IN MEMORIAM

VATICAN CITY, NOV 5, 1999 (VIS) - The following prelates died in recent weeks:

- Bishop Jean Cadilhac of Nimes, France, on October 27, at the age of 68.
- Bishop Eugeen Laridon, auxiliary of Brugge, Belgium, on October 20, at the age of 69.
- Bishop Pierre Tchouanga S.C.I., emeritus of Doume-Abong' Mbang, Cameroon, on October 23, at the age of 71.
- Bishop Prelate Felipe Maria Zalba Elizalde O.P., of Chuquibamba, Peru, on October 19, at the age of 72.

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, NOV 5, 1999 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed:

- Msgr. Andras Veres, secretary of the Hungarian Episcopal Conference, as auxiliary of the archdiocese of Eger (area 11,500, population 950,000, Catholics 600,000, priests 243, permanent deacons 1, religious 86), Hungary. The bishop-elect was born in Nyirbator, Hungary, in 1959 and ordained a priest in 1986.
- Msgr. Peter Erdo, rector of the Catholic University 'Pazmany Peter' in Budapest, Hungary, as auxiliary of the diocese of Szekesfehervar (area 5,170, population 750,359, Catholics 495,242, priests 117, permanent deacons 4, religious 53), Hungary. The bishop-elect was born in Budapest in 1952 and ordained a priest in 1975.

Yesterday, Thursday November 4, it was made public that the Holy Father appointed Bishop Pablo Lizama Riquelme of Melipilla, Chile, as military ordinary of the same country.

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HOLY FATHER WELCOMES BISHOPS OF WESTERN CANADA

VATICAN CITY, OCT 30, 1999 (VIS) - The Holy Father this morning welcomed the bishops of Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, the Northwest Territories, the Yukon and the newly-established territory of Nunavit as they conclude their quinquennial "ad limina" visit.

In his speech to them, in both English and French, the Pope spoke of time and of eternity, highlighted the fact that "Christian living embraces elements both incarnational and eschatological; and our prime concern as pastors is to ensure that there is a balance between them, that the Churches over which we preside in Christ's name are neither too worldly nor too unworldly. ... Crucial here is the question of the relationship between the Church and the world."

"As pastors," John Paul II stated, "we must guide Christ's flock on a path which must avoid the temptations to suppress or to develop in an exaggerated way the separation between the Church and the world, between the Christian message and the culture which prevails in the current world." Above all, he said, the Church, which has been "for men and women of all times and places a precious gift," must have a fruitful dialogue with the world.

"An integral part of this gift," the Pope continued, "is the truth about the human person, created in the image of God." He said that one of the ways that bishops must "humbly and resolutely" serve this truth is in "the defense of the inalienable dignity and the value of life itself. ... The 'Gospel of life' ... is an essential dimension of our obedience to God. Each one has a serious obligation to be at the service of this Gospel."

The Holy Father urged the bishops to make good use of the Catechism of the Catholic Church in forming Christians and in helping them to become defenders of life and to have "a solid knowledge of faith and the rules of Christian life."

"To teach the faith and to evangelize," observed Pope John Paul, "is to speak an absolute and universal truth to the world, but it is our duty to speak in appropriate and meaningful ways which make people receptive to that truth. In considering what this entails, Paul VI specified four qualities: ... clarity, humanity, confidence and prudence."

These qualities, the Pope underlined, will serve bishops well because they "are called to be above all ... teachers of the truth."

"Clarity means that we must explain comprehensibly the truth of Revelation and the Church's teachings. We should not simply repeat but explain. In other words, we need a new apologetic ... The new apologetic will also need to breathe a spirit of humanity, that compassionate humility which understands people's anxieties and questions and which is not quick to presume in them ill will or bad faith."

"To speak with confidence will mean that ... we must never lose sight of the fact that the Gospel of Christ is the truth for which all people long, no matter how distant, resistant or hostile they may seem."

"And finally," he said, "prudence, which Paul VI calls practical wisdom and good sense, ... will mean that we can give a clear answer to people who ask: 'What must we do?"

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PROMOTION AND PROTECTION OF THE RIGHTS OF CHILDREN

VATICAN CITY, OCT 30, 1999 (VIS) - On October 28, Archbishop Renato Martino, Holy See permanent observer to the United Nations, addressed the Third Committee of the 54th session of the General Assembly on Item 112, "Promotion and Protection of the Rights of Children."

Citing well-known statistics about the numbers of children worldwide who suffer from hunger, poverty, the effects of conflicts and their aftermath, exploitation and death or maiming by landmines, the archbishop said that "the abominable crimes committed against millions of children, born and unborn, confirm the fact that without respecting fundamental values, the family of nations will end by digging the graveyards for the future generations instead of securing for them a bright future."

To protect children, Archbishop Martino said in his address, there is a great need to reinforce traditional value systems. He affirmed that "respect for the dignity of the human person, the sacredness of the family and the role of parents in the formation of children, are basic values."

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POPE CALLS FOR JURIDICAL AND ECONOMIC PARITY BETWEEN SCHOOLS

VATICAN CITY, OCT 30, 1999 (VIS) - In St. Peter's Square today, the Holy Father addressed am estimated 200,000 participants in the meeting of Italian Catholic schools. The event marked the conclusion of the national assembly which has been held in Rome this week.

Having recalled the theme of the meeting, "Towards a plan for schooling on the threshold of the 21st century," the Pope affirmed that "the experience of Catholic schools carries within itself a great heritage, one of culture, of educational knowledge, of attention to the figure of the child, the adolescent, the youth; one of mutual support with families; of the capacity to grasp in advance, with the intuition that springs from love, the new needs and problems that arise with changing times."

John Paul II then went on to refer to the difficulties encountered by many families when choosing a non-state school, and made clear his regret at the "prestigious and worthy institutions which, year after year, are obliged to close.

"The main problem to be overcome, in order to escape a situation that is becoming ever more intolerable, is undoubtedly that of the full recognition of juridical and economic parity between state and non-state schools, overcoming deep-seated resistance that is alien to the basic values of the European cultural tradition. Steps recently taken in this direction, although noteworthy in certain aspects, unfortunately are still insufficient."

The Pope made an urgent request to those responsible in the political and institutional fields "that the right of families and the young to full liberty in their choice of education be truly respected." Furthermore, it is necessary that efforts be made "to improve the quality of Catholic schooling and to avoid restricting still more its presence in the country."

Prior to his address, the Holy Father made direct television connections with Palestine, Sarjevo and Madrid. Participating in these links were students from different religions who study in Catholic schools.

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