identities, but are often isolated - so we must try to overcome resistances to integration and assimilation [within the host country].


But how can this be done? We already see how this isolationism has so many negative effects in our own society.

Let me reply with a Tibetan parable. A person in the desert sees a figure advancing from afar. He fears it may be a beast. Coming closer, he realizes it is a man, but he could be a bandit. He was terrorized, but then, as they came face to face, the parable says, "he raised his eyes and saw it was his own brother."


How does one apply this in a city like Naples?

I think it has a special significance because of the city's history, resulting in diverse marks of identity among the population. This is a city that was built over the centuries under a variety of foreign rulers and experiences: think of the many civilizations that have passed through, its opening to the Mediterranean and to the south, a relationship that is very important today, and which is not always well understood.


Does this mean correcting misunderstandings such as those provoked by Pope Benedict's lecture at Regensburg?

These are really typically Ratzingerian themes, especially if we reflect on how Benedict XVI sees problems relating to the relationship between faith and reason, between faith and science, between Christian ethics and lay ethics.

These are all high-confrontation issues, especially considering that we live in times in which not only faith but reason, too, is in crisis. This crisis impacts on politics and on daily life, where there are no longer any fixed reference points.


What is the most complex aspect of this effort?

First of all there is an oscillating frontier among believers, agnostics and non-believers. There are persons who believe they believe (in God), and some who believe they don't believe. There are atheists who find themselves at the limits of faith, and vice-versa. I am thinking of someone like (Massimo) Cacciari [the philosopher mayor of Venice] who represents the non-believer who is strongly interested in faith. But there are also so many believers who have a formal but fragile faith, one might say only a facade of faith.


How do we get out of this political and cultural crisis?

Returning to method. In the past, the clash between faith and non-faith, between Catholics and secularists, has sometimes reached vehement levels. Sometimes it has been productive if its is between authentic atheists and believers. For instance, between the Christian and Marxist visions, or between secular idealism and Christian mysticism.

Nietzsche himself - we know how anti-Christian he was - did not conceal his respect for Christ, calling him the Only Christian in history, who unfortunately ends up on the Cross.


But today the general level of philosophical, cultural and political debate has been greatly debased.

Yes. Maybe because we now have a society of image and screaming matches, the atheist and the indifferent have taken the easy way of
mockery in place of reason, and so, what prevails is insult, not dialog or analysis.

I am convinced that serious atheists and secularists don't wish to be represented by superficial books, just as believers don't want to be considered cretins because they believe. All this has made dialog difficult towards finding some point of encounter on which everyone may build together something useful to society.

And it is time to get out of this pointless game of conflict and start building the society of the future.

Il Mattino, 19 ottobre 2007

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More focused is the PETRUS interview by Bruno Volpe with the 88-year-old Cardinal Thomas Spidlik of Czechoslovakia.



As PETRUS does not explain why they singled out the Jesuit cardinal, I looked up an online biography which shows that he began his priesthood in 1949 by working at Vatican Radio to produce programs broadcast behind the Iron Curtain. While in Rome, he was also spiritual director of the Pontifical Nepomuceno Seminary for 38 years, and established a reputation over the years as one of the greatest experts on eastern theology and spirituality. He preached the Spiritual Exercises for the Pope and the Roman Curia in March 1995, encouraging the Holy Father to write Ut Unum Sint, his encyclical on ecumenism. In 1998, Vaclav Havel, president of the Czech Republic, awarded him the medal of the Order of Masaryk, one of the Republic's highest honours. The Holy Father elevated him to the College of Cardinals on 21 October 2003.



VATICAN CITY - Cardinal Thomas Spidlik says the Pope will be visiting a city suspended between heaven and earth, between Paradise and hell, when he goes to Naples on Sunday.


Eminence, you make out Naples to be a city on parallel tracks of good and evil.

Yes, let me explain. Naples is a city of contrasts, a place in which day after day, often tragically, good and evil try to get the better of each other. And the evil is evident to all: the violence, drugs, the Camorra. And the media in all the nation report on all this.

Unfortunately, all these negative stories suffocate the majority of citizens who are honest, serious and industrious - those who stand for good in Naples. That is why I speak about the battle between Good and Evil, with capital letters, playing out in that city.


In the light of all this, what could possibly result from the visit of Pope Benedict?

The results will definitely be positive. The Holy Father himself is an excellent reason for reflection - his catechesis helps to rouse the conscience of many. He will invite Neapolitans to genuine conversion - and this does not mean following the Missal with varying degrees of distraction but putting the word of God into practice. So, I expect that all people of good will in Naples will take upon themselves the message from the Successor of Peter.


Eminence, you place man at the center of everything...

In fact, it is necessary to recover a new humanism that puts man, even with all his limitations, firmly in the center once again. There is no distinction among Neapolitans, Romans, Florentines, Catholics, Orthodox, etc. - everyone is a human being, and we have to speak to each one without making distinctions.

===================================================================

It has to be very daunting for Pope Benedict XVI to visit a city like Naples which has a long history of criminal gangs, violence, and corruption - knowing that an unprecedented three-day pastoral visit by John Paul II to Naples in 1990 apparently did little to change the criminal culture that appears to be ingrained there.

But the Holy Father will do what he does best - preach the word of God to the hearts and minds of those who hear him. And the rest is as God wills.

PASTORAL VISIT TO NAPLES, October 21, 2007


Posted in NEWS ABOUT BENEDICT, 10/19/07.

Here's an update translated from Il Mattino today:


Wind, rain and cold
forecast for Sunday
By LUIGI ROANO

A warning from the meteorologists has cast a literal pall over the Papal visit: They forecast rain, wind and unseasonable chill (mid-40s) from Saturday night and all through Sunday, and the city's law and order authorities are scurrying to review alternative plans.

Plan B concerns first of all the Pope's method of travel to and from the Vatican, planned to be by helicopter. But in bad weather, helicopter travel is not safe. The alternative is for the Pope to travel by train from Rome.

Prime Minister Romani Prodi, probably with Justice Minister Clemente Mastella, were to welcome the Pope at the Maritime Station in the Port of Naples, where the papal helicopter would land.

Because of the rain and cold forecast for Sunday morning, the authorities advise the public, "Please come for the Mass well covered, especially since entry to the Piazza will get started early in the morning when temperatures will be even chillier."

At the same time, it was also announced that the city will have at least 20,000 disposable raincoats to give away to persons attending the Mass (tickets given out were limited to 20,000).

Additional arrangements to those earlier announced include:
- A human chain of volunteers will provide protection along both sides of the road on the last stretch of the Pope's route to the Archdiocesan Seminary.
- There will be ambulances as well as tent hospitals available at Piazza Plebiscito and three other locations nearby.
- The Red Cross is fielding 150 men, ambulances and a hospital unit
and will coordinate closely with police officials.

Meanwhile, governor Antonio Bassolino of the province of Campania said: "Sunday will be a special day for Naples, We will receive from teh Holy Father the gift of a great message for peace and for commitment to the battle against social and economic disparity and every form of abuse. I am convinced that we will each draw new impetus from the Pope's words to do good, day after day, for our communities."

Il Mattino, 19 ottobre 2007

PASTORAL VISIT TO NAPLES, October 21, 2007



Posted in NEWS ABOUT BENEDICT on 10/20/07.


Cardinal Sepe says
'It will be a meeting
of faith and hope'
by BRUNO VOLPE


NAPLES - "The Pope's visit is not an event of folklore, it will not be a spectacle, but it will be a meeting of faith and hope."

Cardinal Cresencio Sepe, Archbishop of Naples, opened a news conference yesterday with those words.

"We will follow the example of the Jubilee celebrations of 2000," Sepe said, "which were days to be lived in a Christian manner and in prayerful spirit."

The cardinal also brought up a historical connection: "The first bishop of Naples, Aspreus, was ordained by St. Peter himself, so there is a profound link between Naples and Rome."

Speaking about the preparations made by the diocese, he said: "The Church of Naples has been preparing scrupulously. Since the summer, the parishes have been on alert, and every Thursday since then, the parish youth have been holding a prayer meeting for the Holy Father and his intentions. the whole region of Campania has pitched in, and the visit of the Holy Father should be a cause for rebirth and hope."

The Cardinal believes that Pope Benedict XVI will pay special attention to 'the poor, the marginalized and the children' of Naples.
He showed off an album of letters written by Naples schoolchildren to the Pope, which he himself will present to Benedict tomorrow.

He said that when the Pope visits the Cathedral of Naples in the last event on his program tomorrow, he will venerate an open urn containing the remains of San Gennaro, the patron saint of the city.

"The Pope told me that he looks forward to rendering a tribute of love and devotion," Sepe added.

The cardinal confirmed that Prime Minister Romano Prodi and Justice Minister Clemente Mastella will welcome the Pope in the name of the Italian government when he arrives at the Stazione Maritima in the Port of Naples. [In case the weather will not allow a helicopter flight for the Pope, he will be travelling to Naples by train instead.]


Il Mattino event map shows the Pope's day tomorrow.

The Mass at Piazza del Plebiscito will have 15 cardinals, 60 bishops, 700 priests, 200 deacons, 200 seminarians, and a 400-voice choir. Some 600 journalists have been accredited to cover the visit, 70 of them from outside Italy.

Sepe noted that it will be the last Papal liturgy with Archbishop Piero Marini as ceremonial master. After Naples, Mons. Guido Marini will completely assume the post.

The cardinal said the Archdiocese will present the Pope with a Crucifix made of rose coral and commemorative medals of the visit.

He even revealed the luncheon menu for the Pope and leaders of the delegations to the XXXI World Inter-Religious Encounter for Peace: eggplant rolls, vegetable kebab with Vesuvius tomatoes, veal medallions au gratin, and a Bavarian dessert made with ricotta and pears.

On other mattes, the cardinal said that the Archdiocese has placed the Church of Santa Maria del Belmorire at the disposition of the Russian Orthodox church for a service with Metropolitan Kirill of Moscow, representing Patriarch Alexei II at the world meeting.

The Archdiocese is also joining in the conferment of an honorary doctorate by the historic University of Naples on Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I.

The three-day inter-religious encounter sponsored by the Sant'Egidio Community starts Sunday evening, but Pope Benedict will meet with the delegations after the Mass and Angelus at Piazza del Plebiscito, and with the heads of delegations at the Archdiocesan Seminary where they will also be his luncheon guests.

Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity, heads the Catholic delegation to the encounter, which has the theme "For a world without violence."

Andrea Riccardi, founder of the Sant'Egidio Community, sad at the news conference that "The spirit of Assisi carries on in Naples. I think it will be a great success. We have 17,000 already registered for the closing ceremonies alone."

He added: "Today, international politics is not able to guarantee peace. The chiefs of the various religions should concern themselves with it."


17,000 orchids will decorate
papal routes in Naples


Electronic eyes to monitor the Papal motorcade through the city and 17,000 orchids to decorate the streets the Pope will pass through.

The city's workers will stay up all night tonight if need be, to make sure that Naples is at its most beautiful and safest for Pope Benedict's day tomorrow.

The city said yesterday it had invested 450,000 euro for the videomonitoring security system, which consist of 38 cameras with adjustable action and 16 fixed cameras.

Other preparatory details disclosed:

The regional agricultural council took charge of providing the orchids and other flowers that will be used to decorate the altar for the Mass in Piazza del Plebiscito.

Work crews in shifts have been making sure that the roads taken but he papal motorcade are all smoothly paved by tomorrow.

A detailed 'meter-by-meter' security check of the four kilometers comprising the papal routes will be carried out.

At Piazza del Plebiscito, 8,000 seats haev been installed, barriers to designate the various ticket sectors set up, and 20,000 free disposable raincoats are ready to be given away in view of the weather forecast for rain, wind and cold.

After the Pope leaves in the afternoon, then the World Inter-Religious Meeting will formally open at Teatro San Carlo.

In the evening, the city will honor the delegations with a dinner held in the historic Castel dell'Ovo built over the site of the 7th-century Greek city that eventually led to the city of Naples as it is today.

Il Mattino, 20 ottobre 2007

===================================================================

ADDITIONAL MATERIAL FOR THIS THREAD

Interesting sidebar from the Daily Telegraph (UK):

Pope to visit giant nativity scene in Naples
By Tom Chivers
10/20/2007


The Church of San Francesco of Paolo, Naples, has constructed a thirty-square-metre nativity scene in anticipation of the impending visit of Pope Benedict XVI.



The scene, depicting over two hundred shepherds paying their respects to the newborn Messiah, is part of a tradition of sculpting images of the nativity that goes back to the thirteenth century.

It is believed that St Francis of Assisi popularised the tradition in December 1223, building a manger complete with an ox and an ass in a cave near Greccio, central Italy. Several miracles are reputed to have occurred during the Saint's visit.

The cave became known as a place of worship, and a church was later erected on the site.

While nativity scenes (also known as "crèches", "cribs" or, in Italian, "presepes") are a common sight all over Italy, Naples, in the south of the country, has an especially rich tradition.

The Via San Gregorio Armeno in the city centre is home to hundreds of artisan workshops displaying representations of the Holy Family.

Pope Benedict will celebrate Mass at Piazza del Plebiscito in front of the church of San Francesdo di Paola tomorrow morning.


PREPARATIONS AT PIAZZA DEL PLEBISCITO
San Francesco di Paola is the church with the dome.

RESERVED FOR 10/21 SITUATIONERS

RESERVED FOR SITUATIONERS FROM 10/21 NEWSPAPERS

NB: This is a PAINT enlargement, as I have not been able to find an appropriate size online.

PASTORAL VISIT TO NAPLES, October 21, 2007



PASTORAL VISIT TO NAPLES
OF HIS HOLINESS BENEDICT XVI
Sunday, Oct. 21, 2007

PROGRAM


08.15 Depart by helicopter for Naples.

09.15 Arrival at the Maritime Station of the Port of Naples.
Travel by Popemobile to Piazza del Plebiscito.

09.45 Arrival at Piazza del Plebiscito.

10.00 EUCHARISTIC CONCELEBRATION
- Homily by the Holy Father.
RECITAL OF THE ANGELUS
- Message by the Pope.

12.15 Travel by Popemobile from Piazza del Plebiscito
to the Archdiocesan Seminary in Capodimonte.

13.00 MEETING WITH THE HEADS OF DELEGATIONS participating in the World Encounter for Peace
Great Hall of the Seminary.
- Greeting by the Holy Father.

13.30 Luncheon at the Seminary with Cardinals, the bishops of Campania, participants of the World Encounter,
and the Pope's entourage

16.00 Travel by Popemobile from Capodimonte to the Cathedral of NAples.

16.30 ADORATION OF THE BLESSED SACRAMENT
and VENERATION OF SAN GENNARO'S RELICS
Cathedral of Naples

17.00 Travel by Popemobile from the Cathedral to the Maritime Station in the Port of Naples.

17.30 Departure by helicopter to return to the Vatican.

18.30 Arrival at Vatican heliport.

PASTORAL VISIT TO NAPLES, October 21, 2007


From the Vatican:

The Holy Father left the Vatican by helicopter at 8:15 for his Pastoral Visit to Naples.

On his arrival at the Mariitme Station of the port of Naples, the Pope was wlecomed by the Archbishop of Naples, Cardinal Cresencio Sepe, with auxiliary bishops Mons. Filippo Iannone and Mons. Antonio Di Donna; the Apostolic Nuncio to Italy, Mons. Giuseppe Bertello, asnd represetning the goverrnment- Prime Minister Romano Prodi, Justice Minister Clemente Mastella; Antonio Zanardi Landi, Italian ambassasdor to the Holy See; Antonio Bassolino, President of Campania region; Alessandro Pansa, Prefect of Naples; Rosa Russo Jervolino, Mayor fo Naples; Dr. Dino De Palma, President of the province of Naples; Dr. Francesco Nerli, President of the Port authority of Naples; And Vice Admiral Alberto Stefanini, Maritime Director of Campania and commandant of the Port of Naples.







NAPLES - Pope Benedict XVI was welcomed to Naples at 9:15 a.m. by Prime Minister Romano Prodi, other civil and church officials, and sirens from all the ships and cruisers moored at the Port of Naples.

The Pope's helicopter landed at the piazza of the Maritime Station in weather that had cleared in time for his arrival after steady rain through the early hours, but thunderstorms were expected through the day.

The Pope transferred to a Popemobile to proceed towards Piazza del Plebiscito for a 10:00 Mass, first entering the Basilica of San Francesco di Paola on the Piazza to vest up for the Mass.













Left photo, Patriarch Bartholomew I greets the Pope.





Gianluca Barile of PETRUS reports from Piazza del Plebiscito - a translation:

WELCOME REMARKS BY CARDINAL SEPE

'A Maronn t'accumpagni!'

Cardinal Cresencio Sepe, Archbishop of Naples, greeted Pope Benedict XVIO with the traditional Neapolitan greeting in the city's own dialect at the start of the Mass at Piazza del Plebiscito thios morning.

The Archbishop recalled the Christian and a[postolic roots of the city and thanked the Successor of Peter for having come to confirm his Neapolitan flock in the faith and spoke of the many openwounds in Italy's third largest city.

"The phenomenon of violence, even more odious when it is exercised in organized manner, has found fertile ground in Naples," the cardinal said. "But the Church does not tire to say that violence is always an offense against God and an intolerable abuse of one's fellowman. Nothing justifies its use, especially since it reinforces the roots of hate, which the true posion to the soul."

"The condemnation of everything that is anti-human is inappellable," he said. "Our Church is firm and compact in defense not only of the commongood but in a higher dimension - in promiting the supreme value of love as our Lord Jesus Christ has taught us."

"Naples is the city of light," Sepe affirmed, "and it will not be dimmed by the clouds that are over it."

THE POPE'S HOMILY

Initial report from Corriere della Sera online, translated here:

'School and work' to save the youth from the dangers of violence, the Camorra (Naples's organized crime), and widespread criminality.

This was the exhortation of Pope B0enedict XVI during his homily at the Mass in Piazza del Plebiscito before a crowd of 20,000 who came towelcome the Pope despite rain, wind and unseasonal cold.

In the face of violence, which "unfortunately is tneding to become widespread...efforts must be itnensified for a serious strategy of prevention which must focus on school, work and helping the young to manage their free time."

In the southern part of Italy and particularly in a city like Naples, the Pope observed, "living is not easy for many. There are so many situations of poverty," he said, "lack of homes, unemployment and under-employment, lack of prospects for the future."

But most preoccupying, he said, is the sad phenomenon of violence.

"It is not only the deprecable number of crimes by the Camorra, but the fact that violence tends unfortunately to become a widespread mentality, insinuating itself into the fabric of social life, in the historic quarters of the city center as well as the new and anomymous peripheries which attract the young most especially, who grow up in an environment in which illegality, under-the-table deals and a culture of 'settlements' prosper."

"But we should not be resigned in the face of overwhelming circumstances," he reminded the people of Naples. "because love can conquer violence."





Prayer, not politics,
is what transforms the world,
Benedict says in Naples
By JOHN L. ALLEN JR.
New York
Posted on Oct 21, 2007


On a cold, rainy morning in Naples’ Plebiscite Square, flanked by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the General Secretary of the World Council of Churches, and the Patriarch of Constantinople, Pope Benedict XVI said that “prayer is the greatest force for the transformation of the world.”

Benedict came to Naples to open an international inter-religious meeting sponsored by the Community of Sant’Egidio, titled “For a World without Violence: Religions and Cultures in Dialogue.” The conference continues through Tuesday, when 51 leaders representing a cross-section of faith traditions are expected to issue an appeal denouncing the use of religion to justify violence.

Despite the inter-faith climate of the event, Benedict XVI addressed himself this morning largely to Naples itself, arguing that the city’s numerous social difficulties require in the first place not merely political efforts but “a deep spiritual renewal.”

In effect, the pope’s message was a Neapolitan variation of one of his papacy’s constant themes: the construction of a better world cannot take place in abstraction from questions of faith. The only secure basis for justice and peace, Benedict argued, is God.

“Christian prayer is not an expression of fatalism and inertia,” the pope said. “Indeed, it’s the opposite of evasion of reality, of a consoling intimacy: it’s the force of hope, the maximum expression of faith in the power of God who is love and who does not abandon us.”

Christian prayer, the pope said, has an “agonistic” character, marked by struggle, “because it takes sides decisively with the Lord in order to combat injustice and to defeat evil with good. It’s the arm of the little ones and the poor of spirit, which repudiates every kind of violence.”

Benedict noted that Naples is marked by a remarkable contrast between wealth and architectural grandeur, but also enduring poverty and criminality.

“For many, life is not simple: there are many situations of poverty, of a shortage of housing, of unemployment and underemployment, of the lack of future prospects,” he said. “There’s also the sad phenomenon of violence.”

“It’s not just a matter of the deplorable number of crimes associated with the mafia,” the pope said. He warned that a mentality of violence has become part of a widely diffused mentality “in which illegality prospers … and a culture of taking whatever one can get.”

The pope called for “a serious strategy of prevention,” one which “points to schools, work, and helping young people make good use of their free time.”

Deeper than those points, however, the pope called for a spiritual renewal rooted in Christian identity.

“The true hope is born only from the blood of Christ, and that spilled out for him,” he said.

In his Angelus remarks at the conclusion of the Mass, Benedict welcomed the inter-religious gathering sponsored by Sant'Egidio, saying that it could contribute to peace. At the same time, however, the pope sent a clear signal that dialogue must not come at the expense of Catholic identity by also noting that today is World Mission Day. Speading the Christian faith "to all humanity," the pope said, remains an urgent Christian duty. He called for material and spiritual support of missionaries, especially those facing persecution.

Benedict XVI appeared to be affected by the wind and the cold (temperatures hovered around 55 degrees), coughing repeatedly throughout his homily. As the Mass went on, the crowd became progressively smaller as people sought refuge from the rain. Nevertheless, the pope kept his sense of humor, at one point joking, “The bad weather should not discourage us, because Naples is always beautiful!”

The Prime Minister of Italy, Romano Prodi, who is a native of Naples, [NO!, Prodi is from Emilia-Romagna in north central Italy; it is President Naploitano who is from Naples] greeted Benedict XVI when he arrived in the city this morning by helicopter from Rome, and attended the Mass in front of Naples’ Church of St. Francesco de Paolo.

Prodi's government has sometimes clashed with the Vatican, including debates over civil registration of same-sex unions, and in 2005 Prodi publicly rejected a call from the Italian bishops to abstain from a referendum on in-vitro fertilization, saying he was a "grown-up Catholic" who would go to the polls. Nevertheless, Benedict XVI gave communion to Prodi during this morning's Mass.

Today's brief stop in Naples marks Benedict XVI's eighth pastoral visit in Italy outside Rome.

PASTORAL VISIT TO NAPLES, October 21, 2007











Here is a translation of the Pope's homily at the Mass today.


Venerated brothers in the episcopate and the priesthood,
distinguished authorities,
dear brothers and sisters!

With great joy, I received the invitation to visit the Christian community which lives in this historic city. My fraternal embrace goes first of all to your Archbishop, Cardinal Cresencio Sepe, and my special thanks for the words which, in your name, he addressed to me at the start of this solemn eucharistic celebration.

I sent him to your community, knowing his apostolic zeal and I am happy to know that you value him for his gifts of the mind and the heart.

I affectionately greet the auxiliary bishops and the diocesan priests, as well as the religious and other consecrated persons, catechists and laymen, particularly the youth who are actively involved in various pastoral, apostolic and social initiatives of the diocese.

I greet the distinguished civilian and military authorities who honor us with their presence, starting with the President of the Council of Ministers of the Republic, the Mayor of Naples, and the Presidents of the region and the province.

To all of you, gathered in this Piazza in front of the monumental Basilica dedicated to San Francesco di Paola, whose fifth death centenary we celebrate this year, I address my heartfelt thoughts, extending this gladly to all those who are linked to us by radio and television, especially to the cloistered communities, the aged, the sick, the people in prisons and all those whom I will not be able to meet during my brief Neapolitan sojourn.

In a word, I greet the entire family of believers and all the citizens of Naples: I am here among you, dear friends, to share with you the Word of God and the Bread of Life.



Meditating on the Biblical readings of this Sunday and reflecting on the realities of Naples, I am struck by the fact that the Word of God today has prayer as its principal theme, 'the need to pray always without tiring', as the Gospel says (cfr Lk 18,1).

at first glance, this may seem like a message that is not very pertinent, hardly incisive with respect to a social reality with as many problems as yours.

But, reflecting on it, we understand that this Word contains a message that is certainly against the current but destined nevertheless to illuminate profoundly the conscience of your Church and your city.

I would summarize it this way: the power, which in silence and without great clamor, changes the world and transforms it to the Kingdom of God, is faith - and prayer is the expression of faith.

When faith is filled with the love of God, whom we recognize as our good and just Father, prayer becomes persevering and insistent, it becomes a plaint of the spirit, a cry from the soul which penetrates the heart of God.

Thus, prayer becomes the greatest force for transforming the world. In the face of difficult and complex social realities, as yours is certainly, we must strengthen hope, which is founded on faith and is expressed in tireless prayer.

It is prayer which keeps the flame of faith alight. Jesus asks: "When the son of Man returns, will he find faith on earth?" (Lk 18,8). what shall be our reply to this disquieting question?

Today, let us be together in repeating with humble courage: Lord, may your coming to us in this Sunday celebration find us united with the lamp of faith alight. We believe and trust in you! Make our faith grow!

The Biblical readings we heard present us with some models to inspire us in our profession of faith. They are the figures of the widow whom we meet in the Gospel parable, and that of Moses as recounted in Exodus.

The widow of the Gospel (cfr Lk 18,1-8) makes us think of the 'little people', the least, but also of so many simple and honest persons who suffer from oppression, who feel helpless in the face of persistent social ills and are prey to discouragement.

To them, Jesus says: Look at this poor widow, the tenacity with which she insists and finally gets a hearing from a dishonest judge! How can you think that your heavenly Father, who is good and faithful, who wants only what is good for is children, will not do you justice in his time?

Faith assures us that God hears our prayers and will answer us at the right time, even if our daily experience may seem to belie this certainty.

Indeed, before certain facts of daily news, or even all the daily discomforts of life which are not reported in the newspapers, the cry of the ancient prophet comes spontaneously to mind: "How long, O LORD? I cry for help but you do not listen! I cry out to you, 'Violence!' but you do not intervene" (Hab 1,2).

There is only one answer to this heartfelt cry: God cannot change things without our own conversion, and our conversion begins with the cry of the soul, which asks for forgiveness and salvation.

Christian prayer is not the expression of fatalism and inertia. Rather, it is everything but an escape from reality or a comforting intimacy. It is the force of hope, maximum expression of faith in the power of God who is Love and will not abandon us.

The prayer which Jesus taught us, culminating in Gethsemane, has the character of agony, that is, of struggle, because we align ourselves decisively beside the Lord to combat injustice and conquer evil with good.

It is the weapon of the little people and the poor in spirit who repudiate every type of violence. Instead, they answer violence with evangelical non-violence, testifying thereby to the truth that Love is stronger than hate and death.

This also emerges in the first Reading - the famous story of the battle between the Israelites an the Amalekites (cfr Ex 17,8-13a). Decisive for the outcome of that hard battle was prayer addressed with faith to the true God.

While Joshua and his men faced the enemy on the battlefield, Moses was on the mountaintop with his hands raised, in the position of one in prayer. The raised hands of the great leader would guarantee the victory of Israel.

God was with his people, he wanted their victory, but he conditioned his intervention on the fact of Moses raising his hands. It seems incredible, but so it was: God needs the raised hands of his servants.

The raised hands of Moses make us think of Jesus's arms on the Cross - arms open wide, hands nailed down, with which the Redeemer won the decisive battle against the infernal enemy.

His struggle - the hands raised to the Father and open wide to the world - demands other arms, other hearts, who will continue to offer themselves with the same love he had, to the end of the world.

I address myself particularly to you, dear pastors of the Church in Naples, taking on the words that St. Paul addressed to Timothy:
"Proclaim the word; be persistent whether it is convenient or inconvenient; convince, reprimand, encourage through all patience and teaching" (cfr 2 Tim 4,2).

And like Moses on the mountain, persevere in prayer for and with the faithful entrusted to your pastoral care, so that together you may face every day the good battle of the Gospel.

And now, interiorly illuminated by the Word of God, let us return to look at the reality of your city, which does not lack for healthy energies and good men who who are culturally prepared, and in a sense, live for the family.

But for many, living is not easy: there are so many situations of poverty, lack of lodging, unemployment and under-employment, lack of prospects for the future.

And then there is the sad phenomenon of violence. It is not only the deprecable number of crimes by the Camorra, but the fact that violence tends unfortunately to become a widespread mentality, insinuating itself into the fabric of social life, in the historic quarters of the city center as well as the new and anonymous peripheries which attract the young most especially, who grow in an environment in which illegality, under-the-table deals and a culture of 'settlements' prosper.

How important it is then to intensify the efforts for a serious strategy of prevention which is focused on school, work, and helping the youth to manage their free time.

The intervention must involve everyone in the battle against every form of violence, starting with the formation of conscience and transforming the mentality, the attitudes and the behavior of everyday.

I propose this invitation to every man and woman of good will, at a time when Naples hosts an encounter for peace among the world's religious leaders, which has the theme "For a world without violence - Religions and cultures in dialog."

Dear brothers and sisters, the beloved John Paul II visited Naples for the first time in 1979. It was, like today, Sunday, the 21st of October. The second time, it was in November 1990, a visit to promote the rebirth of hope.

The mission of the Church is to nourish the faith and hope of the Christian people at all times. Your Archbishop has been doing this with apostolic zeal, recently writing a pastoral letter with the significant title, "Blood and hope".

Yes, true hope is born only from the blood of Christ and the blood spilled for him. There is blood which is a sign of death. But there is blood which expresses love and life. The blood of Jesus and the martyrs, like that of your beloved patron San Gennaro, is a spring of new life.

I wish to conclude using a statement from the pastoral letter of your Archbishop: "The seed of hope is perhaps the tiniest, but it can give life to a luxuriant tree and bear much fruit."

This seed is found in Naples and functions, despite the problems and the difficulties. Let us pray to the Lord that he may make authentic faith and firm hope grow in this Christian community, able to counteract discouragement and violence effectively.

Certainly, Naples needs adequate political interventions, but even before that, a profound spiritual renewal. It needs believers who have full trust in God, and with his help, will commit themselves to disseminate the values of the Gospel in society.

For this, let us ask the help of Mary and your sainted protectors, particularly San Gennaro. Amen.




Left photo, Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, extreme left.




THE POPE'S ANGELUS MESSAGE

After the Mass, the Holy Father delivered this message before leading the recital of the Agnelus prayers. Here is a translation:

At the end of this solemn celebration, I wish to renew to all of you, dear friends in Naples, my greeting and my thanks for the warm welcome that you have given me.

I address a special greeting to the delegations from various parts of the world who have come to participate in the World Encounter for Peace, promoted by the Community of Sant'Egidio, with the theme "For a world without violence - Religions and cultures in dialog."

May this important cultural and religious initiative contribute to consolidate peace in the world. Let us pray for this.

But let us pray today also, and in a special way, for missionaries. Because today we also celebrate World Mission Day, with the significant theme, "All the Churches for all the world".

Every local church is co-responsible for the evangelization of all humanity, and this coopeation among Churches was substantially increased by Pope Pius XII with the encyclical Fidei donum fifty years ago.

Let us not withhold our spiritual and material support for all who work on the frontiers of mission: priests, religious and laymen, who not infrequently encounter serious difficulties and even persecution in their work.

Let us entrust these intentions to the Most Blessed Mary, who, in the month of October, we lovingly invoke under the title with which she is venerated in the nearby Sanctuary of Pompeii: Our Lady of the Holy Rosary.

To her, in particular, we entrust the many immigrants who have gathered here in pilgrimage from Caserta. May the Holy Virgin protect all those who, in different ways, have committed themselves for the common good and for a just order in society, underscored during the 45th Social Consciousness Week which is being marked in Pistoia and Pisa these days, on the centenary of the very first such week, promoted principally by Giuseppe Toniolo, the late illustrious Christian economist.

The problems and challenges which we face today are many indeed. They require storng commitment from everyone, especially the lay faithful who work in the social and political fields, in order to assure to every person, especially the young, the indispensable conditions to develop their own natural talents and to mature with generous life choices in the service of their own families and the entire community.

And now let us address the Madonna with our Angelus prayers.

PASTORAL VISIT TO NAPLES, October 21, 2007


At 1:00 p.m., the Holy Father greeted the heads of delegations participating in the World Encounter for Peace promoted by the Sant'Egidio Community at the Aula Magna of the Archhdiocesan Seminary in Capodimonte. Here is a translation of his address, delivered in Italian:



GREETING FROM THE HOLY FATHER

Holiness, Your Beatitudes,
Illustrious authorities,
Representatives of Churches and Ecclesial Communities,
Dear representatives of the great world religions:

I gladly take this occasion to greet all the personages gathered here in Naples for the 21st international meeting on the theme "For a world without violence - Religions and cultures in dialog".

What you represent expresses in a certain sense the different religious worlds and patrimonies of humanity, which the Catholic Church looks to with sincere respect and cordial attention.

I address my appreciation to Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe and to the Archdiocese of Naples which hosts this meeting, and to the community of Sant'Egidio which has worked with dedication to promote dialog among religions and cultures in the 'spirit of Assisi.'



Our encounter today brings us back to 1986, when my venerated predecessor John Paul II invited to St. Francis's hill high-ranking religious representatives to pray for peace, underscoring in such circumstances the intrinsic bond that unites an authentic religious attitude with an active sensibility for this fundamental asset of humanity.

In 2002, after the dramatic events of September 11, 2001, John Paul II reconvened religious leaders in Assisi to ask God to put an end to the grave threats to humanity, especially that of terrorism.

With respect to the differences among various religions, we are all called upon to work for peace and to a proactive commitment to promote reconciliation among peoples. This is the authentic spirit of Assisi, which opposes itself to every form of violence and to the abuse of religion as a pretext for violence.

In a world lacerated by conflicts, where violence in the name of God is sometimes defended, it is important to reaffirm that religions can never become vehicles of hate. Never, invoking the name of God, can one justify evil and violence.

On the contrary, religions can and should offer resources for constructing a peaceful humanity because they speak to the heart of man.

The Catholic Church intends to continue along the path of dialog to promote concord among different cultures, traditions and religious wisdoms.

I sincerely hope that this spirit may spread ever more, especially where tensions are at their worst, where freedom and respect for others are denied, and where men and women suffer because of intolerance and lack of understanding.

Dear friends, may these days of work and prayerful listening be fruitful for all. For this, I address my prayers to the Eternal God, that he may pour on every participant of the meeting for peace the abundance of his blessings, of his wisdom and of his love.

May he liberate the hearts of men from every hatred and every root of violence, and make us all artisans of the civilization of love.

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Afterwards, the Holy Father had luncheon with the cardinals, the bishops of Campania, the participants in the World Encounter for Peace, and the papal delegation.

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Pope: Religions should be
'artisans of the civilization of love'
By JOHN L. ALLEN JR





Addressing leaders of other religions meeting today in Naples, Pope Benedict XVI called upon the world’s religions to be “artisans of the civilization of love.” Never, Benedict said, can religious faith legitimately be invoked to justify hatred or violence.

The pope vowed that the Catholic church “intends to continue to pursue the path of dialogue,” while “respecting the differences among the various religions.” He spoke at the Capodimonte Seminary in Naples, flanked by the Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I.

The inter-faith gathering, titled “For a World without Violence: Religions and Cultures in Dialogue,” was organized under the aegis of the Community of Sant’Egidio. The founder of Sant'Egidio, lay Italian church historian Andrea Riccardi, was also on the dais with the pope.

Benedict invoked the memory of Pope John Paul II’s 1986 summit of religious leaders in Assisi – ironically, an event about which then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger expressed reservations on the grounds that it could inadvertently promote a form of religious relativism, in which one religion seems as good as another.

As Benedict XVI spoke, a large picture of John Paul II seated alongside the Dalai Lama and other religious leaders during the Assisi gathering in 1986 was visible over his left shoulder.

While praising the 1986 event, Benedict XVI did not repeat John Paul II’s moment of silent prayer in the company of other religious leaders.

While Benedict stressed inter-religious cooperation, he did not enter into details of how these relationships might move forward. Some observers thought the pope might make reference to a recent letter from 138 Muslim leaders, for example, which attempted to lay out the basis for further theological dialogue.

Instead, Benedict simply expressed a “lively wish” that a spirit of dialogue will spread, “above all where tensions are most strong, where liberty and respect for others are negated, and where men and women suffer the consequences of intolerance and incomprehension.”

[Allen then provides a translation of the Pope's address].


Benedict XVI:
Religion Is Not a Vehicle of Hate



NAPLES, Italy, OCT. 21, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Violence in the name of God can never be justified, Benedict XVI told a gathering of interreligious leaders in Naples, urging them to promote peace and the "spirit of Assisi."

Pope's appeal today resounded in the archdiocesan seminary of Capodimonte on the first day of the 21st International Encounter of Peoples and Religions. The meeting, organized by the Community of Sant'Egidio in Naples until Oct. 23, has as its theme "Toward a World Without Violence: Religions and Cultures in Dialogue."

"Faced with a world lacerated by conflicts," the Holy Father said, "where at times violence is justified in the name of God, it is important to re-emphasize that religion can never be a vehicle of hate; never, in the name of God, can we justify evil and violence."

"On the contrary," he added, "because they speak of peace to the human heart, religions can offer precious resources for building a peaceful humanity."

Benedict XVI met with various participants in the meeting, including Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew I; the Anglican archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams; one of Israel's chief rabbis, Yona Metzger; the rector of the Al-Azhar University in Egypt, Ahmad Al-Tayyeb; and the Imam of the United Arab Emirates, Ibrahim Ezzedin.

PASTORAL VISIT TO NAPLES, October 21, 2007


At 4:00 p.m., the Holy Father left the Archdiocesan Seminary in Capodimonte by Popemobile to go to the Cathedral of Naples. He was driven through one of the most densely-populated areas of the city.








At the Cathedral, he was welcomed by the members of the clergy Chapter of the Cathedral, the Presbyteral council and the Deputation of San Gennaro.

At the Cathedral's Chapel of San Gennaro, he spent some time in Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and veneration of the relics of Naples's patron saint.


THE POPE KISSES THE VIAL
CONTAINING SAN GENNARO'S BLOOD





NAPLES, Oct. 21 (Translated from Apcom)- The Pope kissed the vial containing the blood of San Gennaro - for centuries the object of devotion by Neapolitans who await the liquefaction of the blood three times during the year, when the vial is displayed to the faithful.

Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, Vatican Secretary of State, and Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, Archbishop of Naples, who were with the Pope in the chapel, also kissed the holy vial.

Later, the Pope left the Cathedral passing through crowds on both sides of the street during one of the rare moments when the rain stopped during this soggy day.

Riding with him in the Popemobile to the Maritime Station in the Port of Naples were Cardinal Sepe and Mons. Georg Gaenswein.

Prime Minister Romano Prodi, Justice Minister Clemente Mastella and other civic and military officials who welcomed the Pope this morning were also at the Port to see him off.

The Pope was expected to arrive at the Vatican by 6 p.m.

PASTORAL VISIT TO NAPLES, October 21, 2007



Violence must be overcome
by deep spiritual renewal
rooted in prayer, says the Pope


Naples, Oct 21, 2007 (CNA).- Tens of thousands of Neapolitans turned out today in pouring rain to hear the Pope’s words and show their support for him. Cries of “viva la Papa” (long live the Pope) could be heard as the he made his way in the Pope mobile to the Piazza del Plebiscito, where he celebrated Mass and recited the Angelus.

The Holy Father’s message for Naples was that its culture of violence must be overcome through political solutions and above all, by a spiritual renewal which is fueled by the “great force for transforming the world,” prayer.

Naples needs effective political solutions to fight against the mentality which draws young people into an underworld of illegal activities, but even more so it needs a deep spiritual renewal, the Pope said.

This renewal will come about through a formation of consciences which can transform people’s attitudes and ways of behaving. The indispensable key to this conversion is prayer: “The deepest expression of faith, which in silence can change the world and transform it into the kingdom of God,” the pontiff explained.

Pope Benedict also showed that he is aware of life outside of the better parts of Naples and provided some solutions for the circumstances of abject poverty that many Neapolitans find themselves in.

In a move reminiscent of when Pope John Paul II spoke out against the Sicilian mafia, Benedict XVI also singled out the Camorra, the organized crime network in Naples for contributing to the city's corruption.

In his homily, the Pope said that it is crucial to immediately intervene to protect children who are at risk of being drawn into gangs and drug rings. He suggested supporting children in schools, organizing their free time and helping them find jobs.

The Holy Father challenged the Neapolitans to see that hope for a change in their city will take place. “The seeds of hope may be small but they can grow into large trees which can bear much fruit,” Benedict counseled. He concluded his homily by encouraging the faithful to “build on authentic faith which… can keep hope alive even in the most difficult situations.”


Pope urges world's religions
to promote peace
By Phil Stewart

NAPLES, Oct. 21 (Reuters) - Pope Benedict told religious leaders, including Christians, Jews and Muslims, on Sunday that faith must never be allowed to become a vehicle of hatred.

The Pope spoke forcefully against invoking the name of God in any religion "to justify evil and violence."

"Faced with a world lacerated by conflict, where violence is still justified in the name of God, it is important to reiterate that religions must never become a vehicle of hatred," the Pontiff said.

"On the contrary, religions can and should offer precious resources to build a humanity of peace, because they speak of peace at the heart of man."

The Pope addressed scholars and religious leaders attending a three-day inter-faith gathering in the southern Italian port city of Naples. The conference is called "For a World Without Violence: Religions and Cultures in Dialogue."

Less than two weeks ago more than 130 Muslim scholars called for peace and understanding between Islam and Christianity, and said the world's survival could be at stake.

The Pope sat down to lunch on Sunday with one of them, Izzeddin Ibrahim, a cultural adviser to the government of the United Arab Emirates.

"With respect for the differences between different religions, we are all called to work for peace and an effective effort to promote reconciliation between peoples," the Pope said.

The Pope also met religious leaders including Israel's Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger, the spiritual head of Orthodox Christians, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew and the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, the head of the world's Anglicans.

"I strongly hope that this spirit (of peace) spreads above all where tensions are strongest, where freedom and the respect for others are denied, and men and women suffer because of the consequences of intolerance," he said.

Muslim leaders attending the summit included Din Syamsuddin, the head of Indonesia's second largest Islamic organization -- the 30 million-member Muhammadiyah.

He was one of the many Muslims who criticized a speech the Pope made last year hinting Islam was violent and irrational. Benedict repeatedly expressed regret for the reaction to the speech, but stopped short of a clear apology sought by Muslims.

During the inter-religious talks, the Vatican expressed joy over the release of two Catholic priests. They were kidnapped in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul this month and there were reports they were being held for a $1 million ransom.

"We were very worried. ... We hope that kidnappings like this one don't happen again," Vatican spokesman Federico Lombardi said.

Christians form a small minority in Iraq. A recent U.S. State Department report on religious freedom estimated the country has about 1 million Christians, down from 1.4 million in 1987.



Pope, evoking September 11,
urges 'reconciliation among peoples'
by Gina Doggett

NAPLES, Italy, Oct. 21 (AFP) - Pope Benedict XVI on Sunday evoked the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, as he urged "reconciliation among peoples" ahead of an inter-faith summit in Naples.

"With respect for the differences between the various religions, we are all called to work for peace and ... reconciliation among peoples," Benedict said as he met with Muslim, Jewish, Orthodox and other Christian leaders.

The some 200 participants at the annual Sant'Egidio community peace meeting include Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew I, the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, Israel's chief rabbi Yona Metzger and the imam of the United Arab Emirates, Ibrahim Ezzeddin.

Recalling the 2002 Sant'Egidio summit following the September 11 attacks, the pope said his predecessor John Paul II called religious leaders together to "ask God to stop serious threats to humanity, notably through terrorism."

Meeting for the first time as pope with such a large gathering of world religious leaders, Benedict said: "In the face of a world torn by conflicts where violence is sometimes justified in the name of God, it is important to reiterate that religions can never become vehicles of hate."

The 80-year-old Benedict has stressed his commitment to "open and sincere dialogue" with followers of other religions.

The Sant'Egidio encounter follows an open letter sent to the pope and other Christian figures by 138 Muslim leaders, both Sunni and Shiite, which urged greater efforts to bring the two religions together.

Benedict set Muslim opinion aflame last year in a speech in which he seemed to link Islam with violence, but sought to win hearts and minds during his November 2006 trip to mainly Muslim Turkey.

In a dramatic gesture, the pontiff assumed an attitude of Muslim prayer while standing beside Istanbul's Grand Mufti Mustafa Cagrici in Istanbul's Blue Mosque.

While there, the pope also met Barthomew I, spiritual leader of the world's 250 million Orthodox Christians. [But what a misleading statement to make! ALSO? The visit with Bartholomew was the main reason for the trip to Turkey!]

Healing the nearly 10-century-old rift between the Eastern and Western Rites was one of the priorities -- along with reaching out to Muslims and Jews -- that Benedict set out for himself when he took up the papacy in April 2005.

The Sant'Egidio summits are meant to carry on the "spirit of Assisi" launched 21 years ago by John Paul II in the birthplace of Saint Francis.

A World Day of Prayer for Peace was attended by the Dalai Lama, Mother Teresa and other religious leaders, but Benedict, then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, stayed away, reportedly out of concern that it put all religions on an equal footing.

Thus the timing of his pastoral visit to Naples has been billed as a "happy coincidence" by Sant'Egidio, a lay Catholic organisation that has mediated in several world conflicts.

The theme of this year's peace summit is "A World Without Violence: Faiths and Cultures in Dialogue," with topics to include AIDS, immigration, the plight of Africa and the quest for peace in the Middle East.

The pope lunched with Sant'Egidio participants as well as Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi.

Sunday morning, Benedict celebrated an open-air mass as rain fell on pilgrims huddled under umbrellas in Naples' main square.

Lamenting "the sad phenomenon of violence" in the impoverished city, the pontiff said: "It's not only a matter of the deplorable number of crimes of the Camorra (mafia), but also the fact that violence tends unfortunately to become a widespread mentality, insinuating itself into the fabric of society."

The pope underscored "the importance of intensifying efforts for a serious strategy of prevention centring on schools, work and helping young people to manage their free time.

"Intervention is needed that involves everyone in the struggle against all forms of violence," he said.



Pope says faith can't justify violence
By NICOLE WINFIELD

NAPLES, Italy, Oct. 21 (AP) - Visiting one of Italy's most crime-ridden cities, Pope Benedict XVI told ayatollahs, rabbis, priests and patriarchs from around the world Sunday that religion must never be used to justify violence

Benedict condemned the "deplorable" mob violence that he said permeated life in Naples, home of the notorious Camorra organized crime syndicate — the local version of the Sicilian Mafia.

The pope's visit coincided with a three-day meeting of religious leaders from around the world on the role of religion and culture in creating a violence-free world.

The pope told the Jewish, Muslim, Christian and Buddhist leaders they must work for peace and reconciliation among peoples.

"In a world wounded by conflicts, where violence is justified in God's name, it's important to repeat that religion can never become a vehicle of hatred, it can never be used in God's name to justify violence," he said. "On the contrary, religions can and must offer precious resources to build a peaceful humanity, because they speak about peace in the heart of man."

While the pope's message was universal, it had particular resonance in Naples, which has long been one of Italy's most violent cities. Besides petty crime, it has been wracked by Camorra turf battles over drug and arms trafficking, prostitution rackets and other lucrative activities.

Naples for years had the highest murder rate of all major Italian cities, although it slipped to second place after Bari in 2006, registering 3.3 reported homicides per 100,000 inhabitants, Interior Ministry statistics show. Naples' surrounding Campania region has for years also topped the charts for robberies and car thefts.

Last year, there were calls for the army to be sent in after nine people were killed in Naples in two weeks.

During an open-air Mass in Naples' main square, Benedict called for programs in schools and the workplace to change a "mentality" of violence that he said increasingly draws in young people who have few economic opportunities.

"There are so many situations of poverty, of inadequate housing, of unemployment and underemployment, of lack of prospects for the future," Benedict told the crowd on a chilly and rainy day.

"It's not just the lamentable number of Camorra crimes, but also the fact that violence unfortunately tends to become a diffuse mentality, insinuating itself into social life, in the historic center and in the new and faceless outskirts, with the risk of drawing in young people in particular," he said.

Benedict prayed before the relics of Naples' patron saint, fourth-century St. Gennaro, in the cathedral. Faithful believe that a miracle occurs several times a year when the saint's blood, contained in a vial, liquefies when it is placed next to a box containing the relics of St. Gennaro's skull. The blood did not liquefy during Benedict's prayer.

During the one-day visit, Benedict met with religious leaders including Din Syamsuddin, chairman of Muhammadiyah, the second largest Islamic organization in Indonesia, and Ayatollah Sayed Mousavi Bojnourdi, head of an Islamic study center in Iran.

At lunch, however, only one Muslim representative was invited to sit at Benedict's table — Ezzeddine Ibrahim, a cultural adviser to the president of the United Arab Emirates.

Ibrahim was among the 138 Muslim scholars who recently signed a letter to Christian leaders urging Christians and Muslims to build on their common belief in one God to work for peace.

Other religious leaders attending the meeting included one of Israel's chief rabbis, Yona Metzger; Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, spiritual leader of the world's Orthodox Christians; the Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams; the head of the World Council of Churches, the Rev. Samuel Kobia; and Buddhist, Shinto, Hindu and Zoroastrian representatives.

They were gathered for the 21st annual peace meeting sponsored by Sant'Egidio Community, a Rome-based lay Catholic organization. Pope John Paul II hosted the first such meeting in the hilltop town of Assisi, birthplace of peace-loving St. Francis, in 1986.



Pope urges schools, jobs
to foil crime
By John Phillips
Washington Times
Published October 23, 2007

ROME, Oct. 22 — Pope Benedict XVI took on Italy's organized-crime rings during a visit to Naples yesterday, urging authorities to build more schools and create more jobs to combat the Camorra, the local version of the Mafia.

Speaking to 20,000 gathered in the Piazza del Plebiscito under gray skies and a deluge of cold rain, the pontiff said Naples has plenty of "healthy energy [and] good people ... but for many people life is not easy."

He cited poverty and shortages of housing and jobs.

"Then there is the sad phenomenon of violence," he said. "It is not just a question of the Camorra's lamentable number of crimes, but also the fact that violence unfortunately tends to become a widespread mentality.

"How important it is, then, to intensify the efforts needed for a serious strategy of prevention that concentrates on schooling, work and helping young people to manage young people," Benedict said.

Pope John Paul II lambasted Italy's organized crime during his trips to Sicily and other southern regions. Benedict's trip marked his first such sortie and the first papal visit to Naples in 30 years.

Naples long had the highest homicide rate of all Italian cities. Last year, its homicide rate slipped to second place behind that of the Apulian port of Bari.

Local politicians called for the army to be sent into Naples last year after nine persons were killed in less than two weeks while rival Camorraclans battled for control of cocaine and arms trafficking.

Despite his remarks, the pope was criticized for publicly supporting Italian Justice Minister Clemente Mastella, a centrist Christian Democrat who draws support from areas where the Camorra is powerful.

"Go forward with courage," Benedict told Mr. Mastella.

Mr. Mastella was pressured to resign after disclosures that he ordered the transfer of a leading anti-Mafia magistrate, Luigi de Magistris, who opened an investigation into party financing and suspected fraud by the justice minister.

Benedict's visit coincided with a three-day meeting of world religious leaders, including Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, discussing the roles of religion and culture to end violence.

"In a world wounded by conflicts, where violence is justified in God's name, it is important to repeat that religion can never become a vehicle of hatred. It can never be used in God's name to justify violence," the pope told about 200 Jewish, Muslim, Christian and Buddhist leaders.