POPE EXCHANGES GREETINGS WITH CITY AND REGIONAL LEADERS

VATICAN CITY, JAN 16, 2003 (VIS) - Pope John Paul met this morning with the administrators of both the city and province of Rome, and the region of Lazio for the traditional January exchange of New Year greetings. Earlier in the morning he had received the mayor of Rome and the presidents of the province and the region.

The Pope noted in his talk that "precisely when the dangers of conflicts among nations and cultures grow, emerges the clear and urgent mission of love, and therefore of peace, reciprocal understanding and reconciliation that is proper to Christianity and that thus corresponds to the historical vocation of Rome, the center of Catholicism."

The Holy Father highlighted some of the issues facing not only Rome and Italy but other nations as well, naming, for example, "the crisis of many families, from the scarceness of births to the consequent ageing of the population." He remarked that there must be collaboration between the Church and civil institutions, in particular in creating "a renewed awareness of the importance and sacredness of family ties, as well as the joy that accompanies the birth and education of children." He underscored that "the family founded on matrimony must be a privileged object of social politics. ... Equally important is our reciprocal collaboration regarding the formation of young generations."

John Paul II emphasized the attention that public administrators must give to the economic sector, with special reference to jobs and unemployment. He added that "the high number of immigrants that have been able in recent months to regularize their work situation confirms that there is a dynamism in our society that needs to be better understood and made use of."

The Pope dedicated closing remarks to the great need for society to care for its weakest members and to show "solidarity to those who are in situations of suffering" and needy of good health care.

AC;REGIONAL GOVERNMENTS;...;...;VIS;20030116;Word: 310;