NEW ROMAN MARTYROLOGY IS PRESENTED

VATICAN CITY, OCT 2, 2001 (VIS) - Cardinal Jorge Arturo Medina Estevez and Archbishop Francesco Pio Tamburrino, respectively prefect and secretary of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of Sacraments, presented the new Roman Martyrology this morning at the Holy See Press Office.

Cardinal Medina explained that, "The type of publication of the Roman Martyrology that we offer today to the Church has been preceded by others. The last was in 1956. Since that publication there have been numerous beatifications and canonizations: under the pontificate of His Holiness John Paul II alone, beatifications have reached 1,200 and canonizations have surpassed 200. This is an updated publication that is
heir to those of the past."

For his part, Archbishop Tamburrino said that the current Roman Martyrology, which has 6,538 postulators, "includes saints and blesseds whose cult has been officially recognized by the Church, excluding all those where there are doubts deriving from spurious, unsure traditions or from legends. It includes only those whose existence is empirically proven through the memory 'ab immemorabili' of a cult from which it lends."

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THIRD GENERAL CONGREGATION

VATICAN CITY, OCT 2, 2001 (VIS) - The Third General Congregation of the 10th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops began at 9 a.m. in the Synod Hall, in the presence of John Paul II and 247 synod fathers. The president delegate on duty was Cardinal Bernard Agre, archbishop of Abidjan, Ivory Coast. The meeting adjourned at 12:25 p.m.

Following are excerpts from some of the talks given this morning:

ARCHBISHOP JOSE MARIO RUIZ NAVAS OF PORTOVIEJO, ECUADOR, PRESIDENT OF THE EPISCOPAL CONFERENCE. "Vatican Council II proposed episcopal collegiality as an authentic form of the exercise of the episcopal ministry together with the Successor of Peter. Great steps forward have been made. Nevertheless, it is possible to improve the way of putting collegiality into practice and of living the collegial spirit or love. ... It seems to me that the central point of reflection regarding Episcopal Conferences in 'Apostolos suos' and in the Instrumentum laboris is the theme of their power. ... The point is that the Episcopal Conferences must be 'the home and school of communion'. ... It is necessary, above all, that these same potentials are manifested in the regular relations between the Episcopal Conferences and the See of Peter and not only in relations with each bishop. The central point of the interpretation of the Episcopal Conferences must be shifted from power - yet without negating or minimizing it - to communion. ... I submit to the attention of the Pope, if he deems appropriate, that the synodal assembly itself expresses its conclusions in a final text, remembering that the Pope can pronounce a directing word at any time during the deliberations. The text would be less organized and less complete, but it would represent the clearest fruit of the collegiality of the bishops with the Pope. Waiting for the document diminishes enthusiasm. ... As already done many times, it seems opportune that the Episcopal Conference organizes meetings collegially with the dicastery in order to better analyze the challenges in different fields of pastoral care and draw already from this dialogue on directives."

BISHOP NIKOL JOSEPH CAUCHI OF GOZO, MALTA. "It is known that the Church in every time and in every situation has a triple role in society which consists in: (1) announcing the truth about the dignity and the rights of man, (2) denouncing the existing unjust situations and (3) contributing to the realization of positive changes to society. The Encyclical 'Sollecitudo Rei Socialis', number 41, says that 'The condemnation of evils and injustices is also part of that ministry of evangelization in the social field which is an aspect of the Church's prophetic role. But it should be made clear that proclamation is always more important than condemnation'. The Encyclical continues saying that 'The teaching and spreading of her social doctrine are part of the Church's evangelizing mission', and therefore is also one of the Bishops'. If it is true that with their teaching the bishops should guide the moral conduct of the individuals entrusted to them, it follows that they must also support them in favor of 'the commitment to justice'."

BISHOP CARLOS AGUIAR RETES OF TEXCOCO, MEXICO. "It is necessary to recognize that we Bishops need each other, we cannot achieve our mission in an isolated way. However, we need each other not only to share our projects and pastoral plans but also to recreate a spirit of the Apostolic College in a human and spiritual dimension. We must humbly accept that bishops need permanent formation in order to revive the gift of God which was entrusted to us in Episcopal Ordination. If all the members of the Church require this, there is even more reason for us bishops to take care of our permanent formation with special commitment."

CARDINAL ZENON GROCHOLEWSKI, PREFECT OF THE CONGREGATION FOR CATHOLIC EDUCATION. "It would be useful to underline the bishops' responsibility in having the right formators in seminaries, who can be distinguished by their excellent priestly and human virtues, for their faithfulness to the Magisterium of the Church, for their pastoral fervor and for their continuous updating. We should also recall the necessity of safekeeping the specific configuration of the seminary, as an institution that truly forms priests, that acknowledges their identity, their own spirituality, their own responsibility, their high and irreplaceable mission. Closely linked to the preparation of priests and inserted in the 'munus docendi' of the bishop is, without a doubt, the obligation to promote priestly vocations. Success depends on various factors connected between each other. However, I do think that in the first place one must place the emphasis on teaching the identity of the ministerial priesthood, his specific irreplaceable and important role in the Church."

CARDINAL WILLIAM HENRY KEELER, ARCHBISHOP OF BALTIMORE, U.S.A. "The national and regional conferences of bishops are indispensable as servants of communion between the bishops of the particular churches and the Universal Church. ... "All of these activities imply a teaching dimension of the ministry of the bishops involved in the communion of the Bishops' Conference. Therefore, I propose that the propositions we present to the Holy Father include a request that, continuing the reflections begun by 'Apostolos suos,' there be a more profound study of the role of Episcopal Conferences in support of the communion of the Church, a study which would also deepen our understanding of the specific task of the Conferences in teaching the Catholic faith to God's people in our day."

FR. FRANCOIS EID, O.M.M., SUPERIOR GENERAL OF THE MARIAMITE MARONITE ORDER. "The worsening of the religious situation in the world makes the life of Christians in the land of Islam particularly dramatic. ... In this context, an urgent mission is entrusted to the bishop - being a promoter of dialogue. ... The bishop thus has the commitment to be visible and help the faithful to free themselves from ignorance and prejudice towards others, to clear religious discourse from any tension generating aggression, to encourage the faithful to attach themselves to their land, to their country and to accede to state institutions for the safeguarding of the rights of individuals and the community. In this way Christians and Muslims can ease tensions and conflicts for a life of cooperation at the service of humanity."

CARDINAL WILLIAM WAKEFIELD BAUM, MAJOR PENITENTIARY, VATICAN CITY. "For many reasons and because of the pressures put on him, a bishop may hesitate or become faint-hearted in exercising the office of teaching and in correcting error. If he is faithful to his responsibilities he will inevitably become the target of much criticism and, even at times, ridicule from people both within and outside the Church. We must be prepared to follow in the footsteps of Peter, Paul, the Apostles, and the great bishops who have preceded us. ... How often, because of sloth or timidity, have we failed to proclaim the truth about Christ and the truth about the human condition. This synodal assembly is, in itself, a God-given opportunity - a moment of grace - to examine ourselves anew. For us bishops, as well as for those we serve, confession is good for the soul."

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SECOND GENERAL CONGREGATION

VATICAN CITY, OCT 1, 2001 (VIS) - The Second General Congregation of the 10th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops was held this evening at 5 p.m. in the Synod Hall in the presence of John Paul II. Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re was the president delegate on duty. There were 237 synod fathers present at the meeting, which concluded at 7 p.m. with the recitation of the Angelus.

Following are excerpts from several of the speeches given during this congregation:

BISHOP PAUL YOSHINAO OTSUKA OF KYOTO, JAPAN. "In this century the Church will have much more contact with other religions. In my opinion ... as the Church deals with diverse cultures and traditions, it will proclaim the truth of the Gospel, using new methods with modern people living according to a secular world view. ... In February 2001 ... the Japanese Bishops published a document entitled 'Reverence of Life.' ... The various themes of the book are not written in a manner that insists that the only correct answer and resolution for problems comes from a Catholic point of view. The Church presents a message to the reader and in this message the Church itself is thinking along with the reader as he/she decides and ponders about what is a better way of life, a better society. ... According to the teaching of the Gospel, God's Truth does not impose itself on people. This is what Vatican II, in its Declaration on Religious Liberty, has to say: 'Truth can impose itself on the mind of man only in virtue of its own truth, which wins over the mind with both gentleness and power.' During the Jubilee Year, the Holy Father reminds us of this principle, asking God to forgive the sins of the Church, in which there were sins committed in the service of Truth. Likewise, the International Theological Commission comments in 'Memory and Reconciliation': 'This refers to forms of evangelization that employed improper means to announce the revealed truth, or did not include an evangelical discernment suited to the cultural values of the peoples, or did not respect the consciences of the persons to whom the faith was presented. ... When we exercise our magisterial mandate, we will conscientiously keep this dialogue with people today in mind, and will respect the conscience of those who have heeded the call of the Gospel."

ARCHBISHOP JAVIER LOZANO BARRAGAN, EMERITUS OF ZACATECAS, PRESIDENT OF THE PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR HEALTH PASTORAL CARE. "Approximately 146 million persons are infected with the HIV/AIDS virus. The Church, with the bishops leading, has answered this challenge - 25 percent of those dealing with these sick persons in the entire world belong to the Catholic Church. ... The theme of the present Synod insists on the virtue of hope. This virtue is a specific characteristic of the Pastoral Ministry of Health, since health is the tendency towards harmony and the only true harmony is Christ's resurrection. ... This is a radical proclamation of the Gospel as hope for salvation, from suffering, from death. This does not stop at health as the mere absence of diseases ... rather it consists in the joyous and radical physical, psychological, social and spiritual renewal, which represents the harmonious goal of humanity's complete hope expressed in the proclamation of the Gospel: Christ dead and resurrected."

ARCHBISHOP STEPHEN FUMIO HAMAO, PRESIDENT OF THE PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR THE PASTORAL CARE OF MIGRANTS AND ITINERANT PEOPLES. "We have about 150 million people in the world, and one out of every 47 lives in a migrant or refugee condition. The migrants offer the Church new opportunities to bear witness and proclaim the Gospel at home, and to operate, as an expert in humanity, as a stimulus for civil society in solidarity, in acceptance, and in communion. To improve the welcome of foreigners in the parishes it is indispensable for the bishops to invest in resources for an adequate professional and spiritual formation of priests, religious, and lay people who need to occupy themselves with the problems of the vast phenomenon of human mobility."

ARCHBISHOP PEDRO RUBIANO SAENZ OF BOGOTA, COLOMBIA. "The scourge of guerrilla warfare and drug trafficking has put the Church in Colombia in a permanent situation of conflict, so that for many the ministry has become so difficult that it seems to be impracticable. Evangelization thus implies a vocation for martyrdom and in fact we have a long list of martyrs: a bishop has been murdered by a guerilla group, another has been kidnapped twice, others have been threatened, and priests, religious and pastoral agents have died in terrorist attacks or in crimes that have remained unpunished. There was the case of a mass kidnapping in the middle of the celebration of the Sunday Eucharist; two priests are in the hands of the guerrillas today. In the midst of the reality of conflict, the bishop appears as a sign of hope, reconciliation, and witness of the Gospel in accompanying the people entrusted to him"

ARCHBISHOP RUBEN SALAZAR GOMEZ OF BARRANQUILLA, COLOMBIA. "The Synod of Bishops must heed the Pope's call to rethink the Petrine ministry so that the corresponsibilty of the bishops in governing the Universal Church increasingly becomes a deep sign of communion, and that anything that could tarnish this communion may disappear. The same applies to the relationships between the bishops of a same country in the Episcopal Conferences, in the regions and in the ecclesiastical provinces. It is a matter of attributing the primacy to charity, so that communion prevails over any consideration other than the common good. In each particular church, the bishop must make concrete the reality of communion, promoting structures for communion and participation, in order to listen to the Spirit Who lives in His people, confirming the people in the same Spirit and leading them to achieving what the Spirit has aroused and confirmed in his Church. This is the great challenge that every bishop, as pastor of a part of the People of God, has before him."

CARDINAL JOSE SARAIVA MARTINS, C.M.F., PREFECT OF THE CONGREGATION FOR THE CAUSES OF SAINTS. "'Novo Millennio Ineunte' recalls that 'all pastoral initiatives must be set in relation to holiness,' and therefore, 'stressing holiness remains more than ever an urgent pastoral task.' The final objective of the bishop's pastoral activity is, therefore, inciting the faithful to the commitment to answer, promptly and generously, the Lord's calling to Christian perfection. The most credible and persuasive appeal the members of an ecclesial community may receive pertaining to this is, without a doubt, the very witness of personal holiness of their shepherds. ... But for the ministry to be truly effective for sanctity, it must be animated and enlivened by pastoral charity, which is the virtue typical of the bishop, imitating Christ the 'Good' Shepherd."

ARCHBISHOP TADEUSZ KONDRUSIEWICZ, APOSTOLIC ADMINISTRATOR OF NORTHERN EUROPEAN RUSSIA OF THE LATINS, RUSSIAN FEDERATION. "Personal interventions by the participants in the discussion in the Hall should be limited, to extend the working time of the Circuli Minori and to learn from the experience of the Synods of the Eastern Churches, which take concrete decisions, with greater collaboration and trust between the local Churches and the Roman Curia. The sphere of competence of the Episcopal Conferences should be extended, in harmony with the Vatican Dicasteries and the Ministry of Peter. Thanking the Churches of the various countries for the help given to the Catholics of Russia, I believe it would be useful to develop reciprocal contacts with the individual dioceses and parishes. At the same time it would be desirable for many programs organized by the Western Churches in Russia to be achieved with the involvement of the local Catholic Church; otherwise, instead of increasing ecumenical and social relationships, further incomprehension and trouble could occur."

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, OCT 2, 2001 (VIS) - The Holy Father received today in separate audiences:

- Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.
- Archbishop Giovanni Battista Morandini, apostolic nuncio in Korea and Mongolia.

He also received members of the presidency of the Synod of Bishops:
- Cardinal Jan Pieter Schotte, C.I.C.M., secretary general.
- Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, president delegate.
- Cardinal Bernard Agre, archbishop of Abidjan, Ivory Coast, president delegate.
- Cardinal Ivan Dias, archbishop of Bombay, president delegate.
- Cardinal Edward Michael Egan, archbishop of New York, U.S.A., relator general.
- Bishop Marcello Semeraro of Oria, Italy, special secretary.

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