AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, SEP 1, 2003 (VIS) - Today the Holy Father received in separate audiences:

- Eight prelates from the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India:

- Archbishop Oswald Gracias of Agra.

- Bishop Patrick Paul D'Souza of Varanasi.

- Bishop Patrick Nair of Meerut, accompanied by Coadjutor Bishop Oswald Lewis.

- Bishop Frederick D'Souza of Jhansi.

- Bishop Ignatius Menezes of Ajmer and Jaipur.

- Bishop Joseph Pathalil of Udaipur.
- Bishop Isidore Fernandes of Allahabad.

- Bishop Vincenzo Paglia of Terni-Narni-Amelia, with Prof. Andrea Riccardi of the Sant'Egidio Community.

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HOLY FATHER'S PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR SEPTEMBER

VATICAN CITY, SEP 1, 2003 (VIS) - The Holy Father's general prayer intention for the month of September is: "That the countries that are suffering because of war, terrorism and violence may find the way of reconciliation, concord and peace."

His missionary intention is: "That the Christian communities of Central Asia, who live among people of other religious traditions, may be committed to spreading the good news of the Kingdom through the active testimony of their faith."

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WORKER DIES IN ST. PETER'S SQUARE

VATICAN CITY, SEP 1, 2003 (VIS) - Joaquin Navarro-Valls, director of the Holy See Press Office, made the following statement this afternoon:

"At 10:15 this morning, during maintenance work on structures in St. Peter's Square, Constantino Marchionni, 52, fell from mobile scaffolding, about 3.5 meters high, together with a fellow worker.

"The latter underwent minor contusions after the fall whereas Marchionni had more serious internal injuries and, notwithstanding the immediate intervention of the emergency medical unit and despite all efforts by the Vatican's health service personnel and those at Santo Spirito hospital, Marchionni died shortly afterwards, without regaining consciousness.

"The Substitute for the Secretariat of State, the secretary general of the Governorate, personnel from the Technical Services Office and the Pontifical Gendarmes, as well as the president of the tribunal of Vatican City State, went immediately to the site of the accident."

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, SEP 1, 2003 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Included Msgr. Bryan Chestle in the College of Apostolic Pronotaries "de numero patricipantium".

- Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the archdiocese of Onitsha, Nigeria, presented by Archbishop Albert Kanene Obiefuna in accordance with Canon 401, para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law. Coadjutor Bishop Valerian Okeke succeeds him.

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