MAN'S EXPECTATION AND AWE IN MEETING THE LORD

VATICAN CITY, JUL 26, 2000 (VIS) - Pope John Paul arrived from Castelgandolfo by helicopter today for the weekly general audience, his first since July 5 and his vacation period in the Italian Alps. The audience began at 10 a.m. in St. Peter's Square in the presence of an estimated 20,000 pilgrims.

He said that he wished today "to focus on two basic demeanors" that man must assume as he prepares to meet the Lord. "The first demeanor is that of expectation. ... In the original Greek we found three imperatives which underscore this expectation: The first is 'be alert', literally, 'look out!' ... It is the opposite of distraction which is, unfortunately, our almost habitual state, above all in a frenetic and superficial society such as today's. It is difficult to be able to fix on one objective, on one value, and to pursue it with fidelity and coherence."

The Holy Father pointed out that the second imperative is "'keep watch', which in the original Greek is equivalent to 'stay awake'. The temptation is strong to fall asleep, wrapped in the coils of darkness, which in the Bible is a symbol of blame, inertia, of refusal of the light." The third imperative, he went on, is "'Be vigilant!' It is the word of the guard who must stay alert as he patiently awaits the passing of nighttime to be able to see the light of dawn as it begins to appear on the horizon."

"Christ's three appeals: 'look out', 'keep watch' and 'be vigilant' summarize very clearly the Christian expectation of the meeting with the Lord. ... For the meeting with mystery one needs patience, inner purification silence, expectation."
John Paul II concluded by highlighting man's second demeanor vis-a-vis meeting the Lord, "that of astonishment, wonder. One must open one's eyes to admire God Who both hides and reveals Himself in things and who introduces us to the spaces of mystery. ... In reality, every thing, every event, for those who know how to read them in depth, bears a message which, in the last analysis, leads to God."

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PAPAL TELEGRAM FOR VICTIMS OF CONCORDE CRASH IN PARIS

VATICAN CITY, JUL 26, 2000 (VIS) - Following is the text of the telegram sent last evening in the Holy Father's name by Cardinal Angelo Sodano, secretary of state, to Archbishop Louis-Marie Bille of Lyon, president of the Conference of Bishops of France, for the crash of a Concorde plane just outside of Paris:

"Having learned of the tragic airplane accident which occurred near Paris and caused numerous victims, the Holy Father unites himself in prayer to the pain of the families, mainly French and German, who lost a dear one. He expresses his sincere condolences to them and assures his deep sympathy and his spiritual closeness to all those touched by this drama, especially the families and friends of the persons who died, members of the personnel of the airline company and all rescuers. He recommends the souls of the deceased to God's mercy, that they might know eternal rest in the peace of His Kingdom. He prays for the families of the deceased that they might be strong and find the support and assistance which they need to get through this painful trial. As a sign of his comfort, the Holy Father imparts his heartfelt apostolic blessing to all persons affected by this tragedy."

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JUL 26, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Accepted the resignation to the pastoral governing of the diocese of Santos, Brazil, presented by Bishop David Picao, upon having reached the age limit. He is succeeded by Coadjutor Bishop Jacyr Francisco Braido, C.SD.

- Accepted the resignation to the pastoral governing of the diocese of Iguatu, Brazil, presented by Bishop Jose Mauro Ramalho de Alarcon Santiago, upon having reached the age limit. He is succeeded by Coadjutor Bishop Jose Doth de Oliveira.

- Appointed Fr. Francisco Meinrad Merkel, C.S.Sp., director of the Father Libermann Institute in Salette, diocese of Rio do Sul, as bishop of Humaita (area 93,689, population 50,600, Catholics 38,000, priests 8, religious 19), Brazil. The bishop-elect was born in Hardheim, Germany, in 1944. He made his perpetual vows in the Congregation of the Holy Spirit in 1969 and was ordained a priest in 1971.

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FOREIGN MINISTER OF SUDAN RECEIVED IN VATICAN

VATICAN CITY, JUL 26, 2000 (VIS) - Following is the declaration released today by Holy See Press Office Director Joaquin Navarro-Valls concerning the visit to the Vatican by Sudan's foreign affairs minister:

"Today, Foreign Affairs Minister Mustafa Osman Ismail of Sudan was received in audience by Archbishop Jean-Louis Tauran, secretary for Relations with States. The Sudanese minister illustrated the latest political developments which are directing the country towards a multiparty and federal system, also in view of putting an end to the conflict which for long years has torn to pieces the south of Sudan.

"The meeting was also an occasion to review the situation of the Catholic Church in the country and the ways to better the living conditions of the Catholic community and thus to permit it to participate more actively in the development of Sudanese society."

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GENERAL AUDIENCE: POPE GREETS PILGRIMS IN 13 LANGUAGES

VATICAN CITY, JUL 26, 2000 (VIS) - Pope John Paul, following today's general audience catechesis in Italian, and summaries in French, English, German, Spanish and Portuguese, greeted the 20,000 pilgrims present in St. Peter's Square in those languages as well as in Latin, Lithuanian, Croatian, Hungarian, Slovakian, Japanese and Korean.

In English, he extended "a special welcome to the visitors from Sendai and Kagoshima in Japan. May God bless you and your families and all your fellow citizens." In Japanese, he added: "Thank you for your visit."

Speaking Latin, the Pope said he was happy to greet promoters of this language who had just concluded an annual course entitled "Aestiva Romae Latinitas." He urged them "to persevere in your studies."

John Paul II told Croatian pilgrims that "the Jubilee celebrations make us feel the need to welcome the Gospel announcement in the social and cultural realities of every nation. ... It is urgent to know how to listen again today to the message of Christian faith and to reflect on it in order to be able to give it vigor once again and to reinforce one's identity, laying out the path to the future."

He concluded his multi-lingual greetings by addressing, in their languages, the Japanese and Korean pilgrims from the Sts. Joachim and Anne Association, with their foundress and spiritual leaders. Pointing out that today is the feast of Sts. Joachim and Anne, parents of the Virgin Mary, he asked that they "might accompany as heavenly protectors older couples in their mission of supporting families."

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