Tuesday, April 30, 2002

BUILDING CHURCH AS FAMILY BENEFITS THE WHOLE OF SOCIETY


VATICAN CITY, APR 30, 2002 (VIS) - The second group of Nigerian bishops, in Rome for their "ad limina" visit, was welcomed today by the Holy Father. Addressing them in English, he said he shared their concern "for the peaceful development of your peoples, not only in terms of material advancement, but especially in genuine political freedom, ethnic harmony and respect for the rights of all citizens."

He highlighted two points of the bishops' National Pastoral Plan for Nigeria which, he said, could help achieve this development: the new evangelization and the Church's responsibility in civil society. Within this twofold context, the Pope especially emphasized building up the Church as family, saying: "When proclamation and catechesis succeed in building up the Church as family, the whole of society benefits: harmony between different ethnic groups is given a stronger foundation, ethnocentrism is avoided and reconciliation encouraged, greater solidarity and a sharing of resources among people, and life in society becomes ever more imbued with an awareness of the obligations which flow from respect for the God-given dignity of every human being."

The Holy Father went on to say that "honesty and openness to dialogue is a necessary Christian attitude both inside the community as well as outside, with other believers and with men and women of good will. An erroneous understanding of inculturation or ecumenism however, must not compromise the duty to evangelize."

"Moreover," he stated, "evangelization and integral human development - the development of every person and of the whole person - are intimately linked." He observed that "proclaiming Jesus Christ means to reveal to people their inalienable dignity. ... Precisely because people have been endowed with this extraordinary dignity they should not be reduced to living in sub-human social, economic, cultural or political conditions. This is the theological basis of the struggle for the defense of justice and social peace, for the promotion, liberation and integral human development of all people and of every individual."

John Paul II told the bishops that "the connection between evangelization and human development explains the Church's presence in the social sphere, in the arena of public and social life. ... Following Our Lord's example, she exercises her prophetic role on behalf of all people, especially the poor, the suffering, the defenseless; she becomes the voice of the voiceless, insisting that the dignity of the human person should always be at the center of local, national and international programs."

"Proclamation of the Good News," the Pope said in conclusion, "therefore involves the promotion of initiatives that contribute to the development and ennoblement of people in their spiritual and material existence. It also denounces and combats all that degrades or destroys the human person."

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CARDINAL ETCHEGARAY TO GO TO JERUSALEM ON SPECIAL MISSION

VATICAN CITY, APR 30, 2002 (VIS) - Holy See Press Office Director Joaquin Navarro-Valls made the following declaration:

"Due to his concern for peace in the Holy Land, for those Christian communities and for the Israeli and Palestinian people, John Paul II has decided to send Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, president emeritus of the Pontifical Councils for Justice and Peace and 'Cor Unum', on a special mission to Jerusalem. The cardinal will depart from Rome tomorrow, Wednesday May 1, and will stay in Jerusalem at the residence of Archbishop Pietro Sambi, the pontifical representative."

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PROGRAM OF POPE'S TRIP TO AZERBAIJAN AND BULGARIA


VATICAN CITY, APR 30, 2002 (VIS) - John Paul II will make an apostolic trip to Azerbaijan and Bulgaria from May 22 to 26, his 96th trip outside of Italy. Following is a summary of the most relevant events of the program.

On Wednesday May 22, at 8:40 a.m., the Holy Father will depart Rome from Fiumicino Airport and is scheduled to arrive in Baku, Azerbaijan at 4 p.m. That same afternoon he will visit the president of the Republic and will have a meeting with religious leaders of the country and representatives in politics, culture and art.

On Thursday May 23, he will celebrate Mass in the morning and in the afternoon he is scheduled to meet with the leader of the Muslims in the Caucasus, the Orthodox bishop of Baku and the president of the Jewish community. Later in the afternoon, he will travel to Sofia, Bulgaria.

On Friday May 24, he is scheduled to pay courtesy visits to the president of the Republic of Bulgaria and to His Holiness Patriarch Maxim. In the afternoon, he will meet with representatives of the Jewish Community.

On Saturday May 25, he will go on a pilgrimage to the monastery of St. John of Rila. In the afternoon, he is set to meet with the Grand Mufti and representatives of both the Muslim community and the Evangelical Churches.

On Sunday May 26, the Holy Father will celebrate Mass with beatifications. Before deparing for Rome at 7 p.m., he will participate in a gathering with young people.

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, APR 30, 2002 (VIS) - The Holy Father received today in separate audiences:

- Seven prelates from the Episcopal Conference of Nigeria on their "ad limina" visit:
- Bishop Senan Louis O'Donnell of Maiduguri.
- Bishop Joseph Bagobiri of Kafanchan.
- Bishop Martin Igwe Uzoukwu of Minna.
- Bishop James Naanman Daman of Jalingo.
- Bishop George Dodo of Zaria.
- Bishop Matthew Ishaya Audu of Lafia.
- Fr. Samuel Ebatikpo, diocesan administrator of Otukpo.
- Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.

Yesterday, April 29, the Holy Father received in audience Archbishop Pedro Rubiano Saenz of Bogota.

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DOCUMENT ABOUT THE SACRAMENT OF PENANCE TO BE PRESENTED


VATICAN CITY, APR 30, 2002 (VIS) - On Thursday May 2, at 11:30 a.m., in the Holy See Press Office, there will be the presentation of the Apostolic Letter in the form of a "Motu Proprio" "'Misericordia Dei' On Certain Aspects of the Celebration of the Sacrament of Penance."

Cardinals Joseph Ratzinger and Jorge Arturo Medina Estevez, respectively prefects of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of Sacraments, and Archbishop Julian Herranz, president of the Pontifical Council for the Interpretation of Legislative Texts, will preside over the presentation.

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