STATEMENT ON ARTIFACTS DISCOVERED IN VATICAN CITY

VATICAN CITY, MAR 12, 2003 (VIS) - Yesterday afternoon a statement was released by Archbishop Francesco Marchisano, president of the Permanent Commission for the Care of Historical and Artistic Monuments of the Holy See, in answer to journalists who have asked about the construction of a new parking lot in Vatican City and the discovery, on the work site, of archeological artifacts.

He indicated that he had personally investigated the site on March 10 and closely examined the work accomplished and the archeological finds. He added that initial research through soil studies had been undertaken to see if there were indications of important artifacts on the site. "Only the excavation brought to light several artifacts, including two sarcophagi, one pagan and one Christian, several floor mosaics of modest dimensions, and several terracotta artifacts such as two half-buried amphorae that I was able to see."
Archbishop Marchisano noted that, given his many years experience in works executed in Christian catacombs both in and near Rome, he was "very impressed by the care and attention given during the research as soon as the artifacts were found in a corner of the future parking lot."

He observed that this could be "a very small funeral site, perhaps of a few families. All archeological materials that come from the digging, underdone with extreme care, will be preserved in the Vatican Museums and made available to specialists and to all who will visit the Museums."

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LET US PRAY FOR HEALING FOR OURSELVES, CHURCH, THE WORLD

VATICAN CITY, MAR 12, 2003 - Archbishop John Foley, president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, presided at the 7 a.m. Station Church Mass in English at St. Mary Major Basilica today and, in his homily, asked for prayers "for a threefold healing: for ourselves, for the Church and for the world."

"Let us pray for healing in the world, which is on the brink of war," he began. "God spared Nineveh after the inhabitants gave themselves over to forty days of prayer and fasting; perhaps after our own faithful recitation of the Rosary every day for peace and after our own forty days of Lenten prayer and sacrifice, the world might be spared another war."

"My statement is in no way political," he went on. "I am certainly not attempting to canonize Saddam Hussein or to point an accusing finger at the leadership of the United States or of Great Britain; I am only saying that a just peace, involving also the effective disarmament of Iraq, is badly needed, not only for the poor, the innocent and the defenseless in the Middle East, but for the members of our own Armed Forces and indeed for our own populations who risk being victimized again by horrible terrorism."

"Second," said Archbishop Foley, "let us pray for healing for the Church, which has suffered so much in recent years, especially in English-speaking countries. I hope we are in no way the evil generation to which Jesus referred, but we have experienced the works of evil and the works of the evil one in the Church."

"Finally," the archbishop stated, "let us pray for healing in our own lives. What are our secret sins; what are the attachments from which we are so reluctant to free ourselves? May we have self-knowledge - and may we have personal spiritual healing."

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PAPAL, HOLY SEE HIGHLIGHTS: JULY - DECEMBER 2002

VATICAN CITY, MAR 12, 2002 (VIS) - Following are highlights of activities of the Holy Father and the Holy See from July through December 2002:

JULY

Thursday, 4: Pope welcomes Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Medgyessy.

Monday, 8: Holy Father leaves for summer residence at Castelgandolfo.

Wednesday, 10: A "Monitum" from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith Concerning the Attempted Priestly Ordination of Several Catholic Women.

Tuesday, 23: John Paul II departs for Canada to celebrate the 17th World Youth Day in Toronto. The Pope's 97th foreign apostolic trip, from July 23 to August 2, also took him to Guatemala City and Mexico City.

Thursday, 25: Signature of Accord between the Holy See and the Czech Republic on the regulation of reciprocal relations.

AUGUST

Saturday, 3: Apostolic Penitentiary grants indulgences to acts of worship in honor of Divine Mercy and grants the faculty to impart the papal blessing with a plenary indulgence in special cases.

Monday, 5: Decree of excommunication by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith for the attempted priestly ordination of several Catholic women.

Friday, 16: Pope leaves for four-day trip to his native Poland: his 98th international voyage.

Wednesday, 21: Agreement signed between Holy See and Slovak Republic concerning religious assistance to Catholics in the Armed Forces.
Monday, 26: Holy See delegation participates at World Summit for Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa: August 26 - September 4.

SEPTEMBER

Monday, 2: Credentials presented by new ambassador from Greece to the Holy See, Christos Botzios.

Thursday, 5: Pope welcomes new ambassador from Slovenia, Ludvik Toplak.

Friday, 6: Ambassador from Uruguay to Holy See, Daniel Perez del Castillo, presents his Credentials.

Saturday, 7: Pope welcomes new ambassador from Great Britain, Kathryn Frances Colvin.

Monday, 9: Telegram for the death on September 8 of Cardinal Lucas Moreira Neves, O.P.

Tuesday, 10: Press Office statement on expulsion from the Russian Federation of another Catholic priest.

Friday, 13: Credentials presented by new German ambassador to the Holy See, Gerhard Westdickenberg.

Tuesday, 17: Papal telegrams to Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace and to the mother of Cardinal Francois-Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan, president of the council, who died yesterday.

Monday, 23: Telegram upon the death of Cardinal John Baptist Wu Cheng-chung, bishop of Hong Kong.

OCTOBER

Sunday, 6: Canonization of Blessed Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer.

Monday, 7: Start of weeklong visit of His Beatitude Teoctist, patriarch of the Romanian Orthodox Church, to Pope John Paul II and the Church of Rome.

Thursday, 10: Letters of Credence presented by new ambassador of Gabon, Desire Koumba.

Wednesday, 16: 24th anniversary of the election of Pope John Paul II: He proclaims Year of the Rosary, adds the five Mysteries of Light to the Rosary.

Thursday, 17: International Theological Commission, in answer to a press report, says that a recent study by the Commission "tends to support the exclusion of the possibility" that women could be ordained to the diaconate.

Friday, 18: Presentation of a document by the Congregation for the Clergy, "The Priest, Pastor and Guide of the Parish Community"; Holy See's answer to the "Essential Norms for Diocesan/Eparchial Policies Dealing with Allegations of Sexual Abuse of Minors by Priests, Deacons or Other Church Personnel," prepared by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops; Holy See delegation returns to Rome after a seven-day visit to Vietnam.

Tuesday, 22: 24th anniversary of official start of the pontificate of John Paul II.

Thursday, 24: Letters of Credence presented by the new ambassador to the Holy See from Hungary, Gabor Erdody.

Monday, 28: Exchange of instruments of ratification of an Agreement between the Holy See and the Slovak Republic.

Thursday, 31: Pope receives new ambassador from Belgium to the Holy See, Benoit Cardon de Lichtbuer; He also received Valery Giscard d'Estaing, president of the European Convention.

NOVEMBER

Monday, 18: Diplomatic relations established between Holy See and Qatar.

Friday, 22: Haiti's new ambassador, Carl Henri Guiteau, welcomed by Pope.

Friday, 29: Vietnam's Vice Prime Minister, Wu Khoang, meets with Cardinal Angelo Sodano and Archbishop Jean-Louis Tauran.

Saturday, 30: Credentials presented by new ambassador of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Ivan Misic; Letter from Holy Father to Cardinal Bernardin Gantin, releasing him from the office of Dean of the College of Cardinals; Pope approves election of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger as dean.

DECEMBER

Monday, 2: Papal Message, entitled "For a Commitment to Overcome all Racism, Xenophobia and Exaggerated Nationalism," for the 89th World Day of Migrants and Refugees.

Thursday, 12: John Paul II receives Moshe Katsav, president of Israel, and S.R. Nathan, president of Singapore.

Friday, 13: Pope accepts resignation of Cardinal Bernard Law, archbishop of Boston; Seven new ambassadors to the Holy See present their Credentials: They represent Sierra Leone, Jamaica, India, Ghana, Norway, Rwanda and Madagascar.

Monday, 16: "Recognitio" by the Holy See of the "Essential Norms" prepared by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Tuesday, 17: Publication of Pope's Message for World Day of Peace 2003, "Pacem in terris: A Permanent Commitment."

Thursday, 19: Credentials presented by new ambassador to Holy See from Slovakia, Dagmar Babcanova.

Friday, 20: Decrees promulgated regarding heroic virtues and miracle attributed to Mother Teresa of Calcutta, who will be proclaimed Blessed.

Monday, 23: Holy Father welcomes His Royal Highness, Prince Vittorio Emanuele of Savoy, his wife and son.

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