AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, JUN 7, 2002 (VIS) - Today the Holy Father received in separate audiences:

- Dato' Seri Mahathir bin Mohamad, prime minister of Malaysia, accompanied by his wife and an entourage.
- Five prelates from the Episcopal Conference of Venezuela on their "ad limina" visit:
- Bishop Gustavo Garcia Naranjo of Guarenas.
- Bishop Jose de la Trinidad Valera Angulo of La Guaira.
- Bishop Manuel Felipe Diaz Sanchez of Carupano.
- Bishop Jose Sotero Valero Ruz of Guanare.
- Bishop Georges Kahhale Zouhairaty, apostolic exarch for the Greek-Melkite faithful in Venezuela and apostolic visitor for the Greek-Melkite faithful in Argentina.
- Bengt O. Johansen, ambassador of Norway, accompanied by his wife, on his farewell visit.

This afternoon the Holy Father will receive in audience Archbishop Tarcisio Bertone, secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

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DECLARATION ON AUDIENCE OF PRIME MINISTER OF MALAYSIA

VATICAN CITY, JUN 7, 2002 (VIS) - Holy See Press Office Vice-Director, Fr. Ciro Benedettini, C.P., released the following declaration this morning:

"This morning, Friday June 7, 2002, the Prime Minister of Malaysia, His Excellency Dato' Seri Dr. Mahathir bin Mohamad, was received in audience by His Holiness Pope John Paul II. He then held meetings with His Eminence Angelo Sodano, Secretary of State and His Excellency Jean-Louis Tauran, Secretary for the Holy See's Relations with States.

"During the course of the conversations, the present state of Church-state relations in Malaysia was discussed, as well as the mutual cooperation for the promotion of dialogue between culture and religions, with a particular consideration of the cultural links between Islam and Christianity.

"Also, there was an exchange of opinions on current international questions, particularly those regarding Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

"The meetings which took place today mark the first time in history that a Prime Minister of Malaysia met with the Holy Father and the highest officials of the Holy See."

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JUN 7, 2002 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Appointed Bishop Salvatore Gristina of Acireale, Italy, as metropolitan archbishop of Catania (area 1,332, population 731,056, Catholics 716,000, priests 418, permanent deacons 20, religious 757), Italy. He succeeds Archbishop Luigi Bommarito, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same archdiocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

- Appointed Fr. Aloysius Murwito, O.F.M., provincial vicar of the Franciscan Fathers, Indonesia as bishop of Agats (area 37,000, population 85,000, Catholics 49,000, priests 17, religious 12), Indonesia. The bishop-elect was born in Sleman-Yogya, Indonesia in 1950 and was ordained a priest in 1982.

- Appointed Msgr. Donald Kettler of Sioux Falls, U.S.A., as bishop of Fairbanks (area 1,061,099, population 155,224, Catholics 17,132, priests 29, permanent deacons 40, religious 20), U.S.A. The bishop-elect was born in Minneapolis, U.S.A. in 1944 and was ordained a priest in 1970.

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