AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, SEP 9, 1999 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences seven prelates from the Episcopal Conference of Burundi, on their "ad limina" visit:

- Archbishop Simon Ntamwana of Gitega.
- Bishop Stanislas Kaburungu of Ngozi.
- Bishop Bernard Bududira of Bururi.
- Bishop Joseph Nduhirubusa of Ruyigi.
- Bishop Evariste Ngoyagoye of Bujumbura.
- Bishop Jean-Berchmans Nterere of Muyinga.
- Bishop Jean Ntagwarara of Bubanza.

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TELEGRAM FOR EARTHQUAKE IN GREECE

VATICAN CITY, SEP 9, 1999 (VIS) - Made public today was a telegram sent by the Holy Father to Archbishop Paul Fouad Tabet, apostolic nuncio in Greece, for last Tuesday's earthquake which struck Athens and the surrounding area:

"Having heard with deep emotion of the tragic earthquake which struck Athens and the surrounding area, I ask you to express my most sincere condolences and most profound sympathy to all those harshly affected by the tremors. I ask the Lord to accept the victims into His light and to bring comfort to the injured and to families who mourn. I pray the Almighty to inspire the country's people and the international community to renewed sentiments of solidarity and charity, in order that the people of Greece struck by this drama may be helped and that the urgent needs of the population may be met, assisting them to reconstruct that which has been destroyed. Entrusting to God all those struck by the tragedy, I invoke the blessing of the Most High upon the people of Greece.

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RELIGIOUS LIBERTY IS THE HEART OF HUMAN RIGHTS

VATICAN CITY, SEP 9, 1999 (VIS) - This morning at Castelgandolfo, John Paul II received a group of prelates from the Episcopal Conference of Chad, who have just completed their "ad limina" visit.

In his speech, given in French, the Pope manifested his joy at the "dynamism" of Church communities in Chad. "An eloquent indication" of this, he said, is the creation of two new dioceses in the last five years.

The Holy Father referred to the "significant increase" in the number of priests in Chad over the last few years. He exhorted them to "determine ever more profoundly their identity as priests. May they find the living source of their existence and ecclesial mission in personal encounters with the Risen Lord, through prayer and the sacraments."

"The formation of future priests is one of your greatest concerns. ... The creation of a new seminary is an encouraging sign and a fine occasion to give thanks for the generosity of the young in responding to the call of the Lord. I ask you to offer candidates to the priesthood not only a solid intellectual and spiritual formation, but also a serious education."

John Paul II went on to talk about lay people whose "fitting doctrinal and spiritual formation must be given ever greater importance, in order that their faith be confirmed and their witness be truthful and credible." In this matter he praised the catechists "who generously affirm the mission you have entrusted to them. ... During their whole lives, may they be ardent disciples of Christ and models of Christian life!"

The faithful must be "brought to understand the dignity and the role of marriage, which is an authentic path of sanctity. ... A greater awareness of the equal dignity of man and woman, in particular of the love they mutually express, will also help to clearly show that the conjugal bond requires the unity of matrimony."

The Pope referred to Catholic schools which "are an important contribution of the Church to the education of the young in Chad, with no social or religious distinctions." He added that it is necessary to help the young to overcome obstacles and present day challenges and give them an education "that takes into account the human and spiritual realities of their lives, and that helps them to live amongst young people from different religions and social backgrounds."

The Holy Father encouraged the prelates to support links with other Christians and with Muslims "in order that the causes of misunderstanding and confrontation disappear, and that the principles of tolerance and fraternity come to characterize the building of a solid and unified nation. ... It is necessary that Catholics totally refuse all fear and rejection of others."
Religious liberty, the Pope concluded, "constitutes the heart of human rights and renders possible other personal and collective liberties. Recourse to violence in the name of one's own religious creed represents a deformation of the very teachings of the great religions. It is my fervent wish that all believers overcome their antagonism once and for all, and unite their efforts in order to combat anything that opposes peace and reconciliation, in order to contribute to establishing a society of Love."

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