CARDINAL SODANO CONSIGNS PAPAL MESSAGE TO FAO MEETING

VATICAN CITY, NOV 3, 2001 (VIS) - Cardinal Angelo Sodano, secretary of state, today brought greetings and a Message from Pope John Paul to the 31st conference of the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), currently underway in Rome. After reading the Pope's Message, he gave it to FAO Director General, Jacques Diouf.

In the Message, written in French, the Holy Father says: "The first pages of the Bible describe the luxuriant abundance of the created world and they affirm that everything that man could need has been given to him in order to lead a life that is worthy of a creature made in the image and likeness of God. It is not therefore possible that in the world millions of persons are malnourished or starving. The earth is able to give them what they need, therefore the cause of the lack of food must be sought elsewhere."

"Your conference," the Message states, "wants to commit itself to being a sign of hope for the world, showing that there are people determined to practice a responsible and inventive administration, aimed at guaranteeing 'food security' for every member of the human family. Such determination is based on the recognition of the fact that every human being has the inviolable right to have correct nourishment and that all men, especially those in positions of leadership, consequently have the duty to assure that this right is respected."

John Paul II writes: "Among the initiatives I would especially like to encourage is the decision made by the richest nations to dedicate part of their gross national product to the development of the poorest countries and to make every possible effort to reduce the weight of their external debt."

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ANGELUS: SOLEMNITY OF ALL SAINTS

VATICAN CITY, NOV 1, 2001 (VIS) - Today at noon, Pope John Paul appeared at his study window overlooking St. Peter's Square to pray the Angelus with the pilgrims gathered below. Before the prayer, he reflected on the solemnity of All Saints, and said that as we celebrate this occasion today "we remember all those who gave witness to Christ during their earthly life, making efforts to put His teachings into practice."

"We rejoice with these our brothers and sisters who preceded us ... in the glories of heaven, enjoying the well-deserved prize," said the Pope. "They knew how to go against the current, welcoming the 'Sermon on the Mount' as an inspirational norm for their lives: poverty of spirit and simplicity of life; meekness and non-violence; repentance for their own sins and expiation for the sins of others; hunger and thirst for justice; mercy and compassion; purity of heart; a commitment to peace; sacrifice for justice."

The Holy Father added that "Every Christian is called to holiness, that is, to live the Beatitudes. As examples for everyone the Church points to these brothers and sisters who distinguished themselves through their virtue and who were instruments of divine grace."

He also pointed out that tomorrow the Church celebrates All Souls Day, "A day of prayer and profound reflection on the mystery of life and death."

In remarks following the Angelus, John Paul II announced: "This evening I will go down to the Vatican Grottoes to pray at the tombs of my predecessors who are buried there. Spiritually I will be making a pilgrimage of all cemeteries in the world where those who preceded us sleep in the sign of faith and await the day of resurrection."

"In particular," he concluded, "I will pray for the repose of the souls of the many victims of violence, above all in recent times, as I will also remember in a special way those who sacrificed their lives to be faithful to Christ right up to the end."

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POPE BEATIFIES EIGHT SERVANTS OF GOD FROM FOUR COUNTRIES

VATICAN CITY, NOV 4, 2001 (VIS) - At 10 this morning, the Pope celebrated the Eucharist in St. Peter's Square and beatified Servants of God: Pavol Peter Gojdic (1888-1960), Metod Dominik Trcka (1886-1959), Giovanni Antonio Farina (1803-1888), Bartolomeu Fernandes dos Martires (1514-1590), Luigi Tezza (1841-1923), Paolo Manna (1872-1952), Gaetana Sterni (1827-1889), and Maria Pilar Izquierdo Albero (1906-1945).

In his homily, the Holy Father said that the Slovak bishop Pavol Peter Gojdic, of the Basilian Order of St. Josaphat, "after the communist regime made the Greek-Catholic Church illegal, was arrested and imprisoned. Thus he began a long calvary of suffering, mistreatment and humiliations, leading to his death for his faith in Christ and for his love for the Church and the Pope."

The Slovak priest Metod Dominik Trcka, he said, "placed his entire existence at the service of the Gospel and the salvation of his brethren, arriving at the supreme sacrifice of his life. ... With the advent of the communist regime, he, as his other Redemptorist brothers, was taken to a concentration camp" and, "due to hardships and sickness, died after having forgiven his persecutors."

Giovanni Antonio Farina, Italian bishop, founder of the Teaching Sisters of St. Dorothy, Daughters of the Sacred Hearts, "was characterized by a vast apostolic activity, constantly directed to the doctrinal and spiritual formation of the clergy and the faithful. ... In all of the pages of his writings emerges a lively vision of the person of Jesus, center of the life and raison d'etre of the mission."

Of Luigi Tezza, Italian priest of the Order of Clerics Regular, Ministers of the Sick, and founder of the Daughters of St. Camillus, John Paul II emphasized the "shining example of an existence entirely offered up to the exercise of charity and mercy towards those who suffer in body and in spirit."
"Blessed Gaetana Sterni, having understood that the will of God is always love, also dedicated herself with indefatigable charity to the excluded and the suffering."

The archbishop of Braga, Portugal, Bartolomeu Fernandes dos Martires, of the Order of Preachers, "dedicated himself with great solicitude and apostolic zeal to the safeguarding and renewal of the Church."

In conclusion the Pope affirmed that the "brief life, only 39 years," of Spanish Blessed Maria Pilar Izquierdo Albero, virgin, foundress of the Missionary Work of Jesus and Mary, "can be summarized by affirming that she wished to praise God, offering Him her love and her sacrifice." He added the hope that her example "of self-denial and of generosity help others to commit themselves ever more to the service of the needy."

At the end of the Mass and before the recitation of the Angelus, the Holy Father thanked Cardinal Bernardin Gantin, dean of the College of Cardinals, for the best wishes offered at the beginning of the Mass in the name of everyone present in honor of his name day, the memorial of St. Charles Borromeo. "I gladly take this occasion to thank also all those who offered me their best wishes for my name day, and I return them from my heart with prayer, which I raise in a special way for all of those who share the name of the great Bishop of Milan."

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, NOV 3, 2001 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed:
- Bishop Jorge Leonardo Gomez Serna, O.P., of Socorro y San Gil, as bishop of Magangue (area 20,165, population 500,000, Catholics 460,000, priests 32, religious 64), Colombia.

- Archbishop Antonio Moreno Casamitjana of Concepcion, Chile, as a member of the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of Sacraments.

- Fr. Alvaro Corcuera Martinez del Rio, L.C., as a consultor of the Congregation for Bishops.

- Bishop Joseph Anthony Galante, coadjutor of Dallas, U.S.A., and Msgr. Francis Maniscalco, communications secretary of the United States Catholic Bishops' Conference (USCCB), respectively as member and consultor of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications.

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HINDUS AND CHRISTIANS: EDUCATE YOUR COMMUNITIES TO DIALOGUE

VATICAN CITY, NOV 3, 2001 (VIS) - Made public today was the annual message of Cardinal Francis Arinze, president of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue, addressed to Hindus on the occasion of the Feast of Diwali, which symbolizes the victory of light over darkness, of good over evil.

The theme of the message, published in English, French, and Italian, is: "Hindus and Christians: educating their respective communities to dialogue." Cardinal Arinze writes that "Mutual respect and esteem for our respective religious traditions lead to a greater awareness of our responsibility to cooperate in promoting social peace and harmony. War and violence waged in the name of religion are contrary to the true spirit of religion and can endanger its very existence. Education for dialogue, greater communication and practical cooperation will contribute to overcoming the causes of violence and to promoting a spirit of mutual understanding and respect. I propose that we intensify our efforts to foster relations and promote dialogue between our communities."

"Education and training in promoting better relations between the followers of religions is an urgent priority. Growing awareness of religious pluralism should not lead to indifference. Dialogue," the Cardinal added, "while respecting the religious traditions of others, requires us to be firmly rooted in our own religious tradition and to acknowledge the objective differences between religions."

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OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY BASILICA IN LOURDES CELEBRATES 100 YEARS

VATICAN CITY, NOV 5, 2001 (VIS) - Made public today was a Letter from Pope John Paul to Cardinal Louis-Marie Bille, archbishop of Lyon and president of the French Episcopal Conference, on the occasion of the centennial celebrations of Our Lady of the Rosary Basilica in Lourdes in October. The Letter was dated October 7.

The Pope recalls that "On October 6, 1901, my predecessor, Pope Leo XIII invited all the bishops of the world to share in his joy at the consecration of this church dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary, congratulating them on the occasion offered to Christians to examine more closely the significance of the ancient and venerable practice of this prayer to the Mother of God."

"A living parable of stone and light," he adds, "this basilica unfolds before the eyes of pilgrims the fifteen mysteries of the life of Christ, also revealing the profound sense of the rosary."

The Holy Father concludes: "As St. Louis-Marie Grignion de Montfort used to say, it is impossible 'for a person to acquire intimate union with Our Lord and a perfect fidelity to the Holy Spirit without great union with the Most Holy Virgin'. Thus, I greatly encourage the faithful to grow in the knowledge of the mysteries of Christ by meditating on the rosary, allowing it to purify and enlighten their souls in order to become, in Mary's footsteps, true disciples of the Lord and to conform their lives to the Passion and Resurrection of the Savior."

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AUDIENCE FOR PILGRIMS WHO ATTENDED BEATIFICATIONS

VATICAN CITY, NOV 5, 2001 (VIS) - John Paul II received this morning in St. Peter's Square the pilgrims who participated yesterday in the beatification of Servants of God Pavol Peter Gojdic, Metod Dominik Trcka, Giovanni Antonio Farina, Bartolomeu Fernandes dos Martires, Luigi Tezza, Paolo Manna, Gaetana Sterni, and Maria Pilar Izquierdo Albero.

The Holy Father said that the teachings and testimonies of charity of the eight new Blesseds - two Slovakians, four Italians, one Portuguese, and one Spanish - "should urge us to find the faith and courage to follow the difficult and exalting journey towards sanctity, 'high standard of ordinary Christian living'."

"We address our prayer to the Lord," John Paul II concluded, "to implore for us as well the same faith, the same courage and the same dedication which made these eight new Blesseds great."

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, NOV 5, 2001 (VIS) - The Holy Father received today in audience Rudolf Schuster, president of the Slovak Republic, accompanied by his wife and an entourage.

On Saturday, November 3, he received in separate audiences:

- Archbishop Manuel Monteiro de Castro, apostolic nuncio in Spain and the Principality of Andorra.
- Archbishop Anthony Soter Fernandez of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on the occasion of his "ad limina" visit; with Auxiliary Bishop Murphy Nicholas Xavier Pakiam.
- Archbishop Nicholas Chia of Singapore, on the occasion of his "ad limina" visit.
- Bishop James Chan Soon Cheong of Melaka-Johor, Malaysia, on the occasion of his "ad limina" visit.
- Participants in the European pilgrimage promoted by the "Schutzen" Association.
- Cardinals Opilio Rossi, Giuseppe Caprio, Antonio Innocenti, Paul Augustin Mayer, Alfons Maria Stickler, Angelo Felici, Giovanni Canestri, Antonio Maria Javierre Ortas, Jose T. Sanchez, Fiorenzo Angelini and Luigi Poggi.

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