PAPAL APPEAL FOR PEACE IN VENEZUELA

VATICAN CITY, DEC 4, 2002 (VIS) - At the end of today's general audience celebrated in the Paul VI Hall, the Holy Father, speaking in Spanish, made an appeal for peace in Venezuela, which is currently undergoing political and social turmoil, including clashes in the capital of Caracas betweeen civilians and members of the National Guard:

"In light of the news from Venezuela, I ask God, all-consoling, that peace and social harmony may reign in that beloved Nation in this difficult moment in their history, committing everyone to a dialogue that benefits the country, and that authentic justice may be achieved, based on truth and solidarity."
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GENERAL AUDIENCE: THE SPIRIT TRANSFORMS THE REPENTANT SINNER

VATICAN CITY, DEC 4, 2002 (VIS) - In this Wednesday's general audience, celebrated in the Paul VI Hall, the Pope spoke about verses 12 through 16 of Psalm 50, the 'Miserere', "Mercy of my Lord."

John Paul II related that in Psalm 50 there is a triple invocation to the Spirit which "penetrates the soul of the faithful, instilling it with new life and raising it from the kingdom of sin to heaven, full of grace. The Fathers of the Church see in the 'Spirit' invoked by the psalmist the effective presence of the Holy Spirit."

The divine Spirit, he continued, "restores, renews, transfigures and transforms repentant sinners, embraces them and makes them participate in the joy of salvation. Man, inspired then by Him, sets out on the way of justice and love."

The Holy Father affirmed that "those who have experienced God's merciful love become ardent witnesses, especially compared to those who are still ensnared in the net of sin."

After emphasizing that "the supplicant looks at his dark past and cries to God, 'Free me from the blood, oh God, God my salvation'," the Pope said that in the general sense "invocation indicates the desire for purification from evil, violence and hatred, always present in the human heart with obscure and evil strength. However, the lips of the faithful, purified by sin, now sing to the Lord."

John Paul II concluded by indicating that the part of Psalm 50 on which he commented today "ends with the commitment to proclaim the 'justice' of God. The term 'justice' here, which appears frequently in biblical language, does not precisely refer to the punitive action of God with regards to evil, but indicates rather the rehabilitation of the sinner, because God expresses his justice by rendering sinners upright. God does not desire the death of the wicked, but rather wants them to give up their conduct and live."

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ARCHBISHOP FOLEY ON FILM MAKING AND THE TEN COMMANDMENTS

VATICAN CITY, DEC 4, 2002 (VIS) - Archbishop John Foley, president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, spoke at Holy Cross Pontifical University in Rome during a December 2-3 meeting on the theme "Starting from the beginning. The Ten Commandments in the Movie Culture of the Third Millennium."

"Speaking of universal values," he told the assembly, "it is impossible not to refer to the ten commandments. Speaking of movies, it is impossible to forget that they are one of the powerful means of social communications, a privileged voice that reaches everyone and has the power to condition choices and ways of thinking. The media have changed our way of being informed, of knowing, of producing culture, of becoming close to one another; but within them many voices are raised; sometimes one voice can drown out another, creating confusion, because of plurality and the incapacity to succeed in preparing and discerning as a whole the messages of true value."

The archbishop added that "the use of all media and movies, in particular, calls therefore for a great responsibility because communicating distorted, erroneous or false contents risks disorienting the spectator." He stressed that "truth, the dignity of the human person and the common good should be the basis from which to depart to create movies that are a living instrument in modern social communications, at the center of which is man. The communicative strength of the screen is exceptional and has a great impact, capable of making it a vehicle of values, linked to life and human spirituality."

"Films are our legacy to future generations," he noted. "If in these films, which will live after us, there is a message worthy of being handed down, those universal and eternal values that we believe are fundamental for the survival of mankind, we will continue to exist and to lead man's journey toward other conquests. I hope that all who work in the cinema can follow the ten commandments: thus they will achieve their happiness and will be a good example for people who consider them models to follow."

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POPE GREETS ITALIAN NAVY ON FEAST OF PATRON SAINT

VATICAN CITY, DEC 4, 2002 (VIS) - Officers and other members of the Italian Navy, together with their military ordinary, Italy's defense minister and the General Staff were welcomed in St. Peter's Basilica after the weekly general audience by John Paul II who recalled that today is the "liturgical memory of St. Barbara, your heavenly patroness."

He noted that the Navy gathers each year on this day "to celebrate, with special devotion, this saint who was a model of life and service, even for sailors. This young martyr gave a fearless witness in faith, not afraid to face death in order not to fail in her commitment of fidelity to Christ and the Gospel.

"You too, dear seamen, are called to give proof of your fidelity to God and your brothers, working generously as ministers of the security and freedom of your people, thus participating in an efficacious way in stability and peace. Your service, not without sacrifices, brings you in contact with persons and peoples of different cultures throughout the world."

"As Christians," stated the Holy Father, "you are asked to witness to the faith in a coherent way. To be efficacious instruments of peace in every milieu, maintain uninterrupted contact with Christ in prayer. Thus you will be able to indicate to others the path that leads to the Lord, the way, the truth and the life."

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, DEC 4, 2002 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Erected the diocese of Auchi (area 6,116, population 723,905, Catholics 63,480, priests 39, religious 23), Nigeria with territory taken from the archdiocese of Benin City, Nigeria, making it suffragen of the same Metropolitan Church.

- Appointed Fr. Gabriel Ghiakhomo Dunia, professor at the Major Seminary and pastor at Okpeke, Nigeria as first bishop of Auchi. The bishop-elect was born in Obobo, Nigeria in 1957 and was ordained a priest in 1989.

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