SEVENTH GENERAL CONGREGATION

VATICAN CITY, OCT 4, 2001 (VIS) - The Seventh General Congregation of the 10th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops began today at 5 p.m. in the presence of the Holy Father and 247 synod fathers. The president delegate on duty was Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.

Following are excerpts from several of this evening's speeches:

CARDINAL ALFONSO LOPEZ TRUJILLO, PRESIDENT OF THE PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR THE FAMILY. "Bearing witness to the truth is essential for the courage to be a bishop, especially in the most significant and urgent causes, which today are the Gospel of the family and of life. If the dimension of the challenge is alarming, the capacity of joyful proclamation of this central cause of humanity is stimulating, the growing dynamic of the defence of the family and humanity, which is vital for the future of the Church. Beyond what the dioceses, conferences, parishes and movements may do within the Catholic Church, and in dialogue with peoples, there is increasing hope unfolding in the ecumenical sphere, as we have recently experienced in Romania. ... This good fight, which is also hard and difficult, is a service to humanity in truth, the universe of freedom. It is a service of charity and of maternal tenderness. Is not ensuring a decent way of living, a lifestyle in the family without false alternatives, the way of preserving dignity and freedom, in the realm of a common universal good?"

BISHOP ANTHONY THEODORE LOBO OF ISLAMABAD-RAWALPINDI, PAKISTAN. "In many countries, there are serious problems with seminary formation, and consequently with priests. Both diocesan and religious priests, as well as religious women, are abandoning their vocation, even after ten or fifteen years. There is a tendency to be mediocre. This shows itself in the lack of a 'sensus fidei', and a 'sensus ecclesiae' and the lack of priestly piety and zeal. What is missing is the deep, growing, person-to-Person intimate relationship to Christ. One cause of this could be the neglect (if not total exclusion) of popular devotions in the life of seminarians; and later on as priests. According to Karl Rahner, we need both: the objective spirituality of the Bible and Liturgy as well as the subjective spirituality of popular devotions. These are complementary. Without the subjective dimension, there is no foundation or basis on which to build a liturgical life or to live the Word of God. Ironically, neglect of the subjective dimension (devotions) has often led to the neglect of the objective dimension (the breviary, the sacrament of penance)."

ARCHBISHOP RAPHAEL S. NDINGI MWANA'A NZEKI OF NAIROBI, KENYA. "I would like to address the concept of the episcopate as service - a testimony for the world, under the heading of 'availability'.
I. The bishop's availability to God in prayer, meditation and reflection on the Gospel before the Blessed Sacrament on a daily basis. ... This availability to God in prayer and meditation cannot be replaced by anything else. ... II. The bishop's availability to himself. We are human, poor and weak and we carry a heavy responsibility on our shoulders. To serve our people well and to enkindle in them hope and give them courage, we need time to rest. Time to be on our own. ... Time to be for the people and with the people. Time to talk to ourselves, to listen to ourselves. Time to faithfully answer questions concerning our vocation. ...
III. The bishop's availability to his people. Our followers as well as others want us to be there when they need us. Often there is too much delegation of our availability to our collaborators on the pretext that we are too busy. Busy doing what? People come first and then our administration. ... The Petrine ministry has a real meaning for the people here - a concrete and personalized focus."

ARCHBISHOP TADEUSZ GOCLOWSKI OF GDANSK, POLAND. "In his homily at the beginning of the synod, the Pope spoke about the poverty of the bishops. ... Asserting the rights of the poor without politicizing the problem, collaborating with government and non-government organizations above political divisions - this seems to be the right path for the Church to face the problem of poverty in the world. It is not enough to 'dress like a poor man,' rather we must love poverty as Christ. The living image does not only concern poverty. Jesus Christ still exemplifies, as the model to follow, simplicity and humility, so important in the life of the bishop. The bishop must be a father, brother and friend. He cannot be a 'guru', but must be, speaking in contemporary language, a spiritual leader, a leader who guides the society of Christians. The bishop must be the spiritual authority for the brethren. He is the leader in the field of his mission. In this context, we must consider the danger of today's democratic mentality which also seeks to enter the Church. In some places, we can see the people of God who want to elect the bishops or decide, according to their own opinion, what the teaching of the Church should be. At this time we should recall the statement of St. Augustine: 'With you I am a Christian, for you I am a bishop'."

ARCHBISHOP LEONARDO Z. LEGASPI, O.P., OF CACERES, THE PHILIPPINES. "We bishops also wonder what God intends for us to accomplish in this synod whose unexpected rescheduling set it providentially at this crucial moment of humanity's history. Thus, the world awaits our message, our witness, our evidence that in truth we possess credibly and authentically the formula of hope. There are two sectors of humanity that are especially in need of the hope we can offer - the poor and youth. ... What both the poor and youth expect of us are not platitudes but the 'witness of action' which our Instrumentum Laboris emphasized, because hope arises only when it is lived. It is a living and witnessing hope that we must offer, not only as bishops of individual dioceses but as bishops gathered collegially here, that the world might see the universal Church as possessing the message and power to renew and save the world. What witness of lived hope can we offer? For the poor whose despair arises from their servitude to an unjust economic system, the hope we offer must include concrete measures to promote justice and bring about a more equitable distribution of the world's resources. For the youth whose despair arises from the loss of meaning and purpose in life, we need to offer the vision of a Church as a courageous and vibrant community of hope in who's life and work youth can participate as co-architects of a new, Christ-centered humanity."

ARCHBISHOP RAMON OVIDIO PEREZ MORALES OF LOS TEQUES, VENEZUELA. "The laity 'form the numerical majority' of the ecclesial community. Ecclesial and ecclesiological renewal has reinterpreted the layperson as an active and participating protagonist of the prophetic, priestly and regal people. ... The 'new evangelization' is currently being enriched and stimulated thanks to the ministries conferred upon the laypeople, both men and women. This collaboration of the laity with the ordained ministry, parallel with other forms of cooperation 'ad intra' of the ecclesial community (services, councils, etc.) in spite of everything cannot dilute or make us forget that which is specific to the laity: their secular character. ... The 'new evangelization', and consequently the evangelization of culture, involves the entire People of God, though not all of its members and sectors in the same way. The task of the layperson, within the family and in the very heart of the secular world, is to turn the Gospel into lifeblood and leaven of the economy, politics and culture. Thus the laity do not need an 'appointment' for their activity of evangelization of culture. Indeed, they need a bishop to accompany them with adequate spirituality, to respect and understand their decisions, to encourage and comfort them in their commitments, to help and direct them in their formation."

BISHOP MARIO DE GASPERIN GASPERIN OF QUERETARO, MEXICO. "The divine mission of nourishing His people, entrusted by Christ to the Apostle, continues in the bishops, His legitimate successors. ... It is therefore of interest not only to the Supreme Pontiff but all the bishops, that each bishop may have all the legal and pastoral means to fulfil his mission. The Third Conference of the Latin American Episcopate noted 'pastoral planning as a specific, conscious and intentional response to the necessities of evangelization'. ... The bishop must count on the comprehension and collaboration of movements, congregations and religious orders, eliminating parallel pastoral missions and those which decidedly ignore the pastoral plan. This synod must present to the Holy Father proposals which are practicable and operational in order to help correct this situation."

HIS BEATITUDE GREGOIRE III LAHAM, B.S., PATRIARCH OF ANTIOCH FOR THE GREEK-MELCHITES, SYRIA. "It is incorrect to include the Patriarchal Synod under the title of Episcopal Conferences. It is a completely distinct organism. The Patriarchal Synod is the supreme instance of the Eastern Church. It can legislate, elect bishops and patriarchs, and decide disputes. ... The patriarchal institution is a specific entity unique in Eastern ecclesiology. With all respect due to the Petrine ministry, the Patriarchal ministry is equal to it, 'servatis servandis', in Eastern ecclesiology. Until this is taken into consideration by the Roman ecclesiology, no progress will be made in ecumenical dialogue. Furthermore, the Patriarchal ministry is not a Roman creation, it is not the fruit of privileges, conceded or granted by Rome. Such a concept can only harm any possible understanding with Orthodoxy."

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EIGHTH GENERAL CONGREGATION

VATICAN CITY, OCT 5, 2001 (VIS) - The Eighth General Congregation of the 10th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops began at 9 this morning in the presence of Pope John Paul and 247 synod fathers. The president delegate on duty was Cardinal Bernard Agre, archbishop of Abidjan.

Following are exceprts from some of the talks given today:

CARDINAL RICARDO MARIA CARLES GORDO, ARCHBISHOP OF BARCELONA, SPAIN. "No human person, much less a Christian, can resign himself to passively live or to just bear the history which involves him, rather he must feel responsible and called to better the culture in which he lives. That is to say, he must work to raise the level of the values, attitudes, motives and political lines of the culture of his country. He must promote a strong hope. For this (to occur), we must show the people of God, in that which concerns their behavior, not merely the sins they must avoid. That is to say, (we must show them) how they must defend themselves from evil and above all, how they must realize good. It can happen frequently that Catholics know more clearly what they must not do, they do have a sense of sin - even if not everyone does nor in every sphere - however they are not so clear on what is expected of them. And here enters what society expects of them, the call to personal holiness, what God hopes for in their lives."

BISHOP SERGE MIOT, COADJUTOR AND APOSTOLIC ADMINISTRATOR "SEDE PLENA;" OF PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI: "The Haitian people live a complex and agitated life. It is a history of fighting for the liberation of the oppressed. It is, perhaps, the inheritance of a class of massacred people, others torn from their country and completely thrown into slavery with all its horrors. Escaping slavery on a large scale, followed by the 1804 Independence heroically won over the Spanish, the English and the French, noticeably weakened for various reasons. And the escape from slavery is not dead yet: the never-ending political crises have much to say on this. More so with globalization. The Bishops of Haiti are obliged to chose holiness, to preach the Gospel of Hope in a world of contradictions. It is evident to us that we, the Bishops of Haiti, are called to a special discernment in the particular context of today's socio-political life. But all this in an intimacy with Christ who calls us friends. Therefore, our mission is to be the light on the path of the Haitian people, to build the Body of Christ, to promote men where deceived hopes are reborn."

CARDINAL CORMAC MURPHY-O'CONNOR, ARCHBISHOP OF WESTMINSTER, PRESIDENT OF THE CONFERENCE OF BISHOPS OF GREAT BRITAIN. "The bishop has a three-fold ministry of teaching, sanctifying and shepherding the people of his diocese. I am increasingly aware that it is necessary not only to keep the faith, but also to deepen it among priests and people. The consumerist culture attenuates faith, making commitment to both teaching and practice more difficult. One way to counter this consumerist culture is for the bishop to initiate a plan aiming at the spiritual and pastoral renewal of his people. I propose that the Synod consider such a program, which would have four essential elements: 1. Prayer and liturgy, particularly the Eucharist, and also renewed study of scripture. 2. Community: especially small communities - groups of people meeting to pray, ref1ect on the Word of God and relate it to their daily lives. These can transform a parish. 3. Formation: effective catechesis in what we believe (the Creed), what we celebrate (sacraments), and how we should live (commandments, beatitudes ). 4. Work for justice and peace, to be a voice for the voiceless and to care for people in need. In bringing such a plan about, the bishop is crucial. He alone can call and animate such a venture, and so the formation of Bishops at both international and local level is an integral element."

ARCHBISHOP JOSEPH POWATHIL OF CHANGANACHERRY OF THE SYRO-MALABARS, INDIA. "A COLLEGIAL MINISTRY: The bishop has to teach and act in communion with the college of bishops under the leadership of the Bishop of Rome. It is called 'synodality' in the East, a moving together of the whole Church with the bishops who are closely united according to the model of the Triune God. In the synodal process, the bishops used to verify their faith with each other. The Petrine ministry in the Church is that of helping the individual Churches to be faithful to their own faith traditions. The Petrine office will have to encourage valid local initiatives and strengthen necessary local structures. There need be no opposition between the two. THE ECUMENICAL TASK: The Bishop has the obligation to promote ecumenism through prayer, collaboration, faithfulness to tradition and theological dialogue. Eastern Catholic Churches have a special role in promoting ecumenism. They do this by being faithful to their own traditions of liturgy, theology and spirituality. They shou1d have the courage to own up the whole Oriental heritage and to live by it. The Western Church shou1d fully recognise this role of the Orientals and their right to give pastoral care to their migrants."

ARCHBISHOP HENRY SEBASTIAN D'SOUZA, ARCHBISHOP OF CALCUTTA, INDIA: "The traditions of a dead language, Latin, which are part of a dead foreign culture, Roman, even if seen as a vehicle of orthodoxy, do not respond in a satisfactory way to the character and lifestyle of Indian life and tribal languages. The Indians and tribal populations express themselves with languages which are very picturesque, full of symbolism, poetry and emotion. As a consequence, we neeed a free version, and one in the vernacular idiom, of the original books of the Latin rite, both the missal and the book of rites. There is no doubt that we must pay attention so that the purity of doctrine is preserved and the sacred atmosphere is maintained. ... The Roman Rite is direct, concise and compact, characteristics which are exactly the opposite of the cultures and languages in India. 'Sacrosanctum concilium' wished only to keep the substantial unity of the Roman Rite. There should be space for the cultural dfferences of various peoples and races and for a dynamic creativity within the new Churches. As we answer the call to 'cast out into the deep', we bishops, servants of the Gospel, wish to be signs of hope for our people."

ARCHBISHOP METRPOLITAN BERHANEYESUS DEMEREW SOURAPHIEL, C.C., OF ADDIS ABEBA, ETHIOPIA. "One of the difficult times a bishop finds his leadership role tested is in times of conflicts. Often, conflicts happen suddenly and bishops are caught in the midst. Many persons and the media come to the bishop for quick answers, for help, for understanding, for consolations, etc. What can the bishop do? The Bishops of Ethiopia and Eritrea faced such a situation recently. There arose a border conflict between the two countries which led to war. It was a war between two peoples who shared the same history, religion and culture. ... Wars not only destroy and kill but also divide and separate. Yet, by the grace of God, before, during, and after the war, the Bishops of Ethiopia and Eritrea remained united under the Episcopal Conference. ... I think, by the grace of God, the Conference has acted right during the conflict. It did not take sides. At present, its credibility is high and is being invited to be an instrument of rehabilitation, reconciliation, and peace-building."

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, OCT 5, 2001 (VIS) - The Holy Father has appointed Msgr. Amandio Jose Tomas, of the diocesan clergy of Vila Real, Portugal, rector of the Pontifical Portuguese College in Rome, as auxiliary of the archdiocese of Evora, (area 13,547, population 290,400, Catholics 246,325, priests 116, religious 295, permanent deacons 10), Portugal. The bishop-elect was born at Cimo da Vila da Castanheira, Portugal, in 1943 and was ordained a priest in 1967.

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, OCT 5, 2001 (VIS) - The Holy Father this morning received in audience Bishop Joseph Maria Punt of Haarlem, Holland.

He also received the following members of the Synod of Bishops:

- Cardinal Ricardo Maria Carles Gordo, archbishop of Barcelona, Spain.
- Cardinal Norberto Rivera Carrera, archbishop of Mexico, Mexico.
- Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani-Thorne, archbishop of Lima, Peru.
- Archbishop Jesus Perez Rodriguez, O.F.M., of Sucre, Bolivia.
- Archbishop Ramon Ovidio Perez Morales of Los Teques, Venezuela.
- Archbishop Hector Miguel Cabrejos Vidarte, O.F.M., of Trujillo and apostolic administrator of the military ordinariate of Peru.
- Bishop Pablo Jaime Galimberti di Vietri of San Jose de Mayo, Uruguay.
- Bishop Tomas Andres Mauro Muldoon, O.F.M., of Juticalpa, Honduras.
- Bishop Juan Abelardo Mata Guevara, S.D.B., of Esteli, Nicaragua.
- Bishop Jorge Enrique Jimenez Carvajal, C.I.M., of Zipaquira, Colombia.
- Bishop Jesus Catala of Alcala de Henares, Spain.
- Bishop Rodolfo Valenzuela Nunez of Vera Paz, Coban, Guatemala.
- Bishop Gregorio Rosa Chavez, auxiliary of San Salvador, El Salvador.

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