BUILDING A CIVILIZATION WORTHY OF THE HUMAN PERSON

VATICAN CITY, JAN 24, 2001 (VIS) - The theme of John Paul II's catechesis for today's general audience, held this morning in the Paul VI Hall, was: "Commitment for a future worthy of mankind."

The Pope affirmed that "if we look at the world and at history, on first glance the banner of war, violence, oppression, injustice, and moral degradation, seems to dominate." Saint Irenaeus pointed to an explanation "in the freedom of man which, instead of following the divine plan of peaceful coexistence, severs relations with God, man, and the world."

"A continual effort of conversion is therefore necessary," the Holy Father continued, "which straightens out the path of humanity in order that man freely choose to follow the 'art of God,' His design of peace and of love, of truth and of justice."

John Paul II stated that "along with faith, the Holy Spirit also places the seed of hope in the heart of man. ... In a horizon often marked by discouragement, pessimism, choices of death, idleness, and superficiality, the Christian must open himself to the hope which flows from faith."

"Love for humanity, for its material and spiritual well-being, for authentic progress, must animate all believers."

The Pope affirmed, furthermore, that we are called to "eliminate fear of the future" which "often entraps young generations, leading them to react with indifference, with resignation in the face of life's commitments, with self-degradation through drugs, violence, and apathy."

The Holy Father concluded the catechesis remembering the call to trust sounded in his discourse to the U.N. in 1995: "We must not fear the future. ... With the help of the grace of God, we can construct ... a civilization worthy of the human person, a true culture of freedom. We can and must do so!"

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WORLD COMMUNICATIONS DAY: "PREACH FROM THE HOUSETOPS"

VATICAN CITY, JAN 24, 2001 (VIS) - As is traditional on today's memorial of St. Francis de Sales, patron of journalists, Pope John Paul's Message for World Communications Day was published. The theme for the 35th World Communications Day which will be held on May 27, 2001, is "'Preach from the Housetops': The Gospel in the Age of Global Communication."

"In today's world," the Pope writes, "housetops are almost always marked by a forest of transmitters and antennae sending and receiving messages of every kind to and from the four corners of the earth. It is vitally important to ensure that among these many messages the word of God is heard. To proclaim the faith from the housetops means to speak Jesus' word in and through the dynamic world of communications."

John Paul II adds that "the voice of Christians can never fall silent, for the Lord has entrusted to us the word of salvation for which every human heart longs.

"It follows that the Church cannot fail to be ever more deeply involved in the burgeoning world of communications," he underscores. "The media are having an increasingly visible effect on culture and its transmission. Where once the media reported events, now events are often shaped to meet the requirements of the media. Thus, the relationship between reality and the media has grown more intricate, and this is a deeply ambivalent phenomenon."

The Pope then points to the "indifference and even hostility of the media towards Christian faith and morality," adding that, often for the media "the only absolute truth is that there are no absolute truths. ... In such a view, what matters is not the truth, but 'the story'; if something is newsworthy or entertaining, the temptation to set aside considerations of truth almost becomes irresistible." Though not a friendly environment for Christians, writes the Pope, they cannot retreat from it, but rather they must remember St. Paul's words: "Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel!"

The Holy Father also recognizes the good performed by the media and "the unique opportunities" it offers for reaching a global audience as well as "the positive capacities of the Internet to carry religious information and teaching beyond all barriers and frontiers. ... Catholics should not be afraid to throw open the doors of social communications to Christ, so that His Good News may be heard from the housetops of the world!"

In closing observations, Pope John Paul points to the need to better and more widely use the media in evangelization, in particular because "an estimated two thirds of the world's six billion people do not in any real sense know Jesus Christ, and many of them live in countries with ancient Christian roots, where entire groups of the baptized have lost a living sense of the faith, or no longer consider themselves as members of the Church."

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CALL FOR AN END TO THE VIOLENCE IN COLOMBIA

VATICAN CITY, JAN 24, 2001 (VIS) - At the conclusion of the general audience, held this morning in the Paul VI Hall, the Holy Father appealed for an end to the violence in Colombia:

"News from Colombia, telling of a marked escalation in violence, compels me to request that everyone rediscover the supreme value of life: 'There can be no peace when this most basic good is not protected'."

"I would also like to invite all sides to promote an effective and sincere dialogue, while I implore an end to the kidnappings, acts of terrorism, assassination attempts, as well as the plague of drug-trafficking.

"It is time to return to the Lord of Life, that He may move the hearts of all Colombians and bring them to understand that they are but one great family."

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JAN 24, 2001 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Bishop Michael Ernest Putney, auxiliary of Brisbane, as bishop of Townsville (area 435,200, population 234,854, Catholics 60,477, priests 37, permanent deacons 2, religious 123), Australia.

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, JAN 24, 2001 (VIS) - This evening the Holy Father is scheduled to receive Constantinos Stephanopoulos, president of Greece, accompanied by his entourage.

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THEME FOR 16TH WORLD YOUTH DAY IS ANNOUNCED

VATICAN CITY, JAN 24, 2001 (VIS) - A communique was released this afternoon announcing that, on Palm Sunday, April 8, 2001 the 16th World Youth Day will be celebrated in local churches.

"The Holy Father John Paul II has chosen as the theme the words of Christ: 'If any man would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily'."

"The Pope's Message which he addresses to young men and women for this occasion will be published soon.

"As is customary, the celebration of Palm Sunday in St. Peter's Square will include the 'passage of the Cross': the young Italians who hosted World Youth Day in Rome last August - accompanied by Cardinal Camillo Ruini, vicar of Rome and president of the Italian Episcopal Conference - will turn the Cross over to the young Canadians who will then prepare to receive their peers from around the world for the 17th World Youth Day, which will be held in Toronto from July 23 to 28, 2002."

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