JUBILEE OF STATESMEN AND POLITICIANS BEGINS ON SATURDAY

VATICAN CITY, OCT 31, 2000 (VIS) - In the Holy See Press Office this morning, there was the presentation of the Jubilee of Statesmen and Politicians, scheduled to take place in the Vatican on November 4 and 5.

Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, president of the Central Committee for the Great Jubilee 2000, said that "the forthcoming assembly of November 4 can in no way be considered as a kind of world parliament called by the Catholic Church. ... It is significant that, in our time, political leaders - believers and non-believers - may, free from complexes and only in the light of their own consciences, find themselves on the same platform to agree on such acute and pressing problems as those that must be faced: humanization and globalization, defence of the person and of religious freedom and cancelling the debt of the poorest countries."

Italian Senator Ombretta Fumagalli Carulli said that, "for 22 years now, John Paul II has invited us to 'be not afraid'" and "has travelled the world, speaking to everyone 'so that the earth does not destroy itself in the senselessness of a final catastrophe, so that every man becomes a brother, so that love is stronger'."

She added that "we politicians wanted to show that we understood. Thus, in July 1997 the Interparliamentary Group for the Jubilee was born, promoted by parliamentarians of all political persuasions, sensitive to and committed to the three objectives of social justice and international dialogue which, slowly, we began to clarify: 1. reduction of the external debt of poor countries; 2. religious freedom and dignity of the person; 3. ethics and globalization. ... We proposed our objectives to the parliamentarians of other Nations. ... More than 100 countries, of Christian, Hebrew and Islamic traditions, on five continents have replied."

Senator Fumagalli Carulli then outlined the two-day program for the Jubilee of Statesmen and Politicians. On Saturday, November 4, heads of State and government and representatives of governments will meet in the Paul VI Hall in a political assembly to discuss and approve motions on the three above-mentioned objectives. A president and 10 vice presidents, representing all the continents, will be elected and preside in turn over the sessions. Pope John Paul will address the assembly at 6 p.m., concluding the day's work.

On Sunday the Holy Father will preside at a Eucharistic celebration in St. Peter's Square for the parliamentarians' Jubilee. An evening event in the Paul VI Hall will conclude the celebrations.

The senator noted that "we should have preceded these two days by a pilgrimage from the Holy Land (Bethlehem, Jerusalem and Nazareth) to Rome, 'in the footsteps of Paul'. Unfortunately the current situation does not permit this."

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