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Brixen-Bressnone/ACM/10 August 2008

Pope Benedict XVI launched a call "in the name of the common Christian heritage" of "all Christians", to "immediately stop military actions", and "resolutely take, the road of negotiation and dialogue", with "Initiatives" for a "peaceful and sustainable solution" in South Ossetia.

It's with "profound anxiety" that we read "the news, more and more dramatic", on "these tragic events ..which have caused many innocent victims and obliged a great number of civilians to leave their homes". All involved must "avoid to cause more, and worse sufferings to the population", he said.

He warned against "more violent confrontations and retaliations, which may degenerate in a conflict of even larger scope".

To avoid this risk, "the International Community and the most inffuent countries" should "make every effort to support and promote .. initiatives" for a stable Peace, he stressed, shortly before his visit to France, where President Nicolas Sarkozy is the current EU chair.

"Together with our Orthodox brothers, we pray for these aims, and we entrust them to the intercession of her sanctity, virgin Mary, Mother of Jesus and of all Christians", he concluded.

Pope Benedict XVI spoke in front of more than 12.000 People during the Angelus of an Open-air Mass at Brixen-Bressalone (north of Italy), at the end of his short stay at the Alpes, close to German chancelor Angie Merkel's restplace, where he received the visits of two f.Italian Presidents, Ciampi and Cossiga, together with Minister Tremonti.

Pope's spokesman, Federico Lombardi, said ttesterday that he highlighted Brixen-Bressanone's synthesis, a peaceful and mutually enriching meeting point of many cultures, as "a model for Europe".

 

 

Brixen-Bressanone/ACM/3.8.08

 

An appeal to make the "World more Human", by defending basic Human Values, helping those in need, and paying hommage to Nature, figured high in Pope Benedict's long-awaited speech at his "First Angelus" in the symbolic, beautiful historic small town of Brixen/Bressalone at the Alpes.

- "No Dictature, nor any destructive force can rob us of the most important goods wich are God's gift", stressed Pope Benedict, referring to elementary Human Values, in a last-minute improvisation of his draft speech, before launching also a call to "help those in need", in order to "make the World more human".

- "Jesus is the focus .. In him is Justice and Freedom", said earlier Brixen's Bishop Wilhelm Egger, after prayers including calls to "Truth, Justice and Freedom", read at a Mass of thousands in the town of Archangel Michael, known as defender of christians against the devil.

In what looks as a reference to BioEthics' dillemas of crucial impportance, raised at Strasbourg's unique in the World legally binding International Treaty on BioMedicine and Human Rights (1998, with the "hottest" issues added later through additional protocols, some of whom are imminent), he spoke also of the splendid "Nature" at this Alpen's ressort : This fits well Vatican's earlier anouncement that Pope Benedict's "prayer intentions for August" are mainly to "respect God's design for the world", and "become ever more aware of the great gift of God which Creation represents for us".

- "The most important things in our lives cannot be bought, but are only given as holy gifts : The Sun and its Light, the Air that we breath, the Water, the beauty of Earth, Love, Friendship, Life itself", Pope Benedict added, extending also to Natural Environment, another topical issue after recent Climatic upheavals at several parts of the World.

 

 

The "preparation of Pope Benedict's visit to France", which currently heads the EU, at mid-September, among exceptionaly important Council of Europe meetings on Human Rights in Paris and Strasbourg, is part of his work, together with his "book on Jesus", during brief Summer Holidays in Brixen, said his Spokesman, Federico Lombardi.

- The Pope's message is mainly religious, theological. But we are living in a concrete world, and ideas may be taken by readers as references to the actuality. However, it's better to wait to se what the Pope will say in Paris and at Lourdes, added to EuroFora Lombardi, who is also Director of Vatican's Press Office.

Brizen/Bressanone is similar to Strasbourg by succeeding to make a fertile synthesis of Germanic and Latin sources of Europe, like the two local rivers who meet at the historical center of the town, among spectacular ressorts at mountains' hights.

Headquarters for an Historic Religious Seminar, it attracted recently also a Free University's Educational studies. Well-known as a long-time preferred rest place for former cardinal Radzinger and his brother Georg, it includes areas named "St Benedeto" and "St George"...

But Pope Benedict's first speech gave also another symbolic rendez-vous :

- "Next Wednesday, August 6, we shall commemorate the 30st anniversary from the death of late Pope Paul VI", who "concluded Vatican II", and "the Transfiguration of Jesus, mystery of the divine light, which exerced a unique fascination to his soul", he said to some 12.000 applauding People, among the happy few who succeeded to have a rare place for an open-air Mass inside the Domplatz a particularly sunny day at the Alpes.

In a last-minute, surprise move, New EU Chairman, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, anounced a proposal in Strasbourg to open an EU Parliament debate on Europe's Identity in the ranup to 2009 Election :

    - "I am conscious of the fact that there is, today, a real Crisis on Europe's
Identity", he replied earlier to a question by Greek MEP Ioanis Varvitsiotes, who had asked him to "advance beyond those who don't really want a Political Europe",

    - "Why not a real Debate on what is Europe's Identity ?", proposed
Sarkozy, in this regard.

    -  "EU Parliament could organize such Debates", he suggested :"It's
better for EU Parliament, than for National Governments, or EU Commission, to
define what is the European Identity", the French President proposed.

    A diplomatic way to avoid obstacles by some Governments and/or some Brussels' bureacrats, reportedly opposed to really free and popular, critical European debates on hot political issues..

    Sarkozy brillantly won the 2007 Presidential and Parliamentary Elections in France in 2007, in the line of the principles anounced at an important Speech in Strasbourg, February 2007, about a Political Europe, and a European Identity on issues which matter to the People.

   

 

It's at a splendid Natural landscape, inside a Forest plateau with superbe view over Paris, at Saint Cloud, that the incoming French EU Presidency had the good idea to join together all EU Member Countries' Ministers of Environment and Energy, in two overlaping EU Councils in a series, from 3 to 5 July 2008.

Fresh rain happily dissipated July's heatwave, before a bright Sun shined at the conclusion of the EU gathering around a huge statue of Earth (See Photo).

French super-Minister of State for Energy, Transport and Environment, Jean-Louis Borloo, and Minister for Environment, Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet chaired the first EU Ministerial meeting at Paris' area, together with EU Commissioners Demas and Pielbags, surprising Journalists with improvised Press-points, at key-moments of the discussions.

 

Environment and Energy are key to the development of New Technologies to boost Europe's role in the World, while also responding to Citizens' concerns, stressed Borloo, speaking to Journalists earlier in Strasbourg.

According to well-infomed sources from the French EU Presidency, the aim is to stimulate a growing trend inside EU Parliament, via various on-going Reports developping in parallel, towards achieving the necessary targets before December.

For this purpose, Top-level representatives from Borloo's super-Ministry are expected to come in Strasbourg during EU Parliament's plenary, next Wednesday, a key official told "EuroFora".