CENTENARY OF THREE APOSTOLIC PREFECTURES IN PERU

VATICAN CITY, JAN 25, 2000 (VIS) - Made public today was the letter from the Pope, written in Latin and dated September 30, 1999, in which he names Archbishop Marcello Zago O.M.I., secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, as his special envoy at celebrations for the centenary of the erection of the first three apostolic prefectures in the Amazon region of Peru. The event is scheduled to take place at Lima, Peru, on January 30, 2000.

The pontifical mission accompanying Archbishop Zago is made up of Frs. Antonio Santarsiero O.S.J., of the Peruvian Episcopal Conference; Maurilio Bernardo Paniagua O.S.A., missionary in the apostolic vicariate of Iquitos and Javier Ignacio Iraizoz Goldaraz O.P., missionary in Puerto Maldonado.

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COMMUNIQUE ON VISIT OF COSTA RICA'S PRESIDENT

VATICAN CITY, JAN 25, 2000 (VIS) - The following communique on the visit to Pope John Paul by Costa Rican President Miguel Angel Rodriguez was published yesterday afternoon:

"Today, January 24, the Holy Father received the president of the Republic of Costa Rica, Miguel Angel Rodriguez. The president then met with Cardinal Angelo Sodano, secretary of state.

"During the talks there was an overview of Church-State relations in Costa Rica, with particular regard given to the need for collaboration for the formation of youth and for promoting moral values, especially of the family.

"There was also an exchange of information on the general situation in Central America."

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JUBILEE MASS FOR WORLD DAY OF CONSECRATED LIFE

VATICAN CITY, JAN 25, 2000 (VIS) - Pope John Paul II will preside at a concelebrated Mass at 10 a.m. in St. Peter's Basilica on Wednesday, February 2, feast of the Presentation of Our Lord, to mark the Fourth World Day for Consecrated Life.

The Mass will be concelebrated by the cardinal prefect, secretary, under-secretary and bureau chiefs of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life and the priest members of the executive council of the Union of Superiors General.

According to tradition, those who wish to offer special candles to the Holy Father will place them at the Altar of the Confession before the start of Mass. Mass will be preceded by the blessing of these candles and a procession. Following the Pope's homily, there will be thanksgiving to God for the gift of consecrated life.

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JAN 25, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed:

- Fr. Dominic Jala S.D.B., provincial of the Salesians in Guwahati, India, as metropolitan archbishop of Shillong (area 14,262, population 1,298,051, Catholics 313,085, priests 145, religious 680), India. The archbishop-elect was born in Mawlai, India, in 1951 and ordained a priest in 1977.

- Fr. Gerald Mathias, pastor of the cathedral at Lucknow, India, as bishop of Simla and Chandigarh (area 83,566, population 18,000,000, Catholics 10,600, priests 63, religious 238), India. The bishop-elect was born in Kallianpur, India, in 1953 and ordained a priest in 1979.

- Fr. Vilhelms Lapelis O.P., vicar general of Liepaja (area 13,210, population 314,500, Catholics 33,000, priests 12, religious 5), Latvia, as coadjutor bishop of the same diocese. The bishop-elect was born in 1961 at Daugavpils, Latvia, and ordained a priest in 1986.

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MESSAGE OF THE POPE FOR LENT 2000

VATICAN CITY, JAN 25, 2000 (VIS) - In the Holy See Press Office at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, January 27, Archbishops Paul Josef Cordes, president of the Pontifical Council "Cor Unum" and Angelo Massafra O.F.M. of Shkodre, Albania, will present the message of the Holy Father for Lent 2000. The theme of the message is "I am with you always, to the close of the age."

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PERMANENT OBSERVER ADDRESSES WTO SESSION IN MADRID

VATICAN CITY, JAN 25, 2000 (VIS) - Msgr. Piero Monni, Holy See permanent observer to the World Tourism Organization, spoke today in Madrid, Spain, on the final day of the two-day extraordinary session of the WTO's executive council. He highlighted what he termed "one of the more absorbing aspects" of tourism, the "new role which the private sector could assume."

He spoke in particular of the possibilities for tourism when partnerships occur, that is, collaboration between the public and private sectors. Calling this a "positive" development, he added: "What could also be useful is an ever greater collaboration between authorities at the central and local levels."

Msgr. Monni remarked that "tourism appears increasingly within the globalization process aimed at bringing a notable contribution to various social sectors. The human aspects of this question call for greater attention by those responsible for social policies. Inattention to these expectations is a great omission in fulfilling those social obligations. It is within this prospective of 'economic and social peace' that the great values to which man is called to respond take their shape."

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