MAY HUMANITY HAVE THE COURAGE FOR RECONCILIATION

VATICAN CITY, MAY 30, 1999 (VIS) - Early this morning the Pope travelled by helicopter to Ancona, in the Marche region of Italy, where he paid a pastoral visit, his 135th within Italy, to mark the 1000th anniversary of the Cathedral of Saint Cyriacus.

At 10 a.m. the Pope presided at a eucharistic concelebration in the stadium of Conero with prelates from the Marche. Having recalled in his homily today's Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, he said: "Seen from the outside, with its position high over the city, (the cathedral) symbolizes the consoling presence of the triune God who, from on high, guides and protects the life of man. At the same time, the cathedral calls us to raise our eyes to heaven."

Addressing the faithful who had gathered to hear him, the Holy Father said: "Mindful of the past, alert to the present yet also projected towards the future you, Christians of the archdiocese of Ancona-Osimo, know that the spiritual progress of your ecclesial communities and the very promotion of the common good of civil communities requires strenuous commitment. ... May the road thus far travelled and the faith that inspires you give you the courage and incentive to continue."

The Holy Father said: "Emulating your forebears, be a living Church in the service of the Gospel! A hospitable and generous Church which, with its enduring testimony, knows how to render present God's love for all human beings, especially for those suffering and in need. I know that this is your commitment." Evidence of this may be seen in the initiative to reconstruct a building "to be dedicated to services of solidarity and the pastoral ministry of youth."

Following the Mass and before praying the Angelus, the Holy Father mentioned a number of shrines within the archdiocese of Ancona that are dedicated to the Virgin and made a fresh call for peace.

He said: "From this city, linked by tradition to the East, I cannot help but look beyond the Adriatic which, for many refugees, constitutes a difficult path of hope. Alas, in Kosovo and in the Republic of Yugoslavia violence and oppression continue unchecked, with numerous human victims and enormous environmental damage. I renew today my heartfelt call for peace. I ask for prayers so that Mary may secure us this essential and irreplaceable gift."

"In the face of continuing violence, may our confident invocation not die away, an invocation for the people of Kosovo and Yugoslavia who have for too long been victims of a situation which represents a terrible defeat for humanity, one that comes immediately after the fiftieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. May we also mention other peoples who, especially in the continent of Africa, pay an unacceptable price in human lives, hunger, misery and humiliation because of prolonged fratricidal conflict, frequently ignored by public opinion."

The Pope also requested that "humanity find the courage for reconciliation. That dialogue, solidarity and love prevail over the multiple forms of pride and falsehood. May God illuminate the consciences of those responsible so that they place the protection of fundamental human rights above all else. In fact, each time that hatred and violence triumph, it is man who is defeated. May God help and console the thousands of children, women, old and sick people; the innocent victims of war."

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