TRADITIONAL PAPAL MESSAGE FOR BRAZIL'S FRATERNITY CAMPAIGN

VATICAN CITY, MAR 4, 2003 (VIS) - Pope John Paul's annual Message to the Church in Brazil at the start of its traditional Fraternity Campaign was released today. Dated January 4, 2003, and addressed to Bishop Jayme Henrique Chemello, president of the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil, the Message focusses on the campaign's theme "Life, Dignity and Hope," in particular on solidarity with the elderly.

"The Church," notes the Pope, "indicates, by mandate of the Redeemer, the path for spiritual and human well-being, a path of reconciliation and penitence, through personal conversion and solidarity with one's neighbor." He said that "such solidarity was especially necessary today with the elderly" because of medical advances and increased longevity of persons. "It is therefore necessary to urgently plan assistance to our brothers and sisters. This calls for a change of mentality: we must replace the utilitarian and materialistic culture, which attributes value to a person on what they produce and consume, with a culture that recognizes the 'absolute' value of each person, be it for the degree of capacity and efficiency that they have."

The Holy Father said he hoped that new life would be given to the social and health programs of public and private institutions, as well as those of diocesan pastoral ministries. "My thoughts," he said, "go to Brazil's elderly, in a special way to widows and widowers, to the elderly religious and to our dear brothers in the priesthood."

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