LENT, AN INVITATION TO GIVE WITNESS TO DIVINE CHARITY

VATICAN CITY, JAN 19, 1999 (VIS) - Archbishop Paul Josef Cordes, president of the Pontifical Council "Cor Unum," this morning presented at the Holy See Press Office the Holy Father's message for Lent 1999: "The Lord will prepare a banquet for all peoples."

Archbishop Cordes made reference to that part of the message in which the Pope speaks of the areas in which the Church has given witness to the love of God: "The commitment to the promotion of human dignity, the fight against hunger, under-development, ignorance, violence, desperation and the exclusion of others."

The charity of God, continued the archbishop, should be seen on a daily basis, for example, with "elderly and abandoned neighbors, exiles and refugees, the terminally ill, even those who clean windows at street corners. Lent is a concrete opportunity for seeing to their problems, seeking moments each day to act prudently and efficiently as Christians, without being closed to others, but also without simplification."

He then spoke of the Cor Unum project in Italy, "Panis Caritatis," which began last year. This program is based on the sale of a type of bread, from which a percentage is destined to the Holy Father's charitable initiatives. Practically speaking, "the first donation for the first three months totalled 500 million lira ($300,000), of which $100,000 was allocated to a diocese in the Great Lakes region for the construction of ovens for bread. Another $50,000 will be sent to the diocese of Hoima, in Uganda, for a relief program for Sudanese refugees."

The Cor Unum president announced, in concluding, that on May 16, the Pope will celebrate Mass in St. Peter's Square for all those involved in charity work, particularly for Catholic volunteers. "This is a singular event, and the first of its kind."

Another of Cor Unum's initiatives, explained Msgr. Frank Dewane, is the "100 Projects of the Holy Father." He said that the council proposed these 100 micro-projects, bearing in mind that "this last year of preparation for the Great Jubilee, 1999, is dedicated to God the Father, with special emphasis on the theological virtue of charity."

Msgr. Dewane pointed out that these projects, which in reality number 223 and cost on the average of between US$5-20,000 each, are on-going and should be completed by the end of this year. They are being financed in part by Catholic aid and assistance organizations (62 projects) and by the dioceses of economically developed countries (161).

The 223 projects are distributed geographically as follows: Africa 64; Latin America 40, Asia, 37, Europe 35, Central America 18, Middle East 18, North America 6, the Pacific 5.

Msgr. Dewane stated that Cor Unum has raised, within the dioceses, $2.8 million (Euros 2,443,300) for the 161 projects: North American dioceses 52 percent, Europe 45 percent and the Pacific 3 percent. Fifteen dioceses support more than one of the projects.

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