JOHN PAUL II THANKS PAPAL FOUNDATION FOR ITS SUPPORT

VATICAN CITY, APR 24, 2001 (VIS) - "Peace be with you" was Pope John Paul's greeting this morning as he welcomed 70 members of the U.S.-based Papal Foundation, in Rome for their annual visit. The Pope added that it was the responsibility of believers "to bring this gift of the Lord's peace to others, especially to those who are poor or suffering, to those who are neglected or oppressed, to those whose cries go unheeded, whose hopes always seem shattered."

He said that "the Bishop of Rome ... is called to use every means at his disposal to assist and strengthen those communities most in need of spiritual and material care. ... It is for this reason, dear friends, that I am most grateful to you: the support which you give through the Papal Foundation allows so many good works to be carried out in the name of Christ and His Church. The many programs and projects funded by grants made available by the Papal Foundation enable the Church's Easter proclamation of joy, hope and peace to reach the ears, minds and hearts of people in many parts of the world."

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