POPE JOHN PAUL II TURNS 82

VATICAN CITY, MAY 18, 2002 (VIS) - Pope John Paul II turned 82 today and marked his birthday by presiding at an audience in the morning for 7,000 participants in a meeting sponsored by the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools. A student band played Happy Birthday, and they were joined in song by the pilgrims present in the Paul VI Hall.

Following this encounter the Holy Father went to Largo Braschi, on the left side of St. Peter's Basilica, where he blessed a statue of St. Maria Josefa del Corazon de Jesus Sancho de Guerra, foundress of the Servants of Jesus of Charity. The statue had been placed in an outside niche of the basilica.

He had lunch with his closest advisors in the Roman Curia and then spent part of the afternoon going over some of the speeches he will give during next week's trip to Azerbaijan and Bulgaria.

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ARCHBISHOP LOZANO AT THE WORLD ASSEMBLY ON HEALTH

VATICAN CITY, MAY 18, 2002 (VIS) - Archbishop Javier Lozano Barragan, president of the Pontifical Council for Health Care Ministry, led the delegation of the Holy See on Wednesday May 15 in the 55th World Assembly on Health which took place in Geneva, Switzerland from May 13 to 18.

Archbishop Lozano recalled "many of the great risks that health runs today: Actually, 17 million people have died from infectious diseases and nutritional deficiency; 2.7 million from AIDS, 2.2 million from diarrhea, 1.7 million from tuberculosis and 1 million from malaria. To that are added deaths from tobacco and alcoholism, from cancer, as well as other degenerative diseases, from poor life habits, lack of hygiene, drugs, traffic and work accidents, from the abuse of medication or lack thereof due to high prices, and mental illnesses, as there is an increase today in depression."

"It is worth noting," he continued, "as a patent risk to health, the neo-Malthusian mentality against life, given that health and life are identified with each other, current projects of reproductive health, especially propositions for the third world, and in particular the misconception as to what is quality of life, which has brought the legalization of euthanasia to some places. Nor can we forget environmental pollution, hunger, armed conflicts, natural catastrophes."

The leader of the Holy See delegation also referred to the existing risk today of "a 'microbial' unification of the world, where infectious diseases, given the growing mobility of populations, are present everywhere, as much for the rich as for the poor; viruses and bacteria do not have borders."

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PAPAL MESSAGE FOR WORLD MISSION DAY

VATICAN CITY, MAY 18, 2002 (VIS) - Made public today was the Pope's annual Message for World Mission Day, which will be celebrated on Sunday, October 20, on the theme "Mission is a Proclamation of Pardon."

In his Message, dated tomorrow, May 19, the solemnity of Pentecost, the Holy Father writes that "only God's love, capable of making the men and women of every race and culture into brothers and sisters, can make painful divisions, ideological contrasts, economic disparities and the violent abuses that still oppress mankind, disappear."

Despite the "horrible wars and revolutions that have bloodied the past century, and the conflicts that unfortunately continue to afflict the entire world, ... we can't help but see, at the same time, the longing of so many men and women who, though living in great spiritual and material poverty, feel a great thirst for God and His merciful love. The Lord's invitation to proclaim the Good News is still valid today; as a matter of fact it is even more urgent."

John Paul II affirmed that "from the Cross, Jesus indicated under what conditions it is possible to exercise pardon. In answer to the hatred with which His persecutors nailed Him to the Cross, He prayed for them. Not only did He pardon them, He continued to love them, to wish them well and, thus, to intercede for them. His death became the true and proper realization of Love."

"The Risen Christ," he continued, "gave His disciples peace. The Church, faithful to the Lord's command, continues to proclaim and spread peace. ... The main path of mission is sincere dialogue ... that allows speaking to another with esteem and understanding, affirming the principles in which one believes and announcing with love the deepest truths of faith, which are joy, hope and a sense of one's existence."

The Pope underscores that "commitment to an attentive and respectful dialogue is the sine qua non for an authentic witnessing to the saving love of God. This dialogue is deeply linked to the will for pardon, ... whose practice challenges and opens hearts, heals the wounds of sin and division and creates true communion."

After inviting the faithful "to pray regularly for missions and to collaborate with all possible means in the activities that the Church undertakes throughout the world," the Pope exhorts them to "never be ashamed of the Gospel and to never be afraid of calling oneself a Christian by silencing one's own faith. It is thus necessary to continue to speak, to broaden the spaces for proclaiming salvation, because Jesus has promised to always remain with His disciples."

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BROTHERS OF THE CHRISTIAN SCHOOLS CELEBRATE 300 YEARS IN ITALY

VATICAN CITY, MAY 18, 2002 (VIS) - This morning in the Paul VI Hall, the Holy Father welcomed 7,000 faithful, including Brothers, associates, teachers, parents and students, who are participating in a meeting promoted by the Institute of the Brothers of the Christian Schools to celebrate its third centenary in Italy. Founded in France by St. John Baptist de La Salle, the Institute was brought to Italy in 1702 by Brother Gabriel Drolin.

The Pope recalled that St. John Baptist de La Salle, in his testament, wrote: "I encourage my Brothers to always and totally submit themselves to the Church, especially in such terrible times and, to give proof of this, may they never separate themselves from our Holy Father the Pope and from the Church of Rome." He added that "these words have lost none of their strength ... and they inspire the mission entrusted to you in the service of the integral formation of young people."

John Paul II noted that brother Drolin left France in 1702 "on an important and difficult mission: to make known a new educational, pedagogical and methodological reality. ... The La Salle ascetic-educational thought aimed not so much at 'how to educate', as it did at 'how to be' an educator. .... La Salle aims at educating youth through the renewal of the educator."

He went on to say that "if the educator, with his witness and word, is not a model for young people, the school has not achieved its goal. 'You - La Salle told the Brothers - are ambassadors and ministers of Christ in the profession you exercise; you must therefore act as representatives of Christ Himself'."

"La Salle's educational works continue to be a providential resource for the good of young people, the Church and all of society," said the Holy Father. "You have a glorious history to remember and recount, but a great history yet to be built."

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POPE SPEAKS OF "INTOLERABLE PHENOMENON" OF CHILD LABOR

VATICAN CITY, MAY 19, 2002 (VIS) - Following Mass today, Pentecost Sunday, during which the Pope canonized five Blesseds, he prayed the Regina Coeli with the faithful gathered in a rain-drenched St. Peter's Square.

Before the prayer, however, he had multi-language greetings for the pilgrims present. He also noted that "yesterday in Italy, was a day of sensitizing people to the serious problem of child labor, promoted by the Global March against Child Labor and the Extended Hands Association. May such an initiative be a propitious occasion for seeking efficacious ways of solving this intolerable phenomenon."

The Holy Father then saluted "the young people gathered in San Giovanni Rotondo in preparation for the canonization of Padre Pio. Walk with courage, dear young people, on the path of holiness."
"In conclusion," he said, "I wish to express my gratitude for the wishes that have been expressed to me in everyone's name by Cardinal Bernardin Gantin, dean of the College of Cardinals. In particular I am comforted by the assurance of special prayers for me and for the fulfillment of the petrine service entrusted to me by the Lord. In this perspective I ask you now to join me in invoking the Blessed Virgin Mary, to whom we turn, singing the Regina Coeli."

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POPE CANONIZES FIVE BLESSEDS, INCLUDING FIRST SAINT OF BRAZIL

VATICAN CITY, MAY 19, 2002 (VIS) - At 10 a.m. today, the Solemnity of Pentecost, the Pope celebrated the Eucharist in St. Peter's Square and canonized five Blesseds: Alonso de Orozco 1500-1591; Ignazio de Santhia (ne Lorenzo Maurizio Belvisotti), 1686-1770; Umile da Bisignano (ne Luca Antonio Pirozzo), 1582-1637; Paulina do Coracao Agonizante de Jesus (nee Amabile Lucia Visintainer), 1865-1942 and Benedetta Cambiagio Frassinello, 1791-1858.

"The mission of forgiving sins and accompanying human beings on the ways of evangelical perfection," said the Holy Father in his homily, "was lived in a singular way by the Capuchin priest Ignazio da Santhia," who was "father, confessor, counsellor and teacher."

John Paul II said that Umile da Bisignano "was a constant bearer" of Christ's peace. "In our society, in which too often God's imprints are lost, this monk represents a happy and encouraging invitation to gentleness, kindness, simplicity and a healthy detachment from the ephemeral goods of the world."

The Pope emphasized that Augustinian Saint Alonso de Orozco's "pastoral dedication to the service of the poorest people in the hospitals and jails makes him a model for those who, inspired by the Holy Spirit, base their whole existence on love for God and their neighbor, according to Jesus' supreme commandment."

Italian-born Mother Paulina, whose family went to Brazil when she was ten-years old, is Brazil's first saint, said the Pope. She founded "with a group of friends a house of refuge, which was shortly thereafter christened by the people as 'Saint Virgil's Little Hospital', for the material and spiritual attention of the sick and abandoned. Thus was born ... Brazil's first religious community, named the Congregation of the Sisters of the Immaculate Conception."

Benedetta Cambiagio Frassinello, religious, foundress of the Institute of Benedictine Nuns of Providence, "worried about doing the will of God with faithfulness and coherence. With unlimited confidence in the kindness of the Lord, she abandoned herself to 'providential love', deeply convinced, as she used to like to repeat, that it is necessary 'to do everything for the love of God'."

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, MAY 18, 2002 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed:

- Msgr. Dominique Mamberti, nunciature counsellor, as apostolic nuncio in Sudan and apostolic delegate in Somalia, elevating him to the dignity of archbishop. The archbishop-elect was born in Marrakesh, Morocco in 1952 and was ordained a priest in 1981.

- Archbishop Giuseppe Leanza, apostolic nuncio in Slovenia and in Bosnia-Herzegovina, as apostolic nuncio in Republic of Macedonia.

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, MAY 20, 2002 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

- Fernando Henrique Cardoso, president of Brazil, accompanied by his wife and an entourage. - Three prelates of the Episcopal Conference of Ecuador on their "ad limina" visit:
- Bishop Eugenio Arellano Fernandez, apostolic vicar of Esmeraldas.
- Bishop Rafael Cob Garcia, apostolic vicar of Puyo.
- Bishop Manuel Valarezo Luzuriaga, apostolic prefect of Galapagos.
- Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.

On Saturday, May 18, he received in separate audiences:

- Four prelates of the Episcopal Conference of Ecuador, on their "ad limina" visit:
- Bishop Serafin Luis Alberto Cartagena Ocana, apostolic vicar of Zamora en Ecuador.
- Bishop Jesus Esteban Sabada Perez, apostolic vicar of Aguarico.
- Bishop Pietro Gabrielli, apostolic vicar of Mendez.
- Bishop Paolo Mietto, apostolic vicar of Napo.
- Cardinal Antonio Maria Rouco Varela, archbishop of Madrid and president of the Spanish Episcopal Conference, Archbishop Fernando Sebastian Aguilar, C.M.F, of Pamplona and Msgr. Juan Jose Asenjo Pelegrina, secretary of the episcopal conference.

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PAPAL MESSAGE TO NEWLY INDEPENDENT NATION OF EAST TIMOR

VATICAN CITY, MAY 20, 2002 (VIS) - It was announced today that "the Holy See and the Democratic Republic of East Timor, desirous of establishing relations of mutual friendship, have decided of common accord to establish diplomatic relations between them, at the level of apostolic nunciature on the part of the Holy See and of embassy on the part of the Democratic Republic of East Timor."

An informative note published with this news states that, from an ecclesiastical point of view, there are two apostolic administrations on the territory of the newborn nation: Dili and Baucau. There are 750,000 Catholics in 31 parishes, administered by 43 priests. Male religious number 130, with the most numerous being the Salesians. Jesuits were the first to come to East Timor: they arrived in 1899, were expelled in 1910 and returned in 1958. There are 220 women religious. The 350 religious work in 247 educational and welfare institutes.

On the occasion of the declaration of national independence, the Holy Father sent a Message to the people of Timor, conveyed by his Extraordinary Envoy to the official ceremonies, Archbishop Renato Martino, permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations. The May 19-20 ceremonies were inaugurated by an outdoor Mass that was presided over by Archbishop Martino in Tacitolo, near the capital of Dili.

In the Message, dated May 6 and addressed to the apostolic administrators of Dili and Baucau, to the bishops, the authorities and the people, the Pope writes: "In this moment which is so significant to your history ... I unite myself spiritually to all of you in order to share your feeling of joy and to encourage you to construct a just, free, united and peaceful society.

"The hour of freedom has arrived! The time for reconstruction has arrived!" exclaims John Paul II. "Freedom must always be defended and preserved, whether from that which could imprison it, or from falsehoods which can pervert its genuine character, to the detriment of the person and his dignity."

The Pope asks that the land of East Timor "which God entrusts" to their "diligent hands, base itself on values without which a true democracy cannot exist: respect for life and for all people; effective solidarity among the members of the community; openness to the positive contribution of each one of its categories and of all its members, with respect to different fields; attention to the real necessities of families, and in a special way, of young people who are the promise of the new country's future."

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ECUADOR: PASTORAL MINISTRIES MUST EMBRACE ALL MILIEUX

VATICAN CITY, MAY 20, 2002 (VIS) - The Holy Father received this morning the prelates from the Episcopal Conference of Ecuador, who have just completed their "ad limina" visit.

In his speech, the Pope referred to "the Global Pastoral Plan of the Church in Ecuador from 2001-2010, which," he said, "must implement effective activities, continued and coordinated, that invigorate ordinary pastoral ministries in this first decade of the first millennium. In this sense, I remind you that any pastoral plan must have the sanctity of every Christian as its ultimate and unrelinquishable goal."

"For this reason," he continued, "no effort must be spared to promote those most fundamental resources of evangelical action, without which the success of any programing would be seriously comprised. Capillary and organized vocational pastoral care must be included among these, without a doubt, so that it takes into account the world's indigenous environments with their peculiarities, but without creating separations or, much less, discrimination."

John Paul II urged them to "take great care also in the permanent formation of priests, which should include, in addition to required theological updating, a constant stimulus to their spiritual life, which strengthens their fidelity to the duties acquired with ordination and stimulates all their pastoral work from their experience of faith in Christ."

He went on to say: "Particular attention must be applied to the formation of the laity and to their role and mission in the Church." He indicated that they must ask all baptized people to "not only manifest their Christian identity but also to be effective craftsmen, within their field, of a social order inspired ever more in justice and less conditioned by corruption, disloyal antagonism or lack of solidarity. It would be a contradiction to invoke ethical principles, denouncing some morally deplorable situations and not demanding from those who are in the field of business, politics or public administration that they put into practice the values proclaimed with such insistency by the Church and her shepherds."

Then, speaking about the fundamental right of families to educate their children according to their own faith, the Pope expressed his desire that the "right formulas are found so that the right to liberty of education may soon be a fuller and more effective reality for all."

He recalled that the Church "considers a great treasure the variety of ways in which the Gospel and ecclesiastical message can be expressed." And he stated: "An attitude that concerns itself exclusively with keeping intact all the traditional components of a human group, not only compromises the authentic announcement of the Good News of the Gospel - which is also leaven in diverse cultures and a promoter of new civilizations - but also, paradoxically, favors (the group's) insulation with respect to other communities and, above all, to the great family of the people of God all over the globe."

John Paul II concluded by inviting all the Ecuadorian pastors to create a "pastoral ministry of emigration that helps families that are separated not to lose contact with those that are far away and that establishes the necessary channels with the dioceses of destiny in order to assure them of the necessary religious assistance, in such a way that their roots and Christian traditions are not lost."

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