GENERAL AUDIENCE: THE VIRTUE OF CHARITY, LOVE OF NEIGHBOR

VATICAN CITY, OCT 20, 1999 (VIS) - "The theological virtue of charity, love of neighbor," was the subject of John Paul II's catechesis during the general audience, held this morning in St. Peter's Square.

The Holy Father pointed out "the great novelty of Christianity: you cannot love God if you do not love your neighbors, creating with them an intimate and lasting communion of love."

"Love for neighbor is meant to be an imitation and continuation of the merciful goodness of the heavenly Father, who provides for the needs of everyone without distinction. In any case, (this love) remains linked to the love for God; in fact, the two commandments of love represent the synthesis and the pinnacle of the Law of the Prophets."

St. Paul, the Holy Father continued, teaches us that divine charity, "the soul of all virtuous acts," is "the fruit, par excellence," of the Holy Spirit. In the First Letter to the Corinthians, the hymn to charity "celebrates this primacy of charity over all other gifts, even over faith and hope. ... Love for neighbor has a Christological connotation, because it must adapt to the gift that Christ made of His own life."

John Paul II concluded by affirming: "Only those who allow themselves to be involved with their neighbors and by their needs, clearly show their love for Jesus. To be closed or indifferent to the 'other' means to be closed to the Holy Spirit, to forget Christ and to negate the universal love of the Father."

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PRESENTATION OF AMENDMENTS TO THE PROPOSITIONS

VATICAN CITY, OCT 20, 1999 (VIS) - This morning, the working or language groups of the Synod for Europe held their fifteenth session during which they prepared the collective amendments to the propositions. At 1 p.m., the amended proposals were handed over to the Synod secretary general.

There will be no general congregation this afternoon. The relator general, together with the special secretaries and the relators of the working groups will study the collective amendments to the propositions.

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, OCT 20, 1999 (VIS) - The following participants in the Synod for Europe were invited to lunch by the Holy Father:

- Fr. Josef Bisig, superior general of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, Wigratzbad, Germany.
- Msgr. Peter Erdo, rector of the Catholic University of Budapest, Hungary.
- Msgr. Karl Hillenbrand, vicar general of Wurzburg, Germany.
- Fr. Karoly Kerekes O.Cist., former president of the Hungarian Conference of Superiors Major, Hungary.
- Viktor M. Khroul, member of the Pontifical Council for the Laity and editor of the Catholic weekly, "Svet Evanghelia," Russia.
- Fr. Svyatoslav Kyyak O.S.B.M., professor of fundamental theology and ethics at the Theological-Catechetical Institute of Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine.
- Fr. Klemens Ladner F.S.C., provincial superior of the Brothers of Christian Schools in Austria, Romania, Slovakia and Hungary, from Austria.
- Nicholas Lobkowicz, director of the Central Institute for Studies on Central and Eastern Europe of the Catholic University of Eichstadt and former member of the permanent committee of the International Federation of Catholic Universities (FIUC), Germany.
- Maria Johanna Theodora Martens, member of the European Parliament, president of the European Forum of the Laity and president of the Dutch National Committee for the Great Jubilee, Holland.
- Fr. Gerhard Ludwig Muller, professor of dogmatic theology at the faculty of theology of the Catholic University of Munich and member of the International Theological Commission, Germany.
- Fr. Ludwig Schwarz S.D.B., national director for the Pontifical Missionary Works, Austria.
- Jan Zicha, member of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, Czech Republic.

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HOLY SEE URGES U.N. TO CHANGE ITS SANCTIONS MECHANISM

VATICAN CITY, OCT 20, 1999 (VIS) - Archbishop Renato Martino, Holy See permanent observer to the United Nations, yesterday addressed the Second Committee of the General Assembly on Sustainable Development and International Economic Cooperation. He emphasized one question in sustainable development, namely, the negative effects of sanctions.

He urged the U.N. to consider changing, fine-tuning and making more just its existing mechanism for imposing economic sanctions in order to avoid some of the harsh consequences that sanctions impose on innocent populations. "The fact that the leadership of a country has imposed a threat to international peace and security and put obstacles to restoring peace, does not require that the entire population of that particular country should be brought to suffer." Citing Pope John Paul, he said: "The weak and innocent cannot pay for mistakes for which they are not responsible."

Archbishop Martino underscored that "the question of economic sanctions, in fact, constitutes one of the unfinished chapters of contemporary international law. ... Sanctions are not simply an easy way to placate an outraged public opinion. Their primary aim is not to punish, but rather to coerce the targeted government into a change of behavior." Sanctions must, he said, "observe the letter and the spirit of humanitarian law" and "should not have indiscriminate or disproportionate effects on the civilian population."

He recommended that, in the future, "the goals and objectives of sanctions be clearly defined, so that it will be possible to objectively evaluate the progress being made by the targeted nation." In addition, "detailed attention should be given ... to foresee and, where possible, avoid or mitigate possible humanitarian consequences."
"While holding fast to the principle that grave transgressions cannot be tolerated," Archbishop Martino stated in conclusion, "the Holy See appeals to the conscience of the international community and requests it to reconsider the negative consequences of the present mechanism of indiscriminate economic sanctions."

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GENERAL AUDIENCE: POPE'S MULTI-LINGUAL GREETINGS TO PILGRIMS

VATICAN CITY, OCT 20, 1999 (VIS) - In his multi-lingual greetings to pilgrims in attendance at today's general audience in St. Peter's Square, Pope John Paul had words for ecumenical groups, spoke of the just-celebrated 21st anniversary of his election and highlighted the recently restored facade of St. Peter's Basilica.

"I extend a special welcome to the members of the Syriac Commission of the Foundation 'Pro Oriente'," he said in English, "and I thank you for your dedication to the task of promoting relations with the ancient Churches of the East. I am happy today to greet the various ecumenical groups present."

Then, in Portuguese, he addressed the "beloved pilgrims from Brazil and other Portuguese-speaking countries. I welcome you, with a 'thank you' for all the times that you have remembered, through prayer, the intentions of my ministry as the Successor of Peter, which has now concluded 21 years. May God bless you and bestow upon you and your families an abundance of blessings from heaven!"

The Holy Father also greeted a group of Slovak pilgrims in their language: "Dear brothers and sisters, in the first letter of St. Peter, we read: 'Like living stones, be yourselves built into a spiritual house'. In front of you is the basilica of St. Peter's, with its restored facade. Our pleasure in front of this masterpiece cannot be only aesthetic in nature, but should open itself to the inner fascination of the spiritual reality that it signifies."

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IN MEMORIAM

VATICAN CITY, OCT 20, 1999 (VIS) - The following prelates died in recent weeks:

- Bishop Raphael Bayan, emeritus of Iskanderiya of the Armenians, Egypt, on September 21, at the age of 85.
- Bishop Geoffrey Burke, former auxiliary of Salford, England, on October 13, at the age of 86.
- Bishop Norbert Felix Gaughan, emeritus of Gary, U.S.A., on September 30, at the age of 78. - Bishop Dennis Walter Hickey, former auxiliary of Rochester, U.S.A., on October 8, at the age of 84.
- Archbishop Roger Meindre of Albi, France, on October 7, at the age of 68.
- Bishop Joseph Ngogi Nkongolo, emeritus of Mbujimayi, Congo, on October 12, at the age of 83.
- Archbishop Mario Peressin, emeritus of l'Aquila, Italy, on 11 September, at the age of 76.

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