EVANGELIZE AS ST. PAUL TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH

VATICAN CITY, MAY 5, 2001 (VIS) - This morning John Paul II travelled from the apostolic nunciature to the Sport Palace, situated in Athens' Olympic center, where he concelebrated Mass with the five Catholic bishops of Greece and the cardinals and bishops in his entourage.
In his homily to the 18,000 faithful gathered in the athletic center the Pope said: "To be here in Athens and to recall the life and work of Paul is to be invited to proclaim the Gospel to the ends of the earth, to put before our contemporaries the salvation wrought by Christ, showing them the ways of holiness and of an upright moral life which is the response to the Lord's call. The Gospel is universal good news which all peoples can understand."

"It is important to create opportunities for dialogue with our contemporaries," the Holy Father continued, "using the example of St. Paul and the first communities, especially where the future of man and mankind is at stake. In this way, decisions will not be guided only by political or economic interests unaware of the dignity of persons and the obligations deriving from that dignity. ... I encourage you to be present in the world."

After recalling that St. Paul was also "the defender of unity," John Paul II affirmed that: "Passion for the unity of the Church must be a mark of all Christ's disciples. 'Unhappily, as we cross the threshold of the new millennium, we take with us the sad heritage of the past...there is still a long way to go'. But that must not discourage us; our love of the Lord impels us to be evermore involved in work for unity. In order to take new steps in this direction, it is important to 'start afresh from Christ'."

In conclusion the Holy Father asked the Virgin Mary to "watch over the path that we must now walk in order to move towards full unity with our brethren of the East and in order to fulfil with one another, in openness and enthusiasm, the mission that Christ has entrusted to His Church."

At the end of the Mass the Pope went to Athens' international airport for his departure for Damascus, Syria.

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POPE, ORTHODOX METROPOLITAN ISSUE JOINT DECLARATION

VATICAN CITY, MAY 4, 2001 (VIS) - This evening at 6:30 p.m. Athens time, Pope John Paul and Orthodox Metropolitan Archbishop Christodoulos, joined by civil and religious officials, as well as some members of the diplomatic corps, met on the areopagus, a low hill northwest of the Acropolis. A declaration signed by both religious leaders was read in the presence of a precious icon depicting St. Paul.

The areopagus, was the meeting place of the aristocratic council of ancient Athens and this is where St. Paul preached to the city-state's elite. Today's joint declaration was read before the "bema" of St. Paul. The bema was the speaker's platform in ancient Greek assemblies and in Orthodox Churches it is the raised area surrounding the altar, also known as the sanctuary.

Following are excerpts from that declaration, whose original text is in English:

"We, Pope John Paul II, Bishop of Rome, and Christodoulos, Archbishop of Athens and All Greece, standing before the bema of the Areopagus, from which Saint Paul, the Great Apostle to the Nations, 'called to be an Apostle, set apart for the Gospel of God', preached to the Athenians the One True God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and called them unto faith and repentance, do hereby declare:

"We give thanks to the Lord for our meeting and communication with one another, here in the illustrious City of Athens, the Primatial See of the Apostolic Orthodox Church of Greece.

"We repeat with one voice and one heart the words of the Apostle to the Nations: 'I appeal to you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree and that there be no schisms among you, but that you be united in the same mind and the same judgment'. We pray that the whole Christian world will heed this exhortation, so that peace may come unto 'all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ'. We condemn all recourse to violence, proselytism and fanaticism in the name of religion. We especially maintain that relations between Christians, in all their manifestations, should be characterized by honesty, prudence and knowledge of the matters in question.

"We observe that man's social and scientific evolution has not been accompanied by a deeper delving into the meaning and value of life, which in every instance is a gift of God, nor by an analogous appreciation of man's unique dignity, as being created according to the Creator's image and likeness. Moreover, economic and technological development does not belong equally to all mankind but belongs only to a very small portion of it. ... We are called to work together for the prevailing of justice, for the relief of the needy and for the ministry unto those who suffer."

"We are anguished to see that wars, massacres, torture and martyrdom constitute a terrible daily reality for millions of our brothers. We commit ourselves to struggle for the prevailing of peace throughout the whole world, for the respect of life and human dignity, and for solidarity towards all who are in need."

"We follow carefully and with unease what is referred to as globalization. We hope that it will bear good fruit. However, we wish to point out that its fruits will be harmful if what could be termed the 'globalization of brotherhood' in Christ is not achieved in all sincerity and efficacy.

"We rejoice at the success and progress of the European Union. ... However, the emerging tendency to transform certain European countries into secular states without any reference to religion constitutes a retraction and a denial of their spiritual legacy. ... We shall do everything in our power, so that the Christian roots of Europe and its Christian soul may be preserved inviolate."

In comments to journalists today, Holy See Press Office Director, Joaquin Navarro-Valls said: "Only two months ago this trip was unthinkable and today they have signed a joint declaration. I see that as real progress. The Pope doesn't just allow history to happen, he directs it."

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HOLY FATHER VISITS ATHENS' ST. DIONYSIUS CATHEDRAL

VATICAN CITY, MAY 4, 2001 (VIS) - This afternoon, following lunch at the nunciature and a meeting with the bishops of Greece and the cardinals and bishops of his entourage, Pope John Paul paid a visit to Athens' Cathedral of St. Dionysius the Areopagite, also known as St. Denis. This Church was inaugurated in 1865 and raised to the rank of basilica in 1877 by Pope Pius IX.

The Holy Father made brief remarks in French to the bishops, priests, religious and lay people present for his visit. He recalled that the saint for whom the cathedral was named was "one of the first Greeks who, upon hearing St. Paul preach on the resurrection, was converted. May you all welcome this mystery of salvation, in order to live it and be its witnesses to your brothers, in a spirit of reciprocal welcoming, solidarity and Christian charity!"

"Don't be afraid," added the Pope, "to transmit the Good News to young people to allow them to build their personal lives and to be engaged in the Church and in the world ... Be people who awaken vocations!"

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, MAY 5, 2001 (VIS) - The Holy Father accepted the resignation of Archbishop Hubert Michon from the pastoral care of Rabat (area 400,000, population 30,000,000, Catholics 22,000, priests 50, religious 203), Morocco, in conformity with canon 401, para. 2, of the Code of Canon Law. He is succeeded by Coadjutor Archbishop Vincent Landel, S.C.I., of the same archdiocese.

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MY PILGRIMAGE IS AN ARDENT PRAYER OF HOPE FOR PEACE

VATICAN CITY, MAY 5, 2001 (VIS) - After Mass at Athens' sport center, Pope John Paul was driven 30 kilometers to Spata International Airport and left just before noon for Damascus, Syria. There were no farewell speeches, nor were national anthems played as Greek protocol requires such official ceremonies to take place only at the presidential palace. The 1,320 kilometer trip to the Syrian capital took just over 2 hours.

This is the Holy Father's eighth apostolic visit to an Arab land, following Morocco in 1985, Sudan in 1993, Tunisia in 1996, Lebanon in 1997, and Egypt, Jordan and the Palestinian Autonomous Territories in the year 2000.

After a welcome speech by President Bashar Al-Assad of the Syrian Arab Republic, the Pope addressed the civil and religious authorities who came to greet him upon his arrival.

Noting that he was in Syria "as a pilgrim of faith," continuing his Jubilee Year pilgrimages to those lands linked with "God's self-revelation and His saving actions," the Holy Father saluted the Syrian Christian community. "My heartfelt greeting," he added, "goes to all the followers of Islam who live in this noble land." He wished them peace in both English and Arabic.

He said that, with the present pilgrimage, "my mind and heart turn to the figure of Saul of Tarsus, the great Apostle Paul, whose life was changed forever on the road to Damascus." He highlighted the "magnificent contribution of Syria and the surrounding region to the history of Christianity. The Pope added that he was also "thinking of the great cultural influence of Syrian Islam. ... Today, in a world that is increasingly complex and interdependent, there is need for a new spirit of dialogue and cooperation between Christians and Muslims."

The Pope affirmed that "as the word 'peace' echoes in our hearts, how can we not think of the tensions and conflicts which have long troubled the region of the Middle East? So often hopes for peace have been raised, only to be dashed by new waves of violence. You, Mr President, have wisely confirmed that a just and global peace is in the best interests of Syria. I am confident that under your guidance Syria will spare no effort to work for greater harmony and cooperation among the peoples of the region, in order to bring lasting benefits not only to your own land, but also to other Arab countries and the whole international community. As I have publicly stated on other occasions, it is time to 'return to the principles of international legality: the banning of the acquisition of territory by force, the right of peoples to self-determination, respect for the resolutions of the United Nations Organization and the Geneva conventions, to quote only the most important'."
In concluding remarks, John Paul II stated: "We all know that real peace can only be achieved if there is a new attitude of understanding and respect between the peoples of the region, between the followers of the three Abrahamic religions. Step by step, with vision and courage, the political and religious leaders of the region must create the conditions for the development that their peoples have a right to, after so much conflict and suffering. Among these conditions, it is important that there be an evolution in the way the peoples of the region see one another, and that at every level of society the principles of peaceful coexistence be taught and promoted. In this sense, my pilgrimage is also an ardent prayer of hope: hope that among the peoples of the region fear will turn to trust; and contempt to mutual esteem; that force will give way to dialogue; and that a genuine desire to serve the common good will prevail."

The Syrian Arab Republic has a population of 16.1 million people: this does not include 140,000 nomads or 348,000 Palestinian refugees. The population is predominantly Muslim, while Christians are nine percent: Orthodox are 6 percent, Catholics 2 percent and Protestants 1 percent. There is a very small Jewish community.

The Catholic Church is divided into: the metropolitan archdiocese of Damascus of the Greek Melkites (110,000 Catholics); the archdiocese of Damascus of the Syrians (6,200); the archieparchy of Damascus of the Maronites (8,000); and the patriarchal exarchate of Damas for Armenian Catholics (4,000). For the Chaldeans and Latins, Damascus includes the diocese of Alep of the Chaldeans, suffragan of Babilonia of the Chaldeans (15,000 Catholics) and the apostolic vicariate of Alep (10,000).

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