DEDICATION OF ALTAR IN SWISS GUARDS CHAPEL

VATICAN CITY, NOV 11, 1999 (VIS) - This morning, Cardinal Secretary of State Angelo Sodano dedicated the new altar of the chapel of the Pontifical Swiss Guard. The chapel has been recently restored and is dedicated to Sts. Martin and Sebastian.

Cardinal Sodano said that St. Martin, whose feast day falls today, "teaches us by example that which we have heard in the Gospel: we cannot approach God's altar without being reconciled with our brothers and sisters. Yes, the church is the place for meeting God but at the same time it is a house of fraternity."

Addressing the commander, the chaplain and the soldiers of the Swiss Guard, the cardinal said: "In this chapel, positioned precisely at the base of the Apostolic Palace, you bring to the Lord's altar, 'the joys and trials of each day', offering these things to God both for your own good and that of the His entire holy Church. I know you make this offering in keeping with the intentions of the Pope and I cannot but praise you for this."

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PAPAL TELEGRAM FOR FLOODS IN VIETNAM

VATICAN CITY, NOV 11, 1999 (VIS) - Following is the text of the telegram sent in Pope John Paul's name by Cardinal Secretary of State Angelo Sodano to Archbishop Etienne Nguyen Nhu The of Hue, Vietnam, for the victims caused by the devastating floods in that country:

"Having learned of the dramatic floods which devastated the central provinces of Vietnam, the Holy Father expresses his sincere condolences to the families of the deceased and his deep sympathy to all those who are affected by this catastrophe. He recommends the missing to the mercy of God and, in praising the work already done to come to the aid of families, he prays so that a generous solidarity will allow persons who have been dealt a blow in their affections or in their goods, especially children, to find the comfort and assistance which they need. With a full heart His Holiness sends his apostolic blessing to the population of the region so that the Lord will sustain them in their trials."

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, NOV 11, 1999 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences 18 prelates from the German Episcopal Conference, on their "ad limina" visit:
- Cardinal Joachim Meisner, archbishop of Cologne, accompanied by his auxiliaries, Bishops Klaus Dick, Norbert Trelle, Friedhelm Hofmann, Manfred Melzer.
- Archbishop-Bishop Johannes Dyba of Fulda, military ordinary, accompanied by his auxiliaries, Bishops Ludwig Schick, Johannes Kapp.
- Bishop Hubert Luthe of Essen, accompanied by his auxiliaries, Bishops Franz Grave, Franz Vorrath.
- Bishop Reinhard Lettmann of Munster, accompanied by his auxiliaries, Bishops Friedrich Ostermann, Heinrich Janssen, Werner Thissen.
- Bishop Joachim Wanke of Erfurt.
- Bishop Hermann Josef Spital of Trier, accompanied by his auxiliary, Bishop Felix Genn.

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VATICAN TO HOST CONFERENCE ON "ECONOMY AND HEALTH"

VATICAN CITY, NOV 11, 1999 (VIS) - On Monday, November 15, at 11:30 a.m. in the Holy See Press Office, Archbishop Javier Lozano Barragan, president of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Ministry to Health Care Workers, will present the council's 14th annual conference, to be held in the Vatican November 18-20 and entitled "Economy and Health."

Scheduled to join him in the presentation are Bishop Jose L. Redrado. O.H. and Fr. Felice Ruffini, M.I., respectively secretary and under-secretary of the council, Lillian Azqueta Fanjul, director of the New Hope Foundation in Palm Beach, U.S.A. and Dr. Antonio Cicchetti, director general of Gemelli Hospital in Rome.

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HOLY YEAR 2000: JUBILEE ON THE HIGH SEAS

VATICAN CITY, NOV 11, 1999 (VIS) - The Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant Peoples announced today that the Jubilee indulgence will be granted to seafarers who, due to long periods of work at sea, would otherwise be unable to celebrate the Holy Year 2000 at the holy sites designated in Rome, the Holy Land or their country of origin.

A special decree to this effect was signed by Cardinal William Baum, Major Penitentiary of the Tribunal of the Apostolic Penitentiary, on November 1, and grants those at sea the possibility of receiving the Jubilee indulgence that is received by those who make a pilgrimage under the following conditions: a perfect act of contrition and a firm intention to receive the sacraments of penance and the Eucharist as soon as possible; the recitation of the Our Father and the Creed in front of a religious image and a prayer for the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff.

The communique states: "The Holy Father, showing once again his paternal solicitude for the special situation of seafaring persons who live and work far from their Christian community and their families in conditions which are particularly difficult and often dangerous, wanted the Jubilee celebration to be facilitated for them and desired that the particular conditions that he offers them be promulgated through a special official decree from the Holy See."

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, NOV 11, 1999 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed:
- Archbishop Janusz Bolonek, apostolic nuncio, as apostolic nuncio in Uruguay.

- As consultors of the Prefecture of Economic Affairs of the Holy See: Bishop Attilio Nicora, emeritus of Verona and delegate for juridical questions of the presidency of the Italian Episcopal Conference; Edoardo Boitani, vice president of the Central Institute for the Sustenance of the Clergy, Rome, Italy; Pietro Fatello, business consultant, Rome; Maurizio Prato, central director of the I.R.I. and president of FINTECNA, Rome; Giovanni Battista Santucci, economist, L'Aquila, Italy.

- Madeleine Ramaholimihaso of Antananarivo, Madagascar, as member of the College of Auditors of the Prefecture of Economic Affairs of the Holy See.

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