TELEGRAM FOR VICTIMS OF BUILDING COLLAPSE IN ITALY

VATICAN CITY, NOV 12, 1999 (VIS) - Following is the text of the telegram sent by Cardinal Angelo Sodano, secretary of State, in the name of the Holy Father, to Archbishop Domenico Umberto D'Ambrosio of Foggia-Bovino for the victims of the building which collapsed in Foggia yesterday morning:

"Having heard the dramatic news of the sudden collapse of a building in the city of Foggia, the Supreme Pontiff appoints Your Excellency to express to the families and friends of the dead his profound condolences and feelings of deep participation in the pain of their mourning. Furthermore, he entreats Your Excellency to communicate his solidarity to the survivors in their suffering and in the enormous loss caused by the terrible disaster. While offering fervent prayers for the repose of the souls of all the victims, the Holy Father shows his great appreciation for all those who, in one way or another, are making such prodigious efforts in the rescue operations. Invoking God through Mary, who consoles the afflicted, to give comfort for all those who are suffering the consequences of this terrible trial, he sends everyone a special apostolic blessing as a sign of his particular spiritual closeness."

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POPE RECALLS DECEASED CARDINALS AND BISHOPS

VATICAN CITY, NOV 12, 1999 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican Basilica, the Pope celebrated a Mass in remembrance of the cardinals and bishops who died during the course of the last year. The members of the college of cardinals concelebrated the mass with the Holy Father.

John Paul II particularly recalled Cardinals Carlos Oviedo Cavada, Raul Silva Henriquez and George Basil Hume and the deceased archbishops and bishops. "In their apostolic work, rooted in the faith," the Pope said in his homily, "and in their attentive pastoral service, they placed their gaze well beyond earthly confines, trusting in the Lord, announcing His name to their brothers and sisters and praising Him in the gatherings of believers. May they now rest in the house of the heavenly Father, peaceful dwelling of the children of God."

"We turn to the God of life that He may welcome our deceased brothers who for many years worked generously in His vineyard. Now that the Lord has summoned them, may they experience the consoling truth of the promise of Christ: 'The Son gives eternal life to all'."

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MEETING OF THE PONTIFICAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES

VATICAN CITY, NOV 12, 1999 (VIS) - In the Vatican today and tomorrow, the Pontifical Academy of Sciences is sponsoring a working group on the theme: "Science for Man and Man for Science," in preparation for its plenary session, scheduled to take place in November 2000.

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HOLY SEE AT U.N. ON BETHLEHEM 2000, RELIGIOUS FREEDOM

VATICAN CITY, NOV 12, 1999 (VIS) - Archbishop Renato Martino, Holy See permanent observer to the United Nations, spoke twice on November 10 at the U.N.'s New York headquarters, addressing the plenary session of the General Assembly on Item 36, Bethlehem 2000, as well as the Third Committee of the General Assembly on Item 116E, Religious Freedom.

In his first speech, he highlighted the November 1998 Resolution on Bethlehem 2000 which "recalls that the Palestinian city of Bethlehem is the birthplace of Jesus Christ. ... The world will celebrate in Bethlehem, a city of peace, the onset of the new millennium in a global vision of hope for all peoples." Both Jesus Christ and His birthplace of Bethlehem are the patrimony of all humanity, he added.

Archbishop Martino remarked that though Bethlehem's message was "the promise of peace," the city has often been marked by violence. On the threshold of the Third Millennium, he affirmed, "after decades of violence, what Bethlehem and its inhabitants need most today is peace. Peace delayed could become peace denied, and whichever side holds the peace talks back will be judged responsible by history for accumulating negative consequences and for further escalation of violence. ... Peace is only possible where a will to reconciliation exists."

In his talk on Religious Freedom, the apostolic nuncio asserted that religious freedom "constitutes the very heart of human rights." This right "is based upon the dignity of the human person who experiences the inner and indestructible exigency of acting freely according to the imperatives of his or her conscience."

Noting the "significant steps" that the U.N. has taken towards protecting this right, such as the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 1981 Declaration on the Elimination of All Forms of Intolerance and Discrimination Based on Religion or Belief, Archbishop Martini then stated: "In spite of this, however, there still exist today places where the right to gather for worship is either not recognized or is limited to members of one religion alone. ... This grave violation of one of the fundamental rights of the person is a source of enormous suffering for believers."

He reaffirmed that the Holy See views "recourse to violence in the name of religious belief as a perversion of the very teachings of the major religions. ... Religious freedom is a cornerstone of the structure of human rights and the most profound expression of conscience."

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INFORMATION ON THE JUBILEE PILGRIM'S CARD

VATICAN CITY, NOV 12, 1999 (VIS) - The Vatican's Central Committee for the Jubilee 2000 has issued a communique regarding the Pilgrim's Card, in which it explains precisely what the Card is and also clarifies imprecise news which has been given regarding this Card.

The communique states that the Pilgrim's Card can be used to reserve participation in Jubilee events in Rome and, "while not obligatory for pilgrims, is intended not only as a simple 'service card' but also as a primary instrument for reservations, especially useful for participating ... in single events."
While the Pilgrim's Card is not the only way to be able to participate in papal audiences or other Jubilee celebrations, it is a very helpful tool for the traveller. The committee stresses that participation in all events, including papal ceremonies, whether through use of the Pilgrim's Card or through tickets issued by the Prefecture of the Papal Household, is entirely free.

In addition to reserving seats for papal ceremonies or those in Rome's basilicas, the Pilgrim's Card offers the following services: 1. insurance; 2. free use of city transport by prepaying 5,000 lire (about $2.25); 3. the possibility of making phones calls at reduced prices (adding 10,000 lire to the base Card price); 4. the possibility for single pilgrims to have a 20-30 percent reduction on train tickets, through a special card issued by the FS, the Italian State Railway; 5. the chance to reserve hot meals or picnic baskets at discounted prices; 6. special discounts for museums and for the purchase of books.

There are several types of Pilgrim's Cards available, each of which has its own base price. There are one-day tickets, tickets for several days or a week, as well as those called "last minute" tickets.

For further information on the Pilgrim's Card and how to obtain it, go to the following Internet site, and then select the language of your choice (Italian, English, Spanish, French, Portuguese and German): www.sac.jubil2000.org

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PRESENTATION OF OFFICIAL JUBILEE CALENDAR

VATICAN CITY, NOV 12, 1999 (VIS) - On Wednesday, November 17, at 12 noon in the Holy See Press Office, Cardinal Roger Etchegaray and Archbishop Crescenzio Sepe, respectively president and secretary of the Committee of the Great Jubilee of the year 2000, will present the official Jubilee calendar as well as the Holy Father's charity projects for the Holy Year.

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, NOV 12, 1999 (VIS) - The Holy Father elevated Bishop Alfons Nossol of Opole, Poland, to the dignity of archbishop.

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AUDIENCE

VATICAN CITY, NOV 12, 1999 (VIS) - This evening the Holy Father is scheduled to receive Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

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