JOHN PAUL II EMBARKS ON 87TH FOREIGN PASTORAL TRIP

VATICAN CITY, JUN 5, 1999 (VIS) - Pope John Paul left Rome's Fiumicino Airport at 9 this morning and, after a flight of nearly three hours, arrived at the port city of Gdansk in his native Poland, thus starting his 87 foreign apostolic trip. Gdansk, famous for its shipyards, is the country's sixth largest city.

Poland's highest ranking religious and civil authorities were at Rebiechowo Airport to meet the Holy Father. In his talk to them at the welcome ceremony, he said that "this pilgrimage to my homeland is as it were an extension of previous visit in 1997."

He noted that among the reasons for his pilgrimage are the conclusion of the Second Plenary Synod of the Church in Poland, which began in 1991 and "the celebration of the millennium of the establishment by Pope Sylvester II of the Independent Metropolitan See of Gniezno, composed of four dioceses: Gniezno, Kolobrzeg, Wroclaw and Krakow."

"I am pleased," said the Pope, "that this pilgrimage begins in Gdansk, a city which has a place forever in the history of Poland, of Europe, and perhaps even of the whole world. In fact, it was here that the voice of consciences was heard in a particular way, calling for respect for human dignity, especially of workers, a voice calling for freedom, justice and solidarity between people. This cry of consciences roused from slumber rang out with such force as to make room for the yearned-for freedom, which has become and continues to be for us a great task and challenge for today and the future."

"It was precisely in Gdansk that a new Poland was born, which gives us so much and of which we are so proud. I notice with joy that our country has made great progress on the path of economic development. Thanks to the efforts of all its citizens, Poland can look to the future with hope. In the last few years our country has earned particular recognition and the respect of other nations of the world. For all of this, blessed be the God and Father of Our Lord Jesus Christ! I pray unceasingly that Poland's material development will increase at an equal rate with its spiritual development."

Following the welcome ceremony, Pope John Paul went to the residence of the archbishop of Gdansk where he had lunch with the bishops of the province as well as the cardinals and bishops of the papal entourage.

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POPE'S CALL TO READ AND MEDITATE UPON THE GOSPEL

VATICAN CITY, JUN 6, 1999 (VIS) - This morning the Pope went by helicopter to Pelplin, 50 kilometers south of Gdansk, and from there he travelled by popemobile to 'Biskupia Gora' (Bishop's Mountain), where he celebrated Mass.

Commenting in his homily on the words of the Gospel, "Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it," John Paul II told the 350,000 faithful: "Cross into the new millennium with the Book of the Gospels! Let there be one in every Polish home! Read and meditate upon it! Let Christ speak!"

The Holy Father made reference to "the temptation to interpret Sacred Scripture apart from the Church's long tradition of faith, using modes of interpretation proper to contemporary literature or journalism. That creates the danger of over-simplification, of falsification of revealed truth, and even the adaptation of that truth to the demands of an individualist philosophy of life or an ideology, accepted a priori."

After making clear his delight at the importance that pastors give to the Liturgy of the Word and to the catechesis, he highlighted the necessity that "those who assume responsibility for an authoritative explanation of revealed truth must trust not in their own, often fallible, intuition but in sound knowledge and in unyielding faith."

"To those who must cross the threshold of the third millennium, we want to say: Build your house upon rock! Build upon rock the house of your personal and social life! And the rock is Christ - Christ living in his Church."

At the conclusion of Mass and before praying the Angelus, the Pope spoke of the example of the Virgin who faithfully kept the word of God: "She, the Mother of the Son of God, dedicated her own life entirely to faithfully keeping of the word of God. She listened to God without ceasing, she meditated upon the words and events, receiving this Revelation with her whole being in the 'obedience of faith'."

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MASS TO CELEBRATE MILLENNIUM OF ST. ADALBERT'S CANONIZATION

VATICAN CITY, JUN 5, 1999 (VIS) - The Holy Father celebrated Mass at 5:15 p.m. today in the hippodrome of Sopot, a city northwest of Gdansk, on the occasion of the millennium of the canonization of St. Adalbert, archbishop of Gnessen and missionary to the Poles. Also known as the Apostle of Prussia, he died in 997 in Gdansk and was canonized two years later.
John Paul II told the more than 700,000 faithful present that he carried all the memories of his visit 12 years ago to Gniezno and the tomb of St. Adalbert, "in the depths of my heart. From the viewpoint of history, how different those times were! Other experiences and other challenges were then confronting the nation. At that time I spoke with you but, in a certain sense, I was also speaking in your name. Today things are different, I am moved as I remember those times, conscious of the great things that have since come about in our homeland."

The Holy Father then turned to today's Gospel where Christ tells us "'Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect'. ... This primordial human vocation has been inscribed by the Creator in man's nature. It is what makes every person seek love, even if at times he does so by choosing the evil of sin, which presents itself under the appearance of good." He stressed that when we seek to arrive at love and happiness without God, "in a groping way, ... in pleasures, in material things and what is earthly and transient," it deludes and is "painful for humanity."

"Dear brothers and sisters," exhorted the Pope, ""Do not let yourselves be intimidated by those who point to sin as the way to happiness. ... Man will never be happy at the expense of another man, destroying his freedom, trampling upon his dignity and cultivating selfishness."

John Paul II then relived events "in the land of Gdansk" during World War II, in December 1970, when workers took to the city's streets and "August 1980, a time of hope, and finally the dramatic period of martial law. ... It was in this city that 'Solidarnosc' (Solidarity) was born 19 years ago." This was, he added, "an event which signalled a turning point in the history of our nation and of Europe. ... At that time I heard you say in Gdansk: 'There is no freedom without solidarity'. Today we need to say: 'There is no solidarity without love'.

"We are therefore called," affirmed the Pope, "to build the future based on love of God and neighbor, establishing the 'civilization of love'. Today the world and Poland need great-hearted men who serve with humility and love."

He concluded. "Much has changed and is still changing in Poland. The centuries pass, and Poland grows, ... like a great, historic oak tree with healthy roots. Let us thank Divine Providence for blessing this 1,000 year process of growth with the presence of St. Adalbert and with his martyr's death on the Baltic."

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THE POPE BLESSES THE NEW CHURCH OF THE SHRINE OF LICHEN

VATICAN CITY, JUN 7, 1999 (VIS) - At 8 a.m. today, the Pope blessed the new church of the Shrine of the Madonna of Lichen, constructed in 1858 following the apparition of the Virgin in 1813 to a Polish soldier in the Napoleonic armies, gravely wounded in the battle of Leipzig and, in 1850, to a local shepherd.

Prior to blessing the new church, John Paul II indicated that "the scene of the Visitation (of the Virgin to Her cousin Elizabeth) is particularly near to our hearts here in this place so loved by Mary. Every shrine, in fact, is in some way the house of Elizabeth visited by the Mother of God's Son, who comes so that she may be close to her beloved people."

"Gathered today for this morning prayer at the Shrine of Lichen, at the feet of our Lady of Sorrows, let all of us - bishops, priests, consecrated men and women, lay faithful - implore her to intercede for us with her Son, seeking to obtain for us a living faith, ... a strong faith that shrinks before no difficulty, suffering or lack of successn, ... a mature faith without reservation, a faith that cooperates with the holy Church in the authentic building up of the Mystical Body of Christ."

During his visit to the shrine, a bronze monument of the Pope - 10 meters high and weighing eight tons - was inaugurated. After the blessing, he travelled by helicopter to the city of Bydgoszcz, where at 10:30 a celebration of the Eucharist took place.

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THE COMMANDMENTS ARE THE WAY FOR ALL PEOPLE

VATICAN CITY, JUN 6, 1999 (VIS) - After lunch at the bishop's residence in Pelplin, the Holy Father travelled from the city's heliport to the airport of Elblag, a distance of 55 kilometers. There, at 5:30 p.m., he presided at the devotions in honor of the Most Sacred Heart Of Jesus.

"We have come here today," the Pope said in his homily, "to contemplate the love of the Lord Jesus, His goodness which is compassionate towards every person; to contemplate His Heart blazing with love for the Father, in the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Christ loves us and reveals His Heart to us as the fount of life and holiness."

John Paul II recalled that God the Father, "the supreme law giver, has inscribed on the human heart the whole order of truth. This order determines what is good, provides a foundation for the moral order and constitutes the basis of the dignity of man created in God's image. The commandments were given for the good of mankind, for man's personal good and the good of family and society. They are truly the way for all people. The material order by itself is not enough. It must be completed and enriched by the supernatural order."
"The temptation to organize the world and one's own life without God or even in opposition to God, without His commandments and without the Gospel, is a very real temptation and threatens us too. When human life and the world are built without God, they will eventually turn against man himself."

The Holy Father explained that "sin pits itself against God's love for us and turns our hearts away from Him. ... We must be constantly aware of this great evil, we must constantly cultivate the subtle sensitivity and clear consciousness of the seeds of death contained in sin. This is what is commonly known as the sense of sin," and, "the more profound this awareness of union with God - strengthened by a persons sacramental life and by sincere prayer - the clearer the sense of sin is. ... We must truly form our humanity in the image and likeness of God, to become people who love the law of God and want to live according to it."

At the conclusion of the ceremony, the Holy Father travelled by helicopter to Lichen where he spent the night in a residence near the Shrine of the Madonna.

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CARDINAL PHAM DINH TUNG CELEBRATES 50 YEARS OF PRIESTHOOD

VATICAN CITY, JUN 6, 1999 (VIS) - Made public today was a letter from Pope John Paul II to Cardinal Paul Joseph Pham Dinh Tung, archbishop of Hanoi, Vietnam, for the celebrations of the 50th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood on June 6, 1949.

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DECLARATIONS FROM HOLY SEE PRESS OFFICE DIRECTOR

VATICAN CITY, JUN 7, 1999 (VIS) - Holy See Press Office Director Joaquin Navarro-Valls, in a statement issued from Bydgoszcz, Poland today said: "The news has reached us of the worsening health of His Holiness Karekin I, supreme patriarch and Catholicos of all the Armenians. In this regard, an envoy from Catholicos Karekin I has asked to meet with His Holiness John Paul II. The encounter will take place in coming days in Warsaw."

In another declaration, he stated: "The news coming from the Balkans is not encouraging. The Holy Father is very concerned for this impasse. Naturally, his thoughts go first and foremost to the intolerable suffering of the refugees, and he hopes that, with everyone accepting the agreements already made, a stable peace in the area will be achieved as soon as possible."

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"BLESSED ARE THOSE WHO ARE PERSECUTED FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS' SAKE"

VATICAN CITY, JUN 7, 1999 (VIS) - The Holy Father travelled this morning by helicopter from the Shrine of Our Lady of Lichen to the city of Bydgoszcz, at whose heliport he celebrated the Mass of the Martyrs in the presence of 500,000 faithful. His homily focussed on today's Gospel account of the Sermon on the Mount, in particular the beatitude "Blessed are they who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

He remarked that "Poland has never lacked such confessors of Christ," and added: "In the last decades Bydgoszcz has been marked in a particular way by 'persecution for righteousness' sake'. For here, in the first days of the Second World War, the Nazis carried out the first public executions of the city's defenders."

"'Blessed are they who are persecuted for righteousness' sake'. To whom do these words refer? To the many, many people to whom it was granted in the course of human history to suffer persecution for the sake of righteousness. ... Our century too has written a great martyrology. ... And how many martyrs were there during the Second World War and under communist totalitarianism! ... Now is the time to remember all these victims and to grant them the honor which is their due. These are 'the martyrs, many of them nameless', 'unknown soldiers' as it were, of God's great cause', as I wrote in the Apostolic Letter 'Tertio Millennio Adveniente'."

"Christ does not promise an easy life to those who follow him," stated John Paul II. "Instead, He proclaims that, by living according to the Gospel, his followers are to become a sign of contradiction. ... This firm perseverance alongside Christ and His Gospel, this readiness to face 'sufferings for righteousness' sake', often involve acts of heroism and can take the form of an authentic martyrdom, carried out every day and at every moment of life, drop by drop, until the final 'it is finished'."

"Alongside public martyrdom , which takes place before the eyes of many, how often does a hidden martyrdom take place in the depths of people's hearts: There is a martyrdom of the body and a martyrdom of the spirit, a martyrdom of our vocation and our mission, a martyrdom of the struggle with oneself and the victory over oneself."

"Martyrdom is a great and radical test for man," the Pope underscored. "Does not a mother find herself before a similar test when she chooses to sacrifice herself in order to save the life of her child? How numerous were and are these heroic mothers in our society. We thank them for their example of love, which does not shrink from the supreme sacrifice. Does not a believer find himself facing a test of this sort when he defends the right to religious freedom and to freedom of conscience?"

Pope John Paul ended his homily: "In our prayer we also embrace those who are still being put to the test. Christ says to them: 'Rejoice and be glad', because you share not only in My suffering but in My resurrection."

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IN MEMORIAM

VATICAN CITY, JUN 7, 1999 (VIS) - The following prelates died in recent weeks:

- Bishop Oscar Julio Alzamora Revoredo S.M., emeritus of Tacna, on May 19 at the age of 70.
- Bishop Paschalis Soedita Hardjasoemarta M.S.C., of Purwokerto, on May 23 at age 70.
- Bishop Jeronimo Mazzarotto, on May 23 at the age of 101.
- Bishop Miguel Pedro Mundo of Jatai, on May 19 at age 61.
- Archbishop Carlos Parteli Keller of Montevideo, on May 26 at the age of 89.
- Bishop Hector Gabino Romero of Rafaela, on May 23 at age 74.
- Bishop Xavier Tabao Manjarimanana S.J. of Mananjary, on May 24 at the age of 71.
- Archbishop Mario Tagliaferri, apostolic nuncio in France, on May 21 at the age of 71.

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JUN 7, 1999 (VIS) - The Holy Father accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the archdiocese of Edmonton, Canada presented by Archbishop Joseph Neil MacNeil upon having reached the age limit. He is succeeded by Coadjutor Archbishop Thomas C. Collins.

On Sunday, June 6, it was made public that the Holy Father appointed Fr. James Liu Tan-Kuei of the clergy of the diocese of Taichung, Taiwan, as auxiliary of the diocese of Taipeh (Taipei) (area 4,590, population 6,799,000, Catholics 80,947, priests 256, religious 663), Taiwan. The bishop-elect was born in Tungshih, Taiwan in 1953, was ordained a priest in 1981 and since 1996 has been priest of the parish of the 'Blessed Sacrament' in Yuan-lin.

On Saturday, June 5, it was made public that the Holy Father appointed:

- Bishop Jorge Ferreira da Costa Ortiga as archbishop of Braga (area 2,832, population 1,000,000, Catholics 995,000, priests 600, religious 1071), Portugal. The archbishop-elect was born in Brufe, Portugal, in 1944, he was ordained a priest in 1967 and since 1988 has been auxiliary of the same archdiocese. He succeeds Archbishop Eurico Dias Norgueira, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same archdiocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

- Archbishop Ramon Ovidio Perez Morales of Maracaibo, Venezuela as bishop of Los Teques (area 2,295, population 970,000, Catholics 900,000, priests 75, religious 360), Venezuela. He conserves the personal title of archbishop.

- Bishop Oscar Anibal Salazar Gomez, auxiliary of Barranquilla, Colombia, as bishop of La Dorada-Guaduas (area 8,040, population 330,000, Catholics 300,000, priests 58, religious 84), Colombia.

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HOLY SEE RATIFIES CONVENTION BANNING CHEMICAL WEAPONS

VATICAN CITY, JUN 7, 1999 (VIS) - Last May 12, according to a communique published today, the Holy See ratified the Convention which bans the development, production, stockpiling and use of chemical arms and envisages their destruction.

Following are excerpts from the statement made by Holy See Permanent Observer to the United Nations, Archbishop Renato Martino, when he presented the instrument of ratification to the U.N. secretary general's office:

"By ratifying the 'Convention on the Prohibition of the Development, Production, Stockpiling and Use of Chemical Weapons and on their Destruction', which was ... signed by the Holy See on January 14, 1993, ... the Holy See, in conformity with the nature and particular condition of Vatican City State, intends to renew its encouragement to the International Community to continue on the path towards a situation of general and complete disarmament, capable of promoting peace and cooperation at world level."

"While not possessing chemical weapons of any kind, the Holy See accedes to the solemn act of ratification of the Convention in order to lend its moral support to this important area of international relations which seeks to ban weapons which are particularly cruel and inhuman."

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