MAY 7 AT THE COLOSSEUM, COMMEMORATION OF "THE NEW MARTYRS"

VATICAN CITY, APR 28, 2000 (VIS) - This morning in the Holy See Press Office, there was the presentation of the Jubilee Day dedicated to the commemoration of the witnesses to the faith in the 20th century. This day marking the "new martyrs" will take place on May 7 at the Colosseum, according to Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, president of the Central Committee for the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000.

Recalling that Pope John Paul asked for this commemoration in "Tertio Millennio Adveniente" in November 1994, the cardinal said that May 7 "is the date which will allow the Church to become better aware of her true identity: the Church of witnesses, the Church of martyrs." He added that "sometimes we have an idea of martyrdom which is too romantic and reduced to extraordinary stories which open the door to canonization, while this should be the habitual horizon in every Christian life."

Who are the new martyrs? Cardinal Etchegaray asked. "They are those who are persecuted by a clear hatred for Christ and His church, ... (or) who are victims of new Caesars. ... Today the seed of martyrdom is often found in the Church's alliance with the poor, the excluded, the oppressed."

The cardinal observed that May 7 will be a day in which to show a "greater solidarity" with those who suffer to witness to their faith," and pointed out that Pope John Paul has asked that this solidarity include other Christian denominations.

Archbishop Cresenzio Sepe, secretary general of the Jubilee committee, said that "the 'memory of martyrs' is one of the new emblems - together with others such as the 'purification of memory' and the commitment to reducing foreign debt for peace and for justice - introduced by John Paul II to characterize the Great Jubilee 2000. Consequently, the May 7 celebrations, dedicated to commemorating witnesses to the faith in the 20th century, takes on a particular importance, both within the Holy Year and in the light of the entire Magisterium of John Paul II, who has dedicated all the 22 years of his pontificate to venerating those who have witnessed the truth of the Gospel with their lives."

Bishop Michel Hrynchyshyn, C.SS.R., president of the Jubilee Commission "Witnesses to the Faith of the 20th Century," stated that "the Holy Father has charged the 'new martyrs' commission with the noble task of preparing lists, or rather catalogues, of witnesses to the faith in the 20th century. Given that Christians have been persecuted and killed for their faith 'to the limits of the earth,' the commission has set about organizing its task on a geographical and continental basis."

"Estimates of the numbers of martyrs vary greatly," continued the bishop from Ukraine. "Indeed David Barret, an independent scholar, in his 'Encyclopedia of the Christian World,' suggests that the 20th century has produced double the number of Christian martyrs of all the previous 19 centuries put together."
Historian Andrea Riccardi pointed out that "John Paul II, with his call to rediscover the memory of witnesses to the faith, has started a process that is not yet finished. The Pope experienced first-hand the events of World War II, when the new Nazi order imposed on the Polish people the role of nation of slaves. He lived through the years of communist persecution. His experience of the suffering of confessors and witnesses to the faith has been personal and direct."

Bishop Piero Marini, papal master of ceremonies, stated that "the ecumenical Commemoration of Witnesses to the Faith in the 20th century, to be held on Sunday, May 7 ... is linked to the Holy Father's statement in the Apostolic Letter 'Tertio Millennio Adveniente: 'In our own century the martyrs have returned, many of them nameless 'unknown soldiers' as it were, of God's great cause. As far as possible their witness should not be lost to the Church. ... This gesture cannot fail to have an ecumenical character and expression, Perhaps the most convincing form of ecumenism is the ecumenism of the saints and martyrs. The 'communio sanctorum' speaks louder than the things which divide us'."

He explained that the commemoration "takes place at Evening Prayer of the Third Week of Easter; it thus falls in the Easter season and in particular on the Lord's Day when the Church celebrates the victory of the Risen Christ over sin and death. ... The site chosen for the commemoration is the Colosseum which, together with the other places nearby, like the Circus Maximus, calls to mind the witness of faith given by the early martyrs of the Church in Rome."

Turning to the ceremonial aspect of the commemoration, Bishop Marini said that "the initial rites include a 'statio' inside the Colosseum, the procession to the area outside the amphitheater, the Holy Father's introduction and the opening prayer. ... An invocation of praise to the Holy Trinity follows, recited by the representatives of the Churches and ecclesial communities."

This is followed by a procession with the Cross and Gospel Book, the enthronement and incensing of the Gospel, the Holy Father's opening prayer and the Liturgy of the Word. The Apostles' Creed is recited in three different languages by three representatives of other Churches.

There will then be the specific commemoration of the witnesses to the faith in the 20th century which will include the following groups: Christians who bore witness to their faith under Soviet totalitarianism; witnesses to the faith who were victims of communism in other nations of Europe; confessors of the faith who were victims of nazism and fascism; followers of Christ who gave their lives for the proclamation of the Gospel in Asia and Oceania; Christian faithful persecuted out of hatred for the Catholic faith; witnesses of evangelization in Africa and Madagascar; Christians who gave their lives for love of Christ and of their brothers and sisters in America and witnesses to the faith in different parts of the world.
The final blessing and dismissal follow these witnesses.

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HOLY FATHER'S PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR MAY

VATICAN CITY, APR 28, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father's general prayer intention for May is: "That Mary, Mother of the Lord, may be the model of faithfulness and generosity in following Christ."

His missionary intention is: "That the jubilee remembrance of the new martyrs may bring about a renewed missionary spring."

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PAPAL LETTER NAMES ENVOY TO ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS

VATICAN CITY, APR 27, 2000 (VIS) - Made public today was Pope John Paul's Letter to Cardinal Godfried Danneels, archbishop of Mechelen-Brussel, naming him as his special envoy to the May 4 celebrations in London of the 150th anniversary of the reconstitution of the Catholic hierarchy in England and Wales. The Letter, written in Latin, is dated March 30, 2000.

Also published were the names of the other members of the pontifical mission: Msgr. Arthur Roche, secretary general of the Episcopal Conference of England and Wales, and Msgr- Nicholas Rothon, in charge of the episcopal conference's committee for the Great Jubilee of the year 2000.

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"THE SOCIAL AGENDA - A COLLECTION OF MAGISTERIAL TEXTS"

VATICAN CITY, APR 27, 2000 (VIS) - "The Social Agenda - A Collection of Magisterial Texts," a volume edited by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, was presented this morning in the Holy See Press Office by council president, Archbishop Francois-Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan.

Joining him were Bishop Diarmuid Martin and Msgr. Giampaolo Crepaldi, secretary and under-secretary of the council, Fr. Robert Sirico, founder and president of the Acton Institute and Kris Mauren, co-founder of the institute.

Archbishop Van Thuan explained that the 200-page plus volume "gathers together the most significant texts of the Church's social Magisterium from Leo XIII to the current pontiff. It is a praiseworthy work done by Fr. Sirico and Fr. Zieba that the pontifical council felt it should sponsor as a useful way to make the social doctrine of the Church known and spread." He emphasized that it is precisely the duty of this council to teach the Church's social doctrine.

The current volume is in English but will be translated into several languages, said the archbishop. The book is divided into articles which encompass Church teaching on the human person, the family, social order, role of the State, the economy, work and wages, poverty and charity, the environment and the international community.

The council president observed that "going through the table of contents one is struck by the variety and precision of the themes traced by the social Magisterium in its more than 100 years of life which have accompanied the extraordinary transformations started by the industrial revolution."

Archbishop Van Thuan added that the volume is "a symphony of themes held together organically by a constant attention to man and his centrality and, at the same time, by the need to affirm in the socio-economic and socio-political systems the inviolable dignity of the human person."

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CARDINAL SODANO IS LEGATE TO CHURCH CENTENARY IN BRAZIL

VATICAN CITY, APR 27, 2000 (VIS) - Cardinal Angelo Sodano, secretary of state, was Pope John Paul's legate to the celebrations yesterday in Porto Seguro, Brazil, for the fifth centenary of the evangelization of that country. He presided at a concelebrated Mass on the beach of Santa Cruz de Cabralia where, on April 26, 1500, Brother Henrique de Coimbra, chaplain of the Portuguese fleet commanded by Pedro Alvares Cabral, planted the first cross on Brazilian territory and celebrated the first Mass.

Cardinal Sodano noted in his homily that 16 replicas of that first cross were made and, during the past year, were erected in Brazil's 16 ecclesiastical circumscriptions "to show communion in the same faith" which was brought to this land 500 years ago and has been passed down through the generations.

"We give thanks to God," he said, "for the profound evangelizing work which the Church of Portugal has providentially realized in this land. If we could paraphrase the Holy Father we would say that God is renewing his alliance with Brazil through the work of his valiant missionaries."

As "we praise the Lord by singing the 'Te deum' for the good realized in Brazil during these 500 years of her history," affirmed the secretary of state, "we feel the need to ask pardon for all the human meanness which obscured or sullied the Christian witness of the disciples of Christ. ... As we gather to thank God for the gift of faith, we wish at the same time to ask pardon if we have obscured the beauty of this gift transmitted to our brothers."

Cardinal Sodano told the faithful that Pope John Paul had wished to be present at this centennial celebration but was unable to do so because of Jubilee events in Rome. He expressed the Holy Father's hopes for "a revitalization of the faith and ecclesial unity" for the entire Church on the American continent.

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HOLY FATHER TO CANONIZE BLESSED KOWALSKA APRIL 30

VATICAN CITY, APR 27, 2000 (VIS) - Pope John Paul II will preside at a Eucharistic celebration in St. Peter's Square, starting at 10 a.m. on Sunday, April 30, during which he will canonize Blessed Maria Faustyna Kowalska, virgin, of the Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy.

According to a communique released today by the Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff, Blessed Kowalska, a Pole, lived from 1905 to 1938. "The new saint, with the witness of her life, invites us to keep our faith and our hope fixed on God the Father, rich in mercy, Who has saved us with the precious blood of His Son, Who rose from the dead and lives in eternity."

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, APR 27, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed:

- Fr. Douglas Young S.V.D., dean of studies at the Divine Word University in Madang and vice-provincial of the Verbites in Papua New Guinea, as auxiliary of the archdiocese of Mount Hagen (area 8,288, population 328,850, Catholics 128,355, priests 35, religious 92), Papua New Guinea. The bishop-elect was born in Brisbane, Australia, in 1950 and ordained a priest in 1977.

- Cardinal Bernard F. Law, archbishop of Boston, U.S.A., as his special envoy to the National Eucharistic Congress of Peru which is to be held in Lima, Peru, from August 30 to September 3, 2000.

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JUBILEE OF MIGRANTS AND ITINERANT PEOPLES

VATICAN CITY, APR 27, 2000 (VIS) - On May 2 at 11:30 a.m. in the Holy See Press Office, Archbishop Stephen Fumio Hamao, and Bishop Francesco Gioia, respectively president and secretary of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant Peoples, will preside at a press conference for the presentation of the Jubilee for migrants which will take place from June 1 to 3.

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GOOD FRIDAY: CONFESSIONS, LORD'S PASSION, VIA CRUCIS

VATICAN CITY, APR 21, 2000 (VIS) - At midday today, as is customary on Good Friday, the Holy Father confessed a number of the faithful in St. Peter's Basilica.
At 5 p.m. in the basilica, the Holy Father presided at the celebration of the Lord's Passion. Following the Liturgy of the Word, when the Passion according to St. John was read, a homily was given by Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa O.F.M. Cap., preacher of the papal household. The liturgy continued with the universal prayer, the adoration of the cross and communion.

At 9:15 p.m. the Pope presided at the Via Crucis (Way of the Cross) at the Colosseum. As was done in 1984, during the Holy Year of the Redemption, the texts of the meditations at the 14 stations were written by the Holy Father himself. John Paul II carried the cross to the first station, after which it was borne, in turn, by a bishop of the Assyrian Church of the East, a Chinese woman, an Indian woman, a Brazilian woman, an Ecuadorian woman, an African man and a Roman family.

After the last station of the Via Crucis, the Pope addressed the faithful: "The people of today need to meet Christ crucified and risen! Who, if not the condemned Savior, can fully understand the pain of those unjustly condemned? Who, if not the King scorned and humiliated, can meet the expectations of the countless men and women who live without hope or dignity? Who, if not the crucified Son of God, can know the sorrow and loneliness of so many lives shattered and without a future? ... Let us open our hearts to Christ: He himself will respond to our deepest yearnings. He himself will unveil for us the mysteries of His passion and Death on the Cross."

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HOLY THURSDAY: CHRISM MASS AND MASS OF THE LORD'S SUPPER

VATICAN CITY, APR 20, 2000 (VIS) - In the Vatican Basilica at 9:30 a.m. today, Holy Thursday, John Paul II presided at the celebration of the Chrism Mass during which priestly vows were renewed, and the oils used in anointing the sick and the catechumens were blessed.

In his homily, the Pope said that "the 'chrismal' Mass solemnly evokes the memory of the single priesthood of Christ and expresses the priestly vocation of the Church, especially of the bishop and of the priests united with him."

Addressing priests, the Holy Father said, "through priestly ordination, we have been called to share Christ's own mission and today we renew together our common priestly commitment. With great emotion, we recall the gift received from Christ, who has called us to special participation in His priesthood."

"Today, in a special way," he concluded, "we encounter Christ, Supreme and Eternal Priest, and we spiritually cross this Holy Door which opens the fullness of saving love to all men. Just as Christ was submissive to the action of the Spirit in His condition as man and obedient servant, so the baptized, and especially ordained ministers, must feel committed to carrying out their own priestly consecration in humble and faithful service to God and our fellows."

Later, at 5:30 p.m. in St. Peter's Basilica, John Paul II presided at the celebration of the Mass of the Lord's Supper. During the liturgy, he washed the feet of 12 priests and, during the offertory, accepted a donation that will be sent to flood victims in Mozambique.

The Pope recalled the words of consecration, saying that "each year, on this day, we remember (those words) as we return spiritually to the Upper Room. This evening I re-evoke them with particular emotion, because fresh in my mind and heart is the image of the Upper Room, where I had the joy of celebrating the Eucharist during my recent Jubilee pilgrimage to the Holy Land. The emotion is still stronger, because this year is the year of the Jubilee of the two thousandth anniversary of the Incarnation. Seen in this light, our celebration this evening takes on an especially profound meaning."

The Holy Father affirmed that, "in instituting the Eucharist, Jesus gives the Apostles a share as ministers in His priesthood of the new and eternal Covenant. He and He alone is always and everywhere the source and the minister of the Eucharist."

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EASTER SUNDAY: MASS, URBI ET ORBI BLESSING

VATICAN CITY, APR 23, 2000 (VIS) - Pope John Paul celebrated Easter morning Mass in a flower-bedecked St. Peter's Square with well over 100,000 faithful from around the world after which he recited the traditional, twice-yearly "urbi et orbi" (to the city and to the world) message and blessing.

The Mass and blessing were broadcast live by TV stations in some 50 countries on all continents. For the 15th year, Dutch florists, who had arrived earlier in the week, decorated the papal altar and adjacent area in St. Peter's Square with flowering trees and more than 50,000 flowers, including 30,000 tulips. They also placed floral garlands on the loggias or balconies of St. Peter's Basilica.

At the beginning of the Eucharistic celebration a deacon, standing in front of the icon of the Most Holy Savior, known as the "acheiropita" (not painted by human hands) announced the resurrection of the Lord. The icon is housed in the Oratory of St. Lawrence, known as the "Sancta sanctorum" (holiest of holies) at St. John Lateran Basilica. It is a full representation of the enthroned Savior, painted on cloth applied to a wood tablet. Restored in 1995-96, the only part presently visible is the Lord's face which is painted on a silk cloth superimposed upon the original. The rest of the icon is covered by a sheet of silver.

In his urbi et orbi message, the Holy Father focussed on the triumph of life over death and "the power of renewal flowing from the Resurrection." He recalled that one month ago in the Holy Land he had had "the grace of kneeling before the stone slab which marked the place of Jesus' burial."

"May the Message of life proclaimed by the angel near the stone rolled back from the tomb overturn the hardness of our hearts: may it lead to removing unjustified barriers and promote a fruitful exchange between peoples and cultures. May the image of the new man, shining on the face of Christ, cause everyone to acknowledge the inalienable value of human life," lead to justice and equal opportunity for all, and lead to an end of conflicts among nations and peoples.

Following the urbi et orbi, John Paul II wished a Happy Easter in 61 languages to those gathered in St. Peter's Square or linked to it by television and radio.

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HOLY SATURDAY: BAPTISM AND CONFIRMATION OF 8 CATECHUMENS

VATICAN CITY, APR 22, 2000 (VIS) - In St. Peter's Square at 8 p.m. today, the Pope presided at the Easter Vigil during which he administered Baptism and Confirmation to eight catechumens: one each from Cameroon, Italy and Albania, two from China and a father, mother and daughter from Japan.

The vigil began at the obelisk in the square where the Holy Father blessed the new fire and lit the Easter candle which was then carried in procession to the altar while the 'Exultet' was sung. Following this, the Pope presided at a Liturgy of the Word, a Baptismal Liturgy and a Eucharistic Liturgy, concelebrating with 20 cardinals.

"At the Easter Vigil, 'mother of all vigils'," said John Paul II in his homily, "everyone can likewise acknowledge their own personal history of salvation, which has its basic moment in our rebirth in Christ through Baptism. In a very special way, this is your experience too, dear brothers and sisters who are about to receive the Sacraments of Christian Initiation: Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist."

The Pope indicated that the variety of the catechumens' native countries "points to the universality of the salvation brought by Christ. Soon, dear friends, you will become intimate sharers in the mystery of the love of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. May your lives become a song of praise to the Most Holy Trinity and a witness of love which knows no limits."
"Christ is risen!" exclaimed the Holy Father. "So the Church proclaims, at the end of this Easter night, even as yesterday she proclaimed Christ's death on the Cross. It is a proclamation of truth and life. 'Surrexit Dominus de sepulchro, qui pro nobis pependit in ligno, Alleluia!' The Lord, Who for us was nailed to the Cross, is risen from the tomb! Yes, Christ is truly risen and we are witnesses of this."

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REGINA COELI: CHRIST IS TRULY RISEN

VATICAN CITY, APR 24, 2000 (VIS) - At midday today, the Pope appeared at his study window to pray the Regina Coeli - the prayer that substitutes the angelus during Easter - with the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square.

Prior to the Marian prayer, the Pope recalled that today is Easter Monday, also traditionally known as Monday of the Angel because an angel appeared to the women who were weeping before Jesus' empty tomb and announced that He had risen.

"Life," said the Holy Father, "has conquered death. Faith is necessary to comprehend this new and marvelous horizon. Let us allow ourselves to be penetrated by the thoughts and emotions that resonate in the events of Easter: 'Yes, we are certain, Christ is truly risen!' This truth marked the lives of the Apostles who, after the Resurrection, felt their souls aflame with the desire to follow their Master and, having received the Holy Spirit, went out without delay proclaiming to everyone what they had personally seen and experienced."

He concluded: "The comforting announcement of the Resurrection has once more rung out for us: 'Christ, my hope, is Risen!' If Christ is risen we can look at each event of our lives with new eyes and a new heart. This is the Easter message that I would like to communicate to men and women the world over."

In the late afternoon, the Pope left by helicopter for his residence at Castelgandolfo.

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, APR 26, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Archbishop Eugenio Sbarbaro, pontifical representative in the Antilles, as apostolic nuncio in Yugoslavia.

On Tuesday April 25, it was made public that he:

- Accepted the resignation presented by Auxiliary Bishop Bernardino Rivera Alvarez of the diocese of Potosi, Bolivia, upon having reached the age limit.
- Appointed Bishop Hubert Barbier of Annecy, France, as metropolitan archbishop of Bourges (area 14,210, population 576,000, Catholics 508,000, priests 223, permanent deacons 11, religious 509), France. The archbishop-elect was born in Chaize-le-Vicomte, France, in 1932, ordained a priest in 1955 and consecrated a bishop in 1980. He succeeds Archbishop Pierre Plateau, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same archdiocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

On Thursday April 20, it was made public that he appointed:

- Fr. Benyamin Bria, professor of canon law at the major seminary of Kupang, Indonesia, as bishop of Denpasar (area 25,730, population 6,194,000, Catholics 24,897, priests 37, religious 63), Indonesia. The bishop-elect was born in Decabiti, Indonesia, in 1956 and ordained a priest in 1985.

- Bishop Lucas Sirkar S.D.B. of Krishnagar, India, as coadjutor archbishop of Calcutta (area 29,857, population 24,813,952, Catholics 133,740, priests 220, religious 1,220), India, The archbishop-elect was born in Barisol, India, in 1936, ordained a priest in 1968 and consecrated a bishop in 1984.

- Fr. Jean-Luc Brunin of the clergy of Lille (area 2,288, population 1,527,950, Catholics 804,230, priests 704, permanent deacons 41, religious 1,403), France, rector of the interdiocesan seminary of Lille, as auxiliary bishop of the same diocese. The bishop-elect was born in Roubaix, France, in 1951 and ordained a priest in 1981.

- Fr. Diomedes Espinal de Leon of the clergy of Santiago de los Caballeros (area 6,391, population 876,753, Catholics 789,000, priests 91, permanent deacons 74, religious 135), Dominican Republic, rector of the St. Pius X minor seminary, as auxiliary bishop of the same archdiocese. The bishop-elect was born in Villa Trina, Dominican Republic, in 1949 and ordained a priest in 1978.

- Fr. Jozef Szamocki of the clergy of Torun (area 5,427, population 713,350, Catholics 685,500, priests 399, religious 416), Poland, spiritual director of the major seminary of Torun, as auxiliary bishop of the same diocese. The bishop-elect was born in Gdynia, Poland, in 1954 and ordained a priest in 1979.

- Fr. Jan Watroba of the clergy of Czestochowa (area 6,925, population 921,190, Catholics 900,710, priests 746, religious 1,221), Poland, rector of the major seminary of Czestochowa, as auxiliary bishop of the same archdiocese. The bishop-elect was born in Biala, Poland, in 1953 and ordained a priest in 1979.

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THE GLORY OF THE TRINITY IN THE TRANSFIGURATION

VATICAN CITY, APR 26, 2000 (VIS) - Pope John Paul, in the catechesis of today's general audience in St. Peter's Square, which was bathed in sun and still decorated with the myriad flowers from Sunday's Easter Mass, focussed on the glory of the Trinity in the Transfiguration.

Before an estimated 30,000 pilgrims, the Pope remarked that "the liturgy of the Easter Octave joyfully proclaims that 'Jesus is truly risen'. In these words, the promise of the Transfiguration on Mount Tabor is fulfilled. At that time, Jesus revealed His glory to the Apostles Peter, James and John. They heard the voice of God the Father saying 'This is my beloved Son', and saw Moses and Elijah, whose presence indicates that Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets, The brilliant light, the white clothing and the cloud all point to the divinity of Christ. The Father's command to listen to the Son means that the Son is filled with the Holy Spirit and that His words are 'spirit and life'."

"Vision and listening, contemplation and obedience," continued the Holy Father, "are therefore the paths which lead to the holy mount on which the Trinity is revealed in the glory of the Son. The Transfiguration offers us an anticipation of the glorious coming of Christ 'who will transform our poor body to conform it to His glorious body'. But it also reminds us that 'it is necessary to undergo many tribulations to enter into the Kingdom of God'."

The Pope's catechesis in Italian was then summarized in French, English, Portuguese, Spanish and German. He greeted pilgrims in those languages as well as in Lithuanian, Hungarian, Czech, Slovakian, Croatian and Slovenian.

John Paul II arrived by helicopter this morning from Castelgandolfo for the general audience. He is scheduled to return to the lakeside papal residence and remain there until Friday for a brief vacation.

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PRESENTATION OF TEXT ON "THE SOCIAL AGENDA"

VATICAN CITY, APR 19, 2000 (VIS) - Archbishop Francois-Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan and Bishop Diarmuid Martin, respectively president and secretary of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, will present a book edited by the council entitled "The Social Agenda: A Collection of Magisterial Texts" at 12 noon on Thursday, April 27 in the Holy See Press Office.

Joining them will be Msgr. Giampaolo Crepaldi, council under-secretary, Fr. Robert Sirico, founder and president of the Acton Institute and Kris Mauren, the institute's co-founder.

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PAKISTANI MINISTER RECEIVED BY HOLY FATHER

VATICAN CITY, APR 19, 2000 (VIS) - Holy See Press Office Director Joaquin Navarro-Valls declared this morning that "today, Wednesday April 19, 2000 Derick Cyprian, Pakistani minister for minorities and culture, was received in audience by the Holy Father.

"Later, the minister had a working meeting with Cardinal Secretary of State Angelo Sodano where they examined problems of religious liberty in Pakistan and the way to contribute to a climate of peaceful coexistence in that country."

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TELEGRAM FOR PLANE CRASH IN THE PHILIPPINES

VATICAN CITY, APR 19, 2000 (VIS) - Following is the text of the telegram sent in the Holy Father's name by Cardinal Secretary of State Angelo Sodano to Archbishop Fernando R. Capalla of Davao, the Philippines, for the plane crash which occurred there today:

"Deeply saddened by the news of the great loss of life caused by the airline accident which happened today near Davao, the Holy Father asks you to convey his condolences to the families of those who have died. With hope in the Risen Lord, his holiness prays for the victims and asks God to grant courage and strength to those who are mourning their loved ones. Entrusting everyone affected by the tragedy to the maternal intercession of Mary, comforter of the afflicted, his holiness cordially imparts his apostolic blessing as a token of his spiritual closeness at this difficult time. I join the Holy Father in assuring you of my sympathies and prayers."

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GENERAL AUDIENCE: THE EASTER TRIDUUM

VATICAN CITY, APR 19, 2000 (VIS) - In today's general audience, held in St. Peter's Square, the Pope said "the Easter journey, that begins on Ash Wednesday, reaches its climax in this week, appropriately called 'Holy Week'."

The Pope said: "The Church, in particular during this Holy Year, wishes to remind everyone that Christ died for all men and all women, because the gift of salvation is universal. ... It is not possible to remain indifferent in the face of Christ's sacrifice! Sentiments of profound gratitude spontaneously arise in the souls of those who pause to contemplate the passion of the Lord. By spiritually climbing Calvary with Him, we are able to experience, in some way, the light and joy that issues from His Resurrection."

John Paul II recalled that "the prelude to the Easter Triduum will be the celebration of the Chrism Mass, tomorrow morning, Holy Thursday," during which the holy oils will be blessed. In the afternoon "we will relive the memory of the institution of the Eucharist."

"On Good Friday, the story of the Passion will ring out and we will be invited to venerate the Cross, extraordinary symbol of divine mercy. In the words of Christ on the Cross: 'My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?' so many situations of suffering in our own lives are reflected. Yet the Father does not abandon us. Rather He transforms all human pain into victory over evil and death if we unite ourselves to the Passion of the Redeemer, accepting the will of God and the generous commitment of His Son to save all men and women."

The Holy Father indicated that "On Holy Saturday, a day of great liturgical silence, we will pause to reflect on the meaning of these events. The Church will keep vigil with Mary, mother of sorrows, and with her, will await the dawn of the Resurrection."

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, APR 19, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father erected the diocese of Blumenau (area 3,339, population 549,438, priests 34, religious 88), Brazil, with territory taken from the archdiocese of Florianopolis and from the dioceses of Joinville and Rio do Sul, making it a suffragan of the metropolitan Church of Florianopolis. He appointed Bishop Angelico Sandalo Bernardino, auxiliary of Sao Paulo, as bishop of the new diocese.

ECE; NER;...;...;BERNARDINO ;VIS;20000419;Word: 70;

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, APR 18, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Townsville, Australia, presented by Bishop Raymond C. Benjamin, upon having reached the age limit.

RE;...;...;BENJAMIN ;VIS;20000418;Word: 40;

GOOD FRIDAY COLLECTION IN SUPPORT OF HOLY LAND

VATICAN CITY, APR 18, 2000 (VIS) - The Congregation for Oriental Churches has sent a letter to the world's bishops, asking them to support and encourage members of the Church who live and work in the Holy Land, with the annual "Pro Terra Sancta" collection that will take place on Good Friday or another date the bishops may consider suitable.

In the letter, Cardinal Achille Silvestrini, prefect of the congregation, writes that "this contribution will demonstrate to the Christians in the Holy Land that they are not forgotten, because their brothers and sisters scattered throughout the world look towards them with great kindness and they confidently entrust to them the task of representing them in that Land which is the homeland of all."

Cardinal Silvestrini goes on to affirm that "the material assistance coming from the collection 'Pro Terra Sancta' will promote initiatives that will sustain and encourage plans for peace and cooperation in order to render the Holy Land a land of encounter and dialogue, in mutual respect and loyal cooperation."

...;HOLY LAND COLLECTION;...;SILVESTRINI;VIS;20000418;Word: 190;

COUNCIL SECRETARY TO RECEIVE DOCTORATE IN STRASBOURG

VATICAN CITY, APR 15, 2000 (VIS) - The theology faculty of the Marc Bloc Catholic University of Strasbourg will confer an honoris causa doctorate on Bishop Walter Kasper, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, on Friday, April 28, according to a communique published today by the pontifical council.

The preceding day, at 5 p.m. at the same university, Bishop Kasper will give a talk entitled "Ecclesial Unity and Ecclesial Communion in a Catholic Prospective."

CON-UC;DOCTORATE;...;STRASBOURG; KASPER;VIS;20000417;Word: 90;

CARDINAL SODANO IS LEGATE TO CHURCH CENTENARY IN BRAZIL

VATICAN CITY, APR 15, 2000 (VIS) - Made public today was Pope John Paul's Letter to Cardinal Angelo Sodano, secretary of state, naming him as pontifical legate to the celebrations for the fifth centenary of the evangelization of Brazil, which will take place on April 26 in Porto Seguro. The letter, written in Latin, is dated March 25.

Also published today were the names of the delegation accompanying the cardinal: Msgrs. Timothy Broglio, nunciature counselor in the Secretariat of State, Andres Carrascosa Coso, counselor in the nunciature in Brazil and Stefano Migliorelli, an official in the Secretariat of State; Frs. Joelson Dias da Silva, coordinator of the commission of the diocese of Eunapolis for the fifth centenary of the evangelization of Brazil, and Marcony Vinicius Ferreira, pastor of the cathedral of Brasilia; Giampaolo Mattei, editor of the L'Osservatore Romano.

DELSS;CENTENARY;...;BRAZIL; SODANO;VIS;20000417;Word: 140;

REMAIN FIRMLY UNITED TO CHRIST AND HIS CHURCH

VATICAN CITY, APR 15, 2000 (VIS) - This morning in the Paul VI Hall, the Pope received 5,000 pilgrims from the Italian diocese of Fabriano-Matelica as well as other groups from Turin and Milan, Italy, and from Marseille, France.

To faithful from the diocese of Fabriano-Matelica, the Pope said: "Strengthened by the ancient traditions that supported your ancestors on their journey in faith, advance confidently towards the future and transmit love for Jesus, man's only Redeemer, to the young generations. Remain firm in your devotion to Him and His Church."

John Paul II affirmed that "the great challenges of the modern age require courage and missionary daring. Dear brothers and sisters, do not flag in your efforts for the renewal of society through effective witness and clear proclamation, giving due regard to the signs of the times. Take every appropriate measure in the field of the apostolate."

He encouraged the faithful from parishes in Turin and Milan to find nourishment and strength "in the sacramental gifts, so that in your communities you may become instruments of God's tenderness, open to the needs of all humanity. May Mary, Mother of the Church, always accompany you on your way."

"On the eve of Palm Sunday, which introduces us to the central mystery of our faith," said the Holy Father to a group of young people from Marseille, "I invite you to follow Christ. ... In contemplating the cross of the Savior, may you discover the infinite love of God who sacrificed Himself in order to save us and who calls on you to make something beautiful of your lives."

AC;PILGRIMS JUBILEE;...;...;VIS;20000417;Word: 280;

RWANDA'S BISHOPS VISIT IMPRISONED COLLEAGUE

VATICAN CITY, APR 16, 2000 (VIS) - A communique from the Rwandan Episcopal Conference, dated April 14, was published today in which the conference members recall that one year ago, on April 14, 1999, their fellow bishop, Msgr. Augustin Misago, was arrested and detained in Kigali's Central Prison.

Following three days of interrogation, they write, Bishop Misago was imprisoned on April 16, 1999 and is still there. He has appeared several times in court and the bishops write that "his three defense lawyers are optimistic about the good outcome of his trial."

They conclude: "Yesterday, April 13 and today, April 14, the members of the episcopal conference visited him to give him witness of their collegial sympathy. They prayed with him and asked God's blessing on him as a sign of the shared confidence that they have in God, the Just Judge."

OP;BISHOP PRISON;...;RWANDA; MISAGO;VIS;20000417;Word: 140;

COME TO ROME IN AUGUST, POPE INVITES WORLD'S YOUTHS

VATICAN CITY, APR 16, 2000 (VIS) - Before reciting the angelus today, Pope John Paul invited the world's young people to come to Rome in August for the 15th World Youth Day, and he wished them a Happy Easter in Italian, English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, German and Polish.

He had special words of thanks for "the young people from Rome and Italy, for the commitment and availability with which you are preparing to receive your peers."

The Pope concluded his multi-lingual Palm Sunday greetings by thanking Italy's Puglia region for the dozens of olive trees and hundreds of olive branches which they offered for today's celebration and which adorned St. Peter's Square and were distributed to the faithful present.

ANG;YOUTH DAY;...;...;VIS;20000417;Word: 130;

POPE INVITES THOUSANDS OF YOUNG PEOPLE TO FOLLOW CHRIST

VATICAN CITY, APR 16, 2000 (VIS) - This morning in St. Peter's Square, John Paul II presided at the liturgical celebration for Palm Sunday in the presence of hundreds of thousands of faithful, mostly young people from all over the world who were participating in the 15th diocesan World Youth Day.

Prior to Mass, the Pope went to the obelisk in the middle of the square, from where he blessed the palms and olive branches decorating it. He then moved by car to the altar in front of the basilica for the celebration of the Eucharist.

In his homily, the Holy Father said, "annihilation and exaltation, this is the key to understanding the Paschal mystery, the key to penetrating God's admirable economy which is realized in the events of Easter."

The Pope affirmed: "God's mysterious plan of salvation, brought to fruition in the annihilation and exaltation of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ (is) the response to the basic questions and misgivings present in all men and women, especially the young."

"In the drama of life," he continued, "you, dear youth, begin to gain experience. You ask yourselves about the meaning of existence, about your relationship with yourselves, with others and with God. Christ the Servant, suffering and humiliated, abased even unto death on the cross and exalted in glory at the right hand of the Father, offers Himself as the only true response to your hearts which thirst for truth and peace and to your many, perhaps anguished, questions and problems. In fact, there is no other answer so simple, complete and convincing."

After expressing thanks for the presence of so many young people at Mass, John Paul II recalled that, "with His entry into Jerusalem, Christ began His journey of love and pain in the Cross. Look to Him with a renewed impulse of faith. Follow him! He does not promise illusory happiness. Quite the opposite, in order for you to reach true human and spiritual maturity, he invites you to follow His example, making His committed choices your own."

HML;PALM SUNDAY; YOUTH;...;...;VIS;20000417;Word: 340;

AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, APR 17, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

- Archbishop Marian Oles, apostolic nuncio in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tadjikistan.
- Archbishop Leonardo Sandri, apostolic nuncio in Mexico.

On Saturday April 15, he received in separate audiences:

- Cardinal Achille Silvestrini, prefect of the Congregation for Oriental Churches.
- Archbishop Manuel Monteiro de Castro, apostolic nuncio in Spain and the Principality of Andorra.
- Cardinal Lucas Moreira Neves O.P., prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.

AP;...;...;...;VIS;20000417;Word: 80;

HISTORIC ANGLICAN-CATHOLIC CONSULTATION SET FOR MAY

VATICAN CITY, APR 17, 2000 (VIS) - A joint communique published today by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and by the Anglican Communion Office announced that there will be an historic consultation of Anglican and Roman Catholic bishops from 13 regions around the world in Toronto, Canada, from May 14 to 20.

They will gather "to review and evaluate the accomplishment of 30 years of ecumenical dialogue between the two traditions and to reflect on how the special relationship between them has been developing in different parts of the world."

Following are excerpts from the communique:

"This high level meeting is happening at a time when Anglicans and Roman Catholics around the world are exploring the possibilities for further steps towards visible unity.

"The meeting grows out of a visit by the Most Reverend and Rt. Hon. George L. Carey, archbishop of Canterbury, to Pope John Paul II in December 1996, where, in a Common Declaration, they stated: 'It may be opportune at this stage in our journey to consult further about how the relationship between the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church is to progress.'

"The bishops will gather in private session at the Queen of Apostles Renewal Center near Toronto, Canada, under the joint chairmanship of Archbishop Carey and Cardinal Edward Idris Cassidy, president of the Vatican's Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity."

"At 6 p.m. on Wednesday May 17, the bishops will join together in public prayer at St. Michael's Roman Catholic Cathedral in Toronto, presided by Cardinal Aloysius Ambrozic and Bishop Terence Finlay. The archbishop of Canterbury will be the preacher. This service is open to all.

"Other components of the meeting will be the sharing of experiences and reflection on the theological dialogue between Anglicans and Roman Catholics. ARCIC, the chief instrument of official dialogue, was set up after the historic meeting in 1966 of Archbishop Michael Ramsey of Canterbury and Pope Paul VI. The international theological work has also fostered significant ecumenical cooperation on the national and local levels of Church life. The commission has produced a series of significant agreed statements, the latest being the "Gift of Authority."

CON-UC;ANGLICANS; CATHOLICS;...;CANADA; CASSIDY;VIS;20000417;Word: 360;

ALLOW GOD TO ACT WITHIN AND THROUGH YOU

VATICAN CITY, APR 17, 2000 (VIS) - This morning in the Paul VI Hall, the Pope received 5,000 participants in the International University Congress UNIV 2000, the theme of which is "man's image 2,000 years on."

John Paul II told professors and students from 56 countries, that they should be "deeply convinced that society must find, in your coherent testimony as young Christians, an important stimulus for solid spiritual and social renewal."

Speaking English, the Holy Father said: "We could say that the two thousand years just ended are not just two millennia after Christ, but in a more real sense two millennia of Christ. This is the truth expressed in the theme of the Great Jubilee: 'Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever'!"

"True progress," he went on, speaking Spanish, "tends towards Christ, towards that full union with Him, sanctity, that is also human perfection."

"Dear youth of UNIV, ... Christian struggle is never in vain. The Christian never works alone. Do not forget this. All believers are instruments of God and Christ acts with them, through the strength of the Holy Spirit. Allow God to act in you and through you. For this to happen, you well know the means to which you must turn: the Sacraments, prayer, the practice of virtue, sanctification of work and spiritual guidance. You need Christ, but Christ also needs you to make Him known to your peers with whom you share experiences and hopes. ... Remain ever open to thinking of others, forgetting yourselves in order to bring your brothers to God."

AC;UNIV 2000;...;...;VIS;20000417;Word: 260;

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, APR 17, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Fr. Denis Theurillat of the clergy of Basel (area 12,585, population 3,000,000, Catholics 1,120,000, priests 888, permanent deacons 68, religious 2,582), Switzerland, and episcopal vicar for the Francophone part of the same diocese, as auxiliary bishop of that diocese. The bishop-elect was born in Epauvillers, Switzerland, in 1950 and ordained a priest in 1976.

On Saturday April 15, it was made public that he:

- Erected the diocese of Orizaba (area 2,012, population 555,302, priests 56, religious 185), Mexico, with territory taken from the archdiocese of Jalapa, making it a suffragan of that same metropolitan church. He appointed Fr. Hipolito Reyes Larios, of the clergy of the archdiocese of Jalapa and rector of the interdiocesan seminary of Jalapa, as first bishop of the new diocese. The bishop-elect was born in Ciudad Mendoza, Mexico, in 1946 and ordained a priest in 1973.

- Erected the diocese of Cordoba (area 4,118, population 627,890, priests 50, religious 164), Mexico, with territory taken from the archdiocese of Jalapa, making it a suffragan of that same metropolitan church. He appointed Fr. Eduardo Porfirio Patino Leal, of the clergy of the archdiocese of Monterrey, Mexico, and pastor and head of studies at the archdiocesan seminary, as first bishop of the new diocese. The bishop-elect was born in Monterrey in 1949 and ordained a priest in 1977.

- Appointed Bishop Michel Dubost, military ordinary for France, as bishop of Evry-Corbeil-Essonnes (area 1,819, population 1,202,000, Catholics 846,000, priests 179, permanent deacons 30, religious 742), France. He succeeds Bishop Guy Herbulot, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, on having reached the age limit.

- Appointed Cardinal Raul Francisco Primatesta, archbishop emeritus of Cordoba, Argentina, as his special envoy at the closing celebrations for the 4th National Eucharistic Congress of Uruguay. The event is due to take place at Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay, on October 15.

- Appointed Msgr. Massimo Boarotto, official at the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, as bureau chief in the same congregation.
NEA:ECE:NER:RE:NA/...VIS 20000417 (320)

ASSURING THE RIGHTS AND DIGNITY OF FUTURE GENERATIONS

VATICAN CITY, APR 14, 2000 (VIS) - Archbishop Giuseppe Bertello, Holy See permanent observer to the Offices of the United Nations and Specialized Institutions in Geneva, spoke there on April 12 on the rights of children during the 56th session of the Human Rights Commission.

He focussed on the two optional protocols to the Children's Rights Convention which have been prepared by work groups and which regard the involvement of children in armed conflicts as well as the sale of children, child prostitution and pornography involving children.

The archbishop noted that the first protocol involving children in conflicts "sets their obligatory enrollment in the armed forces and their direct involvement in hostilities at age 18. The Holy See would have hoped ... that a consensus could have been reached on the question of voluntary enrolment at 18 years of age."

He lamented the fact that children often enrol willingly in the military to earn money, "to survive, to show their strength and maturity or to follow the example of friends. Sometimes they are driven by a culture of violence. ... A new international instrument does not resolve in itself the problem of child-soldiers, but it is an important commitment for everyone."

On the question of children being used for prostitution and pornography, Archbishop Bertello said these "new forms of slavery are fundamental violations of the rights of children: education, private life, health needs. etc. ... Sexual exploitation of children is a dramatic social blight which demands the intervention and collaboration of all involved in forming young people," in particular civil authorities.

The Holy See observer urged greater efforts to eliminate the causes of such plights. He asked if "the erosion ... of family and community values as well as the exaltation of a lifestyle which makes money and riches the supreme values, does not contribute somewhat to the breadth of this phenomenon."

DELSS;CHILDRENS' RIGHTS;...;GENEVA; BERTELLO;VIS;20000414;Word: 310;

TO YOUTH: THE CHURCH NEEDS YOUR GENEROSITY AND DYNAMISM

VATICAN CITY, APR 14, 2000 (VIS) - The Pope this morning welcomed to the Vatican 200 young people from Rouen, France who are in Rome on a Jubilee pilgrimage, telling them that this is a special "time of retreat, reflection and prayer."

In Rome, "as you receive the witness of the first Christian communities," observed the Holy Father, "you in turn are called to be witnesses and to fully take your place in the heart of the people of God. The Church is counting on you; she needs your youth, your generosity and your dynamism, so as to further become the people whom God loves and who raise a new hope for the world."

"May you be the witnesses that this new century so needs!" exclaimed John Paul II. "Certainly, you will need courage and audacity to sometimes go counter-current to the seductive propositions of today's world, and to behave in conformity to the Gospel demands of true love. But you will discover that life with Christ, the search for Truth, practicing basic human and moral values, respect for yourself and others, are the paths of authentic freedom and true happiness."

In concluding words, the Pope told the young people that "Christ calls you to place your hope in Him and to follow Him on the path to marriage, priesthood or the consecrated life. In the silence of your hearts, don't be afraid to listen as the Lord speaks to you!"

AC;YOUTHS;...;

THERE IS NO TRUE WELL-BEING WITHOUT UNIVERSAL EDUCATION

VATICAN CITY, APR 14, 2000 (VIS) - This morning the Pope received the Letters of Credence of the new ambassador from the Republic of Argentina, Vicente Espeche Gil, who between 1972 and 1978 was secretary of the embassy he now heads.

John Paul II expressed his happiness that the Argentine nation "has managed to live the last few years in a climate of political calm, with no great disturbances. ... It is my fervent wish that this civic maturity may become ever more consolidated in a just understanding of the human person."

The policies a government implements to stimulate the growth of the nation must take into account "the integrity of the development of human beings who are, at the same time, both individual and social, and in whom spiritual and religious values are no less fundamental than material ones."

"Indeed," continued the Pope, "a country's growth cannot be measured exclusively in terms of its production of wealth, although this is an indispensable condition and, consequently, a goal that must be pursued. ... There is no true well-being without adequate education at all levels and available to all, a just social order and a rapid administration of justice."

"If the basic values and institutions of the whole of society - the family and the protection of minors and the most needy - are abandoned, it will not be possible to construct a solid and hopeful future. Even less so, if the very foundations of law, liberty and the dignity of persons are undermined, attacking life at the moment of conception. As you have indicated, these values represent a common heritage which must be defended, even in the international arena, in order to offer a more promising future to all humanity."

CD;LETTERS OF CREDENCE;...;ARGENTINA; ESPECHE;VIS;20000414;Word: 300;

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, APR 14, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father:
- Appointed Bishop Gonzalo del Castillo Crespo O.C.D., auxiliary of La Paz, Bolivia, as military ordinary for Bolivia. He succeeds Bishop Mario Lezana Vaca, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same military ordinariate the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

- Accepted the resignation from the office of coadjutor to the military ordinary of Bolivia, presented by Bishop Manuel Revollo Crespo C.M.F., in conformity with canons 401 and 411 of the Code of Canon Law.

NA; RE;...;...;DEL CASTILLO; LEZANA; REVOLLO ;VIS;20000414;Word: 90;

AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, APR 14, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

- Cardinal Jozef Tomko, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.
- Bishop Walter Kasper, emeritus of Rottenburg-Stuttgart and secretary of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.

This evening, he is scheduled to receive Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

AP;...;...;...;VIS;20000414;Word: 60;

MAY 1, THE JUBILEE OF WORKERS

VATICAN CITY, APR 14, 2000 (VIS) - This morning in the Holy See Press Office, there was the presentation of the Jubilee of Workers, which will be celebrated on May 1 on the theme "Work for all: the path of solidarity and justice."

Businessmen, managers, workers, members of co-operatives and financial and business agents from all over the world will be participating in the Jubilee.

The Jubilee events will begin on Sunday April 30 with a preparatory prayer vigil focussing on Christ's Resurrection. This will take place in the Basilica of St. John Lateran under the guidance of Cardinal Camillo Ruini, the Pope's vicar general for the diocese of Rome.

Prior to the Eucharistic celebration on May 1 at Rome's Torvergata University, starting at 10:30 a.m. and presided over by the Holy Father, there will be a time for meditations, songs and interviews which aim to present and describe the different experiences and methods of human labor.

During the Mass, the Pope will present an offering - collected during the course of the day - towards the ecclesial campaign for debt reduction. Finally, Juan Somavia, director general of the International Labor Organization and Paola Bignardi, president of Italian Catholic Action, will greet the Pope, representing, respectively, the world of work and all working women.

The Italian tenor, Andrea Bocelli, will then sing the Jubilee hymn and a number of sacred arias, accompanied by the choir and the orchestra of the Academy of St. Cecilia. John Paul II will give a brief message to the world of work and receive greetings of a delegation of people representing various types of work. The gathering will close with a rendition of the song "Life is Beautiful."

In the afternoon, the traditional May 1 concert will take place, dedicated to the campaign for reducing the debt of the poorest countries.

...;WORKERS' JUBILEE;...;...;VIS;20000414;Word: 310;

JUBILEE OF CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF THE SACRED HEART

VATICAN CITY, APR 13, 2000 (VIS) - At midday today in the Vatican Basilica, John Paul II received 6,500 participants in the Jubilee of Sacred Heart Catholic University. The event falls on the 40th anniversary of the death of its founder, Fr. Agostino Gemelli, and on the 80th anniversary of the foundation of the university in December 1920.

Speaking to professors and students from the university's bases in Milan, Rome, Brescia and Piacenza, the Pope said that the pastoral dimension "embraces everything that happens, and coordinates it with the specific educational project of a Catholic university."

Addressing his remarks in particular to professors, he said: "Be true and authentic educators, be sure to clearly identify the educational plan from which you draw inspiration, demonstrating, like true disciples of Christ, the hope that is within you. May your commitment and honor give the Church and the country professionally well-trained youth, politically sensitive citizens and, especially, wise and courageous Christians."

The Holy Father made reference to the imminent reform of universities and affirmed that the traditional independence they have long enjoyed will "allow them to adapt to the forthcoming changes in such a way as to guarantee the freedom that has always been an essential condition for the development of learning."

"Being Catholic," he continued, "demands that your university - through critical reflection on the present and future of a society that is becoming multi-ethnic and multi-religious - commit itself to combining the essential requirements of its ecclesial affiliation with a warm openness towards all other serious cultural manifestations."

John Paul II called on professors and students to feel proud to belong to the Catholic university and to make every effort "to be equal to the responsibilities that derive therefrom. This is called for by the memory of your tradition, requested by the very nature of your institution and demanded by the laudable educational mission with which you are entrusted."

AC;...;...;SACRED HEART UNIVERSITY;VIS;20000413;Word: 330;

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, APR 13, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos, prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy, as president of the Pontifical Commission "Ecclesia Dei," and accepted the resignation from the presidency of the same pontifical commission presented by Cardinal Angelo Felici.

NA;...;...;CASTRILLON; FELICI ;VIS;20000413;Word: 50;

AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, APR 13, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:
- His Majesty King Mohammed VI of Morocco, accompanied by an entourage.
- Nikolaos Kalantzianos, Greek ambassador, on a farewell visit.

AP;...;...;...;VIS;20000413;Word: 30;

NUNCIATURE OFFERED FOR HAND-OVER OF CUBAN BOY IN U.S.

VATICAN CITY, APR 13, 2000 (VIS) - Holy See Press Office Director Joaquin Navarro-Valls said in a statement today that "upon the request of the two interested parties, the Holy See has made available its nunciature in Washington for the hand-over of the (Cuban) child Elian Gonzales, to his father."

OP;NUNCIATURE; GONZALEZ;...;NAVARRO-VALLS;VIS;20000413;Word: 60;

THE TRINITY IS PRESENT IN CHRIST'S BAPTISM

VATICAN CITY, APR 12, 2000 (VIS) - "The glory of the Trinity in the baptism of Christ" was the theme of John Paul II's catechesis during the general audience, celebrated this morning in St. Peter's Square in the presence of 30,000 pilgrims.

The baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan in which, said the Pope, the "great epiphany of the Trinity" is apparent, marks the beginning of Christ's public ministry.

"The figure of Christ appears in center stage, the Messiah who fulfills all righteousness. He is the one who brings the divine project of salvation to fruition, humbly allying himself with sinners. ... Over Him, the Father's voice rings out, proclaiming Him as "my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased." John Paul II recalled that "the Holy Spirit also appears in the scene, in the form of a 'dove' which 'descends and settles on' Christ."

The Holy Father emphasized that "the entire Trinity is present at the Jordan, revealing its mystery, authenticating and supporting Christ's mission and indicating that, with Him, the history of salvation enters its central and definitive phase. ... The Father entrusts the Son with the mission to bring 'righteousness' - in other words, divine salvation - to fruition in the Spirit."

"Following Christ's baptism," he concluded, "the Jordan also became the river of Christian baptism. ... Emerging from the regenerative waters of the baptismal font, Christians begin their path of life and witness."

AG;TRINITY; BAPTISM;...;...;VIS;20000412;Word: 240;

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, APR 12, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed:

- Bishop Dadeus Grings of Sao Joao da Boa Vista, Brazil, as coadjutor archbishop of Porto Alegre (area 18,068, population 3,265,577, Catholics 2,608,707, priests 487, permanent deacons 21, religious 2,184), Brazil. The archbishop-elect was born in Nova Petropolis, Brazil, in 1936, ordained a priest in 1961 and consecrated a bishop in 1991.

- Fr. Lucien Fischer C.S.Sp., regional superior of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit for eastern France, as apostolic vicar of the Iles Saint Pierre et Miquelon (area 245, population 6,255, Catholics 6,215, priests 2, religious 7). The bishop-elect was born in Strasbourg, France, in 1933 and ordained a priest in 1962.

NEC; NA;...;...;GRINGS; FISCHER;VIS;20000412;Word: 110;

AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, APR 12, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in audience Archbishop Jose Saraiva Martins, prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, accompanied by Archbishop Edward Nowak, secretary of the same congregation.

AP;...;...;...;VIS;20000412;Word: 40;

CARDINAL CASSIDY TO SPEAK ON DOCTRINE OF JUSTIFICATION

VATICAN CITY, APR 12, 2000 (VIS) - Cardinal Edward I. Cassidy, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, will lecture at the department of theology of Notre Dame University in Indiana, U.S.A., on April 18 on "The Joint Declaration on the Doctrine of Justification: A Significant Ecumenical Achievement."

CON-UC;JUSTIFICATION;...;USA; CASSIDY;VIS;20000412;Word: 60;

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, APR 11, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed:

- Bishop Daniel Francis Walsh of Las Vegas, U.S.A., as bishop of Santa Rosa (area 30,320, population 745,138, Catholics 141,792, priests 118, permanent deacons 18, religious 148), U.S.A.

- Msgr. Abdou Yaacoub as adjunct promoter of justice at the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signature.

NER; NA;...;...;WALSH; YAACOUB ;VIS;20000411;Word: 60;

HOLY SEE DELEGATE SPEAKS ON CRIME PREVENTION

VATICAN CITY, APR 11, 2000 (VIS) - Msgr. Dominique Rezeau, Holy See permanent observer to the United Nations in Vienna, addressed the 10th U.N. Congress on Crime Prevention and the Treatment of Delinquents, which is taking place in Vienna from April 10 to 17.

Msgr. Rezeau remarked that "while the oft-mentioned globalization offers formidable opportunities to the inhabitants of our planet to communicate, to better understand one another and to help one another, it also broadens the field of action and the means of those who place human genius in the service of evil and profit from the exploitation of their fellow human beings."

He identified trafficking in people, especially women, young people, illegal emigrants and the defenseless, as one of the transnational crimes to be combatted internationally, calling it a "sordid commerce." Another crime, he added, is forced emigration. This Congress, he stressed, must look not only at how to prevent such crimes, but must give "due attention to their economic, social and cultural causes."

Msgr. Rezeau observed that the blossoming of such crimes occurs where human rights and human dignity are not respected. Political and institutional leaders must "strengthen - in public opinion, in the media and in social institutions - the values of morality and legality. Without them, Conventions, Declarations and the most sophisticated juridical bodies serve no propose."

In addition to educating and re-awakening consciences, he stated, there must be aid for the victims of transnational organized crime, the organizers and executors of such crimes must be pursued and punished "on all levels," and "programs must be established which aim at the protection and rehabilitation of victims."

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FREEDOM OF RELIGION MUST BE GUARANTEED FOR ALL

VATICAN CITY, APR 8, 2000 (VIS) - Archbishop Giuseppe Bertello, Holy See permanent observer to the Offices of the United Nations and Specialized Institutions in Geneva, Switzerland, spoke on April 6 at the 56th session of the Human Rights Commission on Point 11, "Religious Intolerance."

In his speech in French, made public today, the archbishop highlighted "the Holy See's commitment to guaranteeing the legitimate freedom of believers, Christians and non-Christians, to be able to follow the path of their conscience, adhere to the religion of their choice and to publicly profess their faith, without discrimination or segregation, by freely belonging to an organized religious community. On many occasions Pope John Paul II has recalled that religious freedom is the most intimate of rights, indeed the heart of human rights, which makes other personal freedoms possible."

He said that "the Catholic Church does not ask for privileges, but rather claims the freedom necessary, which every citizen should enjoy, to live her religious life and contribute to the development of society."

"If a concern exists," said Archbishop Bertello, "it is seeing the discrepancy between the theoretical acceptance of these principles ... and respecting them in practice."

Highlighting the Catholic Church's activities in the field of inter-religious dialogue, the Holy See observer noted that "respecting each other's convictions is an irreplaceable value in favoring meetings between persons of different beliefs." He recalled the Holy Father's "forceful" words during a March 23 inter-religious meeting in Jerusalem: "Religion is not and must not be an excuse for violence, in particular when religious identity coincides with cultural or ethnic identity. Religion and peace go together!"

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HOLY SEE DELEGATE TO ATTEND QUALITY IN TOURISM MEETING

VATICAN CITY, APR 8, 2000 (VIS) - Msgr. Piero Monni, Holy See permanent observer to the World Tourism Organization, will represent the Holy See at the fourth meeting of the Committee for Promoting Quality in Tourism to be held in Madrid, Spain on April 12 and 13.

According to a communique from Msgr. Monni's office, the primary interest of this meeting "is to promote a tourism which respects human values and the dignity of the person, and which always represents a real occasion for encounter, knowledge and dialogue." Msgr. Monni, scheduled to speak on Thursday, April 13, will focus on "the need for a continual 'ethical attention' in the sphere of tourism activity."
Some of the themes which will be discussed by the participants include: the impact of tourism on society and the discussion of possible ways to apply the World Code of Ethics for Tourism; preventing sex tourism involving exploitation of minors; security and protection in tourism; norms and quality certifications.

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POPE CALLS FOR TESTIMONY TO CHRIST'S LOVE

VATICAN CITY, APR 8, 2000 (VIS) - At midday today in St. Peter's Square, John Paul II received a large group of pilgrims from the Italian dioceses of Aversa, Gorizia, Cesena, Ischia and Molfetta, as well as members of the Capitolino Camper Club and of the Cooperative Credit Bank of Cascia and Regello which is based at Florence, Italy.

The Pope encouraged the faithful from Aversa to remain faithful to the Gospel and added, "I know of your intense pastoral activity in all areas of evangelization. I am also aware of your praiseworthy efforts to be close to the weakest and most forgotten elements of society, especially unemployed youth and poorer families. Be witnesses of solidarity."

"Give special attention to the young. May your common commitment be to 'a Church for the young and with the young'. This is a wise pastoral strategy that looks to the future."

The Pope then greeted pilgrims from the dioceses of Gorizia, Cesena and Ischia to whom he said: "May your constant concern be to give witness to your love for Christ and to announce His Gospel through words and example. In this way, you will always be ready to impart the hope that is within you."

John Paul then turned to the superiors and seminarians from the regional Pontifical Seminary of Molfetta; faithful from parishes of the diaconate of Val d'Elsa in the diocese of Siena and members of the fraternity of the Holy Trinity in Naples. He said he hoped that, on passing through the Jubilee Holy Door, they may obtain from Christ "the strength necessary to be His faithful disciples."

Finally, John Paul II had words for members of the Capitolino Camper Club and of the Cooperative Credit Bank of Cascia and Regello: "May you always be filled with sentiments inspired by charity, which is the fullness of Christian law. Moved by solidarity, put into act effective initiatives for alleviating the many forms of poverty present in today's society."

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JOHN PAUL II BEATIFIES FIVE SERVANTS OF GOD

VATICAN CITY, APR 9, 2000 (VIS) - This morning, during the celebration of Mass in St. Peter's Square, John Paul II proclaimed as Blesseds the following Servants of God: Mariano de Jesus Euse Hoyos (1845-1926), Franz Xavier Seelos (1819-1867), Anna Rosa Gattorno (1831-1900), Maria Elisabeth Hesselblad (1870-1957) and Mariam Thresia Chiramel Mankidiyan (1876-1926).

In his homily, the Pope reminded the 40,000 faithful present that the Colombian, Fr. Mariano, known as Marianito, "tirelessly committed himself in the evangelization of children and adults, especially among peasant farmers." The Holy Father said he hoped that "his radiant witness of charity, understanding, service, solidarity and forgiveness may be an example for Colombia and a beneficial aid to continue working for peace and total reconciliation in that beloved country."

He said that the Redemptorist, Fr. Seelos. "left his native Bavaria and committed himself generously and joyfully to the missionary apostolate among immigrant communities in the United States." The new Blessed "invites the members of the Church to deepen their union with Christ in the Sacraments of penance and the Eucharist."

"Entrusting herself entirely to Providence and animated by a courageous impulse of charity, Blessed Anna Rosa Gattorno (foundress of the Institute of the Daughters of St. Anne), had one intention: to serve Jesus in the painful and wounded body of her neighbor, with sensitivity and maternal attention for all human misery."

John Paul II affirmed that Blessed Hesselblad, a Swedish Lutheran who concerted to Catholicism, was a "pioneer of ecumenism. ... From the very beginning her foundation, (the Order of the Most Holy Savior of St. Bridget), characterized by its Eucharistic and Marian spirituality, committed itself to the cause of Christian unity by means of prayer and evangelical witness."

The Indian Blessed Chiramel Mankidiyan, foundress of the Congregation of the Holy Family, committed herself "to a life of prayer and penance." Her union with the Cross of Christ "enabled her to remain steadfast in the face of frequent misunderstandings and severe spiritual trials."

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, APR 8, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed:

- Fr. Michael A. Blume S.V.D., official of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant Peoples, as under-secretary of the same council.

- Msgr. Miklos Beer, rector of the major seminary of Esztergom, as auxiliary bishop of the archdiocese of Esztergom-Budapest (area 1,543, population 2,094,000, Catholics 1,258,000, priests 461, permanent deacons 13, religious 994), Hungary. The bishop-elect was born in Budapest in 1943 and ordained a priest in 1966.

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COLOMBIA WILL ACHIEVE PEACE IF IT RESPECTS RIGHT TO LIFE

VATICAN CITY, APR 10, 2000 (VIS) - At midday today in the Paul VI Hall, the Pope received pilgrims who had come to Rome for yesterday's beatifications.

The Holy Father expressed the desire that, for Colombia, Blessed Mariano de Jesus Euse Hoyos become "a 'gift of peace' in this Jubilee Year. Colombia will achieve peace if, in all times and places, it respects the sacred and inviolable right to life. Peace, the gift of God, is also the task of man. Consequently, all Colombians, without exception, must collaborate in building that peace, rejecting all forms of violence, fighting against poverty, hunger, unemployment, armed conflict, kidnapping, drug trafficking and the destruction of the natural environment."

John Paul II requested that the example of Blessed Franz Xavier Seelos "inspire more young people to respond with generosity to Christ's call to take on the task of evangelization in the priesthood and religious life."

"The new Blessed Anna Rosa Gattorno," the Pope continued, "addresses to all of us, a strong call to love, defend and promote life, showing us the depth and tenderness of divine love towards all creatures."

He said that Maria Elisabeth Hesselblad's "ecumenical commitment, practical charity and deep spirituality are a model for all Christ's followers, especially for those living the consecrated life."

Through the intercession of Blessed Miriam Thresia Mankidiyan, concluded the Holy Father, "may the Church in India be blessed with an increase of vocations to the religious life, imbued with her spirit of prayer and charity."

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APPEALS IN FAVOR OF BASIC EDUCATION, BLOOD DONATIONS

VATICAN CITY, APR 9, 2000 (VIS) - Following today's Mass, and before reciting the angelus with an estimated 40,000 faithful in St. Peter's Square, Pope John Paul, speaking Italian, English, German and Spanish, briefly greeted those who had come for the beatification ceremony of two priests and three nuns.
"As we give thanks to the Lord for these generous witnesses to the Gospel," he said, "I would like to add a word in favor of two initiatives of solidarity.

"The first is the world campaign for primary education. Unfortunately millions of children are still deprived of this good. I hope that the commitment of the international community will soon reach the objective of assuring all children of a basic education.

"Secondly," the Holy Father concluded, "I join the appeal by Italian health authorities for blood donations, and I hope that the commitment of the population to this very human and evangelical form of helping one's needy neighbor will be ever more generous."

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1 TO 1.5 MILLION EXPECTED FOR WORLD YOUTH DAY 2000

VATICAN CITY, APR 10, 2000 (VIS) - A press conference was held this morning in the Holy See Press Office to present the 15th World Youth Day, which will take place in Rome from August 14 to 20. With over one million young people expected in Rome during that period, World Youth Day is considered the premier event of the Jubilee Year 2000.

Cardinal James Francis Stafford, president of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, which organizes these celebrations, reviewed the history of World Youth Days. He underlined that this year is "the Jubilee anniversary" of World Youth Days because this initiative of Pope John Paul's was born during the Holy Year of the Redemption in 1984 and culminates now in another Jubilee Year.

He recalled that the participation of young people in the first such day was "massive and enthusiastic. ... World Youth Days, an expression of the special charism that John Paul II has in communicating with young people, soon revealed themselves to be one of the 'prophetic choices' of his pontificate."

Cardinal Stafford then underlined the "traditional meanings" of World Youth Days: "strong moments of evangelization for young people, the Church and the world; ... an efficacious sign of ecclesial communion between young people, between them and their bishop and among diverse groups, movements and associations; ... a great challenge of renewal for young people ."

He also stressed the fact that youth "will be crossing the threshold of the Holy Door. They will thus renew their Baptism experience, because Baptism is a 'limina' experience of initiation; it is precisely like crossing a threshold, leaving behind the old and entering into a new communion."

Cardinal Camillo Ruini, the Pope's vicar for the diocese of Rome, focussed on two factors in his presentation: the number of young people expected for World Youth Day 2000 and where and how they will be lodged. He said that between one million and one-and-a-half million young people are expected: approximately 200,000 for the celebrations in local Italian dioceses from August 10 to 14 and upwards of one million for youth day in Rome from August 14 to 20.

The youth will be lodged in public buildings, public and private schools, parishes, universities, religious institutes, welcome centers and with private families. An estimated 15,000 will sleep in tents. Twenty-five thousand will act as volunteers. The cardinal added that 1.5 million letters were sent to families in the diocese of Rome, asking them to welcome young people into their homes in August.

Archbishop Crescenzio Sepe, secretary general of the Central Committee for the Great Jubilee 2000, highlighted the "special harmony" that exists between the Holy Father and young people throughout the world. He recalled that the Pope's meeting with youth during his jubilee pilgrimage, in Korazim on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, was "a foretaste of the meaning of the Jubilee and of World Youth Day 2000."
"Just as the extraordinary meeting at Korazim was the largest and most highly attended liturgical assembly ever to take place in the land of Jesus, so we feel that World Youth Day 2000 will remain in everyone's memory, and in the chronicles of the Great Jubilee, as a historic event."

Bishop Cesare Nosiglia, president of the Italian Committee for World Youth Day, outlined the program for those days. The Youth Day will begin on August 15, Solemnity of the Assumption of the Virgin, when the young people will be welcomed in all the parish communities of Rome. During the evenings of August 16, 17 and 18, experiences of faith and fraternity are scheduled to be exchanged between the young people present.

On the afternoon of Friday 18, the young people will take part in a 'Via Crucis' (Way of the Cross), which will finish in the Colosseum. At the same time, other 'Via Crucis' will take place, organized by the young people in the areas of Rome in which they are staying.

Bishop Nosiglia highlighted that "the Youth Day's central message as well as the special themes of the Jubilee will also characterize the prayer vigil, due to take place on the night of Saturday, August 19 at Rome's Torvergata University. The young people will begin arriving at the university in the morning, undertaking the last part of the journey on foot. They will be welcomed with songs, prayers and testimonies from groups of young people from all over the world.

He added that, in the Mass of August 20, the Pope "will deliver a missionary mandate, asking the young people to be valiant and generous witnesses of Christ and of faith in Him in their countries throughout the world."

Finally he said that the Italian Committee for World Youth Day "has decided to give the proceeds of their solidarity fund as a contribution towards allowing large number of young people from countries at war to participate in the event."

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THE U.N. CAN CONTRIBUTE TO GLOBALIZATION OF SOLIDARITY

VATICAN CITY, APR 7, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father this morning welcomed Kofi Annan, secretary general of the United Nations, and 60 members of the Administrative Committee on Coordination of the United Nations System, who are meeting in Rome. Also present at this encounter were officials of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

The Pope highlighted several aspects of the secretary general's recent Millennium Report, in particular the challenges facing a world marked by the globalization of the economy, society and culture. He said that "the world's increasing interdependence has given these challenges (wars, persecutions, poverty, disasters and epidemics) a global dimension, which requires new ways of thinking and new types of international cooperation if they are to be effectively met." He stressed the U.N.'s "unique opportunity to contribute to the globalization of solidarity" by being a meeting place and point of convergence for States and civil society.

John Paul II pointed out that the administrative committee, in coordinating various policies and programs, "has concentrated its reflections on the implication of globalization for development (and) on the socio-economic causes of humanitarian crises and of the persistent conflicts in Africa and other parts of the world."

The Pope then spoke of the positive aspects of "the unbounded expansion of world commerce and the amazing progress in the field of technology, communications and information," but he lamented that "the ability to exercise influence in this new global setting is not the same for all nations. ... In many cases, decisions with worldwide consequences are made only by a small, restricted group of nations."

"Non-Governmental Organizations," he observed, "representing a very broad spectrum of special interests, are becoming more and more important in international life." He lauded the awareness they create "of the need to move from an attitude of defense and promotion of particular and competing special interest to a holistic vision of development."

The Holy Father underscored the need to build a world where there is "the recognition of the dignity and centrality of every human being as an equal member of the human family and, for believers, as God's equal children."

"I must express my deep concern," Pope John Paul concluded, "when I see that certain groups try to impose on the international community ideological views or patterns of life advocated by small and particular segments of society. This is perhaps most obvious in such fields as the defense of life and the safeguarding of the family. The leaders of Nations must be careful not to overturn what the international community and law have laboriously developed to preserve the dignity of the human person and the cohesion of society."

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, APR 7, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

- Joseph Fischer, foreign minister of the Federal Republic of Germany, accompanied by an entourage.
- Jan Carnogursky, justice minister of the Republic of Slovakia, and Pavol Hrusovky, vice president of the Slovak parliament.
- Major Archbishop Varkey Vithayathil of Ernakulam-Angamaly of the Syro-Malabars.
- Kofi A. Annan, secretary general of the United Nations Organization.
- Cardinal Jan Pieter Schotte C.I,C.M., secretary general of the Synod of Bishops.

This evening, he is scheduled to receive in audience Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

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TELEGRAM FOR THE DEATH OF CARDINAL ECHEVERRIA

VATICAN CITY, APR 7, 2000 (VIS) - Below is the text of a telegram sent by the Pope to Archbishop Jose Mario Ruiz Navas of Portoviejo, Ecuador, for the death at the age of 87 of Cardinal Bernardino Echeverria Ruiz O.F.M., archbishop emeritus of Guayaquil.

"Having received the sad news of the death of the dear Cardinal Bernardino Echeverria Ruiz O.F.M., archbishop emeritus of Guayaquil, I offer my fervent prayers for the eternal repose of one who presided, with great commitment and through long years of episcopal ministry, first in the church of Ambato, after its erection as a diocese, and then in the archdiocese of Guayaquil. He later also accepted the task of apostolic administrator of the diocese of Ibarra, a demonstration of his pastoral generosity and his absolute readiness to serve the Church.

"In these moments of pain, I spiritually unite myself to the bishops and faithful of Ecuador who have been witnesses of the apostolic dynamism that, in so many ways, the late cardinal displayed. I also unite myself to the Order of Friars Minor who gave this son of St. Francis to the Church. Together with all of them, I invoke the compassionate protection of the Virgin Mary and at the same time, as a sign of grace and peace in the Risen Christ, I impart upon them my apostolic blessing."

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BE AUTHENTIC TEACHERS OF LIFE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

VATICAN CITY, APR 6, 2000 (VIS) - Sixty participants in the General Chapter of the Congregation of the Brothers of Christian Education of Ploermel, France, were welcomed at noon today by the Holy Father who highlighted the chapter's theme of "Rediscovering and Living the Mennaisien Charism in Creative Fidelity."

"Seeing God and wishing only God in everything," said the Pope, "this is how one can translate the motto which inspired the entire existence of Venerable Jean-Marie de la Mennais, your founder together with Fr. Gabriel Deshayes, and which he left you as an inspiration in your mission of educating young people: God alone." He added that "Numerous youth formed in your schools have been marked by these two words which sum up so well your spirituality."

"In abandoning yourselves to Providence," observed John Paul II, "you can consecrate yourselves with ardor to your work of educating and of being for young people authentic teachers of life. In a world marked by fragility and social and family difficulties, it is important to prepare the future by proposing to youth an integral formation, which will help them discover spiritual, moral and human principles, so that they may fashion their personality and participate actively in the life of society."

In closing, the Pope cited the Post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation "Vita Consecrata" and told the Brothers that, in pursuing their "efforts to form young people, especially in socially deprived milieux or amongst the most deprived peoples, you are courageously showing that 'the preferential love for the poor finds a special application in the choice of means capable of freeing people from that grave form of poverty which is the lack of cultural and religious training'."

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, APR 6, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

- Ali Abdullah Saleh, president of the Republic of Yemen, accompanied by an entourage.
- Juan Somavia, director of the International Labor Office.
- Assad Kotaite, president of the International Civil Aviation Organization, accompanied by his wife.
- Cardinal Bernard Francis Law, archbishop of Boston, U.S.A.

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THE BLESSED TRINITY OPERATES IN THE INCARNATION

VATICAN CITY, APR 5, 2000 (VIS) - In today's general audience, held in St. Peter's Square, the Pope spoke on "the glory of the Trinity in the Incarnation."

"The glory of the Trinity," said John Paul II to the 40,000 pilgrims present, "is manifested in time and space and reaches its high point in Jesus, in His Incarnation and in His story."

The Pope indicated that "the Holy Spirit also participates in the Incarnation and it is precisely this intervention that renders that generation unique and unrepeatable. ... The Father, the Son and the Spirit are, therefore, present and operate in the Incarnation in order to involve us in Their life."

"To know God and His Son," he said, recalling the Encyclical "Evangelium vitae," "is to accept the mystery of the loving communion of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit into one's own life, which even now is open to eternal life because it shares in the life of God. Eternal life is therefore the life of God Himself and at the same time the life of the children of God. As they ponder this unexpected and inexpressible truth which comes to us from God in Christ, believers cannot fail to be filled with ever new wonder and unbounded gratitude."

The Holy Father affirmed that "in the Incarnation, we contemplate the trinitarian love that takes shape in Jesus, a love that does not remain closed in a perfect circle of light and glory but radiates out in man's flesh and history. It pervades all men and women, regenerating them and rendering them sons in the Son."

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, APR 5, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in audience Cardinal Jean Marie Lustiger, archbishop of Paris, France.

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PRESS CONFERENCE ON WORLD YOUTH DAY

VATICAN CITY, APR 5, 2000 (VIS) - Cardinals James Francis Stafford, president of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, and Camillo Ruini, the Holy Father's vicar general for the diocese of Rome and president of the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI), will preside at a press conference on the 15th World Youth Day on Monday, April 10 at 12 noon in the Holy See Press Office.

Also scheduled to participate are: Archbishop Crescenzio Sepe, secretary general of the Central Committee for the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000; Bishop Cesare Nosiglia, president of the Italian committee for World Youth Day 2000; Msgr. Renato Boccardo, head of the Youth Section of the Pontifical Council for the Laity; Lorenzo Serri, secretary general of the Italian committee for the youth day and Fr. Claudio Giuliodori, director of the office of social communications of the CEI and head of the press office for World Youth Day 2000.

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MULTI-LINGUAL GREETINGS TO PILGRIMS AT GENERAL AUDIENCE

VATICAN CITY, APR 5, 2000 (VIS) - As is customary following the general audience catechesis in Italian, and summaries in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese and German, Pope John Paul greeted the pilgrims at the audience in numerous languages.

Addressing each group in its own language, the Pope had special words about Lent, the meaning of pilgrimage and of the Jubilee indulgence for the faithful from the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia and Croatia.

Speaking Russian, he extended "a cordial welcome to the delegation from the Russian government involved in the TACIS project. I thank you for your visit and, while I wish a positive outcome for your Italian meetings, I ask for you and your dear ones, copious blessings from heaven." TACIS is a program of European Union assistance to countries in Eastern and Central Europe and those which were formerly members of the Soviet Union.

The Holy Father concluded in Italian, remarking that "Saturday, April 8 is the International Day of the Rom and the 'Sinti', dedicated this year to the condition of the gypsies who were victims of the conflict in Kosovo. I hope that this day manages to promote the full respect of the human dignity of these brothers of ours, favoring their adequate insertion into society. With special joy I am looking forward to the encounter which I will have on the occasion of the Jubilee celebrations for migrants and itinerant peoples, at the start of June."

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, APR 5, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Fr. Luciano Bergamin C.R.L., superior general of the Lateran Canons Regular in Brazil, as auxiliary of the diocese of Santo Amaro (area 600, population 2,891,000, Catholics 2,400,000, priests 114, religious 228), Brazil. The bishop-elect was born in Loira, Italy, in 1944 and ordained a priest in 1969.

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HOLY FATHER TO PROCLAIM FIVE BLESSEDS ON SUNDAY

VATICAN CITY, APR 4, 2000 (VIS) - On Sunday, April 9, the Fifth Sunday of Lent at 10 a.m. in St. Peter's Square, Pope John Paul will celebrate Mass during which he will proclaim as Blesseds five Servants of God.

The future Blesseds are: Mariano de Jesus Euse Hoyos (1845-1926), Colombian, priest; Francis Xavier Seelos (1819-1867), German, priest of the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer; Anna Rosa Gattorno (1831-1900), Italian, religious, foundress of the Institute of the Daughters of St. Anne; Maria Elisabetta Hesselblad (1870-1957), Swedish, virgin, foundress of the Order of the Most Holy Savior of St. Bridget; Mariam Thresia Chiramel Mankidiyan (1876-1926), Indian, virgin, foundress of the Congregation of the Holy Family.

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JOHN PAUL II TO TRAVEL TO FATIMA MAY 12 - 13

VATICAN CITY, APR 4, 2000 (VIS) - Pope John Paul's itinerary for his May 12-13 apostolic trip to Fatima, the 92nd foreign trip of his pontificate, was made public yesterday afternoon.

He is scheduled to leave Rome's Fiumicino Airport at 4 p.m. on Friday, May 12 for Lisbon, arriving in early evening in Portugal's capital where he will be met by and have a personal meeting with the president of the republic. Shortly before 7 he will go by helicopter to Fatima, landing at a soccer field named for him. From there he will go to the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima.

On Saturday May 13, at 9:30 a.m. the Holy Father will celebrate Mass on the esplanade of the shrine, in front of the basilica, during which he will beatify Jacinta and Francesco, the shepherd children of Fatima who, along with their cousin Lucia, now a Carmelite nun, saw the Blessed Virgin on the spot where the shrine is today. Mary appeared to the children six times between May 13 and October 13, 1917.

Lucia was ten when Mary appeared. Francisco was 9 and died at the age of 11 in 1919. Jacinta was 7 at the time of the apparitions; she died in 1920. Both children are buried in the basilica at Fatima.

Pope John Paul is scheduled to leave Portugal at 4:45 p.m. on Saturday, May 13.

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, APR 4, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father erected the diocese of Carupano (area 5,638, population 399,892, Catholics 383,896, priests 17, religious 22), Venezuela, with territory taken from the archdiocese of Cumana, making it a suffragan of the same metropolitan church. He appointed Bishop Manuel Felipe Diaz Sanchez, auxiliary of Cumana, as the bishop of the new diocese.

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DATA FROM THE 1998 STATISTICAL YEARBOOK OF THE CHURCH

VATICAN CITY, APR 4, 2000 (VIS) - Between the years 1978 and 1998, the number of bishops in the world increased from 3,714 to 4,439. This is one of the statistics contained in the Statistical Yearbook of the Church for 1998, which is to be published in the next few days.

Of the continents, America had the largest number of bishops -1,672 - representing 37.7 percent of the total. Europe had 32.9 percent (1,459); Asia 13.9 percent (617); Africa 12.9 percent (575) and Oceania 2.6 percent (116).

The number of priests, both diocesan and religious, dropped between 1978 and 1998. In 1998, the total number was 404,626 of whom 264,202 were diocesan and 140,424 religious. Between 1978 and 1998, the number of diocesan priests grew strongly in Africa and also grew, though less strongly, in Asia and America. In contrast to this, there was a considerable drop in numbers in Europe and a smaller drop in Oceania.

Though there was a drop in numbers of priests, especially in Europe and North America, there was considerable growth in the numbers of permanent deacons, both religious and diocesan; lay members of secular institutes; lay missionaries and catechists.

The number of candidates to the priesthood grew in Africa and America, especially Latin America. In western Europe the numbers remained static, while in eastern Europe they grew strongly.

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NAVARRO-VALLS TO RECEIVE THE "GRAN CRISOL" PRIZE

VATICAN CITY, APR 4, 2000 (VIS) - This afternoon in the John Paul II Hall of the Holy See Press Office, Press Office Director Joaquin Navarro-Valls will be awarded the "Gran Crisol" prize. This award is given annually by a group of businessmen from Catalonia, Spain, the "Gresol Empresarial de la Catalunya nova," to figures of international prominence and prestige who, through their work, have furthered social progress and achieved recognition.

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