HOLY SEE ADDRESSES ANNUAL MEETING OF OSCE3

VATICAN CITY, NOV 28, 2000 (VIS) - The foreign affairs ministers of the 55 member countries of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), including the recently admitted Yugoslavia, are holding their annual meeting in Vienna, Austria, to review the commitments made 25 years ago in the Helsinki Act and 10 years ago in Paris with the Charter for a New Europe.

Archbishop Jean-Louis Tauran heads the delegation of the Holy See, which is a full member of the OSCE, to this November 27-28 meeting. The first annual meeting of this organization, known then as the CSCE or Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe, was held in Helsinki 25 years ago.
Archbishop Tauran, in his address, spoke of the "joy" of seeing so many nations of Eastern and Central Europe who had reattained their freedom and were now full members of the OSCE.

He also listed some of "the challenges facing the world's leaders: trade in human beings, protecting the rights of children and the fight against the proliferation of small caliber weapons." He stated that certain values - such as the sacredness of life, the defense of basic freedoms, security and economic and social cooperation - must be continually affirmed in solving these problems.

The archbishop expressed a concern of the Holy See's, namely, that "too often religion is taken into consideration only in the context of defending rights of minorities or to denounce fanaticism." He said "it would be good to consider religion ... for itself," as a source which inspires man to better himself. "Believers who feel respected for what they are will always be more willing to cooperate in building democratic and civil communities where differences are synonymous with mutual enrichment and where diversity calls for solidarity."

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ROMAN UNION OF URSULINES CELEBRATES CENTENARY

VATICAN CITY, NOV 28, 2000 (VIS) - Made public today was Pope John Paul's Letter to Rev. Mother Colette Lignon, prior general of the Roman Union of the Order of St. Ursula, on the occasion of the centenary of this institute, born on November 28, 1900. The letter, written in French, was dated November 10, 2000.

The Pope recalled that it was Pope Leo XIII who had the "happy initiative of gathering in one Union the many monasteries of Ursulines who had emigrated throughout the entire world since the foundation of the very first community by St. Angele Merici in 1535."

Highlighting their presence on nearly all the continents, the Holy Father wrote of their "solid educational experience, most especially in the service of young people." He underscored that catechesis can occur directly through the teaching of the Word "but also through the witness and example of a life given in service to the Lord and His Church." Transmitting the faith in both of these ways, he said, "is essential in a world where so many young people do not have the solid guidance which family education gives."

"Forming Christ's disciples who are capable of witnessing in their family, professional and social life to the spiritual and moral values which the Gospel has sown in the heart of man is an indispensable work in order for the new evangelization to bear abundant fruits in the century which has just started. In this perspective what is especially important is service to the poor, the 'little ones' whom the Lord wishes to be in first place and whom our societies, too often marked by an appetite for riches and competition, have a tendency to exclude from economic growth and social organization."

"In announcing the Kingdom," the Pope concluded, "the Church walks on the path of men and with them, she shares their questions about the meaning of life, she reveals the Word of the Lord to them and gradually reveals His presence to them, in order to lead them to the full knowledge of His love, shown in the treasure of the sacramental life entrusted to her."

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, NOV 28, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in audience His Majesty King Juan Carlos I of Spain, accompanied by Queen Sofia and an entourage.

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