APPEAL FOR INTERNATIONAL SOLIDARITY FOR MOZAMBIQUE

VATICAN CITY, MAR 5, 2000 (VIS) - In remarks made before praying the angelus with the tens of thousands of faithful who had gathered in St. Peter's Square for today's Mass and beatification, Pope John Paul made an appeal for international solidarity with the victims of the floods in Mozambique.

"My thoughts," he said, "go to the population of Mozambique who are living through a tragedy of unheard-of proportions because of the serious floods which have struck a large part of the territory. Everything possible in the line of international solidarity during these days has been done without a break but much remains to be done. I encourage everyone to pursue the work of helping to alleviate in every possible way the dramatic situation of these brothers and sisters of ours."

The Holy Father also recalled the victims of the Spanish ship Zafir, which sank on February 14. He said he hoped "that everything possible would be done to recover the bodies of the missing sailors in order to return them to their families for a worthy burial."

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POPE BEATIFIES BRAZILIAN AND VIETNAMESE PROTOMARTYRS

VATICAN CITY, MAR 5, 2000 (VIS) - This morning, John Paul II presided at a Eucharistic celebration in St. Peter's Square and beatified 44 Servants of God: Brazilian, Thai, Byelorussian, Filipino and Vietnamese martyrs who are, he said in his homily, "united by the same unconditional faith in the Lord and the same profound passion for the Gospel."

The Holy Father stated that Andre de Soveral and Ambrosio Francisco Ferro, priests, together with 28 companions, Brazilian martyrs "are the first fruits of missionary work, the protomartyrs of Brazil. ... The blood of defenseless Catholics, many of them anonymous - children, old people and entire families - will serve as a stimulus to strengthen new generations of Brazilians, recalling above all the value of the family as true and irreplaceable creator of faith and generator of moral values."
The strength in faith of Nicholas Bunkerd Kitbamrung, Thai priest and martyr, "was made clear to all when he forgave those who falsely accused him, deprived him of his freedom and made him suffer much. In prison, Father Nicholas encouraged his fellow prisoners, taught the catechism and administered the sacraments."

Referring to Maria Stella Adela Mardosewicz and her ten companions from the Institute of the Holy Family of Nazareth in Belarus (formerly eastern Poland), the Pope asked where they had found the strength "to give themselves in exchange for the salvation of those condemned to prison in Nowogrodek? Where did they find the audacity to courageously accept such a cruel and unjust death sentence? God had prepared them over time for this moment of even greater trial."

The lay catechist Pedro Calungsod, Filipino martyr, "from his childhood, declared himself unwaveringly for Christ and responded generously to His call. Young people today can draw encouragement and strength from the example of Pedro, whose love of Jesus inspired him to devote his teenage years to teaching the faith as a lay catechist."

Finally, John Paul II indicated that Andre de Phu Yen, Vietnamese lay catechist and martyr, "for love of the Lord gave all his energies to service of the Church, helping priests in their mission. ... Blessed Andre, protomartyr of Vietnam, is today a model for the Church in his country."

Four Catholic bishops from Vietnam were allowed to travel to Rome and were present at today's beatification.

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HOLY FATHER PRAYS ROSARY, DINES WITH ROMAN SEMINARIANS

VATICAN CITY, MAR 4, 2000 (VIS) - Today, feast of Our Lady of Trust, Pope John Paul travelled to the Major Roman Seminary for his traditional annual appointment with the seminarians and their teachers. Following his arrival at 6 p.m. he prayed the rosary and had dinner with them, after which he addressed all present.

Referring to the joyful mysteries of the rosary, which they had just prayed together, the Pope said that, with Mary's example, "and through her intercession, we too can learn how to believe, to have trust and to receive the copious gifts which the Lord wishes to give us."

He encouraged the seminarians to be close to the young people "who walk with you and look at you, anxious to know the secret of your life. May your example help young people to overcome the thousand anxieties of life and to open themselves to trust and commitment."

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ITINERARY FOR JUBILEE PILGRIMAGE TO HOLY LAND

VATICAN CITY, MAR 6, 2000 (VIS) - The itinerary for Pope John Paul's March 20-26 Jubilee pilgrimage to the Holy Land was published this afternoon:

Monday, March 20

- 9 a.m.: Departure for Amman, Jordan
- 2 p.m.: Arrival Amman, and welcome ceremony.
- 3:15 p.m.: Private visit to monastery on Mount Nebo at Madaba.
- 6:15 p.m. Courtesy visit to king of Jordan.

Tuesday, March 21

- 9 a.m.: Mass in Amman Stadium.
- 12 noon: Meeting with patriarch and bishops in Latin Vicariate of Amman.
- 3:45 p.m.: Visit to Wadi-Al-Kharrar in the Valley of Jordan.
- 4:30 p.m.: Farewell ceremony.
- 5 p.m.: Departure for Tel Aviv.
- 5:30 p.m.: Arrival at Tel Aviv and welcome ceremony.
- 6:20 p.m.: Departure by helicopter for Jerusalem.
- 6:45 p.m.: Arrival in Jerusalem.

Wednesday, March 22

- 8:15 a.m.: Departure for Bethlehem (Autonomous Territories of the Palestinian National Authority).
- 8:30 a.m.: Arrival in Bethlehem and welcome ceremony.
- 10 a.m.: Mass in Manger Square in front of the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem.
- 3:45 p.m.: Private visit to the Grotto of the Nativity in Bethlehem.
- 4:15 p.m.: Courtesy visit to the president of the Palestinian National Authority.
- 5:15 p.m.: Visit to the refugee camp of Deheisha.
- 6:30 p.m.: Departure ceremony from Bethlehem for Jerusalem.

Thursday, March 23

- 8:30 a.m.: Mass in private in the chapel of the Cenacle in Jerusalem.
- 11 a.m.: Courtesy visit to the two chief rabbis of Israel.
- 11:30 a.m.: Courtesy visit to president of Israel.
- 12:30 p.m.: Visit to the Hall of Remembrance of Yad Vashem.
- 5:45 p.m.: Inter-religious encounter.

Friday, March 24

- 8:15 a.m.: Departure for Korazim.
- 10 a.m.: Mass for Youth at the Domus Galilaeae on the Mount of the Beatitudes at Korazim.
- 4 p.m.: Meeting with the prime minister of Israel.
- 4:45 p.m.: Private visit to the Church of the Multiplication of the Loaves of Tabgha.
- 5:10 p.m.: Private visit to the Church of the Primacy of Peter in Tabgha.
- 5:40 p.m.: Private visit to Shrine of the House of St. Peter in Capernaum. - 6:15 p.m.: Departure for Jerusalem.

Saturday, March 25

- 8:15 a.m.: Departure for Nazareth.
- 9:20 a.m.: Prayer in the Grotto of the Annunciation in Nazareth.
- 10 a.m.: Mass in the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth.
- 12:50 p.m.: Departure for Jerusalem.
- 5 p.m.: Greetings to the consuls general of the Apostolic delegation in Jerusalem.
- 5:30 p.m.: Private visit to the Basilica of the Garden of Gethsemane.
- 6 p.m.: Ecumenical encounter in the Throne Room of the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate of Jerusalem.

Sunday, March 26

- 10 a.m.: Courtesy visit to the grand mufti of Jerusalem.
- 10:30 a.m.: Visit to the Western Wall of Jerusalem.
- 11:30 a.m.: Mass in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, and recitation of the angelus.
- 2:30 p.m.: Meeting with patriarchs and bishops in the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem.
- 6 p.m.: Departure for Tel Aviv.
- 6:30 p.m.: Farewell ceremony at Tel Aviv.
- 10:45 p.m.: Arrival at Rome's Ciampino Airport.

The following note was added at the end of the itinerary: "The eventual inclusion of a brief visit by the Holy Father to Al-Maghtas, in the Jordan Valley near Jericho, is still under study by the authorities in whose jurisdiction this lies. The decision will be communicated as soon as it has been taken."

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CONSISTORY FOR CANONIZATIONS TO BE HELD MARCH 10

VATICAN CITY, MAR 6, 2000 (VIS) - On Friday, March 10, at 11:30 a.m., during the celebration of sext, the sixth hour, in the Consistory Hall of the Vatican Apostolic Palace, there will be an ordinary public consistory for the canonization of the following Blesseds:

Agostino Tchao, priest and other martyr Blesseds in China (17th-20th centuries); Cristobal Magellanes and 24 companions, priests and lay people, martyrs; Jose Maria de Yermo y Parres, priest, founder of the Congregation of the Sisters Servants of the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Poor; Maria Giuseppa del Cuore di Gesu Sanchez de Guerra, foundress of the Institute of the Servants of Jesus; Catherine Marie Drexel, foundress of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament for Indians and Colored People; Maria Faustina Kowalska, religious of the Institute of the Sisters of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mercy.

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