SPORT CAN INCULCATE VALUES SUCH AS LOYALTY, FRIENDSHIP, TEAMWORK

VATICAN CITY, DEC 11, 2000 (VIS) - Pope John Paul this morning welcomed the members of the executive committee of FIFA, the International Federation of Association Football, and told them that they have "a global responsibility, with more than 200 countries and 120 million players involved," and "an immense power ... (that) must be used for the good of the human family."

"You are administrators, certainly, but you are educators as well, since sport can inculcate many higher values such as loyalty, friendship and team spirit," he said. "It is true that football's financial success can help to sustain praiseworthy new initiatives, such as FIFA's 'Charity Project'. But it can also contribute to a culture of selfishness and greed. That is why the finer values of sport must be emphasized and passed on through the bodies represented in your federation."

The Holy Father, speaking in English, pointed out that "as a sport shared by people of different ethnic, racial, economic and social backgrounds, football is an excellent means of promoting the solidarity so greatly needed in a world deeply affected by ethnic and racial tensions. ... Sport is educational because it takes human impulses, even potentially negative ones, and turns them to good purpose. The young can learn to have healthy competition without conflict. ... I express the earnest hope that FIFA will continue at all levels to tackle the problem of violence, which does so much harm to the game."

In concluding, the Pope stressed that "for all its importance as an education for the great challenges of life, football remains a game. It is a form of play, both simple and complex, in which people take joy in the wonderful possibilities of human life - physical, social and spiritual."

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HOMAGE TO MARY IMMACULATE AND THE AKATHISTOS HYMN

VATICAN CITY, DEC 8, 2000 (VIS) - At 4 p.m. today. solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Pope travelled in a convertible car to Rome's central Spanish Steps for the traditional homage to the statue of Mary Immaculate. He was greeted by thousands of faithful who lined the streets leading up the piazza and waiting in the square itself where the statue is located.

After placing a basket of dozens of roses at the foot of the column, atop which is the state of Mary Immaculate, the Holy Father paid homage to the Virgin.

In his prayer, John Paul II said that "today Romans renew their pilgrimage to this square where Blessed Pius IX raised the marian monument in 1856 to recall the promulgation of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception (in 1854). ... As I do every year, I willingly join in this traditional floral homage, an eloquent symbol of a chorus of entrustment to the Immaculate Heart of the Mother of Our Lord."

The Holy Father, in his prayer to Mary, asked for help "in the fight against evil and in the commitment to good. Preserve us under your maternal protection, All beautiful and holy Virgin! Help us to go forward in the new millennium wrapped in that humility which made you the chosen one in the eyes of the Most High. May the fruits of this Jubilee Year not be lost! Into your hands we place the future which awaits us, invoking your constant protection on the entire world."

Following this homage to Mary, the Pope went to St. Mary Major Basilica where he presided at the celebration of the Akathistos hymn in which representatives of several Catholic Byzantine Churches participated. The hymn was sung in Greek, Paleoslavonic, Hungarian, Ukrainian, Romanian and Arabic.

At the end of the hymn's 24 verses, John Paul II delivered a brief homily. "Mother of the Risen Lord and Mother of the Church," he said, "Mary precedes us and leads us to the authentic knowledge of God and the encounter with the Redeemer. She shows us the way and shows us her Son. ... We greet her with the title 'full of grace' and we implore her intercession for all the children of the Church who, with this hymn, celebrate her glory."

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THE IMMACULATE CONCEPTION, AN EXTRAORDINARY PRIVILEGE

VATICAN CITY, DEC 8, 2000 (VIS) - At noon today, solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, Pope John Paul appeared at his study window to recite the angelus with the faithful gathered below in St. Peter's Square.

The Holy Father pointed out that "today we contemplate this humble young girl from Nazareth who was preserved, with an extraordinary and ineffable privilege, from the stain of original sin and from every sin, in order to be the worthy abode of the Word made flesh. In Mary, the new Eve, Mother of the new Adam, the original marvelous plan of the Father's love is re-established in a yet more wondrous way."

"Today's liturgy proposes the Gospel account of the Annunciation," remarked the Pope. "The virgin, answering the angel, proclaimed: 'Behold the handmaiden of the Lord. Let it be to me according to your word'. Mary showed her total assent of mind and heart to the divine and mysterious wishes and readied herself to receive, first in faith and then in her womb, the Son of God."

He said that Mary's "'Here I am!'" and her "immediate adherence to the divine will constitute a model for all of us believers, so that, in the great events, as well as in ordinary ones, we entrust ourselves entirely to the Lord. With the witness of her life, Mary encourages us to believe in the fulfillment of the divine promises."

After these reflections, John Paul II prayed the angelus and, following that, greeted numerous groups present in St. Peter's Square, including the Pontifical Academy of Mary Immaculate, Italian Catholic Action and the Work for Religious Assistance for the Ill.

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LETTER TO NEW PATRIARCH OF ANTIOCH OF GREEK-MELKITES

VATICAN CITY, DEC 9, 2000 (VIS) - Made public today was a Letter from John Paul II to His Beatitude Gregory III, canonically elected as patriarch of Antioch of Greek-Melkite Catholics in the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Greek-Melkite Catholic Church, which was held in Charfet, Lebanon on November 29, 2000.

In the Letter, written in French and dated December 5, the Pope wrote: "With my warm congratulations and the assurance of an entirely fraternal charity, I welcome with a full heart, venerable brother, your request for ecclesiastic communion, in conformation to the usage and desire of the entire Catholic Church. May the Lord assist you, Beatitude, throughout your new ministry, which I hope to be most fruitful, in union with our brothers in the episcopacy, the Fathers of the Patriarchal Synod!"

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CARDINAL PLACES GOLDEN ROSE IN MARIAN SHRINE AT LORETO

VATICAN CITY, DEC 9, 2000 (VIS) - Today, vigil of the feast of Our Lady of Loreto, in the name of all families throughout the world, Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo, president of the Pontifical Council for the Family, offered a golden rose to Our Lady of Loreto in the marian shrine of the same name on Italy's Adriatic coast. The rose, blessed by the Holy Father during the Mass on October 15 for the Jubilee of Families, was presented during a solemn Eucharistic concelebration

A communique released today which highlighted this event explained that "this initiative was born in the context of the Jubilee of Families, who are inspired by the model of the Holy Family of Loreto." It added that members of an Italian family, accompanied by Archbishop Angelo Comastri, prelate of Loreto, had presented the 40 centimeter long rose to the Pope for his blessing on October 15.

Two weddings bands, which mark a couple's commitment to fidelity, form part of the flower's stem. On a cartouche at its base is the prayer: "Queen of Families, make every house a Holy House and every family a Holy Family." This prayer will now be recited every morning in the shrine of Loreto.

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AUDIENCE WITH GROUPS OF JUBILEE PILGRIMS

VATICAN CITY, DEC 9, 2000 (VIS) - At midday today in St. Peter's Square, the Pope received numerous groups of pilgrims who have come to Rome to celebrate the Jubilee and meet the Holy Father.

Speaking to a group of taxi drivers and transport workers from various European countries, he said: "If you know how to communicate the joy of your faith and your Christian commitment, then you will perform a precious service of evangelization. In order for this to happen, you yourselves must not cease to grow in the knowledge of Christ and of His Gospel."

John Paul II then greeted members of the Federation of Christian Organizations of International Voluntary Service: "Your meritorious activity in support of developing countries arises from a deep-seated desire to put the Gospel of charity into practice."

He reminded members of the Christian Union of Business People and Managers that the aim of their association is "to know, implement and spread the Church's social doctrine, contributing to the construction of a more just and fraternal society by the Christian and professional formation of members."

Then, speaking French and German, the Pope greeted notaries from different European countries who are celebrating their Jubilee in Rome.

In Polish, the Pope addressed professors and students from the major seminary of Tarnow in Poland. He told the students that their preparation for the priesthood should be "a special path towards sanctity, towards a life of intimate interior union with Jesus Christ."

"Strengthened within and full of grace, you can respond to the gift of the priestly vocation with still greater fervor and generosity." He expressed the hope that they "remain faithful to their vocation to the end of their lives. ... The world has need of you, it has need of your sanctity and your authentic Christian witness. Carry the Gospel to the men and women of our time."

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POPE RECALLS 50 YEARS OF U.N. COMMISSIONER FOR REFUGEES

VATICAN CITY, DEC 10, 2000 (VIS) - Before praying the angelus with the estimated 45,000 faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square today for the Jubilee of Catechists and Teachers of Religion, the Holy Father spoke of the 50th anniversary of the statute which created the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Calling this "an important date for those who were forced to flee their countries because of war and persecution," the Pope said this moment was "also important for those men and women who so unselfishly offered time, intelligence and generous availability well beyond their work duties, to bring help to these refugees, in situations often serious and dangerous. To them go the thanks of the international community. ... In international solidarity and political dialogue it is possible to find solutions so that welcoming refugees will not be too burdensome in some countries and so that they will find in institutions and public structures a defense of their rights and their basic liberties."

John Paul II then turned to the tens of thousands of catechists and teachers of religions present in Rome, representing their more than 2 million confreres throughout the world, and expressed his "gratitude and encouragement" for their work.

"Precisely to encourage you to pursue your activity with that missionary spirit which marks today's Jubilee celebration, in a few minutes I will give the Catechism of the Catholic Church to five couples of catechists, representing all the continents. I would like this gesture to underscore that, in the variety of languages and cultures, catechists are called to announce to the entire world the one Truth: Christ, Only Savior of the world, yesterday, today and always."

The Holy Father repeated his gratitude and encouragement to catechists in a number of languages before praying the angelus with them.

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THE GOSPEL MUST BE ANNOUNCED IN ALL ENVIRONMENTS

VATICAN CITY, DEC 10, 2000 (VIS) - In St. Peter's Square at 10 a.m. today, the second Sunday of Advent, John Paul II presided at a Eucharistic celebration for the Jubilee of Catechists and Teachers of Religion.

Commenting on the Gospel reading in his homily, the Pope affirmed that, like St. John the Baptist, "catechists are called to teach that Jesus is the awaited Messiah, the Christ. Their task is to invite people to fix their gaze on Jesus and follow Him, because He alone is the Master, the Lord, the Savior."

"Your work, dear catechists and teachers of religion," he continued, "is more than ever necessary and requires from you constant fidelity to Christ and to the Church. Indeed, all the faithful have the right to receive from those who by virtue of their office or mandate are responsible for catechesis and preaching, non subjective answers that conform to the constant Magisterium of the Church."

The Holy Father highlighted that "the paths that must be made straight" mentioned in St. Luke's Gospel, are a reference to believers who, under the influence of the dominant mentality, subjectively consider certain elements of the heritage of faith, "and wander from the straight path of evangelical spirituality to find reference in vague values inspired by a conventional and irenical moralism."

In keeping with St. Paul's exhortation to preach the Gospel, "in all circumstances, in all environments, favorable or otherwise, Christ's Gospel must be courageously proposed, an announcement of joy for all people of whatever age, category, culture or nation. ... May the Christian message, complete and universal, permeate all milieux and levels of culture and social responsibility!"

John Paul II concluded by assuring catechists that they were always in his prayers. He gave homage to "many of your colleagues who have paid with all kinds of suffering, often with their lives, for their faithfulness to the Gospel and to the communities to which they were sent. May their example be a stimulus and encouragement for each of you."

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LETTERS OF CREDENCE OF NEW AMBASSADOR FROM DOMINICAN REPUBLIC

VATICAN CITY, DEC 11, 2000 (VIS) - This morning, the Holy Father received the Letters of Credence of Victor A. Hidalgo Justo, the new ambassador from the Dominican Republic. The Pope recalled that, following the route of the first evangelizers, the Dominican Republic "was the first American land to welcome me at the start of my pontificate."

The Pope said that "the points in which the Church and States meet and collaborate ... concern those fields that determine full human dignity and that cultivate the values upon which an ever more just, unified and peaceful world must be built. At the present moment in history - in which many factors motivate (people) to think only in terms of immediate results, producing apprehension in people and instability in society - it is supremely important to be ever more watchful in order not to lose the most authentic and deeply-rooted values of human nature."

The Church, he added, asks everyone that society "not become, through misleading ideas, a threat" to human life. "The inviolability of human life, in the different phases of development or in whatever situation it may be, is the premise for all other human rights and represents a limit to human authority and a foundation for a responsible and tireless search for peace."

"The Church in the Dominican Republic," he concluded, "has not ceased to concern herself with the good of her people and the human progress of the country. She does so through her educational, cultural and aid institutions but, above all, by infusing a spirit of Christian hope and social commitment so that everyone may feel a responsibility in the construction of a better future."

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, DEC 11, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in audience Vojislav Kostunica, president of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, accompanied by his entourage.

On Saturday December 9, he received in separate audiences:

- Domenico Cempella, managing director of Alitalia, accompanied by his wife and an entourage.
- Archbishop Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, DEC 11, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Vinh, Vietnam, presented by Bishop Pierre-Jean Tran Xuan Hap, upon having reached the age limit. He is succeeded by Coadjutor Bishop Paul-Marie Cao Dinh Thuyen.

On Saturday December 9, it was made public that he:

- Appointed Msgr. Diego Coletti of the clergy of the archdiocese of Milan, Italy, rector of Rome's Pontifical Lombard Seminary, as bishop of Livorno (area 250, population 212,753, Catholics 190,000, priests 107, permanent deacons 18, religious 522), Italy. The bishop-elect was born in Milan in 1941 and ordained a priest in 1965. He succeeds Bishop Alberto Ablondi whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

- Appointed Bishop Piergiorgio Micchiardi, auxiliary of Turin, Italy, as bishop of Acqui (area, 1,683, population 145,288, Catholics 143,360, priests 148, permanent deacons 4, religious 334), Italy. He succeeds Bishop Livio Maritano whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

- Appointed Bishop Vincenzo Savio S.D.B., auxiliary of Livorno, Italy, as bishop of Belluno-Feltre (area 3,263, population 184,602, Catholics 184,100, priests 250, permanent deacons 5, religious 312), Italy.

- Appointed Bishop Michael Wiwchar C.Ss.R., of Saskatoon of the Ukrainians of Canada, as apostolic administrator "ad nutum Sanctae Sedis" of the eparchy of St. Nicholas of Chicago of the Ukrainians, U.S.A.

- Appointed Fr. Geoffrey Hilton Jarrett of the clergy of the archdiocese of Hobart, Australia, pastor of the parish of the Sacred Heart in New Town, as coadjutor bishop of Lismore (area 28,660, population 421,216, Catholics 100,067, priests 60, religious 172), Australia. The bishop-elect was born in Kyneton, Australia, in 1937 and ordained a priest in 1970.

On Friday, December 8, it was made public that he:

- Appointed Fr. Joseph Djida, O.M.I., superior general of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate in Cameroon and Chad, as bishop of Ngaoundere (area 64,930, population 655,706, Catholics 33,591, priests 33, permanent deacons 1, religious 98), Cameroon. The bishop-elect was born in Mayo-Darle, Cameroon, in 1945 and ordained a priest in 1976. He succeeds Bishop Jean Pasquier O.M.I., whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

- Appointed Fr. Samuel Kleda of the clergy of Yagoua, Cameroon, spiritual director of the major seminary of St. Augustine in Maroua, as bishop of Batouri (area 15,981, population 177,444, Catholics 38,872, priests 11, religious 36), Cameroon. The bishop-elect was born in Golompuy, Cameroon, in 1959 and ordained a priest in 1986.
- Appointed Bishop Nestor Ngoy Katahwa of Manono, Democratic Republic of the Congo, as bishop of Kolwezi (area 103,440, population 969,526, Catholics 590,210, priests 55, religious 305), Democratic Republic of the Congo.

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