OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, MAR 30, 1999 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Erected the ecclesiastical province of Patna, India, elevating the same episcopal see to the rank of metropolitan church, making the dioceses of Bettiah, Bhagalpur, Muzaffarpur and Purnea suffragan to it. Bishop Benedict John Osta, S.J., of the diocese of Patna was appointed as the first metropolitan archbishop of Patna. The archbishop-elect was born in Blasurahi, India, in 1931, was ordained a priest in 1963, and since March 1980 has been bishop of Patna.

- Erected the diocese of Yendi (area 25,000, population 450,000, Catholics 3,843, priests 12, religious 6), Ghana, with territory taken from the archdiocese of Tamale, making it suffragan to the same metropolitan church. He appointed Fr. Vincent Boi-Nai S.V.D., as first bishop of Yendi. The bishop-elect was born in Labadi, Ghana, in 1945, made his perpetual vows in 1977 and was ordained a priest the same year. Since 1998 he has been provincial of the Society of the Divine Word (Verbites).

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AUDIENCE

VATICAN CITY, MAR 30, 1999 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in audience Archbishop Francesco Pompedda, dean of the Tribunal of the Roman Rota, with other auditor prelates.

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SEMINAR ON EFFECTS OF GLOBALIZATION OF FINANCES ON ECONOMIES

VATICAN CITY, MAR 30, 1999 (VIS) - Made public this morning was a communique from the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace which announced that the council secretary, Bishop Diarmuid Martin, is currently attending a three-day seminar in Santiago, Chile, on the effects of the globalization of finances on the economies of poor countries.

The March 29-31 seminar for experts from throughout the world was promoted by the "Jacques Maritain International Institute," the government of Chile and the United Nations Commission for Latin America. The meeting was opened yesterday by President Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle of Chile.

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FAITH AND SCIENCE AT THE SERVICE OF LIFE AND HUMAN DIGNITY

VATICAN CITY, MAR 27, 1999 (VIS) - In his meeting today with the board of directors of the World Federation of Scientists, the Pope highlighted the importance for faith and science, once the misunderstandings of the past are overcome, "to open up to ever deeper reciprocal understanding, at the service of life and human dignity."

Having underscored the scientific progress of this century, he said that "a cultural factor particularly emerges from this, ... which mainly consists in a new vision of science, characterized by the end of the 'myth of progress', according to which science would have been able to resolve all problems of people in a short period of time."

Another factor, said the Holy Father, is the "economic aspect." For the technological application of some discoveries "enormous sums of money are spent, and this (in turn) provokes justified concern for its use and the validity of its projects. Finally, the political dimension of science is of capital importance, for the consequences it has for the building of peace."

John Paul II concluded by emphasizing the need to carry out "suitable projects which, involving scientific volunteer work and the responsible cooperation of cultural, economic and political factors, might contribute to drawing up plans whose aim is to protect creation and benefit authentic human development."

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PEACE IS NOT A QUESTION OF POWER, BUT OF RECONCILIATION

VATICAN CITY, MAR 27, 1999 (VIS) - Ambassador Bae Yang-il from the Republic of Korea presented his Letters of Credence today to Pope John Paul, who recalled that, during his first visit to Korea in 1984, "I shared the sufferings and hopes of all the people of the peninsula, and I continue to pray that they will one day be re-united as one family."

"I encourage your government's efforts," the Pope said in his speech in English, "to resolve present difficulties through mutual trust, practical assistance and open dialogue. To work for peace requires patient and persevering effort, for true peace is not a matter of power and strength, but calls for genuine reconciliation between peoples."

He underlined that "the resolution of the many conflicts between countries and ethnic groups represents one of the major challenges facing the international community as we prepare to enter a new millennium. ... To ensure a peace built on solid and lasting foundations, a concerned international effort is needed to promote and guarantee a culture of human rights, and I am pleased that your government shares this opinion."

The Holy Father then referred to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which, he said, "draws attention to a number of essential features of human rights, which are sometimes overlooked or underplayed: It emphasizes that the recognition of the innate dignity of all members of the human family, as well as the equality and inalienability of their rights, is the foundation of liberty, justice and peace. Human rights, therefore, are not conferred by external authority but stem from the inherent dignity and worth of the human person: they are simply a consequence of being human and are common to all."

For peace and development among nations and peoples to occur, "it is essential to defend the universality and indivisibility of human rights."

"The Holy See," affirmed John Paul II, "seeks to be a positive and helpful partner in this immense and crucial task. The Church defends human rights and contributes to the political, social, economic and cultural order because she teaches the transcendent dignity of every person."

He turned to the religious traditions of Buddhism and Confucianism which have shaped Korea, as well as, more recently Christianity. "Korea's respect for religion is undoubtedly influenced by the conviction that at the very heart of every culture lies man's attitude to the greatest mystery, that of God."

In concluding remarks, the Pope noted that "authentic democratic society and just relations between nations depend on the attitude taken to the religious dimension of human existence and to the question of transcendent and objective truth. ... Far from being a limitation upon freedom or a threat to it, reference to the truth about the human person ... is, in fact, the guarantor of freedom's future."

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