POPE RETURNS A RELIC OF ST. GREGORY TO KAREKIN II

VATICAN CITY, NOV 10, 2000 (VIS) - This morning, John Paul II and His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of all Armenians, presided at an ecumenical celebration in St. Peter's Basilica.

All the hymns and chants of today's ceremony were of the liturgical tradition of the Armenian Church. After listening to the words of the Catholicos Karekin II, the Holy Father pronounced a homily.

The Pope affirmed that "in the year 2001, the Armenian Church will celebrate the seventeenth centenary of the Baptism of Armenia through the ministry of St. Gregory the Illuminator." He also expressed his happiness at being able to return a relic of that saint "which has been kept in the Convent of St. Gregory the Armenian in Naples, and venerated there for many centuries. The relic will be placed in the new cathedral now being built in Yerevan as a symbol of hope and of the Church's mission in Armenia after so many years of oppression and silence."

"Through history," he continued, "there have been many contacts between the Catholic Church and the Armenian Apostolic Church; and there have been various attempts to restore full communion. Now we must pray and work fervently that the day will soon come when our sees and the bishops will be in full communion once more, when we can celebrate together, at the same altar, the Eucharist as the supreme sign and source of unity in Christ. Until that day dawns, each of our Eucharistic celebrations will suffer the absence of the brother who is not yet there."

Addressing His Holiness Karekin II, John Paul II said: "May the Spirit inspire and guide you in your pastoral ministry to the Armenian people, both in the land of your birth and throughout the world. To your fraternal prayer I entrust my own ministry as Bishop of Rome: that I may be able to exercise this ministry more and more as a 'service of love recognized by all concerned,' so that all will at last be one."

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CATHOLICOS KAREKIN II INVITES POPE TO VISIT ARMENIA

VATICAN CITY, NOV 10, 2000 (VIS) - Last evening in the Vatican Pope John Paul welcomed His Holiness Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, together with prelates, priests and lay people representing the Apostolic Armenian Church, and the minister for Religious Affairs of the Republic of Armenia.

In his discourse, the Holy Father spoke of the Catholicos' predecessor, Karekin I, recalling that he was a guest in the Vatican in March 1999, shortly before his death several months later, and adding that his ties with him "were deep, and I very much wanted to visit Armenia."

Pointing out that Karekin II's visit to the Vatican and Rome is taking place during the Jubilee Year 2000, the Pope observed that "soon there will be another Jubilee, the celebration of the 1700th anniversary of the Baptism of Armenia." He went on to say that "the history of the Armenian people and the Armenian Church ... is a history in which grandeur and persecution, joy and sorrow are intermingled."

"The Armenian Church has paid dearly for its fidelity to the Gospel of Jesus Christ!" said the Pope. "At the Ecumenical Commemoration of the Witnesses of Faith of the 20th Century on May 7 this year, we recalled in a special way the immense sufferings of the Armenian people." Then, quoting "Tertio Millennio Adveniente," he said: "Perhaps the most convincing form of ecumenism is the ecumenism of the saints and of the martyrs. The 'communio' speaks louder than the things which divide us'."

"By God's grace," said John Paul II, in concluding remarks, "Armenia has found new freedom and independence. Yet Armenia still faces enormous challenges. ... On the cultural and religious level there is still much to be done to fill the spiritual void left behind by a godless and collectivist ideology. ... The Catholic Church wants to stand with the Apostolic Armenian Church, to support its spiritual and pastoral ministry to the Armenian people, in complete respect for its way of life and characteristic identity."

In his talk, Catholicos Karekin II said "it is our pleasure to renew our invitation to you to visit the Mother See of Holy Etchmiadzin in Armenia, and to participate in the celebrations of the 1700th anniversary of the conversion of the Armenian people to Christianity."

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JOINT COMMUNIQUE OF THE POPE AND CATHOLICOS KAREKIN II

VATICAN CITY, NOV 10, 2000 (VIS) - Made public today was a joint communique that was signed yesterday in the Vatican by His Holiness John Paul II, Bishop of Rome and His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of all Armenians. Excerpts from the document are given below:

"Together we confess our faith in the Triune God and in one Lord Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, who became man for our salvation. We also believe in One, Catholic, Apostolic and Holy Church. ... We acknowledge furthermore that both the Catholic Church and the Armenian Church have true sacraments, above all ' by apostolic succession of bishops ' the priesthood and the Eucharist. We continue to pray for full and visible communion between us."

"The Catholic Church and the Armenian Church share a long history of mutual respect, considering their various theological, liturgical and canonical traditions as complementary, rather than conflicting. Today, too, we have much to receive from one another."

"As to the past, we thank God for the many blessings we have received from His infinite bounty. ... Many times, however, both the Catholic Church and the Armenian Church have lived through dark and difficult periods. ... For both of us, the 20th century was marked by extreme violence. The Armenian genocide, which began the century, was a prologue to horrors that would follow."

"We now look to the future with hope and confidence. ... We seek the intercession of ... all Saintly Pastors of the Catholic Church and the Armenian Church, and pray the Lord to guide our communities so that, with one voice, we may give witness to the Lord and proclaim the truth of salvation."

"Finally, we seek the intercession of the Holy Mother of God for the sake of peace. May the Lord grant wisdom to the leaders of nations, so that justice and peace may prevail throughout the world. In these days in particular, we pray for peace in the Middle East. May all the children of Abraham grow in mutual respect and find appropriate ways for living peacefully together in this sacred part of the world."

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HOLY FATHER'S CALENDAR FOR NOVEMBER 2000 - JANUARY 2001

VATICAN CITY, NOV 10, 2000 (VIS) - Given below is the calendar of liturgical celebrations at which the Holy Father will preside from November 2000 to January 2001:

NOVEMBER

- Friday 10: At 11:30 a.m. in the Vatican Basilica, ecumenical celebration for the visit of Catholicos Karekin II, supreme Patriarch of all Armenians.

- Sunday 12: 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time. Jubilee of Agriculture. Mass at 10 a.m. in St. Peter's Square.

- Tuesday 14: At 11.30 a.m. in the Vatican Basilica, Mass for deceased cardinals and bishops.

- Sunday 19: 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time. Jubilee of Military and Police. Mass at 10 a.m. in St. Peter's Square.

- Sunday 26: 34th Sunday in Ordinary Time. Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ King of the Universe. World Congress of the Apostolate of the Laity. Mass at 9:30 a.m. in the Vatican Basilica.

DECEMBER

- Sunday 3: 1st Sunday of Advent. Jubilee of the Handicapped. Mass at 9:30 a.m. in the Vatican Basilica.

- Friday 8: Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. At 4 p.m. in Rome's Piazza di Spagna, homage to Mary Immaculate. At 5 p.m., Akathistos hymn in St. Mary Major.

- Sunday 10: 2nd Sunday of Advent. Jubilee of Catechists. Mass at 9:30 a.m. in the Vatican Basilica.
- Sunday 17: 3rd Sunday of Advent. Jubilee of World of Entertainment. Mass at 9:30 a.m. in the Vatican Basilica.

- Sunday 24: Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord. Midnight Mass in the Vatican Basilica.

- Monday 25: Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord. At midday from the central loggia of the Vatican Basilica, "Urbi et Orbi" blessing.

JANUARY 2001

- Monday 1: Solemnity of Holy Mary Mother of God. 23rd World Day of Peace. Mass at 10 a.m. in the Vatican Basilica.

- Friday 5: At 6 p.m. in the Basilicas of St. John Lateran, St. Mary Major and St. Paul's Outside-the Walls, closing of the Holy Doors and First Vespers of the Epiphany of the Lord.

- Saturday 6: Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord. At 9:30 a.m. in the Vatican Basilica, closing of the Holy Door, Holy Mass and "Te Deum."

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, NOV 10, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Appointed Bishop Ricardo Antonio Surinach Carreras, auxiliary of Ponce (area 2,045, population 592,720, Catholics 474,200, priests 120, permanent deacons 71, religious 298), Puerto Rico, as bishop of the same diocese. He succeeds Bishop Juan Fremiot Torres Oliver whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

- Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the archdiocese of Braga, Portugal, presented by Auxiliary Bishop Carlos Francisco Martins Pinheiro, upon having reached the age limit.

- Appointed as auxiliary bishops of Braga (area 2,832, population 900,000, Catholics 881,000, priests 599, permanent deacons 8, religious 1,000), Portugal, Fr. Antonio dos Santos Marto of the clergy of the diocese of Vila Real, professor of theology at the Portuguese Catholic University in Porto and Fr. Antonino Eugenio Fernandes Dias, rector of the diocesan seminary of Viana do Castelo. Bishop-elect dos Santos Marto was born in Tronco, Portugal, in 1947 and ordained a priest in 1971. Bishop-elect Fernandes Dias was born in Longos Vales, Portugal, in 1949 and ordained a priest in 1974.

- Appointed Fr. Cherubim Dambui, vicar general of the diocese of Wewak, Papua New Guinea, as auxiliary of Port Moresby (area 12,244, population 462,767, Catholics 137,820, priests 55, religious 248), Papua New Guinea. The bishop-elect was born in Timbunke, Papua new Guinea, in 1948 and ordained a priest in 1974.

- Erected the "sui iuris" mission of Baku, Azerbaijan, with the aim of contributing to a more suitable religious assistance to Catholics in Aberbaijan, whose pastoral care up to now had been entrusted to the Apostolic Administrator of the Caucasus of the Latins. He appointed Fr. Josef Daniel Pravda, S.D.B. as ecclesiastical superior of the same mission.

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, NOV 10, 2000 (VIS) - This evening, the Holy Father is scheduled to receive Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

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