POVERTY, HUNGER AND DISEASE DEMAND ACTION, NOT PARALYSIS

VATICAN CITY, NOV 18, 1999 (VIS) - The Holy Father this morning welcomed the participants in the 30th conference of the Rome-based Food and Agricultural Organization, and, in his speech to them, paid tribute to the work of both FAO and of the United Nations "in promoting the well-being of the human family."

He highlighted the many ways that life today is "under assault," and indicated that what is needed is action, not "palliative approaches" by "people who are overcome by a kind of moral paralysis, believing that little or nothing can be done to address these great problems at their roots."

"As we survey the entire planet and the multitude of the human family," observed the Pope, we see that "millions of human beings are denied the most basic necessities of life - food, water, shelter. Diseases both old and new continue to affect countless lives. The scourge of violence and war is unceasing. The gap between rich and poor increases alarmingly. Scientific and technological progress is not always accompanied by attention to the moral and ethical values which alone can ensure its correct application for the genuine good of people today and tomorrow."

Underlining that "it is clear that ideologically motivated action is not the solution to hunger" or so many other issues, John Paul II said: "What is needed is the more profound and infinitely more creative power of hope, ... which entails a vision of the human person as created in the image and likeness of God." In this respect, he added, in the last part of this century "there is a growing sense of the human person's worth and dignity, and of the inviolable rights which flow from it. ... People are recognizing more and more that there are certain innate and inviolable rights which do not depend on any human authority." Without openness to these principles, he stated, "our vision of the world will be distorted ... and our efforts to relieve suffering ... doomed."

The Holy Father affirmed that, with a right sense of who man is, with the power of hope to help mankind overcome its problems, and "with the means available today, poverty, hunger and disease can no longer be regarded as either normal or inevitable."

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THE CHURCH IN GERMANY: GIVE WITNESS TO THE GOSPEL OF LIFE

VATICAN CITY, NOV 18, 1999 (VIS) - This morning the Pope addressed the second group of prelates from the German Episcopal Conference who have just completed their "ad limina" visit.

In his talk, the Holy Father affirmed: "As 'vicar of Christ's love,' I have recently considered it my duty to resolve the discord that has arisen, both between you and within the Churches entrusted to you, attempting to harmonize once again the individual voices 'in the one great symphony for life' to which the Catholic Church must remain faithful at all times and in all places. I ask the Lord to ensure that the Church in Germany clearly and unanimously gives witness to the Gospel of Life."

"Perhaps," he continued, "Providence entrusted me with the chair of Peter that I may be, on the threshold of the Third Millennium, a passionate 'advocate of life.' In fact, I myself was forced to experience during my youth how, during a particularly dark chapter in the history of this tormented century, human life was trodden underfoot and systematically annihilated, not far from my native city of Wadowice."

Speaking of episcopal ministry, the Pope recalled that, as pastors, "we must jointly transmit that which we ourselves have received. It is not a question (of using) our own words, however learned they may be, because it is not ourselves that we preach, rather (we preach) the revealed truth which must be transmitted faithfully and in union with other members of the college of pastors."

John Paul II indicated that in a climate of widespread religious individualism, some members of the Church "take upon themselves the right of choosing, in matters of faith, the teachings that they feel are admissible and those that must be rejected. Yet the truths of the faith constitute an organic whole which does not admit such arbitrary discrimination. Whoever indulges in such practices cannot consider himself as coherent with the faith he professes."

Making reference to the office of sanctification, the exercise of which is the duty of bishops, the Pope made particular mention of the sacraments of Baptism and the Eucharist. After recalling the necessity of baptizing children soon after birth, he highlighted the importance that this sacrament "be seen above all as a free gift from God the Father to the child." Furthermore, "we cannot speak of spiritual renewal of the diocese without going back to the Eucharist."

"The lack of priests and their uneven distribution on the one hand and, on the other, the worrying drop in the numbers who regularly attend Sunday Mass, constitute a challenge which your Church must face."

The parish community must be "a Eucharistic community. As such it must be guided by an ordained priest who, through his sacred authority and the consequent non-transferable responsibility, offers the Eucharistic sacrifice 'in persona Christi'."

"The fact that religious and lay people authorized by you, preside over the Sunday service of the Word may be praiseworthy in emergency situations, but in the long term it cannot be seen as satisfactory."

The Pope closed his talk by recalling the problem of aging priests and the lack of vocations, and encouraged the German prelates to be closer to priests and seminarians.

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, NOV 18, 1999 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed:

- Fr. Jose Camnate na Bissign, apostolic administrator of Bissau (area 36,125, population 1,100,000, Catholics 132,000, priests 61, religious 126), Guinea Bissau, as bishop of the same diocese. The bishop-elect was born in Mansoa, Guinea Bissau, in 1953 and ordained a priest 1982.

- Fr. Benjamin Castillo Plascencia, episcopal vicar for pastoral ministry, as auxiliary of Guadalajara (area 20,827, population 5,158,000, Catholics, 4,899,000, priests 1,174, permanent deacons 2, religious 3,825), Mexico. The bishop-elect was born in Ixtlahuacan del Rio, Mexico, in 1945.

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, NOV 18, 1999 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received eight prelates from the German Episcopal Conference, on their "ad limina" visit:
- Bishop Franz Xaver Eder of Passau.
- Bishop Karl Lehmann of Mainz, accompanied by his auxiliary Bishop Franziskus Eisenbach, and by Msgr. Helmut Moll.
- Bishop Anton Schlembach of Speyer, accompanied by his auxiliary, Bishop Otto Georgens.
- Bishop Viktor Josef Dammertz O.S.B., of Augsburg, accompanied by his auxiliary, Bishop Josef Grunwald.

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SPECIAL COUNCIL FOR OCEANIA HOLDS THIRD MEETING

VATICAN CITY, NOV 18, 1999 (VIS) - The Council for the Special Assembly for Oceania of the Synod of Bishops met in the Vatican from November 9 to 11 under the presidency of Cardinal Jan Schotte, C.I.C.M. secretary general of the Synod of Bishops. All members of the council - 3 cardinals, 5 archbishops and 2 bishops - were in attendance.

During this third meeting of the Council, the members reviewed the activity of the secretariat since the last meeting and discussed the celebratory phase of the synod for Asia, which took place November 5-9 with Pope John Paul's trip to India and Georgia. They also studied the first drafts of the proposals they will send to the Holy Father for the post-synodal apostolic exhortation for Oceania, and evaluated new suggestions for their document with the help of experts. The synod took place in the Vatican from November 22 to December 12, 1998.

The next meeting of this council is scheduled for April 4 to 6, 2000.

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IN MEMORIAM

VATICAN CITY, NOV 18, 1999 (VIS) - The following prelates died in recent weeks:
- Bishop Jose de Jesus Aguilera Rodriguez, emeritus of Huajuapan de Leon, Mexico, on November 9 at the age of 68.
- Bishop John William Comber M.M., titular of Foraziana, on March 27 1998, at the age of 92.
- Bishop Firmin Courtemanche M. Afr., emeritus of Chipata, Zambia, on November 3, at the age of 86.
- Bishop Stephane Desmazieres, emeritus of Beauvais, France, on November 13, at the age of 96.
- Archbishop Gabriel Gonsum Ganaka of Jos, Nigeria, on November 11, at the age of 62.
- Bishop Alfons Karl Kempf, former auxiliary of Wurzburg, Germany, on November 8, at the age of 87.
- Bishop Orestes Santiago Nuti Sanguinetti S.D.B., emeritus of Canelones, Uruguay, on November 2, at the age of 80.
- Bishop Joseph Sibomana, emeritus of Kibungo, Rwanda, on November 9, at the age of 84.

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