AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, JAN 16, 2004 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received Cardinal Walter Kasper and Bishop Brian Farrell, L.C., respectively president and secretary of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.
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MAY WOMEN KEEP ALIVE THE AWARENESS OF THEIR VOCATION

VATICAN CITY, JAN 16, 2004 (VIS) - This morning the Holy Father received the participants in the national congress of the Italian Women's Center as they reflect on the theme "Women as They Face the Expectations of the World."

He recalled that this Center, "inspired by Christian principles, makes every effort to help women in undertaking in an ever more responsible way their own role in society. Mankind today feels with increasing intensity the need to offer a sense and a scope to the world in which new problems which generate insecurity and confusion present themselves every day."

"The current era," he continued, "marked by the rapid succession of events, has seen the growing participation of women in every sector of civil, economic and religious life, starting with the family, the first and most vital cell of human society. This calls for, on your part, a constant attention to emerging problems and a generous farsightedness in facing them."

"It is important," the Pope told them, "for women to keep alive the awareness of this fundamental vocation: they fulfill themselves only in giving love. ... Their moral and spiritual strength comes from the awareness that 'God entrusts to women in a special way man, human beings'."

John Paul II underscored that "it is this which above all is the mission of every women, even in the Third Millennium. Live it fully and do not allow yourselves to be discouraged by difficulties and obstacles that you might meet along the way. On the contrary, always trusting in divine help, bring it to fulfillment with joy, expressing the female 'genius' that marks you."
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DIALOGUE BETWEEN CATHOLICS, CHIEF RABBINATE IS SIGN OF HOPE

VATICAN CITY, JAN 16, 2004 (VIS) - Pope John Paul II today welcomed to the Vatican Jona Metzgher and Shlomo Amar, chief rabbis of Israel and Oded Wiener, director general of the Chief Rabbinate, who are in Rome to attend the Concert of Reconciliation that will be performed by the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra tomorrow evening in the Paul VI Hall.

The Pope noted that "in the twenty-five years of my Pontificate I have striven to promote Jewish-Catholic dialogue and to foster ever greater understanding, respect and cooperation between us. Indeed, one of the highlights of my Pontificate will always remain my Jubilee Pilgrimage to the Holy Land, which included intense moments of remembrance, reflection and prayer at the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial and at the Wailing Wall."

He added that "the official dialogue established between the Catholic Church and the Chief Rabbinate of Israel is a sign of great hope. We must spare no effort in working together to build a world of justice, peace and reconciliation for all peoples. May Divine Providence bless our work and crown it with success!"

The concert tomorrow evening is dedicated to reconciliation between Jews, Christians and Muslims and was organized by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, the Commission for Religious Relations with Jews and the Pontifical Council for Inter-Religious Dialogue, with support from the Knights of Columbus. Maestro Gilbert Levine will direct the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra in presenting John Harbison's "Abraham" and Gustav Mahler's Symphony N. 2, "Resurrection," movements I, IV and V. Also performing will be the Ankara State Polyphonic Choir, the Krakow Philharmonic Choir, the London Philharmonic Choir and members of the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh.
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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JAN 16, 2004 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Appointed Bishop Filipe Neri Antonio Sebtastiao do Rosario Ferrao, auxiliary of Goa e Damao, India as archbishop of the same archdiocese (area 4,194, population 1,502,057, Catholics 450,130, priests 619, religious 1,391) in India, with the title of Patriarch "ad honorem" of the West Indies. The archbishop-elect succeeds Archbishop Raul Nicolau Gonsalves, whose resignation to the pastoral care of this archdiocese was accepted by the Holy Father for having reached the age limit.

- Appointed Bishop Daniel DiNardo of Sioux City as coadjutor bishop of the diocese of Galveston-Houston (area 23,257, population 4,704,532, Catholics 974,312, priests 443, religious 760, permanent deacons 300), U.S.A.
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