FIFTEENTH GENERAL CONGREGATION

VATICAN CITY, OCT 11, 2001 (VIS) - At 5 p.m. today, in the presence of the Holy Father and 233 synod fathers, the Fifteenth General Congregation of the 10th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops took place. The president delegate on duty was Cardinal Ivan Dias, archbishop of Bombay, India.

At the beginning of the Fifteenth General Congregation, the Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops, Cardinal Jan Pieter Schotte, C.I.C.M., announced that the Holy Father has decided to promulgate the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation "Ecclesia in Oceania" in the Vatican, during a private audience to take place on Thursday, November 22, the 4th anniversary of the opening of the Special Assembly for Oceania.

Following are excerpts from the speeches of several auditors and synod fathers:

ZBIGNIEW NOSOWSKI, DIRECTOR OF "WIEZ" MAGAZINE, POLAND. "We all know very well how difficult it is to proclaim the Church's teaching on marriage and family in the contemporary world. ... Therefore ... I have been wondering why Christian families have not been given by our Church any example of a married couple that was officially recognized - as a couple - to be blessed or saintly. However, very soon - during this Synod - we will be able to participate in the first such a beatification. Maria and Luigi Beltrame Quattrocchi will be the first couple in the 2000 years long history of our Church to be beatified together. ... The beatification will symbolically take place in the first year of the new century and millennium. I hope that this is only a beginning. Therefore I ask all the synodal fathers that they engage their diocesan structures in the beatification processes of married couples with at least equal zeal to their engagement in the cases of priests."

FR. ARNAUD DEVILLERS, F.S.S.P., SUPERIOR GENERAL OF THE FRATERNITY OF THE PRIESTS OF ST. PETER, U.S.A. "For the last twelve years, I, and my fellow-priests, have ministered to a certain category of faithful. These faithful are of various ethnic origins, both rich and poor, old and young, educated or not, practicing or not, in full communion with their bishop or not, cradle Catholics or converts, but they do have one point in common, they insist, in order to practice their faith, in going or wishing to go, to a Latin Mass according to the 1962 Roman Missal. ... In July 1988, in response to a break in the Church, the Sovereign Pontiff gave Motu Proprio an Apostolic letter 'Ecclesia Dei Adflicta' in which he declared that this "attachment to previous liturgical and disciplinary forms of the Latin tradition" constituted some "rightful aspirations" and asked "for the support of the bishops and all those engaged in the pastoral ministry". ... Wherever the local bishop supports and encourages this work, the results are truly amazing. ... For this ministry to be successful, make sure (the faithful) feel they are welcome and that you are also their father, make sure you appoint a priest who will have the empathy, time and patience to be their pastor and who will work in full communion with you and your presbyterate, and then you will see amazing effects of grace."

BISHOP JOSEPH THEODORUS SUWATAN, M.S.C., OF MANADO, INDONESIA. "I would like to offer my reflections on a matter which, in my opinion, has not yet received sufficient attention. That is the question of the manner of our being Church in the World, and thus also of our being bishops of this Church for the hope of this world. When the Pastoral Constitution Gaudium et Spes was promulgated in 1965 ... I still remember the enthusiasm which this inspiring product of the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council aroused in us. The document presented a refreshing image of the Church as a community of the followers of Christ, who experience themselves as being part of and in solidarity with all mankind in their joys and hopes, griefs and anxieties, a Church that does not remain aloof, but is really incarnated in the midst of the community of mankind. As followers of Christ, we must be a Church that is fully and intimately linked with mankind and its history. Nothing genuinely human is foreign to the Church."

BISHOP FRANKLYN NUBUASAH, S.V.D., APOSTOLIC VICAR OF FRANCISTOWN, BOTSWANA. "In Botswana, HIV/Aids has so devastated our people that they often seem to be like people without hope. One third of our population is infected by the deadly virus and all of us are affected by it. How can one have hope when one sees many young people dying? What can you say to people in such a desolate and inconsolable state? We see the example of the suffering Christ in these people. Has the Father abandoned them? No by no means. ... The bishop is called upon to bring hope to the people by his presence. ... The bishop should also have healing services for his people to reassure them of the Father's love and administer the sacrament of the sick to them. The bishop can be the first minister to the sick. The bishop should establish a sort of ministry to health care providers. They need encouragement and hope. ... Some people have committed suicide when they have learned that they are HIV positive. They lost hope and meaning in life. ... In this context, the Bishop is seen as the promoter of hope in a hopeless situation. ... As a man of faith, I know that even the wildest fire burns itself out and so will this pandemic. ... In the face of the dreadful scourge of the HIV/Aids in our country, people are looking to the bishops to provide leadership in breaking down the taboos that prevent correct education in sexual matters, and provide care for the sick and help prevent new infections by encouraging behavior change. This is where the message of faithfulness to the Christian message can bring hope to the people."

ARCHBISHOP ROBERTO OCTAVIO GONZALEZ NIEVES, O.F.M., OF SAN JUAN DE PUERTO RICO, PRESIDENT OF THE EPISCOPAL CONFERENCE, PUERTO RICO. "I agree with what Cardinal Ratzinger said: we need more Spirit and less organization. My proposal is simply to create structures of economic solidarity to help the poor dioceses of the world to invest the resources and charitable gifts which they receive from other dioceses in such a way that the poor dioceses may survive globalization. ... On the other hand, my proposal is not limited to concrete economic help, but is intended to add the necessary expertise to ensure the economic solidity of these funds and to survive the pace, often devastating for the poor, of today's global economy. At present I cannot be more explicit. I think that we could at least request that a study be made on this subject, consulting the national and regional episcopal conferences which have facilities respond to this concern in one way or another."

BISHOP JERONIMO TOMAS ABREU HERRERA OF MAO-MONTE CRISTI, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC. "Without taking away the importance of the many and various ministries that the Instrumentum Laboris attributes to the mission of the bishop in the historic moment which the Church and humanity are living, we have considered it opportune to clearly underline that service to the poor, in many aspects, must constitute one of the greatest concerns for the priests, especially in many countries and continents where extreme poverty has spread, and the social equality and dignity and inalienable rights of human persons are not recognized. We believe that in this way we can faithfully follow the teachings and the examples of the Divine Teacher and the numerous references of the Magisterium of the Church, especially in the current pontificate of Pope John Paul II. ... The Instrumentum Laboris explains this in different passages, adding to what is said in no. 145 of the Social Doctrine of the Church, which 'far from being an addition to the Christian message, is an essential part of it, because it teaches the direct implications of the Gospel on life and society'."

BISHOP EDMOND JITANGAR OF SARH, CHAD. "Of the many challenges facing our Church and our shepherds, two must have our special attention: 1. The identity of our Church. Chad is an error made by colonial history because it was created from a lot of pieces, which in part explains today's drama. Facing Islam (51% of the nation), our Church is called to say what she is and, by giving herself an identity, manifests her capability to draw from the Gospel of Jesus Christ the energies needed to face the situation of underdevelopment which we find ourselves in. ... 2. The responsibility of our Church-family. ... Number 74 of the Instrumentum Laboris suggests that relations of mutual aid be established between the large and the smaller dioceses... The pessimistic considerations and the unfavorable judgments on Africa that prevail in international relations may negatively influence the way these relations of aid will be carried out. The ecclesiology of communion and unity in the mission may be erroneous ... unless conversion occurs in this regard on both sides. Two wishes: 1. To better develop the places for the expression of episcopal communion. 2. That the elder churches may offer 'technical, multiform, and planned support' to the younger churches to help them put into place the structures necessary for a good management of their pastoral and human promotion programs."

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, OCT 11, 2001 (VIS) - The Holy Father received today in separate audiences:

- Archbishop Lorenzo Baldisseri, apostolic nuncio in India and Nepal.
- Bishop Amedee Grab of Chur, Switzerland, president of the Council of European Episcopal Conferences; with Vice-Presidents Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, archbishop of Westminster, Great Britain, Archbishop Josip Bozanic of Zagreb, Croatia, and Secretary General Fr. Aldo Giordano.

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

- Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.
- Cardinal Johannes Adrianus Simonis, archbishop of Utrecht, the Netherlands.
- Cardinal William Henry Keeler, archbishop of Baltimore, U.S.A.
- Archbishop John Olorunferni Onaiyekan of Abuja, Nigeria.
- Bishop Donald James Reece of Saint John's-Basseterre, Antigua and Barbuda.
- Bishop Raymond John Lahey of Saint George's, Canada.
- Metropolitan Ambrosius of Oulu, Finland, fraternal delegate of the Orthodox Church of Finland.
- Bishop Mikael Ajapahyan of Gyumri, Armenia, fraternal delegate of the Armenian Apostolic Church.
- Bishop Peter Forster of Chester, Great Britain, fraternal delegate of the Anglican Communion.
- Bishop Tore Furberg of the Lutheran Church of Sweden, fraternal delegate of the World Lutheran Federation.

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SIXTEENTH GENERAL CONGREGATION

VATICAN CITY, OCT. 11, 2001 (VIS) - The Pope presided over a solemn ceremony of prayer this morning in the Synod Hall, at the start of the 16th General Congregation of the Synod of Bishops, for the victims of last month's terrorist attack in the United States. After a prayer by the Holy Father, a synod father and fraternal delegate pronounced a brief homily. Afterwards, intentions were read in various languages.

"One month after the inhuman terrorist attacks in different parts of the United States of America, let us entrust once more," said John Paul II, "the countless innocent victims to the eternal mercy of the God of our fathers. We ask for consolation and comfort for their families and relatives, overcome with grief; we invoke strength and courage for those who continue rendering help in the places affected by the terrible disaster; we implore tenacity and perseverance for all men of good will in pursuing the ways of justice and peace. May the Lord eradicate from the heart of man every trace of resentment, enmity and hatred, and make him open to reconciliation, solidarity and peace. We pray that a 'civilization of love' may be established throughout the world."

There were 237 synod fathers present at this Congregation. The president delegate on duty was Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.

Following are excerpts from the speeches of several fraternal delegates and synod fathers:

METROPOLITAN AMBROSIUS OF OULU, FINLAND, FRATERNAL DELEGATE OF THE ORTHODOX CHURCH OF FINLAND. "It is a privilege to be here as a fraternal delegate, representing Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomeos of Constantinople. This synod is of vital importance for the mission and witness of the Church in the 21st century. ... The official dialogue between the Catholic and Orthodox Church has a history of over twenty years. One of its most important achievements so far has been the joint statement on 'The Sacrament of Order in the Sacramental Structure of the Church'. ... From the time of the undivided Church we equally in the East and the West, Orthodox and Catholics alike, have fully understood that episcopacy belongs to the inherent nature of the Church. ... As an Orthodox bishop I neither dare nor wish to touch the question of the relationship between primacy and collegiality, which has been raised here by several of you. But what I may be allowed to do, is to express my fraternal solidarity to you. In spite of the regular work of local and regional episcopal synods we in our Orthodox context today face many difficult and unsolved problems concerning inter-Orthodox cooperation. Already in the 1960's, the Orthodox Churches started the preparations for the convening of a Great and Holy Synod, but until now rather little has been achieved."

BISHOP PETER FORSTER OF CHESTER, GREAT BRITAIN, FRATERNAL DELEGATE OF THE ANGLICAN COMMUNION. "Considerable recent work has been done in the Church of England and the Anglican Communion on the place and work of the bishop in the life of the Church. ... Apart from such issues as compulsory celibacy and the potential eligibility of women to the episcopal office, remaining differences are in two areas. The first concerns the relationship between the personal, collegial and communal dimensions of the ministry of the bishop. Anglicans maintain a model of bishop-in-synod, in which the personal ministry of the bishop is inseparable from his leadership in the College of Priests in his diocese. ... The second concerns the exercise of authority by the universal Primate. Anglicans have come to accept the wisdom and need of a universal primacy, exercised by the Bishop of Rome. ... Agreement remains to be reached over the precise rights and responsibilities to be attached to a renewed and fully ecumenical Primacy. Although much remains to be done, Anglicans have a deep gratitude for the pastoral priority attached by Pope John Paul II to the ecumenical task."

CARDINAL SECRETARY OF STATE ANGELO SODANO,
VATICAN CITY STATE. "Each of us, through episcopal ordination, has become a part, first of all, of the College of Bishops and has, therefore, the duty to feel himself a member of this body, wherever he is called to work. ... To all of the brothers in the episcopate I would like to say that the 25 bishops who are the heads of the respective dicasteries of the Roman Curia, are constantly committed to inspiring this spirit of fraternal collaboration with all the bishops of the entire world, following the directives which the Holy Father has given us in the Apostolic Constitution on the Roman Curia, of June 28, 1988, with the very significant title: 'Pastor Bonus'. ... To the brothers who work in the dioceses, I permit myself to ask them not to ask impossible things of us, who work in the Curia. We are all limited. ... I would like, finally, to assure you that this is also the spirit with which the bishops work who are sent by the Pope as his nuncios and apostolic delegates in the various nations. Today they are more than one hundred, and some of them serve in very difficult situations. ... And here I would like to honor the mourned Apostolic Nuncio in Papua New Guinea, Archbishop Hans Schwemmer, of the diocese of Regensburg, Germany, who died in service in recent days, as well as honor all those who, with great sacrifice, are working in the most difficult and distant places."

BISHOP ERKOLANO LODU TOMBE OF YEI, SUDAN. "Conflict and persecution: The conflict and persecution in Sudan are a direct result of a systematic campaign of 'Islamization' and 'Arabization' of non-Arabs and non-Muslims who hold political and economic power in Sudan. Religious Persecution: Religious persecution is the systematic denial of basic religious freedom. A program of 'Islamization' continues to characterize the approach of the fundamentalist regime of Khartoum towards the Christians and those Muslims who do not profess that particular version of fundamentalist Islam."

BISHOP OSWALD THOMAS COLMAN GOMIS OF ANURADHAPURA, SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE FEDERATION OF ASIAN BISHOPS' CONFERENCES, SRI LANKA. "My reference is to the Biblical image of the washing of the feet, to the mystery of uniting the bishop and his people, and to a Church with a human face. All this calls for a new style of leadership. ... It is a leadership that makes leaders of others. Leadership is a ministry at the service of the community. A participatory Church calls for a participatory exercise of the bishop's leadership to build co-responsibility. A participatory Church does not simply have "helpers" but has "responsible co-workers" for the mission. They are to be made to feel co-responsible for the Church's mission. This participatory Church leadership is exercised by the bishop by 1) Offering a vision to the people; 2 ) Creating a culture for empowering; and 3) Re-adjusting the structures to allow participation. Vision gives the people a sense of direction in all the pastoral plans. To create a culture of empowerment, people must be made to feel that they are trusted and are being encouraged to participate by giving their suggestions, listen to others and work together for the decisions made. The readjustment of structures implies that people are made to work as teams - all participate in decision-making. ... The ... point I wish to make is the need to have clearer guidelines to promote a better relationship between the individual bishop and the respective bishops' conference. Therefore we make a plea to this synod to enunciate concrete guidelines for the relationship of all dioceses vis-a-vis the bishops' conference, in the light of Vatican II."

CARDINAL IGNACE MOUSSA I DAOUD, PREFECT OF THE CONGREGATION FOR THE ORIENTAL CHURCHES. "The Synod of Bishops of the Eastern Patriarchates, with extended jurisdictions, is understood as a way of practicing the collegiality of the bishops, sanctioned from the first ecumenical councils ... and enriched by the long and multiform experiences of the Eastern Churches. ... The Eastern Catholic Churches, in particular those in the Near East, today face a tragedy: emigration of their faithful, and risk facing it more in the future. Certain Churches count more faithful in the diaspora than in the traditional territories! This is a great loss for our Churches and for the Christian presence in this part of the world. But this once again means that the Eastern Catholic Churches must be capable of effectively organizing a proper and apt pastoral ministry for their faithful living the situation of the diaspora, evidently in deep communion and real agreement with the local bishops of other 'sui iuris' Churches. ... The election of the bishop in the Eastern tradition is not the fact or the work of an organ that prepares, studies, and proposes names, but the work of a solidary and responsible college which elects, creates, and makes the bishop. From this we can draw that we should entrust the canonical research made by the Patriarch and the bishops of the Synod and come back to the ancient and traditional practice on the matter, for the patriarchal as well as the non-patriarchal territories: in other words that the name of the bishop elected by the Synod may be published immediately and that the elected bishop then ask the Pope to accord ecclesial communion to him."

This afternoon, at the end of the 16th General Congregation, the Pope and the synod fathers will pray the Rosary for peace in the world.

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, OCT 11, 2001 (VIS) - The Holy Father accepted the resignation of Bishop Willem Michel Ellis, from the pastoral care of the diocese of Willemstad, Netherlands Antilles, in accordance with the age limit. He is succeeded by Bishop Luigi Antonio Secco, S.D.B., coadjutor of the same diocese.

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