OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, SEP 8, 2001 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Appointed Bishop Vital Masse, auxiliary of St. Jerome, as bishop of Mont-Laurier (area 19,968, population 86,969, Catholics 77,980, priests 56, religious 130), Canada. He succeeds Bishop Jean Gratton, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, in accordance with the age limit.

- Accepted the resignation of Auxiliary Bishop Andrea Veggio, from the pastoral care of the diocese of Verona, Italy, in accordance with the age limit.

- Appointed Fr. Joseph Luc Andre Bouchard, of the clergy of the diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall, rector of the St. Joseph Seminary in Edmonton, as bishop of Saint Paul (area 155,916, population 129,375, Catholics 43,075, priests 27, permanent deacons 1, religious 22), Canada. The bishop-elect was born in 1948, in Cornwall, Canada, and was ordained to the priesthood in 1976.

- Appointed Bishop Dante Lafranconi of Savona-Noli, as bishop of Cremona (area 1,917, population 318,000, Catholics 313,500, priests 377, permanent deacons 12, religious 833), Italy.

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SILVESTRINE BENEDICTINE FATHERS: ASPIRE TO SANCTITY

VATICAN CITY, SEP 8, 2001 (VIS) - Today, in the Apostolic Palace of Castelgandolfo, John Paul II received the Silvestrine Benedictine Fathers, on the occasion of their General Chapter, on the theme "Celebrate the memory, celebrate the hope."

John Paul II recalled that the Congregation had celebrated seven centuries of history: In the middle of the 19th century it brought the Benedictine Rule to Asia for the first time and in the last hundred years new foundations have been created in the United States, Australia, India, and recently the Philippines. "May God bless," the Holy Father said, "in particular, your project of further foundations in Europe and Africa, in order that your spirituality may be spread for His glory and the good of souls."

"Strive that sanctity be, therefore, the first and fundamental objective of your personal and community life," John Paul continued.

The Pope went on to affirm that a monastic family "such as yours, is called today to give a strong contribution above all to the contemplative dimension of personal and ecclesial life. ... Be, therefore, dear brethren, ardent contemplators" of the Holy Face of Christ, "in order that the message of Jesus shine in your existence. Draw renewed vigor from unceasing prayer in order to 'cast out into the deep' without fear, following, according to your charism, the way of total dedication to Christ and His Gospel."

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, SEP 10, 2001 (VIS) - The Holy Father received today in separate audiences:

- Archbishop Rino Passigato, apostolic nuncio in Peru.
- Archbishop Mario Roberto Cassari, apostolic nuncio in the Republic of the Congo and in Gabon.
- Five prelates of the Episcopal Conference of Haiti on their "ad limina" visit:
- Archbishop Francois Gayot of Cap-Haitien.
- Archbishop Joseph Serge Miot, coadjutor and apostolic administrator "sede plena" of Port-au-Prince, with Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Lafontant.
- Bishop Emmanuel Constant of Les Gonaives.
- Bishop Willy Romelus of Jeremie.
- Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger and Archbishop Tarcisio Bertone, emeritus of Vercelli, respectively prefect and secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

On Saturday, he received in separate audiences:
- Francesco Storace, president of the Lazio Region, accompanied by his wife.
- Archbishop Francesco Marchisano, president of the Pontifical Commission for the Cultural Patrimony of the Church and of the Pontifical Commission of Sacred Archeology.
- Msgr. Piero Monni, Holy See permanent observer to the World Tourism Organization.
- Bishop Salvatore Boccaccio of Frosinone-Veroli-Ferentino, Italy.

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PRAYER FOR TRIP TO KAZAKHSTAN AND ARMENIA AND FOR SYNOD

VATICAN CITY, SEP 9, 2001 (VIS) - This morning John Paul II invited the faithful present at the recitation of the Angelus to pray for his upcoming apostolic trip to Kazakhstan and Armenia, September 22-27, and for the Synod of Bishops, scheduled for the end of this month.

The Pope, speaking at the summer residence of Castelgandolfo, noted that next Sunday morning he will make a pastoral visit to the Italian diocese of Frosinone-Veroli-Ferentino and on September 22, would leave for Kazakhstan and Armenia, "two Republics of the ex-Soviet Union which became independent 10 years ago." He expressed the hope that these visits will "contribute to the cause of the new evangelization and ecumenical dialogue."

"From September 30 to October 27," the Pope continued, "the 10th General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops will be held at the Vatican, in order to reflect on the episcopal ministry in the Church and the world." The teaching of the decree of Vatican Council II, "Christus Dominus," the Holy Father explained, will be "the principle reference point of the work of the synod. ... The Council teaching will be reread in the light of the last decade and above all in the perspective of the new evangelization."

The Holy Father affirmed, finally, that "The Gospel phrase 'Duc in altum - Put out into the deep', which I proposed as the motto for the beginning of the new millennium, is addressed first of all to the Bishops, successors of the apostles, and it calls them to commit themselves with confidence to this new missionary season of the Church."

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