MAKE THE WORD OF GOD REACH ALL PEOPLE

VATICAN CITY, SEP 3, 2002 (VIS) - John Paul II sent a message to Bishop Vincenzo Paglia of Terni-Narni-Amelia, Italy, on the occasion of the Sixth Plenary Assembly of the Catholic Biblical Federation, of which he is president. The theme of the meeting, which is taking place in Beirut, Lebanon from September 3 to 12, is: "You show me the ways of life," taken from the Psalms.

"Trusting in the force and power of the Word of God, the Catholic Bible Federation is given the great responsibility - one belonging to the whole Church - of making the Divine Word accessible to people in all parts of the world so that it can take root and thrive in their hearts."

The Holy Father affirms that the "commitment to bringing about a renewed listening to the Word of God, which is a necessary element of the new evangelization, also reinforces the bonds of unity that already exist among all Christians."

The Pope concludes by urging that this occasion be "a fruitful opportunity to evaluate what has been achieved so far and to determine what needs yet to be done to proclaim the Word of God in a world longing for truth."

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IN MEMORIAM

VATICAN CITY, SEP 3, 2002 (VIS) - The following prelates died in recent weeks:

- Cardinal Johannes Joachim Degenhardt, archbishop of Paderborn, Germany on July 25 at the age of 76.
- Bishop Tesfamariam Bedho of Keren, Eritrea on July 29 at the age of 67.
- Bishop Alan Charles Clark, emeritus of East Anglia, England on July 16 at the age of 82.
- Bishop Jose Joaquim Ribeiro, emeritus of Dili, East Timor on July 27 at the age of 84.
- Bishop Tiago M. Ryan, O.F.M., emeritus of Santarem, Brazil on July 12 at the age of 89.
- Bishop John Etheridge, C.P., emeritus of Vanimo, Papua New Guinea on August 14 at the age of 66.
- Bishop Celso N. Guevarra, emeritus of Balanga, Philippines on August 13 at the age of 79.
- Bishop James Kavanagh, ex-auxiliary of Dublin on August 8 at the age of 88.
- Bishop Jean-Marie Rakotondrasoa, M.S., emeritus of Antsirabe, Madagascar, on August 24 at the age of 88.
- Bishop Otto Wust, emeritus of Basel, Switzerland on August 19 at the age of 76.
- Bishop Felix S. Zafra, emeritus of Tagbilaran, Philippines on August 4 at the age of 82.

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, SEP 3, 2002 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Bishop Sean Patrick O'Malley, O.F.M., of Fall River, U.S.A., as bishop of Palm Beach (area 11,510, population 1,482,026, Catholics 244,771, priests 141, permanent deacons 43, religious 200), U.S.A.

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, SEP 3, 2002 (VIS) - The Holy Father received today in audience Cardinal Camillo Ruini, vicar general for the diocese of Rome, Italy.

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HUMAN BEINGS MUST BE AT THE CENTER OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

VATICAN CITY, SEP 3, 2002 (VIS) - Archbishop Renato R. Martino, apostolic nuncio, head of the delegation of the Holy See to the World Summit on Sustainable Development, which is taking place from August 26 to September 4, addressed the assembly yesterday.

Archbishop Martino emphasized that "the continued promotion of the centrality of the human being in the discussion of sustainable development is a core interest of the Holy See and the main reason of its presence at this important World Summit."

"It must be recognized," he continued, "that juridical, economic and technical measures are not sufficient to solve the problems that hamper sustainable development."

Referring to extreme poverty, the nuncio recalled that it continues to "plague too many of the world's people." In this sense, he said that there are too many people unemployed, many children, especially girls, who do not have the opportunity to receive an education, many adults, especially women, who are illiterate and many people who suffer from the effects of AIDS and malaria. "Extreme poverty is perhaps the most pervasive and paralyzing violation of human rights in our world."

"In the struggle to eradicate poverty, water plays a vital role, not only as pertains to health but also as an indispensable productive element. ... Another high priority in sustainable development is rural development." The poor "often lack access to basic social services."
Archbishop Martino ended his speech by emphasizing that "in our interdependent and globalizing world," the spirit of "family" must be fostered to reach the goal of sustainable development.

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