THREE PRIESTS EXECUTED BY COMMUNIST REGIME ARE BEATIFIED

VATICAN CITY, MAY 26, 2002 (VIS) - Today, the solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, the Pope traveled by car to Plovdiv, 150 kilometers east of Sofia, Bulgaria, where he celebrated the Eucharist in the central square. He beatified three priests of the congregation of Augustinians of the Assumption: Kamen Vitchev, Pavel Djidjov and Josaphat Chichkov, who were executed by the Communist regime in 1952 along with Bishop Eugenio Bossilkov, whom he beatified in 1998.

Three bishops from Bulgaria concelebrated with the Pope as well as the cardinals and bishops in the papal entourage. Also present at the celebration was Bishop Arsenij, Orthodox metropolitan of Plovdiv, who spoke a few words before the Mass began.

At the beginning of his homily, John Paul II greeted the faithful of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church "who have joined us. Their presence ... gives us a foretaste in hope of the joy of full unity, when it will be granted us to celebrate together the Eucharistic Sacrifice."

Referring to the three Blesseds, the Holy Father recalled that the cause for which "they did not hesitate to give their lives was their faith in God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit." Thinking about them, "I also feel in duty bound to honor the memory of the other confessors of the faith who were sons and daughters of the Orthodox Church and who suffered martyrdom under the same Communist regime. This tribute of fidelity to Christ brought together the two ecclesial communities in Bulgaria, even to the supreme witness."

"The courageous fidelity in the face of suffering and imprisonment shown by Fathers Josaphat, Kamen and Pavel was acknowledged by their former students - Catholics, Orthodox, Jews and Muslims - by their parishioners, the members of their religious communities, and their fellow prisoners. By their dynamism, their fidelity to the Gospel, their selfless service to the Nation, the new Blesseds stand out as models for Christians today, especially for Bulgaria's young people, who are looking to give meaning to their lives and who wish to follow Christ whether as laypersons, in religious life or in the priesthood."

The Pope concluded by urging that "the special commitment with which the new Blesseds encouraged candidates to the presbyterate be an incentive for everyone: I exhort the local Church in Bulgaria to consider seriously the possibility of re-establishing a seminary."

Following the Eucharistic celebration, and before praying the Angelus, John Paul II asked the Virgin to watch over the Christian people of Bulgaria "so that they may know be able to follow her Son Jesus with courage and commitment and bear witness to Him before the world by the integrity of their lives and works!" At the end, he greeted the faithful who had participated in the beatification in French, Romanian, Serbian, Croatian, Czech and Polish.

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JOHN PAUL II HONORS THOSE WHO ENDURED PERSECUTION

VATICAN CITY, MAY 25, 2002 (VIS) - Following his visit to St. Joseph's Latin rite cathedral in Sofia, Pope John Paul went to the Byzantine-Slav rite cathedral dedicated to the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Before entering the cathedral, whose capacity is 150 people, the Pope blessed a bell and several cornerstones destined for future churches. He also crowned an image of Our Lady of Malko Trynovo, patroness of Christian unity.

"I affectionately greet your Apostolic Exarch Christo Proykov," said the Pope, "and I fraternally embrace Exarch emeritus Metodi Stratiev, who endured persecution and prison together with the three Assumptionist priests whom I shall proclaim Blessed tomorrow in Plovdiv."

The Holy Father extended his greetings to all the priests and faithful of the exarchate and saluted with "special affection the Carmelite nuns and the Sisters of the Eucharist, remembering particularly those among them - alive here on earth or already in heaven - who during the period of communist domination experienced long confinement in the choir of the Church of St. Francis, keeping alive the ideals of their consecration and supporting through prayer and penance the fidelity of Christians to their Lord."

The Pope then remembered "with admiration and gratitude the figure and work of the Apostolic Delegate, Archbishop Giuseppe Roncalli, Blessed Pope John XXIII, who prayed in this cathedral and did so much for the life of the Byzantine-Slav rite Catholic Church in Bulgaria. May this relic of him, which I have brought as a gift from Rome, be kept and venerated in the soon-to-be built church which, in accordance with your desire, will be dedicated to his name."

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POPE BLESSES CORNERSTONES FOR NEW CATHEDRAL IN SOFIA

VATICAN CITY, MAY 25, 2002 (VIS) - At 6:45 p.m. today Pope John Paul went to visit the Latin rite Catholic co-cathedral in Sofia, dedicated to St. Joseph, where he blessed a statue of Blessed Pope John XXIII as well as the cornerstones of what will be the new cathedral. There are 65,000 Latin rite Catholics in Bulgaria.

The original cathedral was built in 1878 for foreigners working on the last part of the tracks from Sofia to Istanbul for the famed Orient Express train. The church was destroyed by American bombs during World War II, on March 30, 1944. At the end of 1944 the church's theatre hall was consecrated, and has been used as a parish since then. In 1993 the parish, which consists of 4,500 families, was entrusted to the Friars Minor Capuchin. Work is scheduled to begin soon on the new cathedral.

"I greet you with affection in your co-cathedral dedicated to St. Joseph, husband of the Blessed Virgin Mary and patron of the Universal Church," the Pope told the faithful gathered in the chapel, which has a capacity of 200 people. "My thoughts turn in the first place to Bishop Gheorghi Jovcev, to the priests and men and women religious and from here I wish to extend my greetings to all of the Catholic faithful of the Latin rite in the different localities of Bulgaria, especially to the children, to those who are sick and the elderly."

"I am pleased," John Paul II went on, "to learn that work on the new cathedral will soon begin not far from here, on the very site where there stood the ancient church destroyed by war. My prayer is that the variety of stones needed for building will be images of the 'living stones' that each of you is called to be, by virtue of your Baptism, 'built into a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ'."

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POPE IMPROVISES SPEECH, BREAKS INTO SONG WITH YOUNG PEOPLE

VATICAN CITY, MAY 26, 2002 (VIS) - In the late afternoon, following lunch with Bulgaria's bishops and the members of his entourage, Pope John Paul went to Plovdiv's cathedral, which has a capacity of 500 people, for a meeting with young people. At the end of the encounter, his last official engagement before returning to Rome, the Pope improvised a speech and broke into song in Polish, in answer to the youths who had sung a hymn to the Black Madonna of Czestochowa in the Pontiff's native language.

In off-the-cuff remarks, the Holy Father said he did not know if he would be able to come again to Bulgaria, but said "I am truly happy to have come to Bulgaria and to have met the young people at the end of my sojourn, ... I am happy because young people look forward, they look to the future." He said he hoped the future would belong to all Bulgarians, especially young people. "I embrace you all," he concluded, "and I bless you with affection."

In his prepared speech to the youth, interrupted countless times by applause, cheers and songs, John Paul II noted that youth was a time, "not just of transition," but when people "seek the answers to the fundamental questions" of life.

He said he had two messages for them: "Come and See" and "You are the salt of the earth, you are the light of the world."

"Come and see," he said, refers to Jesus' message to His disciples when they asked where He lived. "Draw near to Jesus," said the Pope, "and strive to 'see' what He has to offer you. ... He is a demanding friend who sets high goals, ... but I ask you: is it better to resign yourself to a life without ideals, to a society marked by inequality, oppression and selfishness, or rather to seek with a generous heart what is true, good and just?"

He urged the youth to "knock down the barriers of superficiality and fear! ... Do not yield to the deceits and easy illusions of the world, which very often turn into tragic delusions. ... With a sense of duty and sacrifice, therefore, take the path of conversion, inner growth, of professional commitment, of voluntary work, of dialogue, of respect for all, never surrendering in the face of difficulties or failures."

The Holy Father then referred to the theme of the upcoming World Youth Day in Toronto, Canada. He remarked that "Christ alone can be fully called salt of the earth and light of the world, for only He can give flavor, strength and durability to our life which, without Him, would be insipid, feeble and ephemeral. He alone can give us light warmth and joy. But it is He Who wants you to share His mission."

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TELEGRAMS FOR TRAIN AND PLANE CRASHES IN MOZAMBIQUE AND TAIWAN

VATICAN CITY, MAY 26, 2002 (VIS) - Secretary of State, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, today sent two telegrams of condolences in the Pope's name for two accidents, one a train accident close to Maputo, Mozambique, the other a plane accident in the north of the Island of Penghu, Taiwan.

In the telegram addressed to Cardinal Alexandre Jose Maria dos Santos, archbishop of Maputo, John Paul II "entrusts the numerous victims to God, Father All-Merciful, asking that He welcome them into His peace." In the telegram addressed to the charge d'affaires "ad interim" in Taipei, Msgr. James Patrick Green, the Pope "commends the victims to the loving mercy of almighty God, and upon their grieving families and all those affected by this terrible disaster he invokes the divine blessings of strength and comfort."

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JOHN PAUL II BIDS FAREWELL TO BULGARIA WITH JOY AND EMOTION

VATICAN CITY, MAY 26, 2002 - After a gathering with young people, the Holy Father went to the airport in the popemobile for a farewell ceremony which was celebrated inside due to rain.

The Pope expressed his "joy and emotion" upon visiting Bulgaria, especially "during the very days on which the memory of the Holy Brothers Cyril and Methodius is celebrated." He then thanked Bulgaria's president and government authorities, as well as Patriarch Maxim and the representatives and faithful of the Orthodox Church in Bulgaria for having contributed to making his visit "pleasant and purposeful."

"Not so long ago, both Catholics and Orthodox underwent harsh persecution for their fidelity to the Gospel," he said. "May so many sacrifices make the witness of Christians in this country bear much fruit and, with the grace of God, may they hasten the day when we shall be able to rejoice in the rediscovered fullness of unity among us!"

John Paul II greeted the faithful of Islam and the Jewish community and urged that the worship of one God inspire in all "intentions of peace, understanding and mutual respect, and a commitment to build a society founded on justice and solidarity." He also greeted with "particular affection ... my Brother Bishops and the sons and daughters of the Catholic Church."

The Pope concluded by quoting Blessed John XXIII in a Christmas homily preached in 1934, just before he left the office of apostolic nuncio in Bulgaria. In that homily, he recalled the Irish tradition of placing a lit candle outside the window on Christmas Eve so that Mary and Joseph know that inside that house a family was waiting for them: "If anyone from Bulgaria should ever pass by my house, at night, amid life's difficulties, he will always find the candle burning in my window. Let him knock, let him knock! He will not be asked whether he is Catholic or Orthodox: he is a Bulgarian brother and that is enough. Let him come in: two brotherly arms and a friend's warm heart will welcome him to the feast."

The papal plane departed at 7 p.m. local time (6 p.m. Rome time) and arrived at Ciampino Airport in Rome after a two-hour flight. The Pope proceeded by helicopter to the Vatican.

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