OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JAN 25, 2007 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed:

 - Bishop David Motiuk, auxiliary of the archieparchy of Winnipeg of the Ukrainians, Canada, as bishop of the eparchy of Edmonton of the Ukrainians (Catholics 28,750, priests 42, permanent deacons 5, religious 57), Canada.

 - Archbishop Angelo Mottola, apostolic nuncio to Iran, as apostolic nuncio to Montenegro.
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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, JAN 25, 2007 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

 - Cardinal George Pell, archbishop of Sydney, Australia.

 - Three prelates from the Italian Episcopal Conference, on their "ad limina" visit:

    - Archbishop Benito Cocchi of Modena-Nonantola.

    .- Bishop Maurizio Galli of Fidenza.

    - Msgr. Dugles Regattieri, vicar general of Carpi.
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VIETNAMESE PRIME MINISTER MEETS THE POPE

VATICAN CITY, JAN 25, 2007 (VIS) - The Holy See Press office released the following communique at midday today:

  "This morning, Thursday January 25, 2007, Nguyen Tan Dang, prime minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, was received in audience by the Holy Father Benedict XVI. He subsequently went on to meet Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B., and Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States.

  "The Holy See expressed its satisfaction for the visit, which marks a new and important step towards the normalization of bilateral relations. Those relations have, over the last few years, made concrete progress opening new spaces of religious freedom for the Catholic Church in Vietnam.

  "In the course of the discussions, attention turned to the problems that remain which, it is hoped, will be faced and resolved through existing channels of dialogue and will lead to a fruitful cooperation between Church and State, so that Catholics can, ever more effectively, make a positive contribution to the common good of the country, to promoting moral values, in particular among the young, to spreading a culture of solidarity and to charitable assistance in favor of the weaker sectors of the population.

  "Furthermore, opinions were exchanged on the current international situation, with a view to a joint commitment in favor of peace and of negotiated solutions to the serious problems of the present time.

  "This was the first time that a prime minister of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam has met the Holy Father and the highest authorities of the Secretariat of State."
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WORD OF GOD CALLS FOR SPECIAL VENERATION AND OBEDIENCE

VATICAN CITY, JAN 25, 2007 (VIS) - At midday today, the Holy Father received members of the ordinary council of the Synod of Bishops. The council is currently preparing the Twelfth Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod, due to be held in October 2008 on the theme: "The Word of God in the Life and the Mission of the Church."

  In his talk, the Pope referred to the importance of the theme, "because," he said, "the spiritual activity which expresses and nourishes the life and mission of the Church is necessarily based on the Word of God." That Word, moreover, "being destined for all the Lord's disciples - as the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity reminded us - calls for special veneration and obedience, in order for it to be recognized also as an urgent call to full union between all believers in Christ."

  Benedict XVI indicated that the members of the ordinary council are about to complete the preparation of the "Lineamenta" (draft guidelines) and pointed out how these "will serve as a valuable tool enabling the entire Church to study the theme of the forthcoming assembly."

  The Holy Father concluded with the hope that synodal assembly "may help to rediscover the importance of the Word of God in the lives of all Christians, and of all ecclesial and civil communities."
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