THE ONLY WORTHWHILE RELIGION IS THE ONE THAT LEADS TO PEACE

VATICAN CITY, AUG 31, 2000 (VIS) - Cardinal Francis Arinze, president of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue, has been attending the Millennium World Peace Summit, a meeting organized by the United Nations and held in New York, U.S.A., from August 28 to 31.

The gathering, which has been attended by religious and spiritual leaders, forms part of a series of preparatory initiatives for the 55th session of the General Assembly of the United Nations which will begin on September 5.

In a message addressed to Cardinal Arinze for the occasion, the Pope wrote that the peace summit "is an exceptional opportunity to make it abundantly clear that the only religion worthy of the name is the religion that leads to peace and that true religion is mocked when it is tied to conflict and violence."

John Paul II went on to indicate that "religions cannot provide technical solutions to all the world's problems, for that is not their task. But they do offer a moral and spiritual wisdom which illuminates and teaches the transcendent truth of the human person. From this alone there comes the respect for human dignity without which there can be no justice, solidarity or peace."

"It is a sign of hope when religious and spiritual leaders can say to the world with one voice that peace is possible, that peace is our sacred duty, that peace is the future willed by God."

...;WORLD PEACE SUMMIT;...;ARINZE;VIS;20000831;Word: 250;

JUBILEE CALENDAR OF EVENTS FOR SEPTEMBER

VATICAN CITY, AUG 31, 2000 (VIS) - Following is the calendar of Jubilee events scheduled for September 2000:

- Sunday 3: 22nd Sunday in Ordinary Time. Mass and rite of Beatification in St. Peter's Square.

- Sunday 10: 23rd Sunday in Ordinary Time. Mass in St. Peter's Square for Jubilee of Universities.

- Thursday 14: Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross. Procession from the Basilica of the Holy Cross in Jerusalem to the Basilica of St. John Lateran. Vespers in the Armenian rite and the rite of Antasdan in the Basilica of St. John Lateran.
- Friday 15: Mass in St. Peter's Basilica for the Jubilee of Pontifical Representatives. Opening of the International Marian-Mariological Congress in the Basilica of St. Mary Major.

- Sunday 17: 24th Sunday in Ordinary Time. Mass in St. Peter's Square for the Jubilee of the Elderly.

- Saturday 23: Concert by the 'Danubia' Youth Orchestra in Paul VI Hall, to celebrate the first millennium of Christianity in Hungary.

- Sunday 24: 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time. Mass in St. Peter's Basilica to mark the closure of the International Marian-Mariological Congress.

- Thursday 28: Mass for deceased Popes in St. Peter's Basilica.

...;SEPTEMBER JUBILEE EVENTS;...;...;VIS;20000831;Word: 190;

JUBILEE OF UNIVERSITIES TO BEGIN THIS SUNDAY

VATICAN CITY, AUG 31, 2000 (VIS) - A press conference took place this morning in the Holy See Press Office to present the Jubilee of Universities. Also presented were the world meetings of rectors, of administrative managers and of chaplains, and the world forum of university students. These events will be held from September 3 to 10 and their central theme will be "The university for a new humanism."

The first world meeting of university rectors will be held on Friday September 8, in the 'Aula Magna' of Rome's 'La Sapienza' University. A total of 280 rectors and/or university presidents from all over the world will participate.
The world meeting of chaplains will bring together several hundred priests from 30 countries on all continents. Cardinal Anthony Joseph Bevilacqua, archbishop of Philadelphia, U.S.A., will talk on the theme: "The priestly mission in the world of the university and of culture."

Four hundred university students from 20 nations and representing 15 groups, movements and associations will attend the first world forum of university students and hear a talk by Cardinal Vinko Puljic, archbishop of Vrhbosna, Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, on the theme: "Gospel and culture in universities: the hopes of the Church."

During this Jubilee, other congresses will be held in the Holy Land and Lebanon, as well as in Italy where 59 congresses have been organized in 40 universities. The themes may be divided into four groups: the human being, the city of man, the vision of science and creativity and memory. Speakers will number more than 1,500, and participants around 10,000.

In the Vatican at 9 a.m. on Saturday, September 9, the university community will be received in audience by John Paul II, there will then follow the Liturgy of the Word and the presentation of a summary of the congresses. Penitential celebrations in linguistic groups (eight languages) are scheduled for the afternoon and at 6 p.m. there will be a world meeting of ministers of education.

The climax of the Jubilee of Universities will come on Sunday, September 10, when the Holy Father will preside at a solemn Eucharistic celebration in St. Peter's Square.

At the close of the celebrations, a mosaic icon of the Virgin entitled "Sedes Sapientiae" (Seat of Wisdom) - the work of the Jesuit sculptor Marko Ivan Rupnik - will be presented by the Pope to the universities of the world. The icon will first be entrusted to the delegation from the diocese of Athens, Greece, headed by Archbishop Foscolos, then be borne in pilgrimage around dioceses that contain universities.

...;JUBILEE UNIVERSITIES;...;...;VIS;20000831;Word: 420;

HOLY FATHER'S PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR SEPTEMBER

VATICAN CITY, AUG 31, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father's general prayer intention for September is: "That scientists and the academic world may find in the search for truth the way to God, the heavenly Father."

His missionary intention is: "That Muslim-Christian relationships may be marked by mutual understanding and respect."

JPII-PRAYER INTENTIONS;SEPTEMBER;...;...;VIS;20000831;Word: 60;

DECLARATION 'DOMINUS IESUS' TO BE PRESENTED ON TUESDAY

VATICAN CITY, AUG 31, 2000 (VIS) - In the Holy See Press Office at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, September 5, the declaration 'Dominus Iesus' will be presented. The document, which emanates from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, deals with the unicity and salvific universality of Jesus Christ and the Church.

Taking part in the press conference will be: Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Archbishop Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B., Msgr. Fernando Ocariz and Fr. Angelo Amato S.D.B., respectively, prefect, secretary and consultors of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

OP;DECLARATION DOMINUS IESUS;...;RATZINGER;VIS;20000831;Word: 100;

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, AUG 31, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Bishop Walter Mixa of Eichstatt as military ordinary of the Federal Republic of Germany.

NA;...;...;MIXA ;VIS;20000831;Word: 30;