LUMINOUS MYSTERIES SHOW DIVINE NATURE OF JESUS

VATICAN CITY, SEP 21, 2003 (VIS) - Pope John Paul, on his last scheduled Sunday at Castelgandolfo, recited the Angelus with the pilgrims who had come to the summer papal residence. He continued his spiritual pilgrimage to the Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary of Pompeii which he will visit on October 7, saying that today he wished to meditate on the five Mysteries of Light, which he added to the Rosary last October 16.
These mysteries, he said, highlight the "public life" of Jesus, "the time in which Jesus, through the power of words and works, reveals in a completed way the 'face' of our heavenly Father, inaugurating His reign of love, justice and peace. His baptism in the Jordan, the wedding feast at Cana, the proclamation of the Kingdom, the Transfiguration on Mount Tabor and the institution of the Eucharist: these are all moments of revelation, 'luminous' mysteries which allow the splendor of the divine nature of God in Jesus Christ to shine through."

The Holy Father underscored that "Mary's presence in these mysteries is for the most part in the background. Except in one: the wedding feast of Cana where the role of 'the Mother of God' is determining. It is she who tells her Son that there is no more wine; and when He answers that 'His hour' has not yet come, she entreats Him with maternal urgency, telling the servants: 'Do what He tells you'.

Mary thus shows, affirmed the Pope, "that she has understood better than anyone else the inmost intentions of Jesus. Her heart knows His heart because from the beginning she has borne within her and meditated on His every gesture and every word. She is thus the very first and the principal teacher of Christian prayer."

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, SEP 20, 2003 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Archbishop Salvatore Pennacchio, apostolic nuncio in Rwanda, as apostolic nuncio in Thailand, Singapore and Cambodia and apostolic delegate in Myanmar, Laos, Malaysia and Brunei.

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VATICAN PREPARES FOR POPE JOHN PAUL'S SILVER JUBILEE

VATICAN CITY, SEP 20, 2003 (VIS) - The program of events scheduled in the Vatican to mark the 25th anniversary of Pope John Paul II's election to the papacy was made public today. It includes a four-day meeting of the 164 members of the College of Cardinals, Mass on the day of the anniversary and a concert in the Pope's honor.

At 5 p.m. on Wednesday, October 15, the College of Cardinals will gather in the New Synod Hall for a four-day meeting, during which six cardinals will reflect on themes of great importance to the Church. Cardinal Bernardin Gantin, former dean of the College, will speak on "The Petrine Ministry and Communion in the Episcopacy"; Cardinal Jean-Marie Lustiger on "Priests, the Consecrated Life and Vocations"; Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo on the family; Cardinal Nasrallah Pierre Sfeir on ecumenism; Cardinal Ivan Dias on missions and Cardinal Angelo Sodano on "The 25 years of Pontificate in Service to Peace."

The cardinals, who where invited by the Holy Father to Rome for this anniversary, will be joined by the presidents of episcopal conferences, the heads of dicastery of the Roman Curia and by patriarchs.

Pope John Paul will not be present at the opening session but he will attend on the morning of October 16, the 25th anniversary of his election in 1978, during which he will sign the post-synodal apostolic exhortation for the 2001 synod held on the theme of the episcopal ministry. He will do so in the Clementine Hall. At 6 p.m. that same day there will be a Mass in St. Peter's Square to commemorate this jubilee.

On Friday, October 17, the College of Cardinals will meet again. At 6 p.m. in honor of John Paul II, there will be a concert in the Paul VI Hall offered by the choir and orchestra of Leipzig who will perform Beethoven's Ninth Symphony and Bruckner's "Ecce Sacerdos Magnus."

The Pope will address the meeting of the cardinals during their final session on Saturday, October 18. His talk will follow the presentation of a Message to him from the entire College of Cardinals. At 1 p.m. The Holy Father has invited the cardinals, heads of dicastery, episcopal conference presidents and patriarchs to lunch. At 5:30 there will be a missionary vigil in the Paul VI Hall, though the Poe is not scheduled to be present.

At 10 a.m. in St. Peter's Square on Sunday, October 19, World Mission Sunday, Pope John Paul will preside at Mass during which he will beatify Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

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BEING CHRISTIAN MEANS ACCEPTING COMMITMENT TO APOSTOLATE

VATICAN CITY, SEP 21, 2003 (VIS) - Made public today was a Message from the Holy Father to Bishop Gastone Simoni of Prati, Italy on the 350th anniversary of the institution of the same diocese on September 22, 1653 by Pope Innocent X.

In the Message, dated September 8, feast of the Nativity of the Virgin Mary, the Pope recalls that this year also marks the 500th anniversary of the founding of the monastery of the Dominican Sisters of Sts. Vincent and Catherine of Ricci. May the memory of this "great mystic of the 16th century," St. Catherine, in addition to that of other saints and blesseds "who have enriched the Church in Prato, continue to be an example for the entire diocesan community and a stimulus for those who are looking for truth and also for those, too worried about worldly matters, who do not know how to raise their gaze to the heavens."

"In the current social and cultural context," he continues, "the affluence of material goods, the exasperated care of self, and the needs created by a consumeristic society risk obscuring the interior voice of God Who constantly invites us to keep strong our personal alliance with Him. Today there is the danger of reducing the faith to a religious sentiment lived out only in private, and forgetting that being Christian means accepting the commitment to be apostles of Christ in the world."

John Paul II concludes by expressing the desire that this anniversary be "a providential occasion to understand better that the vocation to sanctity is for everyone and that we must propose it with courage and patience to the younger generations."
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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, SEP 22, 2003 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

- Seven prelates from the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines on their "ad limina" visit:

- Bishop Juan de Dios M. Pueblos of Butuan.

- Bishop Honesto Pacana, S.J., of Malaybalay.

- Bishop Antonieto D. Cabajob of Surigao.

- Bishop Nereo P. Odchimar of Tandag.

- Archbishop Orlando B. Quevedo, O.M.I., of Cotabato.

- Bishop Romulo G. Valles of Kidapawan.

- Bishop Dinualdo D. Gutierrez of Marbel.

- Archbishop Francesco Pio Tamburrino of Foggia, Italy, with family members.

On Saturday September 20, the Holy Father received in audience 15 prelates from the Uganda Episcopal Conference on their "ad limina" visit:

- Archbishop Paul K. Bakyenga of Mbarara, accompanied by Bishop Emeritus John Baptist Kakubi.

- Bishop Egidio Nkaijanabwo of Kasese.

- Bishop Deogratias Muganwa Byabazaire of Hoima, accompanied by Bishop Emeritus Albert Edward Baharagate.

- Bishop Robert Muhiirwa of Fort Portal, accompanied by Auxiliary Bishop John Magenyi Sabiiti and Bishop Emeritus Paul L. Kalanda.

- Bishop Callistus Rubaramira of Kabale, accompanied by Bishops Emeritus Robery Gay, M.Afr., and Barnabas R. Halem 'Imana.

- Archbishop John Baptist Odama of Gulu.

- Bishop Frederick Drandua of Arua.

- Bishop Martin Lulunga of Nebbi.

- Bishop Joseph Oyanga of Lira.

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