HOLY SEE-RELATED ACTIVITY IN AUGUST

VATICAN CITY, SEP 1, 2004 (VIS) - Following is a chronological presentation of Holy See-related activities for the month of August:

- 2: Statement by Fr. Ciro Benedettini, C.P. vice director of the Holy See Press Office regarding "the tragic arracks on various Catholic communities in Iraq."

- 3: Communique from the Pontifical Council for the Laity announcing that the Holy Father has instituted, within the council, a new section entitled the Church and Sports. Joint statement from the Islamic-Catholic Liaison Committee on the situation in Iraq, condemning suicide attacks and saying that "such acts of blind violence offend the sacred name of God and true religion."

- 17: Statement by Fr. Ciro Benedettini, C.P. vice director of the Holy See Press Office on the situation of the fighting in Najaf and the willingness of the Holy See and the apostolic nuncio in Iraq to help resolve this situation and others in the country.

- 23: Letter from Cardinal Angelo Sodano, secretary of State, to Bishop Luca Brandolini of Sora-Aquino-Pontecorvo, asking him to transmit the Pope's greetings to the participants in the 55th National Liturgical Week at San Giovanni Rotondo, August 23-27.

- 26: Communique from the Pontifical Council for the Laity accompanying the publication today of the Pope's Message to the youth of the world as they prepare for the 20th World Youth Day in Cologne, Germany in August 2005. The council noted that the Pope's "Message has been  published one year in advance in order to be used in the pastoral preparation in the dioceses of the world."

- 27: Statement by Fr. Ciro Benedettini, C.P. vice director of the Holy See Press Office, on the assassination in Iraq of Italian journalist Enzo Baldini.

- 30: Letter from Cardinal Angelo Sodano to Bishop Giuseppe Guerrini of Saluzzo on the occasion of the fourth centenary of the death of Blessed Giovanni Giovenale Ancina.
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ACTIVITIES OF POPE JOHN PAUL II

VATICAN CITY, SEP 1, 2004 (VIS) - Following is a list of Pope John Paul's activities during the month of August. It includes the Angelus, general and private audiences, Other Pontifical Acts, telegrams, his trip to Lourdes, messages and other news. All activities are presented in chronological order under their respective headings.

ANGELUS

- 1: At Castelgandolfo, the Pope said that true riches come not from the wealth of material goods but from recognizing the primacy of God in our lives. He also announced he would go to Lourdes August 14 And 15 and to Loreto on September 5.

- 8: The Holy Father highlighted the August 6 Feast of the Transfiguration, the anniversary of Paul VI's death on that date in 1978, and the publication of Pope Paul's first encyclical 40 years ago on August 6, 1964. He also spoke of the Olympic Games which start August 16 in Athens, Greece, saying he hoped this event would "promote peace and understanding among peoples."

- 15: Feast of the Assumption: Following Mass at the shrine of Lourdes, the Pope focused on Mary's appearance to Bernadette in a grotto there in 1858 when she asked Bernadette to drink from a spring of water near the grotto. Saying that springs of water had become a symbol of Lourdes, he added: "Christianity is truly a fountain of life and Mary is the first guardian of this holiness."

- 22: At Castelgandolfo, John Paul recalled his recent pilgrimage to Lourdes and spoke of Marian shrines in Italy and Poland. He also noted that the Icon of the Mother of God of Kazan, that has been in his private apartments for a number of years and is "very dear" to him, will be returned to Russia by a Holy See delegation that will give it to His Holiness Alexis II, Patriarch of Moscow.

- 29: Highlighting today's feast of the martyrdom of St. John the Baptist, the Pope said his "heroic example makes us think of all martyrs in the faith throughout the centuries," and he highlighted the many Christians who have been - and still are today in many parts of the world - victims of religious hatred and persecution.

WEDNESDAY GENERAL AUDIENCE

- 4: Continuing the catechesis on the Liturgy of Vespers, John Paul spoke of the Canticle of the Letter to the Philippians 2, 6-11 - Christ, Servant of God -  and noted that the verses center on Christ, "our brother in humanity, but also Lord of the universe."

- 11: The catechesis today focused on the Pope's August 14-15 trip to Lourdes and the celebration this year of the 150th anniversary of the proclamation of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception.

- 18: In the courtyard at Castelgandolfo, the Holy Father reflected on Psalm 109, 1-5, 7, The Messiah, King and Priest.

LETTERS, MESSAGES, AND TELEGRAMS

- 2: Telegram of condolences for the victims of the fire in a commercial center in Asuncion, Paraguay. Telegram to His Beatitude Emmanuel III Delly, president of the Assembly of the Catholic Bishops of Iraq following yesterday's attacks against various Catholic communities. Message to the president of the city of Warsaw, Poland on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Warsaw Uprising.

- 6: Message to Bishop Silvano Montevecchi of Ascoli Piceno, Italy for the 17th centenary of the death of St. Emidio, the first bishop of this diocese,

- 7: Telegram to Archbishop Loris Francesco Capovilla of Mesembria on the occasion of the centenary of the priestly ordination of Blessed Pope John XXIII.

- 11: Message for the August 11-15 encounter of young Russians in Irkutsk, the Russian Federation. Telegram to President Constantinos Stephanoloulos of Greece  for the opening of the Olympic Games on August 16.

- 14: Letter to Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragan for the 25th anniversary of his episcopal ordination.

- 15: Telegram of condolences to Archbishop Paul Gallagher, apostolic nuncio in Burundi, for victims of the massacre of civilians in a refugee camp in Burundi.

- 18:  Message to Fr. Carlos Alfonso Azpiroz Costa, master general of the Dominicans, on the occasion of the Order's General Chapter taking place in Krakow, Poland.

- 22:  Message for the 25th Meeting for Friendship Among Peoples held August 22-28 in Rimini, Italy.

- 26: Message for the 20th World Youth Day which will be celebrated in Cologne, Germany in August 2005. Telegram of condolences for the victims of the air disasters that occurred in Rostov and in Tula, the Russian Federation the night of August 24. Telegram for the death of Cardinal Marcelo Gonzalez Martin, archbishop emeritus of Toledo, Spain, on August 25 at the age of 86.

- 28: Letter to Cardinal Julio Terrazas Sandoval, C.SS.R., archbishop of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia, special envoy to the 10th Argentine National Eucharistic Congress to be held in Corrientes September 2-5. Message to Patriarch Alexis on the occasion of the return to Russia of the icon of the Mother of God of Kazan

OTHER NEWS

- 6: Mass in his private chapel at Castelgandolfo for the repose of the soul of Pope Paul VI who died on this date in 1978.

- 14: Pilgrimage to the shrine of Lourdes, France for the 150th anniversary of the promulgation of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. Meeting with French President Jacques Chirac, prayer at the Grotto of Lourdes and a greeting for the sick, recitation of the rosary and torchlit procession.

- 15: Lourdes: Mass and Angelus at the shrine: Private prayer in the afternoon and 7 p.m. departure for Rome.

- 25: In the Paul VI Hall, the Pope presides at a celebration of the Word for the veneration of the icon of the Mother of God of Kazan which, upon John Paul's request, will be given by a Holy See delegation to Patriarch Alexis and, through him, to the Russian Orthodox Church and the Russian people.

AUDIENCES

- 24: In separate audiences at Castelgandolfo Wolfgang Huber, bishop and president of the Council of the Evangelical Church in Germany; Farouk Hussein Raafat, ambassador of Egypt, on his farewell visit and Archbishop Paolo Romeo, apostolic nuncio in Italy.

- 27: Archbishop Janusz Bolonek, apostolic nuncio in Uruguay; three prelates from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops on their "ad limina" visit: Bishop George William Coleman of Fall River, Bishop John B. McCormack of Manchester, accompanied by Auxiliary Bishop Francis J. Christian. Mostafa Boroujerdi, ambassador of Iran on his farewell visit and Carl Henri Guiteau, ambassador of Haiti, on his farewell visit.

- 28: Archbishop Giacinto Berloco, apostolic nuncio in El Salvador and Belize, and three prelates from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops on their "ad limina" visit: Bishop Richard Joseph Malone of Portland, with Bishop emeritus Joseph John Gerry, O.S.B. and Bishop William Edward Lori of Bridgeport.

- 30: 12 prelates from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops on their "ad limina" visit: Archbishop Sean Patrick O'Malley, O.F.M., of Boston, with his auxiliary Bishops Richard Gerard Lennon, Emilio Simeon Allue, S.D.B., John Patrick Boles and Walter James Edyvean; Bishop Kenneth Anthony Angell of Burlington; Bishop Timothy Anthony McDonnell of Springfield in Massachussets; Bishops Robert Joseph McManus of Worcester, with Bishop emeritus Daniel Patrick Reilly; Archbishop Henry Joseph Mansell of Hartford, with his auxiliary Bishops Peter Anthony Rosazza and  Christie Albert Macaluso.

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

JULY

- 31: Appointment of Msgr. Andres Carrascosa Coso, counsellor of the apostolic nunciature in Canada, as apostolic nuncio in the Republic of the Congo, at the same time elevating him to the dignity of archbishop. The archbishop-elect was born in Cuenca, Spain in 1955 and was ordained a priest in 1980.  Appointment of Archbishop Mario Roberto Cassari, apostolic nuncio in the Republic of the Congo and Gabon, as apostolic nuncio in Ivory Coast and Burkina Faso. Appointed Cardinal Silvano Piovanelli, archbishop-emeritus of Florence, Italy, as his special envoy to the celebrations of the 17th centenary of the martyrdom of St. Benedict which will take place at the Cathedral of St. Benedict of Tronto, Italy on October 13, 2004.

AUGUST

- 4: Resignation of Bishop Paulo Antonino Mascarenhas Roxo, O. Praem., of Mogi Das Cruzes, Brazil upon having reached the age limit. Appointment of his successor, Bishop Airton Jose dos Santos, auxiliary of Santo Andre, Brazil.  Appointment of Fr. Severino Batista de Franca, O.P.M. Cap., guardian of the Convent of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in the archdiocese of Maceio, as auxiliary bishop of Santarem, Brazil. Appointment of Bishops Willem J. Ejik of Grogningen, the Netherlands, Anthony Fisher, O.P., auxiliary of Sydney, Australia, Msgr. Angel Rodriguez Luno of Spain, Gianluigi Gigli of Italy and Manfred Lutz of Germany as ordinary members of the Pontifical Academy for Life.

- 7: Appointment as members of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples of Cardinals James Francis Stafford, major penitentiary of the Apostolic Penitentiary and Julian Herranz, president of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts, Archbishops Carlo Caffarra of Bologna, Italy and Andreas Choi Chang-mou of Kwangju, Korea, Frs. Jose Rodriguez Carballo, general minister of Franciscan Order of Brothers Minor, Antonio Jose da Rocha Couto, superior general of the Portuguese Society for Missions. Appointment of Fr. Pius Eheobu Okpaloka, notary of the Tribunal of the Roman Rota, as defender of the bond.

- 9: Appointment of the following people as consultors of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People: Christopher York, national director of Apostolatus Maris in England and Wales, John Lloyd Sackey, executive secretary of the Episcopal Commission for Migrants of the Episcopal Conference of Ghana, Jose Roberto Zepeda, director of the Center for Multicultural Pastoral Care of the Archdiocese of Brisbane, Australia, Margret Bretzel, Scalabrinian Secular Missionary, of the diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart, Germany, Albeta Kovalova, national coordinator of the Episcopal Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Refugees in Slovakia, Brigitte Proksch, secretary general of the Institute for Catholics from Africa, Asia and Latin American in the archdiocese of Vienna, Austria, Chiara Amirante, founder and president of the New Horizons Association of the diocese of Anagni-Alatri, Italy and Rolando G. Suarez Cobian, executive secretary of the Commission of Human Mobility of the Cuban Episcopal Conference.

- 14: Appointment of Fr. Jan Zajac of the clergy of Krakow, Poland, rector-custodian of the Shrine of Divine Mercy at Lagiewniki, and Fr. Jozef Guzdek of the clergy of the same archdiocese, rector of the metropolitan seminary in Krakow, as auxiliary bishops of the same archdiocese.

- 20: Resignation of Bishop Josef Homeyer of Hildesheim, Germany upon having reached the age limit.

- 26: Resignation of Bishop Kazimierz Romaniuk of Warszawa-Praga, Poland upon having reached the age limit. Appointment of Archbishop Andres Carrascosa Coso, apostolic nuncio in Gabon, as apostolic nuncio in the Republic of the Congo.  

- 28: Resignation of Cardinal Francesco Marchisano from the Presidency of the Pontifical Commission of Sacred Archeology, and appointment of Bishop Mauro Piacenza, president of Cultural Patrimony of the Church, as president of the same Pontifical Commission. Appointment of Bishop Josef Clemens, secretary of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, as a member of the committee of the presidency of the Pontifical Council for the Family; As members of the same pontifical council Alberto and Anna Friso, Italy, Simao Cirineu dos Santos and Ana Maria Duarte dos Santos, Brazil, Guillermo Aduriz Salgado and Graciela Berro Quartino, Argentina, Enrique Gomez Serrano and Marta Olavarrieta, Mexico, Andre Belzile and Guylaine Morin, Canada, Bienvenu Pitta and Nelly Mayimbi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Stefano Stampacchia and Oriana Maria Bianchi Stampacchia, Italy, Richard and Patricia Lahood, U.S.A. Appointment of the following people as consultors of the same pontifical council: Jerry Coniker, U.S.A., Jose Luis Mendoza Perez, Spain, Santiago Martin, Spain, John Michael Klink, U.S.A. and Andrzej Poltawski and Wanda Poltawska.
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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, SEP 1, 2004 (VIS) - The Holy Father received today in audience Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, and Bishop Brian Farrell, LC, secretary of the council.
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POPE JOHN PAUL'S PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR SEPTEMBER

VATICAN CITY, SEP 1, 2004 (VIS) - The Holy Father's general prayer intention is: "That old people may be considered an asset for the spiritual and human growth of society."

  His mission intention is: "That in Africa a true brotherly cooperation may develop among all those who work for the growth and development of ecclesial communities."
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CARDINAL SALES NAMED SPECIAL ENVOY TO CENTENARY IN BRAZIL

VATICAN CITY, SEP 1, 2004 (VIS) - Made public today was a Letter, written in Latin and dated August 2, from Pope John Paul to Cardinal Eugenio De Araujo Sales, archbishop emeritus of Sao Sebastiao do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, naming him as his special envoy to the celebrations of the centenary of the crowning of the statue of Nossa Senhora Aparecida and of the 150th anniversary of the definition of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception, which will take place September 8 in Aparecida..

  Published with the Letter were the names of the members of the pontifical mission who will accompany the cardinal: Mons. Manuel Moreira Vieira, episcopal vicar of the archdiocese of San Sebastiao do Rio de Janeiro and pastor of Our Lady of Peace in Ipanema; Fr. Nelson Ferreira Lopes, pastor of  St. Ann in Roseira in San Paulo, and Fr. Carlos da Silva, CSsR, director of the publishing house of the shrine of Aparecida.
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POPE CALLS FOR AN END TO VIOLENCE ALL OVER THE WORLD

VATICAN CITY, SEP 1, 2004 (VIS) - At the end of today's general audience in the Paul VI Hall, the Holy Father made an appeal for an end to violence all over the world.

  "It is with great sadness and concern," he said, "that I receive the grave news about the terrorist attacks in Israel and Russia where many people have died, defenseless and innocent victims."

  "Also in the tormented country of Iraq the blind chain of violence has not yet been broken, which prevents a prompt return to civil coexistence. Added to the horror of the barbaric execution of twelve Nepalese citizens there is fear for the future of two French journalists who continue to be held hostage by kidnappers.

  "I make an urgent call for an end to violence everywhere, as it is always unworthy of every good cause, and for the two French journalists to be treated with humanity and returned unharmed as soon as possible to their families.

  "Today, September 1, is the anniversary of the invasion of Poland and the beginning of World War II, which plunged Europe and other continents into mourning.  Thinking about those days, in this moment of grave and widespread tensions, let us ask God, Father of all men, for the precious gift of peace."
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AUDIENCE: IDOLATRY, A TEMPTATION FOR ALL OF HUMANITY

VATICAN CITY, SEP 1, 2004 (VIS) - In today's general audience, celebrated in the Paul VI Hall in the Vatican and not in the courtyard of Castelgandolfo due to the large number of pilgrims, the Pope spoke about the second part of Psalm 113, "Praise to the true God."

  John Paul II said that "after an initial word addressed to the Lord to bear witness to His glory, the chosen people describe their God as the omnipotent creator. … 'The idols of the people' are in immediate contrast to the true God, adored by Israel.  Idolatry is a temptation for all of humanity in all ages.  An idol is something inanimate, the work of men's hands, a lifeless cold statue."

  "After this blunt criticism of idols," continued the Pope, "the psalmist expresses a sarcastic wish: 'May those who make idols and put faith in them be like them.' … Those who adore the idols of wealth, power and success lose their dignity as a human person."

  The Holy Father indicated that "those who are faithful to the Lord know that the living God is their 'help' and their 'shield.'  They are presented in three categories. First, there is the 'house of Israel,' the entire people, the community which gathers in the temple to pray. Then there is the 'house of Aaron' represented by priests, guardians and announcers of the divine word, called to preside at worship. Finally, there are those who fear the Lord, those who are genuine and constant. … The divine blessing descends upon those three classes of true believers. According to biblical understanding, it is a source of fertility."
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