POPE RECALLS 50 YEARS OF U.N. COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES

VATICAN CITY, DEC 10, 2000 (VIS) - Before praying the angelus with the estimated 45,000 faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square today for the Jubilee of Catechists and Teachers of Religion, the Holy Father spoke of the 50th anniversary of the statute which created the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Calling this "an important date for those who were forced to flee their countries because of war and persecution," the Pope said this moment was "also important for those men and women who so unselfishly offered time, intelligence and generous availability well beyond their work duties, to bring help to these refugees, in situations often serious and dangerous. To them go the thanks of the international community. ... In international solidarity and political dialogue it is possible to find solutions so that welcoming refugees will not be too burdensome in some countries and so that they will find in institutions and public structures a defense of their rights and their basic liberties."

John Paul II then turned to the tens of thousands of catechists and teachers of religions present in Rome, representing their more than 2 million confreres throughout the world, and expressed his "gratitude and encouragement" for their work.

"Precisely to encourage you to pursue your activity with that missionary spirit which marks today's Jubilee celebration, in a few minutes I will give the Catechism of the Catholic Church to five couples of catechists, representing all the continents. I would like this gesture to underscore that, in the variety of languages and cultures, catechists are called to announce to the entire world the one Truth: Christ, Only Savior of the world, yesterday, today and always."

The Holy Father repeated his gratitude and encouragement to catechists in a number of languages before praying the angelus with them.

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