HOLY FATHER WELCOMES BISHOPS OF WESTERN CANADA

VATICAN CITY, OCT 30, 1999 (VIS) - The Holy Father this morning welcomed the bishops of Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, the Northwest Territories, the Yukon and the newly-established territory of Nunavit as they conclude their quinquennial "ad limina" visit.

In his speech to them, in both English and French, the Pope spoke of time and of eternity, highlighted the fact that "Christian living embraces elements both incarnational and eschatological; and our prime concern as pastors is to ensure that there is a balance between them, that the Churches over which we preside in Christ's name are neither too worldly nor too unworldly. ... Crucial here is the question of the relationship between the Church and the world."

"As pastors," John Paul II stated, "we must guide Christ's flock on a path which must avoid the temptations to suppress or to develop in an exaggerated way the separation between the Church and the world, between the Christian message and the culture which prevails in the current world." Above all, he said, the Church, which has been "for men and women of all times and places a precious gift," must have a fruitful dialogue with the world.

"An integral part of this gift," the Pope continued, "is the truth about the human person, created in the image of God." He said that one of the ways that bishops must "humbly and resolutely" serve this truth is in "the defense of the inalienable dignity and the value of life itself. ... The 'Gospel of life' ... is an essential dimension of our obedience to God. Each one has a serious obligation to be at the service of this Gospel."

The Holy Father urged the bishops to make good use of the Catechism of the Catholic Church in forming Christians and in helping them to become defenders of life and to have "a solid knowledge of faith and the rules of Christian life."

"To teach the faith and to evangelize," observed Pope John Paul, "is to speak an absolute and universal truth to the world, but it is our duty to speak in appropriate and meaningful ways which make people receptive to that truth. In considering what this entails, Paul VI specified four qualities: ... clarity, humanity, confidence and prudence."

These qualities, the Pope underlined, will serve bishops well because they "are called to be above all ... teachers of the truth."

"Clarity means that we must explain comprehensibly the truth of Revelation and the Church's teachings. We should not simply repeat but explain. In other words, we need a new apologetic ... The new apologetic will also need to breathe a spirit of humanity, that compassionate humility which understands people's anxieties and questions and which is not quick to presume in them ill will or bad faith."

"To speak with confidence will mean that ... we must never lose sight of the fact that the Gospel of Christ is the truth for which all people long, no matter how distant, resistant or hostile they may seem."

"And finally," he said, "prudence, which Paul VI calls practical wisdom and good sense, ... will mean that we can give a clear answer to people who ask: 'What must we do?"

AL;...;...;CANADA;VIS;19991103;Word: 530;

PROMOTION AND PROTECTION OF THE RIGHTS OF CHILDREN

VATICAN CITY, OCT 30, 1999 (VIS) - On October 28, Archbishop Renato Martino, Holy See permanent observer to the United Nations, addressed the Third Committee of the 54th session of the General Assembly on Item 112, "Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Children."

Citing well-known statistics about the numbers of children worldwide who suffer from hunger, poverty, the effects of conflicts and their aftermath, exploitation and death or maiming by landmines, the archbishop said that "the abominable crimes committed against millions of children, born and unborn, confirm the fact that without respecting fundamental values, the family of nations will end by digging the graveyards for the future generations instead of securing for them a bright future."

To protect children, Archbishop Martino said in his address, there is a great need to reinforce traditional value systems. He affirmed that "respect for the dignity of the human person, the sacredness of the family and the role of parents in the formation of children, are basic values."

DELSS;RIGHTS CHILDREN;...;UN; MARTINO;VIS;19991103;Word: 170;

POPE CALLS FOR JURIDICAL AND ECONOMIC PARITY BETWEEN SCHOOLS

VATICAN CITY, OCT 30, 1999 (VIS) - In St. Peter's Square today, the Holy Father addressed am estimated 200,000 participants in the meeting of Italian Catholic schools. The event marked the conclusion of the national assembly which has been held in Rome this week.

Having recalled the theme of the meeting, "Towards a plan for schooling on the threshold of the 21st century," the Pope affirmed that "the experience of Catholic schools carries within itself a great heritage, one of culture, of educational knowledge, of attention to the figure of the child, the adolescent, the youth; one of mutual support with families; of the capacity to grasp in advance, with the intuition that springs from love, the new needs and problems that arise with changing times."

John Paul II then went on to refer to the difficulties encountered by many families when choosing a non-state school, and made clear his regret at the "prestigious and worthy institutions which, year after year, are obliged to close.

"The main problem to be overcome, in order to escape a situation that is becoming ever more intolerable, is undoubtedly that of the full recognition of juridical and economic parity between state and non-state schools, overcoming deep-seated resistance that is alien to the basic values of the European cultural tradition. Steps recently taken in this direction, although noteworthy in certain aspects, unfortunately are still insufficient."

The Pope made an urgent request to those responsible in the political and institutional fields "that the right of families and the young to full liberty in their choice of education be truly respected." Furthermore, it is necessary that efforts be made "to improve the quality of Catholic schooling and to avoid restricting still more its presence in the country."

Prior to his address, the Holy Father made direct television connections with Palestine, Sarjevo and Madrid. Participating in these links were students from different religions who study in Catholic schools.

AC;ITALIAN CATHOLIC SCHOOLS;...;...;VIS;19991103;Word: 330;

HOLY FATHER'S PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR NOVEMBER

VATICAN CITY, NOV 1, 1999 (VIS) - The Holy Father's general prayer intention for November is: "That lay people in the Church, living their own baptismal commitment, accompany with their prayer, counsel and help those who are called by God to the priestly, religious and missionary life."

His missionary intention is: "That elderly people rediscover happily their important role in our common missionary effort."

JPII-PRAYER INTENTIONS;NOVEMBER;...;...;VIS;19991103;Word: 70;

ANGELUS REFLECTIONS ON ALL SAINTS DAY

VATICAN CITY, NOV 1, 1999 (VIS) - The Holy Father, during the angelus, focussed his reflections on today's feast of All Saints, saying that the Saints, "during their earthly life, committed themselves to always doing God's will, loving Him with all their heart and their neighbors as themselves. For this they even suffered trials and persecutions, and now their recompense in heaven is great and eternal."

"This is our future!" he told the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square to pray the angelus. "This is the most authentic and universal vocation of mankind: to form the great family of the children of God. ... Drawing us to this goal is the luminous example of so many brothers and sisters who, over the centuries, the Church has recognized as Blesseds and Saints, proposing them to everyone as models and guides."

John Paul II remarked that "in these days, whoever is able to will visit a cemetery, to pray on the tomb of their dearly beloved. This afternoon I too will go into the Vatican Grottoes to pray a while at the tombs of my predecessors."

After the angelus, the Pope then said: "During today's solemnity I would like to invite you to implore the Lord, through the intercession of all the Saints, for the precious gift of peace for a land which is so dear to us, Chechyna. May our heartfelt prayer obtain for those populations, who have been sorely tried, the grace of harmony, while we also pray that existing tensions find peaceful solutions in the respect of the rights of all citizens."

ANG;SAINTS; APPEAL CHECHYNA;...;...;VIS;19991103;Word: 270;

POPE LAUDS SIGNING OF DECLARATION ON JUSTIFICATION

VATICAN CITY, OCT 31, 1999 (VIS) - Prior to praying the angelus this morning with the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square, the Holy Father spoke of the signing today in Augsburg, Germany, by the Catholic Church and the World Lutheran Federation of the Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification.

"This is a milestone on the not easy path of recomposing full unity among Christians," stated John Paul II, "and it is rather significant that it took place in the city in which, in 1530 with the "Confessio Augustana," a decisive page in the Lutheran Reformation was written.

"Such a document," the Pope went on, referring to the joint declaration, "constitutes a secure basis for pursuing ecumenical theological research and for facing the difficulties which remain with a better established hope of resolving them in the future. ... I thank the Lord for this intermediate and important step along the difficult route, but rich with joy, unity and communion among Christians."

ANG;JUSTIFICATION;...;...;VIS;19991103;Word: 170;

JOHN PAUL II: "BE EVANGELIZED BY THE WORD OF CHRIST"

VATICAN CITY, OCT 31, 1999 (VIS) - This morning, John Paul II visited the Roman parish of St. Benedict Joseph Labre. In his homily during Mass he requested those present to "be aware of the great treasure of the Word of God, a treasure entrusted to the Church as a whole and to each individual member of the faithful. Allow yourselves to be evangelized by the word of Christ in order to become, in your turn, evangelizers of your brothers and sisters."

The Pope made a call to the civil authorities that the family "be encouraged and safeguarded, without being confused with other very different types of union. I call upon ecclesial communities and each individual believer to be ever more committed in support of the family and the values it represents, in the certainty that in this way they are effectively aiding the common good."

The Holy Father demonstrated his joy to the parishioners for having transformed their precarious situation, when they had no fixed place of worship, into "an occasion for truly evangelical witness, following the example of your patron, St. Benedict Joseph Labre."

In imitation of this saint, requested the Pope, "may you too know how to preserve the enthusiasm and manner of the early years of your parochial community, characterized by the announcement of the Gospel from door to door and by the celebration of the Eucharist in the entrance halls of buildings. This must remain your pastoral style - even if now you can rejoice in this beautiful new parish church - in keeping with the aims and methods of the Citizens' Mission."

HML;...;...;BENEDICT JOSEPH LABRE;VIS;19991103;Word: 280;

AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, NOV 3, 1999 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in audience Archbishop Joseph Chennoth, apostolic nuncio in the Central African Republic and Chad.

On Tuesday, November 2, he received in separate audiences:

- Six prelates from the western region of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, on their "ad limina" visit:
- Bishop Reynald Rouleau O.M.I., of Churchill-Baie d'Hudson.
- Bishop Douglas Crosby O.M.I., of Labrador City-Schefferville.
- Dom Peter Novecosky O.S.B., abbot emeritus of Saint Peter Muenster.
- Msgr. Gerry Desmond, diocesan administrator of Kamloops.
- Msgr. Arthe Guimond, diocesan administrator of Grouard-McLennan.
- Msgr. Walter Laliberty, diocesan administrator of Saint Paul in Alberta.

On Saturday, October 30, he received in separate audiences:

- Arnoldo Aleman Lacayo, president of the Republic of Nicaragua, accompanied by his wife and an entourage.
- Two prelates from the western region of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, on their "ad limina" visit:
- Bishop James Vernon Weisgerber of Saskatoon.
- Bishop Eugene Cooney of Nelson.
- Cardinal Lucas Moreira Neves O.P., prefect of the Congregation for bishops.
- Cardinal Roger Etchegaray and Archbishop Crescenzio Sepe, respectively president and secretary general of the Committee for the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000.

AP; AL;...;...;...;VIS;19991103;Word: 200;

PAPAL CALL FOR CANCELLATION OF INTERNATIONAL DEBT

VATICAN CITY, NOV 3, 1999 (VIS) - "Commitment to reducing the international debt of poor nations" was the theme of the Pope's catechesis during the general audience held this morning in St. Peter's Square.

The Holy Father recalled that the Christian Jubilee makes reference to the biblical jubilee and is linked with "the demands of the common good and with the fact that the world's resources are meant for everyone. It is precisely in this perspective that, in 'Tertio Millennio Adveniente' I proposed the Jubilee 'as an appropriate time to give thought, among other things, to reducing substantially, if not cancelling outright, the international debt which seriously threatens the future of many nations'."

"The problem," he continued, "is complex and not easy to solve. Nonetheless, it should be clear that it is not purely economic in character but concerns fundamental ethical principles. It must find space in international law in order to be faced and satisfactorily resolved in the medium and long term. It is necessary to apply a 'survival ethic' to regulate the relationship between creditors and debtors in such a way that the debtor in difficulty is not loaded with an insufferable burden." In a "globalized" economy, he added, the problem requires true "solidarity, in order to avoid catastrophic consequences."

John Paul II renewed the call for the "partial or even total remission of international debt." He concluded by indicating that the Jubilee "is an appropriate time for making good will gestures ... as a sign of a new way of understanding wealth in terms of the common good."

AG;INTERNATIONAL DEBT;...;...;VIS;19991103;Word: 270;

NOTICE

VATICAN CITY, NOV 3, 1999 (VIS) - As previously announced, there will be no edition of VIS tomorrow, November 4, the feast of St. Charles Borromeo and the Holy Father's name day. Service will resume on Friday, November 5.


...;...;...;... ;VIS;19991103;Word: 40;

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, NOV 3, 1999 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed:

- Msgr. Ian Murray, vicar general of the archdiocese of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh, Scotland as bishop of Argyll and the Isles (area 31,080, population 109,500, Catholics 11,400, priests 27, religious 17), Scotland. The bishop-elect was born in Lennoxtown, Scotland in 1932 and ordained a priest in 1956.

- Msgr. Jozef Wesolowski, nunciature counsellor, as apostolic nuncio in Bolivia, raising him at the same time to the dignity of archbishop. The archbishop-elect was born in Nowy Targ, Poland, in 1948 and ordained a priest in 1972.

On Saturday, October 30, it was made public that he:

- Elevated Msgr. Antonio Cosa, apostolic administrator of Moldova, to the rank of bishop. The bishop-elect was born in Valea Mare, Romania, in 1961 and ordained a priest in 1989.

- Appointed Msgr. Mario Marchesi, bureau chief of the Congregation for the Clergy, as under-secretary of the Pontifical Council for the Interpretation of Legislative texts.

NER; NA; NN;...;...;...;VIS;19991103;Word: 150;