MAN'S DIGNITY AND RIGHTS COME FROM GOD, NOT A CONSENSUS

VATICAN CITY, OCT 31, 2002 (VIS) - Pope John Paul this morning welcomed Benoit Cardon de Lichtbuer, the new ambassador from the Kingdom of Belgium to the Holy See, who gave the Pope his Letters of Credence.

"As you have noted," said the Pope in reply to the diplomat's speech, "Belgium has always had a role in the European project from its very origins and has always actively supported it in the successive stages of its development. ...The European Union today represents on the international scene an instance of dialogue and cooperation which constitutes an evident appeal for many people in the world who aspire to development and peace. I am happy to know that your country encourages and supports the process of expansion that is underway."

The Pope remarked that building Europe requires leaders with "will and determination, with the desire to build the Union on the common values aware of the Christian roots of different peoples which are an inescapable reality of European history and culture" and "a common treasure."

He pointed to the "serious tensions" that afflict the world today, saying there must be "great determination to efficaciously fight terrorism, to reduce oppositions among peoples through dialogue ... and to fight the many injustices that provoke resentment, hatred or violence." He thanked the ambassador for his country's "renewed attention" to many African nations "with whom you have strong economic and cultural ties. It is good that a country such as yours helps these young nations to overcome their internal crises and the conflicts which put them at odds."

John Paul II turned to the Church's great attention to and care for children, adolescents and young people, stating that "current realities show in an often dramatic fashion the need" to protect and educate them. "It is important to condemn with the greatest vigor sexual abuses with regard to young people. Audacious policies to support families must be pursued in order to help them in their educational task, especially in support of the institution of marriage. As a fundamental tie between a man and a woman, marriage allows the family to be a stable and well-balanced place for children to grow."

"Man, created by God and called to share in His divine life, has always been at the center of the Christian vision of the world and that is why the Church respects and defends life," affirmed the Holy Father. "How can she silence her great anxiety and reprobation in the face of laws recently voted on in different countries which legalize active euthanasia? He said that the "only true rampart" against the constant violations of man's dignity and his rights is "recognizing the sacred and inviolable nature of every human person."

Human dignity and human rights are God-given, said the pontiff, they do not come from a consensus by men. Society exposes itself to grave dangers, he added, if it does not recognize God as the author of life, human dignity and human rights.

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STATEMENT ON AUDIENCE OF PRESIDENT GISCARD D'ESTAING

VATICAN CITY, OCT 31, 2002 (VIS) - Holy See Press Office Director Joaquin Navarro-Valls made the following declaration this afternoon:

"On the occasion of his visit to Rome October 30-31, Valery Giscard d'Estaing, president of the European Convention, expressed the desire to be received by the Holy Father and to meet the cardinal secretary of state.

"Today, October 31, at the end of the morning he was received by Pope John Paul II and, afterwards, he met with Cardinal Angelo Sodano, His Holiness' secretary of state, together with Archbishop Jean-Louis Tauran, secretary for Relations with States.

"The president's visit was a propitious occasion for an exchange of viewpoints on Europe.
"During the meetings they spoke about the project of the future constitution and the interests of the community of believers in European countries, where they are in the majority, to see their identity and their specific contributions to the life of European societies respected as well as the statute whose benefits they have by virtue of national legislations."

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J0HN PAUL II RECEIVES HONORARY ROMAN CITIZENSHIP

VATICAN CITY, OCT 31, 2002 (VIS) - This morning John Paul II received the title of honorary citizen of Rome during a ceremony that took place in the Vatican in which Walter Veltroni, mayor of the city, and a group of administrators and representatives of Roman institutions participated.

The Pope recalled that he began to know and love the Eternal City after November 1946 when he came here to study. "The affectionate bond which began then has been reinforced during the last 24 years, during which I have felt daily the closeness and warmth of Rome's citizens."

"Rome," said the Holy Father, "heir to a thousand-year old culture in which the fruitful seed of the proclamation of the Gospel has been sown, does not only contain treasures from the past that must be cared for. It is conscious of having a fundamental duty to fulfill in the future at the service of mankind today and tomorrow."

After recalling that problems still exist, the Holy Father said: "Everyone must be commited to handing down to future generations the rich civil, moral and spiritual patrimony of Rome so that these new generations will be strengthened by it as they approach life with trust. The Church will continue in this field, as it always has done, to carry out its duty, respecting each sphere, always seeking favorable agreements on specific topics and problems with civil authorities through sincere dialogue."

"The bishop of Rome," he concluded, "is honored to be able to repeat today, with particular intensity of meaning, the words of the apostle Paul: 'Civis romanus sum' (I am a Roman citizen)."

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, OCT 31, 2002 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

- Archbishop Orlando Antonini, apostolic nuncio in Zambia and Malawi.
- Valery Giscard d'Estaing, former president of the Republic of France.
- Cardinal Zenon Grocholewski, prefect of the Congregation for Catholic Education (of Seminaries and Institutes of Studies), accompanied by Archbishop Giuseppe Pittau and Msgr. Angelo Vincenzo Zani, respectively secretary and undersecretary of the same congregation.

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HOLY FATHER'S PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR NOVEMBER

VATICAN CITY, OCT 31, 2002 (VIS) - The Holy Father's general intention for the month of November is: "For widows and widowers who often feel the pain of loneliness, that they may find comfort and support in the Christian community."

The Holy Father's mission intention for the month of November is: "That the active participation of Christians may encourage the spreading of the Gospel through mass media."

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, OCT 31, 2002 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Erected the apostolic vicariate of Rodrigues (area 102, population 35,779, Catholics 32,612, priests 4, religious 11), Mauritius, with territory taken from the diocese of Port-Luis, Mauritius. He appointed Fr. Allen Harel of the clergy of Port-Luis as its first apostolic vicar. The bishop-elect was born in 1950 in Quatre Bornes, Mauritius and was ordained a priest in 1978.

- Appointed Fr. Esteban Maria Laxague, S.D.B., inspector vicar and director of the College of Don Bosco in Bahia Blanca, Argentina, as bishop of Viedma (area 89,000, population 125,230, Catholics 100,250, priests 20, religious 47), Argentina. The bishop-elect was born in 1957 in Coronel Pringles, Argentina and was ordained a priest in 1986.

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