VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXVI - # 6
DATE 12-01-2016

Summary:
- Presentation of the book-interview with Pope Francis, "The Name of God is
Mercy", published in 86 countries
- Other Pontifical Acts

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 Presentation of the book-interview with Pope Francis, "The Name of God is
Mercy", published in 86 countries
 Vatican City, 12 January 2016 (VIS) - "The Name of God is Mercy", the book in
the form of an interview with Pope Francis by the Italian journalist Andrea
Tornielli, has been released today in 86 countries and was presented this
morning in the Augustinianum Institute, Rome by Cardinal Secretary of State
Pietro Parolin and the actor Roberto Benigni during a conference moderated by
the director of the Holy See Press Office, Fr. Federico Lombardi, S.J. The
event
was also attended by Msgr. Giuseppe Costa, director of the Vatican Publishing
House (LEV), and Zhang Agostino Jianquing, a detainee in the prison of Padua,
Italy who has converted to Christianity and received Baptism, the Eucharist and
Confirmation last year. An extract of one of the Oscar winner Roberto Benigni's
readings dedicated to "The Ten Commandments" was used by the Pope in the homily
he pronounced during the end of year Te Deum in 2014, in which he spoke of the
weakness of the human being, who at times tends towards slavery and sin for
fear
of freedom.
 The book, whose cover bears the signature of the Pope in the Italian, Spanish,
French, English and Portuguese editions, is divided into nine chapters. It
begins with "The Time of Mercy" and concludes with "How to live the Jubilee
well". Throughout the other seven chapters Francis dialogues with Andrea
Tornielli - whom during a four-hour interview this summer, in the Domus Sanctae
Marthae, asked him forty questions on issues linked by the common thread of
mercy, described by the Pope as "God's identity card". Confession as "neither a
whitewash, nor a form of torture", based on listening rather than
interrogation,
recognising oneself as a sinner and the Church's condemnation of sin and
embracing of the sinner, the Pope's acknowledgement that he too is in need of
divine mercy, the need to get up again after a fall, the assertion that God's
logic is a logic of love that scandalises the doctors of the Law and that
formal
compliance with rules leads to a decline in our wonder at the salvation God
offers are some of the issues that the Holy Father considers. In Chapter 7 he
notes that corruption is a sin raised to a systemic level, and also reiterates
that compassion overcomes the globalisation of indifference, while shortly
before the end of the book he emphasises that practising works of mercy is the
cornerstone of Christian life.
 In the book, considered by many to be a summary of Francis' teaching and
papacy, the Holy Father explains to the Vatican commentator of the Italian
newspaper "La Stampa", incorporating anecdotes from his youth and his
experiences as a priest, the reasons why he chose to convoke a Holy Year of
Mercy, the key word of his teaching.

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 Other Pontifical Acts
 Vatican City, 12 January 2016 (VIS) - The Holy Father has:
 - appointed Fr. Euzebius Chinekezy Ogbonna Managwu as bishop of Port-Gentil
(area 22,850, population 128,000, Catholics 71,770, priests 11, religious 11),
Gabon. The bishop-elect was born in N'Djamena, Chad in 1959 and was ordained a
priest in 1992. He holds a licentiate from the Pontifical Theological Faculty
"Teresianum", Rome and has served in a number of pastoral roles, including
parish vicar, parish priest, spiritual director and rector of the Saint Jean
minor seminary in Libreville. He is currently episcopal vicar of the diocese of
Libreville and pastor of the parish of Notre Dame de l'Ogooue.
 - given his assent to the appointment, by the Synod of Bishops of the major
archiepiscopal Syro-Malabar church, gathered in Mount Saint Thomas, Kerala,
India, of Fr. Jose Pulickal as auxiliary bishop of the eparchy of Kanjirapally
of the Syro-Malabars (area 2,017, population 1,365,900, Catholics 225,950,
priests 344, religious 2,087), India. The bishop-elect was born in Inchiyani,
India in 1964 and was ordained a priest in 1991. He holds a doctorate in
biblical theology from the Dharmaram Institute of Bangalore, and has served in
a
number of pastoral roles, including vicar of the cathedral of Kanjirapally,
director of catechesis, eparchial vicar and consultor. He is currently
protosyncellus with responsibilty for the clergy.

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