JOHN PAUL II TO VISIT UKRAINE FROM JUNE 21 TO 24

VATICAN CITY, NOV 30, 2000 (VIS) - This morning, Holy See Press Office Director Joaquin Navarro-Valls made the following declaration: "Confirming what I already said on Novvember 6, the Holy Father John Paul II has accepted the invitation of Leonid Kuchma, president of Ukraine, and will visit that country from June 21 to 24, 2001."

OP;PAPAL VISIT; UKRAINE;...;NAVARRO-VALLS;VIS;20001130;Word: 70;

INTERNATIONAL GATHERING ON AIDS STARTS TODAY IN VATICAN

VATICAN CITY, NOV 30, 2000 (VIS) - A press conference was held this morning in the Holy See Press Office for the presentation of the November 30-December 1 Intercontinental Meeting on AIDS which has been organized by the Pontifical Council for Pastoral Assistance to Health Care Workers in the Vatican's St. Martha's House.

Archbishop Javier Lozano Barragan, council president, presided at the press conference. Joining him were Bishop Jose L. Redrado Marchite, O.H. and Fr. Felice Ruffini, M.I., council secretary and under-secretary, as well as Dr. Guido Castelli Gattinara of Rome's Child Jesus Hospital and Dr. Fiorenza Deriu Bagnato, social researcher.

The archbishop pointed out that there are just over 36 million people in the world who have AIDS and that, since its appearance on the world scene 21.8 million people have already died. He also noted that whereas there are countries where one percent of the populace has AIDS, there are also nations where 20-36 percent have the virus, as in several states of sub-Saharan Africa.

He said that during the Vatican meeting on AIDS, reports would be presented on the work undertaken by the pontifical council since the congress held last December on the theme "The Catholic Church and the HIV/AIDS Challenge." He added that "the Holy Father John Paul II has, on many occasions, dealt with this problem and has given us enlightened orientations which show the nature of the illness, its prevention, the behavior of patients and those who assist them, as well as the role that civil authorities and scientists must play."

Archbishop Lozano Barragan concluded by stating that "there is no doubt that the most important thing is the prevention of the illness and, in the cases of those who contract it through sexual relations, the best prevention is chastity, both within and outside of marriage, even if that means going against the current in a 'pansexual' society such as contemporary society. In all cases, God's law is always current and always observable."

This morning, the first day of the international meeting, and just prior to the press conference, Archbishop Lozano Barragan, Bishop Redrado and Dr. Deriu Bagnato addressed the doctors, scientists and other specialists gathered at St. Martha's residence. Speeches continue this afternoon, highlighted by brief presentations from representatives of Africa, America, Asia and Europe.

Tomorrow, December 1, the day will be entirely dedicated to visiting a hospital and a prison where the AIDS problem is especially present. At the end of each visit, there will be a round table discussion and dialogue with the directors of each institution.

OP;AIDS MEETING;...;LOZANO;VIS;20001130;Word: 430;

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, NOV 30, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Erected the diocese of Fenoarivo Atsinanana (area 23,500, population 740,460, Catholics 100,000, priests 26), Madagascar, with territory taken from the archdiocese of Antsiranana, making it a suffragan of the same metropolitan church. He appointed Fr. Desire Tsarahazana, of the clergy of Antsiranana, doctorate student at the Catholic University of Lyon, France, as first bishop of the new diocese. The bishop-elect was born in Amboagibe-Sambava, Madagascar, in 1954 and ordained a priest in 1986.

- Appointed Fr. Jose Alfredo Caires De Nobrega S.C.J., superior of Dehonian novices at Antsirabe, as bishop of Mananjary (area 14,270, population 652,600, Catholics 96,200, priests 30, religious 82, Madagascar. The bishop-elect was born in Canico-Santa Cruz, Madeira, Portugal, in 1951 and ordained a priest in 1980.

- Appointed Fr. Jozef Wrobel S.C.J., professor of moral theology at the Catholic University of Lublin, Poland, as bishop of Helsinki (area 338,145, population 5,146,980, Catholics 7,052, priests 20, permanent deacons 2, religious 49), Finland. The bishop-elect was born in Bestwina, Poland, in 1952 and ordained a priest in 1980.

- Appointed Fr. Herve Renaudin, of the clergy of the archdiocese of Paris, pastor of "St. Philippe du Roule," as bishop of Pontoise (area 1,248, population 1,115,000, Catholics 829,000, priests 178, permanent deacons 13, religious 446), France. The bishop-elect was born in Paris in 1941 and ordained a priest in 1971.

- Appointed Bishop Manuel Batakian, vicar general of Beirut of the Armenians, as apostolic exarch for Armenian Catholics resident in the U.S.A. and Canada. He succeeds Bishop Hovhannes Tertsakian whose resignation was accepted by the Pope.

- Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the archdiocese of Kwangju, Korea, presented by Archbishop Victorinus Youn Kong-hi, upon having reached the age limit. He is succeeded by Archbishop Andreas Choi Chang-mou, coadjutor of the same diocese.

ECE; NER; NA; RE;...;...;...;VIS;20001130;Word: 290;

AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, NOV 30, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

- Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo, president of the Republic of Equatorial Guinea, accompanied by his wife and an entourage.
- Archbishop Michael Aidan Courtney, apostolic nuncio in Burundi.
- Archbishop Stanislav Hocevar S.D.B., coadjutor of Belgrade, Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

AP;...;...;...;VIS;20001130;Word: 50;

PAPAL MESSAGE TO WORLD CONFERENCE ON RELIGION AND PEACE

VATICAN CITY, NOV 29, 2000 (VIS) - Made public today was a Message from John Paul II to Cardinal Peter Seiichi Shirayanagi on the occasion of the 30th anniversary celebrations in Tokyo, Japan, of the founding of the World Conference on Religion and Peace. The Message to the archbishop emeritus of Tokyo for the November 27-28 commemorative event was dated November 1.

Lauding the organization's efforts "in building a world of peace," the Pope added: "In recent years, the World Conference on Religion and Peace has been particularly involved in reconciling communities which are divided due to conflicts and wars. Your efforts to heal those affected by hatred and violence express a truth which I too have sought to affirm on many occasions, that religion is not and must not become a pretext for hostility, in particular when religious, cultural and ethnic identities coincide."
"Faced with the pressing problems of today's global society," affirmed the Holy Father, "all religions must feel called to fresh efforts to cooperate in order to promote human life in its dignity, to defend the family, to alleviate poverty, to bring about justice, to help preserve the eco-system of our earth. We would do well to remember the words of the Message from the participants in the Interreligious Assembly held in the Vatican in October 1999: 'Collaboration among the different religions must be based on the rejection of fanaticism, extremism and mutual antagonism which lead to violence. We are aware of the importance of education as a means for promoting mutual understanding, cooperation and respect'."

MESS;RELIGIONS; PEACE;...;TOKYO; SHIRYANAGI;VIS;20001129;Word: 270;