HOLY SEE-ALBANIA ACCORD: REGULATION OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS

VATICAN CITY, MAR 26, 2002 (VIS) - On March 23, the "accord between the Holy See and the Republic of Albania regarding the regulation of reciprocal relations" was signed in Tirana. Archbishop Giovanni Bulaitis, apostolic nuncio in Albania, signed for the Holy See, and Prime Minister Pandeli Majko signed for the Republic of Albania.

According to a communique published yesterday afternoon, Archbishop Bulaitis "expressed the keen satisfaction of the Holy See and the local Church upon the signing of the accord which can be considered a historical event in the context of Albania's recent history. Prime Minister Majko thanked the Holy See and the local Church for its special and constant concern for the country and expressed his desire that the accord strengthen greatly the ties between Albania and the Holy See."

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DIGNITY OF THE HUMAN PERSON, A KEY VALUE FOR DEVELOPMENT

VATICAN CITY, MAR 26, 2002 (VIS) - Made public today was the speech given on March 21 by Archbishop Renato Martino, Holy See permanent observer to the United Nations, during the International Conference on Financing for Development that was held March 18-22 in Monterrey, Mexico.

The archbishop noted that this conference aimed at "finding realistic and workable ways to address the elimination of poverty and the advancement of the human family." He stressed throughout his talk that "development is first and foremost a question of people. Human beings are at the center of our concerns for sustainable development."

"Too many families in today's world," he stated, "are forced to be concerned with survival and do not have the luxury of participating as actors in their development; too many people are forced to migrate, too many people continue to be burdened by absolute poverty and live in countries where debt burdens make it impossible to gain access to basic social services. In this perspective, financing for development must touch all aspects of life, the individual, the family, the community and the world."

Archbishop Martino pointed out that "the Holy See has constantly shown its concern for the social and economic development of the world's people and the means to achieve that development. ... The Holy See strongly believes that any effort in favor of development must analyze the moral ramifications of economic activity and its financing in light of a comprehensive vision of the human person. ... Human dignity must be the central value for the financing of development."

"Too many people," he concluded, "live lives without hope, with little opportunity toward realizing a better future for themselves, their children and future generations. ... The Family of Nations cannot allow one more day to pass wherein a real attempt to meet goals and make measurable progress toward the eradication of poverty are not pursued with all of the energy and resolve that it can muster."

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JOHN PAUL II'S PONTIFICATE, THE SIXTH LONGEST IN HISTORY

VATICAN CITY, MAR 26, 2002 (VIS) - On Friday, March 29, Pope John Paul's pontificate will become the sixth longest in the history of the Church, including that of St. Peter. John Paul II is the 264th Roman Pontiff. He was elected on October 16, 1978 and his pontificate officially began on October 22. On March 29, he will have reigned one day longer than Pope Pius VII (23 years, 5 months and 6 days, according to the Vatican yearbook).

Only five Popes, including St. Peter, have reigned longer than the Holy Father. In ascending order, they are: Adrian I (23 years, 10 months, 24 days); Pius VI (24 years, 6 months, 7 days); Leo XIII (25 years, 5 months); Pius IX (31 years, 7 months, 21 days) and St. Peter (unknown dates).

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, MAR 26, 2002 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Msgr. Ivo Scapolo, nunciature counsellor, as apostolic nuncio in Bolivia, at the same time elevating him to the dignity of archbishop. The archbishop-elect was born in Terrassa, Italy in 1953 and was ordained a priest in 1978.

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