CONVERSION AND FORGIVENESS RESTORE HARMONY TO THE COSMOS

VATICAN CITY, MAR 6, 2002 (VIS) - This morning in the Paul VI Hall, the pilgrims who participated in the general audience listened to the catechesis prepared by the Pope, who was not present due to the advice of his doctors regarding persistent pains in his right knee.

After the audience, the faithful went to St. Peter's Square, where Pope John Paul II greeted the crowd and imparted his blessing from his private study.

The topic of this Wednesday's general audience was Psalm 64, the "joy of God's creatures for His providence", which introduces the theme of the forgiveness of sins and the acceptance by God.
The Pope writes: "In the Bible, creation is the seat of humanity and sin is an attack on the order and perfection of the world. Conversion and forgiveness, therefore, restore integrity and harmony to the cosmos."

The Holy Father affirms that "God, Who dispels chaos and sin from the world and from history, can overcome and forgive the evil and sin that the believer carries within himself and presents in the temple, confident of the divine purification."

He continues: "All creatures make their way to their Creator and King as though in procession, dancing and singing, giving praise to the Lord and praying. Once again, nature is converted into an eloquent sign of divine action."

The Pope concludes by noting that "the most intense encounter to which the Psalmist refers in his canticle is that which unites creation and redemption. Just as the earth comes to life again in spring due to the act of the Creator, so also man is saved from sin by the act of Redemption."

At 11:30 a.m., the Holy Father appeared at the window of his private study and said to those present: "Thank you for your visit and for your prayers for my quick recovery. We have meditated on the Word of God, taken from Psalm 64, which invites us not to depend on what the world promises but to consider rather what the Creator of the world promises. With these feelings, I urge you to always place your trust in divine providence, source of peace and serenity. Let us continue our Lenten journey with our gaze fixed on Christ." The Pope then sang the Our Father and imparted his apostolic blessing.

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, MAR 5, 2002 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Archbishop Giuseppe Pinto, apostolic nuncio in Senegal, Mali and Cape Verde and apostolic delegate in Mauritania, as apostolic nuncio in Guinea-Bissau.

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DECLARATION FROM HOLY SEE PRESS OFFICE DIRECTOR

VATICAN CITY, MAR 5, 2002 (VIS) - This morning, Holy See Press Office Director Joaquin Navarro-Valls made the following declaration:

"The Holy Father's personal doctor, having consulted with his colleagues, and considering the persistent painful symptoms in the Pope's right knee, certainly arthrotic in origin, has advised the Holy Father to take due rest in order to best cure the complaint.

"For this reason, the general audience of tomorrow, March 6, will have two distinct stages: First, in the Paul VI Hall, the catechesis prepared by the Holy Father will be read in various languages. Then, the pilgrims will move to St. Peter's Square to receive a greeting and a closing blessing from John Paul II who will appear at the window of his study in the Vatican's Apostolic palace.

"Furthermore, the two visits to Roman parishes, scheduled for coming Sundays, have been postponed to a later date."

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ARGENTINA: NEW EVANGELIZATION, REMEDY FOR COUNTRY'S HARDSHIPS

VATICAN CITY, MAR 5, 2002 (VIS) - This morning the Holy Father received the second group of prelates of the Episcopal Conference of Argentina, who have just completed their "ad limina" visit.

The Pope encouraged the bishops to approach "the new evangelization in an effective way ... Never hesitate to put all your pastoral zeal and determination into the work of the new evangelization, with the intimate conviction that it will illuminate the activity of lay Christians and that it will be an effective and lasting remedy for the grave hardships that many people of your nation are presently enduring."

After emphasizing that the Argentinian bishops can count on the help of priests in pastoral action, he underlined that they should remember above all that they are "men of God, and for that reason, can never neglect the spiritual life ... Among the many activities that fill the daily life of every priest, the celebration of the Eucharist is the supreme act that likens him to the Highest and Eternal Priest. In the presence of God, each priest finds the strength to live the demands of the ministry and the docility to do the will of He who called, consecrated and sent him, entrusting him with a special and necessary mission."

John Paul II went on to refer to the importance of Mass "for the edification, growth and revitalization of Christian communities. Nothing will ever be able to replace the Mass; although the celebration of the Word when a priest is not present helps to keep the faith alive, the goal must be the regular celebration of the Eucharist ... Pastoral action that encourages believers to participate more frequently in the Sunday Eucharist must be increased, something which must be lived not only as a precept but as a necessity that is deeply inscribed in Christian life."

He continued: "Another area of pastoral action that requires special attention is the promotion and defense of the family as an institution, which today suffers attacks from so many different fronts with multiple and subtle arguments." He assured the bishops that he was aware of the efforts they were making "to defend and promote this institution which has its origin in God and in His plan of salvation. The extension of the crisis of marriage and the family must not lead to depression or indifference. On the contrary, it must move us to proclaim firmly - as an authentic service to the family and to society - the truth about marriage and the family established by God. Failing to do so would be a serious pastoral omission which would mislead both believers and those who have the grave responsibility of making decisions regarding the common good of the nation."

The Pope asked the bishops to support families and to encourage pastoral services for them in the dioceses. In addition, he exhorted them to awaken their "apostolic zeal to carry out the task of the new evangelization, to open the door to those who live in difficult situations, and to give testimony to the great dignity of disinterested and unconditional love." He concluded: "Nor must we forget that, for the defense and promotion of the family, adequate preparation of those who are preparing for the sacrament of marriage is important."

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ANGELUS: BE AWARE OF CHRISTIAN IDENTITY

VATICAN CITY, MAR 3, 2002 (VIS) - This morning, before praying the angelus with the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square, John Paul II recalled the "baptismal journey" formed by the third, fourth and fifth Sundays of Lent; a journey that, in the early centuries of Christianity, concluded with the Baptism of catechumens during the Easter vigil.

He went on: "Unfortunately, in many areas of ancient Christian tradition, there is an ever-greater loss of any genuine religious sense. Consequently, it has become urgent for Christians to renew their awareness of their own identity; in other words, they must rediscover their Baptism, treasuring the inexhaustible spiritual vigor of sanctifying grace that they thereby received, to then take it to all fields of personal and social life."

Following the angelus, the Holy Father expressed his "sadness and concern" at the conflict taking place in Madagascar. "I trust in the traditional composure and peaceful nature of the Madagascan people. I call upon those in charge to start once again - faithfully, courageously and with a view only to the common good - down the paths of dialogue in order to find a rapid solution to this grave crisis."

The Pope also dedicated some words to the situation in Jerusalem, saying that the news from that city made him "profoundly sad. Violence, death and reprisals cannot but push the civilian population, be they Israeli or Palestinian, towards desperation and hatred. May an immediate cease fire together with a renewed sense of humanity, with respect for international law, silence arms and cause the voice of reason to be heard."

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