OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, OCT 15, 2004 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed:

- Fr. Jean Mbarga, vicar general of the archdiocese of Yaounde, Cameroon, as bishop of Ebolowa-Kribi (area 27,280, population 425,000, Catholics 300,000, priests 65,  permanent deacons 2, religious 54), Cameroon. The bishop-elect was born in 1956 in Ebolmedzo, Cameroon and was ordained a priest in 1981.

- Bishop Jean-Bosco Ntep of Eseka, Cameroon as bishop of Edea (area 10,500, population 255,000, Catholics 145,043, priests 37, permanent deacons 3, religious 39), Cameroon.

- Bishop Dieudonne Bogmis, auxiliary of the archdiocese of Douala, Cameroon as bishop of Eseka (area 6,500, population 200,000, Catholics 114,000, priests 79, permanent deacons 4, religious 50), Cameroon.
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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, OCT 15, 2004 (VIS) - The Holy Father received in separate audiences:

- Cardinal Julio Terrazas Sandoval, archbishop of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia.

- Archbishop Alain Paul Lebeaupin, apostolic nuncio in Ecuador.

- Archbishop Giuseppe De Andrea, apostolic nuncio in Kuwait, Bahrain, Yemen and Qatar, and apostolic delegate in the Arabian Peninsula.

- Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

- Archbishop Jozef Michalik of Przemysl, Poland, president of the Polish Episcopal Conference.
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TELEGRAM FOR THE DEATH OF CARDINAL FRESNO LARRAIN

VATICAN CITY, OCT 15, 2004 (VIS) - John Paul II sent the following telegram of condolences to Cardinal Francisco Javier Errazuriz Ossa, archbishop of Santiago de Chile, upon having learned of the death of his predecessor, Cardinal Juan Francisco Fresno Larraín at age 90.

  "Deeply saddened at the sad news of the death of the beloved Cardinal Juan Francisco Fresno Larraín, archbishop emeritus of Santiago de Chile, after a long illness which he bore with great serenity and strength of character, I express my condolences to you, the auxiliary bishops and clergy, and the lay and religious communities of your archdiocese. I join you in commending the dedicated pastor, who served your people and the Church with prudence and pastoral charity, to the mercy of Our Heavenly Father.

  "His generous and intense ministerial work, first as priest of the clergy of Santiago, and then as bishop in Copiapo, in La Serena and then seven years in the particular church of Santiago, demonstrates his dedication to the cause of the Gospel, and also indicates his deep love for the Church and the qualities that he had.

  "In these moments of sorrow in which the ecclesial community of Santiago and so many faithful mourn the death of their beloved pastor and, as I remember his warm welcome on my pastoral visit in 1987, I am happy to impart the comforting apostolic blessing on you as a sign of hope in the victory of the Risen Lord."
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MESSAGE FOR WORLD FOOD DAY FOCUSSES ON BIODIVERSITY

VATICAN CITY, OCT 15, 2004 (VIS) - Made public today was Pope John Paul's Message to Jacques Diouf, director general of FAO, the United Nation's Food and Agricultural Organization, on the occasion of today's celebration of World Food Day on the theme, "Biodiversity at the Service of Food Security."

  He writes that the theme "signals a concrete way to fight against the hunger and malnutrition of so many of our brothers and sisters. In fact, to reach the objective of  adequate food security, what is necessary is the correct administration of biological diversity to be able to guarantee the diverse animal and vegetable species."

  "Unfortunately," the Message continues, "there are today many obstacles that are placed in the path of international action undertaken to safeguard biodiversity. ... Other interests seem to hinder the just equilibrium between the sovereignty of States over the resources present on its territory and the capacity of persons and communities to preserve or administer such resources as a function of real needs." The Pope underscores that  the "foundations of international cooperation" should include "the principle that sovereignty over genetic resources present in different ecosystems cannot be exclusive nor can it become a cause for conflict."

  The Holy Father highlights the need to protect the rights of farmers, to "guarantee their participation in decision-making processes" and writes that both quality and quantity of food are essential.

  He says it is important to remember "the indigenous peoples and communities, whose vast patrimony of culture and knowledge linked to biodiversity, run the risk of disappearing because of a lack of adequate protection."

  John Paul II dedicates further reflections to the importance of sustainable development and "above all, solidarity. Solidarity, correctly understood as a model of unity capable of inspiring action by individuals, governments, international organizations and institutions and all members of civil society, works for a just growth of peoples and nations."

  He closes the Message by saying that the Creator's mandate to mankind to "dominate the earth and to use its fruits ... involves respect for the project of creation itself, through a human action that does not presuppose challenges to the natural order."
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EUROPEAN CONFERENCE OF CHRISTIAN RADIOS MARKS 10 YEARS

VATICAN CITY, OCT 15, 2004 (VIS) - The Pope today welcomed 400 participants in a meeting held in Rome to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the founding of the European Conference of Christian Radios. He thanked the "numerous European Radios, from the Atlantic to the Urals" for having worked over the years "to consolidate, among listeners, the awareness of their common Christian roots and to stimulate in them a commitment to serve peace."

    By your work, the Holy Father said, "you have thus given a precious contribution to building Europe on ethical and spiritual foundations, promoting understanding and bringing the people of our continent closer to each other." He exhorted his guests "to persevere with generosity in this important mission .May your voices, in the variety of your respective programs, continue to give witness to Christ, salvation of the world, and to announce His Gospel of peace to everyone."

  The ECCR was founded in Brussels in 1994 by four radio organizations: COPE in Spain, RCF in France, CORALLO in Italy and RR, Radio Renascenca in Portugal. Its aims are to promote human rights, democracy and a "European conscience" among peoples and to share experiences among Christian radios. ECCR has NGO (Non-governmental organization) status and is comprised of 14 members and 2 "friends," including Vatican Radio and Radio Suisse Romande.
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