POPE ANNOUNCES "A PERIOD OF REST" IN ITALIAN MOUNTAINS

VATICAN CITY, JUL 9, 2000 (VIS) - Pope John Paul, after praying the noon angelus today with tens of thousands of faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square, told them that "tomorrow, God willing, I will go for a period of rest to the mountains of Valle d'Aosta."

"I would like to greet all those," he added, "who are already on vacation in various places and those who are still in the city. In a special way my thoughts turn to the young people who are taking their end-of-the-year exams. I would also like to greet all who cannot go on vacation. I am thinking about those who are sick, older persons, people who are alone and all who for various reasons must stay at home. May solidarity be shown to them."

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GAY PRIDE MARCH "AN OFFENSE TO CHRISTIAN VALUES"

VATICAN CITY, JUL 9, 2000 (VIS) - Speaking from his study window before today's angelus, Pope John Paul said he "had to mention the well-known demonstrations which took place in Rome in recent days," referring to the week-long gay pride meetings and the march through Rome on Saturday. "In the name of the Church of Rome, I can only express bitterness for the affront to the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000 and for the offense to the Christian values of a city so dear to the hearts of Catholics throughout the world."

"The Church," he continued, "cannot silence the truth, because she would fail in her fidelity to God the Creator and would not help in discerning what is good from what is evil.

"I would like, in this regard, just to read what the Catechism of the Catholic Church says. After pointing out that homosexual acts are contrary to the natural law, it states: 'The number of men and women who have deep-seated homosexual tendencies is not negligible. They do not choose their homosexual condition; for most of them it is a trial. They must be accepted with respect, compassion and sensitivity. Every sign of unjust discrimination in their regard should be avoided. These persons are called to fulfill God's will in their lives and, if they are Christians, to unite to the sacrifice of the Lord's Cross the difficulties they may encounter from their condition'."

In other remarks which preceded the angelus prayer today, the Holy Father spoke of his "joy at meeting the inmates of Regina Coeli prison, during their jubilee. It was a touching moment of prayer and humanity. I sought to understand, reading their eyes, the sufferings, anxieties and hopes of each one. In them I knew I was meeting Christ who identified with them in the Gospel when he said 'I was in prison and you came to find me'."

The Pope referred to his Message for the Jubilee in Prisons when he "asked that, precisely for the Holy Year, a sign of clemency be offered to prisoners. Above all I asked the legislators of the entire world to re-think the prison system, as well as the penal system, aiming to make them more respectful of human dignity, in line with a redeeming justice for the guilty and not only reparation for the disorder caused by the crime. In fact, all those who have made mistakes must be helped to undertake a path of moral redemption and personal and community growth, with a view to a valid reinsertion into society."

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JOHN PAUL II DEPARTS FOR VACATION IN VALLE D'AOSTA

VATICAN CITY, JUL 10, 2000 (VIS) - Pope John Paul II left this morning at 10:15 from Rome's Ciampino Airport for the hour-long flight to Saint-Christophe where he then travelled by car to Les Combes, in Italy's northern Valle d'Aosta region. The Pope has spent previous vacation periods at Les Combes.

Only one public activity is scheduled for the 13-day rest period: On Sunday, July 16, he will recite the angelus from his vacation retreat.

The Holy Father will leave Valle d'Aosta in late afternoon on Saturday, July 22. He is set to arrive at Ciampino Airport at 7:30 p.m. and go directly to the summer papal residence at Castelgandolfo.

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LIVE WITH RENEWED VIGOR THE FRANCISCAN CHARISM

VATICAN CITY, JUL 7, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father this morning welcomed 250 participants in the General Chapter of the Friars Minor Capuchins. In his speech to them, he remarked that their "religious family, from the very beginning, has been marked by the commitment - the legacy of St. Francis - to a great love for the Church and a filial obedience and fidelity to her pastors."
He stated that among "the multiple gifts with which the Holy Spirit has enriched the Church are the single religious institutes.. ... In following Christ and adhering to His person, what merits being placed into special evidence today is 'the fidelity to the founding charism, and subsequent spiritual heritage of each institute'."

Referring in particular to the Franciscans, the Pope stated: "Two aspects in particular you must always bear in mind: in the first place, the priority and centrality, as St. Francis wished, of Gospel fraternity, which marks you as friars and makes you an Order of brothers." He underlined what is "typical of the Franciscan-Capuchin charism: the spirit of prayer, obedience and simplicity, poverty and austerity, contact with the people, closeness to the needy, zeal for evangelization, joy and Christian hope."
"In the second place," John Paul II continued, "you see the opportunity to underline the coherent, practical and concrete behavior of St. Francis. It is necessary to turn to deeds, to values lived, to the method of direct witnessing. You know well the criteria your founder loved to refer to: 'plus exemplo quam verbo', with example more than words."

In closing remarks, he expressed his "esteem and gratitude" for the Franciscan witness throughout the world.

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FELLOW POLES JOIN POPE JOHN PAUL IN EVENING PRAYER SERVICE

VATICAN CITY, JULY 7, 2000 (VIS) - Calling it a "touching encounter," Pope John Paul spent two hours in St. Peter's Square last evening with 30,000 of his fellow Poles for an evening prayer service. He spoke to and prayed with them and listened to testimonials and musical performances, many executed by men and women wearing colorful native costumes.

In his talk, he spoke of the "Polish millennium - the millennium of the baptism of our nation," underscoring the Christian history of Poland and naming many of the country's great events and persons, including Church leaders, kings, queens, military leaders and saints. "Let us accept their witness, not to glorify ourselves, but to first render glory to the Lord and then to accept, with awareness, this legacy and pass it on to future generations."

The Holy Father told the Polish faithful that their pilgrimage to Rome was "to renew and enrich, with the faith of the Apostles, ... your own faith. ... Today the world, and even our fatherland, has great need of men and women of mature faith, who courageously confess Christ in every place and every situation. There is need for authentic heralds of the Gospel and messengers of truth. Of people who believe and who love and transform this love of God into authentic service to mankind. The greatest treasure which we can transmit to the younger generations at the threshold of the third millennium is our faith. Blessed is the nation which walks in the light of the Gospel, which lives the truth of God and which attains the knowledge of the Cross."

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