HOLY SEE AND LATVIA RATIFY ACCORD SIGNED IN 2000

VATICAN CITY, OCT 25, 2002 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican's Treaty Room, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, secretary of state, and Andris Berzins, prime minister of the Republic of Latvia, exchanged instruments of ratification of the Accord between the Holy See and Latvia, which was signed in Riga on November 8, 2000.

High ranking Church and civil officials were present at the signing ceremony. Among those in attendance for the Holy See were Cardinal Janis Pujats, archbishop of Riga, Archbishop Jean-Louis Tauran and Msgr. Celestino Migliore, respectively secretary and under-secretary for Relations with States, and Archbishop Peter Stephan Zurbriggem, apostolic nuncio in Latvia.

Representing Latvia were Ingrida Labucka, justice minister, Atis Sjanits, ambassador of Latvia and councilor to the prime minister for foreign affairs, Aivars Maldups, secretary of state and Dace Rutka, from the embassy of Latvia to the Holy See.

In remarks made to those present, Cardinal Sodano recalled the November 2000 signing in Riga of the Accord between the Holy See and Latvia "on several important matters: the juridical statute of the Catholic Church in Latvia; the internal structure and government of the Church; cooperation in areas of mutual concern such as, for example, education, and religious assistance to the Catholic faithful in the armed services and in prisons." The cardinal stated that "with today's ceremony of the exchange of instruments of ratification, this Accord comes into effect."

SS;ACCORD HOLY SEE; LATVIA;...;SODANO;VIS;20021025;Word: 240;

AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, OCT 25, 2002 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

- Andris Berzins, prime minister of the Republic of Latvia, and an entourage.
- Archbishop Edward Joseph Adams, apostolic nuncio in Zimbabwe.
- Six prelates from the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (Northeast I-IV) on their "ad limina" visit:
- Bishop Fernando Panico, M.S.C., of Crato.
- Bishop Aldo di Cillo Pagotto, S.S.S., of Sobral.
- Bishop Jacinto Furtado de Brito Sobrinho of Crateus.
- Bishop Jose Haring, O.F.M., of Limoeiro do Norte, accompanied by Bishop emeritus Manuel Edmilson da Cruz.
- Bishop Eduardo Zielski of Campo Maior.

AP; AL;...;...;...;VIS;20021025;Word: 90;

ARCHBISHOP FOLEY ADDRESSES CATHOLIC OBSTETRICIANS

VATICAN CITY, OCT 25, 2002 (VIS) - Archbishop John Foley, president of the Pontifical Council of Social Communications, addressed the Second International Meeting of Catholic Obstetricians today in Rome. He congratulated participants for being "faithful adherents to and indeed apostles of the teaching of the Catholic Church on the sacredness of human life at all stages of its development."

The archbishop said that "as Catholic obstetricians you are more on the front line of media interest than any other Catholic professionals," precisely because of the "issues in which the media have such an intense interest: abortion, contraception, stem cell research, artificial insemination, either by a husband or donor, intrauterine surgery, and indeed a host of others."

He noted that worldwide there "is diminishing respect for motherhood," and that "even in Catholic countries, the birth rate is falling rapidly. ... We must also face the fact that artificial contraception is widely used, even by Catholics apparently without misgivings. Objectively, of course, they are wrong."

"To combat the morally noxious environment in which we live," said Archbishop Foley, "we must promote an environment - especially a media environment - in which human life is respected at every stage of its development" and one "of sexual responsibility and, therefore, of sound family life."

CON-CS;OBSTRETICIANS;...;FOLEY;VIS;20021025;Word: 200;

PRESENTATION OF WEB SITE OF VATICAN APOSTOLIC LIBRARY

VATICAN CITY, OCT 25, 2002 (VIS) - The new web site of the Vatican Apostolic Library will be presented at a press conference on Tuesday October 29 at 11:30 a.m. in the Holy See Press Office. The web site is the result of collaboration between the Holy See and Hewlett-Packard.

Participants in the conference include: Cardinal Jorge Maria Mejia, librarian of Holy Roman Church, Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli, secretary of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See, and Fr. Raffaele Farina, prefect of the library.

OP;VATICAN LIBRARY;...;MEJIA;VIS;20021025;Word: 100;

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, OCT 25, 2002 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Fr. Luis Castro Medellin, M.S.F., vicar for Religious and Consecrated Life of the diocese of Zamora, Mexico, as bishop of Tacambaro (area 14,624, population 373,663, Catholics 367,152, priests 88, religious 142), Mexico. The bishop-elect was born in Mineral de La Noria, Mexico in 1938 and was ordained a priest in 1963.
NER/.../CASTROVIS 20021025 (60)