POPE JOHN PAUL IN GREAT SPIRITS, ENJOYING VACATION

VATICAN CITY, JUL 15, 2001 (VIS) - Before the Holy Father recited the Angelus at noon today, Holy See Press Office Director Joaquin Navarro-Valls related some details of the papal vacation, from the chalet where the Pope is staying in Les Combes, Valle d'Aosta.

Navarro-Valls affirmed that John Paul II "is enjoying his vacation which he is spending in a contemplative way and praying very much. The Pope does a bit of physical exercise, enjoys the countryside and the tranquility of the area and he seems in excellent spirits to me: it is necessary to recall that, from the Jubilee to today, he has shouldered periods of very intense work, and to be able to enjoy rest and the small daily things helps him very much."

Referring to the trip which the Holy Father made last Thursday, to the Beta Forca ski-lift, at an altitude of 2,700 meters, Navarro-Valls related that the Pope looked at the lift with curiosity and when those running it, observing that there were not many people, asked him if perhaps he wished to take a ride, the Pope accepted with enthusiasm. Navarro-Valls offered to pay the ticket, but the woman who runs the lift with her family would take no payment. "He had a wonderful time, had an expression of real enjoyment and, even though it was very cold, didn't feel it at all," Navarro-Valls said.

During these days, the Pope continues to rise early "but after six, which is only a little later than usual. After praying, the celebration of Mass, breakfast and reading, he leaves for outings in the mountains."

Navarro-Valls also stated that, contrary to other years, John Paul II is not preparing any document, and is dedicating much time to reading; "he reads texts in Polish, Italian, German, on different themes."

The Pope is abreast of the principal events of these days, and also requested information on the attack last Saturday by ETA terrorists in Spain, in which a city official and an officer of the Basque autonomous police were killed.

The press office director said that the inhabitants of Les Combes have been thinking, for some time, of changing the name of their town to "Les Combes of the Pope," considering that the Pope has vacationed there nine times.

In view of the Pope's upcoming commitments, Navarro-Valls announced that the Holy Father will travel, in the last week of September, to Kazakhstan and Armenia, and will probably speak in Russian, the only common language of Kazakhstan.

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PRE-ANGELUS REFLECTIONS ON CREATION

VATICAN CITY, JUL 15, 2001 (VIS) - Several thousand faithful gathered under a pouring rain to pray the noon Angelus today with Pope John Paul who is spending a period of rest in the mountains of northwestern Italy, in Les Combes d'Introd. In reflections made before reciting the prayer, the Pope spoke of those communities in the area which had suffered serious flooding last October and also meditated on creation.

He reminded the faithful that in the past several months, in the weekly general audiences, he has been giving special catecheses on the Psalms. "In these days, before such stupendous scenery, my thoughts naturally go to those Psalms in which creation, especially the mountains, plays a primary role." He mentioned in particular Psalms 8, 18, 22 and 103.

"The Lord is my shepherd - says the splendid Psalm 22 - He makes me lie down in green pastures, He leads me beside still waters, He restores my soul, He leads me in paths of righteousness. All of Psalm 103 is a hymn to the Creator: Bless the Lord, oh my soul; O Lord my God, thou art very great. ... Thou makest springs gush forth in the valleys; they flow between the hills. ... The high mountains are for the wild goats, the rocks are a refuge for the badgers. ... Oh Lord, how manifold are thy works! How can these not be our feelings before such moving natural wonders?"

The Holy Father said, as he "contemplates the mountain peaks which are by now familiar, my soul often turns to Mary. ... In tomorrow's liturgy we celebrate Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Today we venerate the 'Queen of Valle d'Aosta': this is suggested to us by this statue brought precisely for today from the cathedral of Aosta. It is the same statue that in 1948 traversed the villages of this region, spreading among the inhabitants, after the second world war, a renewed spirit of fraternity!"

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JUL 16, 2001 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed:

- Bishop Rogelio Cabrera Lopez of Tacambaro, as bishop of Tapachula (area 16,536, population 1,238,459, Catholics 1,093,198, priests 70, religious 115), Mexico.

- Auxiliary Bishop Jose Luis Chavez Botello of Guadalajara, as bishop of Tuxtla Gutierrez (area 22,629, population 1,417,000, Catholics 1,010,000, priests 82, religious 274), Mexico.

On Saturday, July 14, it was made public that the Holy Father:

- Appointed Fr. Giuseppe Hoang Van Tiem, S.D.B., professor of moral theology at the Major Seminary of Hanoi, as bishop of Bui Chu (area 1,350, population 1,120,000, Catholics 349,000, priests 47, religious 371), Vietnam. The bishop-elect was born in Hai Son, Vietnam, in 1938, and ordained to the priesthood in 1973.

- Appointed Fr. Joseph Vu Duy Thong, professor at the Major Seminary of Ho Chi Minh City, (area 2,390, population 5,063,871, Catholics 541,302, priests 453, religious 3,508), Vietnam, as auxiliary bishop of the same archdiocese. The bishop-elect was born in Thai Binh, Vietnam, in 1952, and ordained to the priesthood in 1985.

- Appointed Fr. Victor Hugo Palma Paul, of the clergy of the archdiocese of Guatemala, director of studies at the National Major Seminary of Guatemala, as coadjutor bishop of Escuintla (area 4,384, population 1,000,000, Catholics 700,000, priests 17, religious 48), Guatemala. The bishop-elect was born in Guatemala City, in 1958, and ordained to the priesthood in 1983.

- Appointed Fr. Paul Nguyen Thanh Hoan, pastor and dean of Ham Tan in the diocese of Phan Thiet (area 7,854, population 1,047,040, Catholics 134,511, priests 71, religious 260), Vietnam, as coadjutor bishop of the same diocese. The bishop-elect was born in Nghe An, in 1939, and ordained to the priesthood in 1965.

- Appointed Archbishop Patrick Coveney, apostolic nuncio in New Zealand, as apostolic nuncio in the Republic of Palau and the Cook Islands.

- Appointed Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, archbishop of Westminster, Great Britain, as a member of the Committee of the Presidency of the Pontifical Council for the Family.

- Gave his assent to the canonical election by the Synod of Bishops of the Greek-Melkite Catholic Church, meeting in Raboueh on June 22, 2001, of:

- Archimandrite Salim Ghazal, O.B.S., superior general of the Basilian Order of the Most Holy Savior, as auxiliary bishop of Antioch of the Greek-Melkites, with the office of bishop of the Curia. The bishop-elect was born in Machghara, in 1931, and ordained to the priesthood in 1958.

- Fr. Joseph Absi, M.S.P., superior general of the Society of Missionaries of St. Paul, as auxiliary bishop of Antioch of the Greek-Melkites, with the office of bishop of the Curia. The bishop-elect was born in Damascus, in 1946, and ordained to the priesthood in 1973.

- Fr. Jules Zerey, of the patriarchal clergy, as auxiliary bishop of Antioch of the Greek-Melkites, with the office of protosyncellus of Alexandria. He succeeds Archbishop Paul Antaki, whose resignation was accepted by the same Synod on June 21, 2001. The bishop-elect was born in Alexandria of Egypt, in 1941, and ordained to the priesthood in 1967.

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