POPE PRAYS FOR VICTIMS OF SHUTTLE DISASTER, PEACE IN IVORY COAST

VATICAN CITY, FEB 2, 2003 (VIS) - In addressing the faithful in St. Peter's Square after praying the Angelus with them, the Pope spoke of the disaster on the shuttle Columbia, the crisis in Ivory Coast and greeted all those who yesterday celebrated the lunar New Year.

"The sad news of the tragic explosion of the United States spaceship Columbia upon its re-entry from the atmosphere, has caused great emotion," he said. "I invite everyone to pray for the victims of the incident, who perished in fulfilling an international scientific mission. In this moment of harsh trial, I am spiritually close to the family members and I assure them of remembrance in my prayers."

The Pope turned to the Ivory Coast which, he noted "is once again tried by a serious crisis that is splitting those populations. Let us pray that the efforts of those who have at heart the country's unity and respect for legality will prevail over the divisions and demands. May the Catholic faithful, led by their pastors, know how to work so that dialogue and respect of persons and their goods are practiced and promoted by everyone."

The Holy Father then remarked that "yesterday, the first day of February, was the lunar New Year for many millions of persons - especially Chinese, Vietnamese and Koreans - who spend these days of celebration in family intimacy. ... May the New Year be a time of peace, based on the 'four precious needs of the human soul: truth, justice, love and liberty'."

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DEFEND LIFE, DO NOT BARGAIN WITH IT

VATICAN CITY, FEB 2, 2003 (VIS) - In reflections made before praying the noon Angelus today, the Holy Father reminded the faithful assembled below his study window in St. Peter's Square that today Italy celebrates the Day for Life. He also recalled that the Church is celebrating the feast of the Presentation of Our Lord as well as the Day of Consecrated life.

Focussing his remarks on the need to promote and protect human life, he noted that the theme of the Day for Life is "'One cannot bargain with life'. This principle, even if theoretically recognized, is unfortunately not always respected. There are situations in which the human person becomes an instrument for economic, political and scientific interests, above all when he or she is weak and does not have the strength to defend oneself.

"In addition," the Pope concluded, "a certain commercial logic, allying itself with modern technologies, can sometimes profit from human desires that are good in themselves, such as that of wanting to become a mother and father, to induce someone to have a child 'at all costs'. In reality, human life can never become an 'object': from conception to natural death, the human being is the subject of inviolable rights, that even freedom must not trespass. It is therefore indispensable that States, on such complex issues, pass organic and clear laws, founded on solid ethical bases and caring for the inestimable good of human life."

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FIRST EUROPEAN MEETING ON THE MINISTRY OF THE ROAD

VATICAN CITY, FEB 3, 2003 (VIS) - The First European Meeting of National Directors of the Pastoral Highway Ministry starts today in the Vatican under the leadership of Archbishops Stephen Fumio Hamao and Agostino Marchetto, respectively president and secretary of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant Peoples. The encounter is an initiative of the pontifical council.

The two-day meeting in the Palazzo San Calisto, which houses the pontifical council, will bring together four bishops and the national directors and delegates of 11 European countries: Albania, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, the Czech Republic, France, Italy, Romania, Slovakia, Spain and Ukraine.

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DOCUMENT ON CHRISTIAN REFLECTION ON THE NEW AGE

VATICAN CITY, FEB 3, 2003 (VIS) - Today in the Holy See Press Office there was a conference to present the document "Jesus Christ, Bearer of Living Water. A Christian Reflection on the 'New Age'," prepared by the Pontifical Council for Culture and the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.

Cardinal Paul Poupard, president of the council for culture and Archbishop Michael Fitzgerald, president of the council for interreligious dialogue, presided at the conference. They were joined by Fr. Peter Fleetwood of the secretariat of the Council of European Episcopal Conferences and Teresa Osorio Goncalves, an official of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue, who drafted the document.

Cardinal Poupard, citing a recent editorial he wrote, said: "The phenomenon of the New Age, together with so many other new religious movements, is one of the most urgent challenges for the Christian faith. It is a question of a religious challenge and at the same time a cultural one: the New Age proposes theories and doctrines about God, man and the world, that are incompatible with the Christian faith. In addition, the New Age is both the symptom of a culture in deep crisis and the wrong answer to this situation of cultural crisis: to its restlessness and its questions, to its aspirations and hopes."

He stressed that today's document regards this phenomenon and offers Christian reflections on the "New Age," adding that "today, Western culture, often followed by many others, has gone from an almost instinctive sense of the presence of God to what is often called a more 'scientific' vision of reality." There are many reasons for this, he said, including the passage from traditional forms of religion to more personal and individual expressions of what is called "spirituality."

Cardinal Poupard said "there seem to be three distinct motives behind such a change. The first lies in the sensation that traditional religions or institutions cannot give what once they affirmed to be able to give." Pointing to the second reason, he affirmed: "One of the most significant developments in what could be called the 'spiritual' sphere, over the last century more or less, has been a return to pre-Christian forms of religion."

"The third motive behind the rather widespread disenchantment with regards to institutional religion comes from a growing obsession in Western culture for Eastern religions and the paths of wisdom. ... The growing conviction that there is a certain basic truth, a kernel of truth in the heart of every religious experience has led to the idea that one can and must gather all characteristic elements of the diverse religions to arrive at a universal form of religion."

The cardinal reiterated what Chapter 1 says: "The document guides those involved in pastoral work in their understanding and response to New Age spirituality, both illustrating the points where this spirituality contrasts with the Catholic faith and refuting the positions espoused by New Age thinkers in opposition to Christian faith."

He also underscored another point in Chapter 1: "The beginning of the Third Millennium comes not only two thousand years after the birth of Christ, but also at a time when astrologers believe that the Age of Pisces - also known to them as the Christian Age - is drawing to a close. These reflections are about the New Age, which takes its name from the imminent astrological Age of Aquarius. The New Age is one of many explanations of the significance of this moment in history which are bombarding contemporary (particularly Western) culture, and it is hard to see clearly what is and what is not consistent with the Christian message."

Archbishop Fitzgerald explained that the council for interreligious dialogue was involved in this question for a historical reason as well as one of jurisdiction. "The study of alternative forms of religiosity is shared by three dicasteri, including our council. This collaboration, out of which came the 1986 document 'Sects and New Religious Movements,' is continual."

Stating that the document recognizes a "true 'religious' sense in those persons influenced by the New Age," he nonetheless pointed out that "a distinction must be made when one speaks of dialogue. One form of dialogue is that which one has with adherents of organized religions and includes encounters, reciprocal understanding, collaboration for peace and development, an exchange on common spiritual values. Another form consists of accompanying the individual in his search."

The archbishop then focussed on the content of the document, divided into a Foreword and nine Chapters: 1. What Sort of Reflection; 2. New Age Spirituality: An Overview; 3. New Age and Christian Faith; 4. New Age and Christian Faith in Contrast; 5. Jesus Christ Offers us the Water of Life; 6. Points to Note; 7. Appendix; 8. Resources and 9. General Bibliography.

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JOHN PAUL II WELCOMES SYNOD OF GREEK-CATHOLIC UKRAINIAN CHURCH

VATICAN CITY, FEB 3, 2003 (VIS) - Pope John Paul this morning welcomed members of the Permanent Synod of the Greek-Catholic Church, in particular their major archbishop, Cardinal Lubomyr Husar, and told them that their meeting in Rome "is a happy occasion to reaffirm your communion with the Successor of Peter."

He remarked that their Church, "reborn after the tragic events of the last century, proceeds on the path of rebuilding with the awareness of its great spiritual legacy, of the fecund testimony of her martyrs and of the need to maintain at all levels a demeanor of dialogue, collaboration and communion."

He encouraged them to pursue this path and he underscored their recent meetings with bishops of the Latin rite which allowed everyone "to consider .... the pastoral questions that interest both communities. Such encounters are a practical application of that effective and affective communion that must guide the pastors of Christ's flock."

"Such communion," the Holy Father affirmed, "is all the more necessary if we reflect on the challenges that today's situation places before us: from the spiritual needs of broad segments of the population to the serious dilemma of emigration; from the pain of the least fortunate to problems in families; from the need for ecumenical dialogue to the desire for a greater integration in the European context."

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