OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, FEB 14, 2004 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Appointed Bishop Carlos Anibal Altamirano Arguello, auxiliary of Quito, Ecuador, as bishop of Azogues (area 4,515, population 206,953, Catholics 196,605, priests 37, religious 77), Ecuador. He succeeds Bishop Climaco Jacinto Zarauz Carrillo whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese was accepted by the Holy Father upon having reached the age limit.

- Appointed Bishop Julio Cesar Teran Dutari S.J., auxiliary of Quito, Ecuador, as bishop of Ibarra (area 4,986, population 345,781, Catholics 335,000, priests 91, permanent deacons 4, religious 140), Ecuador.

- Appointed Bishop Baldomero Carlos Martini of San Francisco, Argentina, as bishop of San Justo (area 130, population 800,000, Catholics 720,000, priests 66, permanent deacons 26, religious 184), Argentina.

- Appointed Bishop Miguel Angel Aguilar Miranda of Guaranda, Ecuador, as bishop military ordinary of Peru.
NER:RE/./. VIS 20040216 ()OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS
VATICAN CITY, FEB 14, 2004 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Appointed Bishop Carlos Anibal Altamirano Arguello, auxiliary of Quito, Ecuador, as bishop of Azogues (area 4,515, population 206,953, Catholics 196,605, priests 37, religious 77), Ecuador. He succeeds Bishop Climaco Jacinto Zarauz Carrillo whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese was accepted by the Holy Father upon having reached the age limit.

- Appointed Bishop Julio Cesar Teran Dutari S.J., auxiliary of Quito, Ecuador, as bishop of Ibarra (area 4,986, population 345,781, Catholics 335,000, priests 91, permanent deacons 4, religious 140), Ecuador.

- Appointed Bishop Baldomero Carlos Martini of San Francisco, Argentina, as bishop of San Justo (area 130, population 800,000, Catholics 720,000, priests 66, permanent deacons 26, religious 184), Argentina.

- Appointed Bishop Miguel Angel Aguilar Miranda of Guaranda, Ecuador, as bishop military ordinary of Peru.
NER:RE/./. VIS 20040216 ()

AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, FEB 16, 2004 (VIS) - Today the Holy Father received in audience six prelates from the French Episcopal Conference on their "ad limina" visit:

- Cardinal Jean-Marie Lustiger, archbishop of Paris, accompanied by Auxiliary Bishops Michel Pollien and Pierre d'Ornellas.

- Bishop Daniel Labille of Creteil.

- Bishop Michel Dubost of Evry-Corbeil-Essonnes.

- Bishop Albert-Marie de Monleon of Meaux.

On Saturday February 14 the Holy Father received in separate audiences:

- Rudolf Schuster, president of the Slovak Republic, accompanied by his wife.

- Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.
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CARDINALS TO TAKE POSSESSION OF TITULAR, DIACONATE CHURCHES

VATICAN CITY, FEB 16, 2004 (VIS) - A note published today by the Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff announced that Cardinal Angelo Scola, patriarch of Venice, will take possession of the title of the Most Holy Twelve Apostles on Pza. Most Holy Apostles on Saturday, February 21 at 6:30 p.m.

On Sunday, February 22 at 11:30 a.m.., Cardinal Gustaaf Joos will take possession of the diaconate of St. Peter Damian ai Monti di San Paolo on Via Guido Biagi.
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CHRISTIANITY, AN EXTRORDINARY FORCE OF COHESION IN EUROPE

VATICAN CITY, FEB 15, 2004 (VIS) - In remarks made to the faithful who had assembled in St. Peter's Square to pray the Angelus today, Pope John Paul once again highlighted the process of European integration, and the expansion in May of the European Union, and stressed the undeniable presence and influence of Christianity throughout Europe's history.

"Yesterday, February 14," he noted, "we celebrated the feast of Sts. Cyril and Methodius, apostles of the Slav peoples and patrons of Europe together with St. Benedict, abbot. Evangelizing the central-eastern region of the continent they contributed in a decisive way to allow Christian Europe to breathe with two lungs: that of the West and that of the East. Indeed, it would be impossible to think of European civilization without the work and legacy of St. Benedict, just as one cannot fail to mention the evangelizing and social work of the two brothers from Salonika."

"In recent months," continued the Holy Father, "several countries from Eastern Europe, where Sts. Cyril and Methodius worked, have been involved in the process of political integration of the continent. These are nations that bear a specific cultural and spiritual richness: in them Christianity exercised an extraordinary cohesive force, with respect for their particular characteristics." He underscored, by way of example, how Sts. Cyril and Methodius adapted the Slav language to liturgical texts.

The Pope stated that "the encounter between the Gospel and culture allowed Europe to become a 'laboratory' where, over the centuries, significant and lasting values have been consolidated. Let us pray that, in our days, the universal message of Christ, entrusted to the Church, will be the light of truth and a source of justice and peace for the peoples of the continent and of the entire world."
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