BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA: DEFENDING THE INALIENABLE RIGHTS OF ALL

VATICAN CITY, JAN 15, 1999 (VIS) - John Paul II this morning addressed the bishops from the Episcopal Conference of Bosnia-Herzegovina, who have just completed their "ad limina" visit.

At the beginning of his speech, the Pope expressed his admiration "for the spiritual strength with which your ecclesial communities have been able to face up to great trials and sacrifices during the recent conflict, as well as during this difficult post-war period, so as to remain faithful to Christ and the mission which He has entrusted to his disciples down through time."

"I pray to the Lord that the vital zeal which characterized the Church in Bosnia-Herzegovina during the centuries does not lessen but rather grow stronger. ... There can be no doubt that the unity in apostolic goals and the close collaboration of all, priests, consecrated men and women and lay people, under the watchful guidance of bishops, will obtain abundant fruit of faith, charity and holiness."

The Holy Father said he hoped they could find "peaceful and satisfactory solutions to problems pertaining to the organization of apostolic activities." Thus, he indicated that it is necessary to unite the "courageous action of the lay faithful" to the "unreplaceable ministry of priests and the prophetic ministry of consecrated people."

Having recalled that the principal task which the Church in Bosnia-Herzegovina must face is "the organization of the life of dioceses and parishes," he also said that "it is necessary to continue helping local populations to rebuild what was destroyed during the war, and offer them the hope of a prosperous future of peace."

"Continue to defend the inalienable rights of all persons and peoples as you have done from the beginning of the bloody conflict which has sown hate and mistrust (and has caused) deaths and refugees, distancing populations from regions where they had been living for centuries."

The Pope expressed his joy at the "many signs of consolidating peace." He also referred to the "shadows which are a reason for concern" such as "the lack of solutions regarding the thorny problem of the return of refugees, as well as the unequal treatment of the three populations which make up Bosnia-Herzegovina, especially in the full respect of religious and cultural identities."

"May all peoples of your Fatherland," he continued, "see their own dignity promoted as well as their legitimate aspirations for equality and development."

John Paul II ended his speech by encouraging the bishops to continue "in trust, the commitment to ecumenism with Orthodox brothers and sisters, and dialogue with the Jewish and Islamic communities. ... Be untiring messengers of forgiveness and reconciliation."

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POPE WELCOMES STAFF OF VATICAN LIBRARY AND SECRET ARCHIVES

VATICAN CITY, JAN 15, 1999 (VIS) - The Pope met this morning with 350 staff members of the Vatican Secret Archives and the Vatican Apostolic Library and, in his talk to them, recalled the "venerable antiquity of the institutions to which you belong" and "the close link between them and the Apostolic See."

He pointed out that, not only do they preserve and pass on the books, manuscripts and papal and curial acts housed in the archives and library, above all they "place at the disposition of the Holy See and of scholars of the entire world (these) same treasures of culture and art."

The Holy Father then underlined two qualities which, he said, "pontiffs have seen in the archives and library. ... The first is the relationship between the preserved texts and the exercise of the government and ministry of the Apostolic See, particularly the pontifical magisterium. These venerable texts contain and transmit in a certain way the very memory of the Church and therefore the continuity of her apostolic service throughout the centuries, with its light and shadows."

"The second quality," he affirmed, "is the service that you lend to the evangelization of culture. ... We must find a way to make the values which the Gospel has communicated to us, together with those which come from true humanism, ... reach men and women of culture."

John Paul II then spoke of the various exhibits and shows they are organizing in relation to the Jubilee, and closed his remarks with "a heartfelt appeal": "Love, respect and defend this great patrimony built up over the centuries by the Roman pontiffs. This is a precious and inalienable patrimony of the Holy See, which must be jealously guarded. Only the Supreme Pontiff can decide the disposition of this patrimony.

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ORGANIZATIONAL ASPECTS OF THE JUBILEE OF THE YEAR 2000

VATICAN CITY, JAN 15, 1999 (VIS) - Cardinal Roger Etchegaray and Archbishop Crescenzio Sepe, respectively president and secretary general of the Central Committee of the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000, today presented the organizational aspects of the Jubilee at the Holy See Press Office,

Carlo Balestrero, administrative delegate; Luca Magri, general secretary of the "Pelegrinatio ad Petri Sedem"; Francesco Silvano, delegate for telecommunications and computer systems; Msgr. Liberio Andreatta, delegate for international and regional relations; Angelo Scelzo, coordinator of publications; Luca de Mata, responsible for the Jubilee Committee's Internet Office; and Donato Mosella, responsible for volunteers also took part in the press conference.

Archbishop Sepe announced several committee projects: the forthcoming publication of two books, "Pilgrims in Rome" and "Pilgrims in Prayer"; another book with practical information concerning a pilgrim's "typical day" and "typical week"; leaflets which include most of the celebrations scheduled on the Jubilee calendar; the official hymn of the Jubilee and the "Pro-Jubilee votive Mass."

Concerning the welcome of pilgrims, Msgr. Andreatta said that "agreements have already been signed or are to be signed to have 5,000 beds in religious institutes; 55,000 in hotels; and 5,000 on campsites or in boarding houses."

Dr. Francesco Silvano, delegate for telecommunications and computer systems, explained that the "agreement with Telecom Italia foresees the completion of an Intranet-Extranet network for the Jubilee, ... a network which today links 171 offices of apostolic nunciatures and episcopal conferences. ... There are 38 work stations currently active in Rome, linked to the Intranet network." He added that volunteers would be furnished with cell phones to facilitate their work load and allow for emergency services.

Dr. Silvano then pointed to a novelty of this Jubilee: the Pilgrim's Card, of which more than 10 million are scheduled to be produced for the SAC, or Central Welcoming System. These cards will contain, thanks to a memory chip, personal data on the card bearer, as well as health information and all pre-paid events and services for which the pilgrim has registered.

The computerized Welcoming Information System, he said, will provide all the classic services of tour operators: reservations for religious events and other meetings, transportation services, and bus parking spots, to name a few.

Donato Mosella spoke of the volunteers who will be needed for the Jubilee and their four specific functions: pastoral animation, welcoming in places of worship, assistance and information to pilgrims and care of the city, environment and cultural patrimony.

"According to estimates," he said, "in the year 2000 we will need about 54,000 volunteers for the 'ordinary' Jubilee and 51,000 for the big events, though in some cases there will be overlapping. Project Volunteer expects 75 percent of the volunteers to be from Italy, especially Rome, Lazio and nearby regions; 15 percent from neighboring European countries; 5 percent from the rest of Europe, 3 percent from the Americas, and 1.5 percent from Africa and Asia." He remarked that a computerized data bank would handle everything relative to volunteers: recruiting, organizing and training them, as well as their actual work during the Jubilee.

Luca De Mata focussed on the Jubilee committee's internet site. He said that, "in answer to the Holy Father's wish, the Central Committee of the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000 has created the site Jubil2000.org, which will become operative on February 22, 1999, the feast of the chair of St. Peter."

He explained that the site "is structured in seven languages - Italian, French, English, German, Spanish, Portuguese and Polish - and we hope to have Russian and Chinese in the future." He said that "30 volunteers are working full time in this office, .... with a secondary level of outside collaborators, ranging from cloistered religious to lay faithful involved in Church work."

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DECLARATION ON VISIT TO VATICAN BY ALBANIAN OFFICIAL

VATICAN CITY, JAN 15, 1999 (VIS) - Holy See Press Office Director Joaquin Navarro-Valls, in a declaration made this afternoon on the visit today to Pope John Paul and Cardinal Secretary of State Angelo Sodano by Pandeli Majko, president of the Council of Ministers of Albania, said:

"During the meetings, Mr. Pandeli Majko wished to inform about the current situation in Albania in the context of the difficult times in Kosovo and in the Balkans. The meetings also allowed for a review of the relationship between the Church and State in Albania after the promulgation of the new constitution."

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, JAN 15, 1999 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received the following in separate audiences:

- Pandeli Majko, president of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Albania, accompanied by his wife and entourage.
- Archbishop Julian Barrio Barrio of Santiago de Compostela, Spain, with his entourage.
- Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn, archbishop of Vienna, Austria.
- Archbishop Jozef Miroslaw Zycinski of Lublin, Poland.

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