POPE ENTRUSTS KAZAKHSTAN TO MARY, QUEEN OF PEACE

VATICAN CITY, SEP 24, 2001 (VIS) - At 9:30 a.m. local time, the Pope left the apostolic nunciature for the Cathedral of Our Lady of Perpetual Help, consecrated two years ago, where he celebrated Mass in the Latin rite, in honor of Mary, Queen of Peace, patroness of Kazakhstan. Concelebrating with the Holy Father were the ordinaries of the country, the priests who work there, and the cardinals and bishops of the papal entourage.

In his homily, John Paul II expressed his appreciation to the priests, men and women religious, and seminarians of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Turkmenistan for the "generosity and fidelity with which you carry out your labors. ... "My thoughts turn at this time to your communities, once scattered and sorely tried. In heart and in spirit I relive the unspeakable trials of all those who suffered not only physical exile and imprisonment, but public ridicule and violence because they chose not to renounce the faith. ... In this Eucharist, I remember them all with gratitude and affection. From their sufferings in union with the Cross of Christ the new life of your Christian community has blossomed."

The Holy Father told the priests that "the spirit of communion and of genuine cooperation which you must foster between yourselves and the lay faithful will be the secret to the success of this exalting and demanding mission." He also spoke of the necessity "to ensure the theological, spiritual, and pastoral formation of those whom the Lord calls to His service."

"Before being heralds of the Gospel, we need to be credible witnesses," he said. He emphasized the need for "every disciple of Christ to be the light of the world and the salt of the earth. Indeed, this need is all the more urgent because of the spiritual devastation left behind by militant atheism, as well as the dangers present in today's hedonism and consumerism. To the power of witness, dear Brothers and Sisters, add the gentleness of dialogue. ... The Church has no wish to impose her own faith on others. It is clear, however, that this does not exempt the Lord's disciples from communicating to others the great gift which they have received: life in Christ."

The Pope concluded by exhorting the priests, religious, and seminarians to face the difficulties in their apostolic work and to think "of the good things the Lord is accomplishing by using your hands, your words and your hearts. He has put you here as a gift for your neighbor. May you ever be worthy of this mission."

At the conclusion of the Mass, John Paul II entrusted Kazakhstan to the protection of Mary, Queen of Peace.

Following this, the Pope travelled to the bishop's house, in front of the cathedral, for lunch with the bishops and the members of the papal entourage.

PV;KAZAKHSTAN;...;

TO YOUTH: BE PEACEMAKERS, BE BUILDERS OF A BETTER WORLD

VATICAN CITY, SEP 23, 2001 (VIS) - The Holy Father arrived at Eurasia University in Astana at 6:30 p.m. today and, following a tour of the campus, held a meeting with young people in the university's Great Hall. About 8,500 students from numerous countries are enrolled in the university.

The Pope pointed out that the university's "very name, Eurasia, indicates the particular mission which it has in common with your great nation which is a point of contact between Europe and Asia: a mission of linking two continents, their respective cultures and traditions and the different ethnic groups who have mingled here through the centuries."

"Peace be with you," he told the young men and women. "May peace fill your hearts! Know that you are all called to be builders of a better world. Be peacemakers, because a society solidly based on peace is a society with a future."

He told them he knows that youth "are interested in the basic questions ... Who am I? What is the meaning of my life? Where am I going? My answer, dear young people, is simple but hugely significant: You are a thought of God, you are a heart-beat of God. ... You matter to God in your completely unique individuality."

"Here you sit, side by side, in a spirit of friendship," John Paul II remarked, "not because you have forgotten the evil there has been in your history, but because you are rightly more interested in the good that you can build together. ... Your country has experienced the deadly violence of ideology. Do not let yourselves fall prey now to the no less destructive violence of 'emptiness'." He asked the youth to "realize that you are not your own masters; open yourselves to the One Who created you out of love."

The Pope said that people today "at times delude themselves that they are all-powerful because they have made great scientific progress and managed in some way to control the complex world of technology. But every individual has a heart: intelligence may drive machines but it is the heart that beats with life!"

In closing remarks, the Holy Father said that "in people's minds there is the growing conviction that we cannot go on living divided as we are. Unfortunately nowadays, when communications are becoming easier by the day, differences are often apparent in still more dramatic form."

PV-KAZAKHSTAN;YOUTH;...;ASTANA;VIS;20010924;Word: 410;

CATHOLIC CHURCH IN CENTRAL ASIA IS FULL OF HOPE

VATICAN CITY, SEP 23, 2001 (VIS) - At 2:00 p.m. at Astana's apostolic nunciature, the Pope met with the eight bishops and apostolic administrators of Central Asia - four from Kazakhstan, and four from the republics of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan - and with the cardinals and bishops of his entourage.

In his discourse, John Paul II affirmed that though "the Catholic Church in Central Asia is only a little plant, she is full of hope. ... The long years of Communist dictatorship, during which so many of the faithful were deported to the gulags set up in these lands, caused much suffering and bereavement. How many priests, religious and laity paid for their faithfulness to Christ with unimaginable suffering, and even the sacrifice of their lives!"

"The priority pastoral aims of your apostolic mission" he said, "should be the spreading, with all your energies, of the Gospel proclamation and the continuing consolidation of the Church's organization. The recent establishment of the Apostolic Administrations and the Missions 'sui iuris', by means of which the Church has gained a visible and solid structure, heralds the beginning of a promising time of evangelization." The Holy Father thanked "the priests and men and women religious who have left their native countries to offer themselves for the missionary task in these lands."

After inviting the pastors to be united among themselves, collaborating effectively, he said, "Although you are geographically far away, you are in the heart of the Pope who appreciates your untiring apostolate."

"The long winter of communist domination" has led, he affirmed, to "a scarcity of ideals which makes people particularly vulnerable to the myths of consumerism and hedonism imported from the West. These are social and spiritual challenges which call for a courageous missionary impulse."

John Paul II exhorted the prelates to "pay close attention to the formation of candidates to the priesthood and religious life," and expressed his "great pleasure at the completion of the seminary in Karaganda. ... As the seminary of all of Central Asia, it is a sign of effective cooperation between your Churches."

"Give special attention," he continued, "to the training and apostolate of the laity. ... and ecclesial Movements and new Communities. Their presence, spirit of initiative and specific charisms are a source of wealth to be valued."

The Holy Father concluded by encouraging the promotion of ecumenical dialogue with the members of the Orthodox Church, saying, "May your mutual relations be characterized by warmth and respect. ... Respect and dialogue should also be fostered in relation to the Muslim community, with those who belong to other religions and with those who profess themselves to be non-believers."

After the meeting, the Pope travelled to the presidential palace for a courtesy visit to the president of the republic, Nursultan Abishevich Nazabayev.

Though no speeches were scheduled, both the president and the Pope made off-the-cuff remarks in the presence of their entourages.

John Paul II, speaking Italian, thanked Divine Providence "for having allowed me to come here and be here. In recent days some people said such a trip would not have been possible because of the tragic events which happened in the United States. But, as you can see, it was possible, thanks to God!"

Saying that it was the first time he found himself "in this part of the world, in Central Asia," he mentioned Fr. Bukowinski, "well known here," who was deported from Poland to the Soviet Union and died in Kazakhstan. He said that this priest "was my first source of information about Kazakhstan."

The Holy Father expressed joy that his visit coincided with the nation's 10th anniversary of independence and said he hoped "this sovereignty would be lasting, fruitful and ever fuller."

PV-KAZAKHSTAN;BISHOPS; CENTRAL ASIA;...;ASTANA;VIS;20010924;Word: 630;

"HATRED, FANATICISM AND TERRORISM PROFANE THE NAME OF GOD"

VATICAN CITY, SEP 24, 2001 (VIS) - At 6 p.m. today, local time, the Pope met representatives of the world of culture, art and science in Astana's Palace of Congresses.

In his address in Russian, the Holy Father highlighted once again that "Kazakhstan is heir to a history in which complex and often sorrowful events have given rise to diverse traditions, so that today it stands as a unique example of a multi-ethnic, multi-cultural and multi-religious society. ... Kazakhstan is a vast country which down the centuries has given rise to a vibrant culture, rich in creative developments, thanks also to the influence of Russian intellectuals confined here by the totalitarian regime." He told the dignitaries they "are called to acquaint the world with Kazakhstan's rich cultural tradition: this is a demanding undertaking, and yet an attractive one."

"The human heart," noted the Pope, "asks questions which will not go away; when these questions are ignored, man becomes not freer but weaker, often ending up at the mercy of his own instincts, to say nothing of the aggression of others." He said that often the questions man asks are "religious by their very nature, in the sense that they appeal to those supreme values which have God as their ultimate foundation. Religion, for its part, cannot fail to grapple with these existential questions; otherwise it loses contact with life."

"Consequently - even in the context of a soundly secular State, which is obliged in any event to guarantee to each citizen, without distinction of sex, race and nationality, the fundamental right to freedom of conscience - there is a need to acknowledge and defend the right of believers to bear public witness to their faith. Authentic religious practice cannot be reduced to the private sphere or narrowly restricted to the edges of society."

"In this context," John Paul II concluded, "and precisely here in this land of encounters and dialogue, and before this distinguished audience, I wish to reaffirm the Catholic Church's respect for Islam, for authentic Islam: the Islam that prays, that is concerned for those in need. Recalling the errors of the past, including the most recent past, all believers ought to unite their efforts to ensure that God is never made the hostage of human ambitions. Hatred, fanaticism and terrorism profane the name of God and disfigure the true image of man."

PV-KAZAKHSTAN;CULTURE; ART;...;ASTANA;VIS;20010924;Word: 400;

NICARAGUA: MAY THE TRUTH ABOUT CHRIST PERVADE SOCIETY

VATICAN CITY, SEP 21, 2001 (VIS) - This morning in the apostolic palace of Castelgandolfo, John Paul II received the prelates of the Episcopal Conference of Nicaragua who have just finished their "ad limina" visit.

The Pope told the bishops that their pastoral ministry "must have as its primary objective to see that the truth about Christ and the truth about man pervade ever more deeply all levels of Nicaraguan society and transform it."

In spite of the fact that signs of secularization exist in Nicaragua, the Holy Father affirmed that at its basis "there is a profoundly Christian soul." In this regard, he mentioned "the tireless work of those responsible for spreading the Word and of catechists who have kept alive the faith of the people. It is necessary to accompany them and offer them a permanent theological and pastoral formation."

"The new evangelization," he continued, "with its new methods and new expressions, has in the family a primary objective. ... Families are not alone in the face of the great challenges that they must face; the ecclesial community supports them, animates them and guards their perseverance in a Christian project of life which is frequently subject to many vicissitudes and dangers." He expressed the hope that Nicaragua's leaders "will fulfill in an ever more adequate manner their pressing obligations in favor of families."

The Pope underscored that one of the principal concerns of the bishops "was priestly vocations, given that the number of priests is insufficient for the needs of each diocese. ... I fervently pray the Lord of the harvest to give to your seminaries, which must be like the heart of the dioceses, many candidates to the priesthood." He added: "If young people see that priests, around their bishop, live a true spirituality of communion, giving witness to unity and community among themselves, to an evangelical generosity and to missionary availability, they will feel a greater attraction to the priestly vocation."

Referring to the evangelization of culture, the Holy Father said that this sphere is "one of the 'modern areopagus' in which the Gospel must be presented with all of its force, and for that to occur the means of social communications are indispensable!"

The Holy Father said it is "up to the laity to promote the human and Christian values which enlighten the political, economic and cultural reality of the country, with the aim of installing a more just and equitable social order, according to the Church's social doctrine. At the same time, coherent with ethical and moral norms, they must be examples of honesty and transparency with running public affairs, in the face of the underhandedness and widespread scars of corruption which at times strike the areas of political and economic power as well as other public and social milieux."
In conclusion, John Paul II asked that, in view of the upcoming elections, "the consultation with the people take place in reciprocal respect, with order and tranquillity, according to the ethical principles of healthy coexistence."

AL;...;...;NICARAGUA;VIS;20010921;Word: 500;