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(Vatican Radio) The Press Office of the Holy See has called a conference and briefing for journalists in connection with the publication of Pope Francis’ highly anticipated post-Synodal Exhortation, Amoris Laetitia, on “The Joy of Love”, for 11:30 AM Rome Time on Friday, April 8^th, in the John Paul II Hall of the sala stampa facility.

Presenting the document will be the General Secretary of the Synod of Bishops, Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, and the Archbishop of Vienna, Cardinal Christoph Schönborn OP, along with a couple of married academics, Professor Francesco Miano and Professor Giuseppina De Simone, of the University of Tor Vergata (Rome) and the Theological Faculty of Southern Italy, respectively.

Below, please find the official announcement in English

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Accredited journalists are informed that on Friday 8 April 2016at 11.30 a.m., in the Aula  Giovanni Paolo II of the Holy See Press Office, a Press Conference will be held for the  presentation of the post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation of the Holy Father Francis, Amoris laetitia, on love in the family.

The panel will be composed of:

• Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, general secretary of the Synod of Bishops;
• Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, O.P., archbishop of Vienna;
• The married couple Professor Francesco Miano, lecturer in moral philosophy at the  University of Rome at Tor Vergata, and Professor Giuseppina De Simone in Miano, lecturer  in philosophy at the Theological Faculty of Southern Italy in Naples.

A simultaneous translation service will be available in Italian, English and Spanish.

The Press Conference can be seen via live streaming (audio-video) on the site:

http://player.rv.va(Vatican Player, Vatican Radio) where it will subsequently remain available on

demand.

The Apostolic Exhortation Amoris laetitia is to be considered under embargo until 12.00

p.m. on Friday, 8 April 2016.  Accredited journalists may find the text of the Apostolic Exhortation in pdf format in the  Reserved Area of the Holy See Press Office Bulletin web page from 18.00, Thursday 7 April, in  Italian, French, English, German, Spanish and Portuguese.  In addition – in the same languages – a summary of the same Apostolic Exhortation can be  consulted, again in the reserved area.  The paper version of the Exhortation (in the available languages) will be available to

accredited journalists from 8.00 on Friday 8 April 2016.

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(Vatican Radio) Dutch voters went to the polls Wednesday in a referendum on whether the Netherlands should ratify an Association Agreement between the European Union and Ukraine. Though the ballot has been described as a non-binding "advisory referendum" the EU's leadership and Kiev fear it could lead to a European crisis amid wider anti-EU sentiments.

Listen to Stefan Bos’ report from The Hague:

The polls opened early in the Netherlands after an intensive campaign in which both sides desperately tried to convince Dutch voters to either vote yes or no in a referendum on ratifying a deal fostering closer links between Ukraine and the European Union.

The EU Association Agreement with Ukraine mainly deals with political and economic integration. Yet those  opposing the deal argue it is another step towards eventual EU membership for one of Europe's most corrupt nations.

Politicians of the ruling conservative-Liberal VVD Party and its junior left-leaning Labor party are among those who argue however that it is good for business and is an opportunity to help Ukraine fight corruption and establish a democracy with EU values that includes more human rights and a free press.

MANY VOTE NO

Most voters Vatican Radio talked to said they would vote "No," and opinion polls suggested that a “No” vote is likely. One poll was even held in the Dutch town of De Krim or Crimea, which shares its name with the Ukrainian region that was annexed by Russia in 2014 following a controversial referendum.

Seventy-six percent of residents who made up their minds told pollsters that they would vote against the deal.

Yet the ruling VVD party's parliamentary party leader, Halbe Zijlstra, said during a televised debate late Tuesday that a no vote in Wednesday's advisory referendum doesn't automatically mean the government has to accept the results. "We have to see what is the impact of that no vote," he said.

"Of course we have to do something with it. As  politicians we have a responsibility...But I will only take that responsibility when all the cards are on the table. This referendum is just one of those cards."

However those opposing the deal say it is crucial to respect the referendum's outcome. Firebrand lawmaker Geert Wilders of the influential anti-Islam Party for Freedom used the television debate to attack the increasingly unpopular government.

POLITICAL SUICIDE?

Wilders said that if Prime Minister Mark Rutte "doesn't accept a no vote, he will be even more unreliable than he already is according to the people. It would be political suicide."

The referendum reflects a wider debate in the Netherlands on what critics view as the ever expanding EU and the interference by Brussels in nation's internal affairs.

EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker has even said that a "No" vote would in his words open the door to a great continental crisis." And Ukraine's President Petro Poroshenko says his nation is suffering because of an internal debate in the Netherlands. ""The real purpose for the internal Dutch discussion is about the future of the European Union and internal political clashes," Poroshenko told reporters.

"I think this is very dangerous for a country of 45 million [people]... to become the victim of this discussion if this referendum would have a negative result, despite of the fact that this is not a binding referendum," he added

EUROMAIDAN REVOLUTION

He and others also recall that more than 80 people were killed while demonstrating for freedom and Western values in the winter of 2014 during what became known as the 'Euromaidan Revolution' which led to the overthrow of the Russian-backed president Viktor Yanukovych

But critics say it doesn't help that leaked documents about the current Western-backed President Poroshenko, a former businessman, reveal a secret offshore company setup in Poroshenko’s name which did not disclose public income statements.

Wednesday's referendum in the Netherlands also closely watched in Britain, which is holding its own referendum on whether to leave the EU in June, and countries such as Hungary, where the prime minister has complained about what he views as Brussels trying to take away sovereignty from nations.

The threshold for the Dutch referendum to be taken into account is a voter turnout of 30 percent, and it wasn't clear whether that would be reached. Dutch public broadcaster NOS said it would not publish turnout figures during the referendum as this could impact the results.

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Lima, Peru, Apr 5, 2016 / 06:06 pm (CNA).- The superior general of the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae released on Tuesday a video statement confirming that the founder of the community, Luis Fernando Figari, is guilty of the accusations leveled against him.

An apostolic visitor from the Vatican recently concluded investigating allegations of sexual abuse, mistreatment, and abuse of power against Figari. The conclusions of the apostolic visit are now in the hands of Vatican authorities.

“After the testimonies received, we consider Luis Fernando Figari guilty of the allegations of abuse against him and declare him persona non grata to our organization as we deplore and wholly condemn his behavior,” Alessandro Moroni Llabres, superior general of the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae, said in his April 5 statement.

The Sodalitium Christianae Vitae is a society of apostolic life which was founded in 1971 in Peru, and granted pontifical recognition in 1997. Alejandro Bermúdez, executive director of CNA, is a member of the community.

Figari founded the community, and stepped down as its superior general in 2010. In addition to Peru, the community operates in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Chile, Ecuador, the United States, and Italy.

In his statement, released in Spanish on YouTube, Moroni said that “the last few months have been very hard for the Sodalit family because we have been confronted with a regrettable past,” which “we all have seen through the news and social media.”

“After more than five months of prayer, reflection and an intense internal criticism it is time to come forward to publicly release the response of the Superior Council of the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae facing these sad and reprehensible facts” involving Figari, the statement continues.

Moroni indicated his desire “to convey three very important messages” to the public. First, he said, is that “we ask for forgiveness from the victims of any type of abuse and mistreatment which they may have suffered from any member of our organization,” especially those who “for years did not obtain a satisfactory and convincing response from our authorities.”

Second, “beyond the ecclesiastical or judicial sentence that the founder of the Sodalitium may deserve -- which we will respect and abide as appropriate -- we also want to make known our moral condemnation of his offenses and crimes.”

He added that the community had “personally asked Pope Francis in a private hearing held last December  to order [Figari’s] immediate separation from our community and to end his unsustainable retreat at our facilities.”

Moroni’s third message for the public was that  “we announce the immediate start of a comprehensive reform of our organization,  taking into account the mistakes of the past in order to build a new Sodalitium on the strength of the charism we received, its great family, and its good works in Peru and abroad.”

“We have asked the Holy Father to send us a representative to help us implement and lead this reform,” Moroni continued.

“The authorities of the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae recognize the sin of not having reacted in a firm and timely manner, and are willing to assume the necessary penance for the forgiveness of God, the Church, our spiritual family, and all of society,” the statement concluded.

“We are sure that with the grace of God, our great family will prevail and move forward beyond the mistakes of its authorities, who starting today are committed to write a new story. Thank you very much.”

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