HOLY FATHER TO TAKE HOLIDAY IN LORENZAGO DI CADORE

VATICAN CITY, JUN 23, 2007 (VIS) - From July 9 to 27, Benedict XVI is due to spend a period of rest at Lorenzago di Cadore in the Italian province of Belluno, where he will stay in a villa belonging to the diocese of Treviso.

  At midday on Sunday July 15, the Pope will pray the Angelus at the Castle of Mirabello and, on Sunday July 22, at the main square of Lorenzago di Cadore.

  During this period, the Wednesday general audiences of July 11, 18 and 25 will be suspended.

  On Friday, July 27, the Holy Father will travel to the Apostolic Place of Castelgandolfo where he will remain until late September.

  Over the summer period, all private and special audiences are suspended. The general audiences will resume regularly from Wednesday, August 1.
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COMMUNIQUE CONCERNING POPE'S MEETING WITH TONY BLAIR

VATICAN CITY, JUN 23, 2007 (VIS) - At midday today, the Holy See Press Office released the following communique to journalists:

  "Today, June 23, 2007, the Holy Father Benedict XVI received in audience Tony Blair, prime minister of the United Kingdom. The prime minister subsequently went on to meet with Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B., and Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for Relations with States.

  "In the course of the meeting, certain significant contributions made by Prime Minister Blair during his ten years in office were examined. There followed a frank discussion on the current international situation, including certain particularly delicate questions such as the conflict in the Middle East and the future of the European Union in the wake of the Brussels summit.

  "Finally, following an exchange of views on certain laws recently approved by the UK parliament, Tony Blair was offered best wishes as he is about to leave the office of prime minister, also bearing in mind the fact that he has expressed a strong desire to commit himself particularly to peace in the Middle East and to inter-religious dialogue."
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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

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

 - Appointed Fr. Martin Su Yao-wen of the clergy of the diocese of Taichung, Taiwan, director of campus ministry at Providence University, as bishop of the same diocese (area 7,836, population 4,134,000, Catholics 36,836, priests 74, religious 122). The bishop-elect was born in Kaohsiung, Taiwan in 1959 and ordained a priest in 1989. He succeeds Bishop Joseph Wang Yu-jung, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese, the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

 - Elevated the diocese of Niamey (area 200,000, population 6,349,000, Catholics 15,532, priests 26, religious 82), Niger, to the rank of metropolitan archdiocese, giving it as suffragan the diocese of Maradi. He appointed Bishop Michel Christian Cartateguy S.M.A., of Niamey, as metropolitan archbishop of the new circumscription. The archbishop-elect was born in Hasparren, France in 1951, he was ordained a priest in 1979 and consecrated a bishop in 1999.

 - Appointed Fr. Venant Bacinoni of the clergy of Bururi, Burundi, professor at the inter-diocesan major seminary "Jean Paul II" in Gitega, as bishop of Bururi (area 6,500, population 902,000, Catholics 400,000, priests 97, religious 111). The bishop-elect was born in Kirisi, Burundi in 1940 and ordained a priest in 1965.

 - Appointed Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, archivist and librarian of Holy Roman Church, as president of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue.

 - Appointed Bishop Raffaele Farina S.D.B., prefect of the Vatican Apostolic Library, as archivist and librarian of Holy Roman Church, at the same time elevating him to the dignity of archbishop. The archbishop-elect was born in Ariano Irpino, Italy in 1933, ordained a priest in 1958 and consecrated a bishop in 2006.

 - Appointed Msgr. Cesare Pasini, vice-prefect of the Ambrosian Library in Milan, Italy, as prefect of the Vatican Apostolic Library.

  On Saturday, June 23, it was made public that he:

 - Appointed Bishop Edward Dajczak, auxiliary of Zielona Gora-Gorzow, as bishop of Koszalin-Kolobrzeg (area 14,640, population 925,000, Catholics 910,900, priests 527, religious 374), Poland.

 - Appointed Fr. Murray Chatlain of the clergy of Saskatoon, Canada, pastor of St. Patrick's church, as coadjutor of MacKenzie-Fort Smith (area 1,523,400, population 43,047, Catholics 22,000, priests 10), Canada. The bishop-elect was born in Saskatoon in 1963 and ordained a priest in 1987.
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POPE VISITS VATICAN APOSTOLIC LIBRARY AND SECRET ARCHIVES

VATICAN CITY, JUN 25, 2007 (VIS) - This morning, Benedict XVI visited the Vatican Apostolic Library and the Vatican Secret Archives. From July 14, the Library is due to close its doors to the public for a period of three years in order to enable restoration work to take place in one of the wings of the Renaissance building in which it is housed.

  In his address, the Pope highlighted how the Library is called "Apostolic" because "it is an institution considered since its foundation as the 'Pope's library'." Today, he said, it is "a welcoming home of learning, culture and humanity which opens its doors to scholars from all over the world without distinction of origin, race or culture. The job of those of you who work here every day is to safeguard the synthesis between culture and faith that emerges from the precious documents and treasures you hold."

  In the Vatican Secret Archives, which opened their doors to scholars in 1881 by order of Pope Leo XIII, said the Holy Father, "it is possible to undertake not only scholarly research, of itself most laudable and praiseworthy, concerning periods distant from us in time, but also to pursue interests concerning epochs and times close to us, even very close. Proof of this are the first fruits produced by the recent opening to scholars of the pontificate of Pope Pius XI, ordered by me in June 2006."

  Referring to the "polemics" that have arisen following the publication of certain items of research, the Pope praised "the disinterested and impartial service provided by the Vatican Secret Archives," which "steer clear of sterile and often weak partisan historical viewpoints and give researchers, without hindrance or prejudice, the documents in its possession, cataloged with seriousness and competency."

  Both the Library and the Archives receive "expressions of appreciation and respect from cultural institutes and individual scholars from various countries," said Pope Benedict. "To me, this seems the best recognition to which the two institutions can aspire," he added.

  Benedict XVI told the Library staff that on his own 70th birthday he "would have liked the beloved John Paul II to have granted me the chance of dedicating myself to study and research on the interesting documents ... you safeguard so carefully, real masterworks that help us to follow the story of humanity and of Christianity."

  "In your multifarious activities, you make use of the most advanced techniques in computers, cataloging, restoration, photography and, more generally, in everything that concerns the protection and usage of the immense heritage you preserve."

  The Holy Father concluded by exhorting his audience "always to consider your work as a real mission to be undertaken passionately and patiently, with courtesy and a spirit of faith. Let it be your concern always to offer a welcoming image of the Apostolic See, aware that the evangelical message also passes through your own coherent Christian witness."
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MAY THE CHURCH BEAR WITNESS TO CHRIST'S TRUTH AND LOVE

VATICAN CITY, JUN 24, 2007 (VIS) - "Today's liturgy invites us to celebrate the birth of St. John the Baptist whose life, like Mary's, was entirely oriented towards Christ," the Pope told pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square at midday today, prior to praying the Angelus.

  St. John the Baptist, the Pope went on, "was the precursor, the 'voice' sent to announce the incarnate Word. Therefore, commemorating his birth really means celebrating Christ, the fulfillment of all the promises of all the prophets."

  "All the Gospels begin their account of Jesus' public life with the story of His Baptism by John in the River Jordan. ... Like a true prophet, John bore witness to the truth without compromise. He denounced transgressions of God's commandments, even when the transgressors were powerful. ... We invoke his intercession, together with that of Mary Most Holy, that in our own time the Church may know how to remain faithful to Christ and to bear courageous witness to His truth and His love for everyone."

  After praying the Angelus, Benedict XVI indicated that today, the Sunday preceding the Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, marks in Italy the Day of the Pope's Charity, and he thanked the Italian faithful "for the prayers and for the material support with which you participate in the Successor of Peter's activities of evangelization and charity throughout the world."
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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, JUN 23, 2007 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

 - Cardinal Edmund Casimir Szoka, president emeritus of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State and of the Governorate of Vatican City State.

 - Archbishop Nikola Eterovic, secretary general of the Synod of Bishops.

 - Cardinal William Joseph Levada, prefect of Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
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