COUNCIL SECRETARY TO RECEIVE DOCTORATE IN STRASBOURG

VATICAN CITY, APR 15, 2000 (VIS) - The theology faculty of the Marc Bloc Catholic University of Strasbourg will confer an honoris causa doctorate on Bishop Walter Kasper, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, on Friday, April 28, according to a communique published today by the pontifical council.

The preceding day, at 5 p.m. at the same university, Bishop Kasper will give a talk entitled "Ecclesial Unity and Ecclesial Communion in a Catholic Prospective."

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CARDINAL SODANO IS LEGATE TO CHURCH CENTENARY IN BRAZIL

VATICAN CITY, APR 15, 2000 (VIS) - Made public today was Pope John Paul's Letter to Cardinal Angelo Sodano, secretary of state, naming him as pontifical legate to the celebrations for the fifth centenary of the evangelization of Brazil, which will take place on April 26 in Porto Seguro. The letter, written in Latin, is dated March 25.

Also published today were the names of the delegation accompanying the cardinal: Msgrs. Timothy Broglio, nunciature counselor in the Secretariat of State, Andres Carrascosa Coso, counselor in the nunciature in Brazil and Stefano Migliorelli, an official in the Secretariat of State; Frs. Joelson Dias da Silva, coordinator of the commission of the diocese of Eunapolis for the fifth centenary of the evangelization of Brazil, and Marcony Vinicius Ferreira, pastor of the cathedral of Brasilia; Giampaolo Mattei, editor of the L'Osservatore Romano.

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REMAIN FIRMLY UNITED TO CHRIST AND HIS CHURCH

VATICAN CITY, APR 15, 2000 (VIS) - This morning in the Paul VI Hall, the Pope received 5,000 pilgrims from the Italian diocese of Fabriano-Matelica as well as other groups from Turin and Milan, Italy, and from Marseille, France.

To faithful from the diocese of Fabriano-Matelica, the Pope said: "Strengthened by the ancient traditions that supported your ancestors on their journey in faith, advance confidently towards the future and transmit love for Jesus, man's only Redeemer, to the young generations. Remain firm in your devotion to Him and His Church."

John Paul II affirmed that "the great challenges of the modern age require courage and missionary daring. Dear brothers and sisters, do not flag in your efforts for the renewal of society through effective witness and clear proclamation, giving due regard to the signs of the times. Take every appropriate measure in the field of the apostolate."

He encouraged the faithful from parishes in Turin and Milan to find nourishment and strength "in the sacramental gifts, so that in your communities you may become instruments of God's tenderness, open to the needs of all humanity. May Mary, Mother of the Church, always accompany you on your way."

"On the eve of Palm Sunday, which introduces us to the central mystery of our faith," said the Holy Father to a group of young people from Marseille, "I invite you to follow Christ. ... In contemplating the cross of the Savior, may you discover the infinite love of God who sacrificed Himself in order to save us and who calls on you to make something beautiful of your lives."

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RWANDA'S BISHOPS VISIT IMPRISONED COLLEAGUE

VATICAN CITY, APR 16, 2000 (VIS) - A communique from the Rwandan Episcopal Conference, dated April 14, was published today in which the conference members recall that one year ago, on April 14, 1999, their fellow bishop, Msgr. Augustin Misago, was arrested and detained in Kigali's Central Prison.

Following three days of interrogation, they write, Bishop Misago was imprisoned on April 16, 1999 and is still there. He has appeared several times in court and the bishops write that "his three defense lawyers are optimistic about the good outcome of his trial."

They conclude: "Yesterday, April 13 and today, April 14, the members of the episcopal conference visited him to give him witness of their collegial sympathy. They prayed with him and asked God's blessing on him as a sign of the shared confidence that they have in God, the Just Judge."

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COME TO ROME IN AUGUST, POPE INVITES WORLD'S YOUTHS

VATICAN CITY, APR 16, 2000 (VIS) - Before reciting the angelus today, Pope John Paul invited the world's young people to come to Rome in August for the 15th World Youth Day, and he wished them a Happy Easter in Italian, English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, German and Polish.

He had special words of thanks for "the young people from Rome and Italy, for the commitment and availability with which you are preparing to receive your peers."

The Pope concluded his multi-lingual Palm Sunday greetings by thanking Italy's Puglia region for the dozens of olive trees and hundreds of olive branches which they offered for today's celebration and which adorned St. Peter's Square and were distributed to the faithful present.

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POPE INVITES THOUSANDS OF YOUNG PEOPLE TO FOLLOW CHRIST

VATICAN CITY, APR 16, 2000 (VIS) - This morning in St. Peter's Square, John Paul II presided at the liturgical celebration for Palm Sunday in the presence of hundreds of thousands of faithful, mostly young people from all over the world who were participating in the 15th diocesan World Youth Day.

Prior to Mass, the Pope went to the obelisk in the middle of the square, from where he blessed the palms and olive branches decorating it. He then moved by car to the altar in front of the basilica for the celebration of the Eucharist.

In his homily, the Holy Father said, "annihilation and exaltation, this is the key to understanding the Paschal mystery, the key to penetrating God's admirable economy which is realized in the events of Easter."

The Pope affirmed: "God's mysterious plan of salvation, brought to fruition in the annihilation and exaltation of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ (is) the response to the basic questions and misgivings present in all men and women, especially the young."

"In the drama of life," he continued, "you, dear youth, begin to gain experience. You ask yourselves about the meaning of existence, about your relationship with yourselves, with others and with God. Christ the Servant, suffering and humiliated, abased even unto death on the cross and exalted in glory at the right hand of the Father, offers Himself as the only true response to your hearts which thirst for truth and peace and to your many, perhaps anguished, questions and problems. In fact, there is no other answer so simple, complete and convincing."

After expressing thanks for the presence of so many young people at Mass, John Paul II recalled that, "with His entry into Jerusalem, Christ began His journey of love and pain in the Cross. Look to Him with a renewed impulse of faith. Follow him! He does not promise illusory happiness. Quite the opposite, in order for you to reach true human and spiritual maturity, he invites you to follow His example, making His committed choices your own."

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, APR 17, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

- Archbishop Marian Oles, apostolic nuncio in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan and Tadjikistan.
- Archbishop Leonardo Sandri, apostolic nuncio in Mexico.

On Saturday April 15, he received in separate audiences:

- Cardinal Achille Silvestrini, prefect of the Congregation for Oriental Churches.
- Archbishop Manuel Monteiro de Castro, apostolic nuncio in Spain and the Principality of Andorra.
- Cardinal Lucas Moreira Neves O.P., prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.

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HISTORIC ANGLICAN-CATHOLIC CONSULTATION SET FOR MAY

VATICAN CITY, APR 17, 2000 (VIS) - A joint communique published today by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and by the Anglican Communion Office announced that there will be an historic consultation of Anglican and Roman Catholic bishops from 13 regions around the world in Toronto, Canada, from May 14 to 20.

They will gather "to review and evaluate the accomplishment of 30 years of ecumenical dialogue between the two traditions and to reflect on how the special relationship between them has been developing in different parts of the world."

Following are excerpts from the communique:

"This high level meeting is happening at a time when Anglicans and Roman Catholics around the world are exploring the possibilities for further steps towards visible unity.

"The meeting grows out of a visit by the Most Reverend and Rt. Hon. George L. Carey, archbishop of Canterbury, to Pope John Paul II in December 1996, where, in a Common Declaration, they stated: 'It may be opportune at this stage in our journey to consult further about how the relationship between the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church is to progress.'

"The bishops will gather in private session at the Queen of Apostles Renewal Center near Toronto, Canada, under the joint chairmanship of Archbishop Carey and Cardinal Edward Idris Cassidy, president of the Vatican's Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity."

"At 6 p.m. on Wednesday May 17, the bishops will join together in public prayer at St. Michael's Roman Catholic Cathedral in Toronto, presided by Cardinal Aloysius Ambrozic and Bishop Terence Finlay. The archbishop of Canterbury will be the preacher. This service is open to all.

"Other components of the meeting will be the sharing of experiences and reflection on the theological dialogue between Anglicans and Roman Catholics. ARCIC, the chief instrument of official dialogue, was set up after the historic meeting in 1966 of Archbishop Michael Ramsey of Canterbury and Pope Paul VI. The international theological work has also fostered significant ecumenical cooperation on the national and local levels of Church life. The commission has produced a series of significant agreed statements, the latest being the "Gift of Authority."

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ALLOW GOD TO ACT WITHIN AND THROUGH YOU

VATICAN CITY, APR 17, 2000 (VIS) - This morning in the Paul VI Hall, the Pope received 5,000 participants in the International University Congress UNIV 2000, the theme of which is "man's image 2,000 years on."

John Paul II told professors and students from 56 countries, that they should be "deeply convinced that society must find, in your coherent testimony as young Christians, an important stimulus for solid spiritual and social renewal."

Speaking English, the Holy Father said: "We could say that the two thousand years just ended are not just two millennia after Christ, but in a more real sense two millennia of Christ. This is the truth expressed in the theme of the Great Jubilee: 'Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever'!"

"True progress," he went on, speaking Spanish, "tends towards Christ, towards that full union with Him, sanctity, that is also human perfection."

"Dear youth of UNIV, ... Christian struggle is never in vain. The Christian never works alone. Do not forget this. All believers are instruments of God and Christ acts with them, through the strength of the Holy Spirit. Allow God to act in you and through you. For this to happen, you well know the means to which you must turn: the Sacraments, prayer, the practice of virtue, sanctification of work and spiritual guidance. You need Christ, but Christ also needs you to make Him known to your peers with whom you share experiences and hopes. ... Remain ever open to thinking of others, forgetting yourselves in order to bring your brothers to God."

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, APR 17, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Fr. Denis Theurillat of the clergy of Basel (area 12,585, population 3,000,000, Catholics 1,120,000, priests 888, permanent deacons 68, religious 2,582), Switzerland, and episcopal vicar for the Francophone part of the same diocese, as auxiliary bishop of that diocese. The bishop-elect was born in Epauvillers, Switzerland, in 1950 and ordained a priest in 1976.

On Saturday April 15, it was made public that he:

- Erected the diocese of Orizaba (area 2,012, population 555,302, priests 56, religious 185), Mexico, with territory taken from the archdiocese of Jalapa, making it a suffragan of that same metropolitan church. He appointed Fr. Hipolito Reyes Larios, of the clergy of the archdiocese of Jalapa and rector of the interdiocesan seminary of Jalapa, as first bishop of the new diocese. The bishop-elect was born in Ciudad Mendoza, Mexico, in 1946 and ordained a priest in 1973.

- Erected the diocese of Cordoba (area 4,118, population 627,890, priests 50, religious 164), Mexico, with territory taken from the archdiocese of Jalapa, making it a suffragan of that same metropolitan church. He appointed Fr. Eduardo Porfirio Patino Leal, of the clergy of the archdiocese of Monterrey, Mexico, and pastor and head of studies at the archdiocesan seminary, as first bishop of the new diocese. The bishop-elect was born in Monterrey in 1949 and ordained a priest in 1977.

- Appointed Bishop Michel Dubost, military ordinary for France, as bishop of Evry-Corbeil-Essonnes (area 1,819, population 1,202,000, Catholics 846,000, priests 179, permanent deacons 30, religious 742), France. He succeeds Bishop Guy Herbulot, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, on having reached the age limit.

- Appointed Cardinal Raul Francisco Primatesta, archbishop emeritus of Cordoba, Argentina, as his special envoy at the closing celebrations for the 4th National Eucharistic Congress of Uruguay. The event is due to take place at Colonia del Sacramento, Uruguay, on October 15.

- Appointed Msgr. Massimo Boarotto, official at the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, as bureau chief in the same congregation.
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