OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, MAR 27, 2007 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Fr. Oscar Roberto Dominguez Couttolenc M.G., vicar general of the Institute of Our Lady of Guadalupe for Foreign Missions, as bishop of Tlapa (area 6,990, population 485,000, Catholics 454,000, priests 55, religious 53), Mexico. The bishop-elect was born in Puebla, Mexico, in 1956 and ordained a priest in 1983.
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ELIMINATING ALL FORMS OF VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN

VATICAN CITY, MAR 27, 2007 (VIS) - Archbishop Silvano M. Tomasi C.S., Holy See permanent observer to the United Nations at Geneva, spoke on March 23 during the 4th session of the Human Rights Council.

  In opening his English-language address, which was published yesterday afternoon, Archbishop Tomasi recalled that "the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child attributes to the child the fundamental rights of a person; it recognizes the child to have the same equality and dignity as any adult person."

  "In many cases," he went on, "due to lack of will and of resources, good legal provisions and public policies are not implemented, with grave consequences for children. They often become the first victims of famines and wars."

  "To many children the right to life is denied; prenatal selection eliminates both babies suspected of having disabilities and female children simply because of their sex, and thus denies the equal and intrinsic value of disabled persons and of girls for their families and for society."

  Archbishop Tomasi then pointed out that "the first right of children is that of being born and educated in a welcoming and secure family environment where their physical, psychological and spiritual growth is guaranteed, their potential is developed and where the awareness of personal dignity becomes the base for relating to others and for confronting the future."

  State and society, said the permanent observer, must "concretely support and enable the family to carry out its task. ... The Catholic Church's over 300,000 social, caring and educational institutions work daily to ensure both a peace-oriented and creative education for children, and the development of their talents, and to provide the reintegration of abused and neglected children into their families, if possible, and into society."

  "Children are both weakness and hope. To pursue the defence of their rights and the elimination of all forms of violence against them remains an institutional challenge for the international community. Success will be reached if priority is given to the natural role of the family and to the public culture that recognizes that children too are full human persons."
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THE HOLY FATHER THANKS CARDINAL RUINI

VATICAN CITY, MAR 27, 2007 (VIS) - Benedict XVI has sent a Letter to Cardinal Camillo Ruini thanking him for his long service as president of the Italian Episcopal Conference (CEI). On March 7, the Pope accepted Cardinal Ruini's resignation from office and appointed in his place Archbishop Angelo Bagnasco of Genoa.

  In his Letter, which is dated March 23, the Holy Father expresses his gratitude for the cardinal's labors over more than 15 years as head of the CEI and, prior to that, as secretary of the organization.

  How can we forget," the Pope writes, "that you guided the Italian bishops through a delicate and crucial stage of the history of the Italian people? Over these years your courage and tenacity in supporting the Church's activities have provided a service not only to the People of God but to the entire Italian nation. May God bring the multiple initiatives begun by the Church in Italy to full maturation."

  For his part, Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B., has sent a message of congratulation to Archbishop Bagnasco, the new president of the CEI. Cardinal Bertone calls upon the Lord to support and illuminate Archbishop Bagnasco in his new office, that he may "help his brother bishops of the Church in Italy to grow in full communion between themselves and with Peter's Successor."
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CARDINAL STICKLER CELEBRATES 70 YEARS AS A PRIEST

VATICAN CITY, MAR 27, 2007 (VIS) - The Holy Father has sent a Letter, written in Latin and dated March 26, to Cardinal Alfons Maria Stickler S.D.B., archivist and librarian emeritus of Holy Roman Church, for the occasion of the 70th anniversary of his ordination as a priest. The cardinal was ordained in the Roman basilica of St. John Lateran on March 27, 1937.

  In his Letter Benedict XVI recalls the "charm and affability" of Cardinal Stickler, who is due to celebrate his 97th birthday in August, as well as the "charity and piety" that characterized his priestly ministry. He also praises the cardinal's efforts towards the expansion and renovation of the Vatican Apostolic Library.
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