"I CONSECRATED THE WHOLE CHURCH TO THE VIRGIN OF CZESTOCHOWA"

VATICAN CITY, JUN 23, 1999 (VIS) - In this morning's general audience, held in St. Peter's Square, the Pope recalled his recent apostolic trip to Poland, which took place 20 years after his first visit as Pope, in June 1979.

During this pastoral visit, the Pope said, "together with the Church in Poland, I shared in the millennium celebrations of two events that lie at the origins of its history: the canonization of Saint Adalbert and the institution of the first metropolitan see of Gniezno with its three suffragan dioceses of Kolobrzeg, Krakow and Wroclaw. Furthermore, I had the opportunity of closing the Second National Plenary Synod and of proclaiming a new saint, as well as numerous blesseds."

After recalling that the "common thread of these days was the Gospel passage on the Beatitudes," the Holy Father remarked that he had had the chance to visit "cities that conserve the indelible memory of the devastation of the Second World War, of the mass executions and the terrible deportations. Only faith in God, who is love and mercy, has rendered possible their material and moral reconstruction."

The Holy Father indicated that before his return to Rome, at the feet of the Virgin of Czestochowa, "I renewed the dedication (to Her) of my life and my petrine ministry. To Her I consecrated the Church in Poland and in the whole world. From her I entreated the precious gift of peace for all humanity and solidarity between peoples."

"In the course of my journey, I had various occasions to give thanks to God for the transformations that have come about in Poland in the last twenty years in the name of liberty and solidarity. I did so in Gdansk, the city that symbolizes the Solidarity movement."

John Paul II concluded by saying that, in the very days that the European Parliament was being elected, he had prayed "for the 'old' continent, that it might continue to be a beacon of civilization and authentic progress, rediscovering its spiritual roots and employing to the full the potential of the peoples of which it is composed, from the Urals to the Atlantic."

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PRESS CONFERENCE SET FOR UPDATE ON JUBILEE

VATICAN CITY, JUN 23, 1999 (VIS) - Tomorrow, June 24, at 11:30 a.m. in the Holy See Press Office, Cardinal Roger Etchegaray and Archbishop Crescenzio Sepe, respectively president and secretary general of the Central Committee of the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000, will preside at a press conference to give updated information on preparations for the Jubilee.

Joining them to speak on volunteerism and the special card for pilgrims will be Luigi Zanda, president of the Roman Office for the Jubilee, Donato Mosella, director of the center for volunteers and Francesco Silvano, delegate for telecommunications and computer services.

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"ILLUSTRATIVE NOTE" ISSUED ON POPE'S LETTER TO GERMAN BISHOPS

VATICAN CITY, JUN 23, 1999 (VIS) - The Holy See Press Office this afternoon published an "Illustrative Note" in German and in Italian on Pope John Paul's Letter to German bishops, dated June 3 and made public yesterday, on the question of the position of Catholic family consultors in their country. Following are excerpts:

"This letter of June 3, 1999 must be read in the context of the two previous papal interventions. Earlier, in his September 21, 1995 letter, the Pope took a position with regard to the new legislative regulation on abortion. He expressed serious perplexity with regard to the involvement of ecclesial consultors in the decriminalization of abortion and invited the bishops to redefine the ecclesial commitment in the consulting offices. In the two successive years, in an intense dialogue between the Holy See and the German Episcopal Conference, a solution was sought to this thorny issue.

"In his Letter of January 11, 1998 the Holy Father again turned to his brother bishops in Germany. With insistence he invited them to remain present in an efficacious manner in consulting with women who are seeking assistance, but also to see to it that no certificate is released which, according to the law, constitutes the necessary presupposition for decriminalized abortion."

"(In the June 3 Letter), the Pope ... manifested ... his hope that the decision adopted by him will help to recover unity in the episcopal conference on this important problem and to overcome the tensions which have arisen in Catholic public opinion."

"The decision communicated by John Paul II had as its starting point the wide recognition of the 'plan of consulting and assistance' ... which joins consulting aimed at life to a series of offers of assistance."

"The certificate, which is given to women according to 'the plan of consulting and assistance' is nonetheless still marked by a serious ambiguity. It certainly documents the consultors' orientation towards life and constitutes a guarantee for allocating the promised assistance, but at the same time it can also be used for carrying out decriminalized abortions according to the penal code para 218a(1)."

"So that the certificate will not be used as access to abortion, the Holy Father orders ... the following annotation to be added: 'This certificate cannot be used to carry out decriminalized abortions'.

"John Paul II asks the German bishops to unanimously welcome his decision and to translate it into practice by the end of the year."

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POPE GREETS GENERAL AUDIENCE PILGRIMS IN 11 LANGUAGES

VATICAN CITY, JUN 23, 1999 (VIS) - Following today's general audience catechesis in Italian, the Holy Father spoke briefly in five other languages about his apostolic trip to Poland and then greeted pilgrims present in St. Peter's Square in those languages as well as in Romanian, Hungarian, Czech, Slovakian, Croatian and Italian.

"I extend a cordial welcome," he said in English, "to the members of the Young Presidents' Organization and of the Summer University of Christian Culture, May your visit to Rome be an occasion of renewal in faith and in commitment to building a world of justice, peace and solidarity with those in need."

Welcoming a group of pilgrims from the Greek-Catholic eparchies of Romania, the Holy Father said he hoped that their pilgrimage would "be a stimulus for an ever more generous commitment of Christian witness in your country."

To Slovakian visitors, he said: "Priestly ordinations are being celebrated these days in Slovakia, as well as the first Masses by the newly ordained. Pray for the new priests, as for all priests, so that they will be priests according to the Heart of Jesus."

Greeting a group of officers of the Croatian Armed Forces, John Paul II said he hoped that "inspired by faith, you will always know how to place your own human and professional qualities at the service of man, of the common good, of security, freedom and peace."

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JUN 23, 1999 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed:

- Fr. Hugo Maria van Steekelenburg O.F.M., guardian of the Sao Francisco das Chagas Convent and secretary of the Franciscan province of Santa Cruz, Belo Horizonte, Brazil, as bishop of Almenara (area 15,638, population 252,000, Catholics 232,000 priests 12, religious 37), Brazil. The bishop-elect was born in Wateringen, Holland, in 1937 and ordained a priest in 1964.

- Archbishop Lorenzo Baldisseri, apostolic nuncio in India, as apostolic nuncio in Nepal.

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, JUN 23, 1999 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

- Cardinal Achille Silvestrini, prefect of the Congregation for Oriental Churches.
- Archbishop Julius Janusz, apostolic nuncio in Mozambique.

Today it was published that yesterday the Pope received in audience Archbishop Giovanni Coppa, apostolic nuncio in the Czech Republic.

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