AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, MAR 28, 2001 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in audience Cardinal Camillo Ruini, vicar general for the diocese of Rome and president of the Italian Episcopal Conference, with Archbishop Cesare Nosiglia, vice-gerent of Rome, with Fr. Giulio Ramiccia, pastor of the parish of Our Lady of Suffrage and St. Augustine of Canterbury, with assistant vicars.

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PAPAL THANKS FOR VOLUME OF WORLD DAY OF PEACE MESSAGES

VATICAN CITY, MAR 28, 2001 (VIS) - Following Mass this morning in his private chapel, the Holy Father received Archbishop Donato Squicciarini, apostolic nuncio in Austria, and bishops, priests and faithful from that country. He addressed the group, which also included the editors of the third volume of papal Messages for the World Day of Peace, and thanked them for their commitment to spreading his words of peace. This volume includes the papal Messages from 1993 to 2000.

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NEW CATECHESIS SERIES: PSALMS AND CANTICLES OF PRAISE

VATICAN CITY, MAR 28, 2001 (VIS) - John Paul II today began a new catechesis series on the Psalms and Canticles in the Church's Morning Prayer. Fifteen thousand pilgrims were present at today's general audience, which was held in St. Peter's Square.

"If, indeed, priests and religious have a specific charge to celebrate the 'Liturgy of the Hours'," the Pope affirmed, "it is also warmly recommended to the laity. ... It is a very encouraging sign that many lay people, both in parishes and ecclesial groups, have leaned to value this. It remains, nevertheless, a prayer which presumes an adequate catechetical and biblical formation, in order to fully appreciate it."

The Holy Father affirmed that the upcoming catechesis will aim above all "to bring forth the religious significance of the Psalms, showing how, written many centuries ago for believing Jews, they can be assumed into the prayer of the disciples of Christ. We allow ourselves to be assisted by the results of exegesis, following the school of Tradition and listening to the Fathers of the Church."

"The Fathers," the Pontiff continued, "add that in the Psalms one speaks of Christ or it is even Christ who speaks directly. ... It is thus understood how the Psalms have been able to be accepted, from the first centuries, as the prayer of the People of God."

John Paul II concluded the catechesis emphasizing that, "thanks also to the communal prayer of the Psalms, the Christian conscience recalled and understood that it is impossible to turn to the Father who lives in heaven without an authentic communion of life with our brothers and sisters who live on the earth."

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, MAR 28, 2001 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Fr. Jose Francisco Rezende Dias, vicar general of the archdiocese of Pouso Alegre (area 12,620, population 708,341, Catholics 583,318, priests 90, religious 261), Brazil, as auxiliary of the same archdiocese. The bishop-elect was born in Brasopolis, Brazil, in 1956, and ordained to the priesthood in 1979.

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