OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, OCT 21, 2004 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Appointed Fr. Paul S. Coakley of the clergy of Wichita, U.S.A., and vice chancellor and administrator of the Church of the Magdalen, as bishop of Salina (area 69,087, population 325,112, Catholics 48,510, priests 80, religious 219), U.S.A. The bishop-elect was born 1955 in Norfolk, U.S.A. and was ordained a priest in 1983. He succeeds Bishop George K. Fitzsimons whose resignation the Pope accepted upon having reached the age limit.

- Appointed Bishop Joaquin Carmelo Borobia Isasa of Tarazona, Spain as auxiliary bishop of  the archdiocese of Toledo (area 19,333, population 560,576, Catholics 547,821, religious 468, religious 1,305), Spain.

- Appointed Fr. Angel Rubio Castro, delegate for Consecrated Life of the archdiocese of Toledo, Spain, as auxiliary bishop of the same diocese. The bishop-elect was born in Guadalupe, Spain in 1939 and was ordained a priest in 1964.

- Appointed Cardinal Eugenio de Araujo Sales, archbishop emeritus of Sao Sebastiao do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil as his special envoy to the celebrations for the centenary of the crowning of the image of "Nossa Senhora do Sameiro" and for the 150th anniversary of the definition of the Dogma of the Immaculate Conception. These celebrations will take place in Braga, Portugal on December 8, 2004.
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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, OCT 21, 2004 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

- Three prelates from the Episcopal Conference of Angola and Sao Tome on their "ad limina" visit:

    - Archbishop Jose de Queiros Alves of Huambo, apostolic administrator of Menongue.

    - Bishop Oscar Lino Lopes Fernandes Braga of Benguela.

    - Bishop Jose Nambi of Kwito-Bie.

- Cardinal Ignace Moussa I Daoud, prefect of the Congregation for Oriental Churches, and an entourage.
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DEDICATION OF COMUNICATIONS ROOM AT IRISH COLLEGE

VATICAN CITY, OCT 21, 2004 (VIS) - Archbishop John Foley delivered the homily yesterday at a Mass for the dedication of the Blessed Columba Marmion Room for communications training for seminarians at the Pontifical Irish College in Rome. Blessed Columba Marmion O.S.B. (1858-1923), was the third abbot of Maredsous Abbey in Belgium and a noted spiritual author and retreat master. He was beatified by Pope John Paul II on September 3, 2000.
  The president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications began by quoting St Paul, who in his Letter to the Ephesians said he had been "entrusted with the special grace, not only of proclaiming to the pagans the infinite treasure of Christ, but also of explaining how the mystery is to be dispensed." The archbishop then asked: "How can we present creatively, imaginatively, compellingly the wonderful news about Jesus Christ and His plan for us if we do not communicate well?"

  "Authentic communication, of course, involves our own spiritual preparation, so that we may be viewed as authentic, credible witnesses of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. ... There is no substitute for holiness in communicating the Gospel of Jesus Christ. There are, however, techniques of communication. Jesus knew where and when to preach; used parables; He used symbolic actions - in fact, in the sacraments He left us outward signs which signify and confer grace, a created sharing in His own divine life."

   "This evening," said Archbishop Foley in concluding, "as we dedicate a room in honor of one of your most distinguished alumni, Blessed Columba Marmion, who certainly knew how to communicate through books and through preaching, ask his intercession that all of us - through personal holiness, profound learning and inspired techniques might be able to communicate effectively the truly good news of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ."
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PRIESTS, APOSTLES OF CHRIST WITH YOUR PERSONAL SANCTITY

VATICAN CITY, OCT 21, 2004 (VIS) -  Speaking via a satellite link up from the Hall of the Consistory in the Vatican, the Pope addressed more than a thousand priests from eighty countries who are participating in the international congress organized by the Congregation for the Clergy in La Valletta, Malta. The theme of the meeting which started on October 18 and ends October 23, is "Priests, forgers of saints for the new millennium: Following the footsteps of the Apostle Paul."

  Highlighting that they were meeting in Malta, "an island that preserves the vivid memory of the passage of St. Paul," the Holy Father told the priests that the Lord was inviting them "to be His apostles, especially with holiness of life. You must make the power of the word of truth of the Gospel resound, the word which can only profoundly change man's heart and give him peace. … In this way, you will be credible teachers of the life of the Gospel and prophets of hope."

  "In a troubled and divided world, marked by violence and conflicts, there are those who ask themselves if it is still possible to talk of hope.  But precisely in this moment it is necessary to courageously present the true and complete hope of man which is Christ Our Lord."

  John Paul II said that the model which should inspire priests is Our Lady who "showed her complete availability to do God's will" in responding with her "fiat" to the message of the Archangel Gabriel. In concluding, the Pope recalled that just before dying on the Cross, Jesus entrusted His mother to John: "From that day Mary became the mother of all creatures, especially your mother, to accompany you on your daily path. Go to her constantly in your ministry."
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