POPE JOHN PAUL'S MESSAGE FOR WORLD YOUTH DAY 2000

VATICAN CITY, JUL 1, 1999 (VIS) - Made public today was the Holy Father's Message for the 15th World Youth Day, to be held in Rome in August 2000, during the year of the Great Jubilee. It was John Paul II who established this world day in 1984, the Holy Year of the Redemption, as he recalls in this letter, dated June 29, solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, Apostles.

The Pope starts the Message, published in Italian, Spanish. French and English, by referring not only to the first World Youth Day 15 years ago, but to the great wooden Cross which he has invited the world's young people to carry throughout the world. "After spanning the continents," he writes, "this Cross now returns to Rome, bringing with it the prayers and commitment of millions of young people who have recognized it as a simple and sacred sign of God's love for humanity."

"Dear young people," says John Paul II, "I invite you to undertake with joy this pilgrimage to Rome for this important ecclesial appointment which will be, and rightly so, the 'Jubilee of Youth'." He announces that the theme he has chosen for World Youth Day 2000 is the phrase of the Apostle John: "And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us."

"On the eve of the new millennium," continues the Pope, "I renew to you my pressing appeal to open wide the doors to Christ. ... Receiving Christ means ... loving Him and our brothers and sisters, showing solidarity to everyone, without distinction."

God sent His Son, states the Pope, to share in mankind's condition in all but sin and to obtain reconciliation and redemption for humanity through His death on the Cross. "The Cross, which seems to rise out of the earth, in reality reaches down from heaven, enfolding the universe in a divine embrace."

"Dear young people, may it be your holy ambition to be holy as He is holy. You will ask me: But is it possible today to be saints? If we had to rely only on human strength the undertaking would be truly impossible. ... However, everything is possible with the One Who is our Redeemer."

"Young people of every continent, don't be afraid of being the saints of the new millennium! ... The Lord wants you to be intrepid apostles of His Gospel and builders of a new humanity. In fact, how could you say you believe in God made man without taking a firm position against all that destroys the human person and the family? If you believe that Christ has revealed the Father's love for every person, you cannot fail to strive to contribute to the building of a new world, founded on the power of love and forgiveness, on the struggle against injustice and all physical, moral and spiritual distress, on the orientation of politics, economy, culture and technology to the service of man and his integral development."

"I sincerely wish that the Jubilee, now at the door, may be an opportune time for courageous spiritual renewal and an exceptional celebration of God's love for humanity. ... The mystery of the Incarnation of the Son of God and that of the Redemption He worked for all men, constitute the central message of our faith. ... You too, dear young people, are the receivers and the trustees of this heritage. ... We will proclaim it together on the occasion of the next World Youth Day in Rome, in which I hope very many of you take part."

Pope John Paul concludes: "Let us now turn our eyes to the Virgin Mother of God, of whom the city of Rome treasures one of the earliest and most honored monuments which the devotion of the Christian people has dedicated to her: the basilica of St. Mary Major. ... Mary is the dawn which precedes the rising of the Sun of justice, Christ our Redeemer. ... To Mary, ... I entrust with confidence the preparation of the 15th World Youth Day."

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CONSISTORY FOR VARIOUS CAUSES OF CANONIZATION

VATICAN CITY, JUL 1, 1999 (VIS) - The Ordinary Public Consistory for the canonization of 14 Blesseds will take place at 11:30 a.m. tomorrow, July 2, in the Consistory Hall of the Vatican Apostolic Palace.

The names of the Blesseds are: Cirilo Bertran and eight companions of the Institute of Brothers of Christian Schools and Inocencio de la Inmaculada, priest of the Congregation of the Passion of Jesus Christ, martyrs; Benedetto Menni, priest of the Hospitaller Order of St. John of God, founder of the Hospitaller Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus; Tommaso da Cori, priest of the Order of Friars Minor; Maria de Jesus Sacramentado Venegas de la Torre, virgin, foundress of the Congregation of the Daughters of the Heart of Jesus; Giuseppina Bakhita, virgin, of the Institute of the Daughters of Charity (Canossians).

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MESSAGE TO THE GENERAL CHAPTER OF THE MARIAN FATHERS

VATICAN CITY, JUL 1, 1999 (VIS) - This morning, John Paul II received the participants in the general chapter of the Congregation of Marians of the Immaculate Conception, to whom he gave a Message.

"It is highly significant," the Pope writes in the Message, "that the congregation, the first to be founded by a Pole, should be clearly Marian in character, being linked to the Immaculate Virgin. In the seventeenth century, when crisis began to loom in the then strong Polish State, Fr. Stanislaw Papczynski sought support in the Immaculate Virgin."

The Holy Father then referred to Blessed George Matulaitis-Matulewicz, who renewed the congregation, and he recalled his love for the Church, "which he left to us in patrimony."

"In faithful adherence to the Magisterium of the Church, continue to cultivate your numerous activities in Poland, in other European countries, in America and in Australia. I encourage you to persevere and I bless the schools, publishing houses, parishes, retreats, shrines, charitable works, services for emigrants and the other benevolent institutions in which you are involved."

The Holy Father made particular mention of the efforts of the religious in Lithuania, Latvia, Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan and expressed his satisfaction at the work accomplished in the Czech Republic and in Slovakia as well as at the activity carried out in Estonia during the last five years. He recalled: "Many of your brethren paid for their dedication to the cause of the Gospel with their lives or with years in labor camps."

The Pope concluded: "May the Lord particularly render your activity in Africa rich with spiritual fruit, especially in troubled Rwanda and, in the near future (when you go to) Cameroon, as well as in other frontier zones such as Alaska or other regions where priests are few."

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DECLARATION FROM HOLY SEE PRESS OFFICE DIRECTOR

VATICAN CITY, JUL 1, 1999 (VIS) - Yesterday afternoon, Holy See Press Office Director Joaquin Navarro-Valls made the following declaration in answer to questions presented by a number of journalists:

"I confirm the participation of the Holy See at the Special Session of the United Nations' General Assembly, which is taking place in New York from June 30 to July 2 and which is dedicated to examining the implementation of the Plan of Action of the Cairo Conference on Population and Development.

"In recent days, the Holy See has been involved in the work of the Preparatory Commission and will make every effort so that this important meeting may give new impetus to authentic development, based on respect for the dignity of the person and of the family. It should also be recalled that the Special Session does not seek to re-examine the results gained in Cairo, but only to evaluate their application."

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POPE JOHN PAUL'S MONTHLY PRAYER INTENTIONS

VATICAN CITY, JUL 1, 1999 (VIS) - Pope John Paul's general prayer intention for the month of July is: "That Christians, through hospitality, especially to their immigrant brothers and sisters, actively bear witness to the love of God the Father for us all."

His missionary intention: "That the awareness of their missionary role assert itself in the new Movements and Apostolic Organizations in the Church."

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, JUL 1, 1999 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

- Archbishop Severino Poletto of Turin, Italy.
- Archbishop Pietro Sambi, apostolic nuncio in Israel and Cyprus and apostolic delegate in Jerusalem and Palestine.
- Five prelates from the Episcopal Conference of Togo, on their "ad limina" visit:
- Archbishop Philippe Fanoko Kossi Kpodzro of Lome.
- Bishop Jacques Tukumbe Nyimbusede Anyilunda of Dapaong.
- Bishop Ambroise Kotamba Djoliba of Sokode.
- Bishop Julien Mawule Kouto of Atakpame.
- Bishop Pierre Koffi Seshie of Kpalime.

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PRESS OFFICE: NO LINKS BETWEEN VATICAN AND FOUNDATIONS

VATICAN CITY, JUL 1, 1999 (VIS) - Holy See Press Office Director Joaquin Navarro-Valls made the following declaration this morning in answer to questions by journalists:
"I wish to make it clear that the 'Monitor Ecclesiasticus' and 'St. Francis of Assisi' Foundations do not have Vatican juridical character and are not inscribed in the registers of Vatican juridical personalities.

"I wish to add that the Holy See does not have any relationship with Rev. Peter Jacobs and has neither furnished nor received funds from either the Monitor Ecclesiasticus Foundation or the St. Francis of Assisi Foundation. Contrary to what has been affirmed, the St. Francis of Assisi Foundation does not have an account in the Institute for Works of Religion (IOR), and indeed is not recognized by this Institute.

"Msgr. Emilio Colagiovanni is president of the Monitor Ecclesiasticus Foundation, established by the archdiocese of Naples in 1967. This foundation has always acted totally outside of any Vatican context, and does not have any relationship with it whatsoever."

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