JOHN PAUL II ADDRESSES NATIONAL SYNOD OF SLOVENIA

VATICAN CITY, SEP 19, 1999 (VIS) - In late afternoon, following lunch with the bishops of Slovenia and the cardinals who had come to Maribor for the papal visit, John Paul II went to the city's cathedral where he prayed at the tomb of Blessed Anton Martin Slomsek and then addressed the delegates of the national synod, whose theme is "Choose Life."

Also present for the papal discourse were government officials as well as a group of university rectors of central Europe, gathered to celebrate the 140th anniversary of the founding of the theology faculty in Maribor.

The Holy Father, in his speech, emphasized that a synod is an expression of communion, one "in which is represented the entire community: pastors, religious and laity. The latter, in particular, are asked to give a specific contribution, above all on those themes which more closely concern them in their experience in the world and in their mission."

He encouraged them to "evangelize, to announce to everyone the joyous news of salvation in Christ. ... To do this, don't be afraid to ask for the conditions of freedom necessary to undertake the mission of the Church. If, as citizens, Christians have the duty to contribute to the good of all of society, as faithful they have the right not to be barred from their legitimate activity."

Then, addressing the entire Church in Slovenia, Pope John Paul exhorted it to "'Choose life'. Choose above everything else this most precious gift of God the Creator and Savior. Bring this gift to those who don't have the strength to pardon; to the men and women who have known the bitterness of failure in their marriage; bring it to young people, too often the victims of false idols; bring it to the families of Slovenia so that they might live with faith and generosity their commitment to mission; bring it to everyone who collaborates in the work of the Kingdom of God, so they do not get discouraged in the face of difficulties; bring it to everyone who contributes with their work, and in particular by taking on public responsibilities, for the common good of citizens."

After his talk at the cathedral, the Pope went to Maribor Airport, where, prior to his 7:30 p.m. departure for Rome, he was greeted by Church and civil officials, including President Milan Kucan of Slovenia.

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POPE APPEALS FOR PEACE IN THE BALKANS AND ALL EUROPE

VATICAN CITY, SEP 19, 1999 (VIS) - At 8:30 a.m. the Pope departed from Rome's Fiumicino airport for Maribor, Slovenia, where he arrived at 10, thus starting his 88th pastoral trip abroad. Following a brief welcome ceremony at the airport, he travelled to the esplanade of Betnava on the outskirts of the city.

At 11, the Holy Father presided at a Mass during which he beatified Servant of God Anton Martin Slomsek (1800-1862), first bishop of Maribor and the first Slovenian to become a blessed. More than 200,000 Slovenians, Croats, Hungarians and Austrians took part in the ceremony.

In his homily, John Paul II spoke of the qualities of the new Blessed: "Attentive to the needs of the formation of both clergy and faithful and with an apostolic zeal that still today serves as an example for us all, he never tired of evangelizing, encouraging popular missions, inspiring numerous confraternities, preaching spiritual exercises and disseminating popular songs and religious writings."

The Pope highlighted the fact that Slomsek was a man concerned with ecumenism and with the culture of his time as well as being a great lover of his homeland.

"Faithful and submissive to the Church, he showed himself to be deeply open to ecumenism and one of the first in Central Europe to commit himself to Christian unity." In 1851 he founded the confraternity of Sts. Cyril and Methodius, approved by Pope Pius IX, the aim of which was the unity of Christians.

"He united pastoral work with commitment to the promotion of culture," affirmed the Pope. "Convinced (of the importance of culture), Slomsek strove to open schools for the young and made possible the publication of books useful in human and spiritual formation."

The Pope emphasized the Blessed's patriotism: "His initiatives have decisively marked the future of your people and made an important contribution to your gaining independence. Turning to consider the beloved region of the Balkans, scarred, alas, over the last few years by conflict and violence, by extreme nationalism, by brutal ethnic cleansing and by war between peoples and cultures, I would like to highlight to all the testimony of the new Blessed. He shows how it is possible to be sincerely patriotic and yet, with equal sincerity, coexist and collaborate with people of other nationalities, other cultures and other religions. May his example, and especially his intercession, secure true solidarity and peace for all the people of this vast area of Europe."

Referring to the process of unification in Europe, the Pope requested that this "not be based only on economic interests, but draw inspiration from those Christian values in which (Europe's) oldest and most authentic values are rooted. A Europe attentive to human beings and the full respect of their rights, this is the goal towards which efforts must be directed."

The Holy Father concluded by calling for prayer in favor of the Synod of Bishops for Europe which will be held in the Vatican from October 1 to 23.

At the end of the Mass and before praying the angelus, John Paul II recalled the new Blessed's devotion to the Virgin, saying that she "occupies an important place in your people's religiosity."

Among his greetings to pilgrims who attended the beatification, the Pope told the Croats: "(Your) presence also gives me the opportunity to recall the innocent victims of wars and totalitarian regimes and, especially, those heaped into the mass graves recently discovered near Maribor. May such dramatic events never happen again! May God concede the precious gift of peace to Slovenia, to Croatia and to all the countries of Europe and the world."

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POPE CALLS FOR A REDISCOVERY OF THE SABBATH

VATICAN CITY, SEP 18, 1999 (VIS) - This morning at Castelgandolfo, the Pope addressed the prelates of the Latvian Episcopal Conference who have just completed their "ad limina" visit. He made clear his appreciation for all they have done and are still doing for "the people of God, despite the innumerable difficulties they face."

John Paul II stated that the consequences of atheistic propaganda continue to make themselves felt. Furthermore, "indifference and religious relativism are often associated with modes of group behavior completely incompatible with the Gospel of Christ. ... In the face of such serious problems, it is necessary to forcefully propose once again authentic humanism founded on universal moral law."

"Your Church," the Pope continued, "is living through a moment of transformation. During the long decades of communist domination you knew the gifts of faithfulness and martyrdom." Nonetheless, there exist a number of "negative signs," for example the fact that "many Catholics do not regularly attend Sunday Eucharist and the sacraments. Some do not even baptize their children or they delay the baptism, and the diffusion of sects is growing. ... Consequently, it is necessary that new evangelization become an essential priority," in order that "the word of Christ arrive in abundance to individuals, to families and to society in all its manifestations."

The Holy Father emphasized that "it is particularly important ... to rediscover the celebration of Sunday, the day of the Lord. Last year I dedicated the Apostolic Letter 'Dies Domini' to this. ... Every effort must be made to promote the holy nature of Sunday. ... The Sunday Eucharist is a truly privileged moment for the faithful to be aware of their being a 'church' and to grow in communion."

Going on to speak of the promotion of the laity, the Pope added that lay people "are called to live a true 'apostolate' which, in today's world, must be 'infinitely broader and more intense'." To this end they can count on the assistance of Church-approved ecclesial movements, "so long as they work in full harmony with bishops and diocesan pastoral care."

John Paul II also made reference to priestly ministry: "The need is felt in your communities for a growth in numbers (of priests) in order to cover the requirements of the various parishes." For, although he may rely on support of the laity, "the priest is indispensable."

"Consequently," the Holy Father concluded, "there is an urgency for vocational pastoral care" which, based on prayer directed to "the Lord of the harvest," sensitizes "families and the whole Christian community, in order that the young are helped to open themselves to a possible future call from God."

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FRANCE CELEBRATES BICENTENARY OF PAULINE-MARIE JARICOT

VATICAN CITY, SEP 20, 1999 (VIS) - Made public today was Pope John Paul's letter, written in French and dated September 14, to Archbishop Louis-Marie Bille of Lyon, France, the birthplace two centuries ago of Venerable Pauline-Marie Jaricot, foundress of the Work of the Propagation of the Faith.

The Pope recalled the just-concluded celebrations for this bicentenary in Lyon and Paris, as well as the "prayers and thanksgiving" of Cardinal Jozef Tomko, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, present at the Lyon commemoration. He also recalled the "actuality" of Venerable Pauline's work and message, especially the "collection she created for the missionary activity of the Church."

"Beyond her concern for the mission 'ad gentes'," Pope John Paul went on, "she dedicated herself to evangelizing the work places of her region, perceiving quite well the difficulties of workers' condition. She sought to establish a social project founded on Christian values, so as to install justice in the world of work."

"It was in her deep and intense spiritual life that she found the energy for her mission," the Pope said, citing her "great prayer initiative, the 'living rosary'," her daily participation in the Eucharist and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, and her desire to live "two inseparable dimensions of the mystery of the Eucharist: thanksgiving and reparation."
Saying that "Pauline's witness reminds us that 'mission is an issue of faith'," the Holy Father asked "the local communities to promote the missionary spirit. ... Communities which give and those which receive are equally filled with the Lord's grace."

In closing he expressed gratitude and encouragement to all who dedicate themselves to missions in general and to the Pontifical Missionary Works in particular.

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HOLY FATHER RECEIVES KING ABDULLAH BIN HUSSEIN OF JORDAN

VATICAN CITY, SEP 18, 1999 (VIS) - At midday today, Holy See Press Office Director Joaquin Navarro-Valls made the following declaration regarding today's meeting at Castelgandolfo between the Holy Father and His Majesty King Abdullah Bin Hussein of Jordan:

"In the course of their friendly discussion, John Paul II recalled the various meetings he had had with the Hashemite sovereign's father, King Hussein. In exchanging points of view they considered the new positive climate for the peace process, following the signing of the Sharm El-Sheikh agreement. The Holy Father explained to King Abdullah his desire to visit a number of biblical sites in the Middle East. At the end of the meeting, the Pope greeted Queen Rania and the entourage."

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, SEP 20, 1999 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

- Cardinal Alexandre do Nascimento, archbishop of Luanda, Angola.
- Archbishop-bishop Stephen Fumio Hamao, emeritus of Yokohama and president of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant Peoples.
- Archbishop Donato Squicciarini, apostolic nuncio in Austria.
- Archbishop Antonio Maria Veglio, apostolic nuncio in Lebanon and Kuwait and apostolic delegate in the Arabian Peninsula.
- Archbishop Rino Passigato, apostolic nuncio in Peru. - Archbishop Marco Dino Brogi O.F.M., apostolic nuncio in Sudan and apostolic delegate in Somalia.
- Pino Arlacchi, director general of the United Nations office in Vienna and executive director of the Office for Drug and Crime Prevention, accompanied by his family.

On Saturday, September 18, he received in separate audiences:

- Their Majesties King Abdullah Bin Hussein and Queen Rania, accompanied by their entourage.
- Archbishop Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya of Kisangani, Democratic Republic of the Congo.

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SYMPOSIUM ON THE INTERPRETATION OF THE BIBLE IN THE CHURCH

VATICAN CITY, SEP 20, 1999 (VIS) - Made public today was a communique regarding the scientific symposium promoted by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, that took place in the Vatican from September 16 to 19 and whose theme was: "The Interpretation of the Bible in the Church."

The communique indicates that 42 experts from all over the world took part in the symposium, among them a number of Protestants and one from the Orthodox Church. The issues studied concerned "the question of the inspiration and truth of Sacred Scripture, the problem of the canon, the relationship between Old and New Testament and, in general, the criteria of the Christian interpretation of the Bible."

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TELEGRAM TO MIKHAIL GORBACHEV UPON THE DEATH OF HIS WIFE

VATICAN CITY, SEP 20, 1999 (VIS) - Following is the text of the telegram sent by Pope John Paul to Mikhail Gorbachev, president of the International Foundation for Socio-Economic and Political Studies, upon the death earlier today of his wife Raisa at the age of 67:

"I was greatly saddened to learn of the death of your beloved wife and I send my heartfelt condolences. Commending Raisa Maksimovna Gorbacheva to Almighty God's eternal love, I hope that you will find in the affection of your family and friends the strength to endure this loss. With my cordial and prayerful thoughts."

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