ARCHBIHOP FOLEY REFLECTS ON HUNGER IN THE WORLD

VATICAN CITY, MAR 19, 2003 (VIS) - Archbishop John Foley, president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, delivered a homily today, solemnity of St. Joseph, at a Mass for a Study Day on "Hunger in the World" offered at the Lay Center of Foyer Unitas at the Irish College. He said that "on this day in which we will be reflecting on hunger in the world, I would ask that we reflect on how Jesus was nourished - and how He chose to nourish us."

"There are no reports that Jesus went hungry," said the archbishop. "Not only was Joseph a faithful worker and provider, but there was extended family in Nazareth - always a helpful form of insurance against hunger. In considering the problem of hunger in the world today, it would seem that a principal problem is not supply; it is distribution. In Nazareth, Joseph worked, and the family ate. While he was a carpenter and not a farmer or a shepherd, the Holy Family lived in a basically agricultural and pastoral community, and food could be readily purchased.

Archbishop Foley exclaimed that "Today, in the world, because of war, unemployment, drought and an ineffective food distribution system in many parts of the world, millions go hungry. ... But all of us must work together for that peace and stability and effective distribution system which will make it possible for all families to retain their self-respect, to be able to earn and prepare their daily bread and to nourish their children - as Joseph and Mary nourished Jesus."

In conclusion, he underscored that "Jesus, in leaving us His most beautiful memorial, gave us the Eucharist, the Bread of Life, in which we are able to be nourished on the path to eternal life."

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ST. JOSEPH, A JUST MAN, A MODEL OF LIFE IN FAITH

VATICAN CITY, MAR 19, 2003 (VIS) - The focus of Pope John Paul's reflections at today's general audience, held in St. Peter's Square in the presence of 12,000 pilgrims, was St. Joseph, spouse of Mary, whose solemnity the Church celebrates today. The Pope noted that the liturgy refers to him as "the 'father' of Jesus, ready to fulfill the divine plan, even when it escapes human understanding."

"St. Joseph is defined in the Gospel," he continued, "as a 'just man', and he is for all believers a model of life in faith. The word 'just' recalls his moral rectitude, his sincere attachment to practicing the law and his behavior of total openness to the will of the heavenly Father. Even in difficult and sometimes dramatic moments, the humble carpenter from Nazareth never presumed he had a right to question God's project."

The Holy Father noted that St. Joseph followed God's call "with docile responsibility: he listened carefully to the angel when it was a question of taking the Virgin of Nazareth as his spouse, of fleeing into Egypt, of returning to Israel. In few but meaningful verses the evangelists describe him as the thoughtful guardian of Jesus, an attentive and faithful spouse, who exercises authority in the family in a constant attitude of service."

Because of his hard manual labor to provide for his family, added the Pope, "the Church justly calls St. Joseph the patron of workers. Thus, today's solemnity is a propitious occasion to reflect on the importance of work in the life of man, the family and the community. Man is the subject and the protagonist of work. ... Human activity, recalls Vatican Council II, derives from man and is ordered to man."

In closing remarks, John Paul II asked "St. Joseph, patron of the Universal Church, to watch over the entire ecclesial community and, man of peace that he was, to obtain for all of mankind, especially for the peoples threatened in these hours by war, the precious gift of harmony and peace."

The Pope reiterated those sentiments when, after the catechesis, he greeted in various languages the pilgrim groups present. He noted that "numerous faithful are here who have come with the Benedictine torch of peace that was lit in New Norcia in Australia and which today rests at the tomb of the Apostles, and will then proceed to Norcia. ... Dear Brothers and sisters, while I thank you for today's visit, I hope that this traditional initiative, in these hours of trepidation for peace, will contribute to reviving in souls a decisive will for harmony and reconciliation."

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CATHOLIC AND RUSSIAN ORTHODOX OFFICIALS MEET IN GENEVA

VATICAN CITY, MAR 20, 2003 (VIS) - The Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity today released the following communique:

"Cardinal Walter Kasper, council president and His Eminence Kirill, metropolitan of Smolensk and Kaliningrad, president of the Department for External Ecclesiastical Relations of the Patriarchate of Moscow, met in Geneva on March 19 to discuss the situation of the relations between the Catholic Church and the Russian Orthodox Church. In the course of the frank discussions it was agreed that further consultations will be held with the intention of resolving the problems that exist between the two Churches."

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HOLY SEE STATEMENT ON HOSTILITIES IN IRAQ

VATICAN CITY, MAR 20, 2003 (VIS) - The following declaration was made today by Joaquin Navarro-Valls, director of the Holy See Press Office:

"The Holy See has learned with deep pain of the development of the latest events in Iraq. On the one hand, it is to be regretted that the Iraqi government did not accept the resolutions of the United Nations and the appeal of the Pope himself, as both asked that the country disarm. On the other hand, it is to be deplored that the path of negotiations, according to international law, for a peaceful solution of the Iraqi drama has been interrupted.

"Given these circumstances, it was learned with satisfaction that the various Catholic institutions in Iraq continue to perform their activities of assisting those populations. To contribute to this work of solidarity even the Apostolic Nunciature, headed by Archbishop Fernando Filoni, will remain open in this period in its office in Baghdad."

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CENTENARY OF CANONICAL APPROVAL OF WORK OF FR. ORIONE

VATICAN CITY, MAR 20, 2003 (VIS) - Made public today was a message by the Pope to Fr. Roberto Simionato, director general of the Small Work of Divine Providence on the occasion of the centenary of the canonical approval of this institute.

In the message, dated March 8, John Paul II writes to the members of the congregation founded by Blessed Luigi Orione: "Only by remaining rooted firmly in the divine life and by conserving the spirit of your origins, will you be able to respond in a prophetic way to the needs of the present era."

"Creative fidelity in a world that changes: may this orientation guide your way, as Fr. Orione liked to repeat: 'ahead of the times'. If the centenary celebrations of the canonical approval help you to 'remember' the climate of your origins, re-living it, at the same time it stimulates you, also in view of the next chapter, to 'protect' new and courageous initiatives in the field of charity. May your original spirit remain intact!"

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, MAR 20, 2003 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Appointed Bishop Antonio Algora Hernando of Teruel y Albarracin, Spain as bishop of Ciudad Real (area 19,813, population 483,510, Catholics 480,910, priests 267, religious 718), Spain. He accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese presented by Bishop Rafael Torija de la Fuente, upon having reached the age limit.

- Appointed Fr. Carlos German Mesa Ruiz, rector of the Major Seminary in Tunja, Colombia as bishop of Arauca (area 37,490, population 248,750, Catholics 202,000, priests 38, religious 62), Colombia. The bishop-elect was born in Duitama, Colombia 1943 and was ordained a priest in 1967.

On March 19 it was made public that the Holy Father:

- Erected the diocese of Port-Gentil (area 22,850, population 120,000, Catholics 68,000, priests 8, religious 18), Gabon, taking territory from the archdiocese of Libreville and making it a suffragan of the same metropolitan see. He appointed Bishop Mathieu Madega, auxiliary of Libreville, Gabon as the first bishop of the newly-erected diocese.

- Erected the apostolic prefecture (area 46,075, population 85,000, Catholics 245,000, priests 6, religious 6) of Makokou, Gabon, taking territory from the diocese of Oyem and entrusting to it the "Commissio sui iuris." He appointed Fr. Joseph Koerber, C.S.Sp. as the first apostolic prefect of the newly-erected prefecture. He was born in 1943 in Sierentz, France and was ordained a priest in 1972.

- Appointed Fr. Mathias Lee Yong-Hoon, professor at the Major Seminary of Suwon, as auxiliary bishop of Suwon (area 5,731, population 5,954,538, Catholics 505,601, priests 272, religious 1,243), Korea. The bishop-elect was born in 1951 in Kyoung-ghi, Korea and was ordained a priest in 1979.

- Appointed Bishop Nestor Hugo Navarro, auxiliary of Bahia Blanca, Argentina, as bishop of Alto Valle del Rio Negra (area 37,130, population 332,601, Catholics 262,211, priests 24, permanent deacons 1, religious 57), Argentina. He suceeds Bishop Jose Pedro Pozzi, S.D.B., whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted upon having reached the age limit.

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, MAR 20, 2003 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

- Archbishop Osvaldo Padilla, apostolic nuncio in Nigeria.

- Six prelates from the Episcopal Conference of Indonesia on their "ad limina" visit:

- Bishop Anicetus Bongsu Antonius Sinaga of Sibolga.

- Bishop Anton Pain Ratu of Atambua.

- Bishop Martinus Dogma Situmorang of Padang.

- Bishop Fransiskus Xaverius Rocharjanta Prajasuta of Banjarmasin.

- Bishop Alexander Soetandio Djajasiswaja of Bandung.

- Bishop Eduardus Sangsun of Ruteng.

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