POPE ENCOURAGES RENEWED MISSIONARY ZEAL

VATICAN CITY, APR 17, 1999 (VIS) - The Pope this morning received 500 pilgrims from the Italian diocese of Vigevano, which recently held a synod, and expressed the hope that there might be "renewed missionary enthusiasm throughout the entire diocesan community" as a fruit of the work of these last three years.

Addressing the Church community of Vigevano, John Paul II said: "Do not be daunted by the great challenges of the present day! Advance with trust on the path of the new evangelization, working with love at the service of the poor and giving courageous witness in the various realities of society today."

"During the work of the synod, you dedicated special attention to young people and the family. Continue supporting and helping families so that they become authentic communities of life and love. ... Do not spare your energy on the Christian formation of children, adolescents and young people. They need valid points of reference, therefore be examples of coherence in your human and Christian lives. Vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life are born and developed in a context of faithfulness to the Gospel."

The Holy Father recalled that, during the synod there was also a concern to "bring the living proclamation of the Gospel to those who are 'far away', without being afraid of measuring yourselves against the challenges of post-modern culture." He exhorted them to continue to "use every useful instrument for this."

AC;...;...;DIOCESE VIGEVANO;VIS;19990419;Word: 240;

NEW SAINTS LOVED CHRIST IN NEEDIEST BROTHERS AND SISTERS

VATICAN CITY, APR 18, 1999 (VIS) - During the Mass this morning in St. Peter's Square, the Pope canonized Blesseds Marcellin Joseph Benoit Champagnat, Giovanni Calabria and Agostina Livia Pietrantoni.

The new saints, said the Holy Father in his homily, "adored and welcomed Christ in the Eucharist, loved him in their most needy brothers and sisters, recognized the imprints of his plan of salvation in the events of daily life."

St. Marcellin, French priest of the Society of Mary, founder of the Institute of the Little Brothers of Mary (Marist Brothers of the Schools), "was sensitive to the spiritual and educational needs of his time, especially concerning religious ignorance and situations of abandonment which youth knew particularly well." He added that "Fr. Champagnat is also a model for parents and teachers, he helps them to look at young people with hope, and to love them totally, encouraging a true human, moral and spiritual formation."

John Paul II said that, in St. Giovanni Calabria, Italian priest and founder of the Congregations of the Poor Servants of Divine Providence (male and female branches), "shine forth ardent faith, true charity, a spirit of sacrifice, love of poverty, zeal for souls and faithfulness to the Church."

Referring to the Italian St. Agostina, of the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of Jeanne Anthide Thouret, virgin, he said: "The Gospel ideal of love for one's neighbor, particularly for the most needy, the sick and the abandoned, also led Agostina to holiness. ... Ready to make any sacrifice, and as a heroic witness of charity, she paid with her own blood the price of faithfulness to Love."

At the end of Mass, and before praying the Regina Coeli, the Pope said: "Mary, whom we invoke as Queen of Peace, in these days of great concern for the conflict in Yugoslavia, give us the precious gift of peace especially for that beloved martyred land which is suffering. May the strength of peaceful co-existence and dialogue prevail over ethnic cleansing and the violence of arms!"

HML;CANONIZATION;...;...;VIS;19990419;Word: 350;

EXHIBITION ON PAUL VI AND LETTER FROM POPE TO ARTISTS

VATICAN CITY, APR 17, 1999 (VIS) - On Thursday April 22 at 11:30 a.m., Cardinal Edmund Casimir Szoka, president of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State, will present at the Holy See Press Office the exhibition "Paul VI - A Light for Art."

On Friday April 23 at 10:30 a.m., Cardinal Paul Poupard, president of the Pontifical Council for Culture, will present at the Holy See Press Office "John Paul II's Letter to Artists."

OP;PRESS CONFERENCES;...;SZOKA; POUPARD;VIS;19990419;Word: 80;

HOLY SEE INTERVENTION ON THE RIGHTS OF CHILDREN

VATICAN CITY, APR 17, 1999 (VIS) - Archbishop Giuseppe Bertello, Holy See Permanent Observer to the Office of the United Nations and Specialized Institutions in Geneva, spoke the afternoon of April 15 in Geneva on the rights of children at the 55th session of the United Nations Human Rights Commission.

Addressing the assembly in French, the nuncio recalled that "on November 10, 1989, the (U.N.) General Assembly unanimously approved the Convention on the Rights of Children," the result of years of work by the international community, starting with its first Declaration on the Rights of Children in 1924. He also recalled that "the Holy See ... had actively participated, right from the start, in the discussion and drafting" of this Convention.

Archbishop Bertello pointed out that the Human Rights Commission in recent years "had created two work groups, charged with preparing two ... optional protocols concerning the use of children in armed conflicts, and the sale of, prostitution of and pornography involving children as well as the basic necessary measures to prevent and eliminate these practices." Adopting such protocols, he added, "would be ... a gesture of solidarity and commiseration."
The archbishop stressed how "tens of thousands of children are used as soldiers in armed conflicts. ... If it is true that some have been enlisted through force or coerced by threats against their families or relatives, it is also true that others adhere 'voluntarily' because they believe that they will be protected. ... The consequences are dramatic: these children are deprived of their childhood and a normal education to which they have a right."

"Adopting an optional protocol in this field would assume a fundamental and, in the opinion of the Holy See, urgent importance for the protection of children, especially the poorest and most defenseless."

Archbishop Bertello closed by renewing the Holy See's support for the two protocols, saying "they would be an efficacious and appropriate step and would undoubtedly give an inestimable enrichment to the text of the Convention."

DELSS;RIGHTS CHILDREN;...;GENEVA; BERTELLO;VIS;19990419;Word: 320;

CARDINAL THIANDOUM CELEBRATES 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF PRIESTHOOD

VATICAN CITY, APR 19, 1999 (VIS) - Made public today was a Latin-language letter from Pope John Paul to Cardinal Hyacinthe Thiandoum, archbishop of Dakar, Senegal, upon the celebration yesterday of the 50th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood. The letter was dated February 24, the same day on which Cardinal Thiandoum was ordained a bishop in 1962.

In his felicitations to the cardinal, the Holy Father greeted "not only the beloved Catholic community of Dakar, where you were born, ... but the entire country of Senegal."

JPII-LETTER;ANNIVERSARY;...;SENEGAL; THIANDOUM;VIS;19990419;Word: 100;

POPE INVITES ALL TO IMITATE THE EXAMPLE OF THREE SAINTS

VATICAN CITY, APR 19, 1999 (VIS) - At noon today in St. Peter's Square, John Paul II received 11,000 pilgrims who came for yesterday canonization ceremony. Speaking of the three new saints, he said: "Let us deepen their charisms, let us assimilate the spirit which they left as their legacy, and let us imitate their example, and the peace of Christ will reign in our hearts!"

The Pope invited all to give thanks to God "for Fr. Champagnat's many disciples who faithfully lived their mission to the witness of martyrdom. We especially recall the eleven brothers, witnesses of truth and charity, who died tragically in the last five years in Algeria, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo."

"Evangelical charity was the virtue which most characterized the life of St. Giovanni Calabria," continued the Holy Father. "A Jewish lady doctor, whom he hid amongst his Sisters to save her from Nazi fascists, witnessed that each moment of his life was a personification of St. Paul's hymn to love."

Lastly, speaking of St. Agostina Livia Pietrantoni, the Pope called for her example "to give enthusiasm to the Sisters of the Congregation of St. Antide and to encourage them to give an ardent witness to that charity which is the synthesis of divine law and is the link of all perfection."

AC;CANONIZATION;...;... ;VIS;19990419;Word: 230;

AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, APR 19, 1999 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

- Archbishop Ottorino Pietro Alberti of Cagliari, Italy, on his "ad limina" visit.
- Cardinal Jozef Tomko, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.
- A group of 10 prelates from the Italian Episcopal Conference (Sardinia region) on their "ad limina" visit:
- Archbishop Pier Giuliano Tiddia of Oristano.
- Archbishop Salvatore Isgro of Sassari.
- Bishop Antioco Pisseddu of Lanusei.
- Bishop Pietro Meloni of Nuoro.
- Bishop Antonino Orru of Ales Terralba.
- Bishop Arrigo Miglio of Ivrea, up to now bishop of Iglesias.
- Bishop Antonio Vacca of Alghero-Bosa.
- Bishop Paolo Atzei of Tempo-Ampurias.
- Bishop Sebastiano Sanguinetti of Ozieri.
- Bishop Tarcisio Pillolla, auxiliary of Cagliari.

On Saturday, April 17, he received in separate audiences:

- Three prelates from the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, Quebec, on their "ad limina" visit:
- Bishop Raymond Dumais of Gaspe.
- Bishop Francois Lapierre P.M.E., of Saint-Hyacinthe.
- Bishop Sleiman Hajjar B.S., of Saint-Sauveur de Montreal of the Greek Melkites.
- Archbishop Carlo Curis, apostolic nuncio.
- Frantisek X. Halas, ambassador of the Czech Republic, with his family, on a farewell visit.
- Archbishop Francesco Monterisi, secretary of the Congregation for Bishops.

AL; AP;...;...;...;VIS;19990419;Word: 200;