CARDINAL CASSIDY MEETS ORTHODOX ARCHBISHOP OF ATHENS

VATICAN CITY, MAR 18, 1999 (VIS) - Cardinal Edward I. Cassidy, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, accompanied by Bishop Pierre Duprey, secretary of this same council, was "cordially" received in Athens by Archbishop Christodoulos, new Orthodox archbishop of Athens and All Greece, on the morning of Monday, March 15.

For his part, Bishop Duprey gave a talk in Greek on the theme "Sister Churches: What Catholics Understand by This Expression."

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TWO PRESS CONFERENCES SCHEDULED FOR NEXT WEEK

VATICAN CITY, MAR 18, 1999 (VIS) - Cardinal Achille Silvestrini, prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, will preside at a press conference on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the founding of the magazine "Civilta Cattolica" (Catholic Civilization). This will be held on Monday, March 22, at 11.30 a.m at the Holy See Press Office.

On Tuesday, March 23, at 11.30 a.m., Archbishop Jorge Maria Mejia, archivist and librarian of Holy Roman Church, will hold a press conference at the Holy See Press Office for the presentation of the "Rome-Armenia" exhibition.

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CARDINAL SODANO TO CELEBRATE MASS AT ABBEY OF MONTECASSINO

VATICAN CITY, MAR 18, 1999 (VIS) - On Sunday, March 21, the feast of St. Benedict, abbot, patron of Europe and founder of the abbey of Montecassino and of the Order that bears his name, Cardinal Secretary of State Angelo Sodano will preside at a solemn Eucharistic liturgy in the church of the abbey of Montecassino.

Among those expected to attend are the president of the European Parliament, Italy's foreign affairs minister and European ambassadors accredited to Italy and to the Holy See.

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HOLY SEE: NO OBJECTIONS TO EXTRADITION OF POPE'S ASSAILANT

VATICAN CITY, MAR 18, 1999 (VIS) - Following is the text of the declaration released this morning by Holy See Press Office Director Joaquin Navarro-Valls concerning the possibility of extradition for Mehmet Ali Agca, the Turk who made an attempt on Pope John Paul's life in St. Peter's Square on May 13, 1981:

"On June 25, 1997, following a confidential request made from the then Minister for Justice Giovanni M. Flick, the (Holy See) replied that it had no objections to handing Ali Agca over to the Turkish authorities, and that it would leave the decision to the Italian authorities.

"On October 24, 1997, Cardinal Secretary of State Angelo Sodano, in reply to a letter sent through diplomatic channels by Minister Flick, assured (him) that:
a) the Holy See had no objections to the request for the extradition of Mr. Ali Agca presented to the Italian government by the Turkish government;
b) there also were no objections to the acts which would be necessary to be able to proceed to receiving the above-mentioned request for extradition."

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IN MEMORIAM

VATICAN CITY, MAR 18, 1999 (VIS) - The following prelates died in recent weeks:

- Bishop Gilberto Baroni, emeritus of Reggio Emilia-Guastalla, Italy, on March 14, aged 85.
- Archbishop Isidore de Souza of Cotonou, Benin, on March 13, aged 64.
- Bishop Aloysius Haene, S.M.B., of Gweru, Zimbabwe, on February 19, aged 88.
- Bishop Teodardo Leitz, O.F.M., emeritus of Dourados, Brazil, on February 27, aged 83.
- Archbishop Gian Vincenzo Moreni, apostolic nuncio in the Philippines, on March 3, aged 67.
- Bishop Francisco Nunes Teixeira, emeritus of Quelimane, Mozambique, March 2, aged 89.
- Bishop Raimondo Verardo O.P., emeritus of Ventimiglia-Sanremo, Italy, on March 2, aged 86.

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, MAR 18, 1999 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Appointed Bishop Ruben Salazar Gomez of Cucuta as metropolitan archbishop of Barranquilla (area 3,338, population 1,706,305, Catholics 1,202,535, priests 131, religious 536), Colombia. The archbishop-elect was born in Bogota, Colombia, in 1942, was ordained a priest in 1967 and a bishop in 1992. He succeeds Archbishop Felix Maria Torres Parra, whose resignation from the pastoral care of this diocese was accepted by the Holy Father on having reached the age limit.

- Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Victoria, Canada, presented by Bishop Remi Joseph De Roo on having reached the age limit. He is succeeded by Coadjutor Bishop Raymond Roussin, S.M.

- Appointed Bishop Gustavo Martinez Frias of Ipiales as metropolitan archbishop of Nueva Pamplona (area 6,571, population 310,000, Catholics 297,000, priests 59, religious 119), Colombia. The archbishop-elect was born in San Vicente de Chucuri, Colombia, in 1935, was ordained a priest 1960, and was consecrated a bishop 1987.

- Appointed Bishop Rafael Conde Alfonzo, coadjutor of La Guaira, as bishop of Margarita (area 1,050, population 360,000, Catholics 350,000, priests 25, religious 53), Venezuela.

- Appointed Fr. Bernard Genoud as bishop of Lausanne, Geneva and Fribourg (area 5,557, population 1,346,000, Catholics 671,072, priests 656, religious 1,641), Switzerland. The bishop-elect was born in Chatel-St-Denis, Switzerland, in 1942, was ordained a priest in 1968, and since 1994 has been rector of the major diocesan seminary.

- Appointed Fr. Leopoldo Gonzalez Gonzalez as auxiliary bishop of Morelia (area 22,000, population 2,811,000, Catholics 2,637,000, priests 555, religious 1,258), Mexico. The bishop-elect was born in Abasolo, Mexico, in 1950, was ordained a priest in 1975, and since 1995 has been vicar general of the archdiocese of Morelia.

- Appointed Fr. Jose Luis Azuaje Ayala as auxiliary bishop of Barquisimeto (area 8,590, population 1,194,000, Catholics 1,132,000, priests 171, religious 354), Venezuela. The bishop-elect was born in Valera, Venezuela, in 1957, was ordained a priest in 1984, and since 1993 has been episcopal vicar of diocesan pastoral ministry.

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, MAR 18, 1999 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

- Cardinal Cahal Brendan Daly, archbishop emeritus of Armagh, Ireland.
- Archbishop Franco Festorazzi of Ancona-Osimo, Italy, on his "ad limina" visit.
- Seven bishops from the Episcopal Conference of Mozambique, on their "ad limina" visit:
- Bishop Paulo Mandlate S.S.S., of Tete.
- Bishop Julio Duarte Langa of Xai-Xai.
- Bishop Franciso Joao Silota, M.Afr., of Chimoio.
- Bishop Germano Grachane C.M., of Nacala.
- Bishop Manuel Chuanguira Machado of Gurue.
- Bishop Tome Makhweliha S.C.I., of Pemba.
- Bishop Januario Machaze Nhangumbe, emeritus of Pemba and secretary general of the Episcopal Conference of Mozambique.
- A group of twelve prelates from the Italian Episcopal Conference (Marches region) on their "ad limina" visit:
- Archbishop Ugo Donato Bianchi of Urbino-Urbania-Sant'Angelo in Vado.
- Archbishop Angelo Comastri, prelate of Loreto, pontifical delegate for the shrine of Loreto.
- Archbishop Angelo Fagiani of Camerino-San Severino Marche.
- Archbishop Benito Franceschetti of Fermo.
- Bishop Oscar Serfilippi of Jesi.
- Bishop Luigi Scuppa of Fabriano-Matelica.
- Bishop Vittorio Tomasetti of Fano-Possombrone-Cagli-Pergola.
- Bishop Gervasio Gestori of San Benedetto del Tronto-Ripatransone-Montalto.
- Bishop Luigi Conti of Macerata-Tolentino-Recanati-Cingoli-Treia.
- Bishop Giuseppe Orlandoni of Senigallia.
- Bishop Silvano Montevecchi of Ascoli Piceno.
- Bishop Angelo Bagnasco of Pesaro.

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