OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, MAR 2, 2005 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Fr. Eduardo Pinheiro da Silva S.D.B., leader of pastoral animation of the Salesian community in Aracatuba, Brazil, as auxiliary of the archdiocese of Campo Grande (area 44,981, population 730,000, Catholics 550,000, priests 94, religious 274), Brazil. The bishop-elect was born in Lins, Brazil, in 1959 and ordained a priest 1991.
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ACTS OF SYMPOSIUM ON EASTERN CANON LAW PUBLISHED

VATICAN CITY, MAR 2, 2005 (VIS) - At 6 p.m. tomorrow, Thursday March 3, in Rome's Pontifical Oriental Institute, the book with the Acts of the symposium held in 2001 to mark the tenth anniversary of the implementation of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches will be presented.

  The international symposium, which was organized by the Congregation for the Oriental Churches and had as its theme: "Ius Ecclesiarum - Vehiculum Caritatis" (Church Law - Vehicle of Charity), was held in the Vatican from November 19 to 23 2001.

  Following a brief greeting by Fr. Hector Vall Vilardell S.J., rector of the Pontifical Oriental Institute (PIO), Cardinal Ignace Moussa I Daoud, prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches will speak on: "The codification of the Eastern Canons"; Fr. Cyril Vasil S.J., dean of the Faculty of Eastern Canon Law at the PIO, will discuss the subject of "Eastern Canon Law as a teaching subject"; and Msgr. Hanna Alwan, prelate auditor of the Tribunal of the Roman Rota, will speak on: "The relationship between the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches and the Code of Canon Law."
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FOREIGN MINISTER OF GABON VISITS CARDINAL SODANO

VATICAN CITY, MAR 2, 2005 (VIS) - Holy See Press Office Director Joaquin Navarro-Valls released the following declaration at midday today:

  "This morning, March 2, Jean Ping, foreign affairs minister of Gabon and president of the 59th General Assembly of the United Nations Organization, paid a visit to Cardinal Secretary of State Angelo Sodano. Archbishop Giovanni Lajolo, secretary for Relations with Sates, and Desire Koumba, ambassador of Gabon to the Holy See, also attended the meeting.

  "Mr. Ping first of all extended, both on the part of the U.N. and on his own, respectful and cordial greetings and best wishes to the Holy Father.

  "During the course of the discussions, the prospects for reform of the U.N., currently at an advanced stage of preparation, were examined, as was the still-worrying situation of various African countries, with particular reference to the work of the African Union. Some attention was also given to certain aspects concerning the collaboration between Church and State in Gabon, where a 1997 framework agreement between the Holy See and the Gabonese Republic is in force."
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VATICAN SEMINAR FOCUSES ON HUMAN DIGNITY OF PRISONERS

VATICAN CITY, MAR 2, 2005 (VIS) - Cardinal Renato Martino, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, in his speech yesterday to 80 invited guests at the international study seminar on the human rights of prisoners, underscored that being imprisoned never separates one from God's love and, therefore, from the human dignity that derives from and is rooted in this love.

   The two-day meeting opened yesterday at the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, which organized the event with the International Commission of Catholic Prison Ministries (ICCPPC).

  Noting that "prisoners have the right to be considered as a person," the cardinal said this consideration must not be an abstract idea but rather "should animate policies and law, social institutions of prevention and prison regulations, and the work done in prisons by offices of civil society." However, he added, "there are in the world many situations of imprisonment and methods of detention that are even pre-juridical, in the sense that they do not include the most elementary care for the rights of the person."

  Christian Kuhn, president of ICCPPC, said that prison chaplains know the enormous danger that crime, especially organized crime, drug trafficking and terrorism represent for society, and underlined that rarely is it the heads of organized crime who are in prison but rather the poor and marginalized. He said that the conclusions of this Vatican meeting will be presented at the 11th United Nations Congress on Crime Prevention and Penal Justice to be held April 18-25 in Bangkok, Thailand.

  Cardinal Martino read a telegram sent to participants in this meeting by Cardinal Angelo Sodano, secretary of State, in the Pope's name, that said that "His Holiness greatly hopes that these days of reflection contribute to affirming the requisite respect of the permanent human dignity of the individual who has violated the law, so that he continues to feel part of society and committed to be reintegrated into it."
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TWO CARDINALS VISIT THE HOLY FATHER

VATICAN CITY, MAR 2, 2005 (VIS) - Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, met yesterday with the Holy Father for a brief work session in his room at Gemelli Hospital and, upon leaving, spoke with journalists, telling them that the Pope "spoke to me in German and Italian. He was very alert and will work on the material that I brought him. I am very happy to see the Holy Father fully present mentally and capable of saying a few essential things in his words."

  The  cardinal told the media that he had brought "greetings from the Congregation for Divine Worship which is currently meeting in plenary session. I also brought greetings from many others and even some work from our congregation."

  In remarks made to the German language program of Vatican Radio, Cardinal Ratzinger spoke of the Holy Father's suffering:

  "The example of a Pope who suffers is very important as we have seen in recent years: suffering is a special way of preaching. From the many letters I have received and also from direct personal witnesses, I have seen many suffering people who now feel accepted. The Association for Parkinson's Patients has written to me, thanking the Pope because he helps the ill to strengthen their image, so to speak, because the Holy Father has the courage to appear in public as a person who suffers and who continues to work. Through his suffering John Paul II has communicated many things to us: that suffering is a phase on the path of life, and that he participates in the passion of Jesus Christ, showing us how fruitful suffering can be when we share it with the Lord and live it together with all those who suffer in the world. In this way, suffering takes on a great value and can be something positive. When we look at the Pope's life, we see that this is an important message, especially in a world that tends to hide or even erase pain."

  Cardinal Cormac Murphy O'Connor, archbishop of Westminster, England, visited the Holy Father this morning. The cardinal told journalists that "in health or in sickness, in great strength or in weakness, the Pope is offering a witness of faith to the Lord and to his extraordinary mission in today's world."
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