POPE: DISTINCTION BETWEEN COMMON AND MINISTERIAL PRIESTHOOD

VATICAN CITY, SEP 21, 2002 (VIS) - This morning John Paul II received prelates from the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (Western Regions 1 & 2) who just completed their "ad limina" visit.

In his speech, the Pope spoke about the collaboration of the lay faithful in diocesan life, especially in the sacred ministry of priests.

The Holy Father recalled the purpose of the Church in fulfilling in the world "the saving mission of Christ ... through the action of its members, within the limits of the function that each one exercises in the Mystical Body of Christ."
"Among the objectives of liturgical reform, established by Vatican Council II," he said, "was the need for all faithful to participate in liturgical ceremonies. ... In reality, however, in the years after the Council, with the purpose that this idea be implemented, 'confusion as to the functions of the priestly ministry and that of laity' spread erratically. ... These serious practical abuses were grounded frequently in doctrinal errors, especially concerning the nature of the liturgy, the common priesthood of Christians, the vocation and mission of lay people and the ordered ministry of priests."

After affirming that the liturgy is an "activity for all the faithful," the Pope emphasized that "by baptism all the faithful participate in Christ's priesthood; it is what is known as the 'common priesthood of the faithful,' while the 'priestly ministry' is characteristic of those who receive the Sacrament of Orders."

"To disregard the basic difference and the mutual ordination between priestly ministry and the common priesthood of the faithful," he continued, "has immediate repercussions in liturgical celebrations." In this sense, he reminded the pilgrims of the "scarce observance of certain laws and ecclesiastical norms, the arbitrary interpretation of the concept of 'replacement' and the lay tendency to be 'clerical'."

John Paul II indicated that "the lay faithful can exercise certain duties and functions in collaboration with the pastoral service, when they are expressly asked by their respective holy pastors."

The Holy Father ended by referring to the topic of the restoration of the permanent diaconate for married men, "which is an important enrichment for the mission of the Church after the Council. ... The collaboration which the permanent diaconate provides to the Church, especially where there is a shortage of priests, is without a doubt a great benefit for the life of the Church. ... Certainly, the service of the permanent diaconate is and will always be limited to the prescriptions of the law, since full ministerial power corresponds to priests to exercise; in this way, the risk of ambiguity which can confuse the faithful, especially in liturgical celebrations, is avoided."

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CARDINAL NGUYEN VAN THUAN, HEROIC HERALD OF THE GOSPEL

VATICAN CITY, SEP 20, 2002 (VIS) - The Pope presided this afternoon in St. Peter's Basilica at the funeral of Vietnamese Cardinal Francois-Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan who died on Tuesday at age 74. The Eucharistic liturgy was celebrated by Cardinal Angelo Sodano, secretary of state, together with other cardinals. A delegation from the Vietnamese Church, headed by the president of the Espicopal Conference, Bishop Paul Nguyen Van Hoa, also participated in the mass.

In his homily the Holy Father recalled that when the cardinal preached spiritual exercises to the Roman Curia in 2000, he recounted that, during the thirteen years he spent in prison, "he understood that the foundation of Christian life is 'to choose God alone,' abandoning oneself completely into his fatherly hands. We are called, he added in light of his personal experience, to announce to everyone the 'Gospel of hope.' And he specified that only with the radicalness of sacrifice can this vocation be fulfilled, even in the midst of harsher trials."

John Paul II said that "while we say goodbye for the last time to this heroic herald of the Gospel of Christ, we give thanks to the Lord for having given us in him a brilliant example of Christian coherence to the point of martyrdom. ... His secret was total faith in God, nourished by prayer and the suffering he accepted with love. In prison, he celebrated the Eucharist every day with three drops of wine and one drop of water in the palm of his hand. This was his altar, his cathedral. The Body of Christ was his 'medicine'."

"In his spiritual testament," concluded the Pope, "after having asked for forgiveness, the cardinal assures us that he continues to love everyone. 'I am serene as I leave', he affirms, and I do not have contempt for anyone. I offer up all the suffering that I have endured to Immaculate Mary and St. Joseph. The testament ends with a triple recommendation: 'Love the Holy Virgin and trust in St. Joseph, be faithful to the Church, be united and charitable to all.' This was, in short, his life."

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ANGELUS: SCHOOL, A PLACE OF GENUINE HUMAN MATURITY

VATICAN CITY, SEP 22, 2002 (VIS) - Before praying the Angelus with the faithful gathered in the courtyard of the Apostolic Palace at Castelgandolfo, the Pope recalled that in many countries school was re-opening after the summer break.

"Sometimes," affirmed the Holy Father, "it is said that the school, like the family, is in 'crisis.' With this expression, they are referring to the widespread perception that this institution, although recognized for its essential value, needs a complete transformation so that it can respond to the current demands of society."
John Paul II indicated that in order to reach this goal "it is not enough to modify programs and structures. The proper functioning of a school depends most of all on the formative quality of the relationship between teachers and students. Students feel motivated to give the best of themselves when teachers help them to understand the meaning of what they are studying, in terms of their growth and the realities that surround them. This is important for all schools, whether private or public, in all grades."

After recalling that "culture is the foundation of a people's identity," the Pope said that "the contribution that schools offer, subordinate to the family, is and continues to be indispensable in the transmission of the values of a culture."

The Holy Father concluded by asking that no one be excluded from "this fundamental area of formation and that all those who work in schools make a great effort so that they are a place of genuine human maturity."

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, SEP 21, 2002 (VIS) - Today the Holy Father appointed Jurgen Mittelstrass, professor of philosophy and of philosophy of science and director of the Center for Philosophy of Science at the University of Costanza, Germany, and Dr. Antonio M. Battro, specialist in neuro-development of cognizance at the National Academy of Education of Buenos Aires, Argentina, as ordinary members of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences.

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JOHN PAUL II RECEIVES COMMUNITY OF THE NEOCATECHUMENAL WAY

VATICAN CITY, SEP 21, 2002 (VIS) - This morning in the Apostolic Palace of Castelgandolfo, John Paul II received catechists and priests of the Neocatechumenal Way, headed by its founders Kiko Arguello and Carmen Hernandez.

"How can we not thank the Lord for the fruits brought about by the Neocatechumenal Way in its more than 30 years of existence," said the Pope at the beginning of his speech. He added that "in a secularized society ... where religious indifference is pronounced ... there are so many who need to discover once again the sacraments of Christian initiation, especially baptism. The Way is without a doubt a providential response to this urgent need."

Afterward the Holy Father referred to the recent approval of the statutes of the Neocatechumenal Way and expressed his joy at the "intense work of research, reflection and dialogue" that resulted in the approval. John Paul II thanked Cardinal James Francis Stafford, president of the Pontifical Council for Laity, for the interest that his dicastery "showed to the international team of the Way in charge of this process."

"I want to emphasize," he added, "the importance of these statutes ... for the present and future life of the Neocatechumenal Way. This norm, in the first place, reaffirms once again its ecclesiastical nature that ... is 'a way of valid Catholic formation for modern society'" and he recalled that the statutes, as well as describing the basic aspects of this Way, "establish the fundamental tasks of different people that have a specific responsibility in this formative course within the Neocatechumenal community, that is, the priests, catechists, families on mission and the teams responsible at any level."

"Thus, the statutes must be for the Neocatechumenal Way 'a clear and secure rule of life' ... so that this process of formation, the goal of which is to bring the faithful to a mature faith, is carried out adequately with the doctrine and discipline of the Church."

"The approval of the statutes," he concluded, "opens up a new chapter in the life of the Way. The Church now expects from you an even stronger and more generous dedication to the new evangelization and in service to the local Church and parishes."

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, SEP 23, 2002 (VIS) - Today the Holy Father received in separate audiences:

- Archbishop Emil Paul Tscherrig, apostolic nuncio in Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Jamaica, Grenada, Guyana, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and Grenadine, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, and apostolic delegate in the Antilles.
- Two prelates from the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (Northwest 2) on their "ad limina" visit:
- Archbishop Marcelo Pinto Carvalheira of Paraiba.
- Archbishop Heitor de Araujo Sales of Natal.

On Saturday September 21, the Holy Father received in audience three prelates from the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil on their "ad limina" visit:
- Bishop Sebastiao de Assis de Figueiredo of Guirating.
- Bishop Vital Chitolina, S.C.I., prelate of Paranatinga.
- Bishop Antonino Migliore, prelate of Coxim.

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TO NEW BISHOPS: BE HOLY, GUIDE PRIESTS, PROMOTE VOCATIONS

VATICAN CITY, SEP 23, 2002 (VIS) - This morning in Castelgandolfo, the Holy Father welcomed young bishops from around the world who are participating in the annual meeting held in the Vatican for new bishops. In his talk the Pope focussed on four priorities: being models of holiness, being close to the priests in their diocese, promoting vocations to the priesthood and communicating Christ to modern man.

"The efficacy and the fruitfulness of our ministry," he said, "depend to a great extent on our configuration to Christ and on our personal holiness. ... A bishop's primary duty is to make an authentic desire for holiness grow in all believers, a holiness to which we are all called and in which culminate the aspirations of human beings."

"Another of your priorities," he went on, "is attention to your priests, who are your closest collaborators in the ministry. The spiritual care of priests is a primary duty for every diocesan bishop." He noted that when a bishop takes the hands of a newly ordained priest into his own hands, "the young priest chooses to entrust himself to the bishop and, for his part, the bishop commits himself to caring for those hands."

John Paul II then urged the prelates to "dedicate yourselves with passion to promoting authentic vocations to the priesthood through prayer, witnessing with your life and pastoral concern."

In conclusion, the Pope underscored the mission entrusted to bishops "to communicate Christ to the men of today in the world of today. Every day we experience how our times, so rich in technical means, material means and comfort, are so dramatically poor in purpose, values and ideals. Modern man, deprived of references to values, turns often to restricted and relative horizons. In this agnostic, and at times hostile context, a bishop's mission is not easy. We must not, however, give in to pessimism or discouragement, because the Holy Spirit guides the Church and gives her ... the courage to dare to seek new methods of evangelization in order to reach up-to-now unexplored spheres."

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