POPE WELCOMES ANGLICAN-ROMAN CATHOLIC WORKING GROUP

VATICAN CITY, NOV 24, 2001 (VIS) - Pope John Paul this morning welcomed members of the new Anglican-Roman Catholic Working Group, who are in Rome for their inaugural meeting. He told the bishops, who had met in London with Archbishop Carey of Canterbury, that "We cannot but praise the God of all mercies for the many genuine advances of ecumenism."

Reviewing the history of Anglican-Catholic dialogue, he recalled the 1966 meeting between Paul VI and Archbishop Ramsey that led to the first Anglican and Roman Catholic International Commission (ARCIC). He spoke of his own visit in 1982 to Canterbury when he and Archbishop Runcie established the second ARCIC, and of the 1996 meeting between himself and Archbishop Carey when they issued a Common Declaration. "That Declaration," he stated, "foreshadowed last year's International Meeting of Anglican and Catholic Bishops in Mississauga, Canada, were it was decided to establish the new Working Group."

The Pope told the bishops they "are especially well qualified to consider the next practical steps which might be taken not only to consolidate the gains already made but also to lead us to new depths of communion on the way to that fullness of unity which is the will of Christ. ... It is clear that disunity has impaired our mission in the world. In these troubled times, the world needs more than ever the common witness of Christians in every area, from the defense of human life and dignity to the promotion of justice and peace."

"When discouragement threatens or new difficulties arise," he declared, "we need to focus once more upon the Spirit's power to do what seems to us impossible. At times of apparent pause we must wait for the Holy Spirit to do what we ourselves cannot do."

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MESSAGE FOR WORLD DAY OF PRAYER FOR VOCATIONS

VATICAN CITY, NOV 24, 2001 (VIS) - Made public today was the Holy Father's Message for the 39th World Day of Prayer for Vocations, which will be celebrated on April 21, 2002, the fourth Sunday of Easter, on the theme "The vocation to holiness." This annual Message was published in English, French, Spanish, Italian, German, and Portuguese. Below we offer extracts from the text:

"The main task of the Church is to lead Christians along the path of holiness, so that, illuminated by the intelligence of faith, they may learn to know and contemplate Christ's face and to rediscover in Him their own authentic identity and the mission that the Lord entrusts to each of them."

"Since the Christian Community is the place where all the various vocations raised up by the Lord express themselves, in the context of the World Day of Prayer ... the Third Continental Congress for vocations to ordained ministry and to consecrated life in North America will be held."

"Every vocation in the Church is at the service of holiness. Some however, such as the vocations to ordained ministry and consecrated life, are at the service of holiness in a thoroughly unique manner. It is to these vocations that I invite everyone to pay particular attention today, by intensifying their prayers for them."

"The small number of candidates to the priesthood and consecrated life reported in some situations today, must not lead us to expect less and settle for a mediocre formation and spirituality. Rather, it should urge greater attention to the selection and the formation of those who, once constituted ministers and witnesses of Christ, will be called upon to confirm with holiness of life, what they announce and celebrate.

"It is necessary to adopt all means to ensure that vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life, essential for the life and holiness of God's People, are continuously at the center of spirituality, of pastoral action and of the prayer of the faithful.

"May Bishops and priests be, first of all, witnesses to the holiness of the ministry they have received as gift. ... May consecrated men and women ... show that their existence is firmly rooted in Christ. ... Let us not forget that the strength of every vocation lies in the love for contemplation, in the joy of serving others, in chastity lived for the Kingdom of Heaven and in the generous devotion to one's own ministry!

"Families are called to play a decisive role for the future of vocations in the Church. The holiness of marital love, the harmony of family life, the spirit of faith with which the problems of daily life are confronted, openness towards others, especially towards the poorest, and participation in the life of the Christian community form the proper environment for their children to listen to the divine call and make a generous response."

"May the Lord of the harvest provide many holy priestly and religious vocations for His Church! Holy Father, look upon this humanity of ours, that is taking its first steps along the path of the Third Millennium. Its life is still deeply marked by hatred, violence and oppression, but the thirst for justice, truth and grace still finds a space in the hearts of many people, who are waiting for someone to bring salvation, enacted by You through Your Son Jesus."

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, NOV 24, 2001 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Entrusted the charge of pontifical legate for the solemn dedication of the new cathedral church of Tirana, Albania, to Cardinal Angelo Sodano, secretary of state. The sacred rite will take place on January 26, 2002.

- Appointed as consultors of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue: Msgr. Joseph Dinh Duc Dao, Vietnamese, of the International Center of Missionary Activity, Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples; Fr. Marco Gnavi, secretary of the Commission for Ecumenism and Inter-religious Dialogue of the Vicariate of Rome; Fr. Pierre Masri, professor at the University of Balamand, Lebanon; Fr. Louis Sako, of the Chaldean rite, pastor of Mossul of the Chaldeans, Iraq; Fr. Hanna Kildani, of the Latin patriarchate of Jerusalem, pastor of Fuhais, Jordan; Fr. Angelo Amato, S.D.B., professor at the Pontifical Salesian University, Rome; Fr. Giovanni Bosco Masayuki Shirieda, S.D.B., former under-secretary of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue; Fr. Michel Fedou, S.J., professor at the Centre Sevres, Paris; Fr. Ignatius Ismartono, S.J., secretary of the Commission for Inter-religious Dialogue, Episcopal Conference of Indonesia; Fr. S. Michael S.V.D., director of the Center for Indian Culture and Inter-religious Dialogue, Bombay, India; Fr. Kieran O'Reilly, superior general of the Society of African Missions, Rome; Fr. Pietro Sonoda, O.F.M. Conv., provincial superior, Buddhism expert, Japan; Sr. Bruno M. Colin, O.S.B., president of Inter-religious Monastic Dialogue, Belgium; Sr. Lorraine Delaney, superior general of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Chambery, Rome; Sr. Catherine Jarra, of the Sisters of St. Joseph of Cluny, counsellor of the Project for Christian Muslim Relations in Africa, Banjul, Gambia; Sr. Teresa Seow, Canossian, member of the Inter-religious Organization, Singapore; Dr. Julius Lipner, professor at Cambridge University, Great Britain; Dr. Jean-Paul Messina, professor of Church History and Inter-religious Dialogue, Catholic University of Yaounde, secretary of the Commission for Ecumenism and Inter-religious Dialogue, National Episcopal Conference of Camerun; Dr. Donna Orsuto, professor at the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome.

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CHARITY TRANSLATED INTO EDUCATION TO PEACE

VATICAN CITY, NOV 24, 2001 (VIS) - John Paul II received this morning in the Vatican Basilica the participants in an encounter promoted by Italian Caritas, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary, and in a conference promoted by the Pontifical Council for the Family.

The Pope expressed his desire that the work of Caritas in the parishes be spread and multiplied, and that charity grow and be "translated into education to inter-cultural dialogue, to global vision, to peace, striving to effectively affect the territory."

"A globalized charitable action," he said, "is needed, which supports the development of the 'little ones' of the earth. If you are close to every situation of poverty, beginning with the recurring national and international emergencies, you can ensure that the poor feel, in every community, at 'home'. ... This involves educating not only individual believers, but the entire community to become together 'subject of charity', ready to be the neighbor of those in need."

The Holy Father also briefly greeted the participants in the conference organized by the Pontifical Council for the Family on the theme "'Familiaris Consortio' in its 20th year: anthropological and pastoral dimensions." This conference closes today. The Pope expressed the desire that "the reflections which have emerged in the course of the work contribute to illuminating consciences on the importance of the family and on its mission in our time."

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SANCTITY: LIVING ORDINARY THINGS IN AN EXTRAORDINARY WAY

VATICAN CITY, NOV 26, 2001 (VIS) - This morning John Paul II received the pilgrims who participated in yesterday's canonization of Blesseds Giuseppe Marello, Paula Montal Fornes de San Jose de Calasanz, Leonie Francoise de Sales Aviat, and Maria Crescentia Hoss.

In his speech, the Pope recalled that only eight years have passed since the beatification of Giuseppe Marello, bishop, founder of the Congregation of the Oblates of St. Joseph. "A further miraculous sign - the healing of two children in Peru - permitted the earthly crowning of his journey of sanctity."

"In the concrete circumstances of her time, which was never easy," the Pope continued, referring to St. Paula Montal Fornes de San Jose de Calasanz, virgin, foundress of the Institute of the Daughters of Mary, religious of the Pious Schools, "she perceived the role of the woman in the family and society and dedicated herself to an ideal: the human and Christian education of the woman."

Addressing the professors and educators, Daughters of St. Leonie de Sales Aviat, virgin, foundress of the Congregation of the Sisters Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, the Holy Father exhorted them, through their work, to give to youth "the human and Christian values necessary for their maturation, through an integral formation and the witness of your life."

Maria Crescentia Hoss, virgin, nun of the Third Order of St. Francis, "already in her time, was a support for others, and advised them to have recourse to the Holy Spirit, from whom we and the Church have received and continue to receive important graces."

The Holy Father concluded by emphasizing that sanctity "does not consist in achieving exceptional undertakings, but in living ordinary things in an extraordinary way, that is to say, with all the love possible."

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ANGELUS: PRAY TIRELESSLY FOR THE GIFT OF PEACE

VATICAN CITY, NOV 26, 2001 (VIS) - After celebrating Mass this morning in St. Peter's Basilica, during which he canonized four Blesseds, Pope John Paul appeared at his study window to recite the noon Angelus with the pilgrims gathered in the square.

He reflected on today's Solemnity of Christ the King, saying that "The Church invites us to contemplate the kingliness of the Redeemer, which emerges with particular eloquence in the lives of saints. This morning, in the basilica, I had the joy of proclaiming four new ones. ... Their witness shows that the Crucified One truly 'lives and reigns forever and ever'. Yes, He is 'the living one', 'the Lord', and reigns in the lives of men and women of every place and time, who freely welcome Him and faithfully follow Him."

The Holy Father added that, "Measured by the criteria of the world, the kingliness of Christ seems, so to speak, paradoxical. The power that He exercises, in fact, isn't part of earthly logic. It is, on the contrary, the power of love and service, which calls for the free gift of oneself and a coherent witness to truth."

In closing reflections, John Paul II told the faithful: "We must pray tirelessly to obtain the great gift of peace, a gift that mankind needs so very much. We will invoke this gift with trust, even with the two initiatives I announced last Sunday: the day of fasting in December and the prayer encounter in Assisi in January with the representatives of the world's religions. May Mary, Queen of Peace, intercede for us before her Son, immortal King and Lord of peace."

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JOHN PAUL II CANONIZES FOUR BLESSEDS FROM EUROPE

VATICAN CITY, NOV 25, 2001 (VIS) - Today, solemnity of Christ the King, the Pope celebrated Mass in St. Peter's Basilica and canonized Blesseds Giuseppe Marello (1844-1895), Paula Montal Fornes de San Jose de Calasanz (1799-1889), Leonie Francoise de Sales Aviat (1844-1914) and Maria Crescentia Hoss (1682-1744).

Speaking of St. Giuseppe Marello, Italian bishop, founder of the Congregation of the Oblates of St. Joseph, the Holy Father emphasized the "fullness of grace, inspired in him by intense devotion to Mary Most Holy; fullness of the priesthood, which God conferred upon him as both gift and commitment; fullness of sanctity, which he attained by conforming himself to Christ, the Good Shepherd. ... From St. Joseph he was strongly attracted to hidden service, nourished by a profound interior life. He instilled this style in the Oblates of St. Joseph."

The Spaniard, St. Paula Montal Fornes de San Jose de Calasanz, virgin, foundress of the Institute of the Daughters of Mary, religious of the Pious Schools, was committed, the Pope said, "to diverse apostolic activities and entered, with prayer and with sincere piety, into the mysteries of God; subsequently as foundress of a religious family, she dedicated herself to the promotion of the woman and the family." Her message "is always current and her educational charism is a source of inspiration in the formation of the generations of the third Christian millennium."

St. Leonie Francoise de Sales Aviat, virgin, French, foundress of the Sisters Oblates of St. Francis de Sales, "at the center of her commitment and her apostolate, placed prayer and union with God, from which she drew light and strength to overcome trials and difficulties, and until the end of her life persevered in this journey of faith. ... The resolution which so well characterized Mother Aviat, 'to forget myself entirely', is also for us a call to go against the current with respect to egoism and easy pleasures, and to open ourselves to the social and spiritual necessities of our time."

Referring, in conclusion, to St. Maria Cresentia Hoss, virgin, German, nun of the Third Order of St. Francis, the Pope highlighted her "capacity to confront - in the name of the Gospel - the great difficulties of her time. This saint had to bear sorrows and suffer the pressures which marked her epoch. She endured intrigues in her own community, without doubting her vocation."

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25TH ANNIVERSARY OF INTERDENOMINATIONAL BIBLE TRANSLATION

VATICAN CITY, NOV 26, 2001 (VIS) - This morning, in the Room of Popes, John Paul II welcomed leaders of the Universal Biblical Alliance, representatives of editors and members of Italian Churches and ecclesial communities on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the publication of the volume "The Lord's Word, the New Testament, Interdenominational Translation in Common Language."

"This important Biblical and ecumenical initiative," he said, "has reached praiseworthy goals, which went well beyond the hopes of those who conceived it and started out twenty-five years ago. The publication of an interdenominational translation in common parlance is an initiative of major ecumenical importance enacted in Italy."

The Pope then underscored how "The work of a translator is always a difficult art." He added that "A good translation is based on three pillars that must contemporaneously support the entire work. First, there must be a deep knowledge of the language and the cultural world at the point of origin. Next, there must be a good familiarity with the language and cultural context at the point where the work will arrive. Lastly, to crown the work with success, there must be an adequate mastery of the contents and meaning of what one is translating."

"You wished to make the text comprehensible to modern readers, using words and forms of everyday language," the Holy Father said. "I recall that it was precisely this translation of the Bible that was used during World Youth Day in Rome in August of 2000."

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, NOV 26, 2001 (VIS) - The Holy Father received today in separate audiences:

- Three prelates of the Episcopal Conference of Costa Rica, on the occasion of their "ad limina" visit:
- Archbishop Roman Arrieta Villalobos of San Jose de Costa Rica, with Auxiliary Bishop Antonio Troyo Calderon.
- Bishop Ignacio Nazareno Trejos Picado of San Isidro de El General.
- Cardinal Eugenio de Araujo Sales, archbishop emeritus of Sao Sebastiao do Rio de Janeiro.

On Saturday, November 24, he received in separate audiences:

- Two prelates of the Episcopal Conference of El Salvador, on the occasion of their "ad limina" visit:
- Bishop Elias Samuel Bolanos Avelar of Zacatecoluca.
- Fr. Luis Morao, O.F.M., apostolic administrator "ad nutum Sanctae Sedis" of the military order of El Salvador.
- Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.
- Cardinal Bernard Francis Law, archbishop of Boston.

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HOLY SEE CONDEMNS IN VITRO CLONING OF HUMAN EMBRYO

VATICAN CITY, NOV 26, 2001 (VIS) - In response to the article published by the researchers of Advanced Cell Technology in "The Journal of Regenerative Medicine" that announced the in vitro production of a human embryo, the Holy See Press Office released a communique this afternoon that states, in part: "The (Journal) article shows in all its dramatic nature the gravity of the event that has been realized: the in vitro production of a human embryo, as a matter of fact, several embryos, that have been developed, respectively, to the stage of two, four and six cells."

"Notwithstanding the declared 'humanistic' intentions of those who announce amazing healings through this method," the communique affirms, "a calm but firm evaluation is necessary that will show the moral gravity of this project and motivate its unequivocal condemnation."

The communique in its entirety will be published tomorrow.

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