Thursday, October 25, 2001

POPE URGES NORMALIZATION OF RELATIONS BETWEEN HOLY SEE, CHINA


VATICAN CITY, OCT 25, 2001 (VIS) - Pope John Paul has asked pardon for errors committed by missionaries and others in China in the colonial periods of that nation's history, and has urged the "normalization of relations between the People's Republic of China and the Holy See," saying this "would undoubtedly have positive repercussions for humanity's progress."

The Pope's thoughts were expressed in a Message to the participants in the October 24-25 international meeting in Rome on "Matteo Ricci: For a Dialogue between China and the West." The meeting was organized by the Jesuit-run Pontifical Gregorian University and by the Italian-Chinese Institute to mark the fourth centenary of the arrival of Jesuit missionary and scientist Matteo Ricci, S.J., in Beijing.

In the Message, released late yesterday afternoon in Italian, English and Chinese, the Pope highlighted Fr. Ricci's 28 years in China, first arriving there in 1582. Only on January 24, 1601, "after 21 long years of avid and intense study of the language, history and culture of China," did he reach Beijing where he lived the rest of his life, dying on May 11, 1610 at the age of 57.

The Holy Father notes then when Fr. Ricci arrived at the imperial court "He introduced himself as a celibate religious who sought no privilege at court, asking only to be able to place at the service of His Majesty his own person and the expertise in the sciences which he had acquired in the 'great West' from which he had come."

He remarks that "Historically and culturally (Fr. Ricci) was a pioneer, a precious connecting link between West and East, between European Renaissance culture and Chinese culture, and between the ancient and magnificent Chinese civilization and the world of Europe."

Calling Matteo Ricci's work "enduringly relevant," the Pope states that "Father Ricci based his entire scientific and apostolic methodology upon two pillars, to which he remained faithful until his death, despite many difficulties and misunderstandings, both internal and external: first, Chinese neophytes, in embracing Christianity, did not in any way have to renounce loyalty to their country; second, the Christian revelation of the mystery of God in no way destroyed but in fact enriched and complemented everything beautiful and good, just and holy, in what had been produced and handed down by the ancient Chinese tradition."

"The Chinese people, especially in more recent times, have set themselves important objectives in the field of social progress. ... The Church has very much at heart the values and objectives which are of primary importance also to modern China: solidarity, peace, social justice, the wise management of the phenomenon of globalization, and the civil progress of all peoples."
The Pope continues: "As Father Ricci wrote precisely in Beijing, ... so too today the Catholic Church seeks no privilege from China and its leaders, but solely the resumption of dialogue in order to build a relationship based upon mutual respect and deeper understanding."

"Let it be known to China: the Catholic Church has a keen desire to offer, once more, her humble and selfless service for the good of Chinese Catholics and of all the people of the country."

"However," John Paul II affirmed, "History reminds us of the unfortunate fact that the work of members of the Church in China was not always without error. ... Moreover, their action was often conditioned by difficult situations connected with complex historical events and conflicting political interests. ... In certain periods of modern history, a kind of 'protection' on the part of European political powers not infrequently resulted in limitations on the Church's very freedom of action and had negative repercussions for the Church in China."

"I feel deep sadness for these errors and limits of the past, and I regret that in many people these failings may have given the impression of a lack of respect and esteem for the Chinese people on the part of the Catholic Church, making them feel that the Church was motivated by feelings of hostility towards China. For all of this I ask the forgiveness and understanding of those who may have felt hurt in some way by such actions on the part of Christians."

"The Church must not be afraid of historical truth and she is ready ' with deeply-felt pain ' to admit the responsibility of her children."

The Holy Father writes that Fr. Ricci "defined a friend as 'the other half of myself, indeed another 'I''. And it is with this renewed and deeply-felt friendship towards all the Chinese people that I express the hope that concrete forms of communication and cooperation between the Holy See and the People's Republic of China may soon be established."

"Historically, in ways that are certainly different but not in opposition to one another, China and the Catholic Church are two of the most ancient 'institutions' in existence and operating on the world scene: both, though in different domains ' one in the political and social, the other in the religious and spiritual ' encompass more than a billion sons and daughters. It is no secret that the Holy See, in the name of the whole Catholic Church and, I believe, for the benefit of the whole human family, hopes for the opening of some form of dialogue with the Authorities of the People's Republic of China."

Pope John Paul II concludes: "The present moment of profound disquiet in the international community calls for a fervent commitment on the part of everyone to creating and developing ties of understanding, friendship and solidarity among peoples. In this context, the normalization of relations between the People's Republic of China and the Holy See would undoubtedly have positive repercussions for humanity's progress."

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ADMISSION TO EUCHARIST BETWEEN CHALDEAN, ASSYRIAN CHURCH OF EAST


VATICAN CITY, OCT 25, 2001 (VIS) - Made public today were the "Guidelines for Admission to the Eucharist Between the Chaldean Church and the Assyrian Church of the East," prepared by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, in agreement with the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Congregation for the Oriental Churches.

The document responds to the "great distress of many Chaldean and Assyrian faithful, in their motherland and in the diaspora, which impedes many of them (from leading) a normal sacramental life according to their own tradition, and in the ecumenical context of the bilateral dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Assyrian Church of the East, the request has been made to provide for admission to the Eucharist between the Chaldean Church and the Assyrian Church of the East."

"When necessity requires," the guidelines state, "Assyrian faithful are permitted to participate and to receive Holy Communion in a Chaldean celebration of the Holy Eucharist; in the same way, Chaldean faithful for whom it is physically and morally impossible to approach a Catholic minister, are permitted to participate and to receive Holy Communion in an Assyrian celebration of the Holy Eucharist."

"In both cases, Assyrian and Chaldean ministers celebrate the Holy Eucharist according to the liturgical prescriptions of their own tradition."

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ARCHBISHOP CORDES SENT TO PAKISTAN BY POPE JOHN PAUL


VATICAN CITY, OCT 25, 2001 (VIS) - Archbishop Paul Josef Cordes, president of the Pontifical Council "Cor Unum," will travel to Pakistan from October 25 to 30 at the wish of the Holy Father. "With this visit," a communique states, "John Paul II desires to confirm his closeness to all of the people suffering due to the war, in a special way to the refugees massing in ever greater numbers at the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan."

Archbishop Cordes will meet with the president of the Republic of Pakistan, speak with those in charge of Catholic humanitarian organizations and local Caritas groups, preside over a Eucharistic celebration in the cathedral of Rawalpindi, and visit the refugee camps in Peshawar in order to personally convey the consolation of the Holy Father.

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JOHN PAUL II RECEIVES KING OF NORWAY

VATICAN CITY, OCT 25, 2001 (VIS) - Holy See Press Office Director Joaquin Navarro-Valls released the following declaration today: "The Holy Father received this morning in audience His Majesty King Harald V of Norway, with Queen Sonja and their entourage. During the cordial meeting the Pope recalled his trip to Norway in June of 1989.

"Following this visit, His Majesty King Harald visited Cardinal Secretary of State Angelo Sodano.

"In the course of the meetings the life of the Church in Norway was discussed. There was also an exchange of views on the grave situation existing since the terrorist attacks of September 11 and the situation in the Middle East."

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, OCT 25, 2001 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Archbishop Peter Stephan Zurbriggen, up to now apostolic nuncio in Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan, as apostolic nuncio in Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia.

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, OCT 25, 2001 (VIS) - The Holy Father received today in separate audiences:

- His Majesty King Harald V of Norway, accompanied by Queen Sonja, and their entourage.
- Cardinal Joachim Meisner, archbishop of Cologne, Germany, and a Jubilee pilgrimage group of the "Kolping Family" International Work.

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

- Cardinal Jan P. Schotte, C.I.C.M., secretary general, Synod of Bishops, Vatican City.
- Fr. Antonio Bravo, general director, Institute of Prado, France.
- Sr. Antonia Colombo, superior general, Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, Italy.
- Fr. Andrea D'Auria, F.S.C.B., professor of Canon Law, Pontifical Urban University, Rome, Italy.
- Fr. Arnaud Devillers, F.S.S.P., superior general of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter, U.S.A.
- Fr. Francois Dupre La Tour, O.S.B., professor of Theology, Abbey of Saint Joseph, France.
- Martial Assande Eba, president, parish council of Saint Jean de Cocody, diocese of Abidjan, Ivory Coast.
- Msgr. Gerhard Muller, professor of Dogmatic Theology, faculty of Catholic Theology, University of Munich, Germany.
- Maria Christina Noronha De Sa', director, Youth Pastoral Care, archdiocese of Sao Sebastiao do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
- Barbara Pandolfi, superior general, Missionaries of the Kingship of Christ, Italy.
- Anne-Marie Pelletier, professor, University Paris X and "Institute Catholique de Paris", France.
- Sr. Enrica Rosanna, F.M.A., professor of Sociology of Religion, Pontifical Faculty of Educational Sciences "Auxilium", Rome, Italy.
- Msgr. Dimitrios Salachas, Greece, professor of Eastern Canon Law, Pontifical Oriental Institute, Rome.
- Robert Sikias, Lebanon, president emeritus, Council of the Laity, Vatican City.

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HOLY SEE RATIFIES PROTOCOLS ON THE RIGHTS OF THE CHILD


VATICAN CITY, OCT 25, 2001 (VIS) - Archbishop Renato R. Martino, Holy See permanent observer to the United Nations, spoke yesterday at a press conference following the ratification of Two Optional Protocols to the Convention on the Rights of the Child at the U.N. headquarters in New York.

He noted that "According to the most recent UNICEF report, an estimated one million children, mainly girls, are forced into the multi-billion dollar commercial sex trade every year. The Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography explicitly prohibits the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography, and calls for legal protection against the sexual exploitation of children, the transfer of their organs, and forced labor."

Archbishop Martino then underscored that "There are presently an estimated 300,000 children under the age of 18 acting as soldiers in armed conflict situations throughout the world. We also know that in the last ten years two million children have been killed, six million have been hurt, ten million have been traumatized, and a million children have been left orphaned because of armed conflict. The Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict expands the protection of children from recruitment for participation in armed conflict to the age of 18, and reinforces the prohibition of the recruitment of children under the age by armed forces distinct from the State."

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