THE CHURCH IS CLOSE TO ALL WHO SERVE THE CAUSE OF MAN

VATICAN CITY, FEB 10, 2001 (VIS) - "Your presence in Rome," the Holy Father told the International League of Humanists from Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, whom he received yesterday afternoon, "intends to witness to the suffering, joys and hopes of the populations of Bosnia-Herzegovina, and in a special way to the drama of refugees who have not up to now obtained a satisfactory solution in the light of the Washington and Dayton Accords."

The Pope lauded their intention of "promoting the advent of a more just and human world" and responding to the human problems created by the phenomenon of globalization, which should, but does not always, lead to "solidarity in sharing resources."

"The Church is close, today as always, to all who serve the cause of man," he recalled. "The Church's attention towards man is an integral part of her mission. ... The social action of ecclesial communities is developed in many ways and it embraces many activities. Different structures have been created within the Church to meet the needs of mankind. Equally vast is her collaboration with people of good will who have the common good at heart."

Then, referring specially to Bosnia-Herzegovina, "a land especially dear to me," the Holy Father said he knew "well the social, political and economic problems which the local populations are encountering in this period. ... The most difficult period is past for Bosnia-Herzegovina, but the people's suffering continues, especially in the drama of the refugees.

"We cannot forget this drama," he declared. "On the contrary, we must be promoters of an effective solidarity at a local and international level. Above all we must correct existing injustices, listening to the legitimate aspirations of those directly involved who ask that their inalienable rights be respected. This is the basis for building a future of hope in a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multi-religious society such as Bosnia-Herzegovina."

"May there soon be an end in Bosnia-Herzegovina," he concluded, "to the sufferings caused by the recent armed conflict and may each person be offered equal opportunities, guaranteeing both full and unconditioned freedom of religion."

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ANGELUS REFLECTIONS ON WORLD DAY OF THE SICK

VATICAN CITY, FEB 11, 2001 (VIS) - Pope John Paul's reflections at the angelus today, liturgical memory of Our Lady of Lourdes, were dedicated to the World Day of the Sick, one of whose focal points was the Eucharistic celebration in the cathedral of Sydney, Australia, attended by Archbishop Javier Lozano Barragan, president of the Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care.

In his remarks, the Holy Father also mentioned the traditional Eucharistic celebration set for this afternoon in St. Peter's Basilica, presided over by Cardinal Vicar Camillo Ruini, saying he would personally close the Mass by coming to the basilica to meet with and speak to the sick people and other pilgrims present.

He also recalled that his Message for this world day had been published last August on the theme "The New Evangelization and the Dignity of the Suffering Person." He said that "hospitals, centers for the ill or the elderly and every home in which human suffering is present are privileged milieux in which to echo the message of the Gospel, a bearer of hope."

"Looking at the current world situation, I cannot forget that so many, too many, of our brothers and sisters are still deprived of the most basic health care. And this is a serious injustice which urgently calls for an effort by everyone, especially those who have greater responsibility at political and economic levels."

John Paul II closed with words of appreciation for all those people and institutions which "dedicate themselves with admirable care to the service of the sick and the suffering."

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JOHN PAUL II PRESIDES OVER FUNERAL FOR CARDINAL CASORIA

VATICAN CITY, FEB 10, 2001 (VIS) - This morning in St. Peter's Basilica, the Holy Father presided over the funeral mass for Cardinal Giuseppe Casoria, who passed away in Rome on February 8 at the age of 92.

After recalling in his homily that the cardinal was born in Acerra, Italy, the Holy Father said, "Last December 21, the dear Cardinal celebrated the seventieth anniversary of his priestly ordination. On that occasion, appropriate emphasis was given to that which he was above all during his long life: a soul deeply in love with Christ, whom he always sought to imitate as a priest, serving Him with total dedication in daily work for the Church."

The Holy Father went on to affirm that "those near the cardinal in his last days received from his lips expressions such as: 'Every single day of life, even if in sickness or suffering, is a unique gift from the Lord, for which I thank Him.' And also: 'With profound love I offer all of my sufferings for the Church, for the Holy Father, and for the entire world'."

"Cardinal Casoria, who through his ministry found himself needing to discern and judge innumerable times, is now called, as will happen to each of us, to appear before the tribunal of Christ. ... May Mary now introduce him to the homeland of Heaven," the pope concluded, "in order that he may take part in the joy of the eternal banquet, which God has prepared for His faithful servants."

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, FEB 11, 2001 (VIS) - The Holy Father accepted the resignation to the office of auxiliary of the archdiocese of Taipei, Taiwan, presented by Bishop Leonard Hsu Ying-fa, O.F.M., in conformity with Canons 411 and 401, para 1 of the Code of Canon Law.

Yesterday it was made public that he:

- Appointed Msgr. Renato Boccardo, head of the Youth Section of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, as chief of protocol with special duties of the Secretariat of State.

- Relieved Bishop Luis Munive Escobar of the pastoral care of the diocese of Tlaxcala, Mexico, for reasons of health and age. He is succeeded by Coadjutor Bishop Jacinto Guerrero Torres.

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GOD DOES NOT ABANDON THE SICK IN THEIR SUFFERING

VATICAN CITY, FEB 11, 2001 (VIS) - At 4 p.m. today, memorial of Our Lady of Lourdes and Ninth World Day of the Sick, Cardinal Camillo Ruini, His Holiness' vicar general for the diocese of Rome, presided over the Eucharistic celebration in St. Peter's Basilica for the sick and the pilgrims who accompanied them.

At the conclusion of the mass, John Paul II arrived in the basilica and gave a discourse to the sick, their care-givers, and the members of UNITALSI (an Italian acronym for the National Italian Union of Transport of the Sick to Lourdes and International Shrines).

"This afternoon," the Holy Father said, "in the meaningful framework of this encounter, we wish to feel in communion with our brothers and sisters who are meeting in Sydney, Australia, for the World Day of the Sick. The theme which I have chosen this year for the occasion is: 'The New Evangelization and the Dignity of the Suffering Person'."

The Holy Father said: "You above all, sick friends, understand how much the Cross is paradoxical, because it has been given to you to feel the mystery of pain in your own flesh. ... To physical suffering is often added that of a spiritual nature, caused by a sense of solitude which seizes the person. In today's society, a certain culture considers sick people as synonymous with a bothersome obstacle, not recognizing the precious contribution which they bring, on the spiritual level, to the community. It is necessary and urgent to rediscover the value of the Cross shared with Christ."

The Pope continued his discourse, saying: "In sickness you can be for many, if you submissively welcome the divine will, a word of hope and even of joy, in order that you say to the men of today, often restless and unable to give a meaning to pain, that God has not abandoned us. Living your situation with faith, you witness that God is near. You proclaim that this tender and loving closeness of the Lord affirms that there is not a season of life that is not worth living. Sickness and death are not realities from which to flee, or to censure, as useless; rather both are stages in a journey."

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PAPAL LETTER FOR NINTH WORLD DAY OF THE SICK

VATICAN CITY, FEB 11, 2001 (VIS) - Made public today was Pope John Paul's Letter to Archbishop Javier Lozano Barragan on the occasion of the Ninth World Day of the Sick, whose focal celebration took place this year in Sydney, Australia. The president of the Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care read the Letter to the faithful attending the Mass that was presided over by Cardinal Edward Clancy in St. Mary's Cathedral in Sydney.

In the Letter, written in English and dated January 18, the Holy Father stated that "few areas of human concern are as subject to the profound social and cultural changes affecting contemporary life as health care. This is one of the reasons why in 1985 I established the body which has become the Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care."

Referring to the theme of the 2001 World Day of the Sick, "The New Evangelization and the Dignity of the Suffering Person," the Pope observed that "at the dawn of the new millennium, it is more urgent than ever that the Gospel of Jesus Christ should permeate every aspect of health care."

He went on to write that "not only is health care facing unprecedented economic pressures and legal complexities, but at times there is also an ethical uncertainty which tends to obscure what have always been its clear moral foundations. This uncertainty can become a fatal confusion, manifested as a failure to understand that the essential purpose of health care is to promote and safeguard the well-being of those who need it, that medical research and practice must always be tied to ethical imperatives, that the weak and those who may seem unproductive to the eyes of a consumer society have an inviolable dignity that must always be respected and that health care should be available as a basic right to all people without exception."

John Paul II, citing his Apostolic Letter "Novo Millennio Ineunte" reaffirmed that "it has become increasingly important 'to explain properly the reasons for the Church's position, stressing that it is not a case of imposing on non-believers a vision based on faith, but of interpreting and defending the values rooted in the very nature of the human person'."

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POPE WELCOMES PATRIARCH OF GREEK-MELKITE CATHOLICS

VATICAN CITY, FEB 12, 2001 (VIS) - John Paul II this morning welcomed His Beatitude Gregory III, patriarch of Antioch of the Greek-Melkite Catholics, "who has come to celebrate our full ecclesial union." Joining the patriarch was a pilgrimage group of nearly 700 persons, including bishops, priests, religious and lay faithful.

"Union with the See of Rome," said the Pope, speaking French, "does not lessen your specificity or the treasures that are yours, but rather it strengthens them and makes of them a precious gift which enriches all of the Catholic world. The Pope appreciates your attachment and your fidelity to the traditions of the Christian Orient."

"You are a strong Church," he went on, "coherent and rooted in your identity: take care to pursue your pastoral commitment, making use of ancient treasures and giving suitable answers to the questions posed by man today." The Holy Father also expressed appreciation for their ecumenical commitment, encouraging them to "actively seek unity, with a prudent courage, in union with the entire Catholic Church, so that the time of full communion will rapidly arrive."

Addressing His Beatitude Gregory III, the Pope expressed his "fraternal best wishes" and said: "May you be a model for the people entrusted to you, following the example of the Good Shepherd."

"In the tormented context of the Middle East," he declared, "be at the same time an ardent defender of the weak and a tireless artisan of peace. Always keep a special place in your heart for your children of the diaspora. ... Go to everyone, not with the power and wealth of men, but only with the defenseless love of the poverty of Christ who, though rich, became poor to enrich all men."

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HOLY FATHER, GREEK-MELKITE PATRIARCH CONCELEBRATE MASS

VATICAN CITY, FEB 12, 2001 (VIS) - Today Pope John Paul and His Beatitude Gregory III, patriarch of Greek-Melkite Catholics, concelebrated Mass, accompanied by bishops and priests of the patriarchate.

He welcomed Gregory III, "new patriarch of the Greek-Melkite Church who, in communion with the Bishop of Rome, brings the spiritual riches of the people whom the Lord has entrusted to you, thus showing the catholicity of the Church."

"My thoughts go to the communities of your patriarchate," the Holy Father said, "asking the Lord to accompany them in their spiritual life and in the witness of faith and hope that they have to give to the entire population. ... May they remain intimately linked to Christ to obtain from Him the strength of faith, the courage of hope and audacity in announcing the Gospel!"

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, FEB 12, 2001 (VIS) - The Holy Father received today in separate audiences:

- His Beatitude Gregory III, patriarch of Antioch of the Greek-Melkites, Syria.
- Three prelates of the Episcopal Conference of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, on the occasion of their "ad limina" visit:
- Archbishop Franc Perko of Belgrade, with Coadjutor Archbishop Stanislav Hocevar.
- Archbishop Zef Gashi of Bar.
- Cardinal Jan Pieter Schotte, C.I.C.M., secretary general of the Synod of Bishops.

On Saturday, February 10, the Holy Father received in separate audiences:

- Archbishop Agostino Cacciavillan, president of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See, accompanied by his colleagues.
- Archbishop Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.

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