HOLY SEE OFFICIALS VISIT PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF KOREA

VATICAN CITY, NOV 14, 2000 (VIS) - The following English-language communique was released early this afternoon by Holy See Press Office Director Joaquin Navarro-Valls:

"On Tuesday, November 14, 2000, an official visit undertaken by Msgrs. Celestino Migliore, under-secretary for the Holy See's Relations with States, and Luis Mariano Montenayor, official of the Secretariat of State, to the People's Republic of Korea was concluded.

"The Holy See delegation, in its fifth consecutive visit to Pyongyang, wished to reaffirm the constant and effective solidarity of the Holy Father for the population of North Korea and to continue the relations previously established with government authorities, particularly with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

"An important moment of this visit was the prayer encounter with the Catholic Community of the capital city, for which the Sunday Mass was celebrated in the Church of Chan Chung. After the liturgy, a meeting was held with the leader of the 'Association of Catholics of North Korea'."

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