THE "DOOR OF LIFE" MAKES MANY DEMANDS

VATICAN CITY, SEP 18, 2000 (VIS) - At midday today in the Paul VI Hall, the Pope received 650 participants in a jubilee pilgrimage from the archdiocese of Cologne, Germany, led by their archbishop, Cardinal Joachim Meisner.

After recalling that this morning they had passed through the Holy Door of the Vatican Basilica, John Paul II said: "Today, people open so many doors. Among the many open doors, it is the young who find it difficult which door to chose, (the one that) gives truth and meaning to life. For some, it is not easy to reject apparent enjoyment and accustom themselves to deep and silent interior joy. Thus, the Door of Life makes many demands. Who wishes to pass through it ... must leave behind superfluous and secondary things so that their place can be taken by Christ."

"May the Holy Spirit," he concluded, "grant you imagination, strength and courage to choose the right path that leads to the Door."

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COMMITMENT TO ECUMENICAL DIALOGUE IS IRREVOCABLE

VATICAN CITY, SEP 18, 2000 (VIS) - This morning the Holy Father received in audience members of the Mixed Commission for Dialogue between Catholics and the World Alliance of Reformed Churches.

The Pope recalled that they were now in the third phase of the international dialogue between the World Alliance and the Catholic Church, a phase dedicated to the theme: "The Church and the Kingdom of God."

Referring to the importance of theological dialogue in the ecumenical movement, John Paul II indicated that "in this dialogue we clarify our respective positions and explore the reasons for our differences. Our dialogue then becomes an examination of conscience, a call to conversion, in which both sides examine before God their responsibility to do all that they can to put behind them the conflicts of the past. At that point, the Spirit fills us with a yearning to confess together that 'there is one body and one Spirit, ... one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all, who is above all and through all and in all.' And we feel this as a duty, as something that must be done so that 'the world may believe.' For this reason the commitment of the Catholic Church to ecumenical dialogue is irrevocable."

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NEW AMBASSADOR FROM ISRAEL PRESENTS LETTERS OF CREDENCE

VATICAN CITY, SEP 18, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father today welcomed Yosef Neville Lamdan, Israel's new ambassador to the Holy See. In accepting his Letters of Credence, the Pope remarked on "the vivid experience" of his Jubilee year pilgrimage to the Holy Land, calling it "an extraordinary grace of God."

Highlighting the spiritual patrimony common to Christians and Jews, he said: "A fresh mutual and sincere attempt must be made at every level to help Christians and Jews to know, respect and esteem more fully each other's beliefs and traditions, This is the surest way to overcome the prejudices of the past and to raise a barrier against the forms of anti-Semitism, racism and xenophobia which are re-appearing in some places today. Today, as always, it is not genuine religious faith and practice which give rise to the tragedy of discrimination and persecution, but a loss of faith and the rise of a selfish and materialistic outlook bereft of true values, a culture of emptiness."

Then, remarking on "the elusive character of a definitive peace in the Middle East," the Pope stated that "the continuation of dialogue and negotiation is itself a significant development." He pointed out that "sometimes the obstacles to peace appear so great and so many that to face them seems humanly impossible. But what seemed unthinkable even a few short years ago now a reality or at least a matter of open discussion, and this must convince all concerned that a solution is possible."
John Paul II turned specifically to "the delicate question of Jerusalem," and told the ambassador that "what is of special concern to the Holy See is that the unique religious character of the Holy City be preserved by a special, internationally guaranteed statute.

"The history and present reality of interreligious relations in the Holy Land is such that no just and everlasting peace is foreseeable without some form of support from the international community," in order to "conserve the cultural and religious patrimony of the Holy City, a patrimony which belongs to Jews. Christians and Muslims."

"What is at stake," concluded the Pope, "is not just the preservation of and free access to the holy places of the three religions, but also the free exercise of the religious and civil rights pertaining to the members, places and activities of the various communities. The end result must be ... a Jerusalem that will truly be a City of Peace for all peoples."

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, SEP 18, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in audience Cardinal Joachim Meisner, archbishop of Cologne, Federal Republic of Germany.

On Saturday September 16, he received in separate audiences:

- Algirdas Saudargas, foreign minister of Lithuania, accompanied by an entourage.
- Cardinal Lucas Moreira Neves O.P., prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.

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JUBILEE OF APOSTOLIC NUNCIOS, PONTIFICAL REPRESENTATIVES

VATICAN CITY, SEP 15, 2000 (VIS) - Apostolic nuncios and pontifical representatives, on the occasion of their Jubilee celebration, were welcomed this morning by Pope John Paul II in the Clementine Hall, following Mass presided over by Cardinal Secretary of State Angelo Sodano in St. Peter's Basilica.

"Peace to you!" the Pope greeted the representatives, saying that, in their special and often delicate tasks, they must be "'men in peace' and 'men of peace'."

"I have special words of affection," he said, "for those among you who are the oldest, either in age or in years of service, and who have generously faced the 'pondus diei e aestus' (the weight of the days and the years) in places that are often difficult for the socio-political situation or for the climate."

The Holy Father then recalled that the nuncios are "representatives of the Pope to national governments or to supranational institutions, but in the first place are witnesses of his ministry of unity to the local Churches." You are also, he added, "in service to full unity of all Christians."

In highlighting the "many illustrious" personalities who have been in the Holy See's diplomatic service, the Pope stressed the work done by and the personality of Blessed John XXIII, whose motto, he said, was "obedience and peace. Using this to inspire one's own interior disposition undoubtedly constitutes a valid antidote to despondency or sadness which can assail one when an initiative prepared at great length does not have the desired results, or when a step taken with the most noble of aims is misunderstood, or even when the least pleasing human elements emerge in life's situations or in the very organization of your work."

"Blessed John XXIII's spiritual secret," added John Paul II, "was in his capacity to transform, through the inner strength of prayer, every situation into good: his days, his worries, the joys and sorrows, the passing of years."

He added that he knew the difficulties of living and working together in small communities in a nunciature: "Collaborating can sometimes be difficult, because of differences in age, nationality, formation or mentality."

John Paul II underlined that those who are nuncios to the Church in the country in which they live perform" a service of communion .... but must also be an authentic pastoral presence. The nuncio - never forget it - is also a pastor."

He addressed "the sacrifices faced (by representatives) in different climates, languages, mentality, culture, conditions of life, During my apostolic trips I have been able to know you better, visiting you where you work." He recalled telling one of the nuncios, upon departing the country after an apostolic visit: 'Today is liberation day for you'. By that, I meant to let you know that I understand what the preparation and undertaking of a papal trip means for a nuncio."

Pope John Paul expressed his "great consideration" for their commitment "as well as for all the work of mediation which you undertake with respect to the political and social situations of the countries where you work or in the relationship with international organisms. ... In your work, you can count on the prestige of a centuries-old diplomacy."

Among those present this morning was Archbishop Justo Mullor Garcia, president of the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy where future Holy See diplomats are trained.

Former academy president Archbishop Giorgio Zur, whom VIS yesterday reported as the president, is currently the Holy See representative to the Russian Federation.

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