POPE RECEIVES 50,000 PILGRIMS FROM ITALIAN DIOCESES

VATICAN CITY, OCT 28, 2000 (VIS) - Today in St. Peter's Square, the Pope received 50,000 pilgrims from the Italian dioceses of Basilicata, Siena-Colle di Val d'Elsa-Montalcino, Fermo, Amalfi-Cava dei Tirreni, Rimini, Tivoli and Latina-Terracina-Sezze-Priverno. Also present was a large group of students, parents and teachers from Catholic schools in Rome and the Lazio region.
The Holy Father told faithful from the archdiocese of Siena-Colle di Val d'Elsa-Montalcino that their jubilee pilgrimage was, "in a certain sense, guided by the figure and example of St. Catherine, co-patroness of Italy and of Europe, whose marble image will, from today, adorn the outside of the Vatican Basilica." He requested that her witness may "be a help to you in discovering ever more, day after day, your Christian vocation and in fulfilling it with generous commitment."

He encouraged faithful from the archdiocese of Fermo "to discover in prayer, and especially in the celebration of the Eucharist, the strength to participate actively in the lives of your Christian communities."

Going on to address participants in the traditional meeting of Catholic schools in Rome and the Lazio region, John Paul II said: "I hope that Catholic schools will see their due place in the civil and social life of the nation fully recognized, and I trust that you will continue to work in the field of education and formation with enduring faith, competence and renewed hope."

Following the audience, the Pope went to St. Martha's Square within the Vatican where he blessed the white marble statue of St. Catherine of Siena, which is 4.7 meters high and has been placed in a niche on the outside of the basilica. The statue, the work of the French sculptor Eric Aman, is a gift from the archdiocese of Siena.

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