CARDINAL SODANO TO RECEIVE FORMER RUSSIAN PRIME MINISTER

VATICAN CITY, MAR 30, 1999 (VIS) - Holy See Press Office Director Joaquin Navarro-Valls stated this afternoon: "I can confirm that tomorrow morning Cardinal Secretary of State Angelo Sodano will receive in the Vatican former Russian Prime Minister Gaidar, accompanied by two other former ministers."

OP;GAIDAR; SODANO;...;NAVARRO-VALLS;VIS;19990330;Word: 60;

HIGH LEVEL VATICAN MEETING TO STUDY KOSOVO CRISIS

VATICAN CITY, MAR 30, 1999 (VIS) - The following declaration was made this morning by Holy See Press Office Director Joaquin Navarro-Valls:

"Secretary of State Cardinal Angelo Sodano, has invited ambassadors to the Holy See from NATO member countries and the United Nations Security Council, to a meeting to discuss the recent situation in Kosovo and to discuss solutions which could contribute to the reestablishment of peace in that region. The meeting will take place this afternoon in the Vatican.

"In this context, the Secretary of State this morning received the ambassador of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to the Holy See."

OP;VATICAN MEETING KOSOVO;...;SODANO;VIS;19990330;Word: 110;

POPE AND ITALIAN PRESIDENT MEET FOR TALKS ON YUGOSLAVIA

VATICAN CITY, MAR 30, 1999 (VIS) - Holy See Press Office Director Joaquin Navarro-Valls made the following declaration last evening: "The Holy Father today had a private meeting with President Oscar Luigi Scalfaro of Italy. The principal theme of the talks was the dramatic situation in the Republic of Yugoslavia and the search for possible ways to return peace to this region as soon as possible."

OP;MEETING POPE; SCALFARO;...;...;VIS;19990330;Word: 80;

HOLY FATHER WELCOMES UNIV 99 PARTICIPANTS

VATICAN CITY, MAR 30, 1999 (VIS) - In the Paul VI Hall this morning, Pope John Paul welcomed 4,000 students participating in the UNIV 99 Congress, the annual Holy Week encounter in Rome promoted throughout the world by the faithful of the prelature of Opus Dei.

Addressing the young people on the theme of their Congress, "Solidarity and Citizenship," the Pope said in English. "I wish to start with the second of these two terms. In a book by Blessed Josemaria, ... we find a whole chapter with this very title: 'Citizenship'. In it we read the following: 'This is your duty as a Christian citizen: to contribute to making the love and freedom of Christ pre-eminent in every aspect of modern life - in culture, in the economy, in work and leisure. in family life, and life in society'.

"Blessed Josemaria speaks of the love and the freedom of Christ: this is freedom from sin, the struggle that, out of love for Christ ... Christians fight in themselves against everything that separates them from God and distances them from their brothers and sisters."

Then, speaking Spanish, the Holy Father highlighted the meaning of solidarity. "How can we not reflect on the immense human potential of peace, harmony and brotherhood that a coherent Christian life ... can cast on the transformation of the world? With a more careful analysis, Christian solidarity shows itself to be, more than a virtue per se, a spiritual conduct in which different virtues come together and, particularly, justice and charity. ... Justice, nevertheless, needs a soul. And the soul of justice is charity, charity which is at the service of every person."

"The first and most basic contribution which every believer is called to offer the new evangelization," stated John Paul II, "is to faithfully embody the Gospel in their own life: to be holy. Indeed, whoever seeks personal holiness without reserve, contributes efficaciously to spreading good throughout the world."

AC;UNIV 99;...;...;VIS;19990330;Word: 320;

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, MAR 30, 1999 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Erected the ecclesiastical province of Patna, India, elevating the same episcopal see to the rank of metropolitan church, making the dioceses of Bettiah, Bhagalpur, Muzaffarpur and Purnea suffragan to it. Bishop Benedict John Osta, S.J., of the diocese of Patna was appointed as the first metropolitan archbishop of Patna. The archbishop-elect was born in Blasurahi, India, in 1931, was ordained a priest in 1963, and since March 1980 has been bishop of Patna.

- Erected the diocese of Yendi (area 25,000, population 450,000, Catholics 3,843, priests 12, religious 6), Ghana, with territory taken from the archdiocese of Tamale, making it suffragan to the same metropolitan church. He appointed Fr. Vincent Boi-Nai S.V.D., as first bishop of Yendi. The bishop-elect was born in Labadi, Ghana, in 1945, made his perpetual vows in 1977 and was ordained a priest the same year. Since 1998 he has been provincial of the Society of the Divine Word (Verbites).

ECE; NER;...;...;OSTA; BOI-NAI ;VIS;19990330;Word: 120;

AUDIENCE

VATICAN CITY, MAR 30, 1999 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in audience Archbishop Francesco Pompedda, dean of the Tribunal of the Roman Rota, with other auditor prelates.

AP;...;...;...;VIS;19990330;Word: 30;

SEMINAR ON EFFECTS OF GLOBALIZATION OF FINANCES ON ECONOMIES

VATICAN CITY, MAR 30, 1999 (VIS) - Made public this morning was a communique from the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace which announced that the council secretary, Bishop Diarmuid Martin, is currently attending a three-day seminar in Santiago, Chile, on the effects of the globalization of finances on the economies of poor countries.

The March 29-31 seminar for experts from throughout the world was promoted by the "Jacques Maritain International Institute," the government of Chile and the United Nations Commission for Latin America. The meeting was opened yesterday by President Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle of Chile.

CON-IP;GLOBALIZATION;...;CHILE; MARTIN;VIS;19990330;Word: 110;