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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