OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JUN 24, 2004 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed:

- Bishop Gregorio Nicanor Pena Rodriguez of Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic, as bishop of Nuestra Senora de la Altagracia en Higuey (area 5,437, population 495,300, Catholics 442,100, priests 36, permanent deacons 8, religious 107), Dominican Republic.

- Archbishop Stanislaw Nowak of Czestochowa, Poland, as second vice-president of the Pontifical Academy of Immaculate Mary.
 
- Cardinal Carlo Gilberto Agustoni, prefect emeritus of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, as special envoy to the centenary celebration of the crowning of the Mater Dolorosa image at the Shrine of Telgte in the diocese of Muenster, Germany on July 3.
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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, JUN 24, 2004 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in audience:

- Four prelates from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (Region XII) on their "ad limina" visit:

   - Archbishop Roger Lawrence Schwietz of Anchorage.

   - Bishop Donald J. Kettler of Fairbanks.

   - Bishop Michael William Warel of Juneau.

- Archbishop John George Vlazny of Portland in Oregon.

- Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.
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JOHN PAUL II TO VISIT LOURDES AUGUST 14 AND 15

VATICAN CITY, JUN 24, 2004 (VIS) - Joaquin Navarro-Valls, director of the Holy See Press Office, announced this morning that "the Holy Father John Paul II will go on pilgrimage to the Marian shrine of Lourdes, France, on August 14 and 15, 2004 for the 150th anniversary of the proclamation of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary."

  The press office added that the Holy Father is scheduled to leave Ciampino Airport in Rome at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, August 14 for the two-hour plane trip to Tarbes, from where he will depart by car for Lourdes, a trip of about 45 minutes. For the return trip to Rome, the Pope is scheduled to leave Tarbes Airport at 6:45 p.m. on Sunday, August 15.
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METROPOLITAN ARCHBISHOPS TO RECEIVE PALLIUM ON JUNE 29

VATICAN CITY, JUN 24, 2004 (VIS) - Forty-four metropolitan archbishops will receive the pallium from the hands of Pope John Paul II on Tuesday, June 29, Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, Apostles, at 6 p.m. in St. Peter's Square.

  The new metropolitans are:

- Cardinal Justin Francis Rigali, archbishop of Philadelphia, U.S.A.

- Archbishop Robert Zollitsch of Freiburg im Bresgau, Germany.

- Archbishop Sean Patrick O'Malley, O.F.M., Cap., of Boston, U.S.A.

- Archbishop Hans-Josef Becker of Paderborn, Germany.

- Archbishop Ramon Benito de la Rosa y Carpio of Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic.

- Archbishop Andre Lacrampe of Besancon, France.

- Archbishop Valerian Okeke of Onitsha, Japan

- Archbishop Gaudencio Borbon Rosales of Manila, Philippines.

- Archbishop Alano Maria Pena, O.P., of Niteroi, Brazil.

- Archbishop Joseph Mitsuaki Takami, P.S.S., of Nagasaki, Japan.

- Archbishop Henry Joseph Mansell of Hartford, U.S.A.

- Archbishop Kevin John Patrick McDonald of Southwark, Great Britain.

- Archbishop Jose Luis Chavez Botello of Antequera, Oaxaca, Mexico.

- Archbishop Fulgence Rabeony, S.J., of Toliara, Madagascar.

- Archbishop Joseph Edra Ukpo of Calabar, Nigeria.

- Archbishop Michel Meranville of Fort-de-France, Martinique.

- Archbishop Matias Patricio de Macedo of Natal, Brazil.

- Archbishop Juan Antonio Ugarte Perez of Cuzco, Peru.

- Archbishop Jose Paulino Rios Reynoso of Arequipa, Peru.

- Archbishop Raymond Leo Burke of St. Louis, U.S.A.

- Archbishop Carlo Caffarra of Bologna, Italy.

- Archbishop Edoardo Menichelli of Ancona-Osimo, Italy.

- Archbishop Joseph Cheng Tsai-Fa of Taipei, Taiwan.

- Archbishop Raymond Roussin, S.M., of Vancouver, Canada.

- Archbishop Lawrence Aloysius Burke, S.J., of Kingston in Jamaica, Jamaica.

- Archbishop Patrick Pinder of Nassau, Bahamas.

- Archbishop Joao Braz de Aviz of Brasilia, Brazil.

- Archbishop Walmor Oliveira de Azevedo of Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

- Archbishop Raymundo Damasceno Assis of Aparecida, Brazil.

- Archbishop Roland Minnerath of Dijon, France.

- Archbishop Wladislaw Ziolek of Lodz, Poland.

- Archbishop Joseph Augustine Charanakunnel of Raipur, India.

- Archbishop Pietro Coccia of Pesaro, Italy.

- Archbishop Marie Daniel Dadiet of Korhogo, Ivory Coast.

- Archbishop Jean-Charles Descubes of Rouen, France.

- Archbishop Marian Golebiewski of Wroclaw, Poland.

- Archbishop Luiz Manchila Vilela, SS.CC., of Vitoria, Brazil.

- Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin, Ireland

- Archbishop Aldo Di Cillo Pagotto, S.S.S., of Paraiba, Brazil.

- Archbishop Ramon C. Arguelles of Lipa, the Philippines.

- Archbishop Moacyr Jose Vitti, C.S.S., of Curitiba, Brazil.

- Archbishop Robert Christopher Ndlovu of Harare, Zimbabwe.

- Archbishop Bruno Gamberini of Campinas, Brazil.

- Archbishop Milton Antonio Dos Santos, S.D.B., of Cuiaba, Brazil.
 
  In addition to the forty-four archbishops, the following eight will received the pallium in their respective metropolitan sees: Archbishops Aloysius Sudarso, S.C.I., of Palembang, Indonesia; Hubert Constant, O.M.I., of Cap-Haitien, Haiti; Evarist Pinto of Karachi, Pakistan; Nicolaus Adi Septura, M.S.C., of Merauke, Indonesia: Jose de Queiros Alves, C.SS.R., of Huambo, Angola; Anthony Anandarayar of Pondicherry and Cuddalore, India; Maria Callist Soosa Pakiam of Trivandrum of the Latins, India and Lluis Martinez Sistach of Barcelona, Spain.
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WE MUST PRAY INTENSELY FOR PEACE IN THE HOLY LAND

VATICAN CITY, JUN 24, 2004 (VIS) - This morning the Pope received 70 participants in the annual meeting of ROACO, the Meeting of Aid Agencies for the Oriental Churches, which is part of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches.

  The Holy Father recalled "the Christian communities of the Oriental Churches, subject at this moment to serious trials due to current conflicts, terrorism and other difficulties," noting they "can count on your assistance."  In addition, he thanked them for taking the time during the sessions to look at the situation of the Greek-Catholic Church in Romania. "Thank you for your concern. It is a precious service of solidarity to the neediest."

  John Paul II, referring to the collection for the Holy Land which is taken up every Good Friday all over the world, and to the recommendation of his predecessors "to care for the mother Church in Jerusalem," said "it is necessary to persevere, praying intensely for peace for the people who live in the land of Jesus. May Christians, who are so tried by the never-ending violence and by numerous other problems that produce economic impoverishment, social conflicts, cultural and human degradation, never lack the support of the entire Catholic Church. Thanks to the collection ... it is also possible to contribute to the resolution of problems and to nourish the spirit of acceptance and reciprocal respect, promoting a common will of reconciliation. All of this will contribute to building up peace which is so-longed for."

  The Pope emphasized that one of the most important duties of the congregation "in order to sustain pastoral care and the labor of evangelization of the Oriental Churches is the formation of those who give formation."  In this sense, he highlighted the economic contribution of the dicastery "in preparing priests, and in following seminarians, women and men religious and lay people so that the Churches may be able to count on expert pastors and responsible and competent lay people."
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CHURCH'S TEACHING MISSION: A PERSONAL, INSTITUTIONAL WITNESS

VATICAN CITY, JUN 24, 2004 (VIS) - The Pope today welcomed the prelates of the provinces of Portland in Oregon, Seattle and Anchorage as they concluded their "ad limina" visit and continued his reflections to the U.S. bishops on the episcopal "munus docendi" or teaching mission. He noted the importance of both a "personal testimony of faith and holiness" and an "institutional witness."

  He stated that the Catholic's Church's "many religious, educational and charitable institutions exist for one reason only: to proclaim the Gospel. Their witness must always proceed 'ex corde Ecclesiae', from the very heart of the Church. It is of utmost importance, therefore, that the Church's institutions be genuinely Catholic: Catholic in their self-understanding and Catholic in their identity. All those who share in the apostolates of such institutions, including those who are not of the faith, should show a sincere and respectful appreciation of that mission which is their inspiration and ultimate 'raison d'être'."

   "The Church's many institutions in the United States - schools, universities, hospitals and charitable agencies - must not only assist the faithful to think and act fully in accordance with the Gospel, overcoming every separation between faith and life, but they must themselves embody a clear corporate testimony to its saving truth. This will demand constantly re-examining their priorities in the light of their mission and offering a convincing witness, within a pluralistic society, to the Church's teaching, particularly on respect for human life, marriage and family, and the right ordering of public life."

  The Holy Father underscored that "the Church's educational institutions will be able to contribute effectively to the new evangelization only if they clearly preserve and foster their Catholic identity. ... By their very nature, Catholic colleges and universities are called to offer an institutional witness of fidelity to Christ and to His word as it comes to us from the Church, a public witness expressed in the canonical requirement of the mandatum." In addition, "these institutions should be at the forefront of the Church's dialogue with culture."

  Saying that "the Church's presence in elementary and secondary education must also be the object of your special attention as shepherds of the People of God," the Pope asked the bishops "to encourage your priests to continue to be present and visible in parish schools, and to make every effort to ensure that, despite financial difficulties, a Catholic education remains available to the poor and the less privileged in society."

  He said that "while catechetical programs for children and young people, especially in relation to sacramental preparation, remain essential, increasing attention must be paid to the particular needs of older adolescents and adults. ... (These) require a constant discernment of the actual needs of the different ages and groups" and this, in turn "calls for the personal involvement of the Bishop, together with pastors, who are directly responsible for the religious instruction imparted in their parishes, with religious education professionals."

  Lastly, John Paul II turned to "the eloquent witness" that American Catholics have always given "on behalf of the elderly, the sick and the needy -  through nursing homes, hospitals, clinics and various relief and assistance centers. ... The significant challenges facing these institutions in changing social and economic circumstances must not be allowed to weaken this corporate witness.  Established policies in complete conformity with the Church's moral teaching need to be firmly in place in Catholic health care facilities, and every aspect of their life ought to reflect their religious inspiration and their intimate link to the Church's mission of bringing supernatural light, healing and hope to men and women at every stage of their earthly pilgrimage."
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