MEETING WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF POLITICS, CULTURE AND BUSINESS

VATICAN CITY, JUN 23, 2001 (VIS) - Early this evening, John Paul II paid a courtesy visit to Leonid Kuchma, president of Ukraine, at the presidential palace in Kiev. He also briefly met with Anatoliy Kinakh, prime minister, and Ivan Plyusch, president of the country's parliament.

Later, in the same presidential palace, the Pope met with representatives of the worlds of politics, of culture, of science and of business.

In his address, the Holy Father indicated that Christianity had "inspired the greatest figures of your culture and art, and richly nourished the moral, spiritual and social roots of your country."

"Tragically, the choices made by the peoples of the Continent have not always been consistent with the values of their respective Christian traditions, and history has thus been marked by painful episodes of oppression, destruction and sorrow."

Nonetheless, added the Pope, "your people attained the greatly-desired goal (of freedom and full sovereignty) peacefully and without bloodshed, and they are now firmly committed to a courageous program of social and spiritual reconstruction. The international community cannot fail to admire the success which you have had in consolidating peace and in resolving regional tensions with due consideration for local differences. I too encourage you to persevere in your efforts to overcome whatever difficulties remain and to guarantee full respect for the rights of national and religious minorities."

John Paul II highlighted the fact that "in the twentieth century, the totalitarian regimes destroyed whole generations, by undermining three pillars of any authentically human civilization: recognition of God's authority, ... respect for the dignity of the human person ... and the duty to exercise power as a means of serving every member of society without exception, beginning with the weakest and the most vulnerable. Denial of God did not make man any more free. Rather, it exposed him to various forms of slavery and debased the vocation of political power to the level of brutal and oppressive force."

Addressing his remarks to politicians, the Holy Father said it was their duty "to serve the people and to ensure peace and equal rights for all." He exhorted men and women of culture to "apply a critical and creative intelligence in every sphere of knowledge" and expressed the hope that "the teaching of ecclesiastical sciences also receive due recognition from civil authorities." He went on to say; "May the fearful social, economic and ecological catastrophe of Chernobyl serve as a permanent warning" to those involved in scientific research. Finally, he requested entrepreneurs and business men and women to look to "the individual and not to profit as the aim of all economic activity that respects human dignity. Always work legally, that is the guarantee of justice."

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TO UKRAINIAN BISHOPS: BUILD UNITY IN DIVERSITY

VATICAN CITY, JUN 24, 2001 (VIS) - Today, prior to lunch, the Pope met with members of the Ukrainian Catholic Episcopate and with the cardinals and bishops of his own entourage, at the apostolic nunciature in Kiev.

John Paul II thanked the Ukrainian bishops "for the witness given by Catholics in this land. ... Living as members of the one Church, yet respectful of different ritual traditions, you have a great opportunity to take part as it were in an important 'ecclesial workshop' aimed at building unity in diversity. This is the best way to respond to the many and complex pastoral challenges of the present time."

The Holy Father highlighted the need for the spiritual, intellectual and pastoral formation of priests and religious as well as the "fundamental task" of "competent and up-to-date catechesis of adults and young people."

After highlighting "the large number of divorces and the widespread practice of abortion," he said: "Let the family therefore be one of your pastoral priorities."

"The models of hedonistic and materialistic life often presented by the mass media, the crisis of values affecting the family, the illusion of an easy life without effort, the problems of unemployment and uncertainty about the future often create serious disorientation in young people, making them susceptible to ephemeral visions of life stripped of values or to worrying forms of escapism. Energy and resources must be invested in their human and Christian formation." In this regard, the Pope expressed his pleasure at the creation of "an Institute of Social Sciences, which will provide a deeper understanding of the Church's social teaching."

In closing, the Pope made reference to the importance of unity among Catholics: "This deep experience of communion within the Catholic Church will doubtless stimulate appropriate forms of fraternal cooperation with our Orthodox brethren. ... Ecumenical dialogue must therefore be an indispensable priority for believers and for the Churches in Ukraine."

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JOHN THE BAPTIST, A MODEL OF FIDELITY TO GOD AND HIS LAW

VATICAN CITY, JUN 24, 2001 (VIS) - During intermittent rain, Pope John Paul presided at a concelebrated Mass at 9:30 this morning on the field of Chayka Airport, 16 kilometers from Kiev, in the presence of tens of thousands of faithful. The Eucharistic celebration was according to the Latin rite.

In his homily, the Pope recalled that "today we celebrate the birth of Saint John the Baptist. ... Of all the Saints, John is the only one whose birth is celebrated by the Liturgy. We heard in the first Reading that the Lord called His Servant 'from his mother's womb'. ... Even from his mother's womb John indicates the One who will reveal to the world the loving plan of God."

The Holy Father continued, "John the Baptist was the messenger, the forerunner: he was sent to prepare the way for Christ. How does the figure of St. John the Baptist speak to us here, in Kiev, at the beginning of this pilgrimage in your country?"

"This is the place of the Baptism of Rus'. From Kiev there began that flowering of Christian life which the Gospel first brought forth in the land of the ancient Rus', then in the lands of Eastern Europe and, later, beyond the Urals, in the lands of Asia. In a certain sense, then, Kiev itself played the role of a 'precursor of the Lord' among the many peoples who would receive the proclamation of the Gospel from here."

"The Baptism which took place here, in Kiev," remarked John Paul II, "inaugurated the thousand-year history of Christianity in the lands of today's Ukraine and in the whole region. ... What a flowering of spiritual, liturgical and ecclesial life developed from the meeting of different cultures and religious traditions!"

The Pope urged the faithful to "look today to John the Baptist, an enduring model of fidelity to God and His Law, ... a model of faith, ... a model of humility" and "a model of uprightness and courage in defending the truth, for which he was prepared to pay in his person, even to the point of imprisonment and death. Land of Ukraine, drenched with the blood of martyrs, thank you for the example of fidelity to the Gospel which you have given to Christians the world over! So many of your sons and daughters walked in complete fidelity to Christ: many of them remained constant even to the supreme sacrifice. May their witness serve as an example and a stimulus for the Christians of the third millennium."

"Dear brothers and sisters," he concluded, "be brave enough always to give priority to the values of the spirit. ... You, dear young people, be brave and free! Do not let yourselves be taken in by the deceptive mirages of an easy happiness. Follow the way of Christ: He is demanding, certainly, but He alone can help you to savour the full meaning of life and enjoy peace of heart. You, dear parents, prepare the way of the Lord before your children. Bring them up with love, and set a good example by living the principles you teach."
Immediately following Mass, Pope John Paul prayed the Angelus with the faithful present. In meditations made before reciting this prayer, he noted that "Mary, the first and the most perfect disciple of her Son, is a figure and a model of the Church which welcomes the word of the Lord in faith. Her protection has accompanied every step of the Christian community in Ukraine ever since the Baptism of Rus' in 988."

"Bathed by the great river of faith, Ukraine thus became a Christian land and, at the same time, a Marian country. This can be seen in the numerous shrines which express the deep love of the faithful for their heavenly Mother. ... To Mary's heavenly intercession I entrust this my pastoral visit and all those whom I shall meet during these days. In a special way I ask her, Mother of the Church, to hasten the steps of all Christians towards full communion."

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POPE ASKS THAT FULL COMMUNION BE ACHIEVED AS SOON AS POSSIBLE

VATICAN CITY, JUN 24, 2001 (VIS) - This afternoon, the Holy Father travelled from the apostolic nunciature to the Palace of the National Philharmonic, which lies in the center of Kiev, where he met with representatives of the Pan-Ukrainian Council of Churches and religious organizations.

The Pan-Ukrainian Council includes representatives from the Orthodox, Catholic and Protestant Churches as well as from the Muslim and Jewish religions. Of the three principal Orthodox jurisdictions, only Metropolitans Filaret, representative of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Kiev Patriarchate, and Methodius, representative of the Autocephalous Ukrainian Orthodox Church were present. Metropolitan Vladimir, representative of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church-Moscow Patriarchate, did not attend.

Following a greeting by Cardinal Lubomyr Husar, major archbishop of Lviv of the Ukrainians, the Pope addressed those present.

John Paul II affirmed that the existence and the daily work of the Pan-Ukrainian Council "testify in a concrete way to the fact that the religious element is an essential part of the personal identity of everyone, no matter the race, people or culture to which they belong." And he asked: "How could a State that wishes to be really democratic fail to have full respect for the religious freedom of its citizens? There is no true democracy where one of the fundamental freedoms of the person is trampled on."

Addressing himself particularly to Ukrainian Christians, the Pope requested that God help them "to rediscover together the solid grounds for a respectful and courageous ecumenical journey, a journey of coming closer and of mutual understanding, favored by good will on the part of everyone. May the day of restored communion among all the disciples of Christ come soon."

The Holy Father recalled "the significant presence of Jews" in Ukraine and said: "Who can ever forget the immense tribute of blood which they paid to the fanaticism of an ideology propounding the superiority of one race over others? Here, in Kiev, at Babyn Yar, during the Nazi occupation countless people, including over 100,000 Jews, were killed within a few days. This is one of the most atrocious of the many crimes which the history of the last century unhappily has had to record. May the memory of this episode of murderous frenzy be a salutary warning to all. What atrocities is man capable of, when he fools himself into thinking that he can do without God!"

The Pope also recalled the "crimes committed by the political power against the Muslim community in Ukraine. I am thinking in particular of the Tartars deported from the Crimea to the Asiatic republics of the Soviet Union, who now wish to return to their land of origin."

"If God is removed from the world, nothing truly human remains. By not looking to heaven, the creature loses sight of the goal of his journey on earth. At the root of every authentic humanism there is always the humble and trusting acknowledgement of the primacy of God."

John Paul II concluded by exhorting the representatives of Churches and religious organizations to continue ceaselessly in their "common search for an increased sharing of the values of religion lived in freedom and of tolerance lived in justice. This is the most significant contribution that you can make to the overall progress of Ukrainian society."

Prior to his farewell, the Pope thanked the representatives of the Pan-Ukrainian Council for the words they had expressed at the end of the meeting. He assured them of the Catholic Church's openness to ecumenical dialogue with all religions, "in keeping with lines laid down in the document 'Nostra aetate'. I hope that these indications of Vatican Council II for the Church may be a light for all Christians and for all believers and men and women of good will in Ukraine, with the aim of building true fraternal communion."

Before returning to the apostolic nunciature, the Holy Father went to the Bykovnya monument in a forest 30 kilometers from Kiev, where he prayed for short period. The monument is dedicated to the victims of the years of communist repression.

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PAPAL TELEGRAM FOR EARTHQUAKE IN PERU

VATICAN CITY, JUN 25, 2001 (VIS) - Following is the text of the telegram sent by Secretary of State, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, in Pope John Paul's name to the apostolic nuncio in Peru, Archbishop Rino Passigato, for the earthquake which occurred in that country yesterday:

"On hearing the news of the earthquake that has provoked devastating effects - especially in large areas of Peru - producing many victims, injured and serious material damage, the Holy Father expresses his special closeness to those affected, offering prayers for the eternal repose of the deceased and asking the Almighty to concede comfort and Christian hope to those suffering this harsh adversity.

"At the same time, he launches a ringing appeal to national and international institutions and to all men and women of good will that they offer the necessary solidarity and fraternal charity, rapidly and efficiently bringing the aid that will help to overcome the dramatic situation in which so many families are homeless and so many houses destroyed.
"I also ask Your Excellency to transmit the Supreme Pontiff's condolences to the families of the dead and to express his paternal solicitude to the injured and other victims, to whom he sends a heartfelt apostolic blessing as a sign of affection for the beloved Peruvian people."

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HOLY SEE STATEMENT AT FIRST WORLD CONGRESS ON DEATH PENALTY

VATICAN CITY, JUN 23, 2001 (VIS) - The First World Congress on the Death Penalty was held in Strasbourg, France, on June 21 and 22. The Holy See participated with a delegation led by Msgr. Paul Gallagher, special envoy to the Council of Europe who presented a Holy See declaration on the death penalty on June 21. That statement, released June 23, follows in its entirety:

"The Holy See has consistently sought the abolition of the death penalty and His Holiness Pope John Paul II has personally and indiscriminately appealed on numerous occasions in order that such sentences should be commuted to a lesser punishment, which may offer time and incentive for the reform of the guilty, hope to the innocent and safeguard the well-being of civil society itself and of those individuals who through no choice of theirs have become deeply involved in the fate of those condemned to death.

"The Pope had most earnestly hoped and prayed that a worldwide moratorium might have been among the spiritual and moral benefits of the Great Jubilee which he proclaimed for the Year 2000, so that the dawn of the Third Millennium would have been remembered forever as the pivotal moment in history when the community of nations finally recognized that it now possesses the means to defend itself without recourse to punishments which are 'cruel and unnecessary'. This hope remains strong but it is unfulfilled and yet there is encouragement in the growing awareness that 'it is time to abolish the death penalty'.

"It is surely more necessary than ever that the inalienable dignity of human life be universally respected and recognized for its immeasurable value. The Holy See has engaged itself in the pursuit of the abolition of capital punishment as an integral part of the defense of human life at every stage of its development and does so in defiance of an assertion of a culture of death.

"Where the death penalty is a sign of desperation, civil society is invited to assert its belief in a justice that salvages hope from the ruins of the evils which stalk our world. The universal abolition of the death penalty would be a courageous reaffirmation of the belief that humankind can be successful in dealing with criminality and of our refusal to succumb to despair before such forces, and as such it would regenerate new hope in our very humanity."

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"UT UNUM SINT - THAT THEY MAY ALL BE ONE!"

VATICAN CITY, JUN 25, 2001 (VIS) - In the only public event scheduled for today, John Paul II, at 10 a.m. at the Chayka Airport, presided at the divine liturgy of St. John Chrysostom which was celebrated by Cardinal Lubomyr Husar in the Ukrainian Byzantine rite. The Pope gave a homily and, at the end of the liturgy, sprinkled with holy water the cornerstone of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic cathedral which will be built in Kiev, as well as those of other Church buildings.

In his homily, the Holy Father noted that today's reading from the Gospel of St. John "takes us back in mind and heart to the Upper Room. ... 'Ut unum sint' - that they may all be one! The Upper Room is the place of unity that is born of love. It is the place of mission: 'so that the world may believe'. There is no authentic evangelization without full fraternal communion."

"And it is also in the Upper Room," he continued, "on the day of Pentecost, that the disciples, together with Mary, Jesus' Mother, receive the Holy Spirit. ... From the gift of the Risen Christ is born the new humanity, the Church, in which communion overcomes the divisions and dispersion generated by the spirit of the world."

"'That they may all be one'," the Holy Father repeated. "This is the mystery of the Church willed by Christ. Unity founded on revealed Truth and on Love does not nullify man, his culture or his history; rather it makes him part of the communion of the Trinity, in which everything authentically human is enriched and strengthened. This is a mystery that is well represented also in this Liturgy, concelebrated by Catholic bishops and priests of the Eastern and Latin traditions. In the new humanity, ... there is a plurality of traditions, rites, canonical disciplines which, far from undermining the unity of the Body of Christ, on the contrary enrich it with the gifts brought by each one."

Addressing all members of the diverse rites in Ukraine, John Paul II said: "Your living side by side in charity should become a model of a unity that exists within a legitimate pluralism and has its guarantee in the Bishop of Rome, the Successor of Peter."

Then, on the topic of Ukrainians' re-won independence, Pope John Paul said that "for ten years your country has been a free and independent State. These ten years have shown that, despite the temptations linked to crime and corruption, its spiritual roots are strong. My heartfelt hope is that Ukraine will continue to draw strength from the ideals of personal, social and ecclesial morality, of service of the common good, of honesty and sacrifice, not forgetting the gift of the Ten Commandments. The dynamic quality of your country's faith and its Church's capacity for rebirth are surprising: the roots of its past have become a pledge of hope for the future."

"'Ut unum sint!'" the Pope concluded. "We wish to join in the prayer of the Lord for the unity of His disciples. It is a heartfelt appeal for the unity of Christians. It is an unceasing prayer, which rises from hearts that are humble and ready to feel, think and work generously so that Christ's desire may be fulfilled."

Following this morning's divine liturgy, Pope John Paul went to the apostolic nunciature for a private lunch.

At 5:45 p.m. he is scheduled to arrive at Kiev's Boryspil International Airport for a 6 p.m. departure for Lviv. The 470-kilometer flight is expected to take one and a quarter hours. No formal protocol ceremonies are planned for either the Kiev departure or the Pope's arrival in Lviv, although it is expected that both civil and ecclesiastical authorities will be present.

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JUN 25, 2001 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Appointed Fr. Francesco Panfilo S.D.B., delegate of the Salesian Province in Papua New Guinea, as bishop of Alotau-Sideia (area 14,000, population 176,519, Catholics 30,000, priests 15, religious 42) Papua New Guinea. The bishop-elect was born in Vilminore, Italy, in 1942 and ordained a priest in 1974. He succeeds Bishop Desmond Charles Moore M.S.C., whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

- Appointed Fr. Abba Menghisteab Tesfamariam, M.C.C.I. coordinator of pastoral activities in Asmara (area 53,185, population 2,927,280, Catholics 44,646, priests 204, religious 638), Eritrea, as bishop of the same eparchy. The bishop-elect was born in Berakit, Eritrea, in 1948 and ordained a priest in 1979. He succeeds Bishop Zekarias Yohannes whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same eparchy the Holy Father accepted, in accordance with Canon 210, para. 1 of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches.

- Elevated Bishop Joan Marti Alanis of Urgell, Spain and Principality of Andorra, to the dignity of archbishop "ad personam."

- Appointed Bishop Joan Enric Vives Sicilia, auxiliary of Barcelona, Spain, as coadjutor of Urgell (area 7,630, population 178,080, Catholics 172,830, priests 124, permanent deacons 3, religious 190), Spain and Principality of Andorra.

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