AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, MAR 6, 2003 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in audience Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.

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DECLARATION BY CARDINAL LAGHI AFTER VISIT WITH PRESIDENT BUSH

VATICAN CITY, MAR 6, 2003 (VIS) - The following statement was released by Cardinal Pio Laghi, who is in Washington as the Holy Father's special envoy and who spoke yesterday with U.S. President George Bush:

"I was privileged to have been sent by the Holy Father as his Special Envoy to President George Bush. I assured him of the Holy Father's great esteem and affection for the American people and the United States of America.

"The purpose of my visit was to deliver a personal message of the Holy Father to the President regarding the Iraqi crisis, to expound upon the Holy See's position and to report on the various initiatives undertaken by the Holy See to contribute to disarmament and peace in the Middle East.

"Out of respect for the President and because of the importance of this moment, I am not in a position to discuss the substance of our conversation, nor am I able to release the text of the personal letter of the Holy Father to the President.

"The Holy See is urging those in positions of civil authority to take fully into account all aspects of this crisis. In that regard, the Holy See's position has been two-fold. First, the Iraqi government is obliged to fulfill completely and fully its international obligations regarding human rights and disarmament under the UN resolutions with respect for international norms. Second, these obligations and their fulfillment must continue to be pursued within the framework of the United Nations.

"The Holy See maintains that there are still peaceful avenues within the context of the vast patrimony of international law and institutions which exist for that purpose. A decision regarding the use of military force can only be taken within the framework of the United Nations, but always taking into account the grave consequences of such an armed conflict: the suffering of the people of Iraq and those involved in the military operation, a further instability in the region and a new gulf between Islam and Christianity.

"I want to emphasize that there is great unity on this grave matter on the part of the Holy See, the Bishops in the United States, and the Church throughout the world.

"I told the President that today, on Ash Wednesday, Catholics around the world are following the Pope's request to pray and fast for peace this day. The Holy Father himself continues to pray and hope that all leaders who face difficult decisions will be inspired in their search for peace."

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LET US BE BUILDERS OF PEACE, IN FAMILIES, IN THE WORLD

VATICAN CITY, MAR 5, 2003 (VIS) - Pope John Paul focussed his general audience catechesis on Lent, calling it "a time of intense prayer, penance and greater attention to our needy brothers," and saying that "with the imposition of ashes, we recognize that we are sinners, and we invoke God's pardon, showing a sincere desire for conversion." He reminded the 6,500 pilgrims in the Paul VI Hall that today, Ash Wednesday, is dedicated to prayer and fasting for peace in the world.

The Pope noted that "according to the Church's ancient tradition, all faithful today are called to abstain from meat and to fast, except for those who are reasonably prevented from doing so for reasons of health or age. Fasting has a great value in the life of a Christian, ... and to it must be united a sincere desire for inner purification, a willingness to obey the divine will and thoughtful solidarity towards our brothers, especially the poorest."

"As we enter into Lent," affirmed the Holy Father, "we cannot not take into account the current international context, in which we see menacing tensions of war. There must be, on everyone's part, an aware acceptance of responsibilities and a common effort to avoid another dramatic conflict for mankind. For this reason I wished for Ash Wednesday to be a day of prayer and fasting to implore peace in the world. We must ask God above all for the conversion of hearts, where every form of evil and every motivation towards sin is rooted; we must pray and fast for peaceful coexistence between peoples and nations."

John Paul II pointed out that he had proposed the invitation to conversion, penance and solidarity in his annual Message for Lent which this year he dedicated to the theme, "It is more blessed to give than to receive." He added that "converting oneself to this way of thinking, one can build a social order marked not by a precarious balance of conflicting interests, but by a fair search for the common good, in the sign of solidarity."

"May this day of prayer and fasting for peace," he concluded, "be translated into concrete gestures of reconciliation. From the family sphere to the international one, may each of us feel and become co-responsible for building peace."

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HOLY FATHER RECEIVES ITALIAN PRIME MINISTER BERLUSCONI

VATICAN CITY, MAR 5, 2003 (VIS) - Joaquin Navarro-Valls, Holy See Press Office director, made the following declaration yesterday afternoon:

"The Holy Father received Silvio Berlusconi, president of the Council of Ministers of the Italian Republic and Gianni Letta, under-secretary of state of the presidency of the Council. The meeting allowed for an exchange of opinions on the current international situation with special reference to the crises in Iraq and the Holy Land.

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JOHN PAUL II WELCOMES BISHOPS OF SCOTLAND

VATICAN CITY, MAR 4, 2003 (VIS) - Pope John Paul received the Bishops of Scotland today, as they conclude their "ad limina" visit, and, in his talk, highlighted the "demanding situations which represent pastoral challenges for the Church today," noting that in Scotland, "as in many lands evangelized centuries ago and steeped in Christianity, there no longer exists the reality of a 'Christian society'. "

"Modern civilization," he added, "although highly developed from the standpoint of technology, is often stunted in its inner depths by a tendency to exclude God or keep him at a distance. ... The crisis of civilization must be countered by the civilization of love. ... The new evangelization ... can prove a particularly effective instrument for helping to usher in this civilization of love."

The Pope affirmed that the new evangelization must be marked by hope because hope sustains the proclamation of the Gospel, enlivens faith communities, enriches society with the Gospel values of life and upholds human dignity. "Christian life itself is revitalized and pastoral initiatives are more readily directed towards their one true end: holiness. In fact, holiness is an intrinsic and essential aspect of the Church ... and is a gift, but a gift which in turns becomes a duty."

"The concept of holiness should not be thought of as something extraordinary, as something outside the bounds of normal everyday life. For God calls His people to lead holy lives within the ordinary circumstances in which they find themselves: at home, in the parish, in the workplace, at school, on the playing field. There is much in society that lures people away - sometimes intentionally - from the difficult yet profoundly satisfying quest for holiness."

The Holy Father then turned to what he termed "an important aspect of evangelization, the deeply felt need for an evangelization of culture." He remarked that cultures are constantly changing and that "the communication of values is what enables a culture to survive and flourish." He said evangelization becomes even more urgent "in societies where faith and religion are seen as something that should be restricted to the private sphere, and therefore as having no place in public or political debate. ... If culture is the context in which the individual transcends himself, then removing the Absolute from that context, or pushing it off to one side as irrelevant, results in a dangerous fragmentation of reality that gives rise to crises, as culture will no longer be able to present to the younger generation the source of meaning and wisdom which it ultimately seeks."

John Paul II urged the bishops to dedicate great time and attention to young people, the builders of future civilizations of love. He pointed out that "the powerful forces of the media and entertainment industry" target young people and try to condition their attitudes. "Confusion is created as youth are beset by moral relativism and religious indifferentism. How can they come to grips with the question of truth and the requirements of consistency in moral behavior when modern culture teaches them to live as though absolute values did not exist, or tells them to be content with a vague religiosity."

Revitalizing Christian life calls for pastoral initiatives and for a common effort by every member of the faith community - bishops, priests, deacons, religious and laity. Cooperation will be especially valuable in dealing with marriage and family life, as well as "in addressing the welcome which your communities can give to refugees and asylum-seekers."

The Holy Father concluding by emphasizing that priestly formation must remain a high priority for the bishops. "Today more than ever the Church needs holy priests whose daily journey of conversion inspires in others the desire to seek the holiness which the whole People of God is called to pursue." Candidates to the priesthood, as well as priests, for whom there must be permanent formation, must strive for "a life marked by poverty, chastity and humility in imitation of Christ, the Eternal High Priest, of whom they are (to become) the living icons."

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