POPE PLACES ROMAN CHURCH AT DISPOSITION OF PATRIARCHATE

VATICAN CITY, NOV 30, 2000 (VIS) - Made public today was Pope John Paul's annual Message to His Holiness Bartholomew I, archbishop of Constantinople and ecumenical patriarch, on the occasion of the celebrations in Fanar, Turkey, of today's feast of St. Andrew, patron of the Church of Constantinople.

Cardinal Edward Cassidy, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, led the Holy See delegation to the celebrations and gave the message to Patriarch Bartholomew. A similar delegation from the Church of Constantinople attends the celebrations in the Vatican each year on the June 29 feast of Sts. Peter and Paul.

The Pope wrote that the mission common to both Churches of "transmitting to future generations and to the world the salvation brought by the One Mediator, Jesus Christ, ... charges us to embrace the cause of the reestablishment of full unity of faith and life."

He recalled that, during the Jubilee Year 2000 "after a long suspension of its work, the Mixed International Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Churches was able to meet in Baltimore for its eighth plenary session. Such a meeting is in itself an important event and was an occasion to underline the complexity of the questions being studied; however, we must note, to our great regret, that it did not allow real progress to be made in our dialogue."

John Paul II reiterated his "resolute intention of continuing the dialogue of truth and charity" and he appealed to Catholics amd Orthodox everywhere "to intensify and affirm their fraternal relations."

"With a pure and free heart," the Message concluded, "in obedience to the will of the one Lord, we must therefore continue our sincere, fraternal and loving search for full communion. It is in this perspective that I am happy to have been able to place at the disposition of the ecumenical patriarchate the ancient and beautiful church of St. Theodore on the Palatine Hill in Rome, so that it might be used for the worship and pastoral activities of the Greek orthodox community of the city, which will have the spiritual assistance necessary for its growth and for the dialogue with all Christians living in Rome."

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ATHLETES CAN TRANSMIT VALUABLE MESSAGES

VATICAN CITY, NOV 30, 2000 (VIS) - This morning in the Paul VI Hall, John Paul II received 7,000 directors, sports people and members of the Roman football team, "Associazione Sportiva Roma Calcio," who came to the Vatican to gain the Jubilee indulgence.

"For you, dear friends," said the Holy Father, "the fact that your association bears the name of Rome, represents a special commitment to live the Christian faith coherently. It is an invitation to bear daily witness, in your own environment, to evangelical love."

When lived in an appropriate way, sport becomes "the ideal environment for the exercise of numerous virtues." However, "it becomes a phenomenon of alienation when feats of ability and physical strength turn into idolatry of the body; when heightened competition reaches the point of considering the adversary as an enemy to be humiliated; when support for a team prevents objective evaluation of people and events, above all, when this degenerates into violence. Furthermore, a predominant commercial interest can turn sport into a mere search for economic gain."

The Pope highlighted a further aspect that "must not be overlooked," that of "the due sanctity of feast days" and the need for families to pass "moments of beneficial relaxation" together.

With reference to football, John Paul II affirmed that "at times, it becomes an occasion for confrontation with worrying episodes of intolerance and aggressiveness that can turn into grievous displays of violence. How important it is, then, to recall proper sporting ethics! How urgent is the responsibility of directors, of athletes, of journalists and of fans!" He concluded by indicating that athletes, "by their example, can transmit messages of great human and spiritual value."

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JOHN PAUL II TO VISIT UKRAINE FROM JUNE 21 TO 24

VATICAN CITY, NOV 30, 2000 (VIS) - This morning, Holy See Press Office Director Joaquin Navarro-Valls made the following declaration: "Confirming what I already said on Novvember 6, the Holy Father John Paul II has accepted the invitation of Leonid Kuchma, president of Ukraine, and will visit that country from June 21 to 24, 2001."

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INTERNATIONAL GATHERING ON AIDS STARTS TODAY IN VATICAN

VATICAN CITY, NOV 30, 2000 (VIS) - A press conference was held this morning in the Holy See Press Office for the presentation of the November 30-December 1 Intercontinental Meeting on AIDS which has been organized by the Pontifical Council for Pastoral Assistance to Health Care Workers in the Vatican's St. Martha's House.

Archbishop Javier Lozano Barragan, council president, presided at the press conference. Joining him were Bishop Jose L. Redrado Marchite, O.H. and Fr. Felice Ruffini, M.I., council secretary and under-secretary, as well as Dr. Guido Castelli Gattinara of Rome's Child Jesus Hospital and Dr. Fiorenza Deriu Bagnato, social researcher.

The archbishop pointed out that there are just over 36 million people in the world who have AIDS and that, since its appearance on the world scene 21.8 million people have already died. He also noted that whereas there are countries where one percent of the populace has AIDS, there are also nations where 20-36 percent have the virus, as in several states of sub-Saharan Africa.

He said that during the Vatican meeting on AIDS, reports would be presented on the work undertaken by the pontifical council since the congress held last December on the theme "The Catholic Church and the HIV/AIDS Challenge." He added that "the Holy Father John Paul II has, on many occasions, dealt with this problem and has given us enlightened orientations which show the nature of the illness, its prevention, the behavior of patients and those who assist them, as well as the role that civil authorities and scientists must play."

Archbishop Lozano Barragan concluded by stating that "there is no doubt that the most important thing is the prevention of the illness and, in the cases of those who contract it through sexual relations, the best prevention is chastity, both within and outside of marriage, even if that means going against the current in a 'pansexual' society such as contemporary society. In all cases, God's law is always current and always observable."

This morning, the first day of the international meeting, and just prior to the press conference, Archbishop Lozano Barragan, Bishop Redrado and Dr. Deriu Bagnato addressed the doctors, scientists and other specialists gathered at St. Martha's residence. Speeches continue this afternoon, highlighted by brief presentations from representatives of Africa, America, Asia and Europe.

Tomorrow, December 1, the day will be entirely dedicated to visiting a hospital and a prison where the AIDS problem is especially present. At the end of each visit, there will be a round table discussion and dialogue with the directors of each institution.

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, NOV 30, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Erected the diocese of Fenoarivo Atsinanana (area 23,500, population 740,460, Catholics 100,000, priests 26), Madagascar, with territory taken from the archdiocese of Antsiranana, making it a suffragan of the same metropolitan church. He appointed Fr. Desire Tsarahazana, of the clergy of Antsiranana, doctorate student at the Catholic University of Lyon, France, as first bishop of the new diocese. The bishop-elect was born in Amboagibe-Sambava, Madagascar, in 1954 and ordained a priest in 1986.

- Appointed Fr. Jose Alfredo Caires De Nobrega S.C.J., superior of Dehonian novices at Antsirabe, as bishop of Mananjary (area 14,270, population 652,600, Catholics 96,200, priests 30, religious 82, Madagascar. The bishop-elect was born in Canico-Santa Cruz, Madeira, Portugal, in 1951 and ordained a priest in 1980.

- Appointed Fr. Jozef Wrobel S.C.J., professor of moral theology at the Catholic University of Lublin, Poland, as bishop of Helsinki (area 338,145, population 5,146,980, Catholics 7,052, priests 20, permanent deacons 2, religious 49), Finland. The bishop-elect was born in Bestwina, Poland, in 1952 and ordained a priest in 1980.

- Appointed Fr. Herve Renaudin, of the clergy of the archdiocese of Paris, pastor of "St. Philippe du Roule," as bishop of Pontoise (area 1,248, population 1,115,000, Catholics 829,000, priests 178, permanent deacons 13, religious 446), France. The bishop-elect was born in Paris in 1941 and ordained a priest in 1971.

- Appointed Bishop Manuel Batakian, vicar general of Beirut of the Armenians, as apostolic exarch for Armenian Catholics resident in the U.S.A. and Canada. He succeeds Bishop Hovhannes Tertsakian whose resignation was accepted by the Pope.

- Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the archdiocese of Kwangju, Korea, presented by Archbishop Victorinus Youn Kong-hi, upon having reached the age limit. He is succeeded by Archbishop Andreas Choi Chang-mou, coadjutor of the same diocese.

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, NOV 30, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

- Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, president of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, accompanied by his wife and an entourage.
- Archbishop Michael Aidan Courtney, apostolic nuncio in Burundi.
- Archbishop Stanislav Hocevar S.D.B., coadjutor of Belgrade, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

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PAPAL MESSAGE TO WORLD CONFERENCE ON RELIGION AND PEACE

VATICAN CITY, NOV 29, 2000 (VIS) - Made public today was a Message from John Paul II to Cardinal Peter Seiichi Shirayanagi on the occasion of the 30th anniversary celebrations in Tokyo, Japan, of the founding of the World Conference on Religion and Peace. The Message to the archbishop emeritus of Tokyo for the November 27-28 commemorative event was dated November 1.

Lauding the organization's efforts "in building a world of peace," the Pope added: "In recent years, the World Conference on Religion and Peace has been particularly involved in reconciling communities which are divided due to conflicts and wars. Your efforts to heal those affected by hatred and violence express a truth which I too have sought to affirm on many occasions, that religion is not and must not become a pretext for hostility, in particular when religious, cultural and ethnic identities coincide."
"Faced with the pressing problems of today's global society," affirmed the Holy Father, "all religions must feel called to fresh efforts to cooperate in order to promote human life in its dignity, to defend the family, to alleviate poverty, to bring about justice, to help preserve the eco-system of our earth. We would do well to remember the words of the Message from the participants in the Interreligious Assembly held in the Vatican in October 1999: 'Collaboration among the different religions must be based on the rejection of fanaticism, extremism and mutual antagonism which lead to violence. We are aware of the importance of education as a means for promoting mutual understanding, cooperation and respect'."

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THEOLOGICAL VIRTUES AND INTER-RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE

VATICAN CITY, NOV 29, 2000 (VIS) - The theme of the Pope's catechesis during his general audience, which was held this morning in St. Peter's Square, was: "Faith, hope and charity in the perspective of inter-religious dialogue."

"All the just of the earth," said the Holy Father, "give praise to God when, having followed the steep and exhausting road of earthly existence, they reach the goal of glory. ... Salvation is offered to all nations, as is shown by the alliance with Noah which offers testimony of the universal nature of the divine manifestation and of the human response in faith."

John Paul II indicated that "all humanity tends towards the authentic adoration of God and the fraternal communion of mankind." The sacred books of religions are open to hope; they outline "a goal of purification and of salvation, they promote the search for truth and defend the values of life, of saintliness and of justice, of peace and of freedom."

Inter-religious dialogue, he continued, "is made manifest in the common commitment of all believers to justice, solidarity and peace. ... When Christians engage in inter-religious dialogue, they bring with them their faith in Christ, only Saviour of the world. ... The path to the fullness of truth calls for attention and humility in order to capture and appreciate each ray of light - which is always the fruit of the Spirit of Christ - from wherever it may come."

The Pope recalled his request that the Jubilee may "serve to advance mutual dialogue until the day when all of us together - Jews, Christians and Muslims - will exchange the greeting of peace in Jerusalem." He then gave thanks to the Lord for having allowed him "the joy of this greeting" during his pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

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DECLARATION ON DUTCH DECISION TO LEGALIZE EUTHANASIA

VATICAN CITY, NOV 29, 2000 (VIS) - Below is the text of the declaration given yesterday afternoon by Holy See Press Office Director Joaquin Navarro-Valls to the Italian news agency ANSA, regarding the decision by the Dutch parliament to legalize euthanasia.

"In the first place, it must be considered that this law runs counter to the Geneva Declaration of 1948, signed by the World Medical Association, and against the principles of European medical ethics, signed by doctors of 12 countries of the European Community in the conference of professional medical associations in 1987.

"The first question this law raises is a grave problem of professional ethics for the doctors who must apply it; once again we find ourselves facing a State law that runs counter to the natural law of the consciences of all.

"Instituting this law most certainly constitutes a sad first for Holland; a law that, among other things, divides legislators from public opinion, a law that violates the dignity of the human person."

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PRESENTATION OF THE JUBILEE OF THE HANDICAPPED

VATICAN CITY, NOV 29, 2000 (VIS) - Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, president of the central committee for the Jubilee, today presided at a press conference in the Holy See Press Office to present the celebration this coming weekend of the Jubilee of the Handicapped. He began by stating that "of all the pilgrimages of the Holy Year, this is, without a doubt, the one which brings us most deeply into the mystery of God's love."

We have made great progress in helping the handicapped and their families, the cardinal said. "We are used to living among them, but do we really know them? We cross their paths but don't get close to them. ... In a hurry or distracted we have difficulty in paying attention to the lives of others; and even more we stay away from those lives which are not like others and which turn our value system upside down. However. those who are handicapped are the best witnesses of life, of real life: their desire to live is stronger than their wounds or disabilities."

Archbishop Crescenzio Sepe, general secretary of the Jubilee committee, noted that December 3 was chosen as the date for this Jubilee celebration because that is the day that the United Nations is dedicating to the handicapped, and "we wanted to respect a tradition which already exists in every country."

Pointing to the great spiritual value of this particular celebration, the archbishop that the Jubilee of the Handicapped, "more than any other Jubilee day, reminds all of us together of the values of our humanity and of our capacity to be and to feel like brothers in the name of Christ."

Msgr. Elvio Damoli, director of Italian Caritas, laid out the calendar of events of the December 2-3 Jubilee celebrations, indicating that 12,000 pilgrims from 15 countries will participate: 7,500 handicapped and 4,500 family members and assistants.

On Saturday, December 2 there will be moments of prayer in 20 Roman parishes. On Sunday, Pope John Paul will preside at a Eucharistic celebration at 10 a.m. in the basilica of St. Paul's Outside-the-Walls. Handicapped persons will be active protagonists of the liturgy, serving as lectors, readers of the prayers of the faithful and to bring up the offertory gifts. Music will be performed by the Esagramma Orchestra of Milan, some of whose members are handicapped.

On Sunday afternoon there will be a festive celebration in the Paul VI Hall. During the second half Pope John Paul will be present.

Don Mario Carrera, director of the "Don Guanella Work" which provides care for the elderly and assistance and education for needy and handicapped children, affirmed that the disabled "are not broken machines that have to be mended, but creatures that must be helped to live; their lives are infinitely more important than their disabilities."

After indicating that there are people with physical disabilities (reduced mobility), sensorial disability (blindness, deafness) and mental disability (psychic disturbances), Fr. Carrera affirmed that "more than 500 million people in the world live with some kind of disability. Eighty-five percent of them (women, children, men) live in the developing countries."

The director of the "Don Guanella Work" indicated that it is important "to increase scientific research" in order to confront different kinds of disability; to allow the disabled "access to participation in social life ... (and in) education," and to "increase their work opportunities."

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, NOV 29, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father:
- Appointed Bishop Stephen Soroka, auxiliary of the metropolitan archbishop of Winnipeg of the Ukrainians, Canada, as metropolitan archbishop of Philadelphia of the Ukrainians (Catholics 69,088, priests 88, permanent deacons 4, religious 142), U.S.A. The archbishop-elect was born in Winnipeg in 1951, ordained a priest in 1982 and consecrated a bishop in 1996. He succeeds Archbishop Stephen Sulyk, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same archieparchy the Holy Father accepted, in accordance with Canon 210 of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches.

- Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the archieparchy of Philadelphia of the Ukrainians presented by Auxiliary Bishop Wolodymyr W. Paska in accordance with Canon 210 of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches.

- Appointed Fr. Jean Benjamin Sleiman O.C.D., general assistant to the superior of the Order of Discalced Carmelites, as archbishop of Baghdad of the Latins (Catholics 3,000, priests 10, religious 186), Iraq. The archbishop-elect was born in Jbeil, Lebanon, in 1946 and ordained a priest in 1973.

- Appointed Bishop Michael Wiwchar C.Ss.R. of Saint Nicholas of Chicago of the Ukrainians, U.S.A., as bishop of Saskatoon of the Ukrainians (Catholics 12,200, priests 35, permanent deacons 6, religious 35), Canada.

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HOLY SEE ADDRESSES ANNUAL MEETING OF OSCE3

VATICAN CITY, NOV 28, 2000 (VIS) - The foreign affairs ministers of the 55 member countries of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), including the recently admitted Yugoslavia, are holding their annual meeting in Vienna, Austria, to review the commitments made 25 years ago in the Helsinki Act and 10 years ago in Paris with the Charter for a New Europe.

Archbishop Jean-Louis Tauran heads the delegation of the Holy See, which is a full member of the OSCE, to this November 27-28 meeting. The first annual meeting of this organization, known then as the CSCE or Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, was held in Helsinki 25 years ago.
Archbishop Tauran, in his address, spoke of the "joy" of seeing so many nations of Eastern and Central Europe who had reattained their freedom and were now full members of the OSCE.

He also listed some of "the challenges facing the world's leaders: trade in human beings, protecting the rights of children and the fight against the proliferation of small caliber weapons." He stated that certain values - such as the sacredness of life, the defense of basic freedoms, security and economic and social cooperation - must be continually affirmed in solving these problems.

The archbishop expressed a concern of the Holy See's, namely, that "too often religion is taken into consideration only in the context of defending rights of minorities or to denounce fanaticism." He said "it would be good to consider religion ... for itself," as a source which inspires man to better himself. "Believers who feel respected for what they are will always be more willing to cooperate in building democratic and civil communities where differences are synonymous with mutual enrichment and where diversity calls for solidarity."

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ROMAN UNION OF URSULINES CELEBRATES CENTENARY

VATICAN CITY, NOV 28, 2000 (VIS) - Made public today was Pope John Paul's Letter to Rev. Mother Colette Lignon, prior general of the Roman Union of the Order of St. Ursula, on the occasion of the centenary of this institute, born on November 28, 1900. The letter, written in French, was dated November 10, 2000.

The Pope recalled that it was Pope Leo XIII who had the "happy initiative of gathering in one Union the many monasteries of Ursulines who had emigrated throughout the entire world since the foundation of the very first community by St. Angele Merici in 1535."

Highlighting their presence on nearly all the continents, the Holy Father wrote of their "solid educational experience, most especially in the service of young people." He underscored that catechesis can occur directly through the teaching of the Word "but also through the witness and example of a life given in service to the Lord and His Church." Transmitting the faith in both of these ways, he said, "is essential in a world where so many young people do not have the solid guidance which family education gives."

"Forming Christ's disciples who are capable of witnessing in their family, professional and social life to the spiritual and moral values which the Gospel has sown in the heart of man is an indispensable work in order for the new evangelization to bear abundant fruits in the century which has just started. In this perspective what is especially important is service to the poor, the 'little ones' whom the Lord wishes to be in first place and whom our societies, too often marked by an appetite for riches and competition, have a tendency to exclude from economic growth and social organization."

"In announcing the Kingdom," the Pope concluded, "the Church walks on the path of men and with them, she shares their questions about the meaning of life, she reveals the Word of the Lord to them and gradually reveals His presence to them, in order to lead them to the full knowledge of His love, shown in the treasure of the sacramental life entrusted to her."

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, NOV 28, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in audience His Majesty King Juan Carlos I of Spain, accompanied by Queen Sofia and an entourage.

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LIVE THE JUBILEE AS A MOMENT OF CONVERSION AND RENEWAL

VATICAN CITY, NOV 25, 2000 (VIS) - This morning in St. Peter's Square, the Holy Father received various groups of pilgrims, encouraging them to live the Jubilee "as a moment of conversion and interior renewal."

Addressing a group of civil servants who work for the president of the Italian Republic, the council of ministers, the senate and the chamber of deputies, he called on then not to abandon themselves to "the routine" in their work. "Always look to the people, to their problems and their suffering, even when your only contact with them is through papers and figures, legal codes and dry regulations. Make your work a space for true humanity and an occasion for moral perfection. ... All work can be a path to sanctity."

"The virtues that must shine within you," continued the Pope, "without doubt include loyalty towards the institutions you are called to serve in full respect of the primacy of God: 'Render to Ceaser the things that are Ceaser's, and to God the things that are God's.' ... Christians must be firm witnesses of this principle, going as and when necessary 'against the current.' When this happens, they will find support in the strength of prayer."

Going on to address a group of transport workers, John Paul II encouraged them to make every effort to carry out their duty, despite the difficulties, "as a true act of love. ... Be, for the people you transport, 'cristofori,' carriers of Christ, He who wishes to be met and treated with love in each individual, especially the poorest."

Finally, the Pope greeted a group from the Italian press agency ANSA. He called on the Lord to illuminate them and help them to render the best possible service, something that today calls for special responsibility "because of the general conditions that prevail in the mass media and the influence, not infrequently excessive, exercised by the few major players who hold the power of information."

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GOD CALLS THE LAITY TO RENEWED MISSIONARY DRIVE

VATICAN CITY, NOV 25, 2000 (VIS) - This morning, Cardinal Secretary of State Angelo Sodano read a message from the Pope to participants in the Congress of Catholic Laity which is being held in Rome from November 25 to 30 in the "Domus Pacis." The congress is promoted by the Pontifical Council for the Laity.

In the message, dated November 21, the Pope recalls that, as baptized we are all members of the Church. He also calls for an awakening, "in the entire People of God, of the true 'sensus Ecclesiae,' together with the intimate awareness of being Church, mystery and communion.

"At the threshold of the third millennium, God calls believers, especially the laity, to renewed missionary drive. ... Christ must be announced with the witness of life and with the word. Prior to being a strategic and organized commitment, the apostolate comports the glad and joyous communication to all of the gift of encountering Christ."

John Paul II affirms that the Church needs lay people and relies upon them, and he encourages them not to become discouraged in the face of difficulties but "to seek in prayer the source of all apostolic strength; draw from the Gospel the light that guides your steps."

"The participation of the laity in the life and mission of the Church," he writes, "is also expressed and supported by various groups." These are "a significant means to more profound Christian formation and more incisive apostolic activity." He expresses his thanks to movements and associations for their efforts in the field of formation and for their missionary enthusiasm.

The Pope affirms that the role of the laity "is essential in the life of the Church," and highlights: "If faith has not been cancelled from the lives of entire peoples, it is thanks, above all, to the courageous witness of the lay faithful, not infrequently to the point of martyrdom."

"The Christian spring, of which we can already see no small number of signs, may be perceived in the radical choice of faith, in the true sanctity of life and in the extraordinary apostolic zeal of many lay faithful, men and women, young people, adults and the elderly. Thus, it is the present generation's task to carry the Gospel to the humanity of tomorrow."

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LETTER FOR 38TH WORLD DAY OF PRAYER FOR VOCATIONS

VATICAN CITY, NOV 25, 2000 (VIS) - Made public this morning was Pope John Paul's Letter for the 38th World Day of Prayer for Vocations, which will take place on May 6, 2001, the fourth Sunday of Easter, on the theme "Life as Vocation."

"Considering life as vocation," writes the Pope, "encourages interior freedom, stirring within the person a desire for the future, as well as the rejection of a notion of existence that is passive, boring and banal. In this way life takes on the value of 'a gift received which, by its nature, tends to become a good given'. Man shows he is reborn in the Spirit when he learns to follow the way of the New Commandment: 'Love one another as I have loved you'. One could say that, in a certain sense, love is the DNA of the children of God: It is 'the holy vocation' by which we have been called."

"We are not alone in fashioning our lives," continues the Holy Father, because "God walks with us, in the midst of our vicissitudes and, if we want Him to, He weaves with each of us a marvelous tale of love, unique and unrepeatable."

However, states the Pope, in western cultures today we see that "God is, to all intents and purposes, marginalized from daily life. Thus there is the need for a unified effort by the entire Christian community to 're-evangelize life'." For this we need "men and women who show the fullness of a life which has God as its source" and for this reason our attention turns, on this world day, "to the need and urgency for ordained ministers and for persons willing to follow Christ on the demanding path of consecrated life in the profession of the evangelical counsels."

John Paul II then had special words for young people, the pastors of the People of God, those in the consecrated life and Christian parents.

"Only Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life," he writes. "It is thus necessary to help (young people) meet the Lord and establish with Him a deep relationship." Pastors have "an important role" in helping all faithful to know the Lord, especially through "their personal witness of a life in which the spirit of service and true Paschal joy are reflected."

May those living the consecrated life, says the Holy Father, "through their presence and their service, open the hearts and minds of young people to horizons of hope filled with God and educate them to humility and to the gratuitousness of loving service."

John Paul II urged parents "not to leave your children alone when faced with the weighty choices of adolescence and youth. Help them not to feel overcome by the anxious search for material well-being and guide them towards the authentic joy of the spirit. Make their hearts echo .... with the liberating joy of faith."

His Letter for the World Day of Prayer for Vocations concludes with a prayer and an invitation to the faithful "together with me, to implore the Lord so the harvest will not be short of workers."

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THE LAITY: LIGHT AND HOPE FOR THE CHURCH AND SOCIETY

VATICAN CITY, NOV 26, 2000 (VIS) - At the end of the Mass in St. Peter's Square this morning to celebrate the World Congress of the Lay Apostolate, and before reciting the angelus, Pope John Paul reflected on the Vatican Council II documents promulgated 35 years ago, including the decree on the apostolate of the laity.

Addressing an estimated 40,000 faithful gathered in the square on a cold and rainy day, the Pope pointed out that he had given to several representatives of the laity copies of Vatican Council II documents. "Today, as then, I wish to symbolically entrust the council patrimony especially to you, dear lay people, apostles of the third millennium, recalling that it was precisely to the laity - government leaders, scientists and intellectuals, artists, women, workers, young people, the poor and the ill - that the Council gave its concluding message destined for all of mankind.

Greeting the pilgrims in Italian, French, English, German, Spanish, Portuguese and Polish, the Holy Father encouraged "the lay faithful to study the Council's teaching, to love and live its message. In this way the laity will be the light and hope for the Church and for society. May Christ, the Eternal King, guide and strengthen you always!"

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TO LAY FAITHFUL: DO NOT BE AFRAID TO BE SAINTS

VATICAN CITY, NOV 26, 2000 (VIS) - Today in St. Peter's Square, John Paul II presided at a Eucharistic celebration marking the occasion of the World Congress of Catholic Laity. The congress began yesterday in Rome on the theme: "Witnesses of Christ in the Third Millennium."

The Pope indicated that "with Vatican Council II, the hour of the laity in the Church truly arrived and many lay faithful, men and women, came to understand more clearly their own Christian vocation which, by its very nature, is a vocation to the apostolate. Thirty five years after its conclusion, we must return to the Council. We must reconsider the documents of Vatican II in order to rediscover the great wealth of doctrinal and pastoral stimuli."

He continued: "The documents must be especially reconsidered by you, the lay faithful, to whom the Council opened extraordinary prospects for involvement and commitment in the Church's mission."

The Holy Father told the lay faithful that "today more than ever, your apostolate is indispensable in order for the Gospel to become light, salt and leavening of a new humanity. ... The Jubilee invites everyone to a serious examination of conscience and a lasting spiritual renewal for ever more incisive missionary action." He added that, as "witnesses of Christ" the laity are especially called to "bring the light of the Gospel into the vital nerve centers of society."

"For believers, sanctity continues to be the greatest challenge," he highlighted. "We must be grateful to Vatican Council II which reminded us how all Christians are called to the fullness of Christian life and to the perfection of charity. ... Do not be afraid to take up this challenge: be saintly men and women! Do not forget that the fruits of the apostolate depend on the profundity of spiritual life, on the intensity of prayer, on constant formation and on ever more sincere adherence to the Church's directives. ... If you live Christianity without compromise, you can light up the world."

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, NOV 25, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father received in audience Archbishop Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.

AP;...;...;...;VIS;20001127;Word: 30;

CONGRESS ON GLOBALIZATION, ECONOMY AND THE FAMILY

VATICAN CITY, NOV 27, 2000 (VIS) - Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo, president of the Pontifical Council for the Family, is scheduled to give the opening address at a three-day international congress entitled "Globalization, Economy and the Family" which opens today in the Vatican's Old Synod Hall.

According to the communique released today, the aim of the congress, which has been organized by the pontifical council, is "to study more deeply those economic questions which regard the family in the light of globalization, starting with the teaching of the Holy Father, especially that contained in the Post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation 'Ecclesia in America'."

The press release then cites the exhortation: "The complex phenomenon of globalization is one of the features of the contemporary world particularly visible in America. An important part of this many-faceted reality is the economic aspect. By her social doctrine the Church makes an effective contribution to the issues presented by the current globalized economy. Her moral vision in this area 'rests on the threefold cornerstone of human dignity, solidarity and subsidiarity, The globalized economy must be analyzed in the light of the principles of social justice, respecting the preferential option for the poor who must be allowed to take their place in such an economy, and the requirements of the international common good."

University professors, political figures, entrepreneurs who are experts in the economy as well as noted journalists will take part in the congress.

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TO THE MEDIA: ALWAYS REMEMBER THE COMMON GOOD

VATICAN CITY, NOV 27, 2000 (VIS) - This morning in St. Peter's Basilica, the Pope received 3,500 participants in the Jubilee of RAI (Italian State radio and television) whom he thanked for their service, especially during the Holy Year for which they have created a television channel called RAI-Jubilee.

"Yours is truly a workshop of words and images," said John Paul II. "You are communications workers, key operators in the common task of building a society tailored to man. In this important professional duty always look to the common good, never giving in to purely economic interests."

The Pope highlighted the responsibility that believers who work in television have because, by their witness, "they can influence the complex mechanisms of the formation of civil and social consciousness. This is not an easy mission, it calls for courage and, not infrequently, heroism. At times it is necessary to go against the tide, perhaps undergoing solitude, incomprehension and marginalization."

The Holy Father indicated that Christians must respond to the culture of ephemeral values "with a solid culture of life, of solidarity, of the family and of human rights."

The Church, he added, "never tires of recalling the moral dimension of communication. She stimulates, invites and encourages those who work in social communications to enter into a relationship with individuals that is both correct and respectful. ... Television programming, with sedate and balanced openness, must also tackle the basic problems of existence, leaving the door open to solutions illuminated by sound reason and by faith."

John Paul II concluded by highlighting that, in preparing for their Jubilee, those present had wished to make "a concrete gesture of solidarity, collecting a sum of money destined to ransoming child-soldiers in Sierra Leone." In this way, you contribute "to sensitizing public opinion to one of the gravest social problems of our time, one that strikes infancy and prejudices its future."

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, NOV 27, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Fr. Vincent Marius Joseph Peiris of the clergy of Colombo (area 3,838, population 4,605,527, Catholics 547,565, priests 344, permanent deacons 1, religious 1,308), Sri Lanka, rector of the major national seminary of Ampitiya, as auxiliary of the same archdiocese. The bishop-elect was born in Moratuwa, Sri Lanka, in 1941 and ordained a priest in 1972.

On Saturday, November 25, it was made public that he:

- Appointed His Beatitude Ignace Moussa I Daoud, patriarch of Antioch of the Syrians, Lebanon, as prefect of the Congregation for Oriental Churches. He succeeds Cardinal Achille Silvestrini, whose resignation from the same post the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

- Appointed Fr. Nabih Mouawad of the Maronite archdiocese of Tripoli, Lebanon, as adjunct promoter of justice at the Tribunal of the Roman Rota.

- Appointed Msgr. Carlo Ghidelli of the clergy of the diocese of Crema, Italy, central assistant at the Sacred Heart Catholic University, as archbishop of Lanciano-Ortona (area 305, population 89,884, Catholics 89,527, priests 77, permanent deacons 2, religious 134), Italy. The archbishop-elect was born in Offanengo, Italy, in 1934 and ordained a priest in 1958. He succeeds Archbishop Enzio d'Antonio whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same archdiocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

- Erected the diocese of Gregorio de Laferrere (area 1,293, population 700,000, priests 47, religious 52), Argentina, with territory taken from the diocese of San Justo, making it a suffragan of the metropolitan church of Buenos Aires. He appointed Msgr. Juan Horacio Suarez, vicar general of San Justo, as the first bishop of the new diocese. The bishop-elect was born in Villa Nueva, Argentina, in 1938 and ordained a priest in 1967.

- Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of Tehuantepec, Mexico, presented by Bishop Arturo Lona Reyes upon having reached the age limit. He is succeeded by Bishop Felipe Padilla Cardona, coadjutor of the same diocese.

- Erected the apostolic prefecture of Gambella (area 50,000, population 210,000, Catholics 2,000), Ethiopia, with territory taken from the apostolic prefecture of Jimma-Bonga. He appointed Fr. Angelo Moreschi S.D.B., pastor of Dilla and council inspector, as apostolic prefect of Gambella.

- Appointed Bishop Juan Ruben Martinez of Reconquista, Argentina, as bishop of Posadas (area 13,206, population 680,000, Catholics 550,000, priests 86, permanent deacons 19, religious 229), Argentina.

- Appointed Bishop Ruben Oscar Frassia of San Carlos de Bariloche, Argentina, as bishop of Avellaneda (area 52, population 400,000, Catholics 280,000, priests 44, religious 119), Argentina.
- Erected the military ordinariate of the Republic of Lithuania, appointing Bishop Eugenijus Bartulis as military ordinary. Bishop Bartulis retains his present position as bishop of Siauliai.

NEA; NA; NER; RE; ECE;...;...;...;VIS;20001127;Word: 420;

POPE ADDRESSES CATHOLIC JURISTS ON THEIR JUBILEE

VATICAN CITY, NOV 24, 2000 (VIS) - More than 500 members of the International Union of Catholic Jurists were welcomed by Pope John Paul this morning in the Clementine Hall where, in his address to them, he stressed that their "Catholic character is not a sign of separation of closing, but rather a sign of openness and a manifestation of the service which jurists wish to render to the entire human community."

Addressing the jurists as they celebrate their Jubilee, the Pope went on to say that "we must, however, recognize that the danger of particularism weighs on law. If, on the one hand, particularism acts legitimately to safeguard the specific genius of each people and each culture, often on the other hand, ... it involves not only separations but also situations of unjustified rift and conflict."

The Holy Father underscored that "law is born of a deep human need which is present in all men, .... the need for justice, which is the realization of a balanced order of interpersonal and social relations, suitable for guaranteeing that each person has his due and no one is deprived of what is his due."

"Recognizing the good of everyone and promoting it," he added, "is a specific duty for all men. The order of justice is not a static order, but a dynamic one, precisely because the life of individuals and communities is itself dynamic. ... (This order) demands the continual and passionate exercise of wisdom, what the Latins called 'iurisprudentia', a wisdom which engages all of as person's energies and whose exercise constitutes one of the most noble virtuous practices of man. The possibility of giving one's due not only to relatives, friends, fellow citizens or brothers in the faith, but to every human being, simply because he or she is a person, simply because justice demands it, this is the honor of law and of jurists."

"It is law," said the Pope, "which shows the unity of mankind and the equality between all human beings."

Noting "the efforts of the international community in recent decades to proclaim, defend and promote basic human rights," he affirmed that jurists should be among the first to defend these rights. He stated that "our world needs men and women of courage, who publicly oppose the countless violations of rights" and who "denounce all situations where human dignity is disdained."

In particular Pope John Paul decried those situations where people are juridically deprived of freedoms of thought and of religion, and where "legislators or magistrates have lost the awareness of the specific juridical and social value of the family or where they show themselves ready to put other forms of life in common on the same legal level." He also denounced legislation recognizing a "pretended right" to abortion and euthanasia. Both of these, he asserted, deprive people of the most basic of human rights, the right to life.
"Law which detaches itself from anthropological and moral foundations carries within it many dangers," said the Holy Father in conclusion. "For the world of jurisprudence, it is important to pursue a hermeneutical path and to constantly bring the foundations of law to the mind and conscience of everyone."

AC;LAW; CATHOLIC JURISTS;...;...;VIS;20001124;Word: 530;

CARDINAL TOMKO SPEAKS ON "MISSION IN THE THIRD MILLENNIUM"

VATICAN CITY, NOV 24, 2000 (VIS) - Cardinal Josef Tomko, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, was the guest speaker yesterday afternoon at the colloquium on "Mission in the Third World" which was organized by the Philippine embassy to the Holy See.

The cardinal's talk, entitled "The Mission in the Third Millennium," touched upon the missionary activity of the Church, especially in the territories in Africa, Latin America and Asia. He reflected on mission and its inspiring principles, the situation of the mission and the role of the Philippines, where the Catholic population is 85 percent, in mission.

Fr. Antonio Pernia, superior general of the Society of the Divine Word, and Nilda Castro of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, also spoke of their experiences in the Third World.

...;MISSION;...;TOMKO;VIS;20001124;Word: 150;

BASIC AGREEMENT BETWEEN HOLY SEE AND REPUBLIC OF SLOVAKIA

VATICAN CITY, NOV 24, 2000 (VIS) - John Paul II today received a delegation from the Republic of Slovakia, following the signing in the Vatican of a basic Agreement between the Holy See and Slovakia on matters regarding Church-State relations. The agreement was signed by Mikulas Dzurinda, prime minister of Slovakia and by Cardinal Secretary of State Angelo Sodano.

In his brief greeting, the Pope affirmed that the new international agreement "guarantees the Church the right to freely exercise her mission, especially as regards worship, pastoral governance, teaching and other aspects of ecclesial life."

The agreement stipulates that "the civil value of canonical marriage is recognized. Furthermore, the Slovak Republic guarantees the Catholic Church the right to administer pastoral care to the faithful in hospitals, in health and social care centers, in orphanages and in penal institutions. The Church can freely institute and run charitable activities, in conformity with civil legislation. Officially-recognized Catholic schools of all levels are effectively made equal to State schools, with the same rights and duties. The teaching of religion in State schools is regulated, and the collaboration of the Church and the State is favored in order to safeguard cultural heritage. Finally, provision is made for future agreements regarding spiritual assistance to the armed forces and the police, as well as on economic matters."

AC;AGREEMENT HOLY SEE; SLOVAKIA;...;SODANO;VIS;20001124;Word: 230;

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, NOV 24, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Fr. Hector Javier Pizarro Acevedo O.A.R., master of students of theology at the convent-seminary of Suba, Santafe de Bogota, Colombia, as first apostolic vicar of Trinidad (area 27,075, population 70,000, priests 10), Colombia, raising him to the dignity of bishop. The bishop-elect was born in Medellin, Colombia, in 1951 and ordained a priest in 1977.

It was made public today that the synod of bishops of the Greek-Melkite Catholic Church, meeting in Raboueh, Lebanon, on November 22, 2000, availing itself of the terms of Canon 126, para. 2 of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, and after having consulted with the Holy Father, accepted the resignation from office presented by His Beatitude Maximos V, Patriarch of Antioch of the Greek-Melkite Catholics.

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, NOV 24, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

- Archbishop Andrea Cordero Lanza di Montezemolo, apostolic nuncio in Italy and the Republic of San Marino.
- Mikulas Dzurinda, prime minister of the Republic of Slovakia, accompanied by his entourage.
- Archbishop-bishop Stephen Fumio Hamao, emeritus of Yokohama, Japan and president of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant Peoples.

This evening, he is scheduled to receive Archbishop Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B., secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

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INSTRUCTION ON PRAYERS FOR HEALING

VATICAN CITY, NOV 23, 2000 (VIS) - The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith today published its "Instruction on prayers for healing." The document is a response to the problem that arises in expressing judgement on episodes of healing that come about during liturgical or paraliturgical celebrations.

The document, published in seven languages, deals with doctrinal aspects and disciplinary measures. It is signed by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger and Archbishop Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B., respectively prefect and secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and bears the date of September 14, 2000, feast of the Exaltation of the Cross.

A note emanating from the congregation affirms that during these celebrations "healing is sought through special rites (prayers, the laying on of hands, anointing etc.) with endorsement, though it may be indirect, sometimes offered by the presence of a prelate. This generates vast movements of crowds who meet in those places in the hope, sometimes exasperated, of experiencing or seeing miracles.

"In some cases, by no means infrequent, it is proclaimed that healing has taken place, thus arousing expectations of the same phenomenon in other similar meetings. In this context, mention is sometimes made of a supposed 'charism of healing.'

"These gatherings for healing," continues the note, "also give rise to further questions of their just discernment from a liturgical and disciplinary perspective, especially on the part of ecclesial authorities whose duty it is to lay down and oversee appropriate norms for the proper conduct of liturgical celebrations."

The communique concludes by indicating: "It thus seemed appropriate to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith to publish" this document; "that it may serve above all as an aid to local ordinaries in better guiding the faithful in this matter, favoring good practices and correcting those which must be avoided."

In speaking of the doctrinal aspects, the document recalls that in the Old Testament, sickness is linked to sin and evil. However, it is in the New Testament, "that the question of why illness also afflicts the just finds a complete answer." The healings performed by Jesus "manifest the victory of the kingdom of God over every kind of evil, and become the symbol of the restoration to health of the whole human person, body and soul."

"The sick person's desire for healing is both good and deeply human, especially when it takes the form of a trusting prayer addressed to God. ... Obviously, recourse to prayer does not exclude, but rather encourages the use of effective natural means for preserving and restoring health."

Jesus transmitted the power to heal to the Apostles and to the first evangelizers - and not just to them - and this power was given "to confirm their mission. ... In this perspective, the references to the 'charisms of healing' acquire special importance. The meaning of charism is per se quite broad ' 'a generous gift' ' and in this context it refers to 'gifts of healing obtained.' These graces, in the plural, are attributed to an individual, and are not, therefore, to be understood in a distributive sense ... but rather as a gift granted to a person to obtain graces of healing for others."

The document recalls that during the Sacrament of Anointing the Sick, priests ask God 'to heal the sick person of the infirmities of body and to grant him the right path.'
"In the course of the Church's history there have been holy miracle-workers who have performed wondrous healings. ... However, the so-called 'charism of healing,' ... does not fall within these phenomena of wonder-working. Instead, the present question concerns special prayer meetings organized for the purpose of obtaining wondrous healings among the sick who are present, or prayers of healing after Eucharistic communion for this same purpose."

Healing associated with certain places of prayer "contributed to the popularity of pilgrimages to certain sanctuaries. ... The same also happens today at Lourdes, as it has for more than a century. Such healings, however, do not imply a 'charism of healing,' because they are not connected with a person who has such a charism, but they need to be taken into account when we evaluate the above-mentioned prayer meetings from a doctrinal perspective."

As for the prayer meetings: "A possible 'charism of healing' can be attributed when the intervention of a specific person or persons, or a specific category of persons (for example, the directors of the group that promotes the meetings) is viewed as determinative for the efficacy of the prayer. If there is no connection with any 'charism of healing,' then the celebrations provided in the liturgical books, if they are done with respect for liturgical norms, are obviously licit and often appropriate, as in the case of a Mass 'pro infirmis.' If the celebrations do not respect liturgical law, they lack legitimacy.

"In sanctuaries, other celebrations are frequently held which may not be aimed per se at specifically asking God for graces of healing. ... For example, one could not place on the primary level the desire to obtain the healing of the sick, in a way which might cause Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament to lose its specific finality."

"The 'charism of healing' is not attributable to a specific class of faithful. ... Consequently, in prayer meetings organized for asking for healing, it would be completely arbitrary to attribute a 'charism of healing' to any category of participants, for example, to the directors of the group; the only thing to do is to entrust oneself to the free decision of the Holy Spirit, who grants to some a special charism of healing in order to show the power of the grace of the Risen Christ. Yet not even the most intense prayer obtains the healing of all sicknesses."

As for the disciplinary aspects, the document lays down the following ten articles:

"Art. 1 ' It is licit for every member of the faithful to pray to God for healing. When this is organized in a church or other sacred place, it is appropriate that such prayers be led by an ordained minister.

"Art. 2 ' Prayers for healing are considered to be liturgical if they are part of the liturgical books approved by the Church's competent authority; otherwise, they are non-liturgical.
"Art. 3 ' Para. 1. Liturgical prayers for healing are celebrated according to the rite prescribed in the 'Ordo benedictionis infirmorum' of the 'Rituale Romanum' and with the proper sacred vestments indicated therein.

Para. 2. In conformity with what is stated in the 'Praenotanda, V., De aptationibus quae Conferentiae Episcoporum competunt' of the same 'Rituale Romanum,' Conferences of Bishops may introduce those adaptations to the Rite of Blessings of the Sick which are held to be pastorally useful or possibly necessary, after prior review by the Apostolic See.

"Art. 4 ' Para. 1. The diocesan bishop has the right to issue norms for his particular Church regarding liturgical services of healing, following can. 838, 4.

Para. 2. Those who prepare liturgical services of healing must follow these norms in the celebration of such services.

Para. 3. Permission to hold such services must be explicitly given, even if they are organized by bishops or cardinals, or include such as participants. Given a just and proportionate reason, the diocesan bishop has the right to forbid even the participation of an individual bishop.

"Art. 5 ' Para. 1. Non-liturgical prayers for healing are distinct from liturgical celebrations, as gatherings for prayer or for reading of the word of God; these also fall under the vigilance of the local Ordinary in accordance with can. 839, 2.

Para. 2. Confusion between such free non-liturgical prayer meetings and liturgical celebrations properly so-called is to be carefully avoided.

Para. 3. Anything resembling hysteria, artificiality, theatricality or sensationalism, above all on the part of those who are in charge of such gatherings, must not take place.

"Art. 6 ' The use of means of communication (in particular, television) in connection with prayers for healing, falls under the vigilance of the diocesan bishop in conformity with can. 823 and the norms established by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in the 'Instruction' of March 30, 1992.

"Art. 7 ' Para. 1. Without prejudice to what is established above in art. 3 or to the celebrations for the sick provided in the Church's liturgical books, prayers for healing ' whether liturgical or non-liturgical ' must not be introduced into the celebration of the Holy Mass, the sacraments, or the Liturgy of the Hours.

Para. 2. In the celebrations referred to in para. 1, one may include special prayer intentions for the healing of the sick in the general intercessions or prayers of the faithful, when this is permitted.

"Art. 8 ' Para. 1. The ministry of exorcism must be exercised in strict dependence on the diocesan bishop, and in keeping with the norm of can. 1172, the Letter of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith of September 29, 1985, and the 'Rituale Romanum.'

Para. 2. The prayers of exorcism contained in the 'Rituale Romanum' must remain separate from healing services, whether liturgical or non-liturgical.

Para. 3. It is absolutely forbidden to insert such prayers of exorcism into the celebration of the Holy Mass, the sacraments, or the Liturgy of the Hours.

"Art. 9 ' Those who direct healing services, whether liturgical or non-liturgical, are to strive to maintain a climate of peaceful devotion in the assembly and to exercise the necessary prudence if healings should take place among those present; when the celebration is over, any testimony can be collected with honesty and accuracy, and submitted to the proper ecclesiastical authority.

"Art. 10 ' Authoritative intervention by the diocesan bishop is proper and necessary when abuses are verified in liturgical or non-liturgical healing services, or when there is obvious scandal among the community of the faithful, or when there is a serious lack of observance of liturgical or disciplinary norms.

"The Sovereign Pontiff John Paul II, at the Audience granted to the Cardinal Prefect, approved the present Instruction, adopted in Ordinary Session of this Congregation, and ordered its publication."

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PONTIFICAL MISSION TO EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS IS NAMED

VATICAN CITY, NOV 23, 2000 (VIS) - Made public today was a Letter from Pope John Paul, written in Latin and dated November 7, to Cardinal Bernardin Gantin, dean of the College of Cardinals, naming him as his special envoy to the National Eucharistic Congress of Haiti which will take place in Port-au-Prince from December 1 to 3.

The names of the other members of the pontifical mission were also released with the Letter. Joining Cardinal Gantin will be Msgrs. Charles Luckner, vicar general of the diocese of Fort-Liberte, and Albert Gouin, vicar general of the diocese of Les Cayes, and Fr. Alphonse Quenum, a professor at the Catholic Institute of Western Africa of Abidjan, Ivory Coast.

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POPE WELCOMES PILGRIMS FROM ANTIOCH OF THE SYRIANS

VATICAN CITY, NOV 23, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father this morning welcomed His Beatitude Ignatius Moussa I, patriarch of Antioch of the Syrians, and the bishops, priests, religious and faithful of the Church of Antioch of the Syrians who are in Rome on a Jubilee pilgrimage.

The Pope observed that "from the origins of Christianity, the Apostles Peter and Paul were intimately linked to Antioch." He added that the Acts of the Apostles tell us that "'in Antioch the disciples were for the first time called Christians'. How can we not recall the figure of St. Ignatius, bishop of Antioch, who suffered martyrdom in Rome and who, in his Letter to the Romans, affirmed that the Church of Rome presided in charity?"

"The Church of Antioch," he told them, "has a special veneration for her holy Bishop Ignatius, so that all the patriarchs bear this name as their first patriarchal title, thus showing the same attachment to the See of Peter and wishing to follow the example of their illustrious predecessor."

John Paul II encouraged them to "draw from the sacraments ... the spiritual strength to be always faithful to the teaching of the Apostles and to remain witnesses of the Good News."

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, NOV 23, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

- His Beatitude Ignatius Moussa I Daoud, Patriarch of Antioch of the Syrians, Lebanon.
- Archbishop Giorgio Zur, Holy See representative to the Russian Federation.
- The rectors of Pontifical Universities and Athenaeum: Fr. Franco Immoda, S.J. (Gregorian); Bishop Angelo Scola (Lateran); Msgr. Ambrogio Spreafico (Urban); Fr. Edward Kaczynski, O.P. (Angelicum); Fr. Michele Pellerey, S.D.B. (Salesian); Msgr. Lluis Clavel (Holy Cross); Fr. Albert Schmidt, O.S.B. (Anselm); Fr. Marco Nobile, O.F.M. (Antonianum); Fr. Paolo Scarafoni, L.C. (Regina Apostolorum).

AP;...;...;... ;VIS;20001123;Word: 40;

AUDIENCE: THEOLOGICAL VIRTUES URGE US TO UNITY

VATICAN CITY, NOV 22, 2000 (VIS) - In today's general audience, which was held in St. Peter's Square in the presence of 35,000 people, John Paul II spoke on: "Faith, hope and charity in an ecumenical perspective."

He said that the three theological virtues, faith, hope and charity, in animating Christ's disciples, "urge them to unity," bringing them "to full communion with the Triune God and with their fellows."

The Pope recalled that St. Paul speaks of the unity of faith that "has its source in the Word of God. ... Together, Churches and ecclesial communities find reference in the ancient symbols of faith and in the definitions of the first ecumenical councils. Nonetheless, certain doctrinal differences still have to be overcome in order for the path of the unity of faith to reach its culmination."

St. Paul, continued the Pope, also speaks of a single hope that "is expressed in common commitment, through prayer and the assiduous coherence of life, for the advent of the Kingdom of God. ... The ecumenical movement is oriented towards fundamental and intertwined goals, as the objectives of a single hope: unity of the Church, evangelization of the world, liberation and peace of the human community."

"At the pinnacle of the three theological virtues, there is love," affirmed the Holy Father. The "inexhaustible source of charity is the Eucharist. ... 'Due to disagreements in matters of faith, it is not yet possible to celebrate together the same Eucharistic liturgy. And yet we do have a burning desire to join in celebrating the one Eucharist of the Lord, and this desire itself is already a common prayer of praise, a single supplication.' ... Thus we must put all our hope 'in the prayer of Christ for the Church, in the love of the Father for us, and in the power of the Holy Spirit'."

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, NOV 22, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed:

- Fr. Jorge Luis Lona, pastor of the cathedral of San Juan de Cuyo, Argentina, and episcopal vicar for education, as coadjutor bishop of San Luis (area 70,000, population 345,000, Catholics 322,000, priests 64, religious 91), Argentina. The bishop-elect was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1935 and ordained a priest in 1979.

- Archbishop Leonardo Sandri, substitute for General Affairs of the Secretariat of State, as consultor of the Congregation for Bishops.

- Archbishops Ivan Dias of Bombay, India, and William Joseph Levada of San Francisco, U.S.A., as members of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

- Msgr. Brian Edwin Ferme and Fr. Juan Ignacio Arrieta Ochoa de Chinchetru as judges of the ecclesiastic tribunal of Vatican City State.

- Cardinals Joseph Ratzinger, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and Carlo Maria Martini S.J., archbishop of Milan, as honorary academicians of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences.

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, NOV 22, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in audience Cardinal James Francis Stafford, president of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, and Bishop Stanislaw Rylko, secretary of the same council.

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POPE DECRIES USURY, "THE EXPLOITATIONS OF NEEDS OF OTHERS"

VATICAN CITY, NOV 22, 2000 (VIS) - Pope John Paul II, at the end of today's general audience held in St. Peter's Square, greeted the 35,000 pilgrims present in numerous languages including French, English, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Czech, Croatian, Slovakian and Slovenian.

In greeting Italian-language pilgrims, the Pope welcomed "with affection the members of the National Council of Anti-usury Foundations and the delegations of the various regional foundations who have come to sensitize everyone about the worrisome phenomenon of usury and its dramatic social implications. Dear friends, the Pope is close to you and encourages you to continue in your generous commitment to fight this merciless exploitation of the needs of others.
"Usury is a spreading social plague and it is absolutely necessary to come to the assistance of those who find themselves involved in this network of injustice and serious sufferings. I hope with all my heart that, in the context of the Jubilee Year, thanks to everyone's contribution, concrete steps may be undertaken to eliminate this great social scourge."

AC;USURY;...;...;VIS;20001122;Word: 180;

COUNCIL DOCUMENT ON "FAMILY, MARRIAGE, 'DE FACTO' UNIONS"

VATICAN CITY, NOV 21, 2000 (VIS) - The Pontifical Council for the Family today published in English, French, Spanish and Italian a document entitled "Family, Marriage and 'de facto' Unions." In addition it released a communique signed by Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo and Bishop Francisco Gil Hellin, respectively president and secretary of the council, in which they present and describe the 79-page document.

Following are excerpts from that communique:

"In recent years we have witnessed repeated attempts to confer legal validity on 'de facto' unions: These unions ignore or even refuse the very institution of marriage or at least defer it to an uncertain future. In doing so, these unions are not included in and protected by marriage law and, therefore, a pretended comparison involves a juridical hollowing out of the marriage institution. In fact, a number of times the same validity for unions of coexistence between two persons of the same sex has been requested, even with the possibility of being able to adopt children. One and the other ask to receive the same rights as the family founded on marriage. Pope John Paul II, ... in his historical speech to politicians and parliamentarians on November 4, 2000, repeated what he has said in the past: 'Every law which damages the family and attacks its unity and indissolubility or gives legal validity to unions among persons, even of the same sex, which asks to be a surrogate with the same rights as the family founded on marriage between a man and a woman 'is not a law in conformity with the divine plan'.'

"Aware of the serious repercussions involved in this situation of human and Christian incoherence for society and the Church, the Pontifical Council for the Family felt it was opportune to examine deeply and attentively such a delicate question. ... The fruit of this initiative, after laborious studies, is the document "Family, Marriage and 'de facto' Unions" which we now present.

"In this document, after examining the social aspect of 'de facto' unions, their constitutive elements and the motives behind them, we then face the problem of their recognition and their juridical equalization in the first place with the family founded on marriage. Then, we take into consideration the family as a social good, the objective values to encourage and the duties that society should justly protect and promote, caring for its root, which is marriage. Following this we study more deeply several aspects which this claim presents in relation to Christian marriage. In addition, several general criteria of pastoral discernment, necessary for furnishing an orientation to Christian communities, are laid out."

"The Pope, on the occasion of the Jubilee of Families on October 14, affirmed that what is necessary is a commitment to defend 'the value of the family and respect for human life, from the very moment of conception. It is a question of values which belong to the basic 'grammar' of dialogue and human coexistence among peoples. I truly hope that governments and national parliaments as well as international organizations, and the United Nations in particular, will not lose sight of this truth'."

"Pastors, who very often in their ministry find themselves welcoming and guiding persons who are living such problems, will surely receive in this document opportune orientations for their pastoral activity."

"We hope that these pages will also be a useful instrument for politicians and legislators. As the Holy Father has affirmed: 'No human society can run the risk of permissiveness on the basic questions concerning the essence of marriage and the family! A similar moral permissiveness can only bring harm to the authentic exigencies of peace and communion among men. ... It is therefore urgent ... to rediscover the existence of essential and native human and moral values, ... values, therefore, which no individual, no majority and no State can ever create, modify or destroy, but can only recognize, respect and promote'."

"In the face of any law which attempts to give legal validity to unions among persons, even of the same sex, which asks to be a surrogate with the same rights as the family founded on marriage between a man and a woman, 'Christian legislators may neither contribute to the formulation of such a law nor approve it in parliamentary assembly, although, where such a law already exists, it is licit for them to propose amendments which would diminish its adverse effects'. This is a question of unjust laws which are not in conformity with the divine plan."

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, NOV 21, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Appointed Archbishop Theodore E. McCarrick of Newark, U.S.A., as archbishop of Washington (area 5,447, population 2,305,090, Catholics 510,000, priests 1,083, permanent deacons 225, religious 1,781), U.S.A. He succeeds Cardinal James A. Hickey, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same archdiocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

- Appointed Bishop Juan Barros Madrid, auxiliary of Valparaiso, Chile, as bishop of Iquique (area 41,799, population 188,450, Catholics 150,760, priests 31, permanent deacons 7, religious 54), Chile.

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, NOV 21, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in audience Islam Abduganievic Karimov, president of the Republic of Uzbekistan, accompanied by his wife and an entourage.

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CONCLUSIONS OF THE CONGRESS ON CHILDREN AND THE FAMILY

VATICAN CITY, NOV 21, 2000 (VIS) - Made public today was a document of the Pontifical Council for the Family regarding the theological-pastoral congress that took place in Rome from October 11 to 14. The theme of the gathering was: "Children, Springtime of the Family and of Society" and it marked the occasion of the third world meeting of the Holy Father with families.

The text is divided into four sections: doctrinal and theological contributions, real situations, recommendations and conclusions.

Participants in the congress note that "at both the national and international level, there is a tendency today to weaken matrimony and the family that arises therefrom, rather than reinforcing them. The family, if considered as a precarious union between individuals, becomes ever more fragile."

The document continues: "The family is a privileged place for the transmission of faith as well as being a school of prayer. ... Prayer in the family is a central aspect of vitality that contributes to its stability."

In the section on recommendations, it is emphasized that "the most effective way to protect children and their rights is to protect, in the first place, the family based on matrimony." Furthermore, it recommends avoiding "ambiguity in defining the child and the family. In particular, regarding the legal definition of the child, it is necessary that the rights of the child in the pre-natal period of life be recognized."

"We are troubled by the dramatic devaluation of maternity in our societies. ... The role of mother must be given recognition by reason of the real and effective service it renders to society."

Moreover, the participants in the congress refer to the need to "reinforce the awareness and importance of the paternal role in educating the family. ... This role must, of course, be supported by educational structures but it can never be adequately substituted."

Speaking of the dignity of children, a call is made to "Christian communities and, especially, to parishes, to closely follow the interests of families with handicapped children."

At the end of the document, it is affirmed that "modern-day educators are unanimous in underlining that the integral education of children is inseparable from the continual education of parents. ... Furthermore, though economic difficulties most certainly affect the possibilities for successful formation, they cannot be a reason for impeding poor families from having children and from benefiting from the fine educational contributions transmitted by Christian values."

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POPE NAMES ENVOY TO PLENARY COUNCIL OF VENEZUELA

VATICAN CITY, NOV 18, 2000 (VIS) - Made public today was a Letter, written in Latin and dated November 11, in which Pope John Paul names Cardinal Jorge A. Medina Estevez, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of Sacraments, as his special envoy to the inaugural celebration of the "Plenary Council of Venezuela," set to take place in Caracas on Sunday, November 26.

The mission accompanying the cardinal will include Fathers Carlos Rodriguez, rector of St. Rose of Lima University in Caracas, and Fernando Castro, assistant to the regional vicar in Venezuela of the Opus Dei prelature.

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JUBILEE IS A TIME FOR CONVERSION AND JOY

VATICAN CITY, NOV 18, 2000 (VIS) - This morning in St. Peter's Basilica, the Pope received various groups of pilgrims from Italian dioceses and parishes. In his address, he recalled that the Jubilee is "a time for conversion and joy that refreshes believers on their journey to interior renewal so that, in their hearts and their communities, a new mentality is asserted, one capable of appraising the events of the world in the light of the Gospel."

Speaking to faithful from the diocese of Carpi, the Holy Father said: "Given a more pronounced individualism, economic well-being that is an end unto itself and the religious indifference that sometimes risks insinuating itself in people's hearts, may you be spurred on to live with greater coherence what you are: children of God, called to be heirs to the Kingdom."

John Paul II also had words for a group from the Domenico Tardini Community Association, where young people are formed under the guidance of both Cardinal Achille Silvestrini, prefect of the Congregation for Oriental Churches and Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli, secretary of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Holy See. "Generations of young people grew up, and from the example of the teaching of the great cardinal (Tardini) and from the experience of life, the association was born with the aim of developing in its members the personal encounter with Christ, as well as respect for the dignity of all human beings, commitment to liberty and service through culture."

Finally, he greeted a number of Hungarian faithful from the parishes of St. Gerard and St. Therese of Lisieux in Budapest.

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POPE ADDRESSES COLLOQUIUM ON FRENCH PHILOSOPHER BLONDEL

VATICAN CITY, NOV 18, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father this morning welcomed 50 participants in the international colloquium organized by the Gregorian University in Rome on the French philosopher Maurice Blondel and entitled "Blondel between 'L'Action' and Trilogy."

"At the root of Maurice Blondel's philosophy," said the Pope, "is the acute perception of the drama of the separation between faith and reason and his intrepid will to overcome this separation contrary to the nature of things. The philosopher from Aix is thus an eminent representative of Christian philosophy, understood as rational speculation, in vital union with faith, in a double fidelity to the exigencies of intellectual research and of the Magisterium."

The Holy Father recalled the words he wrote in a Message in 1993 on the centenary of Blondel's "L'Action": "It is (Blondel's) courage as a thinker, linked to a fidelity and unfailing love of the Church, that current philosophers and theologians who study Blondel's works can learn from this great master."

"May all those engaged in intellectual research," he said in closing, "courageously accept, as Blondel did, knowing the limits of all human thought and allow themselves to be led to the threshold of divine mystery, which is given to us through faith!"

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PEACE IS THE RIGHT OF ALL AND MUST BE PROMOTED

VATICAN CITY, NOV 19, 2000 (VIS) - This morning in St. Peter's Square, in the presence of more than 100,000 people, John Paul II presided at a Eucharistic celebration for the Jubilee of the Armed Forces and the Police. Military ordinaries and chaplains from more than 30 countries concelebrated with the Pope.

In his homily, the Holy Father told the military and police forces present, who had come from 50 countries, that they were called "to defend the weak, to protect the honest and to favor peace and the coexistence of peoples. To each of you falls the role of sentinel, one who looks afar in order to ward off danger and promote justice and peace everywhere."

After highlighting that "in man's heart the seed of hope must never die," the Pope requested them "to use all means possible in favoring the courageous construction of justice and peace."

"Peace," he went on, "is the fundamental right of all men and must be continually promoted." Furthermore, he affirmed that when political efforts and non-violent attempts to disarm an aggressor fail, recourse must be had to "so-called 'humanitarian intervention'."

The Pope thanked the military and police forces for "your courageous operations, restoring peace to countries devastated by absurd conflicts," and for "the help you give, oblivious of the risks, to people struck by natural catastrophes."

"Be men and women of peace; and in order to be so fully, welcome Christ into your hearts. He is the author and guarantor of true peace. ... He will help you to place strength at the service of the great values of life, of justice, of forgiveness and of freedom."

Finally, the Holy Father paid homage to those who have "paid their faithfulness to their mission with their lives." He urged those present "to find encouragement in the example of these colleagues of yours who, in faithfully doing their duty, scaled the heights of heroism and, perhaps, of sanctity."

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THE WORLD NEEDS JUSTICE AND PEACE

VATICAN CITY, NOV 18, 2000 (VIS) - The Pope today received participants in a pilgrimage from Poland who have come to Rome to celebrate the Jubilee of the police and armed forces. He told them that the message of their Jubilee, 'With Christ in defense of justice and peace,' was an eloquent sign.

"Even today," he affirmed, "at the end of the second millennium, the world has need of justice and peace. It is vital that these words be given concrete significance and, at times, that their true meaning be restored. I would like to recall, furthermore, the Polish soldiers who carry out their mission in Bosnia, in Kosovo, in Lebanon and on the Golan Heights."

John Paul II urged those present "to carry with joy, to men and to nations, the message of peace and of love. A most eloquent proof of this attitude is the gift from Caritas to the military ordinary of an ambulance for a hospital in Kosovo. You offered this as a gift to the altar for the occasion of the Great Jubilee. I thank you for this fine gesture that arose from the hearts of the soldiers."

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LOVING PEACE AND LIFE IS LEARNED IN THE FAMILY

VATICAN CITY, NOV 19, 2000 (VIS) - Pope John Paul, following today's Mass for the Jubilee of the Armed Forces and Police, and prior to praying the angelus with the more than 100,000 faithful gathered in a rainy St. Peter's Square, addressed the pilgrims in seven languages, reflecting on the role of the family in the life of military personnel and police.

Recalling that he too was the son of a military officer, the Holy Father said "it is not easy to be the family of someone in the military because you have to share all the discomforts that their mission involves. And yet the family is the principal support for each one of you who is committed to the defense of peace and life. One defends what one loves, and where can one better learn to love peace and life than in the family? For this reason, dear families, feel fully united with this mission and collaborate in the protection of justice and peace."

In his remarks to representatives of the Polish Army and police, the Pope said that "this Jubilee encounter with soldiers from throughout the world is an event which shows in a special way that armies do not necessarily have to be protagonists of dramatic bellicose events, but that they can and must be protectors and bearers of peace. I pray that the not easy service of the military and police of protecting the security of men and nations be always marked by a deep sensitivity to the sufferings and needs of the weakest and that it be accorded society's gratitude and God's blessings."

"I wish to raise my prayer to the Lord," John Paul II concluded, "for your many colleagues who have died over the years during diverse missions of peace and defending order and law. May their sacrifice not have been in vain!"

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PILGRIMS OF ORIENTAL CHURCHES WELCOMED BY JOHN PAUL II

VATICAN CITY, NOV 20, 2000 (VIS) - This morning in the Paul VI Hall, the Holy Father welcomed pilgrims of the Syro-Malankar and Syro-Malabar Churches from India and elsewhere who are in Rome to celebrate the Jubilee Year 2000. He also greeted the staff and students of the Pontifical Institute of St. John Damascene.

The Pope remarked that "seventy years ago, Metropolitan Archbishop Mar Ivanios, Bishop Mar Theophilos and their companions entered into full communion with the See of Peter, because they were profoundly convinced of the truth of the words found beneath the dome of the Vatican Basilica: ... 'From here the one faith shines forth in the world'." Quoting "Orientale Lumen," he said: "They understood that 'the Church is one, the Church of Christ between East and West'; and they knew that, in entering the communion of the Catholic Church, they 'did not at all intend to deny their fidelity to their own traditions'. He asked them "to invoke God's love on the Christians of the Oriental Churches that ... they may 'discover that they are all walking together towards the one Lord'."

Then, in greetings to the rector, staff and students of the Pontifical Institute of St. John Damascene, John Paul II noted that, during this Jubilee Year, the institute is celebrating the 60th anniversary of its founding by Pope Pius XII.

"You priests who are resident at the institute come from the Syro-Malankara and the Syro-Malabar Churches, and therefore you are all sons of St. Thomas the Apostle, to whose missionary work you owe your Christian faith. Rightly you are proud not only of the rich heritage of your Churches, but also of their apostolic fervor, their pastoral energy and their many vocations."

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ARCHBISHOP FOLEY ADDRESSES MEETING AT SALESIAN UNIVERSITY

VATICAN CITY, NOV 19, 2000 (VIS) - Archbishop John Patrick Foley, president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, spoke today at a meeting at the Pontifical Salesian University on the theme "Visions of the Word: Relationship between Bible and Cinema." At the conclusion of this meeting there was a Eucharistic celebration during which he preached the homily.

CON-CS;BIBLE; CINEMA;...;FOLEY;VIS;20001120;Word: 70;

POPE GREETS PILGRIMS AT EVENING PRAYER IN ST. PETER'S SQUARE

VATICAN CITY, NOV 19, 2000 (VIS) - Pope John Paul, from the window of his study, greeted the faithful, including many members of the armed forces and police and their families, who had gathered in St. Peter's Square for the customary prayer recited in the square each evening of the Jubilee Year near the statue of St. Peter.

"Thank you for your joyous presence," he said, "and for your fervid participation in today's celebration. The Church is close to you! May this encounter be for all of you an encouragement and support in your intentions for good and in the generous commitment to serving justice and peace!"

"I hope that for you and your families the grace of the Holy Year increases in each of you the desire for an authentic spiritual renewal and a sincere solidarity towards our brothers in need."

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CONGRESS OF CATHOLIC LAITY BEGINS NEXT SATURDAY

VATICAN CITY, NOV 20, 2000 (VIS) - At midday today in the Holy See Press Office there was the presentation of the Congress of Catholic Laity, which will be held in Rome's Domus Pacis from November 25 to 30. The congress is promoted by the Pontifical Council for the Laity and will have as its theme: "Witnesses of Christ in the New Millennium."

Cardinal James Francis Stafford, president of the pontifical council, affirmed that the congress represents "a very special occasion for the laity to explain the faith that must be witnessed and communicated in all environments, geographical areas and life situations of the modern world."

Bishop Stanislaw Rylko, secretary of the council, indicated that the Jubilee of the Apostolate of the Laity "intends to remind all lay faithful of the roots of their vocation and mission as baptized Christians." Thanks to Vatican Council II, "the sense of shared responsibility in the Church has been invigorated. Many lay men and women are working in the front line of the new evangelization." Nonetheless, he added, "challenges are not lacking." For example: "How can we announce and bear witness to Christ in today's secularized society? ... How can we assist the laity to live their faith and their personal relationship with God in ordinary conditions of family life, professional life and social commitment?"

"In addition to delegates from episcopal conferences, representatives of lay groups and ecclesial movements will also be present at the congress. And, for the first time," highlighted Bishop Rylko, "numerous representatives of the laity from former communist countries (Lithuania, Estonia, Russia, Ukraine and Georgia) will be participating. These are lay people who have precious experiences of faith to share, experiences lived under conditions of long and hard persecution from atheist State systems." This congress, he added, "will therefore be a place for dialogue, exchange, witness and common prayer, but also for comparing and evaluating different ecclesial experiences."

Guzman Carriquiry, under-secretary of the pontifical council, outlined the program for the congress. It will begin on Saturday, November 25, with a message from the Holy Father and the presentation of three reports. At 9:30 that evening, by way of spiritual preparation, a "jubilee vigil" will be held in the Domus Pacis, presided by Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, president of the Central Committee of the Jubilee. The culminating moment will come on Sunday, November 26, solemnity of Christ the King. At 10 a.m., the Pope will celebrate Mass in the Vatican Basilica for the Jubilee of the Apostolate of the Laity and, at 4:30 p.m., in the church of the catacombs of St. Domitilla, there will be a jubilee celebration "in memory of the martyrs."

During November 27, 28 and 29, reflections will continue on the vocation, mission and formation of the laity. Furthermore, round table discussions will take place in which founders of ecclesial movements, leaders of international associations of faithful and university professors will participate.

The congress will end on November 30 with closing remarks from Cardinal Stafford and the presentation of the report: "Which lay faithful for the third millennium?" prepared by Cardinal Bernard F. Law, archbishop of Boston, U.S.A., and Guzman Carriquiry.

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PAPAL TELEGRAM FOR CONVENTION ON CHILD LABOR

VATICAN CITY, NOV 20, 2000 (VIS) - The following telegram, published today and written in English, was sent by Cardinal Angelo Sodano, secretary of State, in Pope John Paul's name to Juan Somavia, director general of the International Labor Organization, upon the coming into effect of a Convention on child labor:

"His Holiness John Paul II was pleased to learn that Convention 182 concerning the prohibition and immediate action for the elimination of the worst forms of child labor will come into effect on November 19, 2000. His Holiness has insisted that 'no one can remain indifferent to the suffering of countless children who fall victim to intolerable exploitation and violence, not just as a result of the evil perpetrated by individuals but often as a direct consequence of corrupt social structures' ('Ecclesia in Asia',34). He trusts therefore that the Convention will be major contribution to the defense of children who are powerless to defend themselves against the harm done to them by individuals in whom the voice of conscience has been silenced or by social structures which enable the strong to trample on the rights of the weak. His Holiness earnestly hopes that all member nations of the (International Labor) Organization will quickly ratify the Convention and work resolutely to ensure its full application, so that the young of the world, who are born in the image of God, may be allowed to grow and develop in a way worthy of their inalienable human dignity."

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IN MEMORIAM

VATICAN CITY, NOV 20, 2000 (VIS) - The following prelates died in recent weeks:

- Bishop Jean Bernard, emeritus of Nancy, France, on November 11, aged 84.
- Bishop Barry Francis Collins of Wilcannia-Forbes, Australia, on November 15, aged 62.
- Bishop Platon V. Kornyljak, former apostolic exarch for the Ukrainian faithful of Byzantine rite in Germany, on November 1, aged 80.
- Archbishop Eugene Antonio Marino S.S.J., emeritus of Atlanta, U.S.A., on November 12, aged 66.
- Bishop Jesus Pla Gandia, emeritus of Siguenza-Guadalajara, Spain, on November 8, aged 84.
- Bishop Umberto Tramma, emeritus of Nola, Italy, on November 1, aged 68.

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, NOV 20, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in audience:
- Cardinal Achille Silvestrini, prefect of the Congregation for Oriental Churches.
- Cardinal Jozef Glemp, archbishop of Warsaw and president of the Polish Episcopal Conference.

On Saturday, November 18, he received in audience Archbishop Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.

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EVALUATE MEDICAL DECISIONS USING ETHICAL CRITERIA

VATICAN CITY, NOV 17, 2000 (VIS) - Today in the Vatican's Synod Hall, John Paul II received in audience participants in the 15th international conference promoted by the Pontifical Council for Pastoral Assistance to Health Care Workers, which is considering the theme: "Health and Society."

The Pope spoke of the importance of "recovering certain criteria of ethical and anthropological discernment that enable us to evaluate whether the choices made in medicine and health care are truly tailored to man, whom they must serve."

"Medicine which seeks principally to enrich its knowledge with a view to its own technological efficiency," he continued, "would betray its original ethos and open the door to harmful developments. Only by serving man's integral well-being, can medicine contribute to his progress and happiness and not become an instrument of manipulation and death."

The Holy Father referred to the necessity of recognizing ethical norms "at whose center lies the human being with his individual dignity. Respect for his right to be born, live and die with dignity constitutes the basic imperative from which the practice of medicine must draw its inspiration. Do all in your power to raise awareness in the community, in national health care systems and in those in charge of them, in order that the considerable resources earmarked for research and technology always have the integral service of life as their objective."

Tending the sick, he highlighted, means "approaching the suffering person and not simply attending a sick body. This is why health care workers are asked to make a commitment that has the nature of a vocation. ... Giving the sick and their families reasons for hope in the face of the pressing questions that assail them, that is your mission. The Church is near you and shares with you this passionate service to life."

The Pope mentioned that during the conference, reflection had been given to health conditions in certain regions of the world, "where there is a lack of policies supporting primary care itself." He concluded by making a fresh call to the leaders of nations "that, as much as possible, they may favor the conditions appropriate for a resolution of such dramatic situations of injustice and marginalization."

AC;HEALTH; SOCIETY;...;...;VIS;20001117;Word: 380;

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, NOV 17, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of New Ulm, U.S.A., presented by Bishop Raymond A. Lucker in accordance with Canon 401, para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law.

- Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the archdiocese of Valencia, Spain, presented by Auxiliary Bishop Rafael Sanus Abad, in accordance with Canons 411 and 402, para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law.

- Appointed Fr. Esteban Escudero Torres, director of the institute of religious sciences in Valencia (area 13,060, population 2,415,000, Catholics 2,294,000, priests 1,516, religious 4,458), Spain, as auxiliary of the same archdiocese. The bishop-elect was born in Valencia in 1946 and ordained a priest in 1975.

- Appointed Msgr. Ivan Devcic, president of the theological institute of Rijeka-Senj (area 10,975, population 390,000, Catholics 290,000, priests 154, religious 277), Croatia, as archbishop of the same archdiocese. The archbishop-elect was born in Kranso Polje in 1948 and ordained a priest in 1975.

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, NOV 17, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in audience Cardinal Frederic Etsou-Nzabi-Bamungwabi C.I.C.M., archbishop of Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo.

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SYNOD OF BISHOPS' COUNCIL FOR ASIA HOLDS FOURTH MEETING

VATICAN CITY, NOV 17, 2000 (VIS) - The Council of the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops for the Special Assembly for Asia held its fourth meeting in the Vatican from November 14 to 16, according to a communique released today by the Synod of Bishops.

The synod's secretary general, Cardinal Jan P. Schotte, C.I.C.M., presided at the sessions whose participants included three cardinals, two archbishops, four bishops and four staff members of the General Secretariat. Among those in attendance was Archbishop Thomas Menamparampil, S.D.B. of Guwahati, India, who succeeded the late Archbishop Alan Basil De Lastic of Delhi, India.

Following Cardinal Schotte's remarks at the opening session, there was a debate, in both a plenary session and in language groups, on the application of the Post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation "Ecclesia in Asia." The communique states that "the debate gave rise to an overall informative picture, which shows how the document has received broad consensus on the Asian continent, given its completeness and how it responds to the culture, sensitivity and ecclesial hopes of the Church in Asia."

The council scheduled its next meeting for November 20-22, 2001.

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