BRAZILIAN BISHOPS: ADHERE TO THE TRUTH, RESPECT CONSCIENCES

VATICAN CITY, SEP 28, 2002 - This morning the Pope received prelates from the Brazilian cities of Olinda-Recife, Paraiba, Maceio and Natal, and from diocesan suffrages at the end of their "ad limina" visit.

John Paul II expressed his gratitude to the bishops for the dedication with which they carry out their mission, "frequently in difficult circumstances."

"The Successor of Peter," he said, "counts on you so that your
preparation is always bolstered in that spirituality of communion and fidelity to the seat of Peter. ... The integrity of faith, together with eclessial discipline, is and will be a topic that will require attention by all, especially when it comes to knowing how to discern that 'only one faith and one baptism' exist'."

Speaking about the "importance of promoting vocations to the priesthood," the Holy Father said that "there is a need for well-formed priests in order to assume the serious task of representing the Person of Christ in local communities. In addition," he added, "a complete formation of the pastoral agents is very necessary as an aid to evangelization promoted by bishops and priests in order to foster community and witness to faith in more difficult environments."

The Pope drew attention to the bishops' efforts "to strengthen the foundations of a healthy ecumenicism" and he cited the Directory for Ecumenicism, published by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, when it affirms that "diversity is one dimension of Catholicism. This," he said, "must not carry a certain indifference which balances all opinions because of false irenicism. I hope that the effort of Christian communities to reach unity, so long-awaited, may always be based upon truth."

"There should not be incompatibility," he stated, "between the
affirmation of an unconditional adherence to the truth of Jesus Christ and respect for consciences. If religion is not only a question of conscience, but also of free adherence to the truth, that can or cannot be accepted, its content cannot be compromised. For this reason, it is necessary to illustrate it, without leaving out salient elements. In this way, the importance of your commitment is understood so that there may be instructors capable of guaranteeing the greatest fidelity to theological teaching."

John Paul II concluded by referring to catechesis. "You offer the best service to the cause of ecumenicism when you provide a profound education in freedom in catechesis for adults and young people. When a Christian lives his faith completely, people are attracted to him, he inspires confidence and respect; he never imposes his religious beliefs, but he knows how to convey the truth to those who trust him without deception. He tolerates people without ever tolerating a falsehood."

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, SEP 28, 2002 (VIS) - Today the Holy Father received in audience six prelates from the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (Northeast 2) on their "ad limina" visit:

- Bishop Genival Saraiva de Franca of Palmares accompanied by Bishop Acacio Rodrigues Alves, emeritus.
- Bishop Luis Gonzaga Silva Pepeu, O.F.M., of Afogados da Ingazeira accompanied by Bishop Francisco Austregesilo de Mesquita Filho, emeritus.
- Bishop Manoel dos Reis de Farias of Patos accompanied by Bishop Gerardo de Andrade Ponte, emeritus.

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PAUL VI AND JOHN PAUL I: BRAVE WITNESSES TO THE GOSPEL

VATICAN CITY, SEP 28, 2002 (VIS) - At 6 p.m. in the Vatican Basilica, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, secretary of State, celebrated in the Pope's name Holy Mass for the repose of the souls of the deceased Supreme Pontiffs Paul VI and John Paul I, who died 24 years ago.

"Today," said Cardinal Sodano in the homily, "we are gathered in this basilica, so dear to them, to remember them and to elevate our prayer to God for the repose of their souls. Guided by the liturgy, we repeat with faith: 'Memento, Domine, famulorum tuorum Pauli Papae VI et Ioannis Pauli Papae I'."

"'Memento,' that is, 'remember'! Certainly," he continued, "the Lord has never forgotten them, but it is right that the Church has a special memorial for them, for what these Pontiffs worked for and suffered so much for, asking the celestial Father to grant them the reward reserved for faithful servants of the Gospel."

The cardinal secretary of State invited everyone to give thanks to God for the gift that He bestowed upon the Church with these two Pontiffs who were "not only luminous teachers of Catholic doctrine but also above all faithful and brave witnesses to the Gospel. Precisely for this reason, their memory does not cease to provoke the esteem, affection and veneration of the people of God."

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THE POPE RETURNS THIS AFTERNOON TO THE VATICAN

VATICAN CITY, SEP 30, 2002 (VIS) - As is his custom before leaving his summer residence in Castelgandolfo and returning to the Vatican, the Pope thanked the mayor and councilmen of the city this morning as well law enforcement officials for their service during his stay.

"I wish to express once again," he said, "my deep appreciation for the hospitality and generosity that the local citizens have shown not only to the Pope but also to the pilgrims and visitors that have come to see him."

Addressing the law enforcement officials, John Paul II said: "Thank you for your tireless effort which surely has been a great sacrifice. Continue to always render honor to yourselves and to the uniform you wear. May your work be inspired by an interior strength that comes from your love for God."

The Holy Father said goodbye at the end to the religious and medical personnel.

The Pope's return to the Vatican is scheduled for 6 p.m.

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ANGELUS: PRAY THE ROSARY FOR PEACE

VATICAN CITY, SEP 29, 2002 (VIS) - Today at noon John Paul II prayed the Angelus with pilgrims gathered in the courtyard of the apostolic palace in Castelgandolfo. Before the Marian prayer, the Holy Father said that the up-coming month of October, traditionally dedicated to the Virgin of the Rosary, "moves us to discover once again this prayer ... so simple and yet so profound."

"The rosary," he continued, "is a way of contemplating the face of Christ, carried out ... through the eyes of Mary. I want to suggest, therefore, that people, families and Christian communities pray the rosary."

After the Pope explained that in order to reinforce that invitation he was preparing a "document that will help us to discover once again the beauty and the depth of this prayer."
"I want to entrust the great cause for peace to the rosary once again. We are faced by an international situation full of tensions, sometimes heated. In some parts of the world where confrontation is more severe, I am thinking in particular about the afflicted land of Christ, it is felt that political attempts are worthless ... if one is not capable of gaining a new
outlook ... in order to renew with hope the threads of dialogue. But who can spread these feelings except for God? It is necessary more than ever that the petition for peace rises up to Him from all over the world."

"In this way," the Pope emphasized, "the rosary is an especially appropriate prayer. It constructs peace because, while appealing to God's grace, it plants in those who pray it a good seed which bears the fruits of justice and solidarity in personal and community life."

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, SEP 30, 2002 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Appointed Cardinal Jan P. Schotte, C.I.C.M., as a member of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State.

- Appointed Eugenio Borgognoni, director of the Administrative Department of the Governatorate, as the director of the Department of Accounts of the State for a period of five years.

- Appointed Massimo Stoppa as "ad interim" director of the Department of Telecommunications. Mr. Stoppa retains his title as director of Technical Services of the State.

- Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the archdiocese of Yangon, Myanmar, presented by Archbishop Gabriel Thohey Mahn-Gaby upon having reached the age limit.

- Appointed Bishop Sotero Phamo of Loikaw, Myanmar, as apostolic
administrator "sede vacante et ad nutum Sanctae Sedis" of Yangon, Myanmar.

On Saturday September 29 it was made public that the Holy Father appointed Cardinal Francis Arinze, president of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue, as his special envoy to the celebrations of the Third National Eucharistic Congress which will take place in Ibadan, Nigeria from November 15 - 17, 2002.

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