Statement of Archbishop Bernardino Auza at United Nations (in English)

The Archbishop Bernardino Auza is the Apostolic Nuncio and Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations and pronounced his speech in the context of a 8 June 2016 explaining the position of the Holy See on the Political Declaration, “On the Fast-Track to accelerate the fight against HIV and to End the AIDS Epidemic by 2030.”

Mr. President,

My delegation is wholeheartedly in support of efforts to intensify our collective commitment to end the AIDS epidemic by 2030 and to accelerate and scale up the fight against HIV internationally, which is the primary aim of this declaration. We recognize that this goal will not be achieved without meeting the needs of those most vulnerable to infection and especially of those that continue to lack access to prevention, treatment and health care services due to discrimination, stigmatization, and poverty.

           However, while discrimination and stigmatization must be combatted, it is of vital importance to distinguish between policies that discriminate and stigmatize unjustly and those put in place to discourage risk-taking behaviors and to encourage responsible and healthy relationships, especially among youth. In this regard, the Holy See continues to call attention to the undeniable fact that the only safe and completely reliable method of preventing the sexual transmission of HIV is abstinence before marriage and respect and mutual fidelity within marriage.

           The Holy See, in conformity with its nature and particular mission, especially keeping in mind the work of the Catholic Church in the field confronting HIV and the AIDS epidemic, wishes to make the following reservations on some of the concepts used in this Political Declaration:

          Regarding the terms “sexual and reproductive health”, “sexual and reproductive health-care services”, and “reproductive rights”, the Holy See considers these terms as applying to a holistic concept of health. The Holy See does not consider abortion, access to abortion, or access to abortifacients as a dimension of these terms.

With reference to the terms “contraception”, “commodities”, “condom use” and any other terms regarding family-planning services and regulation of fertility concepts in the document, the Holy See reaffirms its well-known position concerning those family-planning methods which the Catholic Church considers morally acceptable and, on the other hand, family-planning services which do not respect the freedom of spouses, human dignity and the human rights of those concerned.

In relation to paragraphs 1 and 2 of this Statement of Position, the Holy See reiterates its statement and reservations as set out clearly and more fully in the Report of the 1994 International Conference on Population and Development, and the Report of the 1995 Fourth World Conference and their respective follow-up Conferences. In particular, my delegation understands, in accordance with the ICPD 1.15, that no new rights or human rights were created, that recourse to abortion may never to be had for purposes of family planning (7.24), and that abortion is a matter to be determined in accordance with national legislation (8.25).

With reference to “gender”, the Holy See understands the term to be grounded in the biological sexual identity and difference that is male or female. Regarding the concept of “gender norms” the Holy See does not recognize the idea that gender is socially constructed, rather gender recognizes the objective identity of the human person as born male or female.

With respect to “comprehensive education” or “information” on sexual and reproductive health, the Holy See reiterates the “primary responsibility” and the “prior rights” of parents when it comes to the education and upbringing of their children, as enshrined, inter alia, in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on the Rights of the Child. In that sense, the Holy See wishes to underline the centrality of the family, as well as the role and rights and duties of parents to educate their children.

               

The Holy See would kindly request that these reservations be made particularly in relation to paragraphs 14, 15, 33, 39, 41, 47, 60 (e) and (f), 61(c), (d), (j), and (l), 62 (a) and (c).

The Angelus by Unknown Writer (in Latin and French)

Latin

V. Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mariae.

R. Et concepit de Spiritu Sancto.

Ave Maria, gratia plena;

Dominus tecum:

benedicta tu in mulieribus,

et benedictus fructus ventris tui Iesus.

Sancta Maria, Mater Dei

ora pro nobis peccatoribus,

nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen.

V. Ecce ancilla Domini,

R. Fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum.

Ave Maria, gratia plena;

Dominus tecum:

benedicta tu in mulieribus,

et benedictus fructus ventris tui Iesus.

Sancta Maria, Mater Dei

ora pro nobis peccatoribus,

nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen.

V. Et Verbum caro factum est,

R. Et habitavit in nobis.

Ave Maria, gratia plena;

Dominus tecum:

benedicta tu in mulieribus,

et benedictus fructus ventris tui Iesus.

Sancta Maria, Mater Dei

ora pro nobis peccatoribus,

nunc et in hora mortis nostrae. Amen.

V. Ora pro nobis, sancta Dei Genetrix,

R. Ut digni efficiamur promissionibus Christi.

Oremus:. Gratiam tuam, quaesumus, Domine, mentibus nostris infunde; ut qui, Angelo nuntiante, Christi Filii tui incarnationem cognovimus, per passionem eius et crucem ad resurrectionis gloriam perducamur. Per eumdem Christum Dominum nostrum.

R. Amen.

French

V. L’ange du Seigneur apporta l’annonce à Marie

R. Et elle conçut du Saint-Esprit.

Je vous salue Marie, pleine de grâce,

Le Seigneur est avec vous,

Vous êtes bénie entre toutes les femmes,

Et Jésus, le fruit de vos entrailles, est béni.

Sainte Marie, mère de Dieu,

Priez pour nous, pauvres pécheurs,

Maintenant, et à l'heure de notre mort.

V. Voici la Servante du Seigneur

R. Qu’il me soit fait selon votre parole.

Je vous salue Marie, pleine de grâce,

Le Seigneur est avec vous,

Vous êtes bénie entre toutes les femmes,

Et Jésus, le fruit de vos entrailles, est béni.

Sainte Marie, mère de Dieu,

Priez pour nous, pauvres pécheurs,

Maintenant, et à l'heure de notre mort.

V. Et le Verbe s’est fait chair

R. Et il a habité parmi nous.

Je vous salue Marie, pleine de grâce,

Le Seigneur est avec vous,

Vous êtes bénie entre toutes les femmes,

Et Jésus, le fruit de vos entrailles, est béni.

Sainte Marie, mère de Dieu,

Priez pour nous, pauvres pécheurs,

Maintenant, et à l'heure de notre mort.

V. Priez pour nous, sainte Mère de Dieu

R. Afin que nous soyons rendus dignes des promesses du Christ.

Prions : Que ta grâce, Seigneur, se répande en nos cœurs. Par le message de l'ange, tu nous as fait connaître l'Incarnation de ton Fils bien aimé, conduis-nous, par sa passion et par sa croix jusqu'à la gloire de la résurrection. Par le Christ, notre Seigneur.

R. Amen.

"Adeste Fidelis" by several authors (in Latin and English)

Latin Language

    Verses 1-4 by John Francis Wade, 1740-43

    Verses 5-7 by Abbé Étienne Jean François Borderies, 1822

    Verse 8 author unknown, 1850

1. Adeste Fideles laeti triumphantes,

Venite, venite in Bethlehem.

Natum videte, Regem Angelorum;

Refrain:

    Venite adoremus,

    venite adoremus,

    venite adoremus

    Dominum!

2. Deum de Deo, lumen de lumine,

gestant puellae viscera.

Deum verum, genitum non factum; (refrain)

3. Cantet nunc io chorus Angelorum

cantet nunc aula caelestium:

Gloria in excelsis Deo!

4. Ergo qui natus, die hodierna,

Jesu, tibi sit gloria.

Patris aeterni Verbum caro factum;

5. En grege relicto, Humiles ad cunas,

vocati pastores approperant.

Et nos ovanti gradu festinemus;

6. Aeterni Parentis splendorem aeternum,

velatum sub carne videbimus.

Deum infantem, pannis involutum;

7. Pro nobis egenum et foeno cubantem,

piis foveamus amplexibus.

Sic nos anamtem quis non redamaret?

8. Stella duce, Magi, Christum adorantes,

aurum, thus, et myrrham dant munera.

Jesu infanti corda praebeamus;

English Lyrics (This English version follows the Latin order of verses, with the translations of Wade’s four original stanzas appearing first. However, when William Thomas Brooke translated the remaining Latin verses, he changed the order of the song and placed his transcriptions in the middle; so some publications may have verses 3 and 4 written at the end.)

Verses 1-4 translated by Frederick Oakeley, D.D., 1841

            Verses 5-8 translated by William Thomas Brooke, 1885

1. O come, all ye faithful, joyful and triumphant!

O come ye, o come ye, to Bethlehem.

Come and behold Him, born the King of angels;1

Refrain:

    O come, let us adore Him,

    O come, let us adore Him,

    O come, let us adore Him,

    Christ the Lord!

2. God of God, Light of Light,

Lo! He abhors not the Virgin’s womb.

Very God, begotten not created;

3. Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation!

Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above:

Glory to God, glory in the highest!2

4. Yea, Lord, we greet Thee, born this happy morning,

Jesu, to Thee be glory given.3

Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing;

5. See how the shepherds, summoned to His cradle,

leaving their flocks, draw nigh to gaze.

We too will thither bend our hearts’ oblations;4

6. There shall we see Him, His eternal Father’s

everlasting brightness now veiled under flesh.

God shall we find there, a Babe in infant clothing;

7. Child, for us sinners, poor and in the manger,

we would embrace Thee, with love and awe.

Who would not love Thee, loving us so dearly?

8. Lo! Star-led chieftains, Magi, Christ adoring,

offer Him frankincense, gold and myrrh.5

We to the Christ-child, bring our hearts oblations;

    1  An early version of the first stanza is:

          “O come, all ye faithful, joyfully triumphant,

          Come ye, O come ye, to Bethlehem.

          Come and behold Him, Monarch of the Angels.”

    2  may also be sung “Glory to God, in the highest”

    3  some write “Jesus”

    4  or “bend our joyful footsteps”

    5  or “offer Him incense, gold and myrrh”

"Adeste Fideles" with Latin lyrics.

“A Bivouac of the Dead” by Ambrose Bierce (in English)

Away up in the heart of the Allegheny mountains, in Pocahontas county, West Virginia, is a beautiful little valley through which flows the east fork of the Greenbrier river. At a point where the valley road intersects the old Staunton and Parkersburg turnpike, a famous thoroughfare in its day, is a post office in a farm house. The name of the place is Travelers' Repose, for it was once a tavern. Crowning some low hills within a stone's throw of the house are long lines of old Confederate fortifications, skilfully designed and so well"preserved"that an hour's work by a brigade would put them into serviceable shape for the next civil war. This place had its battle - what was called a battle in the"green and salad days"of the great rebellion. A brigade of Federal troops, the writer's regiment among them, came over Cheat mountain, fifteen miles to the westward, and, stringing its lines across the little valley, felt the enemy all day; and the enemy did a little feeling, too. There was a great cannonading, which killed about a dozen on each side; then, finding the place too strong for assault, the Federals called the affair a reconnaissance in force, and burying their dead withdrew to the more comfortable place whence they had come. Those dead now lie in a beautiful national cemetery at Grafton, duly registered, so far as identified, and companioned by other Federal dead gathered from the several camps and battlefields of West Virginia. The fallen soldier (the word"hero"appears to be a later invention) has such humble honors as it is possible to give.

                His part in all the pomp that fills

The circuit of the Summer hills

Is that his grave is green.

True, more than a half of the green graves in the Grafton cemetery are marked"Unknown,"and sometimes it occurs that one thinks of the contradiction involved in"honoring the memory"of him of whom no memory remains to honor; but the attempt seems to do no great harm to the living, even to the logical.

                A few hundred yards to the rear of the old Confederate earthworks is a wooded hill. Years ago it was not wooded. Here, among the trees and in the undergrowth, are rows of shallow depressions, discoverable by removing the accumulated forest leaves. From some of them may be taken (and reverently replaced) small thin slabs of the split stone of the country, with rude and reticent inscriptions by comrades. I found only one with a date, only one with full names of man and regiment. The entire number found was eight.

                In these forgotten graves rest the Confederate dead - between eighty and one hundred, as nearly as can be made out. Some fell in the"battle;"the majority died of disease. Two, only two, have apparently been disinterred for reburial at their homes. So neglected and obscure is this campo santo that only he upon whose farm it is--the aged postmaster of Travelers' Repose - appears to know about it. Men living within a mile have never heard of it. Yet other men must be still living who assisted to lay these Southern soldiers where they are, and could identify some of the graves. Is there a man, North or South, who would begrudge the expense of giving to these fallen brothers the tribute of green graves? One would rather not think so. True, there are several hundreds of such places still discoverable in the track of the great war. All the stronger is the dumb demand--the silent plea of these fallen brothers to what is"likest God within the soul."

                They were honest and courageous foemen, having little in common with the political madmen who persuaded them to their doom and the literary bearers of false witness in the aftertime. They did not live through the period of honorable strife into the period of vilification - did not pass from the iron age to the brazen - from the era of the sword to that of the tongue and pen. Among them is no member of the Southern Historical Society. Their valor was not the fury of the non-combatant; they have no voice in the thunder of the civilians and the shouting. Not by them are impaired the dignity and infinite pathos of the Lost Cause. Give them, these blameless gentlemen, their rightful part in all the pomp that fills the circuit of the summer hills.