LETTERS OF CREDENCE OF NEW VENEZUELAN AMBASSADOR

VATICAN CITY, NOV 6, 2000 (VIS) - This morning the Holy Father received the Letters of Credence from the new ambassador of the Republic of Venezuela, Ignacio Quintana.

In his speech to the diplomat, the Pope affirmed that just as in the past, "also under present circumstances, the Venezuelan people will benefit from the firm commitment of the Church and her pastors in support of the fundamental rights of people; in their firm defense of life from the moment of its conception to its natural end; in their intense and constant educational activity; in their promotion of the family as a natural institution and primary cell of society, and in their concern to save so many citizens from the burden of poverty, hunger, moral corruption and so many other forms of social marginalization."

"By virtue of her mission," he continued, "the Church demands the space necessary for her activities" and tries to make the people she serves "good Christians and honest citizens, committed to the sound progress of their country."

John Paul II highlighted that "there must be no reticence or, even less so, rivalry, in matters concerning the common good and the dignified future of a people. These include categorical defence for human dignity in all its integrity and for an education open to the transcendental dimension of the person - something that cannot disregard the religious dimension - as well as the fundamental civil and social rights of every human being."

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