NO PLACE IN PRIESTHOOD FOR THOSE WHO WOULD HARM YOUNG

VATICAN CITY, APR 23, 2002 (VIS) - The meeting this morning in the Vatican with Pope John Paul, 12 United States cardinals and a number of members of the Roman Curia began with an opening prayer and a welcome by Cardinal Angelo Sodano, secretary of state. The president of the United States episcopal conference addressed the meeting, as did the U.S. cardinals.

Pope John Paul then spoke. "I greatly appreciate the effort you are making," he told the American cardinals, "to keep the Holy See, and me personally, informed regarding the complex and difficult situation which has arisen in your country in recent months. ... You have come to the house of the Successor of Peter. ... The door of this house is always open to you. All the more so when your communities are in distress."

"Like you," the Pope continued, "I too have been deeply grieved by the fact that priests and religious, whose vocation it is to help people live holy lives in the sight of God, have themselves caused such suffering and scandal to the young. Because of the great harm done by some priests and religious, the Church herself is viewed with distrust, and many are offended at the way in which the Church's leaders are perceived to have acted in this matter. The abuse which has caused this crisis is by every standard wrong and rightly considered a crime by society; it is also an appalling sin in the eyes of God. To the victims and their families, wherever they may be, I express my profound sense of solidarity and concern."

"It is true," he stated, "that a generalized lack of knowledge of the nature of the problem and also at times the advice of clinical experts led Bishops to make decisions which subsequent events showed to be wrong. You are now working to establish more reliable criteria to ensure that such mistakes are not repeated. ... While recognizing how indispensable these criteria are, we cannot forget the power of Christian conversion. ... Neither should we forget the immense spiritual, human and social good that the vast majority of priests and religious in the United States have done and are still doing."

"A great work of art may be blemished, but its beauty remains; and this is a truth which any intellectually honest critic will recognize." The Pope then expressed his personal "wholehearted" thanks to Catholic communities in the U.S., to teachers in Catholic universities and schools, and to American missionaries in all parts of the world.

"The abuse of the young," John Paul underscored, "is a grave symptom of a crisis affecting not only the Church but society as a whole. It is a deep-seated crisis of sexual morality, even of human relationships, and its prime victims are the family and the young. In addressing the problem of abuse with clarity and determination, the Church will help society to understand and deal with the crisis in its midst."

"It must be absolutely clear to the Catholic faithful, and to the wider community, that Bishops and superiors are concerned, above all else, with the spiritual good of souls. People need to know that there is no place in the priesthood and religious life for those who would harm the young. They must know that Bishops and priests are totally committed to the fullness of Catholic truth on matters of sexual morality."

The Holy Father told those assembled: "We must be confident that this time of trial will bring a purification of the entire Catholic community, a purification that is urgently needed if the Church is to preach more effectively the Gospel of Jesus Christ in all its liberating force."

"God alone is the source of holiness," declared the Pope. "It is to him above all that we must turn for forgiveness, for healing and for the grace to meet this challenge with uncompromising courage and harmony of purpose."

The Holy Father concluded; "I beg the Lord to give the Bishops of the United States the strength to build their response to the present crisis upon the solid foundations of faith and upon genuine pastoral charity for the victims, as well as for the priests and the entire Catholic community in your country. And I ask Catholics to stay close to their priests and Bishops, and to support them with their prayers at this difficult time."

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OPENNESS, HONESTY, TRANSPARENCY MUST BE THE CHURCH'S HALLMARK

VATICAN CITY, APR 20, 2002 (VIS) - The bishops of Nigeria were welcomed by the Holy Father this morning as they complete their quinquennial "ad limina" visit. As he began his speech in English, the Pope noted that their "country boasts one of the largest Catholic populations in the whole of Africa and there is a steady increase in numbers." Moreover, he said "you are blessed with many vocations to the priesthood and religious life, which also allow you to send missionaries to other African nations."

"Through your leadership," he stated, "the Church is actively involved in Nigerian national life, constantly urging solidarity, the exercise of civic responsibility and the overcoming of tensions and conflict through dialogue and reconciliation ... as Nigeria continues along the path of transition from military rule to democratic government."

The Holy Father underscored the problems that plague Nigerian society, as the bishops outlined them in their reports: "the persistence of widespread poverty, often extreme, and the spread of moral and ethical indifference, from which arise crime, corruption and attacks on the sanctity of human life itself." He stressed the need to give a strong formation to the faithful through catechesis, Bible study, devout prayer and "a clear exposition of doctrine as found in the Catechism of the Catholic Church."

A laity that is strengthened in its Catholic identity, he observed, will be able to "respond to the challenge of playing an active role in public life, including the political sphere" and will also be "enabled to respond to the objections raised with increasing frequency by sects and new religious movements, of which there are many in your country." He urged them to pay special attention to the formation of children and young people.

Such preparation, the Pope added, will also strengthen the family, "threatened as it is in its fundamental aspects of unity and stability by practices such as polygamy, divorce, abortion and prostitution, by the spread of a contraceptive mentality and by irresponsible sexual activity that also increases the incidence of AIDS."

John Paul II then highlighted the bishops' "relationship with other Churches and Ecclesial Communities," and the need for "dialogue with the followers of African traditional religion and with Islam."

"Here I must also raise an important issue which I know is a source of grave concern to you and your people. There are certain parts of the country where proponents of Islam are acting with ever greater militancy, even to the point of imposing their understanding of Islamic law on entire States within the Nigerian Federation and denying other believers the freedom of religious expression. I strongly encourage and support your every effort to speak out courageously and forcefully in this regard: government leaders, both local and federal, as well as people of good will of all persuasions, must be reminded of the obligation of every government to ensure that the equality of all citizens before the law is never violated for religious reasons, whether openly or covertly."

Turning to another matter, the Pope encouraged the bishops "to ensure an ever more complete and permanent formation for your priests." Stressing that "the priesthood must never be seen as a means for improving one's lot in life or in terms of gaining prestige," he said: "Your lives and those of your priests should reflect an authentic evangelical poverty and detachment from the things and attitudes of the world, and the value of celibacy as a complete gift of self to the Lord and his Church must be carefully safeguarded. Behaviour which might give scandal must be carefully avoided, and you yourselves must diligently investigate accusations of any such behaviour, taking firm steps to correct it where it is found to exist. Here too, seminary formation is very important, for the convictions and practical training imparted to future priests are essential for the success of the Church's mission."

"Dear Brothers, Shepherds of God's Holy People," John Paul II concluded, "it is of the utmost importance that openness, honesty and transparency should always be the hallmark of everything that the Church does, in all her spiritual, educational and social undertakings, as well as in every aspect of her administration."

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JOHN PAUL II ORDAINS AS PRIESTS 20 DEACONS OF HIS DIOCESE

VATICAN CITY, APR 21, 2002 (VIS) - At 9 a.m. today, the fourth Sunday of Easter, the Pope presided at Holy Mass in the Vatican Basilica and conferred priestly ordination on twenty deacons of the diocese of Rome.
In his homily, the Holy Father urged the new priests to live the mystery of the Eucharist, about which he said: "Now you are ordained ministers as well as deacons of the Holy Church of God. But, from today on, by the grace of the sacrament that you are going to receive, you will be (ministers) in a new and singular way."

"Jesus," he continued, "does not only make you participants in the mystery of the Kingdom of Heaven, He also expects from you greater faithfulness and conformity to the apostolic ministry that has been entrusted to you. ... He demands from you a more rigorous poverty and the humility of a servant who makes himself last of all. He asks you to be perfect 'as your Heavenly Father is perfect'. In a word, the Lord wants you to be saints."

John Paul II reminded the priests that "another essential aspect of the mystery ... is the sacrament of reconciliation, intimately related to the Eucharist." He went on to say: "Be holy ministers of divine mercy. Live above all for you yourselves the marvelous grace of reconciliation as a deep obligation and a gift always awaited. ... God counts on the faithful availability of each one of you in order to work extraordinary miracles of love in the hearts of believers. ... Prepare yourselves well for this ministry! It requires an adequate and constant spiritual, theological, liturgical and pastoral formation. ... For that, the wisdom and the example of the saints will help you."

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HOLY SEE ON BISHOP EXPELLED FROM RUSSIAN FEDERATION

VATICAN CITY, APR 20, 2002 (VIS) - Joaquin Navvarro-Valls, director of the Holy See Press Office, made the following declaration this afternoon regarding Bishop Jerzy Mazur, S.V.D, who has been expelled from the Russian Federation:

"Friday evening, April 19, 2002, at Sheremetievo-2 Airport in Moscow, Bishop Jerzy Mazur, S.V.D., of the Catholic diocese of St. Joseph of Irkutsk, in Eastern Siberia, was denied entry into the Russian Federation upon his early afternoon arrival from Warsaw, and was made to reboard a flight for Warsaw. No explanation was provided to Bishop Mazur regarding the measure taken towards him.

"The Secretary of State and the Pontifical Representation in Moscow immediately intervened along with the Russian authorities, asking for an explanation and requesting the return of the entrance visa to the prelate.

"What happened to Bishop Mazur, several days after what happened to the Italian priest Stefano Caprio, of St. Rosario at Vladimir and Ivanovo (Archdiocese of the Mother of God in Moscow), represents a serious violation of the commitments undertaken by the Russian governing authorities, signatories of the final document of the Conference for Security and Cooperation in Europe (Vienna, January 15, 1989). In fact, in the "Principles" Section, article 16, it was ratified that "the participating States, among other things, ... will respect the right of religious communities to build and maintain freely accessible places of worship or meeting; to organize themselves according to their own hierarchal and institutional structure; to choose, nominate and replace their own personnel in accordance with the respective requirements and their own norms as well as any agreement freely accepted by them and the state." We hope, therefore, for a prompt review of the measure taken and that Bishop Mazur can soon return to his faithful in East Siberia."

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TRANSMIT VALUES AND MORALS THROUGH THE MEDIA

VATICAN CITY, APR 20, 2002 (VIS) - Made public today was a message from the Pope addressed to the president of the Catholic Union of the Italian Press, Emilio Rossi, who has organized a meeting entitled "Youth and the Media of Communication."

In the message dated April 18, John Paul II writes that television "frequently is the main point of reference for youth" and for this reason, "it is necessary to create products that, while respecting pedagogical dynamics and ethical values, take into account the sensitivity and the educational requirements of young people."

"What are necessary," he continues, "are programs that promote the growth of the person, a sense of well-being, and the capacity to correctly face all the most difficult aspects of our existence, without trauma and distortions. Above all, it is necessary to transmit through the media values and models that cause the fundamental truths to emerge about human beings and about the big questions they ask themselves. Among these, we must point out in a special way the religious truths aimed at furnishing appropriate answers to the deeper demands that accompany the growth and development of the person."

The Holy Father highlights that "one of the principle paradigms of civilization and progress is to pay attention to young people in the field of the media of communication; it entails a passionate task to which all must contribute according to their own role and their own strengths."

The Pope concludes by directing a call to leaders and institutions to make it possible that "respect for the rights of minors may be considered as a primary and essential criteria in the assessment of the media of communication. I invite all parents to educate carefully at home as well as a contributing member in society. To the agents of communication, in particular to editors and producers, I urge you to invest in projects appropriate for minors, keeping in mind young people's demands."

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