The text for Pope Benedict XVI’s 2007 message for the annual World Day for Migrants and Refugees titled “The Migrant Family,” was released during a November 14 press conference at the Vatican. In his message, the Pope encouraged countries to ratify international documents aimed at protecting the rights of migrants, refugees and families and said the Church should work to protect them from “hardships and humiliations.”

The Pope used the example of the flight of the Holy Family into Egypt as a model of “the painful condition in which all migrants live, especially refugees, exiles, evacuees, internally displaced persons, those who are persecuted.”

The World Day for Migrants and Refugees is held on different days in different countries. In the United States, National Migration Week will be celebrated January 7 to 13.

Washington - (Nov. 6, 2006) Pope Benedict XVI has accepted the resignation of Most Reverend Vincent M. Rizzotto, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. Archbishop Pietro Sambi, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States, made the announcement. Bishop Rizzotto was appointed Titular Bishop of Lamasba and Auxiliary Bishop of Galveston-Houston, June 22, 2001. He was ordained July 31, 2001.

Zenit.org - The world premiere of the film "The Nativity Story" was scheduled to take place Nov. 26 in the Vatican. It is anticipated that over 7,000 people would attend the screening in Paul VI Hall.

The screening of the film, produced by New Line Cinema, was preceded by the reading of a Gospel passage and a prayer written by Archbishop Angelo Comastri, the Pope's vicar general for Vatican City State and archpriest of St. Peter's Basilica.

The event serves to collect funds for the construction of a school in the town of Mughar in Israel, whose population comprises Christians, Muslims and Druze. The town is 25 miles from Nazareth.

"The Nativity Story" presents the year in Mary's life that culminates with the birth of Jesus, the visit of the shepherds and Wise Men to the stable, Herod's brutal response with the massacre of the Innocents, and the flight of the Holy Family to Egypt.

The screenplay is well grounded in the biblical texts, both the heritage of the Old Testament as well as the text and spirit of the Gospel infancy narratives which gives the film an advantage over narratives which limit the perspective to a literal reading of texts and rely on piety traditions for visual presentation.

The film will be released in most countries on Dec. 1.