OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JUN 9, 2004 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Augsburg, Germany presented by Bishop Viktor Josef Dammertz, O.S.B., upon having reached the age limit.

- Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the archdiocese Cuiaba, Brazil presented by Archbishop Bonifacio Piccinini, S.D.B., upon having reached the age limit. Coadjutor Archbishop Milton Antonio dos Santos, S.D.B., succeeds him.

- Appointed Bishop Joao Wilk, O.F.M.Conv., of Formosa, Brazil, as bishop of Anapolis (area 14,227, population 465,212, Catholics 325,648, priests 77, permanent deacons 12, religious 209), Brazil. He accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese presented by Bishop Manoel Pestana Filho, upon having reached the age limit.

- Appointed Archbishop Augustine Kasujja, apostolic nuncio in Madagascar and in the Seychelles and apostolic delegate in Comoros and La Reunion, as apostolic nuncio in Mauritius.

- Appointed Bishop Kazimierz Nycz, auxiliary of Krakow, Poland, as bishop of Koszalin-Kolobrzeg (area 15,500, population 965,050, Catholics 890,000, priests 221, religious 502), Poland.
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IN BRIEF

POPE JOHN PAUL "RECEIVED WITH JOY AND RELIEF the news of the release of the three Italian and one Polish hostages" that had been held in Iraq for nearly two months, said Joaquin Navarro-Valls, Holy See Press Office director yesterday afternoon, after hearing the news. "While the Pope shares the joy of their families, he also feels close to the family of Fabrizio Quattrocchi who was assassinated in a barbaric fashion after being kidnapped."

THE HOLY FATHER HAS NAMED CARDINAL ANGELO SODANO, secretary of State, as his personal representative to the funeral in Washington on Friday, June 11, of former United States President Ronald Reagan who died June 5 in California, according to Joaquin Navarro-Valls.

ARCHBISHOP SILVANO TOMASI, HOLY SEE PERMANENT OBSERVER to the United Nations Office in Geneva, on June 2 addressed the 92nd International Labor Conference and the Commission on Migrant Workers. He noted that the Holy See has long paid "specific attention to migrants in the world," adding that "migrations have become a very relevant phenomenon in today's society. ... A constant solicitude of the Holy See has been to emphasize the human dimension in the migration process," because far too often migrants suffer inferior treatment, insecurity of status and forms of intolerance and xenophobia. Migrant workers must be considered a resource, not a problem and, "working across borders with dignity, they can be today's peacemakers."

CARDINAL EUSEBIO OSCAR SCHEID, S.C.I., metropolitan archbishop of Sao Sebastiao do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, will take possession of the title of Sts. Boniface and Alexis, Pza. San Alessio, 23 in Rome on June 14 at 11 a.m.
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JOBS CREATION LEADS TO PERSONAL, NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

VATICAN CITY, JUN 9, 2004 (VIS) - Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, Holy See permanent observer to the United Nations Office in Geneva, spoke yesterday at the 92nd International Labor Conference being held from June 1 to 17 in this Swiss city.

  He highlighted Pope John Paul's invitation in 2000 during the Jubilee of Workers "to address the economic and social imbalances in the world of work by re-establishing the right hierarchy of values, giving priority to the dignity of working men and women and to their freedom, responsibility and participation... (and) to redress situations of injustice by safeguarding each people's culture and different models of development."

  Archbishop Tomasi said that "the projection that by the year 2015 there will be 3 billion people under the age of 25" underscores the urgency of employment creation, adding that "the search for full employment is an ethical commitment. ... Jobs creation is the main road to personal and national development. The human person becomes the best capital with his/her creativity, knowledge, relationships, spirituality. Working persons enrich society and foster ways of peace."

  He then noted that wherever they exist, "conflicts disrupt the achievements of set goals of development. But at the root of many conflicts is the lack of work and of a minimum earning capacity."

  "It seems appropriate," Archbishop Tomasi said, "to emphasize that by preserving the priority of the person, globalization too becomes fair as it avoids leaving behind vulnerable groups, women  and children in particular, migrant workers, seafarers and others categories of workers, and less developed populations. ... Work that allows people to live a decent lifestyle requires today a concerted commitment to provide workers with sufficient education and training so they may have the skills needed to confront successfully the information revolution and the increasingly knowledge-based economy."
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JOHN PAUL II RECALLS HIS APOSTOLIC TRIP TO SWITZERLAND

VATICAN CITY, JUN 9, 2004 (VIS) - In Wednesday's general audience, celebrated in St. Peter's Square, the Pope spoke about his apostolic trip to Switzerland on June 5th  and 6th.

  After thanking the civil and religious authorities, especially Joseph Deiss, the president of Switzerland, for their warm welcome and for organizing the trip, the Holy Father also thanked the federal council for their "decision to elevate the diplomatic representation of Switzerland to the Holy See."

  John Paul II reminded the crowd of 10,000 people that the main reason for the trip was "to meet young Catholics in Switzerland."  During the trip "I proposed a message to the younger Swiss generations that I wanted to extend to the young people of Europe and the world," which can be summed up in "three words: 'rise, listen to, and follow Christ.'  It is Christ Himself, risen and alive, Who proposes these words to each young person of our age. He invites young people of the third millennium to 'rise', to give meaning to their lives" because "only Christ, the Redeemer of man, can help young people to overcome negative experiences and mentalities in order to grow and achieve a high human, spiritual and moral dimension."

  He noted that on the solemnity of Trinity Sunday, during the Eucharist celebrated in Allmend Square, "I renewed my call for unity among Christians, especially inviting Catholics to live unity among themselves, making the Church "'home and school of communion'."

  The Holy Father concluded by indicating that before returning to Rome he met with members of the Association of Former Swiss Guards. "It was a providential occasion to thank them for the service that the Swiss Guard Corps provides to the Apostolic See for more almost five centuries."

  At the end of the audience, the Pope invited the Romans and foreign pilgrims present to participate tomorrow, the feast of Corpus Christi, in a Mass at which he will preside at 6:30 p.m. in St. John Lateran Square and in the Eucharistic procession to St. Mary Major which follows.
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