OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, OCT 11, 2004 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Galle, Sri Lanka presented by Bishop Elmo N.J. Perera, in accordance with Canon 401, para. 2, of the Code of Canon Law. 

- Made the following previsions for the Church of the Latin Rite in Turkey:

    - Appointed Bishop Ruggero Franceschini, O.F.M., apostolic vicar of Anatolia, Turkey as archbishop of Izmir (area 1,350, priests 9, religious 18), Turkey. The archbishop-elect was born in Saltino, Italy in 1939 and was ordained a priest in 1963.  He succeeds Archbishop Giuseppe Germano Bernardini, O.F.M. Cap., whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same archdiocese was accepted upon having reached the age limit.

    - Appointed Fr. Luigi Padovese, O.F.M. Cap., president of the Franciscan Institute of Spirituality (Antonianum), as apostolic vicar of Anatolia (Catholics 4,550, priests 9, permanent deacons 2, religious 1,007), Turkey. The bishop-elect was born in Milan, Italy in 1947 and was ordained a priest in 1973.

  On Saturday October 9, it was made public that the Holy Father appointed:

- Fr. Joseph Prathan Sridanusil, S.D.B., provincial superior of the Salesians in Thailand, as bishop of Surat Thanai (area 76,562, population 9,015,380, Catholics 6,682, priests 52, religious 99), Thailand. The bishop-elect was born in Wat Phleng, Thailand in 1946 and was ordained a priest 1975.

- Bishop Juan Barros Madrid of Iquique, Chile as military ordinary for Chile, elevating him to the dignity of archbishop. Bishop Madrid was born in 1956 in Santiago de Chile, Chile.
NER:RE: NA/.../...                                  VIS 20041011 (260)

AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, OCT 11, 2004 (VIS) - Today the Holy Father received in separate audiences:

- Archbishop Giovanni Battista Morandini, apostolic nuncio in Syria.

- Bishop Alojzy Orszulik, emeritus of Lowicz, Poland.

  On Saturday October 9, he received in separate audiences:

- Archbishop Antonio Franco, apostolic nuncio in the Philippines.

- Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.
AP/.../...                                   VIS 20041011 (70)

ARCHBISHOP FOLEY ADDRESSES NETWORK OF YOUNG JOURNALISTS

VATICAN CITY, OCT 11, 2004 (VIS) - Archbishop John Foley, president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, is in Bangkok, Thailand where today he addressed a meeting of the International Network of Young Journalists and preached the homily at a Mass for the participants.

  This meeting is within the framework of the UCIP World Congress being held at the Mater Dei School October 9-17 on the theme "Media Challenge amidst Cultural and Religious Pluralism. For A New Social Order, Justice and Peace." UCIP is the French acronym for the International Catholic Union of the Press. The International Network of Young Journalists is a world forum for professional journalists below the age of 35 comprised of thousands of journalists from more than 100 countries.

   Archbishop Foley urged young writers to never lose sight of  two things: "We have a God-given dignity, an eternal destiny and a continuing moral responsibility" and "we have an obligation to always tell the truth." He also underscored four norms that must guide the work of a journalist: "never, never, never tell a lie or be guilty of writing or broadcasting a deliberate untruth; investigate to know the truth and not be guided by preconceptions or prejudices but by the facts"; "be very careful with the reputation of others" and "be assiduous in examining public records" as this "can be most useful and informative for the general public."
CON-CS/YOUNG JOURNALISTS/BANGKOK:FOLEY        VIS 20041011 (250)

EMBRACE YOUR CALL TO HOLINESS, CHERISH ASCETICISM

VATICAN CITY, OCT 11, 2004 (VIS) - Seventy participants in the 11th General Chapter of the Congregation of the Sisters of Notre Dame were welcomed today by the Holy Father who counseled  them "to continue to embrace joyfully your call to holiness in the perfection of charity and to cherish, according to your own traditions, that asceticism proper to consecrated persons."

  "Your foundress, Sister Maria Aloysia," he noted in his talk in English, "gave life to a new Religious Institute wholly inspired and sustained by God's providential love. After some time of generous service to her neighbor, she came to understand that the compassionate love of God for His children could shine ever more brightly in a life totally consecrated to the Lord. She saw from the beginning that both personal holiness and mission are inseparable aspects of the radical commitment to follow Christ."

  The Pope stressed that the General Chapter offers "an opportunity to examine and to renew your allegiance to that same vision and to the particular charism of your foundress expressed in your spirituality and living traditions. This examination, undertaken in prayerful openness to the Holy Spirit, will assist you in determining those aspects of your Institute which should be strengthened so as to give an even clearer witness to God's unfailing love." He urged the Congregation to "preach the Good News effectively by being fully what you are, and by bringing that realty to all peoples."
AC/GENERAL CHAPTER/SISTERS NOTRE DAME        VIS 20041011 (250)

BRAZIL: COURAGEOUS ACTION NEEDED FOR THE POOREST

VATICAN CITY, OCT 11, 2004 (VIS) - This morning the Holy Father received the Letters of Credence of the new ambassador of Brazil to the Holy See, Vera Barrouin Machado.

    In his speech, the Pope recalled that Brazil is a country "whose majority is Christian." In this sense, he asked Brazilians "to continue to foster and spread the values of faith, especially when it means explicitly recognizing the sanctity of family life and safeguarding unborn children, from the moment of conception."

  After highlighting the serious problem of poverty, John Paul II said that the "commitment to the needs of the poor must be a fundamental priority. I am very satisfied that your government considers this an objective which allows for the best efforts and resources to come together."

  The Holy Father indicated that the Brazilian government's plans to cancel the external debt of some countries "show a specific sign of solidarity and stimulus for populations that live on the sidelines of world development. Such an initiative illustrates that all nations involved in this proposal must be conscious that only action which is courageous and open to sacrifice for the common good of all will contribute to helping the poorest countries."  

  "Therefore, sharing the hopes of all Brazilians, I wish to assure you of the firm will of the Church to collaborate through her mission with all initiatives serving 'man in his entirety and all men.'  In this way, she will continue in her commitment to promote the awareness that the values of peace, liberty, solidarity and the defense of the needy must inspire public and private life. Faith and following Christ calls the Catholic faithful, also in Brazil, to be instruments of reconciliation and fraternity, in truth, justice and love."
CD/CREDENTIALS/BRAZIL:MACHADO                    VIS 20041011 (300)

PAPAL MESSAGE TO FELLOW POLES ON ANNIVERSARY OF PONTIFICATE

VATICAN CITY, OCT 10, 2004 (VIS) - This afternoon the Holy Father sent a televised message to his fellow Poles on the Fourth  Pontifical Day in Poland.

  The Holy Father greeted the "Work of the New Millennium" Foundation and all those who "are organizing different religious, cultural and social initiatives on the occasion of the anniversary of my pontificate. I am happy that the memory of the day when the Lord called me to the See of Peter may become an occasion for prayer, reflection on the questions of faith and the reality of the Church, as well as specific acts of mercy, especially in favour of young people who need support in order to receive an adequate education.  May this effort of the Church in Poland produce fruits of peace in personal, social and family life."
MESS/ANNIVERSARY PONTIFICATE/…                    VIS 20041011 (150) 

POPE SPIRITUALLY UNITED TO EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS IN MEXICO

VATICAN CITY, OCT 10, 2004 (VIS) - The Holy Father, before reciting the Angelus, reminded the pilgrims assembled in St. Peter's Square that the International Eucharistic Congress opens today in Guadalajara, Mexico, on the theme "'The Eucharist, Light and Life of the New Millennium'. I spiritually join this important ecclesial event, with which the Year of the Eucharist will open."

  He reminded the faithful of his just-published Apostolic Letter which, he said, " starts with these words: 'Mane nobiscum, Domine' - stay with us, Lord. May this invocation be echoed in every Christian community: in recognizing the Risen Christ 'in breaking bread', may the faithful be ready to witness to Him with effective charity."

  The Pope added that "a privileged expression of charity in the local Church is the diocesan Caritas. In Rome, Caritas is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its founding. I thank God for the many good fruits that have matured over the years and I encourage the ecclesial community to pursue formative work and service to the poor and needy."

  After the Angelus prayer, John Paul II greeted the participants in the Social Week of Italian Catholics which has been taking place in Bologna on the theme 'Democracy: New Scenarios, New Powers'." He said he hoped the meeting would offer new stimulus "for an ever more incisive witness in every milieu of the life of the country."

  In closing, he pointed out that "next Sunday afternoon, in spiritual communion with everyone in Guadalajara, the International Eucharistic Congress will close and I will preside in St. Peter's Square at a solemn celebration for the opening of the Year of the Eucharist throughout the Church. I invite the faithful to participate in great numbers in this important ecclesial event, to render choral homage to Christ, light and life of the new millennium."
ANG/EUCHARISTIC CONGRESS:CARITAS/...            VIS 20041011 (320)

HOLY SEE ADDRESSES U.N. ON GENERAL, COMPLETE DISARMAMENT

VATICAN CITY, OCT 9, 2004 (VIS) - Archbishop Celestino Migliore, apostolic nuncio and Holy See permanent observer to the United Nations, spoke in New York on October 7 on Item 67, General and Complete Disarmament. Noting that the ideals of the U.N. Charter "have been a source of hope" for nearly 60 years, he added that "lately, a sense of fear seems to cloud our vision: fear of terrorist attacks, fear of new wars, fear of a breakdown in the processes of international law."

  "A sign of this fear," he added, "is the surge in global military spending which reached $956 billion last year, an increase of 11 percent from 2002 and 18 percent from 2001. ...
A clear result of such over-spending on the instruments of death is that governments are much less able to meet long-term commitments to education, health care and housing."

  "Responding to the ideological and supposedly religious nature of international terrorism," said Archbishop Migliore, "the Holy See has condemned these blasphemous attacks."

  "Terrorists," he went on, "use an array of weapons to kill, maim and slaughter. Their global reach means that these weapons are being produced and sold internationally, on black markets as well as by State-sponsors. ... The world has also become increasingly aware of the grave threat posed by terrorists acquiring weapons of mass destruction, especially nuclear weapons. The fragile state of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty at this moment is very worrying, as proliferation of these weapons greatly increases the likelihood of terrorist acquisition."

  To concerns about nuclear weapons and the proliferation and "possible acquisition by terrorists" of weapons of mass destruction, he said, must be added the spread of conventional weapons and the fight against anti-personnel land mines. He stressed that "the U.N. and its Member States must support all disarmament, demobilization and re-integration efforts" and that the Holy See has always "supported U.N. initiatives for a 'culture of peace'."
DELSS/DISARMAMENT/UN:MIGLIORE                VIS 20041011 (320)

MAY THE EUCHARIST ALWAYS BE THE CENTER OF YOUR LIFE

VATICAN CITY, OCT 9, 2004 (VIS) - Today the Pope received a group of young people from the diocese of Rome who are participating in a mission, aimed at their peers, in preparation for the Year of the Eucharist, entitled "Jesus downtown." The youths are also taking part in a meeting of representatives of European youth groups of Eucharistic adoration.

  These pastoral initiatives in which young people from Europe and the United States are participating, said the Holy Father, "introduce us in this special time of grace for the entire Church" to the Year of the Eucharist.

  "Eucharist and mission are two inseparable realities. … Authentic celebration and adoration of the Eucharist that does not lead to mission does not exist. At the same time, mission assumes another essential Eucharistic characteristic: union of hearts."

  John Paul II expressed his hope to the youths that "this pastoral experience, which is an authentic school of communion and new evangelization, will continue and expand. I encourage you to continue so that the creativity and generosity that you demonstrate in these days may become a stimulus for the entire Church of Rome to keep its missionary spirit alive."

  The Pope gave the young people two instructions. "In the first place," he said, "love the Eucharist. Never get tired of celebrating and adoring the Eucharist, together with the entire Christian community, especially on Sunday. Know how to put it at the center of your personal and community life, so that communion with Christ may help you to carry out your courageous choices. In the second place, have missionary passion. Do not be afraid to bear witness to hope … which has a specific name: Jesus Christ!"

  "In order to facilitate young people's encounter with true Eucharistic spirituality, do not cease forming yourselves in the school of listening to the Word of God, prayer, and celebrating the sacraments. Always remember that the first place of evangelization is the human person. … In this sense, I encourage the diocesan service for the youth ministry to study new proposals to create true schools of evangelization for young people."

  The Holy Father thanked the young people "for what you are and for all that you do for Christ and the Church. I assure you that I remember you during Mass and Eucharistic adoration, something which I have done since I was young.  I want you to know that I have always obtained great fruits, not only for me but also for all those whom Divine Mercy has entrusted to me."
AC/EUCHARIST/YOUTH:ROME                        VIS 20041011 (430)