VATICAN CITY, DEC 12, 2000 (VIS) - Yesterday afternoon, following the Holy Father's audience with Vojislav Kostunica, president of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Holy See Press Office Director Joaquin Navarro-Valls made the following declaration:
"Mr. Kostunica gave an assurance of his desire to cooperate towards peace in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and in the Balkans.
"The talks dwelt upon the Holy See's commitment to peace during these years of difficult and tragic events, and the hope was expressed that the situation soon reach harmony between souls and social peace.
"Mr. Kostunica, accompanied by his entourage, then went on to visit His Holiness' Secretary of State, Cardinal Angelo Sodano."
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Tuesday, December 12, 2000
OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
VATICAN CITY, DEC 12, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father:
- Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Saint Augustine, U.S.A., presented by Bishop John J. Snyder upon having reached the age limit.
- Appointed Bishop Edward K. Braxton, auxiliary of St. Louis, U.S.A., as bishop of Lake Charles (area 13,755, population 259,425, Catholics 84,908, priests 71, permanent deacons 25, religious 46), U.S.A. He succeeds Bishop Jude Speyrer, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese, the Holy Father accepted, in accordance with Canon 401, para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law.
- Appointed Msgr. Martin W. Currie of the clergy of Halifax, Canada, vicar general of the same archdiocese and pastor of the parish of the Immaculate Conception at Truro, as bishop of Grand Falls (area 42,369, population 92,464, Catholics 30,749, priests 27, religious 28), Canada. The bishop-elect was born in Marinette, Canada, in 1943 and ordained a priest in 1968.
- Appointed Fr. Ruben Antonio Gonzalez Medina C.M.F., provincial in the Antilles of the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, as bishop of Caguas (area 1,728, population 653,012, Catholics 515,000, priests 113, permanent deacons 60, religious 217), Puerto Rico. The bishop-elect was born in Santurce, Puerto Rico, in 1949 and ordained a priest in 1975.
- Appointed Fr. Antony Devotta, vicar general and pastor of the cathedral of the archdiocese of Madras and Mylapore, India, as bishop of Tiruchirapalli (area 18,144, population 3,666,320, Catholics 392,430, priests 257, religious 1,199), India. The bishop-elect was born in San Thome, India, in 1943 and ordained a priest in 1971.
- Appointed Fr. Stephen Athipozhiyil, rector of the minor seminary of Alleppey (area 333, population 700,000, Catholics 137,700, priests 82, religious 295), India, as coadjutor bishop of the same diocese. The bishop-elect was born in Chennavely, India, in 1944 and ordained a priest in 1969.
- Appointed Msgr. William Francis Malooly, vicar general of Baltimore (area 12,430, population 2,849,409, Catholics 484,287, priests 583, permanent deacons 187, religious 1,583), U.S.A., as auxiliary bishop of the same archdiocese. The bishop-elect was born In Baltimore in 1944 and ordained a priest in 1970.
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JUBILEE OF ENTERTAINMENT WORLD TO BEGIN ON FRIDAY
VATICAN CITY, DEC 12, 2000 (VIS) - This morning in the Holy See Press Office, Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, Archbishop Crescenzio Sepe and Bishop Pierfranco Pastore presented the Jubilee of the World of Entertainment which is due to be held in Rome from December 15 to 17.
Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, president of the Central Committee for the Great Jubilee 2000, recalled that this celebration would be the last Jubilee of a specific category. Everyone in the world of entertainment, he said, "has in common the vocation to show, to be shown; both to 'convert,' as bearers of a message, and to 'entertain' as artisans of happiness. ... Yet, before being artists dedicated to entertainment, they are men and women with their own interior, personal, family and professional problems."
Archbishop Crescenzio Sepe, secretary of the Central Committee for the Great Jubilee 2000, affirmed that this Jubilee "intends to discover the most authentic values of entertainment, to promote them and to encourage all endeavors that aim towards respecting people and their dignity." He highlighted that "this is a world of work, often hard and committed work, that involves thousands of people, many of whom humbly toil 'behind the scenes'."
Bishop Pastore, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, announced that, at the present time, 8,000 people have confirmed their participation in this Jubilee. Most of them are Italian but there will be many others from various countries on all continents; among them Belgium, Ivory Coast, Costa Rica, Croatia, France, Kenya, Slovak Republic, Spain, Sweden and the U.S.A.
The central moment of the Jubilee of the World of Entertainment will be a Mass and the angelus presided over by John Paul II on Sunday, December 17 at 9; 30 a.m. in St. Peter's Square. The entire program was released by VIS on Monday, December 4.