HOLY SEE ON PROMOTING, PROTECTING THE RIGHTS OF CHILDREN

VATICAN CITY, OCT 15, 2002 (VIS) - Archbishop Renato Martino, head of the Holy See Observer Delegation to the United Nations, spoke yesterday before the Third Committee during the debate of the 57th Session of the General Assembly on Item 105, the Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Children.

Archbishop Martino, who is the president-elect of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, noted the "unfortunate situations" in which so many people, especially women and young people, live around the world. He cited as examples injustice, poverty, epidemics and sickness, lack of educational possibilities for children, lack of basic social services and high unemployment in many countries.

He then referred to "A World Fit for Children," the document of the Special Session of the General Assembly on Children, saying "it addressed the concerns that continue to call attention to the plight of children and young people." Quoting it in part, he said: "Put children first; Eradicate poverty; Leave no child behind; Care for every child; Educate every child; Protect children from harm and exploitation; Protect children from war, combat, HIV/AIDS: Listen to children and ensure their participation. Protect the earth for children."

Archbishop Martino observed that "Carrying out the mission of promoting and protecting the rights of children and caring for their spiritual and physical well-being has been the concern of various agencies of the Catholic Church for centuries."

"Let this discussion," he concluded, "help to remind the family of nations that the future of humanity rests upon the shoulders of today's children and young people. Let us pledge to lighten that burden by continuing to promote and protect their rights and provide them with what they need to enhance their well-being."

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POPE JOHN PAUL II: 5TH LONGEST PONTIFICATE IN HISTORY

VATICAN CITY, OCT 15, 2002 (VIS) - Tomorrow, October 16, marks the 24th anniversary of the election of Pope John Paul to the papacy. The white smoke from the Sistine Chapel indicating the election of Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, archbishop of Krakow, to the See of Peter was seen at 6:18 p.m. on October 16, 1978. At 6:45 p.m. Cardinal Pericle Felici announced that there was a new Pope and that he had chosen the name of John Paul II. At 7:15 p.m. the first Polish Pope in Church history appeared at the central loggia of St. Peter's Basilica.

Only four Popes, including St. Peter, have reigned longer than Pope John Paul II. In ascending order, they are: Pius VI (24 years, 6 months, 7 days); Leo XIII (25 years, 5 months); Pius IX (31 years, 7 months, 21 days) and St. Peter (dates unknown).

Next Tuesday, October 22 marks the 24th anniversary of the solemn inauguration of Pope John Paul II's pontificate. Statistics on his pontificate have been compiled by both Vatican Radio, which helps to organize the papal trips abroad, and by the Holy See Press Office.

John Paul II has made 98 foreign apostolic trips to 129 different countries, travelling a total of 1,236,702 kilometers (742,020 miles) which is approximately three times the distance to the moon. He has made 142 trips within Italy. He has given over 3,300 speeches during those trips and has spent an estimated 11.5 percent of his pontificate outside of Rome.

As Bishop of Rome he has visited 301 of the diocese's 334 parishes.

The Holy Father has written 13 encyclicals, 13 apostolic exhortations, 11 apostolic constitutions, 41 apostolic letters and 28 Motu proprio. A new document on the rosary is expected tomorrow, October 16.

The Pope has proclaimed 1,297 Blesseds (1025 martyrs and 272 confessors) in 135 beatification ceremonies, and 464 Saints (401 martyrs and 63 confessors) in 47 canonization ceremonies.
John Paul II has held eight consistories for the creation of cardinals and has named a total of 201 cardinals. The most recent consistory was in February 2001. The current College of Cardinals is composed of 171 members, 90 percent of whom have been named by Pope John Paul: Of these, 115 are eligible to vote.

He has convened six plenary reunions of the College of Cardinals and there have been 15 synods during his pontificate: 6 ordinary general assemblies, 1 extraordinary general assembly, 7 special assemblies and 1 particular synod.

Pope John Paul has held over 1,430 audiences and meetings with political figures, including 38 official visits by heads of state, 677 other audiences with heads of state and 219 audiences and encounters with prime ministers.

He has presided over 1,055 weekly general audiences (this figure includes tomorrow's audience) in the presence of approximately 16,561,000 faithful from every part of the world.

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PAPAL MESSAGE FOR 80TH BIRTHDAY OF MSGR. GIUSSANI

VATICAN CITY, OCT 15, 2002 (VIS) - A Message that the Pope sent to Msgr. Luigi Giussani, founder of the movement Communion and Liberation, was made public today on the occasion of his 80th birthday.

In the letter dated October 7, the Pope recalls Msgr. Giussani's childhood and his path toward the priesthood up to the birth of the movement Communion and Liberation in 1954 and its rapid expansion in many countries. "I reflect," he says in the Message, "with singular participation, on the most recent years where you have been tried by illness, and I thank you for your testimony of trusting adherence to the divine will, which you have never ceased to offer to the Movement and to the Church."

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CHILEAN BISHOPS: DEVELOP AN AUTHENTIC EVANGELIZATION

VATICAN CITY, OCT 15, 2002 (VIS) - This morning the Holy Father met with prelates from the Episcopal Conference of Chile who just completed their "ad limina" visit.

In his speech, the Pope expressed his desire that "the Chilean people's efforts to introduce themselves on the global level may not cause them to lose their cultural identity or to reduce everything to a mere economic exchange. May they extend everywhere the best values of their fatherland, so strongly linked to the Catholic tradition."

John Paul II referred to the need to "light the way of peoples with Christian principles, taking advantage of the opportunities that the present situation offers to develop an authentic evangelization that makes the message of Jesus Christ more comprehensible for the men and women of today with new language and significant symbols."

After highlighting the bishops' work for the family, the Pope said that these efforts "must be accompanied by an integral pastoral ministry for the family, one that includes an adequate preparation of couples before marriage which will serve them later, especially when difficulties arise, and will guide them in educating their children."

Speaking about priests, he stated that it is necessary to offer them "well-articulated programs of permanent formation, especially in the fields of theology, spirituality, pastoral care, and the social doctrine of the Church, which allow them to be competent evangelizers and dignified ministers of the Church in today's society. ... In order for priests to feel that you are close to them, it is of the highest importance that you always treat them in a personal manner, ... showing interest in the daily trials that so often afflict them and making them see how precious their self-sacrificing daily work is in the eyes of God and the Church."

John Paul II affirmed that the second centenary of independence, which Chile will celebrate in 2010, "reminds the Church and all citizens of the crucial challenge of reaching peaceful co-existence which includes forgiveness without hiding the truth."

In conclusion, the Holy Father recalled that the Church has the mission of "being an instrument of reconciliation of men with God and among themselves," and indicated that rejection "is the negative aspect of certain social rules of our world, before which the Church must make a special effort to remind everyone that it is precisely the neediest who must not be considered the insignificant residue of a progress that only recognizes success, the disproportionate accumulation of goods and position of privilege."

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, OCT 15, 2002 (VIS) - The Holy Father received today in audience six prelates from the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (Northeast V) on their "ad limina" visit:
- Archbishop Paulo Eduardo Andrade Ponte of Sao Luis do Maranhao, accompanied by Auxiliary Bishop Geraldo Dantas de Andrade, S.C.I.
- Bishop Reinaldo Ernst Punder of Coroata.
- Bishop Ricardo Pedro Paglia, M.S.C., of Pinheiro.
- Bishop Valter Carrijo, S.D.S., of Brejo.
- Bishop Luis D'Andrea, O.F.M.Conv., of Caxias do Maranhao.

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, OCT 15, 2002 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Archbishop Pio Vittorio Vigo of Monreale, Italy as bishop of Acireale (area 665, population 223,722, Catholics 221,622, priests 176, permanent deacons 9, religious 377), Italy. He will retain the title of archbishop.

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