20,000 CURSILLOS CELEBRATE THEIR JUBILEE IN ROME

VATICAN CITY, JUL 29, 2000 (VIS) - This evening at 7 in St. Peter's Square, 20,000 members of the Cursillo Movement were welcomed by the Holy Father, who had come in for this event from Castelgandolfo. The meeting with the Pope followed Mass which was presided over by Cardinal James Francis Stafford, president of the Pontifical Council for the Laity.

John Paul II, in his speech to them in six languages, observed that the members of the Cursillo Movement, present on all continents, are in Rome to celebrate their Jubilee, and to celebrate the movement's founding in Palma de Mallorca, Spain, by Msgr. Juan Hervas.

He stated that "the theme of this world Ultreya is 'Evangelizing milieux in the third Christian millennium: a challenge for the Cursillos of Christianity'." Ultreya, according to the Cursillo manual, is "a counter-environment of Christian friendship realized in a concrete manner once a week to combat the environment of the world." Cursillos means "little lessons."

The Holy Father, quoting the Apostolic Exhortation "Christifideles Laici," said this challenge "becomes ever more urgent since 'entire countries and nations, where religion and Christian life were once flowering and capable of giving rise to active and working communities of faith, are now sorely tried by the continual spreading of indifference, secularism and atheism'." He underscored the Cursillo approach of inserting "'new' men and women, made so through their encounter with Christ," into all milieux where people live and work.

"In the face of a culture which frequently denies the very existence of an objective Truth of universal value and which often gets lost in the 'quicksands' of nihilism, the faithful must know how to clearly indicate that Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life."

"As you are reminded daily in a prayer often used by the Cursillo Movement," he pointed out, "Christ has no hands, He has only our hands to change the world today. Christ has no feet, He has only our feet to lead this world to Himself. Christ has no lips, He has only our lips to speak to the people."

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FROM THE CATHOLIC ORIENTAL CHURCHES

VATICAN CITY, JUL 31, 2000 (VIS) - Made public today was a communique stating that "the Synod of Maronite Bishops, which met canonically in Bkerke on June 10, 2000, has made the following provisions:

"Confirmed Bishop Antoine-Nabil Andari in his position as syncellus for the region of Jounieh of the Eparchy proper of the patriarch of Antioch of the Maronites.

"Appointed Bishop Samir Mazloum, apostolic visitator for the Maronite faithful in western and northern Europe, as bishop of the Curia and syncellus."

Bishop Andari was born in 1949 in Bella, Caza di Becharre, northern Lebanon, territory of Batrun of the eparchy proper of the patriarchate of Antioch of the Maronites. He was ordained a priest in 1977. He was elected syncellus "ad interim" on June 5, 1999.

Bishop Mazloum was born in Kaakour, archieparchy of Antelias in 1934 and was ordained a priest in 1964. In November 1996 Pope John Paul II elected him bishop and named him at the same time as apostolic visitator for the Maronite faithful in western and northern Europe. He was ordained a bishop in January, 1997.

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POPE EXPRESSES SADNESS AT VIOLENCE IN SPAIN

VATICAN CITY, JUL 30, 2000 (VIS) - After praying the angelus with the faithful who joined him in Castelgandolfo, Pope John Paul greeted the pilgrims in various languages, with special words for groups of young people, members of religious congregations and representatives of the Cursillo Movement.

To the Spanish-speaking pilgrims, he said: "In the face of the wave of terrorism which is striking Spain these days and which yesterday claimed a new victim, I wish to express my profound sadness, as well as my solidarity and closeness to the families of the victims. I again renew my most energetic condemnation of these acts against the right to liberty and life, and reaffirm that no idea or social or political concept can be imposed by violence. I pray the Lord that the dear Spanish people might always enjoy peaceful coexistence and social harmony."

Then, in Italian, John Paul II invited "everyone to spiritually join the prayer vigil for the feast of the Transfiguration which, in answer to the appeal from Patriarch Bartolomew I of Constantinople, will be held on Saturday evening, August 5, in the patriarchal Lateran Basilica, with the aim of giving glory to God Who, in Christ, fully revealed Himself when he affirmed: 'This is my beloved Son, Listen to Him'."

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THE CURSILLO MOVEMENT AND THE EVANGELIZATION OF ADULTS

VATICAN CITY, JUL 30, 2000 (VIS) - Pope John Paul, today at noon, appeared on the inner courtyard balcony of the residence at Castelgandolfo to recite the angelus with the faithful who had gathered there, as well as in the town square outside the palace. There was an audio-video link with the Paul VI Hall with the Italian members of the Cursillo Movement as well as with pilgrims present in St. Peter's Square.

The Pope remarked that "even in the heart of the summer the Great Jubilee does not stop. Yesterday in St. Peter's Square, among the many pilgrims present, were those from the Cursillo Movement, born in Spain over fifty years ago and present in many countries of the world."

He went on to say that "a characteristic of the Cursillos, as of similar ecclesial movements, is that of a new evangelization of adults. The Christian message is proposed through moments of intense spiritual experience, capable of making people rediscover the beauty of encountering Christ and of being Church, as well as the joy of fraternity and reciprocal service, permeating one's entire existence with the Christian spirit."

In concluding remarks, the Holy Father said that "the Church has understood ever more clearly, through the sometimes dramatic events of recent decades, that her duty is the care and responsibility for man, not man in an 'abstract' sense but in a real, 'concrete' and 'historical' one to whom she offers Christ, the One Redeemer. ... Christianity, therefore, can never be reduced to doctrine, to simple principles, because Christ, the center of Christianity, is alive and His presence constitutes the event which constantly renews human creatures and the cosmos."

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"VATICAN TWO," A HOME AWAY FROM HOME

VATICAN CITY, JUL 28, 2000 (VIS) - Affectionately called "Vatican Number Two" by Pope John Paul, the summer papal residence at Castelgandolfo is not only larger than the better known Vatican City State, but has a history that is just as long and colorful, and beauty to rival that of the apostolic palace and gardens in Rome.

Castelgandolfo is one of a number of small towns located on beautiful sprawling hills which surround and overlook Lake Albano, about a half hour drive southeast of Rome. The lake, which fills an old volcanic crater, is 961 feet above sea level. Fed by underground sources and drained by an artificial outlet, said to have been built around 398 B.C., it is about two square miles (5 sq km) in size and has a maximum depth of 558 feet.

Located on what was once known as Alba Longa, a city in ancient Latium, reputedly the birthplace of Romulus and Remus, Castelgandolfo and the cluster of nearby towns are known as the Alban Hill towns. Romans also call them the "Castelli Romani" because of the fortified castles originally built on those hills by noble families, around which small towns grew and flourished. Each "castello" bore the name of the lord of the manor.

Castelgandolfo took its name from the Gandulfi family, originally from Genoa. About 1200 they built a small square fortress with crenelated walls, an inner courtyard, several towers and an adjacent garden on the hill where the town which bears their name stands today. The following century the Savelli family bought the property and owned it, on and off, until 1596. In that year, because of a debt the Savellis could not pay to Pope Clement VIII (1592-1605), he took the property and, in 1604, declared it to be patrimony of the Holy See. This was the first nucleus of the papal residence and property as we know it today.

In 1611, Pope Paul V (1605-1621), though he never sojourned in Castelgandolfo, was urged by town officials to provide the papal property with water: he did so and also restored the Palazzolo aqueduct.

In 1623 Cardinal Maffeo Barberini was elected Pope, choosing the name Urban VIII (1623-1644). Even before his election he had spent vacations in Castelgandolfo and had even built a small home near the walls of the original castle/fortress. Once he became Pope he decided to make this spot his summer residence, readapting and enlargening the old fortress.

One of those who assisted him in this work was the illustrious Carlo Maderno who, in 1603, after completing the facade of Santa Susanna's Church in Rome, was named as principal architect of the new St. Peter's Basilica. Maderno designed both a large wing which overlooked Lake Albano, as well as the left part of the facade as seen today from Castelgandolfo's main square. A modest garden was also planted at this time.

Pope Urban VIII moved into the Castelgandolfo residence on May 10, 1626, just six months before the completion of St. Peter's Basilica, following 120 years of work. In 1627, the Pope's nephew, Taddeo Barberini, acquired land and vineyards near the papal residence. Four years later he acquired yet more land and buildings and the entire complex became known as Villa Barberini. Today this is all an integral part of the pontifical property in Castelgandolfo.

Pope Alexander VII (1655-1667) completed the work begun by Urban VIII, including the long gallery which bears his name, with the assistance of Gian Lorenzo Bernini, noted painter, architect and sculptor. Bernini also designed part of the gardens of the papal residence and they can still be seen today. He is best remembered for having designed the splendid colonnade of 284 pillars which embraces St. Peter's Square, one of the fountains in the square, the basilica's Altar of the Cathedra, the tabernacle in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel and the baldachin over the central papal altar. Alexander VII also asked Bernini to design the town's parish church, which was named after St. Thomas Villanova.

Clement XI (1700-1721), during his very first visit to Castelgandolfo, conferred the title of "Pontifical Villa" on the property.

Pope Benedict XIV (1740-1758) further beautified the residence, especially the Alexander VII Gallery and, in 1749, he built the Loggia of Blessings, which overlooks the town square and is topped by a beautiful clock.

Benedict's successor, Clement XIII (1758-1769) also embellished the residence, including building the private chapel which bears his name.

Pope Clement XIV (1769-1774) acquired the adjacent villa of Cardinal Camillo Cybo with its lovely 18th century, seven and a half acre garden.

The vicissitudes of the next 100 years included the invasion by Napoleon and the unification of Italy, both of which to smaller or greater degrees affected papal holdings, principally the Papal States.

The Papal States, in fact, under Pope Pius IX (1846-1878, the longest pontificate in history) were incorporated into the new Italy when the peninsula was unified in 1870. From the loss of the Papal States that year to the Lateran Pact between Italy and the Holy See on February 11, 1929, under Pius XI, no Pope ever left Vatican City for a holiday in Castelgandolfo.

With the Lateran Treaty, Villa Barberini now belonged to the Holy See and officially became part of the papal residence complex in Castelgandolfo. Pius XI helped to restore the buildings and land which had been unused for so many years. He even bought several orchards in order to set up a small farm, not only to produce goods for consumption in the Vatican but to underscore the importance of agriculture.
This last acquisition brought the total acreage of the papal property in Castelgandolfo to 136 acres (55 hectares). Vatican City State is 109 acres (44 hectares). In Castelgandolfo, more of the total acreage is dedicated to the farm (62 acres, or 25 hectares) and to gardens than it is to buildings.

The real work of restoration at Castelgandolfo under Pope Pius XI began in 1931. In 1933 the Vatican Observatory, run by the Jesuits, was moved from Vatican City in Rome to Castelgandolfo, because the city lights were too bright for astronomers. Still today, the director of the observatory has an apartment in the palace at Castelgandolfo.

Pius XI also built a new chapel in which he placed a replica of Poland's Black Madonna of Czestochowa. Between 1918 and 1921, he had been, respectively, apostolic visitator and then nuncio in Poland, and had a predilection for the Black Madonna. This chapel has remained unchanged since his day. The Pope's first summer visit was in 1934.

His successor, Pope Pius XII, especially loved Castelgandolfo and spent a great deal of time at this residence, except for the years of World War II. During some of the worst moments of the war, the inhabitants of Castelgandolfo and nearby towns were allowed to take refuge on the papal property, given that it enjoyed the status of extraterritoriality. After the landing at Anzio in 1944, the citizens of Castelgandolfo were allowed to stay at the papal palace whereas those from other towns were allowed sanctuary in the Villa Barberini property. Pius XII's first postwar visit to the lakeside villa was in 1946. He returned often after that and died there on October 9, 1958.

Pope John XXIII (1958-1963) also enjoyed sojourns at Castelgandolfo. He started two traditions here as pontiff: praying the angelus with the faithful on Sundays in the inner courtyard, and celebrating Mass in the parish church of St. Thomas Villanova on the August 15 feast of the Assumption.

Paul VI inaugurated papal trips by helicopter from Castelgandolfo. He died here on Sunday, August 6, 1978.

John Paul II, then Cardinal Karol Wojtyla of Krakow, Poland, spent several hours here on October 8, 1978. He returned 17 days later as Pope, having been elected on October 16. He is the first Pope to reside at Castelgandolfo in periods other than late spring or summer. He often stays only for a few days a time, perhaps following a long apostolic trip or an arduous schedule of audiences and liturgical celebrations in the Vatican.

Dr. Saverio Petrillo, director of the Pontifical Villas at Castelgandolfo, has been serving the Holy See for 42 years. Director of the villas since 1986 and author of a book entitled "The Popes at Castelgandolfo," he is an excellent, knowledgeable and discreet guide to the papal property and residences.

Dr. Petrillo began his work in Castelgandolfo at the age of 18 when he was asked to take the place of a Vatican employee who was ill. In the ensuing 42 years he has familiarized himself not only with the physical property - the farm, gardens and buildings - but with the multi-century history of the villas as well.

His office, as well as other administrative offices, is located in one of the buildings of the Villa Barberini part of the pontifical property, and offers splendid views of the Castelli Romani and, in the distance, Rome and the Mediterranean. In this same building are the apartments used by the cardinal secretary of state and by the prefect of the papal household. The formal gardens, the farm and the remains of Emperor Domitian's palatial home are all also part of Villa Barberini.

Separate from Villa Barberini, but only a short distance away, are the Apostolic Palace and other gardens. The palace - the building overlooking the lake - is where the Pope resides and where the faithful can join him in the courtyard on Sundays for the noon angelus. At Castelgandolfo, says the director, the Holy Father has the same basic rooms that he has in Rome - a study, private chapel, dining room and library. The rooms, as is the entire palace complex, are on a smaller, more intimate and homey scale. "Everything here," said Dr. Petrillo, "is very intimate, warm and family-like. Even the pace of life is slower, more suited to man."

Director Petrillo, on a tour of the farm, pointed out that it produces eggs, milk (there are 25 cows) and yogurt on a daily basis: these are brought early in the morning to the apostolic palaces in both Castelgandolfo and Rome and are sold as well, under the name "Ville Pontificie di Castelgandolfo," in the Vatican City supermarket. Olive oil is also produced, but in very small quantities. Dr. Petrillo bserved that, until a few years ago, Vatican City had its own bakery and also sold fresh fruits and vegetables in its market.

He said that 60 people work year round on the papal properties in Castelgandolfo, including gardeners, tree trimmers, those who work at the farm, electricians, other maintenance people, etc. Only 20 people permanently reside in buildings on the property.

The heliport, which is not far from the farm, was first used by Paul VI, said the director, in 1963 when he visited the cathedral at Orvieto. Continuous use of a helicopter for short papal trips began during the Holy Year of 1975 when Paul VI would return to Rome for the weekly general audiences.

The beautifully maintained and manicured formal gardens of Villa Barberini have been used by Popes through the centuries for long walks and moments of prayer. The flowers, bushes and trees - of many varieties, and often trimmed to perfection in geometrical shapes - provide beauty, seclusion and tranquility.

One olive tree in the gardens has a special story: Just an olive branch at the time, it was given by King Hussein of Jordan to Pope Paul VI during his trip to Jerusalem in 1964. The late king's son and heir, now King Abdullah, was able to visit the gardens last year and saw the fully grown tree.

Covering a number of acres and grown on terraces, the formal gardens also provide lovely vistas of the Roman countryside. There are statues, fountains, and a labryrinth of walkways and roads, one of which dates to Roman times and is paved exactly like the Old Appian Way. Ruins of Domitian's villa can be found everywhere and occasionally one will see a niche with a statue from the villa.

The Emperor Domitian (81-96), had built a 14 square kilometer villa on this site. Constructed on three levels, the top was for the servants, the middle was for the imperial family and their guests and the bottom was the crypto-portico, which is in near perfect condition nearly two thousand years later. The crypto-portico, reached now by a staircase built into the gardens, was constructed to provide the emperor and his guests with a cool place to walk, talk, and sit to escape from the summer heat of Rome. Enormous in size, it resembles a tunnel - with one end open and the other closed. The closed end has a raised stage-like level, accessible by a staircase: today there is a large cross here. The ceiling is curved and, on the western wall, there are windows at the top level. Dr. Petrillo said these were once covered with alabaster to let in the late afternoon, setting sunlight - but not the heat.

Also at Villa Barberini is the Antiquarium, a museum which houses a small but prized collection of artifacts from Domitian's villa which were discovered over the past century. Only restricted numbers of scholars are allowed to visit the Antiquarium which includes busts, statues, columns, portals, and tables made of marble and various stones, to mention but a few objects.

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NOTICE: VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE TO TRANSMIT IN AUGUST

VATICAN CITY, JUL 27, 2000 (VIS) - Given the exceptional nature of the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000, in particular the events scheduled for next month, the Vatican Information Service will remain open and transmit its news services during the month of August 2000.

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CENTER TO INAUGURATE ART EXHIBIT FOR WORLD YOUTH DAY

VATICAN CITY, JUL 27, 2000 (VIS) - The San Lorenzo Youth Center issued a press release today in which it announced that it will inaugurate a contemporary art exhibit of Veronica von Degenfeld in August at the start of World Youth Day.

John Paul II, states the communique, will welcome youth from around the world in St. Peter's Square on Tuesday, August 15, 2000, at 6 p.m. Later that evening the San Lorenzo Center will open its doors to he official inauguration of the exhibition which will be introduced by Msgr. Renato Boccardo of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, at 8:30 p.m.

The San Lorenzo Center, located close to St. Peter's Square, is the official place of welcome for young pilgrims to Rome in the Jubilee Year 2000. The Center, run by young volunteers from around the world, provides activities of prayer and spiritual welcome for both groups and individuals. In particular, as the core of the program proposed by the Central Committee for the Great Jubilee, the Center organizes a meeting time of prayer and testimony every evening at 6 p.m. in the 11th century church for the youth in Rome, San Lorenzo in Piscibus. The San Lorenzo Center was created on the initiative of the Pontifical Council of the Laity and was introduced on March 13, 1983, at a special Mass presided over by Pope John Paul II. Since then it has been entrusted to several communities and now enjoys the support of the Emmanuel Community.

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MAN'S EXPECTATION AND AWE IN MEETING THE LORD

VATICAN CITY, JUL 26, 2000 (VIS) - Pope John Paul arrived from Castelgandolfo by helicopter today for the weekly general audience, his first since July 5 and his vacation period in the Italian Alps. The audience began at 10 a.m. in St. Peter's Square in the presence of an estimated 20,000 pilgrims.

He said that he wished today "to focus on two basic demeanors" that man must assume as he prepares to meet the Lord. "The first demeanor is that of expectation. ... In the original Greek we found three imperatives which underscore this expectation: The first is 'be alert', literally, 'look out!' ... It is the opposite of distraction which is, unfortunately, our almost habitual state, above all in a frenetic and superficial society such as today's. It is difficult to be able to fix on one objective, on one value, and to pursue it with fidelity and coherence."

The Holy Father pointed out that the second imperative is "'keep watch', which in the original Greek is equivalent to 'stay awake'. The temptation is strong to fall asleep, wrapped in the coils of darkness, which in the Bible is a symbol of blame, inertia, of refusal of the light." The third imperative, he went on, is "'Be vigilant!' It is the word of the guard who must stay alert as he patiently awaits the passing of nighttime to be able to see the light of dawn as it begins to appear on the horizon."

"Christ's three appeals: 'look out', 'keep watch' and 'be vigilant' summarize very clearly the Christian expectation of the meeting with the Lord. ... For the meeting with mystery one needs patience, inner purification silence, expectation."
John Paul II concluded by highlighting man's second demeanor vis-a-vis meeting the Lord, "that of astonishment, wonder. One must open one's eyes to admire God Who both hides and reveals Himself in things and who introduces us to the spaces of mystery. ... In reality, every thing, every event, for those who know how to read them in depth, bears a message which, in the last analysis, leads to God."

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PAPAL TELEGRAM FOR VICTIMS OF CONCORDE CRASH IN PARIS

VATICAN CITY, JUL 26, 2000 (VIS) - Following is the text of the telegram sent last evening in the Holy Father's name by Cardinal Angelo Sodano, secretary of state, to Archbishop Louis-Marie Bille of Lyon, president of the Conference of Bishops of France, for the crash of a Concorde plane just outside of Paris:

"Having learned of the tragic airplane accident which occurred near Paris and caused numerous victims, the Holy Father unites himself in prayer to the pain of the families, mainly French and German, who lost a dear one. He expresses his sincere condolences to them and assures his deep sympathy and his spiritual closeness to all those touched by this drama, especially the families and friends of the persons who died, members of the personnel of the airline company and all rescuers. He recommends the souls of the deceased to God's mercy, that they might know eternal rest in the peace of His Kingdom. He prays for the families of the deceased that they might be strong and find the support and assistance which they need to get through this painful trial. As a sign of his comfort, the Holy Father imparts his heartfelt apostolic blessing to all persons affected by this tragedy."

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JUL 26, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Accepted the resignation to the pastoral governing of the diocese of Santos, Brazil, presented by Bishop David Picao, upon having reached the age limit. He is succeeded by Coadjutor Bishop Jacyr Francisco Braido, C.SD.

- Accepted the resignation to the pastoral governing of the diocese of Iguatu, Brazil, presented by Bishop Jose Mauro Ramalho de Alarcon Santiago, upon having reached the age limit. He is succeeded by Coadjutor Bishop Jose Doth de Oliveira.

- Appointed Fr. Francisco Meinrad Merkel, C.S.Sp., director of the Father Libermann Institute in Salette, diocese of Rio do Sul, as bishop of Humaita (area 93,689, population 50,600, Catholics 38,000, priests 8, religious 19), Brazil. The bishop-elect was born in Hardheim, Germany, in 1944. He made his perpetual vows in the Congregation of the Holy Spirit in 1969 and was ordained a priest in 1971.

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FOREIGN MINISTER OF SUDAN RECEIVED IN VATICAN

VATICAN CITY, JUL 26, 2000 (VIS) - Following is the declaration released today by Holy See Press Office Director Joaquin Navarro-Valls concerning the visit to the Vatican by Sudan's foreign affairs minister:

"Today, Foreign Affairs Minister Mustafa Osman Ismail of Sudan was received in audience by Archbishop Jean-Louis Tauran, secretary for Relations with States. The Sudanese minister illustrated the latest political developments which are directing the country towards a multiparty and federal system, also in view of putting an end to the conflict which for long years has torn to pieces the south of Sudan.

"The meeting was also an occasion to review the situation of the Catholic Church in the country and the ways to better the living conditions of the Catholic community and thus to permit it to participate more actively in the development of Sudanese society."

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GENERAL AUDIENCE: POPE GREETS PILGRIMS IN 13 LANGUAGES

VATICAN CITY, JUL 26, 2000 (VIS) - Pope John Paul, following today's general audience catechesis in Italian, and summaries in French, English, German, Spanish and Portuguese, greeted the 20,000 pilgrims present in St. Peter's Square in those languages as well as in Latin, Lithuanian, Croatian, Hungarian, Slovakian, Japanese and Korean.

In English, he extended "a special welcome to the visitors from Sendai and Kagoshima in Japan. May God bless you and your families and all your fellow citizens." In Japanese, he added: "Thank you for your visit."

Speaking Latin, the Pope said he was happy to greet promoters of this language who had just concluded an annual course entitled "Aestiva Romae Latinitas." He urged them "to persevere in your studies."

John Paul II told Croatian pilgrims that "the Jubilee celebrations make us feel the need to welcome the Gospel announcement in the social and cultural realities of every nation. ... It is urgent to know how to listen again today to the message of Christian faith and to reflect on it in order to be able to give it vigor once again and to reinforce one's identity, laying out the path to the future."

He concluded his multi-lingual greetings by addressing, in their languages, the Japanese and Korean pilgrims from the Sts. Joachim and Anne Association, with their foundress and spiritual leaders. Pointing out that today is the feast of Sts. Joachim and Anne, parents of the Virgin Mary, he asked that they "might accompany as heavenly protectors older couples in their mission of supporting families."

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COPTIC CATHOLIC CHURCH TO CELEBRATE JUBILEE IN AUGUST

VATICAN CITY, JUL 25, 2000 (VIS) - On the occasion of the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000, there will be a celebration of the Eucharist in the Coptic rite in St. Mary Major Basilica on the evening of August 14, vigil of the feast of the Assumption. His Beatitude Stephanos II Ghattas, patriarch of Alexandria of the Copts, will preside at the liturgy, according to a communique released today by the press office about the Jubilee celebrations in Rome of the Coptic Church.

Copts are the Christians of Egypt, whose name was given them by their Arab conquerors in the seventh century. Tradition has it that Christianity first came to Egypt, via Alexandria, through the catechizing efforts of the evangelist Mark. Alexandria soon became the center of Christian learning. Persecutions of Christians did not reach Egypt until 202 under Emperor Septimus Severus, and they reached their apex under Diocletian in 303, so much so that his reign was called "the era of martyrs."

Over the years Egypt became the cradle of monastic life and monasticism spread from here throughout the East and West.

The bishop of Alexandria was, for quite some time, the only metropolitan of Egypt; this primacy was conferred on him by the Council of Nicea in 325, when he was given the title "Patriarch of Alexandria."

The Council of Chalcedon, convened by the emperor of Constantinople and approved by the Pope, was held in 451. It condemned monophysitism, which repudiated Christ as having two perfect natures, divine and human. The Council deposed Bishop Dioscorus of Alexandria for his monophysite errors. Many Egyptians, to politically oppose the Byzantine dominion, refused the Christological teaching of the Council. And thus, with the monophysite schism, two parallel hierarchies were born in Egypt.

The Arab conquest of 641 put an end to political-religious controversies by imposing a "status quo" on everyone and allowing the anti-Chalcedon patriarch, by now termed "Coptic," to freely exercise his jurisdiction.
The Coptic Church underwent vicissitudes for several centuries, but in 1273 Patriarch Cyril III showed some signs of wishing reunification with Rome. In 1442, during the Council of Florence, a decree of union was signed, but did not have the desired effects.

In the 17th century, Franciscan and Jesuit missionaries began their activities in Egypt.

In 1729 Coptic Bishop Athanasius of Jerusalem, though residing in Cairo, declared himself a Catholic. Benedict XIV named him apostolic vicariate, entrusting to his care the estimated 2,300 Coptic Catholics in Egypt. Athanasius eventually returned to the Coptic Orthodox Church; however, from that moment the line of Catholic Coptic apostolic vicariates has remained unbroken.

Pope Leo XII, on August 15, 1824, erected a Coptic Catholic Patriarchate. In 1895, at the request of Apostolic Vicar Cyril Makarios, Leo XIII reestablished the Coptic Catholic Patriarchate of Alexandria, naming Makarios as its apostolic administrator. Catholics Copts then numbered 5,000: today there are 200,000.

The offices of the Coptic Catholic Patriarchate are in Cairo, though the highest concentration of Coptic Catholics has always been in Upper Egypt, and only in recent years have they been found in other parts of the country. There are six dioceses and over 100 parishes. The majority of seminarians study in St. Leo's Patriarchal Seminary in Maadi, near Cairo, though there are also minor seminaries in Maadi, Tahta and Alexandria. There is a small diaspora of Coptic Catholics in France, Canada, the United States and Australia.

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DECLARATION ON U.S. PRISONER CONDEMNED TO DEATH

VATICAN CITY, JUL 25, 2000 (VIS) - Asked by journalists to comment on the situation of Rocco Derek Barnabei, a prisoner condemned to die in Virginia, U.S.A., in August, Holy See Press Office Director Joaquin Navarro-Valls said today:

"Last December the Holy Father sent the governor of Virginia, through the apostolic nuncio in the United States of America, an indication of his interest in Rocco Derek Barnabei. Now, in the spirit of the Jubilee, John Paul II has once again - through the offices of the apostolic nuncio - solicited the adoption of an act of clemency with regard to Mr. Barnabei."

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ANGELUS: THE VALUE OF VACATIONS AND REST PERIODS

VATICAN CITY, JUL 23, 2000 (VIS) - Today at noon, Pope John Paul appeared on the central balcony of the inner courtyard of the papal residence at Castelgandolfo to greet the faithful who had assembled there and to pray the angelus with them. In reflections made before the angelus, he spoke of the need and value of vacations and periods of rest, "using one's free time for healthy physical, and above all spiritual, relaxation."

Recalling that he had just concluded a brief vacation period in Valle d'Aosta, the Pope pointed to today's Gospel where Jesus told the Apostles to rest. "Jesus and the disciples," he said, "tired by the incessant activity among people, felt the need, every so often, for a calm moment."

"In today's society, so often frenetic and competitive," the Holy Father observed, "where the logic of production and profit predominate, often to the detriment of the person, it is more than ever necessary that each person take advantage of adequate periods of rest in order to recuperate one's energies and at the same time rediscover a just inner equilibrium.

"Vacations should be wisely used so that they help the individual and families, thanks to contact with nature, tranquility, the occasion to cultivate family harmony, good reading and healthy recreational activities; thanks above all to the possibility of dedicating oneself in a greater way to prayer, contemplation and to listening to God."

John Paul II told the faithful that his stay at Castelgandolfo would be shorter this year due to the Jubilee Year activities.

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JOHN PAUL II, PRIESTS FROM DIOCESE OF AOSTA CELEBRATE MASS

VATICAN CITY, JUL 22, 2000 (VIS) - This morning, the last day of his vacation in the mountains of Les Combes in northern Italy, Pope John Paul celebrated Mass with Bishop Giuseppe Anfossi and priests from the diocese of Aosta. The Holy Father is scheduled to return to Rome this evening and to go directly to the papal residence at Castelgandolfo.

In his homily, observing that today is the feast of St. Mary Magdalene, the Holy Father remarked that she "followed to Calvary the One Who had healed her. She was present at the crucifixion, death and burial of Jesus. Together with His holy Mother and the beloved disciple (John), she was there for His last breath and the tacit witness of the pierced side; she understood that in that death, in that sacrifice, she would find her salvation."

"Mary Magdalene," the Pope went on, "thus teaches us that the roots of our vocation as apostles are engulfed in Christ's personal experience. ... This teaching of life is - with special eloquence - for us, the pastors of the Church, called to guide the People of God with the Word, but above all with the witness of our lives."

"Dear brothers in the priesthood," said John Paul II, "I hope that each of you always keeps alive your communion with Christ. May you be driven in your apostolate by His love, not only on the great occasions, but above all in the very ordinary ones, life's everyday events. May intimate union with God ... move each priest to fulfill with faith and charity his pastoral ministry."

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NOTICE: VATICAN INFORMATION SERVICE TO TRANSMIT IN AUGUST

VATICAN CITY, JUL 24, 2000 (VIS) - Given the exceptional nature of the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000, in particular the events scheduled for next month, the Vatican Information Service will remain open and transmit its news services during the month of August 2000.

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JUL 24, 2000 - The Holy Father named Fr. Luigi Antonio Secco, S.D.B., superior and master of novices at the novitiate of San Antonio de los Altos in Caracas, Venezuela, as coadjutor bishop of Willemstad (area 993, population 313,442, Catholics 255,140, priests 40, religious 86, permanent deacons 1), Netherlands Antilles. The bishop-elect was born in Piazzola sul Brenta, Italy in 1947 and was ordained a priest in 1975.

On Saturday, July 22, it was made public that the Pope appointed Fr. Joaquin Mariano Sucunza, pastor of St. Rose of Lima parish and interim episcopal vicar of the central zone of Buenos Aires, as auxiliary bishop of the archdiocese of Buenos Aires (area 202, population 3,826,000, Catholics 3,506,000, priests 915, religious 2,852, permanent deacons 3), Argentina. The bishop-elect was born in Pamplona, Spain in 1946 and was ordained a priest in 1971.

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POPE JOHN PAUL ASKS INTERNATIONAL STATUTE FOR JERUSALEM

VATICAN CITY, JUL 23, 2000 (VIS) - In remarks made following the angelus prayer today at Castelgandolfo, Pope John Paul II said that "for a number of days now, at Camp David in the United States of America, talks have been underway to reach an agreement which could contribute to definitively establishing peace in the Middle East.

"For my part," he continued, "I wish to accompany these negotiations, which certainly are not easy, with prayer and encouragement, inviting the leaders to pursue their efforts and hoping that they will be always animated by the sincere desire for respect of law and justice for everyone and for reaching a just and lasting peace."

John Paul II then "invited the parties involved not to overlook the importance of the spiritual dimension of the city of Jerusalem, with its Holy Places and the communities of the three monotheistic religions which surround them. The Holy See continues to believe that only an internationally guaranteed special statute can effectively preserve the most sacred parts of the Holy City and assure the freedom of faith and worship for all the faithful who, in the region and throughout the world, look to Jerusalem as a crossroads of peace and co-existence."

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FROM JERUSALEM TO ROME: THE JUBILEE OF UNIVERSITIES

VATICAN CITY, JUL 21, 2000 (VIS) - Organized by the Central Committee for the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000, the Congregation for Catholic Education, the Pontifical Council for Culture and the diocese of Rome, the Jubilee of Universities and the World Meeting of University Professors will take place in Jerusalem, Saida, Lebanon and in Rome and other Italian cities from September 3 through 10. Educators will meet on the theme "The University for a New Humanism."

According to the just-released program, this Jubilee celebration also includes the following related events: World Meeting of Ministers of Education and of Universities; World Meeting of University Rectors and Presidents; World Meeting of University Managers; World Forum of Students; World Meeting of University Chaplains.

The program includes an introductory letter to university professors written by Archbishop Zenon Grocholewski, prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education, Cardinal Paul Poupard, president of the Pontifical Council for Culture and Cardinal Camillo Ruini, vicar general for the diocese of Rome. They remind the professors that, in their world meeting, they "will consider and investigate some of the important questions for human knowledge, which is itself one of the highest forms of man's dignity and responsibility."

They also detailed the two-stage timetable for the Jubilee celebrations.

"From the 3rd to the 8th of September, there will be numerous international congresses in Italy, the Holy Land and Lebanon, organized by professors of various universities, and subdivided according to four areas of investigation: the human person, society, a vision of the sciences, memory and creativity. This will be an opportunity to introduce into different cultural fields the contribution of the scientific world, and to show how faith does not obstruct the progress of human research, but rather enlightens and elevates it.

"From the 8th to the 10th of September, once this journey of investigation and sharing has been concluded, the entire university community will gather in Rome. Here they will meet the Successor of Peter, rediscovering the deep meaning of their vocation and mission, convinced that history is guided by Christ, the Redeemer of mankind and Lord of the Universe. The high point of this event will be the solemn Eucharistic celebration on Sunday, September 10, at which His Holiness Pope John Paul II will preside."

Some of the highlights of the Jubilee of Universities include:

- Sunday, 3: Jerusalem: Opening concert.

- Monday, 4: Jerusalem, Saida, Rome and other Italian cities: Opening of the international congresses which continue throughout the week. In Rome at the Pontifical Gregorian University: opening of an exhibition on Blessed Niels Stensen, organized by the University of Tromso in Norway, an ecumenical prayer meeting, the presentation of a 1569 edition of the Vulgate Bible, edited by Scriptorium Publisher and a concert.

- Tuesday, 5: Rome: At 6 p.m. at the Monumental Area of San Michele, opening of the exhibition "Christian Loca, the Christian Space in the Rome of the First Millennium," and a prayer meeting in the Oriental rite.

- Wednesday, 6: Assisi: An inter-religious prayer vigil at the basilica of St. Mary of the Angels. Rome: concert of university choirs and other artistic-cultural events.

- Thursday, 7: Rome: In the afternoon the opening of the World meeting of University Managers, and in the evening the meetings of religious movements.

- Friday, 8: Rome: In the morning, the World Meeting of University Chaplains; in the afternoon, the World Forum of Students and the World Meeting of University Rectors; in the evening, a welcome concert for the opening of the Jubilee days.

- Saturday, 9: The Vatican: 9 a.m. meeting with Pope John Paul II, a liturgy of the Word and the presentation of the syntheses of the congresses. In the afternoon, penitential celebrations in eight languages and at 6 p.m., the World Meeting of Ministers of Education and of Universities.

- Sunday, 10: Vatican: Mass presided over by Pope John Paul II.

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JUL 21, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father has appointed Fr. Daniel Caro Borda, rector of the Major Seminary of the diocese of Zipaquira, Colombia, as auxiliary of the archdiocese of Bogota (area 3,219, population 6,850,000, Catholics 6,000,000, priests 1,452, religious 6,904), Colombia. The bishop-elect was born in Bogota in 1939 and ordained a priest in 1963.

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APOSTOLIC LETTER TO GREEK-CATHOLIC CHURCH OF ROMANIA

VATICAN CITY, JUL 20, 2000 (VIS) - Made public today was the Apostolic Letter of the Holy Father John Paul II for the Third Centenary of the Union of the Greek-Catholic Church of Romania with the Church of Rome. In the letter, dated May 7, 2000, the Pope also recalls his apostolic visit to that country from May 7 to 9, 1999.

He called the 1999 trip "a special gift from the Lord" and said he well remembers "the beauty of your land and the faith of the people who live there."

The letter focussed not only on the May 7 anniversary of the union of the Greek-Catholic Church of Romania with Rome, but of the need for the Church to fulfill her "duty to progressively realize unity with God and among men."

The Pope wrote of the vicissitudes of the Church in Romania over the millennia, from the third century when Latin Christianity was introduced, to the introduction of the Byzantine rite at the start of the eighth century to the period when Romania's Christians became Orthodox, the predominant religion today. A large number of adherents, however, asked for reunion with Rome, and this was achieved in 1700.

"The Romanians, in fact, being a Latin people, have been open to receiving the treasures of the Byzantine faith and culture. Despite the wounds of division, this legacy remains shared by the Greek-Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church of Romania. ... The hearts of the sons and daughters of this ancient Church have always beat strongly with passion for the unity willed by Christ."

He said that this passion was "lived in a singular way by the Romanian Church in Transylvania, especially after the tragic division between the Christianity of the East and that of the West" in 1054. And he recalled the efforts of those who tried to heal this wound, culminating in a movement which asked for, and obtained, full union with Rome, "officially decided upon on October 7, 1698 and solemnly ratified on May 7, 1700." He asked: "How can we not recognize the precious service rendered by the Greek-Catholic Church to the entire Romanian people of Transylvania."

John Paul II observed that "notwithstanding the numerous difficulties encountered, the Greek-Catholic Church of Romania ... has seemed to be ever more a singular witness to the unforeswearable value of ecclesial unity. But it was above all in the second half of the 20th century, at the time of communist totalitarianism, that your Church had to undergo a very hard trial, justly earning the title of 'the Church of confessors and martyrs'."

He urged the faithful not to be demoralized notwithstanding the difficulties the Church is encountering as it comes back from years of suppression and to undertake their journey "with faith that they can count on God's help."

In light of the persecutions undergone by the Church, Pope John Paul suggested an updating of its martyrology, "enacting the necessary measures to enrich the documentation about the events which transpired and to thus allow future generations to know their history." He underlined the persecutions undergone by the Orthodox Church and by other Churches and religious communities.

The Pope recognized that the Greek-Catholic Church of Romania was not able to fully participate in Vatican Council II, which "faced with major attention the delicate questions of the Oriental Catholic Churches, of ecumenism and of the Church in general." He also recognized that the Greek-Catholic Church of Romania was making "laborious efforts" to commit itself to the counciliar teachings as set forth in the Church's Magisterium and "to fully welcome the indications of the Holy See." The Pope stressed at length the special commitment made during Vatican Council II to the search for full unity among Christians.

"My immediate predecessors," John Paul II affirmed, "beginning with John XXIII of venerated memory, have multiplied efforts in favor of ecumenical reconciliation, in particular with the Orthodox Churches. ... Under the merciful glance of her Lord, the Church remembers her past, recognizes the errors of her children and confesses their lack of love for their brothers in Christ and, as a consequence, asks for pardon and pardons, seeking to re-establish full unity among Christians."

He wrote that "the attempt to search for full communion is inevitably conditioned by the historical context, by the political situation and by the dominant mentality of each era. ... The changed circumstances of the present call for a search for unity in a broader ecumenical horizon."

"As I encouraged the process of revision of the mode of exercising the petrine ministry within Christian ecumenism, except for those exigencies which come from the will of Christ, I thus urge an updating and a deeper study of the specific vocation of the Oriental Churches in communion with Rome in the new context, appealing for the study and reflection of all the Churches."

In concluding remarks, the Holy Father said that "an authentic return to liturgical and patristic traditions, a treasure you share with the Orthodox Church, will contribute to the reconciliation with other Churches present in Romania." He "warmly encouraged pursuing the dialogue between your Church and the Orthodox Church."

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COMMUNIQUE ON ROMAN CATHOLIC-ORTHODOX CHURCH DIALOGUE

VATICAN CITY, JUL 19, 2000 (VIS) - Made public this afternoon was a communique, written in English, from the Joint International Commission for the Theological Dialogue between the Roman Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, which met in plenary session at Mount St. Mary's College in Emmitsburg, Maryland, U.S.A. from July 9 to today.

The meeting was hosted by Cardinal William Keeler, archbishop of Baltimore and co-chaired by Cardinal Edward Idris Cassidy, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and Archbishop Stylianos of Australia, ecumenical patriarchate. The Catholic archbishops, bishops and scholars came from the United States, Italy, Austria, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Germany, Greece, Israel, Lebanon, Poland and Romania. The Orthodox metropolitans, bishops and scholars were from the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople and the Patriarchates of Alexandria, Antioch, Moscow and Romania, and the Churches of Cyprus, Greece, Albania, Poland, Finland and Estonia.

The communique highlighted the acts of worship during this period, including a service of prayer at St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Basilica, a doxology at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral, the Eucharist in Assumption Catholic Basilica in Baltimore and a divine liturgy in the Greek Orthodox Cathedral of St. Sophia in Washington.

"The theme discussed at this plenary session," states the communique, "was the 'Ecclesiological and Canonical Implications of Uniatism', ... a subject which has assumed particular importance since the changes which occurred in Central and Eastern Europe over the last ten years."

"Although reactions were generally positive," it adds, the documents touching upon theological aspects and practical guidelines "were met with some reserve and even outright opposition, sometimes from each side. Therefore, it was felt necessary to continue the reflection by the Joint Commission in order to find common understanding on this extremely thorny question."

"The discussions of this plenary were far-reaching, intense and thorough. They touched upon many theological and canonical questions connected with the existence and the activities of the Eastern Catholic Churches. However, since agreement was not reached on the basic theological concept of uniatism, it was decided not to have a common statement at this time. For this reason, the members will report to their Churches who will indicate how to overcome this obstacle for the peaceful continuation of the dialogue.

"The Commission sees the need for further study of the theological, pastoral, historical and canonical aspects related to this issue. ... Despite all the difficulties the Commission hopes that through this process it will be able to develop further its quest for full communion between the Roman Catholic and Orthodox Churches."

The communique concludes by recalling that the Commission, in this Year 2000, celebrates the 20th anniversary of the beginning of its work at Patmos and Rhodes in 1980.

...;CATHOLICS; ORTHODOX;...;USA; KEELER; CASSIDY;VIS;20000719;Word: 460;

PREMONSTRATENSIANS CELEBRATE GENERAL CHAPTER

VATICAN CITY, JULY 19, 2000 (VIS) - Made public today was a Letter from Pope John Paul to Abbot Hermengild Joseph Noyens of the Premonstratensians (the Order of the Canons Regular of Premontre, also known as the Norbertines), who are celebrating their general chapter. The letter is dated July 6 and is written in Latin. This order was founded by St. Norbert in 1120 at Premontre, France.

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IN MEMORIAM

VATICAN CITY, JUL 19, 2000 (VIS) - The following prelates died in recent weeks:

- Bishop Jean-Marie Ogez, M.Afr., emeritus of Mbarara, Uganda, on July 10 at the age of 90.
- Bishop Giuseppe Petralia, emeritus of Agrigento, Italy, on July 7 at the age of 94.

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JUL 19, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Fr. Miguel Angel Moran Aquino, vice rector of "San Jose de la Montada" central seminary in San Salvador, as bishop of San Miguel (area 4,993, population 825,000, Catholics 796,000, priests 52, religious 45), El Salvador. The bishop-elect was born in 1955 in Esquipulas, El Salvador and was ordained a priest in 1981.

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JULY 23 CELEBRATIONS FOR ST. BRIDGET, CO-PATRONESS OF EUROPE

VATICAN CITY, JUL 19, 2000 (VIS) - To mark the July 23 feast of St. Bridget of Sweden, Masses will be celebrated throughout the day, starting at 7:30 a.m., in the Church of St. Bridget in Rome's Piazza Farnese. The concluding Eucharist on Sunday will be presided over at 6 p.m. by Archbishop Agostino Cacciavillan, president of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See.

St. Bridget, who played a great role in Rome during the Jubilee Year 1350, the second Jubilee ever to be held, was named co-patroness of Europe, along with St. Edith Stein and St. Catherine of Siena, on October 1, 1999. Pope John Paul made the announcement in St. Peter's Basilica at the start of the Mass which opened the Synod for Europe.

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ARCHBISHOP FOLEY TO SPEAK IN THE U.S. IN COMING WEEKS

VATICAN CITY, JUL 18, 2000 (VIS) - Archbishop John Foley, president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, will be in the United States at the end of this month and in early August where he will give two speeches.

On Sunday, July 30 he will address the National Deaconate Institute for Continuing Education at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, reflecting on communication about deacons and deacons as leaders of communication in the Church.

On Wednesday, August 2, in Boston, Massachusetts Archbishop Foley will speak to the Supreme Council of the Knights of Columbus.

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PAPAL LETTER MARKS ANNIVERSARY OF MOTHER FRANCES CABRINI

VATICAN CITY, JUL 15, 2000 (VIS) - Made public today was Pope John Paul's Message to Mother Lina Colombini, superior general of the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart, on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the birth of their foundress, St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, and the 50th anniversary of her proclamation as patroness of emigrants. The Message bears the date of May 31.

The Pope recalls that Frances Cabrini was born and baptized on July 15, 1850 "to a family rich in faith and piety." She entered the House of Providence in Codogno, Italy, where "she promised to dedicate herself totally to the Lord (in missionary work). There she received the religious habit and later, while keeping the name of Frances, added the name of Xavier in memory of the great Jesuit missionary and patron of missions."

With her bishop's approval she founded the Salesian Missionaries of the Sacred Heart in 1880. In 1888 the order received pontifical approval and became known as the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Mother Cabrini asked "evangelical obedience, mortification, renunciation, a vigilant heart and inner silence," wrote the Pope, and there was "a surprising flowering of vocations."

In answer to Pope Leo XIII's request to "go West, not East," as a missionary, Mother Cabrini undertook her evangelizing work in the United States, but also visited, as part of her apostolate to migrants, Nicaragua, Brazil, Argentina, France, Spain and England. The Holy Father recalled that Mother Frances Xavier Cabrini was beatified by Pius XI in 1938, canonized by Pius XII in 1946 and proclaimed patroness of migrants during the 1950 Holy Year.

Observing that "prayer, ... long periods of time in front of the tabernacle," and seeking God's will were the source of Mother Cabrini's strength and dedication to the causes of migrants, the Pope wrote: "May the search for the will of the divine Spouse also be for you, dear sisters, the focal point of your existence."

He thanked them for "incarnating, with creativity and generosity the spirit of Mother Cabrini in the unheard-of and modern situations of migrants." He also thanked them for their work "in favor of the poor and defenseless," noting especially their apostolate among the "favelas" of Brazil, the street children and in promoting the dignity of women.

MESS;MOTHER CABRINI; MIGRANTS;...;COLOMBINI;VIS;20000717;Word: 380;

PRESS OFFICE DIRECTOR ON POPE JOHN PAUL'S VACATION

VATICAN CITY, JUL 16, 2000 (VIS) - Conversing this morning with the journalists who had come to Introd, Les Combes, where the Holy Father has been on vacation since July 10, Holy See Press Office Director Joaquin Navarro-Valls spoke of the Pope's activities and thoughts during the six days spent thus far in Valle d'Aosta.

The Holy Father is staying this year in a new villa, recently built by the Salesians. Navarro-Valls said that, at the angelus, the Pope had profusely thanked all who made his rest period enjoyable, in particular the Salesians. When he saw the new house, however, he protested, asking "was the villa made especially for me?" He felt better when told that the house, which faces Mont Blanc and is surrounded by an enormous garden, would be used during the winter months as a ski stop.

The press office director also commented on the ever-changing weather in the Valle d'Aosta region. "The Pope has a background as a mountain man, he knows the climate changes from one minute to the next. The other day at Fontaney he had a great time because one minute there was snow, then hail, then splendid sunshine."

Navarro-Valls disclosed today that it was Pope John Paul II who personally had written to Italian President Ciampi "to communicate his feelings regarding the prospect of Italy deciding or not on a gesture of clemency with regards to Ali Agca," the Turk who shot the Pope on May 13, 1981 in St. Peter's Square at the start of a weekly general audience. Agca was granted clemency a month ago and extradited to Turkey.

He added that, though the Pope has asked clemency for Ali Agca and others, he never wishes to interfere with a State's autonomy: "States act autonomously. The Pope only wished to communicate his own frame of mind, not to ask or demand anything of the Italian State."

Asked if the Holy Father had received a letter, asking for his intervention in favor of an American prison inmate who has been condemned to death, Navarro-Valls replied that such a letter has not reached the Vatican. However, he added, "the theme of the death penalty is still very much alive for the Pope, particularly within the context of the Jubilee Year." Referring to John Paul's Letter for the Jubilee in Prisons, he said: "That document contained a formal invitation to the world's heads of State and government, and no one can ignore this formal invitation against the death penalty."

The press office director revealed that John Paul II "is thinking about and is anxious to go to Syria and to Greece, to Athens, in the footsteps of St. Paul, though nothing has been decided, nor are there any dates." Regarding a trip to Moscow, he said: "The Pope would like to go to Moscow, but it is clear that a trip to Russia must also have an ecumenical dimension, it cannot only be an event of ceremonies and invitations." He excluded positive developments regarding a trip to Iraq.

More than "summing up what has been accomplished, especially in this Jubilee Year," said Navarro-Valls, "these days the Holy Father is thinking about the future, about commitments he has made, deadlines he must meet. ... He is looking beyond 2000, to next year and the goals awaiting him."

He pointed out that "every morning the Pope is briefed on the world situation and, obviously, the Middle East is at the center of his attention, above all, for the fact that he travelled to the Holy Land in March, during which time he personally met both (Israeli Prime Minister Ehud) Barak and (PLO leader Yasser) Arafat, the two protagonists in the negotiations (in Washington)."

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POPE RECITES ANGELUS FROM VACATION VILLA IN INTROD

VATICAN CITY, JULY 16, 2000 (VIS) - Today at noon, from the summer villa in Introd, in Italy's northern region of Valle d'Aosta where he is vacationing, Pope John Paul recited the angelus with about 5,0000 faithful who had gathered there. "I thank the Lord," he said, "for giving me the possibility again this year of spending some time in this evocative mountain location, which calls to mind the majestic presence of God."

"From this serene setting," said the Pope, speaking before the angelus, "I would like to extend a cordial thought to everyone who is on vacation in this valley and elsewhere, in the mountains or at the sea. I invite everyone to make these days of well-earned summer rest a time of interior enrichment and beneficial family relaxation. I am also thinking of those who cannot take a vacation and have remained at home. In a special way I extend an affectionate greeting to those who are ill, to older people, to those in prison and to those who are alone. I assure each one of you remembrance in my daily prayers."

The Holy Father then recalled that "today we celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. On that mountain, which is in Israel near Haifa, the holy prophet Elias strenuously defended the integrity and purity of the faith of the people chosen in the living God. On that same mountain, in the 12th century after Christ, a number of hermits gathered together, dedicating themselves to contemplation and penance. It was from their spiritual experience that the Carmelite order had its beginnings.

"Carmel," he said in conclusion, "symbolically indicates the mount of full adhesion to the divine will and of our eternal salvation. We are all called to climb this spiritual mountain, ceaselessly and courageously."

Following the recitation of the angelus, the Pope greeted the pilgrims present in different languages, noting especially the presence of Carmelites and Benedictines.

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JUL 15, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Accepted the resignation to the pastoral governing of the diocese of Morombe, Madagascar, presented by Bishop Alwin Albert Hafner, M.S.F. in conformity with Canon 401, para 2, of the Code of Canon Law.
- Appointed Fr. Victor Agbanou, diocesan administrator and professor of Sacred Scripture at the Major Seminary of Ouidah, Benin, as bishop of Lokossa (area 4,635, population 979,210, Catholics 83,452, priests 56, religious 88), Benin. The bishop-elect was born in 1945 in the diocese of Lokossa and was ordained a priest in 1974.

- Appointed Cardinal Nicolas de Jesus Lopez Rodriguez, archbishop of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, as his special envoy to the concluding celebrations of the Fourth National Eucharistic Congress of Uruguay, which will take place on October 15 in Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay.

RE; NER; NA;...;...;HAFNER; AGBANOU; LOPEZ;VIS;20000717;Word: 130;

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JUL 14, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Fr. Edward Gabriel Risi, O.M.I., master of Our Lady of Hope Novitiate of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate in Johannesburg, South Africa as bishop of Keimoes-Upington (area 272,265, population 314,110, Catholics 65,879, priests 16, religious 44, permanent deacons 3), South Africa. The bishop-elect was born in 1949 in Johannesburg and was ordained a priest in 1974. He succeeds Bishop John Baptist Minder, O.S.F.S., whose resignation to the pastoral governing of Keimoes-Upington was accepted by the Holy Father for having reached the age limit.

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MESSAGE FOR 5TH CENTENARY CELEBRATIONS OF "BROWN MADONNA"

VATICAN CITY, JUL 14, 2000 (VIS) - Made public today was Pope John Paul's Message to Cardinal Michele Giordano, archbishop of Naples, Italy, on the occasion of the fifth centenary celebrations of the pilgrimage during which a group of faithful brought the icon of "The Brown Madonna" from Naples to Rome.

"This event," the Holy Father recalls, "gave rise to the widespread practice of the 'Wednesdays of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel', an expression of Marian devotion in which ... it is possible to recognize a reflection of the goodness of Mary Most Holy." July 16 is the feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel.

The Pope writes: "On our earthly pilgrimage Mary is the biblical 'column of fire' which illuminates us, the 'guiding star' towards the heavenly homeland, the 'sure port' in which to find consolation and refuge. Guided by her, believers go forward with trust, aware that her sweet presence constantly leads to Christ."

"And thus proceeds the Church," he remarks, "among the trials of the world and the consolations of God towards the fulfillment of the Kingdom in the eschatological phase. This is a path which develops through an ever more intimate communion with God and our brothers and sisters; This (path), 'especially in our era, is marked by the sign of ecumenism'. Mary, Mother of the Church, Mother of unity, hope and love, walks with us."

The Message concludes with a "heartfelt exhortation to the beloved ecclesial community of Naples to proceed ceaselessly, comforted by the maternal intercession of Our Lady, in its efforts for spiritual renewal and an incessant search for unity and communion."

MESS;LADY MT CARMEL;...;NAPLES; GIORDANO;VIS;20000714;Word: 280;

PAPAL TELEGRAM FOR DEATH OF ARCHBISHOP RUNCIE

VATICAN CITY, JUL 13, 2000 (VIS) - Following is the text of the telegram sent by Pope John Paul II to The Most Rev. and Rt. Hon. George Leonard Carey, archbishop of Canterbury, for the death of his predecessor, Lord Robert Runcie, at the age of 78:

"Saddened by the news of the death of Lord Runcie, former archbishop of Canterbury, I hasten to offer my condolences to Your Grace, to the Anglican Communion and to all who are mourning the passing of your predecessor. Looking in faith to the Risen Christ, I join you in commending Archbishop Runcie to the God of all mercies, praying that he will rest in peace and rise in glory when 'death shall be no more' (Rev. 21:4). I give praise and thanks to the Most Holy Trinity for the times when we prayed together, in particular when I came to Canterbury Cathedral in 1982 and when the archbishop later came to the Church of Saint Gregory in Rome. It is my fervent hope that the memory of Archbishop Runcie will stir us all to love more deeply the past which is our common heritage and to work more eagerly for the future which is the will of Him Who is 'the faithful witness and firstborn from the dead' (Rev 1:5)."

TGR;DEATH RUNCIE;...;CANTERBURY; CAREY;VIS;20000713;Word: 220;

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JUL 13, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father has appointed Msgr. Pierre-Marie Carre, vicar general of Agen, as metropolitan archbishop of Albi (area 5,780, population 342,800, Catholics 300,000, priests 172, religious 616, permanent deacons 14), France. The archbishop-elect was born in Seques, France in 1947 and was ordained a priest in 1974.

NER;...;...;CARRE ;VIS;20000713;Word: 60;

"EMBRYO REDUCTION CONSTITUTES SELECTIVE ABORTION"

VATICAN CITY, JUL 13, 2000 (VIS) - "The Pontifical Council for the Family, having been asked to express its position on the so-called 'embryo reduction', and after having consulted with the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith," published a declaration today. Dated July 12, it is written in Italian and signed by Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo and Bishop Francisco Gil Hellin, respectively council president and secretary. Following are excerpts:

"Currently, cases of multiple pregnancies, that is, when the maternal womb is shared by several embryos, have become rarer. Such cases usually occur because of ovary stimulation in the case of infertility or because of recourse to artificial insemination, on which the Magisterium has already pronounced itself (Congr. Doct. Faith, Instr. 'Donum vitae', II). ... What must be underlined, however, is the responsibility of those doctors who, ... applying the techniques of artificial insemination, cause situations that put at risk the life of the mother and of the children which have been conceived."

"As to multiple pregnancies, some state that, together, they cannot reach their term, either for the spontaneous death of several embryos in the uterus, or because of the premature birth of fetuses without hope of life. They add that, if the unborn all survive up to the delivery, the obstetric difficulty (and the consequent danger for the mother) is greater. On this basis the conclusion was reached that the selection and elimination of several embryos to save the others, or at least one of them, would be justified. And it was for this reason that the technique known as 'embryo reduction' was introduced.
"In this regard it is necessary to underscore the following: since every embryo must be considered and treated as a human person in respect for their eminent dignity (Cong. Doct. Faith, Instr. 'Donum vitae, I 1), the basic human rights of the unborn, in the first place, the right to life, which cannot be violated in any way, must be recognized from the first moment of conception. Beyond any confusion and ambiguity, it must be stated that 'embryo reduction' constitutes a selective abortion: it consists, in fact, of direct and voluntary elimination of an innocent human being (John Paul II, Enc. 'Evangelium vitae', 57). Therefore, whether this is used as an ends or as a means, it always constitutes a grave moral disorder (John Paul II, Enc. 'Evangelium vitae', 62). ... The illicitness of such behavior is a valid norm for everyone, even for non-believers (John Paul II, Enc. 'Evangelium vitae', 101). This moral prohibition remains even in those cases where continuing the pregnancy constitutes a serious risk for the life or health of the mother and the other (unborn) brothers/sisters."

"Embryo selection, involving the voluntary elimination of a human life, can never be justified, neither on the basis of a so-called lesser evil, nor on the basis of the double effect: neither one nor the other can be applied in this case."

"May the Lord of life ... guide ... those who are at the service of life to do everything possible to save the mother and children. ... What is certain is that, if it is part of human limitation to sometimes have to assist powerless at the premature death of innocent creatures, it is never morally licit to cause death voluntarily."

CON-F;EMBRYO REDUCTION;...;LOPEZ TRUJILLO;VIS;20000713;Word: 550;

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

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

- Appointed Fr. Genival Saraiva de Franca, vicar general of Campina Grande, as bishop of Palmares (area 3,797, population 476,000, Catholics 352,000, priests 26, religious 72, permanent deacons 1), Brazil. The bishop-elect was born in Alcantil, Brazil, in 1938 and was ordained a priest in 1965. He succeeds Bishop Acacio Rodrigues Alves, whose resignation to the pastoral governing of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted for having reached the age limit.

- Appointed Bishop Matias Patricio de Macedo of Cajazeiras, Brazil, as coadjutor of Campina Grande (area 20,451, population 886,000, Catholics 771,000, priests 47, religious 187), Brazil.

NER; RE; NEC;...;...;SARAIVA; RODRIGUES; DE MACEDO ;VIS;20000712;Word: 100;

U.S. CONGRESS RESOLUTION FAVORS HOLY SEE PRESENCE AT U.N.

VATICAN CITY, JUL 12, 2000 (VIS) - Following is the declaration released today by Fr. Ciro Benedettini, vice director of the Holy See Press Office, on the Resolution by the U.S. Congress favoring the Holy See presence at the U.N.:

"The Holy See has learned with satisfaction that the Congress of the United States of America on July 11 adopted a Resolution in favor of the presence of the Holy See at the United Nations. The text, voted by roll call, was adopted almost unanimously (416 in favor, one against).

"This Resolution takes on particular significance in that the American Congress not only expresses support for the presence and activity of the Holy See at the United Nations, but recognizes it as a sovereign entity, capable of acting in the international field and, in addition, pays tribute to its contribution in favor of peace and the promotion of human rights.

"The Holy See is grateful to the members of the United States Congress and applauds the promoters of this instance for their commitment in assuring the Resolution a full reception.

"Analogous initiatives had already been adopted by the Senate in Chile and the Philippine Parliament, in answer to the position taken by several groups which had criticized the presence of the Holy See in the Organization of the United Nations."

OP;US CONGRESS; HOLY SEE;...;...;VIS;20000712;Word: 230;

TELEGRAM FOR DEATHS CAUSED BY LANDSLIDE IN THE PHILIPPINES

VATICAN CITY, JUL 11, 2000 (VIS) - Following is the text of the telegram sent in the Holy Father's name by Cardinal Secretary of State Angelo Sodano to Cardinal Jaime Sin, archbishop of Manila, the Philippines, for the deaths caused by a landslide of a garbage fill on a shantytown in Payatas, near Quezon City, a suburb of Manila:

"The Holy Father was deeply saddened to learn of the death and destruction caused by the landslide at Payatas, and in the love of the Lord Jesus he asks you to convey his condolences to all who are suffering because of this tragedy. Conscious that the victims were among the poorest of the poor, His Holiness prays fervently that, like Lazarus who is poor no longer (Lk 16; 20-22), they will find eternal happiness in the embrace of God who 'will wipe every tear from their eyes'(Rev 21; 4), and he expresses the hope that the survivors will receive the prompt assistance and the support which their human dignity demands. Entrusting the people of Payatas to the loving care of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Holy Father imparts his apostolic blessing as a pledge of strength and peace in Jesus Christ, 'the firstborn from the dead'(Col 1; 18)."

TGR;LANDSLIDE;..PHILIPPINES.;
Subject: ; SIN; SODANO;VIS;20000711;Word: 200;

FRANCISCAN HERMITAGE INAUGURATED IN LITHUANIA

VATICAN CITY, JUL 11, 2000 (VIS) - Made public today was a letter written by Pope John Paul to Fr. Giacomo Bini, superior general of the Franciscan Friars Minor, for the July 8 inauguration of the Franciscan hermitage built on the Hill of Crosses in Siauliei, Lithuania. The letter is dated June 29.

The Pope wrote that "the building of this hermitage, in a place so charged with memories, reminds me of my prayerful visit on September 7, 1993 to the Hill of Crosses" and, ten days later, his pilgrimage to Verna. He said that be became more aware "of the great usefulness" of making "pilgrimages to Siauliei and Verna, places marked by the mystery of the Cross, to mediate with greater awareness on the passion, death and resurrection of the Lord and to open oneself to the grace of conversion."

Commenting on the "fraternal cooperation between the province of the Friars Minor in Lithuania and that in Tuscany," he recalled how, "in the times before communism, young Lithuanians, anxious to follow the Franciscan charism, were invited to Tuscany for their formation to the religious life."

"May the Crosses of the Hill of Siauliei," exhorted the Holy Father, "remain as witnesses to the tremendous trials suffered because of a dictatorial regime and may they constitute, at the same time, a sign of the greatness of soul of a people which knew how to draw from their own spiritual and cultural traditions the necessary strength to continue to hope in a better future. In the most difficult moments of the history of Lithuania, the Crosses of Siauliei have been a steady source of strength, an inner bulwark of faith in Christ and fidelity to the Church."

JPII-LETTER;HERMITAGE;...;FRANCISCANS; LITHUANIA;VIS;20000711;Word: 290;

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JUL 11, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father accepted the resignation to the office of auxiliary of the apostolic vicariate of Bagui, the Philippines, presented by Bishop Sebastian Dalis, in conformity with Canons 411 and 401, para 1, of the Code of Canon Law.

RE;...;...;DALIS ;VIS;20000711;Word: 50;

ARCHBISHOP FOLEY CELEBRATES JUBILEE FOR PRISONERS IN U.S.

VATICAN CITY, JUL 11, 2000 (VIS) - Archbishop John Foley, president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, was in the United States this past weekend where, on Sunday, July 9 he preached the homily at a Mass for the Jubilee of Prisoners at the State Correctional Institution in Graterford, Pennsylvania.

The archbishop, in his homily published yesterday afternoon, confessed to the inmates that he had "never before been inside a prison. I have visited places which have become museums. I have been in the slave labor camps of Auschwitz and Dachau and I have seen the gas chambers of Birkenau. ... I have failed, however, in not responding to the exhortation of Jesus to visit those who are in prison. For this I apologize to you." He thanked those who had invited him "to make amends for this sin of omission in my life and to visit with you today."

"Those in prison," he said, "look back with regret or remorse to the days when they were free and they experience their time now as a burden which never seems to pass. In this difficult situation, a strong experience of faith can greatly help in finding the inner balance which every human being needs. This is one reason why the Jubilee is so relevant to prison life: the experience of the Jubilee lived behind bars can open up unexpected human and spiritual vistas."

In closing, Archbishop Foley told the prisoners: "When I informed the Holy Father that I was coming to Graterford today, he sent me cards with his signature to be distributed to each one. ... Please believe me when I say you are in his thoughts and prayers."

CON-CS;MASS PRISON;...;US; FOLEY;VIS;20000711;Word: 280;

BARNABITES WELCOMED BY POPE DURING GENERAL CHAPTER

VATICAN CITY, JUL 8, 2000 (VIS) - This morning in the Hall of Popes, the Holy Father met with 50 participants in the general chapter of the Regular Order of St. Paul, also known as the Barnabites, who are meeting on the theme "Looking to the Future." The order was founded in the 16th century by St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria and housed in the monastery of St. Barnabas in Milan from which they received the name of Barnabites.

The Pope urged them to "reaffirm with joy your fidelity to the spiritual patrimony of your founder" who "lived a demanding spirituality based on 'the madness of the Cross'. ... At a time of general lassitude, St. Anthony Mary Zaccaria revived the faith, promoting an intense life of interior renewal centered on the Crucifix and the worship of the Eucharist, the heart of the life of the Church."

John Paul II recalled that the Barnabites chose St. Paul as their teacher and "assumed the commitment of reforming customs, dedicating themselves with special care to the education of young people and schools and oratories." Still today, he went on, "you feel called to witness to the Gospel of charity to your contemporaries. Love for Jesus, 'the living Crucified', and the desire to embrace all men in charity, without distinction, push you to seek .... new avenues to be living presences in the Church."

"Looking at the vast horizons of the new evangelization," he concluded, "the necessity to proclaim and witness the Gospel message to everyone, without distinction, takes on even greater urgency. ... Indeed, how many people are waiting to know Jesus and His Gospel! How many situations of injustice, of moral and material uneasiness are present in so many parts of the earth!"

AP;EVANGELIZATION;...;BARNABITES;VIS;20000710;Word: 290;

SPECIAL ENVOY NAMED TO UKRAINIAN CELEBRATIONS

VATICAN CITY, JUL 8, 2000 (VIS) - Made public today was a Letter by Pope John Paul, written in Latin and dated June 10, in which he names Cardinal Vinko Puljic, archbishop of Vrhbosna Sarajevo, as his special envoy to the celebrations of the Ukrainian International Pilgrimage to the Marian shrine of Zarvanycia, Ukraine, scheduled to take place July 22-23.

The names of those who will accompany Cardinal Puljic were also published: Fathers Hlib Lonchyna, professor of theology at the Theological Academy of Lviv, and Vasil Dubets, professor of liturgy at the diocesan seminary of Ternopil.

DELSS;PILGRIMAGE;...;UKRAINE; PULJIC;VIS;20000710;Word: 100;

HOLY FATHER WELCOMES ITALIAN AND SPANISH PILGRIMS TO ROME

VATICAN CITY, JUL 8, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father this morning in the Clementine Hall received in audience various groups of pilgrims from Italy and Spain, in Rome to celebrate the Jubilee Year 2000. He reminded them that "during the Great Jubilee, a time of grace and mercy, each one is called to respond to God's voice through a serious examination of conscience, efforts for purification and penance, and more intense prayer."

To a group of consecrated, he said: "In the wake of Christ, Obedient Servant, be ever ready to receive with joy God's plan for you, witnessing the fact that Love is capable of filling the heart of the human person. Your consecration expresses the intimate nature of the Christian vocation and the longing of the entire Church-Spouse for union with the One Spouse."

To the lay faithful, John Paul II said: "May your dignity as children of God be mirrored in your every activity, your every concrete commitment. In what you do, in work, in your dedication to the family, in educating your children, in social and political service, in the spheres of culture and information, may your continual exercise in faith, hope and charity, shine forth."

Greeting pilgrims from Santiago de Compostela, Spain, the Pope addressed them in their language and recalled that, as they had recently celebrated a Jubilee, "you know well the riches that God sends forth in a Holy Year. I hope for you that you welcome with joy your going through the Holy Door in this Great Jubilee, so that your hearts and your communities open themselves to the new life that is Christ and that, with Him, the source of life and hope, the Church of Santiago strengthens its faith, its fidelity and its apostolic vigor in the face of the challenges of the third millennium."

AC;PILGRIMS;...;... ;VIS;20000710;Word: 300;

REAFFIRM CHARISMS OF ECUMENISM, RENEWAL OF CHRISTIAN LIFE

VATICAN CITY, JUL 8, 2000 (VIS) - The Pope received in audience this morning in the Consistory Hall members of the general chapter of the Basilian Order, whose patron and "patriarch" is St. Basil the Great (d.329). The Pope underscored how, for many members of the community, "just ten years have passed since their freedom from oppressive regimes, which were a great deterrent to the life of the Church."

Recalling that the Basilians work mainly among Eastern rite Catholics, the Holy Father pointed to one of the primary scopes of the Basilian order, "the renewal of the Christian life of your people, an end to which St. Josaphat worked so diligently. ... We are approaching the 400th anniversary of his entrance into the monastery of the Most Holy Trinity in Vilnius. The start of a new springtime of monastic life in the Greek-Catholic Church goes back to that very time." St. Josaphat "contributed efficaciously to the rebirth not only of monasticism but also of Christian life in those lands. An analogous situation is repeated today in those places where, for many decades, the Church was suppressed."
Turning to the charism of the Order of St. Basil the Great, John Paul II said that "it rests on several essential points: community life, a clear manifestation of the evangelical life, service to the unity of the Church of Christ as expressed in study, example and, above all, in personal prayer and liturgy, the multiform apostolate for the people of God through spiritual formation, and pastoral, catechetical, missionary, scholastic and editorial activities." He pointed out that St. Basil knew how to balance "tireless preaching with spaces for solitude and ample time for prayer." He was, "in the fullest sense of the term, a monk."

The Pope urged the Basilians to remain dedicated to their service to ecumenism, to St. Basil's "call to the precept of love for God and for one's brothers," and to making liturgy their "continual reference point. Faithfully adhering to the legacy of the past, which knows how to open itself to a healthy creativity according to the great spirit of liturgical prayer, will be a guarantee of the perseverance of your Oriental religious identity."

AP;...;...;BASILIANS;VIS;20000710;Word: 350;

JUBILEE MASS IN ROME PRISON: POPE REPEATS CALL FOR CLEMENCY

VATICAN CITY, JUL 9, 2000 (VIS) - Wearing vestments made by Regina Coeli prison inmates and saying Mass on a platform they made in their workshop, the Holy Father this morning celebrated the Jubilee in Prisons in the centuries-old Roman building which serves as a jail for men. He reiterated the "request to authorities for a sign of clemency towards all prisoners" during the Jubilee Year which he made in his June 30th Message for this particular Jubilee Day.

Several score of prisoners attended the Mass, while the rest watched from either their cells overlooking the rotunda area where Mass was said or followed the celebration on screens placed throughout the prison. Prisoners served as altar boys and also formed the choir. A delegation of women from the city's female prison attended the papal Mass. Also present were the warden, prison guards, chaplains and civil authorities.

Pope John Paul, whose visit lasted two hours, is the third pontiff to visit Regina Coeli (Queen of Heaven) prison: Pope John XXIII came on December 26, 1958, and Paul VI visited in 1964.

"I come to you as a witness of God's love," the Pope told the prisoners in his homily. "I come to tell you that God loves you and wishes you to walk on a path of rehabilitation and pardon, of truth and justice. I wish that I could personally hear the individual story of each of you. Since I cannot do so, your chaplains can; they are near you in the name of Christ."

He remarked that "at the center of this Jubilee is Christ the prisoner, but at the same time, Christ the lawmaker. It is He Who makes the Law, Who proclaims it, Who consolidates it. In any case, he does not do so with arrogance, but rather with meekness. ... He strongly proclaims justice, but heals wounds with the balm of mercy."

The Holy Father stated that "it is a duty to receive the message of the Word of God in its integral meaning. The 'prison' from which the Lord comes to free us is, in the first place, that in which the spirit is chained. The spirit's prison is sin. ... God takes to heart the integral liberation of man, a liberation which not only regards physical and external conditions, but is above all that of the heart."

He said that "our sin upset God's plans, and not only human life, but creation itself feels it. This cosmic dimension of the effects of sin can be easily seen in ecological disasters. Not any less worrisome are the damages caused by sin in the human psyche. ... Sin is devastating. It removes peace of heart and produces a chain of suffering in human relations. I imagine how many times, going over your personal stories, or listening to those of your cell mates, you have noted this truth!"

John Paul II ended his homily with remarks on the prisoners' sentences: "Sentences, in fact, cannot be a merely retributional in nature or a kind of social retaliation or institutional vendetta. Sentences, and prison, make sense if, while the needs of justice are affirmed and crime is discouraged, they serve to renew man, offering those who have erred a chance to reflect and change life, to be reinstated fully into society."

After Mass, the Pope received gifts from the inmates at Regina Coeli prison and then made a brief speech, following those by civil officials.

He told the prisoners that he extended his greetings to their families as well. "I know well," he said, "that each of you lives in looking forward to the day when, once your sentence is completed, you will again be free and return to your families.

"Aware of this, in the Message I sent the world for this Jubilee day, in the wake of my predecessors and in the spirit of the Holy Year, I asked for a sign of clemency for you, by means of a reduction of sentence, I asked for this deeply aware that such a choice is a sign of sensitivity towards your condition, a sign capable of encouraging the commitment to repentance and of inviting personal reformation."

HML;JUBILEE PRISONS;...;REGINA COELI ;VIS;20000710;Word: 700;

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

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

- Cardinal John Baptist Wu Cheng-chung, bishop of Hong Kong, as his special envoy to the National Missionary Congress of the Philippines, which will take place from September 27 to October 1 in Cebu.

- Archbishop Emil Paul Tscherrig, apostolic nuncio in Burundi, as apostolic nuncio in Trinidad and Tobago, Dominica, Jamaica, the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Santa Lucia, and apostolic delegate in the Antilles.

- Msgr. Antonio Mennini, nunciature counselor, as apostolic nuncio in Bulgaria, elevating him to the dignity of archbishop. The archbishop-elect was born in Rome, Italy in 1947 and ordained a priest in 1974.

NA; NN;...;...;WU; TSCHERRIG; MENNINI;VIS;20000710;Word: 110;

AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, JUL 8, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father received in separate audiences today:

- His Royal Highness, Grand Duke Jean of Luxembourg, with his wife and entourage.
- Felipe H. Paolillo, ambassador of Uruguay, on a farewell visit.
- Mohammad Hadi Abdekhoda'i, ambassador of Iran, on a farewell visit.
- Archbishop Francesco Monterisi, secretary of the Congregation for Bishops.

AP;...;...;...;VIS;20000710;Word: 70;

POPE ANNOUNCES "A PERIOD OF REST" IN ITALIAN MOUNTAINS

VATICAN CITY, JUL 9, 2000 (VIS) - Pope John Paul, after praying the noon angelus today with tens of thousands of faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square, told them that "tomorrow, God willing, I will go for a period of rest to the mountains of Valle d'Aosta."

"I would like to greet all those," he added, "who are already on vacation in various places and those who are still in the city. In a special way my thoughts turn to the young people who are taking their end-of-the-year exams. I would also like to greet all who cannot go on vacation. I am thinking about those who are sick, older persons, people who are alone and all who for various reasons must stay at home. May solidarity be shown to them."

ANG;VACATION;...;...;VIS;20000710;Word: 140;

GAY PRIDE MARCH "AN OFFENSE TO CHRISTIAN VALUES"

VATICAN CITY, JUL 9, 2000 (VIS) - Speaking from his study window before today's angelus, Pope John Paul said he "had to mention the well-known demonstrations which took place in Rome in recent days," referring to the week-long gay pride meetings and the march through Rome on Saturday. "In the name of the Church of Rome, I can only express bitterness for the affront to the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000 and for the offense to the Christian values of a city so dear to the hearts of Catholics throughout the world."

"The Church," he continued, "cannot silence the truth, because she would fail in her fidelity to God the Creator and would not help in discerning what is good from what is evil.

"I would like, in this regard, just to read what the Catechism of the Catholic Church says. After pointing out that homosexual acts are contrary to the natural law, it states: 'The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. They do not choose their homosexual condition; for most of them it is a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition'."

In other remarks which preceded the angelus prayer today, the Holy Father spoke of his "joy at meeting the inmates of Regina Coeli prison, during their jubilee. It was a touching moment of prayer and humanity. I sought to understand, reading their eyes, the sufferings, anxieties and hopes of each one. In them I knew I was meeting Christ who identified with them in the Gospel when he said 'I was in prison and you came to find me'."

The Pope referred to his Message for the Jubilee in Prisons when he "asked that, precisely for the Holy Year, a sign of clemency be offered to prisoners. Above all I asked the legislators of the entire world to re-think the prison system, as well as the penal system, aiming to make them more respectful of human dignity, in line with a redeeming justice for the guilty and not only reparation for the disorder caused by the crime. In fact, all those who have made mistakes must be helped to undertake a path of moral redemption and personal and community growth, with a view to a valid reinsertion into society."

ANG;HOMOSEXUALITY; PRISONS;...;...;VIS;20000710;Word: 440;

JOHN PAUL II DEPARTS FOR VACATION IN VALLE D'AOSTA

VATICAN CITY, JUL 10, 2000 (VIS) - Pope John Paul II left this morning at 10:15 from Rome's Ciampino Airport for the hour-long flight to Saint-Christophe where he then travelled by car to Les Combes, in Italy's northern Valle d'Aosta region. The Pope has spent previous vacation periods at Les Combes.

Only one public activity is scheduled for the 13-day rest period: On Sunday, July 16, he will recite the angelus from his vacation retreat.

The Holy Father will leave Valle d'Aosta in late afternoon on Saturday, July 22. He is set to arrive at Ciampino Airport at 7:30 p.m. and go directly to the summer papal residence at Castelgandolfo.

JPII-VACATION;DEPARTURE;...;VALLE D'AOSTA ;VIS;20000710;Word: 120;

LIVE WITH RENEWED VIGOR THE FRANCISCAN CHARISM

VATICAN CITY, JUL 7, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father this morning welcomed 250 participants in the General Chapter of the Friars Minor Capuchins. In his speech to them, he remarked that their "religious family, from the very beginning, has been marked by the commitment - the legacy of St. Francis - to a great love for the Church and a filial obedience and fidelity to her pastors."
He stated that among "the multiple gifts with which the Holy Spirit has enriched the Church are the single religious institutes.. ... In following Christ and adhering to His person, what merits being placed into special evidence today is 'the fidelity to the founding charism, and subsequent spiritual heritage of each institute'."

Referring in particular to the Franciscans, the Pope stated: "Two aspects in particular you must always bear in mind: in the first place, the priority and centrality, as St. Francis wished, of Gospel fraternity, which marks you as friars and makes you an Order of brothers." He underlined what is "typical of the Franciscan-Capuchin charism: the spirit of prayer, obedience and simplicity, poverty and austerity, contact with the people, closeness to the needy, zeal for evangelization, joy and Christian hope."
"In the second place," John Paul II continued, "you see the opportunity to underline the coherent, practical and concrete behavior of St. Francis. It is necessary to turn to deeds, to values lived, to the method of direct witnessing. You know well the criteria your founder loved to refer to: 'plus exemplo quam verbo', with example more than words."

In closing remarks, he expressed his "esteem and gratitude" for the Franciscan witness throughout the world.

AC;GENERAL CHAPTER;...;FRANCISCANS;VIS;20000707;Word: 280;

FELLOW POLES JOIN POPE JOHN PAUL IN EVENING PRAYER SERVICE

VATICAN CITY, JULY 7, 2000 (VIS) - Calling it a "touching encounter," Pope John Paul spent two hours in St. Peter's Square last evening with 30,000 of his fellow Poles for an evening prayer service. He spoke to and prayed with them and listened to testimonials and musical performances, many executed by men and women wearing colorful native costumes.

In his talk, he spoke of the "Polish millennium - the millennium of the baptism of our nation," underscoring the Christian history of Poland and naming many of the country's great events and persons, including Church leaders, kings, queens, military leaders and saints. "Let us accept their witness, not to glorify ourselves, but to first render glory to the Lord and then to accept, with awareness, this legacy and pass it on to future generations."

The Holy Father told the Polish faithful that their pilgrimage to Rome was "to renew and enrich, with the faith of the Apostles, ... your own faith. ... Today the world, and even our fatherland, has great need of men and women of mature faith, who courageously confess Christ in every place and every situation. There is need for authentic heralds of the Gospel and messengers of truth. Of people who believe and who love and transform this love of God into authentic service to mankind. The greatest treasure which we can transmit to the younger generations at the threshold of the third millennium is our faith. Blessed is the nation which walks in the light of the Gospel, which lives the truth of God and which attains the knowledge of the Cross."

AC;PILGRIMAGE; POLES;...;...;VIS;20000707;Word: 270;