ITALY'S MUNICIPAL POLICE CELEBRATE THEIR JUBILEE

VATICAN CITY, JAN 20, 2000 (VIS) - Six thousand members of the Italian Municipal Police Force celebrated their Jubilee today, the feast day of their patron, St. Sebastian. They attended Mass in the Vatican basilica, celebrated by Cardinal Camillo Ruini, vicar general of Rome, and had an audience with the Pope.

In his address, John Paul II made reference to the huge quantity of work of the municipal police, work which requires "determination and selflessness in the service of the common good as well as attention to individuals, a sense of responsibility, continual patience and a spirit of helpfulness towards everyone. These are not easy qualities, consequently it is important to be able to count on God's help."

The Pope recalled that the Jubilee "is a time of mercy in which the Lord offers us the opportunity to follow an intense path of interior purification and corroboration of good intentions. ... This deep and spiritual dimension of the Jubilee must lead everyone to question themselves as to their real commitment in responding to the requirement of faith in the Gospel to which the Lord calls them, starting with the state of their own lives."

Furthermore, added the Pope, the Jubilee "calls you to respect - and cause to be respected - the law of man when this does not contrast with the Law of God. It asks that you be craftsmen of the harmony that arises from the accomplishment of daily duty and the elimination of conflict between individuals. It encourages you to become promoters of solidarity in all circumstances, especially towards the weakest and most defenseless. It requests you to be upholders of the right to life, through your commitment to the safety of traffic and of individuals."

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