THE FUTURE OF EUROPE NEEDS OUR VALUES, OUR COLLABORATION

VATICAN CITY, FEB 15, 2003 (VIS) - Made public yesterday afternoon was Pope John Paul's Message to His Beatitude Christodoulos, archbishop of Athens and of All Greece, on the occasion of a five-day meeting in Athens between representatives of the Holy See and of the Holy Synod of the Orthodox Church of Greece. A visit from the Holy Synod had visited the Vatican in March 2002. The Holy See delegation was led by Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.

The Pope noted in his message that this meeting was "a concrete sign of our will to persevere in fraternal love." He said that such meetings "are a motive of joy and satisfaction for me. The Catholic Church knows that it has a duty to perform on the European continent in this historic moment, and the responsibility that she feels coincides with that of the Orthodox Church of Greece. Such responsibility is a common terrain on which to develop reciprocal collaboration. Europe's future is so important that it compels us to go beyond our past of divisions, misunderstandings and reciprocal remoteness."

The Holy Father remarked that "what is at stake is the promotion in Europe, hic et nunc, of all human and religious values, of the recognition of Churches and ecclesial communities, of safeguarding the sacredness of life, of safeguarding creation. We are moved by the deep conviction that the 'old' continent must not lose the Christian riches of its cultural patrimony."

"This collaboration," he said in closing, " could be one of the efficacious remedies to ideological relativism, so widespread in Europe, to an ethical pluralism that disregards perennial values, to a form of globalization that leaves man dissatisfied because it cancels all legitimate differences which have allowed so many treasures to be spread in Eastern and Western Europe."

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PAPAL DISCOURSE TO BISHOPS OF EQUATORIAL GUINEA

VATICAN CITY, FEB 15, 2003 (VIS) - The prelates of Equatorial Guinea were received today by the Pope who, in his talk to them, focussed on the need for priests, the multi-faceted roles of men and women religious, the importance of an optimum catechesis of the laity, and the need to respect all human rights, including the rights to life, religious freedom, food, education and freedom of movement, expression and association.

"One of the greater difficulties you encounter in your particular Churches is the lack of priests," the Holy Father began his discourse in Spanish. He underscored the urgency of promoting a pastoral ministry for vocations, especially one that incorporates native clergy and missionaries, and of praying insistently for vocations. He also pointed out the importance of "strong and healthy families where one learns genuine values" as the source of vocations to the priesthood and the religious life.

The Pope lauded the bishops' efforts to create a national seminary, saying that "the creation of adequate spaces where candidates can receive an appropriate preparation in the diverse human and theological sciences is of capital importance." Seminary life must be marked by "prayer and frequent reception of the Sacraments, ... discipline, fraternal coexistence and acquiring habits that configure the style of the priest or religious of our times."

John Paul II also praised the many roles played by religious, many of whom are from Spain, in Guinean society, including direct work with parishes and missions, as well as in the fields of education, health, welfare and charity. Their work "enriches your local Churches with the efficacy of its services as well as, above all, through the personal and communitarian witness to the Gospel."

Turning to the lay faithful, the Pope said they "have a role of utmost importance in facing present and future challenges in your country." The laity must be "witnesses of a stainless life in the world, search for holiness in the family, in work and in social life," and be dedicated to making the Christian spirit permeate all levels of their life and work. This requires "an appropriate religious and human formation which helps them to face the equivocal forms of religiosity or pseudo-religious movements that are so widespread today."

John Paul II then commented on how the country's past had been marked by painful moments, and painful consequences, both ecclesial and social, and he urged everyone "to be ministers of reconciliation. ... Pardon is not incompatible with justice, and the best future of the country is one which is built in peace, which is the fruit of justice and of pardon, both offered and received."

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POPE WELCOMES BISHOPS OF THE GAMBIA, LIBERIA AND SIERRA LEONE

VATICAN CITY, FEB 15, 2003 (VIS) - The bishops of the Gambia, Liberia and Sierra Leone were received today by the Holy Father at the conclusion of their "ad limina" visit. In his talk to them in English, the Pope highlighted the challenges facing the prelates in forming young people and in defending the sanctity of life and the family, as well as the humanitarian trials they face, especially the "tragic situation of millions of refugees and displaced persons."

"Catholics form a very small part of the population in your countries," admitted the Pope, "and at times the social, political and even religious climate makes evangelization and interreligious dialogue difficult." He encouraged the bishops to continue to "proclaim the Gospel's power to transform hearts and lives." He underscored that the contribution of Catholics in all milieux of society, especially their social welfare programs "are praised by people and government alike."
The Holy Father pointed out that "this same word of God can also act as a fundamental point of departure for essential dialogue with the followers of African traditional religions and Islam. It is your task to continue to foster an attitude of mutual respect which avoids religious indifference and militant fundamentalism."

He stressed the care and commitment that must be given by the Church to "the formation of your youth and laity. The seduction of material things, and the dangerous attraction of cults and secret societies which promise wealth and power can hold great appeal, especially for young people." He said that youth must be made to realize "they are truly a 'new generation of builders', called to work towards 'a civilization of love'."

John Paul II then turned to the family, calling it "a fundamental element of African culture and civilization. ... Unfortunately the Gospel of life .... is being threatened in your countries by widespread polygamy, divorce, abortion, prostitution, human trafficking and a contraceptive mentality. These same factors contribute ... to sexual activity leading to the spread of AIDS, a pandemic which cannot be ignored."

"As the Church in Africa does all in her power to defend the sanctity of the family and its pre-eminent place in African society, she is called above all to proclaim loudly and clearly the liberating message of authentic Christian love" and to emphasize that "true love is chaste love." The Church, he asserted, must be "the leader in the sustained effort to promote programs which foster authentic respect for the dignity and rights of women."

The Holy Father said he was pleased by strides made in restoring peace but said he was worried by developments which could threaten it. He turned his attention to the humanitarian challenges facing the bishops, noting "with concern the tragic situation of millions of refugees and displaced peoples." He urged the prelates "to work tirelessly for reconciliation and to bear authentic witness to unity by gestures of solidarity and support for the victims of decades of violence."

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CARDINAL ETCHEGARAY ON MEETING WITH SADDAM HUSSEIN

VATICAN CITY, FEB 15, 2003 (VIS) - Following is the declaration to journalists made in Baghdad, Iraq, by Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, following his meeting this morning with Iraqi President Saddam Hussein. The French cardinal was sent as a special envoy to the region by Pope John Paul II.

"I understand that you have been awaiting the present moment with great interest, given the importance of the meeting I have just left. For your part, you understand that the spiritual nature of my mission gives my words a special tone to which you are doubtless used to. The Church indeed has her own way of speaking of peace, making peace, among those who, for diverse reasons, employ themselves with such great tenacity. The Church, according to words by Pope John Paul II, is the spokesman of the 'moral conscience of mankind in its purest state, of a mankind that desires peace, that needs peace'.

"It is in this sense that my meeting with President Saddam Hussein touched upon concrete questions that I cannot mention through respect for the person who sent me as well as for the person who received me: It is a matter of seeing if everything has been done to safeguard peace while establishing a climate of confidence that allows Iraq to rediscover its place in the international community. At the heart of our meeting were the Iraq people who, I have noted from Baghdad to Mossoul, aspire so much to a just and lasting peace after years of suffering, for which the Pope and the universal Church have always expressed their solidarity.

"In the name of the Pope, I dare to appeal to the conscience of all those who, in these decisive days, shoulder the future of peace. For, in the end, it is one's conscience which will have the final word, which is stronger than all strategies, all ideologies and even all religions."

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PAPAL TELEGRAM FOR VICTIMS OF BOMB IN COLOMBIA

VATICAN CITY, FEB 15, 2003 (VIS) - Following is the telegram sent in Pope John Paul's name by Cardinal Angelo Sodano, secretary of state, to Bishop Ramon Dario Molina Jaramillo of Neiva, Colombia, for the victims of a bomb that exploded yesterday in that city:

"His Holiness John Paul II received with deep regret the sad news of the loathsome attack perpetrated yesterday which caused innocent victims and numerous injured, including children and security officers, as well as serious material damage. In this circumstance, he expresses once again his energetic denunciation and firm condemnation of these new acts of terrorism that attack peaceful coexistence and offend the sentiments of the beloved Colombian people, the majority of whom are against violence and horror and who are lovers of peace in justice.
"The Pope, while he offers prayers for the eternal repose of the souls of those who died, asks Your Excellency to convey his heartfelt condolences to the family members of the dead, along with the assurance of his prayers for the swift and complete recovery of the injured. At the same time, the Holy Father feels very close to the pastor and ecclesial community of Neiva, so tried by this painful incident, and desires to make an urgent appeal to those responsible for these detestable actions to cease on that path of destruction and death which will never facilitate the authentic progress of the Colombian people.

"With these sentiments, the Supreme Pontiff imparts the consoling apostolic blessing on all those who are suffering in this hour of grief and all those who assist them."

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BISHOPS OF GUINEA CONAKRY CONCLUDE "AD LIMINA" VISIT

VATICAN CITY, FEB 15, 2003 (VIS) - The Pope today also welcomed prelates from Guinea (Conakry) and spoke to them of the importance of pastoral ministries for young people and the family, of interreligious dialogue and of the challenges they fact with the presence of sects in their country.

John Paul II remarked that the small number of Catholics in Guinea, despite adverse conditions, "have kept a lively awareness that they are the leaven of the Gospel." Echoing the reports presented by the bishops, the Pope noted that there are "many obstacles in welcoming the faith, including the situation of dire poverty of the population, the difficulty of proclaiming the Gospel message in a context marked by the predominance of other religious traditions and the problems faced in reaching communities geographically isolated."
He lauded the work of missionaries in particular and of the Church in general and asked the prelates to pursue the path they have undertaken, especially "in calling Christians to commit themselves ever more to the political life of the country and in helping them, through an adequate doctrinal formation, to join in a coherent manner their Christian faith and their civic responsibilities."

The Holy Father highlighted the importance of the pastoral programs that form the diverse agents of evangelization "so they may assume their irreplaceable role in the Church and in society. This has been made necessary because of the offensive undertaken by sects who take advantage of the situation of the misery and the credulity of the faithful to turn them away from the Church and the liberating word of the Gospel."

He then turned his attention to the family, underscoring that "the breakup of the family and its foundations today in Guinea, even affects social cohesion. ... It is essential to encourage Catholics to preserve and promote the fundamental values of the family," and to "hold in high consideration the dignity of Christian marriage." He stressed the dangers caused by polygamy on the institution of Christian marriage, saying "the Church must clearly and tirelessly teach the truth about marriage and the family as God established them."

Pope John Paul encouraged the bishops to dedicate great time and attention to priests, their "closest collaborators," as well as to the country's young people so that they may take their rightful place "in transforming society."

The Pope then noted that "the encounters with believers of other religions, especially with Muslims, are a daily experience of Christians in Guinea, a country where Islam is the majority religion. At a time when suspicions, temptations to turn in on oneself or the refusal to meet can constitute serious obstacles to the social stability and religious freedom of persons, it is important to pursue dialogue of life between Christians and Muslims, so that they will be ever audacious witnesses of God, good and merciful, in mutual respect."

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EUROPE'S CHRISTIAN ROOTS MUST BE IN EUROPEAN CONSTITUTION

VATICAN CITY, FEB 16, 2003 (VIS) - In remarks made before reciting the Angelus at noon today with the pilgrims assembled in St. Peter's Square, Pope John Paul noted that on February 14 the Church celebrated the feast of Sts. Cyril and Methodius, brothers, apostles of the Slavs and co-patrons of Europe, born in Salonika the second half of the ninth century.

"Always faithful to the Roman Pontiff as well as to the Patriarch of Constantinople," the Pope said of these saintly brothers, "they were animated by a deep sense of the Church, one, holy, catholic and apostolic, while Jesus' invocation 'ut unum sint', was their missionary uniform."

The Pope remarked that "the legacy of Sts. Cyril and Methodius is also precious from a cultural standpoint. Their work, in fact, contributed to consolidating the common Christian roots of Europe, roots that with their essence permeated European history and institutions."

"Precisely for this," he affirmed, "it has been requested that the future constitutional treaty of the European Union give space to this common patrimony of the East and the West. A similar reference will take nothing away from the just lay nature of the political structures but, on the contrary, will help preserve the Continent from the double risk of ideological laicism, on the one hand, and sectarian integralism on the other."

"United on values and remembering their own past," he concluded, "European peoples can fully undertake their role in promoting justice and peace in the world."

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, FEB 15, 2003 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Archbishop Angelo Amato, secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, as consultor of the Congregation for Bishops.

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, FEB 17, 2003 (VIS) - The Holy Father received in separate audiences today:

- Archbishop Augustine Kasujja, apostolic nuncio in Algeria and in Tunisia.

- Four prelates of the Regional Episcopal Conference of North Africa (CERNA):

- Archbishop Henri Teissier of Algiers.

- Bishop Michel-Joseph-Gerard Gagnon, M.Afr., of Laghourat.
- Bishop Gabriel Piroird of Constantine.

- Bishop Alphonse Georger of Oran.

On Saturday February 15, the Holy Father received in audience:

- Bishop Anacleto Matogo Oyana, C.M.F., of Bata, Equatorial Guinea on his "ad limina" visit.

- Bishop Philippe Kourouma of N'Zerekore, Guinea on his "ad limina" visit.

- Bishop Vincent Coulibaly of Kankan, Guinea on his "ad limina" visit.

- Msgr. Andre Mamadou Camara, apostolic administrator of Conakry, Guinea on his "ad limina" visit.

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BE TIRELESS WITNESSES TO HOPE, POPE TELLS RELIGIOUS

VATICAN CITY, FEB 17, 2003 (VIS) - Participants in the 17th General Chapter of the Daughters of Mary Most Holy "dell orto", also called the Gianelli Sisters after their founder, St. Anthony Mary Gianelli, were welcomed to the Vatican this morning by Pope John Paul.

He said that their theme, "Consecrate and Send into the Service of the Kingdom," was "stimulating," as it motivated them "to return to the roots of your charism and to place them face to face with current needs, in an ever-changing world." He noted how their work was always inspired by their founder, Bishop Gianelli, "who loved to repeat: 'God, God, only God!'. Everything he did was animated by his ardent longing for Christ."

"His teachings are well expressed in your Constitutions," the Pope pointed out, "which outline the style typical of your religious family: fidelity to your charism, living a vigilant evangelical charity, forgetting one's own interests and comfort; remaining attentive to the needs of the times, taking pleasure in becoming everything for everyone with a commitment whose only limits are impossibility and inopportuneness."

The Holy Father urged the sisters to "pursue this path, placing Christ at the center of your life." He asked them to make love of Christ, love of their neighbor and poverty the marks of their ministry, and he also asked them to "be tireless witnesses of hope."

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PEACE IN IRAQ AND FOR IRAQ IS STILL POSSIBLE

VATICAN CITY, FEB 16, 2003 (VIS) - Prior to his departure today from Baghdad as the envoy of the Holy Father, Cardinal Roger Etchegaray made the following statement:

"I have just lived in Iraq several days of extraordinary intensity in communion with the person who sent me, Pope John Paul II. Rarely have I ever felt that I was not only the bearer of his message of peace, but that he himself was also present. I only followed him to the midst of the Christian communities, of all the Iraqi people, to President Saddam Hussein who listened at length and deeply to the living word that comes from God and that every believer, descendants of Abraham, welcomes as the most certain leaven of peace.

"As I leave this land unjustly cut off from others, I would like to be more than a simple echo, the amplification of the aspiration of a country that has a pressing need for peace.
"Among the great clouds that have overshadowed these times, there is a small opening. But no one must abandon their efforts. The new and brief respite which has been given us must be used by everyone full time and in a spirit of reciprocal trust to answer the exigencies of the international community. The least of steps in coming days has the value of a great step forward towards peace.

"Yes, peace is still possible in Iraq and for Iraq. I leave for Rome, shouting this more strongly than ever before."

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