OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JAN 20, 2006 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Fr. Ivan Tilak Jayasundera of the clergy of the diocese of Kandy, Sri Lanka, professor of liturgy at the major national seminary of Kandy, as bishop of Ratnapura (area 4,968, population 1,787,938, Catholics 19,532, priests 34, religious 70), Sri Lanka. The bishop-elect was born in Kandy in 1959 and ordained a priest in 1985.
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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, JAN 20, 2006 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences five prelates from the Episcopal Conference of the Democratic Republic of the Congo on their "ad limina" visit:

    - Archbishop Joseph Kumuondala Mbimba of Mbandaka-Bikoro.

    - Bishop Joseph Mokobe Ndjoku of Basankusu.

    - Bishop Fridolin Ambongo Besungu O.F.M. Cap., of Bokungu-Ikela.

    - Bishop Louis Nkinga Bondala C.I.C.M., of Lisala.

    - Bishop Ferdinand Maemba Liwoke of Lolo.

  This evening, he is scheduled to receive in audience Archbishop William Joseph Levada, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
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CATHOLIC TELEVISION: MUCH INITIATIVE, FEW RESOURCES

VATICAN CITY, JAN 20, 2006 (VIS) - Archbishop John P. Foley, president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, today participated in the second meeting of the organizational committee for the World Congress on Catholic Television. The committee meeting was held in the Vatican's Palazzo San Carlo.

  In his speech to the committee the archbishop recalled that, although there are many "Catholic television initiatives, there are often insufficient resources in programming, finance or trained personnel to keep them all in operation.    One of the factors that seem to be missing is coordination and, indeed, cooperation."

  The archbishop went on: "Because of the nature of our universal responsibility as the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, we thought it might be a good idea to respond to requests from around the world to be a forum for planning and, indeed, helping to implement such coordination and cooperation. ... In no field more than broadcasting and telecasting is there more need for networking: networking so that common programming can be offered throughout the world, networking so that training facilities can be offered on an international basis, networking so that ideas and programs can be shared."

  "May our planning and our eventual congress help Catholic television to be a type of nervous system for the Church," the president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications concluded, "a system which helps to inform, to energize ... the Church to an ever more perfect unity and to the continuing work of evangelization."
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HUMAN MATURITY AND ADHERENCE TO CHURCH'S MAGISTERIUM

VATICAN CITY, JAN 20, 2006 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received the rector and students of the diocesan seminary of Rome, the "Almo Collegio Capranica," on the eve of the feast day of their patroness, St Agnes. The "Almo Collegio" forms students to the priesthood for Rome, other Italian dioceses and the rest of the world.

  The Pope called on the seminarians to use their formative years to take advantage "of every opportunity to bear effective witness to the Gospel among the men and women of our time."

  He continued: "In order to respond to the expectations of modern society, and to cooperate in the immense evangelical activity that involves all Christians, there is need for well-trained and courageous priests who, without ambition or fear but convinced of gospel truth, make the announcement of Christ their first concern and, in His name, are ready to reach out to human suffering, bringing the comfort of God's love and the warmth of the ecclesial family to everyone, especially the poor and those undergoing difficulties."

  The Holy Father then highlighted how this requires, "together with human maturity and close adherence to revealed truth, which the Magisterium of the Church faithfully reflects, a serious commitment to personal sanctity and the exercise of virtue, especially humility and charity. It is also necessary to nurture communion with the various elements of the People of God, so that everyone may have a growing awareness of belonging to the one Body of Christ."

  "That all this may happen, I invite you to keep your gaze fixed on Christ. ... The more you remain in communion with Him, the more able you will be faithfully to follow His footsteps so that, 'love which binds every thing together in perfect harmony,' brings your love for the Lord to maturity under the guidance of the Holy Spirit."

  Benedict XVI concluded by calling on those present to follow the example of committed priests, former seminarians of the "Almo Collegio," who "have produced abundant fruits of knowledge and goodness in the Lord's vineyard."
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