REGINA COELI: PRAY FOR END TO THE PITILESS LOGIC OF ARMS

VATICAN CITY, APR 7, 2002 (VIS) - Today, second Sunday of Easter and Divine Mercy Sunday, Pope John Paul dedicated lengthy remarks to the Mideast situation as he prepared to pray the Regina Coeli with tens of thousands of faithful who had gathered for the noon prayer in St. Peter's Square. Last week the Pope had called on the universal Church to dedicate this Sunday to a Day of Prayer for Peace in the Middle East.

"'Peace to you!'" began the Pope. "This was how Jesus addressed the apostles in the Gospel of this Sunday that ends the Easter octave. It is a greeting that, in these hours, has an especially deep echo in our souls in the face of the worrisome continuation of clashes in the Holy Land. Precisely for this reason I have asked the sons and daughters of the Church to unite today in a single and insistent prayer for peace.

"Peace is a gift of God. The Creator Himself wrote in the hearts of men the law of respect for life: 'Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed; for God made man in His own image'. When the pitiless logic of arms dominates all around, only God can lead hearts to thoughts of peace. Only He can give the energy necessary for man to be freed from hatred and the thirst for vengeance and to undertake the path of negotiation with a view to an accord and peace.

"How can it be forgotten that Israelis and Palestinians, following the example of Abraham, believe in one God? It is to Him, Whom Jesus revealed to us as the merciful Father, that today rises the chorus of prayers by Christians, who repeat with Francis of Assisi: 'Lord make me an instrument of peace'.

"My thoughts," said John Paul II, "go especially in this moment to the Franciscan community, the Greek Orthodox and the Armenian Orthodox who are living through very difficult hours in the basilica of the Nativity. I assure all of them of my constant prayer."

Before praying the Regina Coeli, the Holy Father dedicated closing remarks to today's celebration of Divine Mercy Sunday and to tomorrow's liturgical celebration of the Annunciation of Mary."

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, APR 6, 2002 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Bunia in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, presented by Bishop Leonard Dhejju, in accordance with canon 401, para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law.

- Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Ferns in Ireland presented by Bishop Brendan Oliver Comiskey SS.CC., in accordance with canon 401, para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law.

- Appointed Fr. Buenaventura M. Famadico, vicar delegate of the apostolic vicariate of Calapan, as auxiliary of the archdiocese of Lipa (area 3,165, population 1,905,348, Catholics 1,804,640, priests 144, religious 301), the Phillipines. The bishop-elect was ordained a priest in 1983. The Holy Father also accepted the resignation from the office of auxiliary of the same archdiocese, presented by Bishop Salvador Q. Quizon, upon having reached the age limit.

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POPE GREETS YOUNG PEOPLE FROM DIOCESE OF ROUEN

VATICAN CITY, APR 6, 2002 (VIS) - The Holy Father this morning welcomed a group of young people from the diocese of Rouen in France, accompanied on their Easter pilgrimage by Archbishop Joseph Duval, priests, seminarians, religious and lay people. A number of the youth will receive the sacrament of Confirmation during their Rome sojourn.

"During your days in Rome," he observed, "you have been able to discover the life of the Christian communities of the first centuries" as well as "getting to know Sts. Peter and Paul, pillars of the Church. Following their example, when you return home, learn how to listen regularly to the Word of God that changes hearts and inspires missionary courage! Dare to take time to contemplate, in the secret of prayer, the face of the One Who gave His life for His friends and Who invites you to do likewise!"

The Holy Father said that "the light of the Risen One will help you to remove the heavy stones of egoism, violence, easy pleasure and despair that too often close the hearts of so many young people, favoring neither the stable building of an interior life nor an authentic commitment to promoting peace, justice and solidarity."

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HOLY SEE'S "EXTREME APPREHENSION" ON BETHLEHEM SITUATION

VATICAN CITY, APR 8, 2002 (VIS) - Holy See Press Office Director Joaquin Navarro-Valls issued the following statement early this afternoon on the situation in Bethlehem and the Mideast:

"The Holy See is following with extreme apprehension the situation in Bethlehem and is seeking to verify the most recent events.

"The secretary for Relations with States, Archbishop Jean-Louis Tauran, and the apostolic nuncio in Israel, Archbishop Pietro Sambi, have had contacts with the authorities in Israel to reiterate that the Holy See considers respect for the 'status quo' of the Holy Places to be an absolute priority. All the more so, since about 200 men - several armed - have been staying inside the Basilica of the Nativity, thus constituting a precedent without parallel in the centuries-old history of the Christian Holy Places.

"In addition it must be remembered that the Fundamental Accord of 1993 between the Holy See and the State of Israel, as well as the Basic Accord of 2000 with the Palestinian Authority, include articles that ratify respect of the 'status quo' of the Holy Places.

"If the information coming from Bethlehem in these last hours should be confirmed, it would be a question of a development that would aggravate an already dramatic situation."

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WITH THE LORD'S HELP WE WILL OVERCOME CURRENT CHALLENGES

VATICAN CITY, APR 8, 2002 (VIS) - The Pope received in audience this morning members of the Papal Foundation, whose headquarters are in the United States, who have come to Rome on their annual pilgrimage.

John Paul II said that the "dire consequences of the tragic events of September 11 are still with us; the spiral of violence and armed hostility in the Holy Land - the land of our Lord's birth, death and Resurrection; a land held sacred by the three great monotheistic religions - has increased to unimaginable and intolerable levels; throughout the whole world men, women and children continue to suffer the ravages of war, poverty, injustice and exploitation of all kinds."

"Indeed," he continued, "we are currently experiencing a very difficult international situation. But the Lord's victory and his promise to remain with us 'until the end of the world' are beacons of light beckoning us to meet the challenges before us with courage and hope. The Papal Foundation itself, through the generosity of many, enables needed works to be carried out in the name of Christ and His Church."

The Holy Father concluded by assuring the members of the foundation that their "love and dedication to the Church and to the Successor of Peter are greatly appreciated."

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HOLY SEE HOPES FOR DIPLOMATIC SOLUTION TO MIDEAST CRISIS

VATICAN CITY, APR 7, 2002 (VIS) - Today, Holy See Press Office Director, Joaquin Navarro-Valls, in answer to a question concerning an alleged plan by the Holy See to unblock the situation in the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem, replied as follows:

"There is no plan by the Holy See to resolve the situation taking place in the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem. Naturally, the diplomatic representation of the Holy See in Israel continues its appreciated efforts to aid all those who are suffering. For its part, the Holy See hopes that the principles already expressed through diplomacy and the United Nations' resolutions, once again reconfirmed, are accepted by everyone in Bethlehem and in the whole area."

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IN MEMORIAM

VATICAN CITY, APR 8, 2002 (VIS) - The following prelates died in recent weeks:

- Archbishop Cancino Duarte of Cali, Colombia, on March 16 at the age of 63.
- Bishop William Dunne, emeritus of Kitui, Kenya on March 31 at the age of 81.
- Bishop Dennis Vincent Durning, emeritus of Arusha, Tanzania, on February 21 at the age of 78.
- Bishop Pedro Grau y Arola C.M.F., former apostolic vicar of Quibdo, Colombia, on March 4 at the age of 99.
- Bishop Jan Wiktor Nowak of Siedlce, Poland, on March 25 at the age of 70.
- Bishop Simeon Oualli, emeritus of Basse-Terre, French Antilles, on March 17 at the age of 74.
- Bishop Jose Carlos Dos Santos, F.D.P., auxiliary of Luziana, Brazil, on March 25 at the age of 50.
- Bishop James Louis Schad, auxiliary of Camden, U.S.A., on March 27 at the age of 84.

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, APR 8, 2002 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

- Four prelates from the Episcopal Conference of Bolivia, on their "ad limina" visit:
- Cardinal Julio Terrazas Sandoval, archbishop of Santa Cruz de la Sierra with his auxiliaries Bishop Sergio Alfredo Gualberti and Bishop Stanislaw Dowlaszewicz, O.F.M. Conv.
- Archbishop Edmundo Luis Flavio Abastoflor Montero of La Paz.
- Archbishop Timothy Paul Andrew Broglio, apostolic nuncio in the Dominican Republic, with the charge of apostolic delegate in Puerto Rico.
- Ambassador Vlatko Kraljevic of Bosnia-Herzegovina, accompanied by his wife, on a farewell visit.

On Saturday, April 6 the Holy Father received in separate audiences:

- President Vaclav Havel of the Czech Republic, accompanied by his wife and an entourage.
- Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.
- Archbishop Giorgio Zur, apostolic nuncio, representative of the Holy See to the Russian Federation.

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