POPE TO TRANSMIT EXHORTATION "ECCLESIA IN OCEANIA" VIA INTERNET

VATICAN CITY, NOV 19, 2001 (VIS) - Pope John Paul II, during a brief ceremony in the Clementine Hall on November 22, will sign and transmit via Internet the Post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation "Ecclesia in Oceania." This papal document is a result of the synod for Oceania which took place in the Vatican from November 22 to December 12, 1998.

Joining the Holy Father in this ceremony will be the members of the Post-synodal Council for Oceania, the members of the executive committee of the Federation of Catholic Bishops Conferences of Oceania (FCBCO), Oceania prelates present in Rome, the heads of dicasteries who were members of the synod as well as priests, religious and lay people from this continent.

After he signs the document, the Pope will send the text in English and French to all the dioceses of Oceania via Internet. According to the communique that today announced the publication of the exhortation, "given the geographic dispersion and extension of this continent, electronic communications played an important role during the entire synodal process, right from the start. When the Holy Father electronically transmits this document - a first in the history of the Church - he will be underlining this aspect in a noteworthy fashion."

Following the ceremony, the post-synodal council will hold its fifth meeting.

OP;POSTSYNODAL APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION;...;...;VIS;20011119;Word: 230;

CARDINAL HUSAR TAKES POSSESSION OF HIS TITULAR CHURCH

VATICAN CITY, NOV 19, 2001 (VIS) - At 5 p.m. on Saturday, November 17, Cardinal Lubomyr Husar, major archbishop of Lviv of the Ukrainians, took possession of the title of St. Sophia in Via Boccea, Via Boccea 478, Rome.

OCL;POSSESSION TITULAR CHURCH;...;HUSAR;VIS;20011119;Word: 60;

JOHN PAUL WELCOMES 1,500 UKRAINIANS ON PILGRIMAGE

VATICAN CITY, NOV 19, 2001 (VIS) - The Pope received today a group of 1,500 Greek-Catholic bishops, priests, religious and laity from Ukraine, led by Cardinals Lubomyr Husar and Marian Jaworski, respectively major archbishop of Lviv of the Ukrainians and archbishop of Lviv of the Latins, who came to Rome to return John Paul II's pastoral visit of last June.

The Holy Father, speaking in Ukrainian, affirmed that the existence in that country of "three venerable rites - Byzantine, Latin, and Armenian - testifies to the universal dimension of the Church present in diverse cultures and visibly manifests the mystery of communion which unites all believers in Christ. May there not be therefore any rivalry among you, but rather reciprocal respect and love."

"I exhort you," he continued, "to share, in an attitude of reciprocal exchange of gifts, your spiritual treasures and to welcome that which can complete, enrich, and strengthen your experience of the Christian life and your witness."

John Paul II emphasized the "important task and great responsibility" of announcing Christ. "Do not spare efforts in ensuring for yourselves and for the young generations a deepened human, spiritual, and cultural formation, which enables you to give to everyone the reason for the hope which is in you.

"A cruel atheist regime," he added "sought with force for many decades to uproot Christ from the Ukrainian land: several generations were educated without Christ or even against Him. Today in your land one can freely speak about God."

The Pope exhorted all of the Christians of the country - Catholics, Orthodox, and Protestants - "with sincere recognition of the grace proper to each Church," to give "to the Ukrainian people the possibility to know Christ! Give them the possibility to see their Saviour!"

Before concluding the audience, the Holy Father greeted all of the Polish-speaking pilgrims in their language. After recalling "the wonderful days which I was able to spend among you in Kiev and Leopoli," he thanked God in a special way "for the Spirit of fraternal love which united us in those days. May this Spirit accompany you always. Do not extinguish His inspirations."

AC;UKRAINIAN PILGRIMAGE;...;HUSAR; JAWORSKI;VIS;20011119;Word: 360;

AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, NOV 19, 2001 (VIS) - The Holy Father received today in separate audiences:

- Three prelates of the Episcopal Conference of El Salvador, on the occasion of their "ad limina" visit:
- Archbishop Fernando Saenz Lacalle of San Salvador, with Auxiliary Bishop Gregorio Rosa Chavez.
- Bishop Jose Oscar Barahona Castillo of San Vicente.
- Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.

On Saturday, November 17, the Holy Father received in separate audiences:

- Members of the Collegial Presidency of Bosnia-Herzegovina, accompanied by an entourage. - Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.

AL; AP;...;...;...;VIS;20011119;Word: 90;

SYMPOSIUM ON CODE OF CANONS OF THE EASTERN CHURCHES

VATICAN CITY, NOV 16, 2001 (VIS) - An international symposium organized by the Congregation for the Oriental Churches will be held at the Vatican from November 19 to 23, on the occasion of the 10th anniversary this year of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches which came into force on October 1, 1991.

The symposium, entitled "Law of the Church - Instrument of Charity," will be presided over by His Beatitude Cardinal Ignace Moussa I Daoud, prefect of the congregation. The vice presidents are Archbishop Julian Herranz, president of the Pontifical Council for the Interpretation of Legislative Texts (which interprets both the Eastern Code and the Code of Canon Law), and Bishop Emilio Eid, judge of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signature. During the last phase of preparation, Bishop Eid was the vice president of the pontifical commission which prepared this Code.

According to a communique published today, the title of the symposium, in which over 300 academics from throughout the world will participate, is inspired "by the words spoken by John Paul II on the occasion of the promulgation of the Code. ... 'May this Code become a vehiculum (instrument) of that charity which ... must be profoundly rooted in the soul of every human creature."

...;CODE EASTERN CHURCHES;...;DAOUD;VIS;20011116;Word: 210;