Thursday, October 11, 2007
for immediate use
Statement following the death of the Pope's representative in Australia
Catholic Religious Australia (CRA) has offered sympathy and assurance of prayers to the family, staff and friends of Australia's Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Ambrose De Paoli, who died in Miami, USA, this week.
Appreciative of Archbishop De Paoli's respect for religious in today's Church and his willingness to dialogue, CRA President Fr Mark Raper SJ makes the following statement:
"Catholic Religious Australia mourns the loss of Australia's Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Ambrose De Paoli, who died yesterday, October 10, in his home diocese of Miami in the United States.
"Archbishop De Paoli had held his Australian diplomatic post for just over two years, but he had already made a point to attend three of the
annual assemblies of the leaders of this country's religious congregations.
"Despite his illness, which was already diagnosed in 2005, and his rather impaired hearing, compensated by two powerful hearing aids, he came to these gatherings with an attitude of openness to dialogue.
"He insisted that he be addressed in a simple way and he clearly sought to be approachable, doing his best to meet with and to know personally many of the 150 or more leaders of religious institutes.
"He was respectful of the role of religious and appeared to understand the value of their prophetic and contemplative role in the Church and in society.
"He was a worthy representative of the Holy Father.
"We religious give thanks for his life of service to the Church and for his interest in, and care for, the vocation of religious women and men today.
"We join in prayers with his family, with his colleagues in the Vatican diplomatic service and with the Holy Father at the loss of a good and faithful brother, friend and servant of the Church."
photo: Archbishop Ambrose De Paoli at the CRA National Assembly in Perth, June this year
The following notice was also placed in several major Australian newspapers ...
Catholic Religious Australia expresses its deep appreciation for the Apostolic Nuncio to Australia Archbishop Ambrose De Paoli who died this week. We give thanks to God for his life of service to the Church and for his interest in the vocation of religious women and men. We join in prayers with his family, with his Vatican diplomatic service colleagues and with the Holy Father at the loss of a good and faithful brother, friend and servant of the Church.
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