ARCHBISHOP TAURAN GOES TO PHILIPPINES TO FETE DIPLOMATIC TIES

VATICAN CITY, MAY 31, 2001 (VIS) - The following declaration was released this morning by Joaquin Navarro-Valls, Holy See Press Office director:

"Archbishop Jean-Louis Tauran, secretary for Relations with States, leaves Rome today for Manila, the Philippines, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Holy See and the Philippines.

"The archbishop will be accompanied by Msgr. Joseph Marino of the second section of the Secretariat of State.

"During his visit, Archbishop Tauran will preside at the inauguration of a new pavilion in the gardens of the apostolic nunciature. The pavilion will serve as a chancery office of the nunciature. He will also meet with members of the diplomatic corps.

"On Sunday, June 3, solemnity of Pentecost, he will celebrate Mass in the cathedral in Manila.

"He will also have an opportunity to meet with members of the episcopal conference of the Philippine Islands and with young people.

"During his stay in Manila, the archbishop will receive an honoris causa degree. He is expected to return to Rome on June 7."

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MARRIAGE, FAMILY AND THE NEED FOR A FITTING ANTHROPOLOGY

VATICAN CITY, MAY 31, 2001 (VIS) - This morning the Holy Father received the grand chancellor, president, professors and students of the "John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and the Family," on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of its foundation. The Institute is a part of the Pontifical Lateran University.

In his discourse, the Pope addressed the theme of "the need to devise a fitting anthropology which seeks to understand and interpret man in what is essentially human."

"Disregard of the principle of man's creation as masculine and feminine represents, in effect," he affirmed, "one of the factors of greatest crisis and weakness in contemporary society. ... Where the principle is lost, the perception of the singular dignity of the human person is obscured and the way is opened to a threatening 'culture of death'."

John Paul II emphasized that "a particularly current and decisive aspect for the future of the family and of humanity concerns the respect of man in his origins and the modalities of his procreation. ... With the pretext, in fact, of assuring a better quality of existence through genetic control, or in developing medical and scientific research, experiments on human embryos and methods for their production are proposed which open the door to exploitation and abuse on the part of those who unduly claim an arbitrary and limitless power over the human being."

"The context of spousal love and the corporeal mediation of the conjugal act are therefore the only place in which the singular value of the new human being, called to life, is fully recognized and respected. ... Every person that comes into the world is eternally called by the Father to participate in Christ, through the Spirit, in the fullness of life in God."

The Pope then referred to "the permissive legislation, in certain countries, ... founded upon erroneous concepts of freedom, (which) have favored ... presumed alternative family models, no longer founded on the irrevocable commitment of a man and a woman to form a 'lifelong community'." Furthermore, he added, "the rights specifically recognized as proper to the family ... have been extended to forms of association, to de facto unions, to civil agreements of solidarity."

"The shrewd promotion of similar juridical-institutional models," John Paul II concluded, "tends ever more to dissolve the original right of the family to be recognized as a social subject with full rights."

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POPE CALLS BIBLE OF BLAJ "A TRUE MONUMENT TO FAITH"

VATICAN CITY, MAY 31, 2001 (VIS) - The Holy Father this morning welcomed a delegation from Romania's episcopal conference, who presented him with a copy of the Bible of Blaj, which he called "a true monument of faith." He said that, as his trip to Romania brought Catholics and Orthodox closer to unity, "I hope that the reprinting of the Bible of Blaj will be a further step towards full communion of Christ's disciples."

The Pope noted that "from the earliest days of Christianity the Bible was the book which molded quite a number of cultures, and sometimes national alphabets were created to translate it." He recalled that the first Romanian edition of Sacred Scriptures, the 1688 "Bible of Bucharest," went out of print in the second half of the 18th century. A new edition was needed, especially in view of the "notable changes" that had taken place in the Romanian language. Thus, he said, the Bible was edited by "the great erudite monk, Samuil Micu," and printed in Blaj in 1795 by Bishop Ioan Bob.

The Holy Father pointed out that the Bible of Blaj was used by both the Greek-Catholic Church of Transylvania and the Orthodox, "thus serving all Romanians in spreading the faith in Christ." He added that, "given the great literary quality of this work" and "its notable impact on the entire nation, ... I wished to have it reprinted ... in the Vatican as a gift of the Holy See."

Then, referring to his May 1999 pastoral trip to Romania, John Paul II said he well remembers "the cry of the people during Mass in Parcul Izvor: 'Unity, Unity! That was the spiritual longing of a people asking for unity and desirous of working for unity."

He dedicated his closing remarks to the Bible: "The Word of the Lord must first of all be lived. It must penetrate the spaces where man lives and works. For that to happen, the Church is called to preach it with strength and clarity, using traditional means as well as those offered by new technologies."

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, MAY 31, 2001 (VIS) - The Holy Father received today in audience Archbishop Agostino Marchetto, permanent observer at the United Nations Organizations and Organisms for Food and Agriculture.

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FAITHFUL CAN VIEW BODY OF JOHN XXIII ON PENTECOST SUNDAY

VATICAN CITY, MAY 31, 2001 (VIS) - Today in the Holy See Press Office, Cardinal Virgilio Noe, archpriest of St. Peter's Basilica, presided at a conference to explain the new resting place in the Vatican Basilica for Blessed Pope John XXIII. He also spoke of the papal Mass on Pentecost Sunday, June 3, when Pope John's body, in a new casket, will be in St. Peter's Square, after which it will be transferred to the basilica's Altar of the Confession for viewing by the public.

The cardinal recalled that Pope John XXIII died exactly 38 years ago - on Pentecost Sunday, June 3, 1963 - and has been buried in the Vatican Grottoes, beneath the basilica, since June 6. When his body was exhumed for verification earlier this year - in preparation for his new resting place - it was found to be incorrupt. It was thus felt that a new casket was needed which would allow the faithful to better view the "good Pope."

Blessed Pope John XXIII will be in a casket of crystal and bronze below the altar of St. Jerome, which is located on the back side of the Pillar of St. Longinus, at the end of the basilica's central nave, on the right side. The altar takes its name from an altarpiece which depicts a scene from "The Last Communion of St. Jerome." This is the area of St. Peter's where the work by Michelangelo ends and that of Carlo Maderno starts. Cardinal Noe will preside at a dedication ceremony at the altar on Saturday morning, June 2.

Cardinal Noe then explained that the new casket will be placed under the altar and will be protected by a gold-leaf covered bronze grill which will nonetheless allow the public to view the Blessed. He added that four gold-leaf covered bronze reliefs, "almost miniatures of goldsmith's art," will depict four events which dominated the five-year pontificate of Pope John XXIII: Vatican Council II, "Ut Unum Sint," "Mater et Magistra" and "Pacem in Terris."

The focal point of the panel depicting Vatican Council II is Pope John XXIII who is shown standing in the midst of Latin and Oriental bishops and blessing them. The panel "Ut Unum Sint" (That they may be one) recalls the words spoken by Blessed John XXIII on his death bed and show him as the Good Shepherd among his sheep.

The "Mater et Magistra" (Mother and Teacher) panel refers to the title of his encyclical letter published on May 15, 1961 and shows a leafless pomegranate branch, with an open pomegranate as nourishment; this represents the Church as "open to every man and every situation in order to give the fruits of salvation."

"Pacem in Terris" (Peace on earth) was the last encyclical written by Blessed John XXIII. It was published on April 11, 1963. This panel shows "a dove flying from an olive branch and represents the Church, destined to spread the peacemaking message of Christ."

Pope John XXIII will be wearing the typical, white pontifical vestments, not papal liturgical vestments. His body will be on a red damask-covered mattress with the coat-of-arms of St. Peter's Basilica. His head, slightly elevated, will rest on a pillow. The Pope's face will be covered in a very light wax mask but will faithfully portray the facial features of the Blessed.

Cardinal Noe reiterated that on Pentecost Sunday, the procession bearing the casket will leave the basilica at 9:30 a.m., proceed through the Arch of the Bells to the obelisk in St. Peter's Square and then be brought to the papal altar. After Mass and the Regina Coeli, it will be brought again into the basilica and placed at the Altar of the Confession where the faithful will be able to view it until 8 p.m. when the basilica closes. It will then be placed in its new and permanent resting place.

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, MAY 31, 2001 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Fr. Francisco Gonzalez Hernandez, O.P., pastor in Quillabamba, Puerto Maldonado, Peru, as coadjutor bishop of the apostolic vicariate of Puerto Maldonado (area 156,000, population 238,000, Catholics 223,000, priests 37, permanent deacons 5, religious 96), Peru. The bishop-elect was born in Valladolid, Spain, in 1952 and ordained to the priesthood in 1982.

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GENERAL AUDIENCE: THE LORD SUSTAINS THOSE WHO TRUST IN HIM

VATICAN CITY, MAY 30, 2001 (VIS) - During the catechesis of today's general audience, held in St. Peter's Square, the Pope explained the significance of the words of Psalm 5: "In the morning Thou dost hear my voice; in the morning I prepare a sacrifice for Thee, and watch."

The words of the Psalm, the Holy Father said, are "the song of the faithful at the beginning of the day. The underlying tone of this supplication is marked by tension and anxiety arising from impending danger and disappointment."

John Paul II recalled that in the Psalms of "supplication" three people appear. "Above all 'God' appears, the 'Thou' par excellance of the Psalm, to whom the person praying addresses himself with faith. ... The Lord is a consistent God, rigorous in confronting injustice," who is on the side "of those who follow the ways of truth and love."

The second person, he continued, is "the one praying, (who) presents himself as 'I'," and entrusts himself to God and to "His 'great mercy'. He is certain that the doors of the temple, the place of communion and divine intimacy, impeded by the impious, are opened wide before him."

The Pope then noted that the "third actor of this daily drama: are the 'enemies,' the 'evildoers' ... a hostile group, the symbol of evil in the world."

"After this harsh and realistic picture of the perversity which attacks the just, the Psalmist invokes divine condemnation in a verse (v.11), which the Christian liturgy omits, wishing in this way to conform to the New Testament revelation of merciful love, which offers also to the wicked the possibility of conversion. The prayer of the Psalmist recognizes at this point an ending full of light and peace, after the dark profile of the sinner."

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CARDINAL DIAS TO TAKE POSSESSION OF TITLE

VATICAN CITY, MAY 30, 2001 (VIS) - The Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff has announced that on Sunday, June 3, the Solemnity of Pentecost, at 12:00 noon, Cardinal Ivan Dias, metropolitan archbishop of Bombay, India, will take possession of the Title of Holy Spirit alla Ferratella, on Via R. Scotellaro, 11, Rome.

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THE RIGHT TO ADEQUATE NUTRITION IS A BASIC HUMAN RIGHT

VATICAN CITY, MAY 30, 2001 (VIS) - Archbishop Agostino Marchetto, Holy See permanent observer to the Rome-based United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization, addressed the inaugural assembly of the 27th session of FAO's Intergovernmental Committee on Food Security, which is meeting from May 28 to June 1. The Rome meeting is in preparation for the "World Food Summit - Five Years Later" in November.

The archbishop focused his talk on the need to recognize that the right to adequate nutrition is a basic human right. He expressed the Holy See's enduring interest in the serious problems of hunger, malnutrition and food security, adding that this interest is based on "our evaluations of an ethical order, which is proper to the nature and mission of the Holy See." "Above all," he said, "we believe that the right to nutrition is fully an economic and social right."

Underscoring that hunger and malnutrition are contradictions in a world which is living through "unprecedented progress and development," Archbishop Marchetto said that it is up to national leaders - or intergovernmental institutions and international agencies when States fail in their duty - to act on these problems and to guarantee food security to both individuals and peoples.

The Holy See observer also underscored that improper nutrition - or a lack of food - is both a cause and effect of poverty. "In an efficacious action against poverty, the question of food security must be considered along with the more vast objectives of protection of the environment and therefore of the various ecosystems."

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POPE SENDS CARDINAL LAGHI AS SPECIAL ENVOY TO JERUSALEM

VATICAN CITY, MAY 30, 2001 (VIS) - Holy See Press Office Director Joaquin Navarro-Valls published the following declaration this morning:

"The Holy Father, in his solicitude for the Holy Land, has sent Cardinal Pio Laghi to Jerusalem as his special envoy, accompanied by Msgr. Giovanni d'Aniello, nunciature counsellor in the service of the Secretary of State. The delegation left Rome this morning, May 30, 2001.

"During their stay in the Holy Land, the Cardinal will meet with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, and the President of the Palestinian Authority Yassar Arafat. He will give them a Message signed by the Holy Father, with the goal of encouraging the parties to a cease-fire and the renewal of dialogue."

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NEW EDITION OF ROMANIAN BIBLE OF BLAJ IS PRESENTED

VATICAN CITY, MAY 29, 2001 (VIS) - Today in the Holy See Press Office, His Beatitude, Cardinal Ignace Moussa I Daoud, prefect of the Congregation for Oriental Churches, presented the newly reprinted version of the 1795 Bible of Blaj, a "monument of the Romanian language."

The cardinal stated that this bible, the fruit of five years of work by various experts, "has been for many years an efficacious instrument of evangelization and has had an enormous importance in the development of the modern Romanian language, as well as having an important ecumenical significance."

Translated by the monk, Samuil Micu, "it was accepted by Catholics and Orthodox. Given its quality it was therefore used by both communities, then reprinted, thus constituting a basis for other translations. Thanks to this a common theological language was formed which has allowed for a better understanding of one's own positions and led to a fruitful dialogue."

His Beatitude affirmed that he was certain that this volume "will help to better understand the importance which the Greek-Catholic Church has had in the history of the Romanian nation."

"I hope that the Bible of Blaj," he concluded, "re-edited with such care, will also help the dialogue with the Orthodox Church, which has its own roots in the same living source of the Word of God and the Oriental Tradition."

Professor Camil Murasanu of the Romanian Academy explained some of the historical background of the Greek-Catholic Church in Romania. He said that the Romanian Church United with Rome was born about 1700, following the acceptance of Catholicism by a great part of the clergy and Romanian population, originally Orthodox, in the province of Transylvania. This province was under the Austrian empire at that time. Vienna had promised to better the lives of Romanians who then had no rights and who were, in fact, called "the tolerated" in the country's law.

When at least half of Transylvanian Romanians returned to Orthodoxy, the lot of the Byzantine Catholic community, known as the Greek-Catholic community, became difficult. However, under the guidance of enlightened bishops, the Church developed and had an important role in the life of the Romanian people. In 1721 Innocent XIII had confirmed the bishopric for Uniates in Transylvania. In 1737, this episcopal see was transferred to Blaj which became a center of learning, especially of theology. The first Romanian schools in Translyvania were founded in Blaj and became important institutes of learning for all Romanians and the intellectual center where, in 1795, the Bible of Blaj was first produced.
Prof. Murasanu announced that the reprinted edition presented today is dedicated to Pope John Paul who "has very generously supported this work."

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GUATEMALA: UNVEIL TRUTH ABOUT CRIMES LIKE GERARDI ASSASSINATION

VATICAN CITY, MAY 29, 2001 (VIS) - This morning the Holy Father received the prelates of the Guatemalan Episcopal Conference, at the conclusion of their "ad limina" visit.

In his discourse the Pope emphasized that priests are the bishop's first collaborators. "The present society, which is so diversified, requires that the priest be a sign of unity, who exercises his ministry with humility and pastoral charity, in order to lead the faithful to encounter Jesus Christ. Recognizing your commitment in the exercise of your ministry, I thank God for the spirit of fraternity and of sacrifice, for the witness of austerity and poverty, and for the generous mission to the service of your brothers."

After having expressed to the bishops his joy for the preparation of the National Plan of Priestly Pastoral Care 2001-2006, the Pope said: "May none of your priests lack the necessary means for living their sublime vocation and ministry!"

John Paul II went on to refer to the "concern" of the Guatemalan prelates for the promotion of priestly vocations and the formation of priests. He affirmed that "all must participate in vocational pastoral care, trusting that God will respond by giving to your people, if you ask with perseverance, the necessary ministers."

"It is also important to remember," he continued, "that the pastoral ministry for vocations has a privileged milieux in the youth ministry, directed towards the doctrinal, spiritual, and apostolic formation of the youth, in parishes and student residences, in apostolic associations and in movements."

The Holy Father expressed his pleasure for the way in which the bishops support the citizens "in the search for a harmonious and peaceful co-existence, founded upon the values of reconciliation, justice, solidarity, and freedom. Thus, when necessary, do not refuse to denounce injustice and to propose the principles of moral character which must also direct the development of the civil life."

"The Church in Guatemala," he emphasized, "has witnessed the shedding of blood of many of its sons. Beyond the legitimate effort to unveil the truth about these abhorrent crimes - including the assassination three years ago of Msgr. Juan Gerardi, auxiliary bishop of Guatemala - it is urgent that his memory be recalled as an 'example of limitless commitment to the cause of the Gospel'."

The Pope affirmed that the spreading of the social doctrine of the Church is "a real pastoral priority, in order to adequately confront the different situations with an upright conscience, enlightened by faith, and in order to develop and direct the commitment of the laity in public life."

To the "integral and systematic" formation of the faithful, "which must accompany the growth in the faith of every faithful Christian," he concluded, "it is necessary to make an added effort to also evangelize those who have responsibility in the diverse areas of public administration."

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CASTELGANDOLFO TO HOST VATICAN OBSERVATORY SUMMER SCHOOL

VATICAN CITY, MAY 29, 2001 (VIS) - The Eighth Vatican Observatory Summer School in Observational Astronomy and Astrophysics will take place at observatory headquarters in the papal summer residence in Castelgandolfo from June 17 to July 13 on "Observations and Theoretical Understanding of Stellar Remnants: White Dwarfs, Neutron Stars and Black Holes."

Two lectures will be given each morning to the 26 young scholars from 19 different countries. In addition there will be evening seminars by the Vatican Observatory staff and by visiting professors. Students will present a short paper on their research or the research of their home institution.

Included in the curriculum are laboratory exercises using the observatory computers, a "virtual observing" session using a telescope at the site of the observatory's research institute in Arizona and field trips to sites of historical interest to astronomy.

The purpose of the summer school, according to a communique from Vatican Observatory Director, Fr. George V. Coyne, S.J.,is to help young people at the beginning of their program of higher studies to develop quality research careers which will be nourished by interchange on an international scale. The Jesuit community of the Vatican Observatory has provided scholarships to six students from developing countries who attended one of the former seven summer schools and who intend to pursue graduate studies.

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, MAY 26, 2001 (VIS) - The Holy Father:
- Appointed Fr. Gaspar Quintana Jorquera, C.M.F., provincial in Chile of the Missionary Sons of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, as bishop of Copiapo (area 80,000, population 230,873, Catholics 188,623, priests 28, permanent deacons 25, religious 96), Chile. He succeeds Bishop Fernando Ariztia Ruiz, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, in accordance with the age limit. The bishop-elect was born in Santiago de Chile in 1936, and ordained to the priesthood in 1964.

- Appointed Fr. Ludovic Minde, O.S.S., assistant to the supreme moderator of the priests of "Opus Spiritus Sancti," a Society of Apostolic Life, as bishop of Kahama (area 19,946, population 952,000, Catholics 92,572, priests 23, women religious 24), Tanzania. He succeeds Bishop Matthew Shija, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, in accordance with the age limit. The bishop-elect was born in Kibosho, Tanzania, in 1952, and ordained to the priesthood in 1986.

- Appointed Auxiliary Bishop Daniel Adwok of Khartoum, Sudan, as a member of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue.

- Accepted the resignation of Bishop Antanas Vaicius from the pastoral care of Telsiai, Lithuania, in accordance with the age limit.

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PRESS OFFICE ON NEWS REPORTS REGARDING ARCHBISHOP MILINGO

VATICAN CITY, MAY 26, 2001 (VIS) - The following declaration was made this morning by Holy See Press Office Director, Joaquin Navarro-Valls regarding news reports from New York that Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo would participate in a ceremony presided over by Rev. Moon of the Unification Church:

"So far there has been no direct information on the part of Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo.

"In any case, we hope that the news which is circulating is not true. The same is hoped by all those who up to now have followed him.

"Archbishop Milingo has not for sometime now worked in a diocese or in any office of the Roman Curia."

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FIFTEENTH GENERAL CHAPTER OF DAUGHTERS OF JESUS

VATICAN CITY, MAY 26, 2001 (VIS) - This morning the Holy Father received the participants in the fifteenth General Chapter of the Daughters of Jesus, and said that, through the chapter, "you desire to discern the will of God for your Institute in this moment of history, at the dawn of the new millennium."

After recalling that the foundress of the Institute, Blessed Candida Maria de Jesus, "knew how to travel the journey of sanctity with faithfulness and constancy," John Paul II affirmed: "It is your task to make this spirit bear fruit, with an ever more radical dedication to your vocation and the continual aspiration to be, with the witness of your life, a sign of Christ's presence and the channel of God's call."

"The educational pastoral ministry," the Pope added, "is one of the greatly distinctive characteristics of your charism and of your tradition." The Pope assured the religious that those who "are rooted in Christ, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, will not be content to give children and youth a mere collection of knowledge, but will arouse in them the desire to progress in all aspects of human existence. ... Before such a sublime commitment, the educator cannot remain uninvolved in what is taught."

John Paul II concluded his discourse by emphasizing that "to pass on knowledge and culture with competence, to awaken social responsibility, to impart to the moral conscience the highest ethical values and enlighten the lofty vocation to transcendence of every human being, are undoubtedly essential tasks, especially in a world frequently tempted by banality or by immediate material profit."

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PAPAL LETTER MARKS 1700TH ANNIVERSARY OF BAPTISM OF ARMENIA

VATICAN CITY, MAY 28, 2001 (VIS) - Made public today was a Letter from Pope John Paul to His Holiness Aram I, Catholicos of Cilicia, on the occasion of the 1700th anniversary of the baptism of the Armenian nation. On May 20, 301 notes the Pope, "St. Gregory the Illuminator baptized the Armenian King Tiridates III, ... and shortly thereafter the whole Armenian nation came to confess the Christian faith and to be baptized."

"The Risen Lord," he starts the Letter, dated May 20, "assured His disciples: 'I am with you always to the close of the age'. How many times in the course of Armenian history have your people put their whole trust in these words! In glorious times, when the Armenian nation could live the Christian faith in freedom and joy, ... (and) in dark periods, when bitter persecution and expatriation tormented the Armenian nation."

The Holy Father remarks that "the Catholicosate of Cilicia represents in a particular way the age-old pilgrimage of Armenian Christianity. When the ancient Armenian kingdom was attacked and eventually destroyed, many of the faithful fled to Cilica, where a new kingdom was established" and where "Armenian Christianity prospered for centuries, until in the late 19th and 20th centuries drastic political and social shifts caused the Armenian faithful to be again dispersed."

"Situated at a kind of crossroads between different peoples and cultures, the Catholicosate of Cilicia established ... cordial and fruitful exchanges with Byzantine, Syriac and Latin Christianity. ... Down the centuries, cordial relations also developed between the Catholicosate of Cilicia and the Catholic Church. Frequent exchanges of letters, and even attempts to restore full communion, were part of this continuing fraternal bond."

Calling the anniversary "a providential opportunity to celebrate and renew the fraternal bond" between us, John Paul II announced: "I am greatly pleased to be able to send you a prestigious relic of St. Gregory the Illuminator as a gesture of affection in the Lord." He added that similar relics were sent to His Holiness Karekin II and His Beatitude Nerses Bedros XIX, and writes: "We are not dividing the relics, we are working and praying that those who receive them will be united."

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CHRIST, THE BRIDGE BETWEEN HEAVEN AND EARTH, GOD AND MAN

VATICAN CITY, MAY 27, 2001 (VIS) - After his pastoral visit to the Roman parish of St. Angela Merici, Pope John Paul returned to the Vatican where, at noon, he appeared at his study window to recite the Regina Coeli with the faithful gathered below in St. Peter's Square.

In meditations made before praying, the Pope noted that "today, in Italy and other countries, the Ascension of Our Lord is celebrated," though "the traditional day would have been last Thursday, but for pastoral reasons this feast was moved to Sunday."

"Jesus' Ascension," said the Pope, "was an event which left an indelible mark on the memory of the first apostles." He added that, as the apostles were looking heavenward after Jesus had ascended, two angels appeared and told them: "This Jesus ... will come in the same way as you saw Him go into heaven. ... 'On earth as it is in heaven': these words which we repeat every day in the Our Father express well the new conditions of the disciples, who were transformed by the experience of the Paschal mystery of Christ. They are citizens of both earth and heaven."

The Holy Father stated that "Christ, in fact, became the bridge between heaven and earth: He is the mediator between God and man, between the Kingdom of heaven and the history of the world. United to Him in His same Spirit, believers form a new community, the Church, whose nature is at one and the same time both visible and spiritual, a pilgrim Church in the world and participant in heavenly glory."

"Of all creatures," he concluded, "Mary Most Holy was more than any other associated with this mystery. As the new Eve, of whom was born the new Adam, she indicates the path of our earthly commitment."

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COLLABORATE WITH THE RISEN CHRIST IN GROWTH OF GOD'S KINGDOM

VATICAN CITY, MAY 27, 2001 (VIS) - This morning John Paul II celebrated Mass in the Roman parish of St. Angela Merici. In his homily the Holy Father said that the Risen Christ, ascending into heaven "does not definitively leave His disciples; Rather He begins a new type of relationship with them."

"The Liturgy exhorts us today," - solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord - "to contemplate heaven, as did the Apostles at the moment of the Ascension, in order to be credible witnesses of the Risen Christ on earth, collaborating with Him in the growth of God's Kingdom among men. He invites us, moreover, to meditate on the mandate which Jesus, before ascending into Heaven, entrusted to the disciples: to preach conversion and the forgiveness of sins to all the peoples."

The Pope recalled that the parish is experiencing "a profound social transformation and perceives the urgency of adjusting its pastoral action more and more to the changing needs of the people. This is a challenge to which you are already seeking to give concrete answers. You are concerned, in particular, with confronting the many situations of poverty existing in your area. ... I am thinking, for example, of the people who come from countries outside of the European Community, often without work and prevented from living a dignified existence. I think of the many elderly who feel solitude so strongly."

"I am especially pleased," the Pope continued, "with the realization of the Caritas Center, intended as a sign of your response to the immediate needs of the many who too often are forgotten."

The Holy Father concluded his homily emphasizing that "all the members of the Mystical Body of Christ are called to contribute to this action of apostolic commitment and ecclesial renewal."

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, MAY 28, 2001 (VIS) - The Holy Father received today in separate audiences:

- Five prelates of the Guatemalan Episcopal Conference, on the occasion of their "ad limina" visit:
- Bishop Alvaro Leonel Ramazzini Imeri of San Marcos.
- Bishop Pablo Vizcaino Prado of Suchitepequez-Retalhuleu.
- Bishop Raul Antonio Martinez Paredes of Solola-Chimaltenango.
- Bishop Luis Maria Estrada Paetau, apostolic vicar of Izabal.
- Bishop Oscar Julio Vian Morales, apostolic vicar of El Peten.
- Cardinal Armand Gaetan Razafindratandra, archbishop of Antananarivo, Madagascar, and president of the Episcopal Conference of Madagascar.

On Saturday, May 26, he received in separate audiences:

- Six prelates of the Guatemalan Episcopal Conference, on the occasion of their "ad limina" visit:
- Bishop Rodolfo Valenzuela Nunez of Vera Paz-Coban.
- Bishop Rodolfo Quezada Toruno of Zacapa y Santo Cristo de Esquipulas.
- Bishop Jorge Mario Avila del Aguila of Jalapa en Guatemala. - Bishop Julio Amilcar Bethancourt Fioravanti of Santa Rosa de Lima.
- Bishop Julio Edgar Cabrera Ovalle of Quiche.
- Bishop Rodolfo Francisco Bobadilla Mata of Huehuetenango.
- Cardinal Jan Pieter Schotte, secretary general of the Synod of Bishops.
- Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.

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HOLY SEES EXPRESSES SORROW AT GESTURE OF ARCHBISHOP MILINGO

VATICAN CITY, MAY 28, 2001 (VIS) - Holy See Press Office Director Joaquin Navarro-Valls made the following declaration this morning regarding Archbishop Milingo:

"Obviously, the Holy See has learned with great sorrow of the action taken by Archbishop Emmanuel Milingo.

"By participating in the public marriage rite of the 'Moon' sect, he has di facto placed himself outside of the Catholic Church and has inflicted a serious wound on the communion which bishops above all must show with the Church.

"He cannot therefore be considered a bishop of the Catholic Church and the faithful are invited to draw the due consequences from his behavior and his actions, which constitute the presupposition for the pertinent canonical sanctions, which, in the near future, will be communicated to him and then made public."

OP;MILINGO;...;NAVARRO-VALLS;VIS;20010528;Word: 140;

PENTECOST MASS WITH CASKET OF BLESSED JOHN XXIII

VATICAN CITY, MAY 28, 2001 (VIS) - At 10 a.m. on Sunday, June 3, the Solemnity of Pentecost, the Holy Father will celebrate Mass in St. Peter's Square together with the cardinals.

The celebration, according to a communique from the Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff, coincides with the solemn transfer of the casket containing the body of Blessed John XXIII, on the 38th anniversary of his death, from the Vatican Grottos to St. Peter's Basilica.

The Blessed's casket will be carried in procession through the Arch of the Bells on the left side of the basilica, and placed next to the altar during the celebration. Afterwards, the entrance procession of the Holy Father and the concelebrants will take place.

At the end of the Mass, after the singing of the "Regina Coeli," the apostolic blessing and the "Ite Missa est," the casket will be transferred in procession through the central door of the basilica and placed before the Altar of the Confession, where it will remain for the entire day for the veneration of the faithful. Following this, the casket will be permanently placed beneath the altar of St. Jerome.

In a briefing for journalists on Thursday, May 31, at 11:30 a.m. in the Holy See Press Office, Cardinal Virgilio Noe, president of the Fabric of St. Peter, and Sandro Benedetti, head of the Technical Office of the Fabric, will explain the procedure for the final placement of the casket of John XXIII.

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CORRECTION

VATICAN CITY, MAY 28, 2001 (VIS) - In the May 25 article on the Pope's trip to Ukraine, it was inadvertently reported that there are 5 seminarians in Ukraine. Rather, there are 5 seminaries.

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CARDINALS CALL FOR PEACE IN THE HOLY LAND

VATICAN CITY, MAY 24, 2001 (VIS) - The College of Cardinals today made public a Message for the closing of the sixth extraordinary consistory, held in the Vatican from May 21 to 23. The cardinals called for peace in the Holy Land and for an end to the wars and tensions in Africa.

The 155 cardinals who gathered in the consistory thanked the Lord, with the entire Church, for the fruits of the Holy Year of 2000. "We are convinced," they write, "that the great legacy which the Jubilee offers us ... is the renewing ... of our confession of faith in Jesus Christ."

Excerpts from the Message follow:

"The prayerful contemplation of Christ, while it leads to the communion of love with Him, nourishes the evangelizing mission of the Church."

"The condition, strength, and fruit of the evangelizing mission is communion, the unity of the disciples, for which Christ prayed.

"In a world heavily marked by injuries and conflicts and in a Church which bears the wounds of divisions, we more strongly feel the duty of cultivating the spirituality of communion: both within the Christian community and in continuing, with charity, truth, and faith, the ecumenical journey and interreligious dialogue, following the exemplary impetus which comes to us from the Holy Father.

"Communion urges the Church to act in solidarity with humanity, particularly in the present context of globalization with the growing numbers of poor, suffering, and those whose sacrosanct rights to life, health, culture, social participation, and religious freedom are violated.

"Towards the peoples who suffer from tensions and wars we renew our commitment to work for justice, solidarity, and peace. Our thoughts particularly go out to Africa, where many peoples are tried by ethnic conflicts, by continual poverty, and by serious illnesses. The solidarity of the entire Church goes out to Africa.

"Together with the Holy Father, we address a heartfelt call to all Christians that they may intensify their prayer for peace in the Holy Land, and we ask the leaders of nations to help the Israelis and Palestinians to live together peacefully. In the Land of Jesus the situation lately has been aggravated and too much blood has been shed. In union with the Holy Father, we entreat the parties involved to immediately reach a cease-fire and to resume dialogue on a level of equality and mutual respect."

"While we accompany the Holy Father with prayer in his upcoming pilgrimage to Ukraine, we desire to confirm our fraternal communion with all of the Eastern Churches."

CNC;MESSAGE CARDINALS;...;...;VIS;20010525;Word: 420;

POPE MAPS OUT MISSIONARY CHALLENGES FOR CHURCH IN NEW MILLENNIUM

VATICAN CITY, MAY 24, 2001 (VIS) - Pope John Paul and the 155 cardinals who came to Rome to participate in the three-day extraordinary consistory concelebrated Mass today, solemnity of the Ascension of Our Lord, in St. Peter's Basilica. The Pope's homily centered on the Church's evangelizing mission in the new millennium and the challenges she faces including secularism, relativism, globalization, bioethical and related moral problems, social justice, the family and married life.

Recalling that the Church's nature has been missionary ever since Jesus told Peter 2,000 years ago "'duc in altum', put out into the deep," the Pope said that the "'altum' towards which the Church today must aim is not only a stronger missionary commitment but an even greater contemplative commitment."

John Paul II affirmed that he had called the extraordinary consistory so that he and the world's cardinals could meet "to face several of the more relevant themes of evangelization and the Christian witness in the world today."

The Holy Father underscored a number of times the missionary nature of the Church, saying that "it finds support in episcopal collegiality and is encouraged by the Successor of Peter, whose ministry aims at promoting communion in the Church, guaranteeing unity in Christ of all the faithful."

The Pope spoke of his recently-concluded pilgrimage to Greece, Syria and Malta and said: "I experienced the joy of sharing with affectionate admiration some aspects of the life of our beloved Oriental Catholic brothers and to see new ecumenical perspectives open with our equally loved Orthodox brothers. With God's help some significant steps have been taken towards the hoped-for goal of full communion." He added that "the encounters with Muslims were also beautiful" and "the moment of dialogue very intense."

Affirming that we live in an age "of an over-abundance of words," the Pope said that "the words we really need today are those rich in wisdom and holiness."

He then turned to some of the "enormous challenges" faced by the Church today. "It's not just a 'quantitative' problem," he said, "due to the fact that Christians are a minority, although secularization continues to erode the Christian tradition even of Christians which were evangelized in ancient times." He pointed out that the problems collateral to secularization are "a general change in cultural horizons, dominated by the primacy of experimental sciences inspired by criteria of scientific epistemology." Modern man, he said, can accept the idea of God, but cannot accept the idea of God Who became man, died, rose and ascended into heaven.

Other challenges, said the Holy Father, "derive from the phenomenon of globalization" and "in the sphere of moral questions. Never, as today, especially on the level of the great bioethical themes as well as those of social justice, the institution of the family and married life, has mankind been called to face such formidable problems, which place into question his very destiny."

He said that the extraordinary consistory faced these and other issues, "developing deeply-studied analyses and proposing deeply meditated solutions." Pope John Paul also said, as he concluded his homily, that he intends to draw upon the work of the consistory for "opportune operative indications."

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POPE GREETS DELEGATION FROM EX-YUGOSLAV REPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA

VATICAN CITY, MAY 25, 2001 (VIS) - The Holy Father this morning welcomed a delegation from the ex-Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, in Rome for their traditional visit on the occasion of the feast of Saints Cyril and Methodius, "the Apostles of the Slavs."

"By the power of God," John Paul II observed, "the two brothers of Salonika made a decisive and enduringly valid contribution to the building of Europe. Not only did they bring different peoples together in the bond of Christian communion, but they also brought cultural and civic unity to the lands where they worked. In recent times the peoples of the Balkans have known much suffering and fear, and I therefore feel obliged to recall the immediate and practical relevance of the teaching that Saints Cyril and Methodius have left behind."

"Given the tensions and conflicts in your region," the Pope concluded, and the threat which they represent to individuals and to society, the path traced by Saints Cyril and Methodius remains as valid as ever."

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, MAY 24, 2001 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed:

- Bishop Vicente M. Navarra of Kabankalan, Philippines, apostolic administrator of the diocese of Bacolod (area 2,019, population 1,254,481, Catholics 1,034,336, priests 150, religious 358), Philippines, as bishop of the same diocese.

- Fr. Sofronio A. Bancud, of the Congregation of the Most Holy Sacrament, superior of the community of Santa Cruz in Manila, as auxiliary to the bishop of Cabanatuan (area 2,743, population 1,026,235, Catholics 820,277, priests 40, religious 42), Philippines. The bishop-elect was born in Atulayan, Philippines, in 1948, and ordained to the priesthood in 1977.

NER; NEA;...;...;NAVARRA; BANCUD;VIS;20010525;Word: 90;

CARDINAL DAOUD TO PRESENT BIBLE OF "BAJ" AT MAY 29 CONFERENCE

VATICAN CITY, MAY 25, 2001 (VIS) - On Tuesday, May 29, at 11:30 a.m. in the Holy See Press Office, His Beatitude Cardinal Ignace Moussa I Daoud, prefect of the Congregation for Oriental Churches, will present the anastatic reprint of the Bible of "Baj" (1975), "monument of the Romanian language," which was edited by the Vatican Printing Office.
Scheduled to join the cardinal are: Archbishop Metropolitan Lucian Muresan of Alba Julia and Fagaras of the Church United with Rome; Eugen Simion, president of the Romanian Academy; Camil Murasanu of the Romanian Academy and Cesare Alzati of the University of Pisa.

OP;BAJ BIBLE;...;DAOUD;VIS;20010525;Word: 100;

PRESS CONFERENCE ON POPE'S PASTORAL VISIT TO UKRAINE

VATICAN CITY, MAY 25, 2001 (VIS) - Cardinal Lubomyr Husar, major archbishop of Lviv of the Ukrainians, and Cardinal Marian Jaworski, archbishop of Lviv of the Latins, participated this morning in a press conference at the Holy See Press Office on John Paul II's upcoming apostolic trip to Ukraine (June 23-27).

Cardinal Husar recalled that the birth of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church, a "sui iuris" Church, dates back to 988 A.D. He said that this Church "lived in the catacombs for practically 43 years, that is from 1946 to 1989. ... In September 1989, ... approximately 250,000 people participated in a public manifestation and requested full legalization and rehabilitation of the Church."

"On November 20, 1989 the decree was signed allowing the registration of the Greek-Catholic communities" and Cardinal Lubachivsky, head of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church, returned to his see "after 46 years of forced absence."

"Today," the major archbishop of Lviv of the Ukrainians continued, "ten years after the official legalization of the Greek-Catholic Church in Ukraine, we have 9 eparchies (dioceses), and an exarchate, a major archbishop and 14 bishops, 2,278 priests, including 701 religious priests, 933 nuns, 3,467 communities, 5 seminaries, one theological academy, and between 5 and 5.5 million faithful. The Greek-Catholic Church is the second largest confession in Ukraine, after the Orthodox."

Cardinal Jaworski, archbishop of Lviv (Leopoli) of the Latins, recalled that "the archdiocese of Leopoli was created in 1375 on land of the so-called Red Russia, with the see in Halicz. Pope Leo XI, with a bull in 1412, ... decided to move the ecclesial structures to Leopoli. ... This city was the see of three metropolitans: of Latin, Greek-Catholic, and Armenian rite."
The archbishop of Lviv of the Latins recalled that "in 1945 the archdiocese had 1,079,108 faithful. After the Second World War ... and again in 1956, the faithful of the archdiocese of Lviv emigrated, primarily ... to the western part of Poland."

"The Soviet authorities," Cardinal Jaworski continued, "impeded the archbishop of Lviv from carrying out his pastoral ministry and the archdiocese lost all of its ecclesial structures."

Cardinal Jaworski emphasized that in 1991 "the Holy Father was able to reestablish the ecclesiastical hierarchy of the Latin dioceses in Ukraine." Cardinal Jaworski, who was at that time apostolic administrator of Lubaczow, was named by the Pope as archbishop of Lviv. He added that "currently the archdiocese has approximately 260 churches, 60 native priests and 75 from Poland, serving approximately 300,000 believers."

Cardinal Husar was asked if there had been developments in relations with the Orthodox in Ukraine, such as there were in Greece. He responded that "the situation in Ukraine is quite complicated. In Greece there is one Orthodox Church but in Ukraine there are three or four Orthodox jurisdictions. The Holy Father will meet them all as they are all members of the Council of Churches and the encounter will take place in a neutral milieu."

"We have great hope," Cardinal Husar added, "that the presence of the Holy Father in Ukraine will help us in some way to 'sistemare,' to 'define' our relations with the Orthodox. These relations up to now have been correct but not warm."

The cardinal said that "a clear distinction must be made between the people and the hierarchy. The people are very desirous of meeting the Holy Father, whereas the hierarchy is more divided: some are favorable but others, those more closely linked to Russia, are contrary. There are some elements who have been trying to postpone, if not outright annul, the Pope's trip."

A journalist asked how Ukrainians are being informed about the Pope and his June trip, given that a recent survey indicated that 30 percent of the people were unaware that the Pope was about to visit. Cardinal Husar said they are using the radio and newspapers to inform the people. "The press has kept its promise to give news about the Pope and his trip, and the government has said it will be covered on television. This is the country's first encounter with this Catholic reality. We are hopeful this could be the start of the conversion of many people."

OP;PASTORAL VISIT UKRAINE;...;...;VIS;20010525;Word: 660;

BULGARIAN DELEGATION RECEIVED BY POPE JOHN PAUL

VATICAN CITY, MAY 25, 2001 (VIS) - As is traditional each year on the feast of Saints Cyril and Methodius, the Pope welcomed to the Vatican a delegation from Bulgaria. In his talk to them in French he recalled that they come to Rome "as pilgrims to the tomb of St. Cyril in the ancient basilica of St. Clement."

Speaking of the "Apostles to the Slavs," the Pope said that "the two brothers from Salonika first dedicated themselves to translating the Bible, learning the language, but also the customs and usages of the peoples who welcomed them. In creating a new alphabet, adapted to the Slav language, they made an essential contribution to the culture and literature of the ensemble of Slav nations."

John Paul II observed that, "in a Europe which seeks its identity and unity, they present an exemplary and stimulating path so that the Gospel, rooted in the culture of the peoples, thrives in and nourishes it."

"May the Bulgarian people," he concluded, "continue their path towards developing their legitimate aspirations for peace and harmony!"

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, MAY 25, 2001 (VIS) - The Holy Father received today in separate audiences:

- Two prelates of the Guatemalan Episcopal Conference, on the occasion of their "ad limina" visit:
- Archbishop Prospero Penados del Barrio of Guatemala.
- Archbishop Victor Hugo Martinez Contreras of Los Altos, Quetzaltenango-Totonicapan.
- Cardinal Camillo Ruini, vicar general for the diocese of Rome, with Bishop Enzo Dieci, auxiliary of Rome for the northern pastoral sector, and Fr. Guido Peressini, pastor of the parish of St. Angela Merici.

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"THE FAITHFUL" AND "THE POOR" RESPOND TO GOD'S PATERNAL LOVE

VATICAN CITY, MAY 23, 2001 (VIS) - The theme of John Paul II's catechesis in today's general audience, held this morning in St. Peter's Square, and in which 13,000 faithful participated, was Psalm 149. He recalled that "the prayer which this Psalm inspires is the gratitude of a heart filled with jubilation."

The protagonists of the Psalm are "the pious, the faithful" and "the humble and the poor." The faithful, the Pope affirmed "found themselves involved in a battle for freedom; they fought to free their oppressed people and to give them the possibility to serve God."

"In the current perspective of our prayer," the Holy Father continued, "this war symbology becomes an image of our commitment as believers who, after having sung morning praise to God, set out on the streets of the world, in the midst of evil and injustice." The psalmist is trusting "because he knows he has the Lord near, who is the true King of history."

The Holy Father affirmed that "the poor, the humble" are "the oppressed, the wretched, those persecuted for justice, but also those who, faithful to the moral commitments of the Alliance with God, are marginalized by those who choose violence, wealth, and arrogance. In this light it can be understood that 'poor' is not only a social category but a spiritual choice."

The Pope concluded the catechesis emphasizing that "the song of Mary in the Gospel of Luke - the 'Magnificat' - is the echo of the best sentiments of the 'sons of Zion': joyful praise to God the Savior, gratitude for the great things done for her by the Almighty, battle against the forces of evil, solidarity with the poor, faithfulness to the God of the Alliance."

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BRIEFING FRIDAY ON THE PASTORAL VISIT TO UKRAINE

VATICAN CITY, MAY 23, 2001 (VIS) - Friday, May 25, at 11:30 a.m., a briefing will be held in the Holy See Press Office on the upcoming pastoral visit of the Holy Father to Ukraine (June 23-27). Taking part in the briefing will be Cardinal Lubomyr Husar, major archbishop of Lviv of the Ukrainians, and Cardinal Marian Jaworski, archbishop of Lviv of the Latins.

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CARDINALS MEET IN LANGUAGE GROUPS, PREPARE FINAL REPORT

VATICAN CITY, MAY 23, 2001 (VIS) - The 155 cardinals attending the extraordinary consistory of the College of Cardinals met in language groups this morning. Each group will present a report in the afternoon session, scheduled to start at 4:30 p.m., during which Cardinal Juan Sandoval Iniguez will present the Final Report. No briefing on last evening's session was held today.

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POPE MOURNS ASSASSINATED MISSIONARIES WITH SALESIAN BISHOPS

VATICAN CITY, MAY 23, 2001 (VIS) - As the cardinals who came to Rome for the extraordinary consistory were meeting in language groups this morning, Pope John Paul held the weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square. After the catechesis in Italian, and summaries in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese and German, the Pope greeted the 13,000 faithful present in these and other languages.

He welcomed a delegation from Macedonia, which traditionally comes to Rome at this time each year for the feast of Sts. Cyril and Methodius. Addressing pilgrims from the Czech Republic he noted that tomorrow is the celebration of the Lord's Ascension when "Christ returns to the glory that is His, but He returns with the human nature taken from Mary."

The Holy Father then had special words for "the Salesian archbishops and bishops, who have been called for the first time to reflect together on the charism of Don Bosco in the episcopal service." He noted that "the perennial reality of the educational program of Don Bosco, father and teacher of young people, has animated the pastoral charity of so many Salesian bishops."

The Pope also recalled "the dimension of martyrdom which has accompanied the missionary action of the sons of Don Bosco," including "your three Indian confreres sacrificed recently in Imphal, in northeast India. Once again I express my heartfelt participation in the congregation's pain for these sons who were barbarously killed, and I exhort all Salesians to persevere courageously in their witness to Christ and the Gospel."

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, MAY 23, 2001 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Appointed Bishop Antonio Buoncristiani of Porto-Santa Rufina, Italy, as metropolitan archbishop of Siena-Colle di Val d'Elsa-Montalcino (area 2,265, population 170,800, Catholics 170,000, priests 167, permanent deacons 3, religious 366), Italy. He succeeds Archbishop Gaetano Bonicelli, whose resignation from the pastoral care of Siena-Colle di Val d'Elsa-Montalcino the Holy Father accepted in accordance with the age limit.

- Accepted the resignation of Bishop Antonio Sarto, S.D.B., from the pastoral care of Barra do Garcas (area 80,467, population 185,220, Catholics 150,700, priests 19, permanent deacons 1, religious 85), Brazil, in accordance with the age limit. He is succeeded by Coadjutor Bishop Protogenes Jose Luft, S.C.

- Appointed Msgr. Juan Manuel Mancilla Sanchez, chancellor of the archdiocese of San Luis Potosi, Mexico, as auxiliary bishop of Texcoco (area 2,000, population 3,114,000, Catholics 2,907,391, priests 140, permanent deacons 24, religious 315), Mexico. The bishop-elect was born in Santo Domingo, Mexico, in 1950, and ordained to the priesthood in 1974.

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NEW EVANGELIZATION: THE MEANS CANNOT TAKE THE PLACE OF THE END

VATICAN CITY, MAY 22, 2001 (VIS) - Cardinal Jean-Marie Lustiger, archbishop of Paris, spoke last evening during the second session of the extraordinary consistory of the College of Cardinals on the theme chosen for this gathering: "Pastoral Perspectives of the Church in the Third Millennium." He focussed his talk on the means the Church should use to achieve the objectives set out for the Church by Pope John Paul in "Novo millennio ineunte."

The cardinal began by asking in what perspective the cardinals should reflect on the questions facing them. Of primary importance, he answered, is "identifying the subject of action. It is the Church considered not from a human point of view as one of the institutions of the social body of mankind, but with the eyes of faith as the spouse of Christ."

Noting that "Christ (is) the only 'program' of the Church," he asked: "According to what method should we plan pastoral programs? ... We must reflect deeply on the relationship between the end and the means. The means must be coherent with the end."

"We have entered," Cardinal Lustiger continued, "a new era which calls for a new evangelization on our part. In this regard one could say that proclaiming the Gospel is still at its beginning stages and today uses a power of salvation, justice and peace that men could not imagine in the limits of the ancient world."

In programming the Church's ministries in the Third Millennium, said the archbishop of Paris, "we must have our eyes of faith ever more fixed on Christ. ... There exists in fact a perfect coherence between the works of Christ and the humble means that we are called to use to accomplish the salvific will of the Father and the mission of reconciliation entrusted to us by the Son."

"Are all means neutral?" he asked. "Are they all suitable to the service of the Gospel, unless of course they bear some element which is contrary to the moral good?" He also asked whether or not the Church can or should use "technical solutions" or "know-how marked by human and social sciences and the multiple methods of management (which have been) developed today."

Cardinal Lustiger suggested that human means are not always suitable for the Church "because in human life, the means chosen often take on the aspect of an end: they are reduced to serving unavowed goals: the will for power, the desire for pleasure, profit, glory or vanity. In brief, we make idols of the means. Our idols remain hidden."

The cardinal stated that "means cannot take the place of the end. That is true in political action, as in economic life as in all human enterprise which must have as its goal serving the common good of mankind. A fortiori, human means cannot be substituted for the divine end of the Church, for her mission of sanctification of the Name (of Jesus)."
He observed that "in limiting ourselves to technical choices in our evangelizing work, we misunderstand the subject of the action which is the Church herself. This would be to ignore the original nature of the mission Christ entrusted to her."

"Reorganization," stated Cardinal Lustiger, "always has a human cost, victims, and it is often diverted from its ends. The revolutionary period which Eastern Europe knew over the last century is an illustration of this."

"Charity and love," he said in concluding remarks, "must be the source and strength of every renewal. Change can be received and desired as the expression of a greater mercy and a greater fidelity: greater mercy for the least, the poor, those who don't understand, those who don't know what they are doing; and greater fidelity to Christ Himself and to His Spirit."

"Proceeding in this humility and this poverty, the new ideas that we will propose, far from being a cause of breaches or divisions, will excite new conversions and a greater love of the One Lord."

CNC;METHODS FOR RENEWAL;...;LUSTIGER;VIS;20010522;Word: 650;

WORLD TOURISM ORGANIZATION MEETING IN HUNGARY

VATICAN CITY, MAY 22, 2001 (VIS) - Msgr. Piero Monni, Holy See Permanent Observer to the World Tourism Organization, will participate in the 37th Meeting of the Regional Commission for Europe and in a seminar on "The Future of Small and Medium-sized European Tourism Enterprises in the Face of Globalization."

According to a communique published today, the meeting, which will be held in Budapest, Hungary, from May 23 to 26, will address problems associated with the application of the World Ethics Code for Tourism. This meeting is part of a series of meetings planned in view of the celebration of the International Ecotourism Year, in 2002.

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BRIEFING ON CONSISTORY OF COLLEGE OF CARDINALS

VATICAN CITY, MAY 22, 2001 (VIS) - Early this afternoon, Joaquin Navarro-Valls, Holy See Press Office director, briefed journalists on the speeches given yesterday evening and this morning in the extraordinary consistory of the College of Cardinals, highlighting the themes which emerged, rather than summarizing individual speeches. There were 153 cardinals at the sessions.

One of the most dominant themes, he stated, was that of the family. Most cardinals indicated the need for a strong formation for family life and for a reflection on an anthropology of human sexuality. They also felt that the Church should produce a lexicon of terms relating to the "new" sexuality and to themes relating to the family. Navarro-Valls pointed out that the Pontifical Council for the Family is already working on such a lexicon. He said, by way of example, that some of the "new" terms regarding human sexuality, such as "sexual health," or "gender," emerged in recent years during the United Nations conferences on population, women, social development and human settlements in which Holy See delegations took part.

Ecumenism was another very dominant theme in both sessions of the consistory and was presented under two aspects: in terms of relations between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church and between the Catholic Church and non-Catholic Christians. The press office director said that Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor suggested a pan-Christian encounter. Cardinal Adam Maida said that there must be, at the level of universities, education towards evangelization and interreligious dialogue. He and a great number of the other cardinals present, said Navarro-Valls, thanked Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, for the document "Dominus Iesus" and suggested that it be used in interreligious dialogue.

Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, termed ecumenism "the" theme of our times. He added that, while we cannot deny resistance and misunderstandings on the part of some Christians, the path taken since Vatican Council II has produced much progress. He noted that interreligious dialogue "has accelerated" in John Paul II's pontificate but nonetheless remains a great commitment involving all Christians.

Cardinal Lubomyr Husar, archbishop major of Lviv of the Ukrainians, referring to the Oriental Catholic Churches and to the Orthodox, stated that there was a principal difference, the primacy of Peter. Thus, he underlined, when full unity is reached it will perforce come through us who have the same liturgy and same rite.

Cardinal Avery Dulles also spoke of the primacy of Peter and its importance for the unity of the Church. Theoretically, he stated, one could think that primacy creates a great ecumenical difficulty; still, it is precisely the lack (of such a primacy) in other Christian confessions which creates difficulties of doctrinal and disciplinary types, for example.

For a series of reasons of historical nature, said Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos, prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy, Vatican Council II preserves yet today a great richness which must be developed in such as way that it would not be truly useful to speak of a new council.

Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini, archbishop of Milan, suggested that the Synod of Bishops hold an assembly on the theme "The Word of God in the Life of the Church."

...;BRIEFING; CONSISTORY;...;NAVARRO-VALLS;VIS;20010522;Word: 550;

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, MAY 22, 2001 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Bishop Alois Schwarz, auxiliary of Vienna, as bishop of Gurk (area 9,533, population 563,925, Catholics 442,801, priests 284, permanent deacons 30, religious 447), Austria.

NER;...;...;SCHWARZ;VIS;20010522;Word: 30;

AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, MAY 22, 2001 (VIS) - The Holy Father received today in separate audiences:

- Cardinal Cahal Brendan Daly, archbishop emeritus of Armagh, Ireland.
- Archbishop Patrick Coveney, apostolic nuncio in New Zealand, the Fiji Islands, the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, Samoa, Vanuatu, Tonga, Nauru, and Kiribati, apostolic delegate in the Pacific Ocean.

AP;...;...;...;VIS;20010522;Word: 50;

PLEA TO LOWER PHARMACEUTICAL PRICES FOR POOREST COUNTIES

VATICAN CITY, MAY 22, 2001 (VIS) - Archbishop Javier Lozano Barragan, president of the Pontifical Council for Health Care Ministry, addressed the 54th World Health Assembly on Wednesday, May 16 in Geneva, Switzerland. The meeting began May 14 and ends today.

In his discourse, the text of which was published today, the head of the Holy See delegation affirmed that the Church "recognizes the intellectual ownership of pharmaceutical patents, on the condition that they respect the international well-being of health and the conditions foreseen by proper national and international legislation" and has consistently taught that "there is a 'social mortgage' on all private property."

Archbishop Barragan noted that "the 'social mortgage' which, as the Pope affirms, also weighs heavily on patents, must allow the lowering of medicine prices as well as those of all science and medical technology products." On this point, the archbishop affirmed that it is necessary "to differentiate the price of pharmaceuticals destined for markets in industrialized countries from that in developing countries. It is also necessary to promote pharmaceutical research on lesser-known products or those destined for the cure of specific illnesses of developing countries. Furthermore, it is necessary to expand the list of generic medicines destined for the majority of the worldwide population and to promote national legislation and international agreements in order to counter the monopoly of a few pharmaceutical industries and thus to bring down prices, in particular of products destined for developing countries. Finally, it would be necessary to promote agreements for the proper transfer of health-care technology to these countries."

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FIVE CARDINALS TO TAKE POSSESSION OF TITLES, DIACONATES

VATICAN CITY, MAY 22, 2001 (VIS) - According to a note from the Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff, the following cardinals will take possession of their diaconate or title churches this weekend:
- Sunday, May 27 at 11 a.m.: Cardinal Jose da Cruz Policarpo, patriarch of Lisbon, Portugal, title of St. Anthony in Campo Marzio, on Via dei Portoghesi, 2.

- Sunday, May 27 at 11 a.m.: Cardinal Jean Honore, archbishop emeritus of Tours, France, title of St. Mary of Health in Primavalle, on Via Tommaso De Vio, 5.

- Sunday, May 27 at 11 a.m.: Cardinal Leo Scheffczyk, diaconate of St. Francis Xavier in Garbatella, on Via Daniele Comboni, 4.

- Sunday, May 27 at 11:15 a.m.: Cardinal Oscar Andres Rodriguez Maradiaga, S.D.B., metropolitan archbishop of Tegucigalpa, Honduras, title of St. Mary of Hope, on Via F. Cocco Ortu, 61.

- Sunday, May 27 at 11:15 a.m.: Cardinal Bernard Agre, metropolitan archbishop of Abidjan, Ivory Coast, title of St. John Chrysostom in Monte Sacro Alto, on Via Emilio De Marchi, 60.

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IN MEMORIAM

VATICAN CITY, MAY 22, 2001 (VIS) - The following prelates died in recent weeks:

- Bishop Paul Bui Chu Tao, emeritus of Phat Diem, Vietnam, on May 5, 2001, at the age of 92.
- Bishop Andre Reginald Jacq, O.P., former apostolic vicar of Lang Son and Cao Bang (now a diocese), Vietnam, on May 2, 2001, at the age of 95.
- Bishop Jean-Berchmans Nterere of Muyinga, Burundi, on May 5, 2001, at the age of 58.

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DEFEND RELIGIOUS FREEDOM, ENCOURAGE DIALOGUE AND TOLERANCE

VATICAN CITY, MAY 19, 2001 (VIS) - The Pope today received the bishops of Pakistan as they ended their "ad limina" visit, and told them that such visits are "a significant and enriching moment for the Successor of Peter" who can "spend time in prayer and fraternal reflection regarding (the bishops') joys and hopes, their griefs and sorrows."

Bishops, he said, must be concerned not only about their own dioceses but also "about the Church at the national and universal levels." He suggested that the bishops in Pakistan "strengthen cooperation at the level of your episcopal conference," and said that "in particular a permanent secretariat and a more stable arrangement for the conference's meeting would perhaps be helpful."

The Holy Father thanked the priests of Pakistan for their ministry, noting that "the Christian community is a small flock living in the midst of a large Muslim majority." He said: "I know the often difficult circumstances of their ministry. ... I rejoice that the number of vocations continues to rise in Pakistan."

"The laity too," the Pope continued, "should be encouraged to play a fuller and more visible part in the Church's mission." He expressed his gratitude to the religious and lay catechists for their dedication and "encouraged them to make full use of the Catechism of the Catholic Church."

"We should not overlook the fact," affirmed John Paul II, "that faith is transmitted in the first place in the home. For this reason the family, ... the domestic Church, ... must be one of the priorities of your pastoral planning," as must be "the pastoral care of young people." He told the bishops to "encourage and support young people, to ensure that they are mature enough, humanly and spiritually to assume an active role in the Church and in society."

"Catholic schools," he noted, "are widely recognized in Pakistan for the high quality of their teaching and for the human values they inculcate. Since students of all religious traditions attend these schools, their part in promoting a climate of dialogue and tolerance cannot be underestimated and constitutes a serious challenge for the Catholic community."

Turning to the subject of interreligious dialogue, the Pope called it "an essential feature of (the bishops') pastoral mission. ... Dialogue does not imply abandonment of one's own principles, nor should it lead to a false irenicism. Rather, in fidelity to our own religious traditions and convictions, we must be open to understanding those of the followers of other religions in a spirit of humility and frankness."

"Pakistani culture recognizes and defends the place of God in public life. This fact should make it possible for the followers of various religions to work together in order to defend the inestimable dignity of every man and woman from conception to natural death and to build a society in which the inalienable rights of all are respected and protected, especially the right to life." Yet, the Pope noted, "it is unfortunately still the case that many of your people are enduring hardships for their fidelity to Christ. They are sometimes regarded with suspicion and feel that they are not treated as full citizens of their own country, especially in the face of laws which do not sufficiently respect the religious freedom of minorities."

In concluding comments, the Holy Father lauded the courage of the Pakistani bishops in defending religious freedom and he encouraged their "efforts to ensure that a spirit of mutual tolerance and respect prevails."

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PROMOTE A CULTURE OPEN TO ALL SOCIAL CLASSES

VATICAN CITY, MAY 19, 2001 (VIS) - This morning the Holy Father received the new ambassador of Mexico, Fernando Estrada Samano, on the occasion of the presentation of his Letters of Credence.

In his discourse, the Pope recalled that Mexico lives "a process of political maturation, which, through profound changes in numerous aspects of the social life, aspires to overcome the structural causes of poverty and marginalization, through a model of integral development founded on social justice. To do this, it is necessary to promote a culture which favors democratic and participatory institutions, founded upon the recognition of human rights and the cultural and spiritual values of the Mexican people."

He noted that globalization has helped some, but has also caused "new forms of impoverishment, marginalization, and even the exclusion of large social groups, in particular peasants and indigenous peoples. For this reason it is necessary that the political and cultural institutions truly place themselves at the service of man, without distinctions of race or social class."

John Paul II affirmed that relations between Church and State in Mexico "are characterized by greater respect and reciprocal cordiality. ... Thus, through a constructive dialogue it is possible to promote the fundamental values of the order and development of the society. In this sense it is time that the integral historical truth of Mexico, from its origins, be analyzed with greater clarity, overcoming prejudices and rejection, conflicts and reductionism."

The Pope emphasized the concern of the Church in Mexico and of Mexicans for the establishment of "a more just order for the indigenous peoples. ... Some, with the goal of protecting the indigenous peoples, have insisted on ideologies based upon a distorted reading of history. Others, on the contrary, have extolled values brought from outside as being the only valid and authentic ones. In the face of this panorama, it is necessary to bring about a purification of memory and assess the mestizos identity - starting with the two cultures which have mingled - which has an enormous future potential if reconciled with itself."

The Holy Father concluded by noting that "it is necessary to promote, without further delay, the value of the dignity of the indigenous peoples. ... With greater self-awareness, it will be possible to strengthen the understanding that all are brothers within the great Mexican family."

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FREQUENT CONFESSION TO RECEIVE CHRIST WITH A PURE HEART

VATICAN CITY, MAY 20, 2001 (VIS) - This morning John Paul II celebrated the Eucharist in the Roman parish of St. Edith Stein, incorporated in the diocese on October 11, 1998, "the day in which I had the joy," the Pope said, "to proclaim as a saint the daughter of Israel and Carmelite martyr Edith Stein, whom you invoke as your special patroness."

After thanking the faithful for their best wishes for his 81st birthday on May 18, the Holy Father said: "I trust that you wish to continue praying for me, in order that I may carry out the ministry that has been entrusted to me in total adherence to the designs of Divine providence."

The Pope particularly addressed the children who received their First Holy Communion during the Mass and invited them, as well as all the children receiving First Communion this year, to "seek frequently the sacrament of Confession, so that the encounter with Jesus present in the Eucharist occurs with a heart which is pure and open to the action of grace."

Speaking then of St. Edith Stein, John Paul II said that "there is also much to learn from this great contemporary saint about the life of a community such as yours, which desires to be faithful to its missionary vocation." In this light, the Pope recalled the pastoral initiative "of the monthly letter to Christians, which is delivered to all the families, to help them prepare themselves with adequate catechesis for the principal liturgical celebrations of the year."

"Together with you, I also entrust to the Lord the People's Mission which you have planned for the upcoming month of October. It will be a mission directed especially to youth. ... I sincerely hope that, through the mission and thanks to everyone's prayers, the young can encounter Christ in their life, allow Him to speak to their hearts and decide to follow Him."

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EUCHARISTIC CELEBRATION WITH THE CARDINALS, TITULAR POSSESSIONS

VATICAN CITY, MAY 19, 2001 (VIS) - On Thursday, May 24, Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord, John Paul II will celebrate Mass in the Vatican Basilica at 10:30 a.m. with the members of the College of Cardinals, on the occasion of the conclusion of the extraordinary consistory.

The Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff also announced that Cardinal Ignacio Antonio Velasco Garcia, S.D.B., metropolitan archbishop of Caracas, Venezuela, will take possession of the title of St. Maria Domenica Mazzarello, Piazza Salvatore Galgano, Rome, on May 24, at 6 p.m.

On the same day, Cardinal Karl Lehmann, bishop of Mainz, Federal Republic of Germany, will take possession of the title of St. Leo I, Via Prenestina 104, Rome, at 7 p.m.

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HOLY FATHER WELCOMES MEMBERS OF SOCIETY OF AFRICAN MISSIONS

VATICAN CITY, MAY 19, 2001 (VIS) - On the occasion of their general assembly and the election of their new superior general, members of the Society of African Missions were welcomed this morning by Pope John Paul who encouraged them "to draw abundantly upon the rich spiritual legacy of the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000 as you renew your commitment to mission and evangelization."

He said that "a new millennium has begun in the light of Christ but, as I wrote in my apostolic letter at the close of the Jubilee, 'not everyone can see this light'." He added that, "in a world where there are many lights that distract from and are even contrary to the pure light of Christ, you must always strive to be more like Christ .... so that you may faithfully reflect His light."

The Holy Father encouraged the Society to "continue to promote and nurture missionary vocations" and "to involve the laity in your missionary work" as this "is another essential element in the 'plantatio Ecclesiae' in mission lands."

"In imitation of Our Lord and Master," said John Paul II in closing, "renew your commitment to working with the poor, especially refugees who so urgently need a sign of God's love. Accept the challenge of interreligious dialogue, a path to which the Church must dedicate greater attention in this new millennium. Defend human life at every stage of its existence, from conception to natural death."

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THE EXTRAORDINARY CONSISTORIES CALLED BY JOHN PAUL II

VATICAN CITY, MAY 21, 2001 (VIS) - The extraordinary consistory which starts this morning in the Synod Hall is the sixth such consistory called by Pope John Paul. The 155 cardinals present are reflecting on the theme "Prospects of the Church for the Third Millennium, in the light of 'Novo millennio ineunte'."

The first extraordinary consistory took place from November 5 to 9, 1979 in the presence of 120 cardinals. With the Holy Father they studied the reorganization of the Roman Curia, the relationship between the Church and culture and the financial situation of the Holy See.

The cardinals met again from November 23 to 26, 1982 to study three questions: a better organization and more satisfactory functioning of the Roman Curia, the nearly-concluded revision of the Code of Canon Law and Vatican finances. There were 97 cardinals present. At the end of the consistory the Pope announced that he was calling the Extraordinary Holy Year of the Redemption.

Three years later, from November 21 to 23, 1985 the reform of the Roman Curia was again on the agenda of this third extraordinary consistory in the presence of 122 cardinals. The fruit of this assembly was the document "Pastor Bonus," which was published in 1988.

In April of 1991, John Paul II and 120 cardinals met to discuss "The Church in the face of current threats against life" and "The announcement of Christ, One Savior and the Challenge of Sects."

The fifth extraordinary consistory was held June 13 and 14, 1994 to discuss the preparations for the Jubilee Year 2000. There were 114 cardinals present.

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POPE ASKS PRAYERS FOR CONSISTORY OF COLLEGE OF CARDINALS

VATICAN CITY, MAY 20, 2001 (VIS) - After returning from the Roman parish of St. Edith Stein, where he celebrated Mass, Pope John Paul appeared at the window of his study overlooking St. Peter's Square to pray the Regina Coeli with the faithful gathered there.

In reflections he made before praying, the Pope noted that tomorrow is the start of the extraordinary consistory of the College of Cardinals, which will conclude with a concelebrated Mass in St. Peter's Basilica on Ascension Thursday. "In coming days," he said, we will consider together the prospects in the life of the Church and her mission in the world. Our basic reference point will be the Apostolic Letter 'Novo millennio ineunte' in which, in the light of the Jubilee experience, I indicated the priorities for the entire People of God: contemplating the face of Christ; starting out again from Him on a renewed path of sanctity; being witnesses to His love."
"In every moment, but especially in decisive ones," affirmed the Holy Father, "the Church listens to the Spirit. This was true in the Cenacle, as it was in the first 'council' which opened the doors to pagans, and so it will be in this consistory. At the side of the Successor of Peter and the cardinals, his closest collaborators in leading the universal Church, the prayerful support of the People of God must not be lacking. I thus ask you, dear brothers and sisters, to accompany us with your prayers."

After reciting the Regina Coeli, Pope John Paul greeted "the participants in the meeting on the theme 'Giving a Voice to Albanian Catholics in Italy,' promoted by the Migrants Foundation of the Italian Episcopal Conference." He asked that "this first national meeting give a valid thrust to pastoral ministry for Albanian Catholics so that they might be well inserted into the ecclesial community."

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, MAY 21, 2001 (VIS) - The Holy Father received today in separate audiences:

- His Beatitude Cardinal Nasrallah Pierre Sfeir, patriarch of Antioch of the Maronites, Lebanon.
- Cardinal Jaime L. Sin, archbishop of Manila, the Philippines.

On Saturday, the Holy Father received in separate audiences:

- Archbishop Giovanni Bulaitis, apostolic nuncio in Albania.
- Two prelates of the Pakistan Episcopal Conference, on the occasion of their "ad limina" visit:
- Archbishop-elect Lawrence Saldanha of Lahore.
- Bishop Andrew Francis of Multan.
- Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.

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PRESS OFFICE BRIEFING ON MORNING SESSION OF CONSISTORY

VATICAN CITY, MAY 21, 2001 (VIS) - Holy See Press Office Director, Joaquin Navarro-Valls, early this afternoon briefed journalists on the individual speeches given by 16 cardinals in the morning session of the extraordinary consistory. He said that he would highlight the themes which emerged the most frequently today rather than summarize the individual speeches.

According to Navarro-Valls, the most repeated themes were: 1. Unity within the Church: unity with the Pope and the role of the Pope; 2. Mass Media and Evangelization, especially the new evangelization; 3. Globalization; 4 Holiness; 5. The need to reinforce the Christian identity in all cultures though catechesis; 6. The dialogue between faith and culture; 7. The Family; 8. Missionary Nature of the Church.

The press office director stressed that nearly all, if not all of the 16 speeches this morning emphasized the concept of holiness. The cardinals said there must be "a globalization of holiness." Holiness, and the search to attain it, they said, must be part of a Christian's everyday life: It must be an ordinary, not an extraordinary, fact of life. "We need," they said, "a true, audacious pastoral ministry of holiness."

The speeches which touched upon the media and evangelization focussed on the new evangelization, making the point that it is not just a question of the Church using the media but of her participating in the culture of the media. "The dialectic with the media is the new areopagus," said one cardinal. To assist in the new evangelization, the media must help in making the person of Jesus Christ better known. Another cardinal, referring to the Catechetical Directory which the Holy See sends to dioceses periodically as a tool for catechesis, suggested that a similar directory be prepared for the new evangelization.

On the subject of globalization, there was major consensus on the importance of this issue "and its internal dialectic" in the world today. The cardinals said that, intrinsically, globalization is neither good nor bad but they insisted that it must include the concept of social solidarity.

At one point, said Navarro-Valls, Cardinal Francisco Alvarez Martinez, archbishop of Toledo, pointed out that, whereas in the past labor had been a major thrust of the Church's social doctrine (employer/employee relationship, just wages and working conditions), today that major issue, "the major challenge," is the family.

Concluding his summary of the dominant themes which emerged this morning, the director noted Cardinal Jozef Tomko's statement concerning the missionary nature of the Church. He quoted the former prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples as saying: "We do not need a maintenance Church today. We need missionary mobilization."

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CONSISTORY REFLECTS UNITY, UNIVERSALITY OF THE CHURCH

VATICAN CITY, MAY 21, 2001 (VIS) - The extraordinary consistory of the College of Cardinals commenced at 9 this morning with brief remarks by Cardinal Bernardin Gantin, dean of the college, the recitation of the Third Hour, a greeting from Pope John Paul and two reports on the Jubilee Year 2000 by Cardinals Roger Etchegaray and Crescenzio Sepe. Following a break, the 155 cardinals met again from 11 to 12:30, during which there were 16 individual speeches.

Cardinal Gantin greeted the Holy Father on the part of all 183 members of the College of Cardinals, including those who, for good reason, could not be present at the consistory. He thanked the Pope for having "faith" in the cardinals as they meet to reflect on the "concrete and operative ways" in which the Church can respond to the grace of the Jubilee Year 2000. "We are filled with joy at being close to you in the service that Your Holiness offers to the Church and the world with farsightedness and a dedication which is generous and borne with suffering. We are also happy to be together again for the fraternal moments which the consistory offers us."

Pope John Paul, in his remarks, noted that "the composition of this venerable assembly, which brings together cardinals from every corner of the earth and belonging to the most varied cultures, demonstrates well the unity, universality and missionary nature of the Church."

He said that "the meeting which starts this morning is as important as ever and is ideally linked to the Great Jubilee, whose echoes are still alive in all of us. .. I pray to the Spirit, who allowed us to live extraordinary ecclesial experiences, to continue to lead us and help us see the challenges emerging in the current passage of a millennium."

The Holy Father recalled that in "Novo millennio ineunte," he had "underscored the need to highlight well the 'concrete traits of a program' for the evangelizing action of the Church at the dawn of the third millennium. It is a matter of focussing on priority missionary objectives and the most suitable work methods, as well as seeking the means necessary."

"In these days," he concluded, "we will be listening to reflections and testimonials; we will fraternally face pastoral problems and challenges; we will seek together the most suitable methods for being, still today, credible signs of God's love for man."

Cardinal Roger Etchegaray presented a brief report on the celebrations of the Jubilee of the Year 2000.

"Throughout the entire city, the 'Orbis'," he said, "the particular Churches, even the most distant, gave evidence of great vitality by participating in a lively way in the Jubilee dance before the Lord."

Referring to the numerous ecumenical initiatives of the Jubilee, Cardinal Etchegaray affirmed that "one of the most evocative was the opening by six hands: Catholic, Orthodox, and Anglican, of the door of St. Paul's Outside the Walls! But how can it not be regretted that the Jubilee was not even able to arrange the dream that the Pope has cherished since 'Tertio millennio adveniente' (1994): a Pan-Christian encounter. Oh! simply an encounter in the most natural place, in the land of Christ."

Cardinal Etchegaray emphasized the social aspect "of a Jubilee which has revived its own Biblical roots, what the Bull of Indiction calls 'the challenge of charity'." John Paul II "goes still further, asking the Church, 'the witness of Christian poverty', to go from being a Church for the poor to an entirely poor Church. Here perhaps we touch upon the most provocative question, the most provocative, the most urgent for the evangelization of the new millennium. Only a poor Church can become a missionary Church and only a missionary Church can necessitate a poor Church."

Following this, Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, presented his report concerning the results of the Jubilee.

The Jubilee, Cardinal Sepe said, "is the extraordinary result of a long and 'ordinary' process of ecclesial renewal, begun with Vatican Council II and continued with the 'new evangelization' of John Paul II."

"The true protagonist of the Jubilee of 2000 was the people of God, who, with their witness of prayer, sacrifice, and piety, revealed the face of sanctity which shines in the Church. We have seen this people respond with readiness and generosity to the call of the Pope."

Cardinal Sepe emphasized that "remaining in us today as one of the most important signs of the Holy Year is the strong return and, in some way, the great rediscovery of the Sacrament of Confession considered by many, and for years, to be in crisis."

Referring to the Jubilee pilgrimages, the cardinal noted that "the numbers well surpassed the most optimistic provisions. ... It is enough to think that from the Eastern European countries, that celebrated their first Jubilee, approximately a million pilgrims came: 185 percent more than last year."

"Yet the most significant fact," Cardinal Sepe continued, "was the orderliness, devotion, silence, and concentration of the pilgrims, who gave a serious, profound, and motivated image of their Jubilee participation."

Cardinal Sepe concluded his discourse affirming that: "All of the strong and abundant motivations, prompted by the Jubilee, need to be considered with hindsight, closely examined, and, above all, put into effect by a pastoral plan which can be applied in the context of individual ecclesial realities."

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, MAY 21, 2001 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Auxiliary Bishop Cyprien Mbuka, C.I.C.M., of Boma (area 11,350, population 1,434,981, Catholics 1,134,381, priests 159, religious 268), Republic of the Congo, as bishop of the same diocese, relieving Bishop Joachim Mbadu Kikhela Kupika from the pastoral care of Boma and transferring him to the titular see of Belesasa.

On Saturday, May 19, it was made public that the Holy Father appointed Archbishop Erwin Josef Ender, apostolic nuncio in Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia, as apostolic nuncio in the Czech Republic.

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PROCESS OF GLOBALIZATION REQUIRES ETHICAL DISCERNMENT

VATICAN CITY, MAY 18, 2001 (VIS) - This morning John Paul II received the members of the European Automobile Manufacturers Association, on the occasion of their annual meeting, which was held in Rome this year.

The Pope emphasized that the process of globalization, "while opening up new possibilities for progress, poses urgent questions regarding the very nature and purpose of economic activity. It calls for ethical discernment aimed at protecting the environment and promoting the full human development of millions of men and women, in a way that respects every individual's dignity and makes room for personal creativity in the workplace.

"It is my hope and prayer that your association, by advancing these eminently human goals, will enable future generations to enjoy a prosperity which is not merely economic but spiritual as well, corresponding to the deepest aspirations of the human heart."

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JOHN PAUL II WELCOMES NINE NEW AMBASSADORS

VATICAN CITY, MAY 18, 2001 (VIS) - Pope John Paul II this morning welcomed nine new ambassadors to the Holy See during a ceremony in which they collectively presented their Letters of Credence. He addressed the ambassadors as a group, and then met individually with them, consigning to each one a letter which accented the particular situation in their respective country.

The new ambassadors are: Balram Singh Malla of Nepal; Saida Chtioui from Tunisia; Indrek Tarand of Estonia; Silumelume Kufunduka Mubukwanu from Zambia; Abraham Doukoure of Guinea; Prasad Kariyawasam from Sri Lanka; Chuluuny Batjargal of Mongolia; Patricia Nozipho January-Bardill from South Africa and Gibril Seman Joof of Gambia.

The Holy Father began his French-language discourse to the diplomats by greeting the heads of state, political leaders and peoples of each of the nine nations represented this morning.

He went on to say that, "during my Jubilee pilgrimage in the footsteps of St. Paul in Greece, Syria and Malta, I closely followed the dramatic events which were taking place in the Near East. I would like once again to profit from the presence of an important number of diplomats to renew with ever greater force my appeal for peace on all continents, asking the leaders of social life to make courageous decisions which will commit peoples in a resolute manner to the path of peace and reconciliation."

John Paul II continued: "Peace and security of persons and communities are an essential good. It is impossible to imagine that a country would build its future by making an abstraction of the peoples who surround it or the cultural and ethnic diversities which comprise it. It would be fitting if all powers - local, national and international - would commit themselves to resolving the conflicts which have already caused too many innocent victims.

"In this domain," the Pope concluded, "the role of diplomacy is especially important. I therefore, with all my heart, call for a commitment by all diplomatic services in favor of a negotiated resolution of the different conflicts and focal points of tension existing on the different continents. Such a commitment will contribute to restoring confidence and hope to those populations which for too long have been in situations of instability."

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POPE JOHN PAUL CELEBRATES HIS 81ST BIRTHDAY

VATICAN CITY, MAY 18, 2001 (VIS) - Pope John Paul today is celebrating his 81st birthday with a normal work day, which includes Mass in his private chapel and receiving individuals and groups of visitors in the Vatican. He is also preparing for the start on Monday of the consistory of the entire College of Cardinals, which he called for May 21 to 24.

In the 12 months since his 80th birthday, the Holy Father presided over dozens of events of the Jubilee Year 2000, including World Youth Day which attracted over 2 million young people to Rome, and the closing of Holy Year on January 6, 2001. He has met scores of heads of State, heads of government and religious leaders, created 44 new cardinals in a consistory on February 21, 2001, called the consistory of cardinals which begins on May 21, and has canonized 150 Blesseds and beatified 214 Servants of God. He just concluded a six-day pilgrimage to Greece, Syria and Malta - his 93rd foreign apostolic - and will travel to Ukraine in June.

His pontificate, the sixth longest in history, began its 23rd year on October 22, 2000.

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