IRAQI VICE PRIME MINISTER AZIZ TO MEET WITH POPE JOHN PAUL

VATICAN CITY, FEB 6, 2003 (VIS) - Holy See Press Office Director Joaquin Navarro-Valls released the following statement early last evening: "The Vice Prime Minister of Iraq, Tariq Aziz, has asked to be received by the Pope. The Holy Father will receive Tariq Aziz in audience in the Vatican on February 14."

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PAPAL MESSAGE FOR LENT 2003 FOCUSSES ON CHARITY

VATICAN CITY, FEB 6, 2003 (VIS) - Pope John Paul's Message for Lent 2003, dated January 7, was published today in English, French, Italian, German, Spanish and Portuguese. A presentation was given in the Holy See Press Office by Archbishop Paul Josef Cordes, president of the Pontifical Council "Cor Unum." According to the 1988 Apostolic Constitution "Pastor bonus," this council, which assists in the preparation of the annual Lenten Message, "expresses the Catholic Church's solicitude for the needy so that human fraternity is promoted and the charity of Christ is shown."

Following are excerpts:

"Lent is a season of intense prayer, fasting and concern for those in need. It offers all Christians an opportunity to prepare for Easter by serious discernment about their lives, with particular attention to the word of God which enlightens the daily journey of all who believe."

"This year, as a guide for our Lenten meditation, I would offer a phrase taken from the Acts of the Apostles: 'It is more blessed to give than to receive'."

"Our age, regrettably, is particularly susceptible to the temptation toward selfishness which always lurks within the human heart. In society generally, and in the media, people are bombarded by messages which more or less openly exalt the ephemeral and the hedonistic. Concern for others is certainly shown whenever natural disasters, war and other emergencies strike, but in general it is difficult to build a culture of solidarity."

"Exploitation of others, indifference towards the suffering of our brothers and sisters, and the violation of basic rules of morality are just a few fruits of the thirst for gain. Faced with the tragic situation of persistent poverty which afflicts so many people in our world, how can we fail to see that the quest for profit at any cost and the lack of effective, responsible concern for the common good have concentrated immense resources in the hands of a few while the rest of humanity suffers in poverty and neglect?"

"Appealing to believers and to all people of good will, I would like to reaffirm a principle which is self-evident yet often ignored: our goal should not be the benefit of a privileged few, but rather the improvement of the living conditions of all."

"'It is more blessed to give than to receive'. When believers respond to the inner impulse to give themselves to others without expecting anything in return, they experience a profound interior satisfaction.

"The efforts of Christians to promote justice, their commitment in defense of the powerless, their humanitarian work in providing bread for the hungry and their care for the sick by responding to every emergency and need, draw their strength from that sole and inexhaustible treasury of love which is the complete gift of Jesus to the Father."

"Mercy and love for one's neighbor must therefore be the fruit of a living relationship with God and have God as their constant point of reference, since it is in closeness to Christ that we find our joy."

"Lent offers us the practical and effective weapons of fasting and almsgiving as a means of combating an excessive attachment to money. Giving not only from our abundance, but sacrificing something more in order to give to the needy, fosters that self-denial which is essential to authentic Christian living."

"Christians must not think that they can seek the true good of their brothers and sisters without embodying the charity of Christ."

"To modern men and women, often dissatisfied with a shallow and ephemeral existence and in search of authentic happiness and love, Christ offers his own example and issues the invitation to follow Him."

"Recently, we have witnessed a praiseworthy outpouring of solidarity for the victims of floods in Europe, earthquakes in Latin America and Italy, epidemics in Africa, volcanic eruptions in the Philippines, as well as for other areas of the world scarred by hatred, violence and war.

"In these situations, the communications media play a significant role by allowing us to identify with and offer ready help to the suffering and those in distress. At times it is not the Christian command of love, but rather an innate sense of compassion which motivates our efforts to assist others. Even so, anyone who helps those in need always enjoys God's favor."

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LENT 2003: "IT IS MORE BLESSED TO GIVE THAN TO RECEIVE"

VATICAN CITY, FEB 6, 2003 (VIS) - Pope John Paul's Message for Lent 2003, on the theme "It is more blessed to give than to receive" was presented today in the Holy See Press Office by Archbishop Paul Josef Cordes, president of the Pontifical Council "Cor Unum," Msgr Karel Kasteel, secretary and Fr. Oreste Benzi, founder of the Pope John XXIII Association.

Archbishop Cordes stated that the words of Jesus - "It is more blessed to give than to receive" - seem to have received a "universal consensus" if we look at the world of charitable institutions, corporations involved in charity, governments preparing budgets to benefit the poor, needy and underprivileged and fund-raising events for charity sponsored by actors, sports figures and politicians. He noted, for example, from personal experience how airlines, sponsoring a specific foundation, asked for donations aboard flights or how, in airports, passengers are asked to help a specific cause.

He asked: "Is this widespread action of good works perhaps proof that Jesus' statement has found global recognition and that maybe it is superfluous today to underscore it? But upon closer examination we see that both recipients and donors can have aims that are quite diverse in their activity for others."

The archbishop recalled other words of Jesus: "But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing." Philanthropy and solidarity have even become "a business", he stated, which can lead to "the possibility that those who run it take a substantial quota for their own needs." Sometimes philanthropy is undertaken, he said, to improve one's personal image or that of a company.

Archbishop Cordes pointed out that Pope John Paul's reminder that "It is more blessed to give than to receive" is a "new exhortation to give but it also imposes clear limits." He highlighted the Pope's statement about the generosity of those missionaries and members of movements who help the poor, needy and underprivileged throughout the world, saying: "They become instruments themselves for their brothers and sisters, in the sense that today's Lenten Message gives in which the Holy Father describes the highest form is availability for those who suffer as 'the disinterested gift of oneself for others'."

He emphasized that it is this altruistic, selfless form of charitable giving to which we must return, putting aside hopes for personal glory or recognition or reward.

Fr. Oreste Benzi, affirmed the archbishop, is one of those persons who have totally given of themselves. As founder of the John XXIII Association, he has worked since 1968 with young people to help the materially and mentally impoverished. The 186 centers worldwide assist "so-called normal families with prostitutes, former drug addicts and alcoholics, as well as the physically and mentally handicapped." The archbishop described Fr. Oreste as "a simple man, who is changing the world 180 degrees. His motto is: 'The young do not need something, they need someone'."
Fr. Oreste asserted that, "In a word to the poor, to the least, I have to give them the answer they need, not the answer the establishment wants that everything and everyone is well. Sharing requires belonging, not just a performance. It is necessary to remove the causes of injustice and marginalization. We cannot just help victims, we must prevent them from becoming victims, according to St. Augustine and the teaching of the Fathers and Magisterium of the Church. Charity cannot cover up problems, it must resolve them. We can't just shed tears on the hungry; we have to unmask who is making them hungry. One cannot only move against terrorist acts. One has to defeat terrorist systems."

"The Church herself," he stated, "is justice. Promoting acts of justice, the Church shows her true identity and attracts all people. The Pope is the proof of this."

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DELEGATION FROM SERBIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH WELCOMED BY POPE

VATICAN CITY, FEB 6, 2003 (VIS) - A delegation from the Holy Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church was received this morning by the Holy Father, who expressed his "joy" at the meeting and said it not only was very "significant but also fills all of us with hope."

He recalled that the last decade of the 20th century "was marked by a number of painful events, which caused unspeakable sufferings for many populations of the Balkans. Unfortunately there were also many injustices and those who carried them out did not hesitate to exploit religious and patriotic sentiments and values in order to harm their neighbor even more."

The Pope underscored that "Churches did not fail in their duty to summon all interested parties to peace, to the re-establishment of justice and respect for the rights of each person, regardless of their ethnic background or religious belief. As is well known, the Holy See, without misinterpretations and with impartiality, often raised its voice, and I personally did not fail to do so before and during the actions that especially struck the populations of your country in 1999."

"Churches," John Paul II went on, "have the duty to act according to the model of the Good Samaritan. They must alleviate common sufferings, heal wounds and promote that purification of memories from which will come a sincere pardon and fraternal collaboration."

"Today," he pointed out, "Churches face new needs and challenges that come from an unstoppable transformation of the European continent. The Christian identity of Europe, molded at its roots by Eastern and Western traditions, currently seems to be placed in discussion."

"Lauding the Orthodox Church for "proclaiming the Good News with perseverance," the Pope urged both Catholics and Orthodox to give "a vivid and convincing witness of their common tradition" which will be efficacious in affirming "the Gospel values such as peace, human dignity, the defense of life and justice in society today" and "the consolidation of that fraternity that must mark ecclesial relations between Catholics and Orthodox."

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, FEB 6, 2003 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:
- Nursultan Nazarbayev, president of the Republic of Kazakhstan, accompanied by an entourage.

- Two prelates from the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (Midwestern and Northern Regions II) on their "ad limina" visit:

- Bishop Martinho Lammers of Obidos, O.F.M., prelate of Obidos.

- Bishop Jose Luis Azcona Hermoso, O.A.R., prelate of Marajo.

- Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.

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