OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, MAY 14, 2003 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Erected the new diocese of Velez (area 4,957.60, population 190,000, Catholics 171,000, priests 39, religious 51), Colombia, with territory taken from the diocese of Socorro y San Gil, making it a suffragan of the metropolitan Church of Bucaramanga.

- Appointed Fr. Luis Albeiro Cortes Rendon, rector of the Major Seminary of Pereira, Colombia, as the first bishop of Velez, Colombia. The bishop-elect was born in 1952 in Quimbaya, Colombia and was ordained a priest in 1978.

- Appointed Bishop Decio Zandonade, S.D.B., auxiliary of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, as bishop of Colatina (area 12,362, population 483,938, Catholics 387,312, priests 30, religious 76), Brazil.

- Appointed Fr. Daniel Bohan, episcopal vicar for the English-speaking faithful of the archdiocese of Moncton, Canada, as auxiliary bishop of Toronto (area 13,000, population 4,147,680, Catholics 1,420,395, priests 862, permanent deacons 129, religious 1,340), Canada. The bishop-elect was born in 1941 in Yarmouth, Canada and was ordained a priest in 1967.

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GENERAL AUDIENCE: GOD FORGIVES A CONTRITE HEART

VATICAN CITY, MAY 14, 2003 (VIS) - Continuing with his catechesis on the psalms, in today's general audience, celebrated in St. Peter's Square, the Pope spoke about the Canticle of the Book of Daniel, "The Prayer of Azariah in the Furnace."

The canticle, said John Paul II before 25,000 persons, "is a prayer raised to the Lord with fervor and sincerity. It's the voice of Israel that is experiencing the hard trial of exile and diaspora among its peoples." Azariah, he continued, is condemned to death, along with two other faithful Jews, for not having renounced his faith.

"In this canticle, persecution is considered a just punishment with which God purifies sinful people. ... God is faithful and will fulfill His promises. Although justice requires Israel to be punished for its sins, there is certainty that the last word will be one of mercy and pardon."

The Holy Father went on to say that "the supplicant approaches the Lord, offering him the most precious and welcome sacrifice: 'a contrite heart' and a 'humble spirit'. It is precisely the center of our existence, the soul renewed by the sacrifice offered to the Lord so that He accepts it as a sign of conversion and consecration to good. With this interior disposition, there is no longer any fear, confusion and shame disappear and the spirit opens up to faith in a better future when the promises made to the fathers will be fulfilled."

"The final phrase of Azariah's prayer ... has a strong emotional impact and deep spiritual intensity: 'Now we follow you with all our heart, we fear you and we seek your face'. ... The moment has now come in which we abandon our evil and perverse ways, torturous paths and devious courses. We set out to follow the Lord moved by a desire to see His face."

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SUNDAY MAY 18: CANONIZATION OF FOUR BLESSEDS

VATICAN CITY, MAY 13, 2003 (VIS) - This Sunday, May 18, the fifth Sunday of Easter, John Paul II will celebrate Mass in St. Peter's Square at 10 a.m. and will canonize four Blesseds.

The future saints are: Jozef Sebastian Pelczar, bishop and founder of the Congregation of the Servants of the Sacred Heart of Jesus; Urszula Ledochowska, virgin and foundress of the Ursuline Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus in Agony; Maria de Mattias, virgin and foundress of the Congregation of the Sisters, Adorers of the Blood of Christ; Virginia Centurione Bracelli, lay person and foundress of the Sisters of Our Lady of Refuge on Calvary and of the Religious Daughters of Our Lady on Calvary.

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SYRO-MALANKARA CHURCH, ONE OF FASTEST GROWING IN THE WORLD

VATICAN CITY, MAY 13, 2003 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received eight bishops of the Syro-Malankara Church, who are in Rome on their "ad limina" visit and, in his talk to them in English, recalled that Pope Pius XI received their forefathers into full communion just over seventy years ago.

"You have become one of the fastest growing Catholic communities in the world," the Pope noted, "boasting large numbers of vocations to the priesthood and religious life, and your 'pusillus grex' is home to many educational and welfare institutions. The new Law of Christ which compels us to go beyond the boundaries of family, race, tribe or nation is concretely manifested in your generosity to others."

He affirmed that "the people of India rightly take pride in their rich cultural and spiritual heritage, expressed in the innate characteristics of 'contemplation, simplicity, harmony, detachment, non-violence, discipline, frugal living, the thirst for learning and philosophical enquiry' which distinguish those living on the subcontinent. These same traits permeate the Syro-Malankara community, allowing the Church to 'communicate the Gospel in a way which is faithful both to her own traditions and to the Asian soul'."

"At a moment of growing secularism and, at times, of blatant disregard for the sanctity of human life," underlined the Holy Father, "bishops are called to remind the people by their preaching and teaching of the need for an ever deeper reflection on moral and social issues. The Syro-Malankara presence in the fields of education and social services places you in an excellent position to prepare all men and women of good will to face these issues in a truly human manner."

He went on to say that "responding to this challenge in a proper fashion necessitates an inculturation of Christian ethics at all levels of human society; this is a difficult and delicate task. ... Your long experience as a small community of Christians in a predominately non-Christian land has prepared you to become ... 'leaven', a fitting instrument of transformation, ... that requires an intimate change of cultural values through integration into Christianity and subsequent insertion into the various human cultures."

John Paul II then highlighted the need for well-formed and spiritually vibrant priests and religious, stating that "properly trained ambassadors of Christ are necessary for this ministry of 'building up the Church'. For this reason bishops must work unceasingly to identify and encourage young people to answer the call to the priesthood and the religious life. ... Your strong leadership will do much to encourage religious communities to persevere in their edifying example as witnesses to Christ's joy."

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SYRO-MALABAR CHURCH, PART OF INDIA'S RICH CULTURE

VATICAN CITY, MAY 13, 2003 (VIS) - The bishops of the Syro- Malabar Church of India were welcomed today by the Pope as they concluded their "ad limina" visit. In his talk to them in English the Pope noted that "the origins of your Church are directly linked with the dawn of Christianity and the missionary efforts of the Apostles," and added: "The Liturgy of the Syro-Malabar Church, for centuries a part of India's rich and varied culture, is the most vivid expression of your peoples' identity."

He underscored that "since 'the Eucharist ... is the most precious possession which the Church can have in her journey through history', I exhort you to guard and renew this treasure with great care, never allowing it to be used as a source of division. ... As the primary custodians of the liturgy, you are called at all times to be vigilant to protect against unwarranted experimentation by individual priests which violates the integrity of the liturgy itself and can also cause great harm to the faithful."

Turning to the issue of the pastoral care of Oriental Catholics in India and abroad, the Holy Father said this "continues to be of concern to the Catholic Bishops Conference of India and to the Syro-Malabar Synod. Here, I wish to emphasize the 'urgent need to overcome the fears and misunderstandings which appear at times between the Eastern Churches and the Latin Church ... especially with regard to the pastoral care of their people also outside their own territory'," he said, quoting "Ecclesia in Asia." "I am certain that you will continue to work closely with your Brother Bishops of the Latin Rite and the Holy See to ensure that Syro-Malabars throughout India and the world receive the spiritual support they deserve in strict respect for canonical dispositions which are, as we know, appropriate means for the preservation of ecclesial communion."

"Charity urges every Christian to go forth proclaiming the Good News of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth," affirmed John Paul II. "Authentic evangelization is sensitive to local culture and custom, always respecting the 'inalienable right' of each and every person to religious freedom. Here the principle remains valid: 'The Church proposes, she imposes nothing'." He told the bishops that openness to their brothers and sisters of other religions "can never diminish the obligation to proclaim Jesus Christ as the way, and the truth and the life'."

The Pope said he joined the bishops "in giving thanks that your Eparchies have been blessed with so many priests and religious. ... The burden of your pastoral mission could not be fulfilled without the clergy, your co-workers in the sacred ministry. ... Your necessary reliance on your priests compels you to foster a strong bond with them. They are your sons and friends. ... Likewise, the Religious in your care are members of your family. The witness borne by so many men and women consecrated to lives of chastity, poverty and obedience stands as a true sign of contradiction in a nation which is becoming increasingly secularized."

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