MASS FOR THE MILLENNIUM OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF KRAKOW

VATICAN CITY, 15 JUN, 1999 (VIS) - This morning Cardinal Secretary of State Cardinal Angelo Sodano celebrated Mass in the name of the Pope - who has a slight fever - on the esplanade of Blonie in Krakow, on the occasion of the millennium of the Krakow archdiocese. One million faithful, braving a steady rain, participated in the Mass.

The Pope's homily was read by Cardinal Franciszek Macharski, archbishop of Krakow.

"If we list today the fruit of ten centuries of the existence of the Church in Krakow," he said in the homily, "we do so to inflame our hearts with gratitude to God, who in the course of this history has poured out countless graces upon His people."

He added: "If we embrace in our thoughts and hearts today all those who labored as pastors in this Church for the kingdom of Christ, in historical perspective we see not only the priests but also countless hosts of lay people. ... All these men and women of the Church, whether known by name or anonymous, by their lives, their holiness, their everyday work and their suffering, testified in this land that God is love and that with this love God embraces everyone and leads them on the paths of this world to a new life. There is no greater reason than this for giving thanks for the thousand-year history of the Church in the land of Krakow. There is no greater gift than the gift of holiness which this land has received from the hands of the Church over the past ten centuries."

"Throughout its history, the Church of Krakow has survived many storms and many trials. To dwell only on this century, we know that in the first place it resisted the destructive force of war and occupation, and despite painful losses it upheld its dignity, thanks especially to the uncompromising attitude of the Prince, Cardinal Adam Sapieha. In the half-century after the war, the Church faced new challenges brought on by communist totalitarianism and the atheistic ideology. The Church overcame the period of persecutions without ever losing the strength of its witness."
"Now," said the Pope's homily, "as we give thanks for the past splendor of this Church, in the same spirit we must look at today and tomorrow. ... We must plan for the future so that it will be seen that the treasure of faith, hope and charity, which our fathers kept in the midst of struggles and which they handed down to us, will not be lost by this generation lulled into sleep. ... We bear a great responsibility for the development of faith, for the salvation of contemporary man, and for the fate of the Church in the new millennium."

At the end of Mass, Cardinal Sodano said: "I thank you for your great example of faith and I thank you especially for the great love which you have for the Holy Father. Even though it is a rainy day, Krakow has shown itself to be a city of joy. Continue to pray for the Pope according to that beautiful liturgical prayer 'Dominus conservet eum'. In the name of the cardinals here present and the papal entourage, I would also like to thank the community of Krakow for having given the Church of Rome and the universal Church a great pastor like our beloved Pope."

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THE POPE, FEVERISH, POSTPONES TODAY'S ENGAGEMENTS

VATICAN CITY, JUN 15, 1999 (VIS) - Holy See Press Office Director Joaquin Navarro-Valls made the following declaration this morning from Krakow, Poland:

"Since last evening, Monday June 14, the Holy Father has a slight rise in temperature, probably of a viral nature.

"For this reason, he has been advised to postpone all his engagements for today, June 15.

"The Holy Father will spend the day at the residence of the archbishop of Krakow."

In response to journalists' questions, Navarro-Valls stated: "His temperature has remained below 38 degrees. In addition to rest, the Holy Father will undergo anti-influenza therapy."

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HUMAN RIGHTS CANNOT BE FORGOTTEN IN THE MARKETPLACE

VATICAN CITY, JUN 14, 1999 (VIS) - Following Mass this morning at the Church of the Good Shepherd in Lowicz, the Pope went to the bishop's residence where he had lunch with the provincial bishops and the prelates of his entourage. In mid-afternoon he took a helicopter to Sosnowiec, a poor mining and steel town in southern Poland, where, at 6:45 p.m. he celebrated the Liturgy of the Word in the presence of 400,000 people.

The Holy Father's homily focussed on the value, meaning and dignity of human work. "The pilgrimage of the history of each nation leaves as a legacy the fruit of human work," he said. And he underscored that "we cannot forget the divine perspective of sharing in the work of creation, which confers upon all human effort true meaning and dignity. Without this perspective work can easily lose its subjective dimension. When this happens, the man who does not work is no longer important, and all that matters is the material worth of what is produced."

"It seems that in this time of necessary economic changes in our country, signs of such a danger have appeared," John Paul II stated. "Because of the laws of the market, human rights are forgotten; this happens in varying degrees all over the world. It happens, for example, when the claim is made that economic profit justifies taking away the job of someone who not only loses a job but every prospect for supporting himself or his family. It also happens when, to increase production, the worker is denied the right to rest, the right to care for his family, or the freedom to plan his daily life."

Pointing out that "this concerns not only employers but employees," the Pope stated: "The job can dominate a man's life to the point where he no longer notices his need to look after his health, the development of his personality, the happiness of his loved ones or in the end, his relationship with God."

"I mention this today in order to awaken consciences," affirmed the Holy Father. "Those who have lost the right judgment of conscience can transform the blessing of work into a curse. Wisdom is needed to discover anew the supernatural dimension of work. ... A correctly formed conscience is needed to discern work's absolute value. A spirit of sacrifice is needed lest our own humanity and the happiness of others are lost on the altar of well-being."

Telling workers that the "the Pope and the Church are interested in your problems," John Paul II said that God exists - is near -and cares constantly for man's journey. ... Man needs witness to the presence of God. Man today, especially the worker, needs a Church that bears witness with new force."

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HOLY SEE AT WTO CONFERENCE ON ECONOMIC IMPACT OF TOURISM

VATICAN CITY, JUN 15, 1999 (VIS) - Msgr. Piero Monni, Holy See permanent observer to the World Tourism Organization, will participate in the four-day world conference organized by the WTO on "Evaluating the Economic Impact of Tourism," which starts today in Nice, France.

According to a communique from the office of the permanent observer, "this conference represents one of the WTO's most important initiatives, and aims to make a contribution to increasing the awareness of the importance of the tourism industry and of an adequate tourism policy by governments."

"The complaint made up to now by the tourism sector," adds the communique, "is that the real contribution which tourism offers to a country's budget and how it may be a valid instrument for fighting unemployment have not yet been perfectly understood."

Msgr. Monni, scheduled to speak tomorrow, will address the need to analyze not only problems linked with the economic impact of tourism but also those relative to the environmental, cultural and religious impacts.

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