LENT: A TIME TO REGAIN GOD'S FRIENDSHIP AND GRACE

VATICAN CITY, FEB 21, 1999 (VIS) - At today's angelus, the Pope spoke of the liturgical season of Lent, calling it a time which helps man "to recover what he could never attain by his own strength: God's friendship and grace, the supernatural life which alone can bring fulfillment to the deepest aspirations of the human heart."

He referred to today's Gospel in which Christ, "in the desert, faces the tempter and, at the end of forty days of fasting and prayer, overcomes him through firm submission to the will of God the Father. In this way, Jesus shows the path for defeating sin: the path of penance."

"Jesus precedes us," the Holy Father went on, "but he also calls us to follow him. 'Repent' is the first word of his preaching. And his call resonates with particular force and urgency this year, which is the last before the Great Jubilee."

"I make the appeal of the Apostle Paul my own," stated the Pope. "'Be reconciled to God', don't allow this favorable time to pass you by. We must shake off the indifference and distractions of the world and listen to the voice of God, which resonates in the Church, and before that, in every person's conscience."

Turning then to the examination of conscience, John Paul II observed that this "is therefore one of the most decisive moments of life. It places each individual before the truth of his own life. Thus he discovers the distance which separates his deeds from the ideal which he has set himself."

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OUR HEARTS NEED GOD ABOVE ALL ELSE

VATICAN CITY, FEB 21, 1999 (VIS) - John Paul II this morning told the faithful of the Roman parish of San Raimondo Nonnato, quoting today's Gospel: "'May the word which comes from the mouth of God' call us and nourish our spirit, because 'man does not live on bread alone'. Our hearts need God above all else."

Having expressed his wish to parishioners that "the unity of the parish grow stronger, making it a true 'family of families'," the Pope said: "I take joy in the strong commitment with which you are living to the Citizens' Mission."

"Christians should feel moved to take initiatives and meet their brothers and sisters in their homes, in their neighborhood and in places of life and work where the same word of salvation is heard - the Word of God - which is more necessary than bread for the life of the person."

The Holy Father recalled that Lent "is an important time of penance and grace. This year is an even more significant call to repentance and conversion, in view of the Jubilee of the Year 2000."
"Pay special attention to the celebration of the sacrament of Penance. ... May the closeness of the Jubilee awaken in every believer an active interest in this sacrament; may priests be available to develop with care and dedication this essential sacramental ministry; may the places where the celebration of the sacrament takes place be multiplied, with confessors available at different times during the day, ready to generously dispense the endless mercy of God."

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, FEB 20, 1999 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

- Three prelates from Ghana Bishops' Conference on their "ad limina" visit:
- Bishop Philip Naameh of Damongo.
- Bishop Peter Kwaku Atuahene of Goaso.
- Bishop John Martin Darko of Sekondi-Takoradi.
- Cardinal Lucas Moreira Neves, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, FEB 22, 1999 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Appointed Canons Antonio Maria Bessa Taipa and Antonio Jose Cavaco Carrilho, as auxiliary bishops of the diocese of Porto (area 3,010, population 2,266,000, Catholics 1,940,000, priests 601, religious 1,574), Portugal. Bishop-elect Antonio Maria Bessa Taipa was born in Freamunde, Portugal, in 1942, was ordained a priest in 1966 and since 1979 has been rector of the major seminary and pro-vicar general of the diocese. Bishop-elect Antonio Jose Cavaco Carrilho was born in St. Clemente, Portugal, in 1942, was ordained a priest in 1965, and since 1994 has been director of the general secretariat of the Portuguese Episcopal Conference.

- Adopted the following dispositions for Zimbabwe:

- Appointed Fr. Robert Christopher Ndlovu as bishop of Hwange (area 43,427, population 324,609, Catholics 31,230, priests 26, religious 91). The bishop-elect was born in Thsongokwe, Zimbabwe, in 1955, was ordained a priest in 1983, and since 1993 has been rector of the Major Seminary of Chishawasha. He succeeds Bishop Ignacio Prieto Vega, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Hwange was accepted by the Holy Father, on having reached the age limit.

- Erected the diocese of Masvingo (area 70,000, population 1,180,000, Catholics 102,000, priests 43, religious 142) with territory taken from the diocese of Gweru, making it suffragan to the Metropolitan Church of Bulawayo. Bishop Michael Dixon Bhasera of Gokwe was appointed as first bishop of Masvingo.

On Saturday February 20, it was made public that the Holy Father appointed Bishop Arrigo Miglio of Iglesias, as bishop of Ivrea (area 1,850, population 206,883, Catholics 205,173, priests 207, religious 521), Italy. He succeeds Bishop Luigi Bettazzi whose resignation from the pastoral care of this diocese was accepted by the Holy Father on having reached the age limit.
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FEAST OF THE CHAIR OF ST PETER

VATICAN CITY, FEB 22, 1999 (VIS) - Today, February 22, is the Feast of the Chair of St. Peter, a day on which we recall the ministry of the supreme Pastor of the Church which the Lord conferred on Peter, a sign of unity of the Church.

The Chair of St. Peter, ensconced in 1666 in Bernini's altar of the same name, is actually a throne that Charles the Bald gave to Pope John VIII at the former's coronation as emperor on Christmas Day 875.

In its long history, the Chair of St. Peter has been considered under two perspectives: the chair-symbol (symbol of Peter's primacy: in ancient times the chair or "cathedra" was the sign of authority to teach) and the chair-object (the throne of Charles the Bald, used by John VIII and his successors for papal liturgical events).

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