AUDIENCE FOR LEBANON'S PRIME MINISTER

VATICAN CITY, APR 23, 2001 (VIS) - Holy See Press Office Director Joaquin Navarro-Valls made the following declaration early this afternoon:

"This morning the Holy Father received in audience Rafiq Hariri, president of the Council of Ministers of the Republic of Lebanon who, after this visit, met with Cardinal Secretary of State Angelo Sodano and Archbishop Jean-Louis Tauran, secretary for Relations with States.

"The situation in Lebanon and the dramatic junction in the Middle East were the principal themes of the meetings. In this regard the Holy See felt it was opportune to underline once again the importance of reconciliation as an essential element of the human and social rebuilding of Lebanon. Concerning the Middle East, the Holy See repeated the need to observe international law and the United Nations resolutions, in both resuming negotiations and in reaching the much hoped-for peace."

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REGINA COELI: MARY, MOTHER OF GOD, MOTHER OF MERCY

VATICAN CITY, APR 22, 2001 (VIS) - At the end of today's Mass in St. Peter's Square, and before reciting the Regina Coeli in the presence of an estimated 40,000 pilgrims, including numerous Poles, the Holy Father reflected on today's celebration of Divine Mercy Sunday.

John Paul II said that "as we conclude this solemn Eucharistic celebration, we turn to Mary Most Holy, whom today we invoke with the sweet title of 'Mater misericordiae'. Mary is the 'Mother of Mercy' because she is the mother of Jesus, in Whom God revealed to the world His 'heart' overflowing with love.

"It is precisely through Mary's motherhood that God's compassion for man was communicated to the world," he continued. Mary "was intimately linked to the passion, death and resurrection of the Divine Son. At the foot of the cross Our Lady became the mother of the disciples of Christ, mother of the Church and of all of mankind. 'Mater misericordiae'."

Then, speaking Polish, the Pope greeted the pilgrims from his native land who had come to Rome for today's Mass, and also had words for those in Poland listening to the liturgy by radio and television. "During this celebration, together with you, I thanked God Who, almost one year ago, allowed me the grace of canonizing Sister Faustina Kowalska, the chosen apostle of the merciful Christ and of proclaiming the second Sunday of Easter as the Feast of Divine Mercy for the entire Church."

"And now," he concluded, "by reciting the 'Regina coeli' antiphon, we wish to ask Mary to intimately live the joy of the resurrection and to cooperate with the commitment to the universal plan of divine mercy."

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DIVINE MERCY: CHRIST'S EASTER GIFT TO THE CHURCH

VATICAN CITY, APR 22, 2001 (VIS) - At 10:00 this morning, the Second Sunday of Easter, also named "Divine Mercy Sunday," John Paul II presided over a Eucharistic celebration in St. Peter's Square, having returned to the Vatican on Saturday evening after a six-day stay at his summer residence in Castelgandolfo.

The Pope expressed his joy in joining the numerous pilgrims and faithful come from around the world "to commemorate, one year later, the canonization of Sister Faustina Kowalska, witness and messenger of the Lord's merciful love. The elevation to the honor of the altars of this humble Religious, daughter of my homeland, represents a gift not only for Poland, but for all of humanity. The message, in fact, of which she was the bearer constitutes the fitting and incisive response that God wished to offer to the questions and expectations of the people of our time, marked by terrible tragedies."

"Divine Mercy! This is the Easter gift which the Church receives from the Risen Christ and offers to humanity, at the dawn of the third millennium."

Referring to the Heart of Christ, the Holy Father affirmed: "From this Heart overflowing with tenderness, Saint Faustina Kowalska saw emanating two rays of light which illumined the world. 'The two rays - according to what Jesus confided to her - represent blood and water'. The blood recalls the sacrifice of Golgotha and the mystery of the Eucharist; the water, according to the rich symbolism of John the Evangelist, refers to baptism and the gift of the Holy Spirit.

"Through the mystery of this wounded heart, the restorative flow of God's merciful love is unceasingly poured out upon the men and women of our epoch. Only those who desire authentic and lasting happiness, can find the secret."

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, APR 23, 2001 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Fr. Camilo Fernando Castrellon Pizano, S.D.B., provincial inspector of the Salesians in Colombia, as bishop of Tibu (area 7,825, population 199,000, Catholics 195,000, priests 17, permanent deacons 1, religious 35), Colombia. The bishop-elect was born in Santafe de Bogota, Colombia, in 1942, and ordained to the priesthood in 1972.

On Saturday, April 21, it was made public that the Holy Father:

- Appointed Bishop Antonieto D. Cabajog, auxiliary of Cebu, the Philippines, as bishop of Surigao (area 3,739, population 524,920, Catholics 421,480, priests 69, religious 72), the Philippines. He succeeds Bishop Miguel C. Cinches, S.V.D., whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted in conformity with canon 401, para. 2, of the Code of Canon Law.

- Appointed Bishop John F. Du, auxiliary of Cebu, the Philippines, as bishop of Dumaguete (area 4,955, population 924,944, Catholics 809,326, priests 91, religious 140), the Philippines.

- Appointed Msgr. Guillermo V. Afable, vicar general of the archdiocese of Davao (area 2,616, population 1,123,280, Catholics 995,250, priests 105, religious 334), the Philippines, as auxiliary of the same archdiocese. The bishop-elect was born in Davao City, the Philippines, in 1951, and ordained to the priesthood in 1976.

- Appointed Archbishop Jean-Louis Tauran, secretary for Relations with States, as special envoy to the celebrations of the 10th Anniversary of the Reorganization of the Catholic Church of the Latin Rite in the Russian Federation, which will take place from May 25 to 27th.
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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, APR 23, 2001 (VIS) - The Holy Father received today in separate audiences at the Vatican:

- Rafiq Hariri, prime minister of Lebanon, accompanied by his wife and an entourage.
- Eight prelates of the Slovenian Episcopal Conference, on the occasion of their "ad limina" visit:
- Archbishop Franc Rode of Ljubljana, with Auxiliary Bishops Alojzij Uran of Abula, and Andrej Glavan of Musti di Numidia.
- Bishop Franc Kramberger of Maribor, with Auxiliary Bishops Jozef Smej of Zernico, and Anton Stres of Ptuj.
- Bishop Metod Pirih of Koper, with Auxiliary Bishop Jurij Bizjak of Gergi.
- Jaime Jose Matos da Gama, foreign minister of Portugal, accompanied by an entourage.

On Saturday, April 21, he received in audience at Castelgandolfo Bishop Jayme Henrique Chemello of Pelotas, Brazil, Archbishop Marcelo Pinto Carvalheira of Paraiba and Bishop Raymundo Damasceno Assis, auxiliary of Brasilia, respectively president, vice-president and secretary general of the Brazilian Episcopal Conference.

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