FOURTH WORLD MEETING OF FAMILIES STARTS TOMORROW IN MANILA

VATICAN CITY, JAN 21, 2003 (VIS) - The Fourth World Meeting of Families, promoted by the Pontifical Council for the Family, starts tomorrow in Manila, the Philippines on the theme chosen by Pope John Paul, "The Christian Family: Good News for the Third Millennium." The Pope's special envoy to the five-day encounter is Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo, council president.

The three previous meetings took place in 1994 in Rome, 1997 in Rio de Janeiro and again in Rome during the Jubilee Year 2000. A communique from the pontifical council states that massive numbers of participants are expected at the encounter, whose logistics are being taken care of by the archdiocese of Manila. Delegates from 75 countries have registered: The largest number is expected to come from the Philippines.

January 22-24 will be dedicated to an International Pastoral Theological Congress on the theme of the world encounter. A separate congress for children and young people, expected to draw 1,000 people, will be held at the same time.

On Saturday, January 25 Eucharistic celebrations will be held for diverse language groups in 16 churches in Manila. That same afternoon there will be the encounter of witnessing and testimonials and the festival of families, including a live television linkup with Pope John Paul in Rome, who will address the families present in Manila.

Cardinal Lopez Trujillo will preside at the concluding Eucharistic celebration on Sunday, January 26.

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POPE TO CONCLUDE THE WEEK OF PRAYER FOR CHRISTIAN UNITY

VATICAN CITY, JAN 21, 2003 (VIS) - On Saturday January 25 at 6 p.m. in the basilica of St. Paul's Outside-the-Walls, the Pope will preside at a celebration of second vespers for the Solemnity of the Conversion of St. Paul in conclusion of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity whose theme is: "A treasure in earthen vessels."

According to a communique from the Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff, representatives from other churches and ecclesiastical communities present in Rome will participate in the celebration. In addition, the clergy and faithful of the diocese of Rome have been specially invited.

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JOHN PAUL II BLESSES BABY LAMBS ON FEAST OF ST. AGNES

VATICAN CITY, JAN 21, 2003 (VIS) - This morning in the Apostolic Palace, following a centuries-old tradition, Pope John Paul blessed several lambs whose wool will be used to make the palliums bestowed on new metropolitan archbishops on the June 29 feast of Sts. Peter and Paul, Apostles.

In a 1978 document, "Inter Eximina Episcopalis," Pope Paul VI restricted use of the pallium to the Pope and to metropolitan archbishops. In 1984 John Paul II decreed that the pallium would be conferred on the metropolitans on the June 29th solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul.

The custom of blessing the lambs takes place every year on the January 21 liturgical memory of St. Agnes, a virgin who suffered martyrdom about 305 A.D. and whose symbol is a lamb. She is buried in the basilica named for her in Rome on the Via Nomentana and after the papal blessing the lambs are brought to this basilica.

The lambs are raised by the Trappist Fathers of the Abbey of the Three Fountains and the palliums are made by the Sisters of St. Cecelia from the newly-shorn wool.

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, JAN 21, 2003 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in audience eight prelates from the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (Southern Region I) on their "ad limina" visit:

- Bishop Luiz Eugenio Perez of Japoticabal, accompanied by Coadjutor Bishop Fernando Antonio Bronchini.

- Bishop Moacyr Jose Vitti of Piracicaba.

- Bishop Ireneu Danelon, S.D.B., of Lins.

- Bishop Ercilio Turco of Osasco.

- Bishop Joseph Mahfouz, O.L.M., of Nossa Senhora do Libano em Sao Paulo of the Maronites.

- Bishop Luiz Gonzaga Bergonzini of Guarulhos.
- Bishop Jose Maria Liborio Camino Saracho of Presidente Prudente.

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TWENTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF THE NEW CODE OF CANON LAW

VATICAN CITY, JAN 21, 2003 (VIS) - The Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts has organized an academic day on January 24 entitled, "Twenty years of canonical experience 1983-2003," in order to commemorate the twenty year anniversary of John Paul's promulgation of the new Code of Canon Law which Blessed John XXIII considered the disciplinary culmination of the Second Vatican Council.

The day will be celebrated in the New Synod Hall in the Vatican and will be presided by Cardinal Angelo Sodano, secretary of State. After Archbishop Julian Herranz, president of the dicastery, greets participants, the deans of the seven faculties of Canon Law in Rome will speak.

In the late morning, the Holy Father will receive participants in audience.

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JAN 21, 2003 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Appointed Fr. Jorge Alberto Ossa Soto, vicar general and rector of St. Pius X Major Seminary in Istmina-Tado, Colombia as bishop of Florencia (area 15,441, population 260,000, Catholics 225,000, priests 47, religious 70), Colombia. The bishop-elect was born in El Carmen de Viboral, Colombia in 1956 and was ordained a priest in 1982.

- Appointed Fr. Joseph Boishu, delegate for the Formation of Lay People and for New Ministries for the archdiocese of Rennes, France as auxiliary bishop of Reims (area 6,931, population 597,522, Catholics 565,022, priests 175, permanent deacons 20, religious 363), France. The bishop-elect was born in 1939 in La Guerche, France and was ordained a priest in 1966. The Holy Father accepted the resignation from the office of auxiliary of the same diocese presented by Bishop Francois Gourgouillon in conformity with Canon 411 and Canon 401, para. 2, of the Code of Canon Law.

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