POPE JOHN PAUL'S CALENDAR FROM DECEMBER TO JANUARY

VATICAN CITY, DEC 7, 2001 (VIS) - The Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff has made public the calendar of celebrations over which the Holy Father will preside from December 8, 2001 to January 24, 2002:

DECEMBER

- Saturday 8, Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception: Homage to Mary Immaculate, at 4 p.m., in Piazza di Spagna. Veneration of the Mother of God "Salus Populi Romani" at 4:30 p.m., in St. Mary Major Basilica.

- Tuesday, 11: Mass for the students of the Roman Universities, at 5:30 p.m., in St. Peter's Basilica.

- Sunday 16, Third Sunday of Advent: Pastoral visit and Mass at the Roman parish of St. Maria Josefa of the Heart of Jesus, at 9:30 a.m.

- Monday 24, Christmas Eve: Midnight Mass, 12 p.m., in St. Peter's Basilica.

- Tuesday 25, Christmas: "Urbi et Orbi" Blessing, central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, at 12 noon.

- Monday 31: Vespers and "Te Deum" of Thanksgiving, at 6 p.m., in St. Peter's Basilica.

JANUARY

- Tuesday 1, Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, 35th World Day of Peace: Mass, at 10 a.m., in St. Peter's Basilica.

- Sunday 6, Epiphany of the Lord: Episcopal Ordinations, at 9 a.m., in the Papal Chapel of St. Peter's Basilica.

- Sunday 13, Epiphany, Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, Mass and children's baptisms, at 10 a.m., in the Sistine Chapel.

- Thursday 24: Day of Prayer for Peace in the World, at 11 a.m., in Assisi.

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TURKEY: DIALOGUE BETWEEN ISLAM AND CHRISTIANITY

VATICAN CITY, DEC 7, 2001 (VIS) - John Paul II today received the Letters of Credence of Filiz Dincmen, the new Turkish ambassador to the Holy See.

Speaking English in his address, the Pope said that after a millennium of not always untroubled relations between Turkey and the Holy See, "the twentieth century saw fresh attempts to build a constructive relationship, based upon trust and respect."

"Recent events make it clear that such cooperation is all the more necessary when new conflicts, of which there are not a few in your region, are added to older ones. At a time when there is a risk of increasing tension between different cultural and religious traditions, your country has a particular role to play."

The Holy Father stressed that "when the cause of peace must be served by promoting dialogue between the religious cultures of the world, in particular between Islam and Christianity, the international community looks hopefully to your nation."

The Pope recalled that certain rights "are universal because they are rooted in the nature of the human person rather than in the particularities of any culture," and said that one of these rights "is religious freedom, which includes but goes beyond freedom to worship as one chooses; for religion cannot be relegated to the purely private realm. In a secular state which is open to the transcendent, religious freedom also includes the right to bring personal values to bear upon public life, in the belief that these values contribute to the common effort to build a society genuinely open to every dimension of the human person.

"In Turkey," he affirmed, "Catholics are a small minority. ... They are confident that in their homeland they will continue to find respect for minorities. ... This too is a point where Turkey can serve as a bridge, by making clear that justifiable concerns for national unity are not in conflict with respect for the rights of individuals and minorities. On the contrary, it is this respect, sanctioned by law, which is the surest guarantee of a nation's cohesion and security."

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POPE TO PARTICIPATE IN ADVENT SERMONS

VATICAN CITY, DEC 7, 2001 (VIS) - This morning John Paul II and several prelates of the Roman Curia took part in the first of the three sermons of the Fridays of Advent in the "Redemptoris Mater" chapel, in the Vatican. The theme of the Advent meditations, led by Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, O.F.M.Cap., preacher of the Papal Household, is "You also must be ready."

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IN MEMORIAM

VATICAN CITY, DEC 7, 2001 (VIS) - The following prelates died in recent weeks:

- Archbishop Lajos Kada, apostolic nuncio, on November 26 at the age of 77.
- Bishop Luigi Scuppa of Fabriano-Matelica, Italy, on November 26 at the age of 74.

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, DEC 7, 2001 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Erected the apostolic prefecture of Quetta (area 347,000, population 5,000,000, Catholics 27,000, priests 8, religious 12), Pakistan, with territory taken from the archdiocese of Karachi and the diocese of Hyderabad. He appointed Fr. Victor Gnanapragasam O.M.I., superior of the O.M.I. delegation in Pakistan, as the first apostolic prefect of the new prefecture.

- Appointed Msgr. Claudio Gugerotti, under-secretary of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, as apostolic nuncio in Georgia and Armenia, at the same time elevating him to the dignity of archbishop. The archbishop-elect was born in Verona, Italy, in 1955 and ordained a priest in 1982.

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, DEC 7, 2001 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

- Five prelates of the Synod of Bishops of the Chaldean Church, on the occasion of their "ad limina" visit:
- Archbishop Paul Karatas of Diarbekir of the Chaldeans, Turkey.
- Archbishop Djibrail Kassab of Bassorah of the Chaldeans, Iraq.
- Archbishop Yacoub Denha Scher of Arbil of the Chaldeans, Iraq.
- Bishop Abdul-Ahad Sana of Alquoch of the Chaldeans, Iraq.
- Hanna Kello, bishop of Amadiyah of the Chaldeans, Iraq, and patriarchal administrator of Zaku of the Chaldeans, Iraq. - Alain Dejammet, ambassador of France, on a farewell visit.

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