PREACHER OF PAPAL HOUSEHOLD GIVES FIRST LENTEN SERMON

VATICAN CITY, MAR 21, 2003 (VIS) - This morning at 9 a.m. in the Redemptoris Mater Chapel, Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, O.F.M.Cap., preacher of the Papal Household, gave the first of four Lenten sermons in the presence of Pope John Paul II. He spoke on the theme "Christ so loved His Church (Ephesians 5,25). A Reflection on the Mystery of the Church."

Cardinals, archbishops, bishops, and prelates of the Pontifical Family, the Roman Curia amd the Vicariate of Rome, are among those invited to be present at these weekly sermons which will continue on March 28 and on April 4 and 11.

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

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

- Appointed Archbishop Raul Eduardo Vela Chiriboga, military ordinary of Ecuador, as metropolitan archbishop of Quito (area 10,000, population 2,250,000, Catholics 2,010,000, priests 455, permanent deacons 4, religious 2521), Ecuador. He succeeds Cardinal Antonio Jose Gonzalez Zumarraga whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same archdiocese the Holy Father accepted upon having reached the age limit.

- Gave his blessing to the erection of the eparchy of Guizeh, Egypt, with territory taken from the Patriarchal Eparchy of Alexandria of the Catholic Copts, effected by the Synod of Bishops of the Coptic Catholic Church on September 29, 2002. He gave his blessing at the same time to the transfer of Bishop Andraos Salama, auxiliary of Alexandria of the Copts, to the new eparchial see of Guizeh.
- Appointed Bishop George Haddad, S.M.S.P., apostolic exarch for the Greek Melkite Catholics resident in Argentina, as apostolic administrator "sede plena et ad nutum Sanctae Sedis" of the Greek Melkite Archieparchy of Akka, Haifa, Nazareth and all of Galilea.

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, MAR 21, 2003 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

- Mirko Sarovic, president on duty of the Collegial Presidency of Bosnia-Herzegovina, with Dragan Covic and Sulejman Tihic and other members of the presidency and an entourage.

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

- Bishop Girulfus Kherubim Pareira of Weetebula.

- Bishop Hilarius Moa Nurak of Pangkal-Pinang.

- Bishop Herman Joseph Sahadat Pandoyoputro of Malang.

- Bishop Giulio Mencuccini of Sanggua.

- Bishop Florentinus Sului Hajang Hau of Samarinda.

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