PAPAL MESSAGE TO WORLD CONFERENCE ON RELIGION AND PEACE

VATICAN CITY, NOV 29, 2000 (VIS) - Made public today was a Message from John Paul II to Cardinal Peter Seiichi Shirayanagi on the occasion of the 30th anniversary celebrations in Tokyo, Japan, of the founding of the World Conference on Religion and Peace. The Message to the archbishop emeritus of Tokyo for the November 27-28 commemorative event was dated November 1.

Lauding the organization's efforts "in building a world of peace," the Pope added: "In recent years, the World Conference on Religion and Peace has been particularly involved in reconciling communities which are divided due to conflicts and wars. Your efforts to heal those affected by hatred and violence express a truth which I too have sought to affirm on many occasions, that religion is not and must not become a pretext for hostility, in particular when religious, cultural and ethnic identities coincide."
"Faced with the pressing problems of today's global society," affirmed the Holy Father, "all religions must feel called to fresh efforts to cooperate in order to promote human life in its dignity, to defend the family, to alleviate poverty, to bring about justice, to help preserve the eco-system of our earth. We would do well to remember the words of the Message from the participants in the Interreligious Assembly held in the Vatican in October 1999: 'Collaboration among the different religions must be based on the rejection of fanaticism, extremism and mutual antagonism which lead to violence. We are aware of the importance of education as a means for promoting mutual understanding, cooperation and respect'."

MESS;RELIGIONS; PEACE;...;TOKYO; SHIRYANAGI;VIS;20001129;Word: 270;

THEOLOGICAL VIRTUES AND INTER-RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE

VATICAN CITY, NOV 29, 2000 (VIS) - The theme of the Pope's catechesis during his general audience, which was held this morning in St. Peter's Square, was: "Faith, hope and charity in the perspective of inter-religious dialogue."

"All the just of the earth," said the Holy Father, "give praise to God when, having followed the steep and exhausting road of earthly existence, they reach the goal of glory. ... Salvation is offered to all nations, as is shown by the alliance with Noah which offers testimony of the universal nature of the divine manifestation and of the human response in faith."

John Paul II indicated that "all humanity tends towards the authentic adoration of God and the fraternal communion of mankind." The sacred books of religions are open to hope; they outline "a goal of purification and of salvation, they promote the search for truth and defend the values of life, of saintliness and of justice, of peace and of freedom."

Inter-religious dialogue, he continued, "is made manifest in the common commitment of all believers to justice, solidarity and peace. ... When Christians engage in inter-religious dialogue, they bring with them their faith in Christ, only Saviour of the world. ... The path to the fullness of truth calls for attention and humility in order to capture and appreciate each ray of light - which is always the fruit of the Spirit of Christ - from wherever it may come."

The Pope recalled his request that the Jubilee may "serve to advance mutual dialogue until the day when all of us together - Jews, Christians and Muslims - will exchange the greeting of peace in Jerusalem." He then gave thanks to the Lord for having allowed him "the joy of this greeting" during his pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

AG;INTER-RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE;...;...;VIS;20001129;Word: 310;

DECLARATION ON DUTCH DECISION TO LEGALIZE EUTHANASIA

VATICAN CITY, NOV 29, 2000 (VIS) - Below is the text of the declaration given yesterday afternoon by Holy See Press Office Director Joaquin Navarro-Valls to the Italian news agency ANSA, regarding the decision by the Dutch parliament to legalize euthanasia.

"In the first place, it must be considered that this law runs counter to the Geneva Declaration of 1948, signed by the World Medical Association, and against the principles of European medical ethics, signed by doctors of 12 countries of the European Community in the conference of professional medical associations in 1987.

"The first question this law raises is a grave problem of professional ethics for the doctors who must apply it; once again we find ourselves facing a State law that runs counter to the natural law of the consciences of all.

"Instituting this law most certainly constitutes a sad first for Holland; a law that, among other things, divides legislators from public opinion, a law that violates the dignity of the human person."

OP;EUTHANASIA; HOLLAND;...;NAVARRO-VALLS;VIS;20001129;Word: 170;

PRESENTATION OF THE JUBILEE OF THE HANDICAPPED

VATICAN CITY, NOV 29, 2000 (VIS) - Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, president of the central committee for the Jubilee, today presided at a press conference in the Holy See Press Office to present the celebration this coming weekend of the Jubilee of the Handicapped. He began by stating that "of all the pilgrimages of the Holy Year, this is, without a doubt, the one which brings us most deeply into the mystery of God's love."

We have made great progress in helping the handicapped and their families, the cardinal said. "We are used to living among them, but do we really know them? We cross their paths but don't get close to them. ... In a hurry or distracted we have difficulty in paying attention to the lives of others; and even more we stay away from those lives which are not like others and which turn our value system upside down. However. those who are handicapped are the best witnesses of life, of real life: their desire to live is stronger than their wounds or disabilities."

Archbishop Crescenzio Sepe, general secretary of the Jubilee committee, noted that December 3 was chosen as the date for this Jubilee celebration because that is the day that the United Nations is dedicating to the handicapped, and "we wanted to respect a tradition which already exists in every country."

Pointing to the great spiritual value of this particular celebration, the archbishop that the Jubilee of the Handicapped, "more than any other Jubilee day, reminds all of us together of the values of our humanity and of our capacity to be and to feel like brothers in the name of Christ."

Msgr. Elvio Damoli, director of Italian Caritas, laid out the calendar of events of the December 2-3 Jubilee celebrations, indicating that 12,000 pilgrims from 15 countries will participate: 7,500 handicapped and 4,500 family members and assistants.

On Saturday, December 2 there will be moments of prayer in 20 Roman parishes. On Sunday, Pope John Paul will preside at a Eucharistic celebration at 10 a.m. in the basilica of St. Paul's Outside-the-Walls. Handicapped persons will be active protagonists of the liturgy, serving as lectors, readers of the prayers of the faithful and to bring up the offertory gifts. Music will be performed by the Esagramma Orchestra of Milan, some of whose members are handicapped.

On Sunday afternoon there will be a festive celebration in the Paul VI Hall. During the second half Pope John Paul will be present.

Don Mario Carrera, director of the "Don Guanella Work" which provides care for the elderly and assistance and education for needy and handicapped children, affirmed that the disabled "are not broken machines that have to be mended, but creatures that must be helped to live; their lives are infinitely more important than their disabilities."

After indicating that there are people with physical disabilities (reduced mobility), sensorial disability (blindness, deafness) and mental disability (psychic disturbances), Fr. Carrera affirmed that "more than 500 million people in the world live with some kind of disability. Eighty-five percent of them (women, children, men) live in the developing countries."

The director of the "Don Guanella Work" indicated that it is important "to increase scientific research" in order to confront different kinds of disability; to allow the disabled "access to participation in social life ... (and in) education," and to "increase their work opportunities."

OP;JUBILEE HANDICAPPED;...;ETCHEGARAY; SEPE;VIS;20001129;Word: 550;

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, NOV 29, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father:
- Appointed Bishop Stephen Soroka, auxiliary of the metropolitan archbishop of Winnipeg of the Ukrainians, Canada, as metropolitan archbishop of Philadelphia of the Ukrainians (Catholics 69,088, priests 88, permanent deacons 4, religious 142), U.S.A. The archbishop-elect was born in Winnipeg in 1951, ordained a priest in 1982 and consecrated a bishop in 1996. He succeeds Archbishop Stephen Sulyk, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same archieparchy the Holy Father accepted, in accordance with Canon 210 of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches.

- Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the archieparchy of Philadelphia of the Ukrainians presented by Auxiliary Bishop Wolodymyr W. Paska in accordance with Canon 210 of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches.

- Appointed Fr. Jean Benjamin Sleiman O.C.D., general assistant to the superior of the Order of Discalced Carmelites, as archbishop of Baghdad of the Latins (Catholics 3,000, priests 10, religious 186), Iraq. The archbishop-elect was born in Jbeil, Lebanon, in 1946 and ordained a priest in 1973.

- Appointed Bishop Michael Wiwchar C.Ss.R. of Saint Nicholas of Chicago of the Ukrainians, U.S.A., as bishop of Saskatoon of the Ukrainians (Catholics 12,200, priests 35, permanent deacons 6, religious 35), Canada.

NER; RE;...;...;...;VIS;20001129;Word: 200;