VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE
YEAR XXVI - # 13
DATE 21-01-2016

Summary:
- The Pope decrees that not only men may be chosen for the washing of the feet
in the Liturgy of Holy Thursday
- Pilgrimage to shrines: an eloquent expression of faith
- Pope's message to the World Economic Forum: "Do not forget the poor"
- The Year of Consecrated Life comes to an end
- Cardinal Maung Bo, papal legate at the International Eucharistic Conference
of
the Philippines
- Audiences
- Other Pontifical Acts

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 The Pope decrees that not only men may be chosen for the washing of the feet
in
the Liturgy of Holy Thursday
 Vatican City, 21 January 2016 (VIS) - The Holy Father has written a letter,
dated 20 December and published today, to Cardinal Robert Sarah, prefect of the
Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, in which
he decrees that from now on, the people chosen for the washing of the feet in
the liturgy of Holy Thursday may be selected from all the People of God, and
not
only men and boys.
 The Pope writes to the cardinal that he has for some time reflected on the
"rite of the washing of the feet contained in the Liturgy of the Mass in Coena
Domini, with the intention of improving the way in which it is performed so
that
it might express more fully the meaning of Jesus' gesture in the Cenacle, His
giving of Himself unto the end for the salvation of the world, His limitless
charity".
 "After careful consideration", he continues, "I have decided to make a change
to the Roman Missal. I therefore decree that the section according to which
those persons chosen for the Washing of the feet must be men or boys, so that
from now on the Pastors of the Church may choose the participants in the rite
from among all the members of the People of God. I also recommend that an
adequate explanation of the rite itself be provided to those who are chosen".
 The Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments has
today published a decree on the aforementioned rite, dated 6 January 2016, the
full text of which is published below:
 "The reform of the Holy Week, by the decree Maxima Redemptionis nostrae
mysteria of November 1955, provides the faculty, where counselled by pastoral
motives, to perform the washing of the feet of twelve men during the Mass of
the
Lord's Supper, after the reading of the Gospel according to John, as if almost
to represent Christ's humility and love for His disciples.
 In the Roman liturgy this rite was handed down with the name of the Mandatum
of
the Lord on brotherly charity in accordance with Jesus' words, sung in the
Antiphon during the celebration.
 In performing this rite, bishops and priests are invited to conform intimately
to Christ who 'came not to be served but to serve' and, driven by a love 'to
the
end', to give His life for the salvation of all humankind.
 To manifest the full meaning of the rite to those who participate in it, the
Holy Father Francis has seen fit to change the rule by in the Roman Missal
(p.300, No. 11) according to which the chosen men are accompanied by the
ministers, which must therefore be modified as follows: 'Those chosen from
among
the People of God are accompanied by the ministers' (and consequently in the
Caeremoniale Episcoporum No. 301 and No. 299 b referring to the seats for the
chosen men, so that pastors may choose a group of faithful representing the
variety and unity of every part of the People of God. This group may consist of
men and women, and ideally of the young and the old, healthy and sick, clerics,
consecrated persons and laypeople.
 This Congregation for Divine Worship and the Disipline of the Sacraments, by
means of the faculties granted by the Supreme Pontiff, introduces this
innovation in the liturgical books of the Roman Rite, recalling pastors of
their
duty to instruct adequately both the chosen faithful and others, so that they
may participate in the rite consciously, actively and fruitfully".

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 Pilgrimage to shrines: an eloquent expression of faith
 Vatican City, 21 January 2016 (VIS) - "Making a pilgrimage to shrines is one
of
the most eloquent expressions of the faith of a people for God ... This popular
religiosity is an authentic form of evangelisation that must be promoted and
emphasised, without minimising its importance", said Pope Francis this morning
as he received in the Paul VI Hall three thousand leaders of pilgrimages and
rectors of shrines, participating in the Jubilee.
 "It would be a mistake to think that those who go on a pilgrimage live a
spirituality that is not personal but rather of the 'masses'. The reality is
that the pilgrim carries within him hos own history and faith, and the lights
and shadows of his own life. Each person carries within his or her heart a
special wish and a particular prayer. Those who enter the shrine immediately
feel they are at home, welcomed, understood and supported. ... Therefore, the
key
word I would like to underline today with you is 'welcome'. ... An
affectionate,
celebratory, cordial and patient welcome. ... Jesus spoke about welcome, but
most
of all He practised it. When we read that sinners such as Matthew and Zacchaeus
welcomed Jesus in their home and at their table, it is because they felt
welcomed first by Jesus, and this had changed their lives".
 Francis commented that the pilgrim often reaches a sanctuary tired, hungry and
thirsty. "And very often this physical condition reflects the inner condition",
he observed. "Therefore, every person needs to be welcomed well both materially
and spiritually. ... Whoever they may be, young or old, rich or poor, sick and
troubled or simply a curious tourist, we must find the right way to welcome
them, because in each one of them there is a heart that seeks God, at times
without being fully aware".
 Finally, he said that priests offer a special welcome in these shrines as
ministers of God's forgiveness, as the shrine is the "house of forgiveness,
where each person encounters the tenderness of the Father who is merciful to
all, without excluding anyone. Those who approach the confessional do so
because
they repent of their sins. ... Priests who carry out their mission in
sanctuaries
must always have a heart full of mercy: their attitude must be that of a
father".

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 Pope's message to the World Economic Forum: "Do not forget the poor"
 Vatican City, 21 January 2016 (VIS) - "Do not forget the poor", writes Pope
Francis to the founder and executive president of the World Economic Forum,
Klaus Schwab, in the message he sent tot he annual meeting of the forum that
opened yesterday in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland, on the theme " Mastering the
Fourth Industrial Revolution". In the text, which was consigned by Cardinal
Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, president of the Pontifical Council "Justice and
Peace", the Pope emphasises that this "revolution" has been accompanied by
unemployment affecting millions of people, and expresses his hope that the
development of advanced technologies may lead to the creation of dignified work
for all, the consolidation of economic rights and the defence of the
environment.
 The Holy Father also warns against the danger that a culture of prosperity
numbs people, rendering them insensitive to the problems of others, and
reiterates that business activity is a noble vocation directed towards the
production of wealth and the improvement of the world for all, when it is
understood as a service to the common good. He concludes by expressing his hope
that the World Economic Forum may be a platform for the defence and protection
of creation, as well as for the achievement of a "healthier, more human, more
social, more integral" progress.
 Pope Francis begins by offering to Klaus Schwab his good wishes "for the
fruitfulness of this meeting, which seeks to encourage continuing social and
environmental responsibility through a constructive dialogue on the part of
government, business and civic leaders, as well as distinguished
representatives
of the political, financial and cultural sectors".
 "The dawn of the so-called 'fourth industrial revolution' has been accompanied
by a growing sense of the inevitability of a drastic reduction in the number of
jobs. The latest studies conducted by the International Labour Organisation
indicate that unemployment presently affects hundreds of millions of people.
The
financialisation and technologisation of national and global economies have
produced far-reaching changes in the field of labour. Diminished opportunities

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