AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, OCT 17, 2003 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

- Aleksander Kwasniewski, president of the Republic of Poland, accompanied by his wife and an entourage.

- Seven prelates from the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales on their "ad limina" visit:

- Archbishop Vincent Gerard Nichols of Birmingham, accompanied by Auxiliary Bishop Philip Pargeter.

- Bishop Declan Ronan Lang of Clifton.

- Bishop Brian Michael Noble of Shrewsbury.

- Archbishop Peter Smith of Cardiff.

- Bishop Mark Jabale, O.S.B., of Menevia.

- Bishop Edwin Regan of Wrexham.

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STATEMENT FROM THE BISHOPS' CONFERENCE OF ENGLAND AND WALES

VATICAN CITY, OCT 17, 2003 (VIS) - Following are excerpts from a statement released today by the Bishop's Conference of England and Wales, which is meeting in Rome:

"During this week the BBC, mainly through its Religious Affairs Department, is giving good coverage to the celebations of the twenty-five years of the Pontificate of John Paul II and to the life of Mother Teresa of Calcutta. This is much appreciated.

"In this same week, however, BBC News and Current Affairs, have broadcast two programmes which have been biased against and hostile to the Catholic Church. In doing so they have given offence to many Catholics.

"The first was a BBC Panorama programme, on Sunday 12 October, entitled 'Sex and the Holy City'" which maintained that "while the Pope preaches peace and life, his teachings and the actions of the Catholic Church (in opposing abortion and contraception) bring about widespread poverty and death."

The statement says the second programme "Kenyon Confronts" on October 15 "focussed on past cases of the abuse of children involving two priests over twenty years ago" and, while it contained "significant disclosures, ... they were set alongside contentious and biased reporting of the Church's actions, both past and present."

"For many decades the BBC has deserved and enjoyed a world-wide reputation for fairness and objectivity, especially in its News and Current Affairs. This reputation is increasingly tarnished. In England and Wales there is considerable concern that elements within the BBC are simply hostile to religious belief and to any traditional sense of the sacred.

"Furthermore, the decision to broadcast both of these programmes in the week when Catholic people throughout the world are celebrating the Silver Jubilee of the Pope and the life of Mother Teresa is a distressing sign of this insensitivity."

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, OCT 17, 2003 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed:

- Bishop Joseph Mitsuaki Takami, P.S.S., auxiliary of the archdiocese of Nagasaki, Japan, as metropolitan archbishop of the same archdiocese (area 4,192, population 1,511,890, Catholics 68,551, priests 152, permanent deacons 1, religious 948).

- Msgr. Luigi Moretti, secretary prelate of the vicariate of Rome, as vice-gerent of the diocese of Rome, elevating him to the dignity of archbishop.

- Msgr. Mauro Parmeggiani, director of the service for the youth ministry in the diocese of Rome, as prelate secretary of the vicariate of Rome.

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ACCORD ON SOCIAL SECURITY BETWEEN HOLY SEE AND ITALY

VATICAN CITY, OCT 16, 2003 - Yesterday, October 15, at the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Rome, Archbishop Jean-Louis Tauran and Franco Frattini, Italian minister of Foreign Affairs, exchanged the instruments of ratification of the Social Security Convention between the Holy See and the Italian Republic, signed in the Vatican on June 16, 2000.

According to a communique made public yesterday afternoon, "in the course of the conversation preceding the act, Archbishop Tauran and Minister Frattini acknowledged the fruitful collaboration between the Holy See and Italy concerning bilateral relations as well as international problems."

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POSTSYNODAL APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION "PASTORES GREGIS"

VATICAN CITY, OCT 16, 2003 (VIS) - Made public today was the Postsynodal Apostolic Exhortation "Pastores Gregis" written by Pope John Paul in conclusion to the Tenth Ordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the theme "The Bishop, Servant of the Gospel of Jesus Christ for the Hope of the World." The synod was held in the Vatican from September 30 to October 28, 2001.

Pope John Paul signed the document in the Paul VI Hall this morning at 11 in the presence of the College of Cardinals and members of the Roman Curia.

The 196-page document is divided into an Introduction, seven Chapters and a Conclusion.

The Introduction has four sections: the Tenth Assembly of the Synod of Bishops; a hope founded on Christ; Hope, when hopes are dashed; Servants of the Gospel for the hope of the world (which was the synod's theme).

Chapter One is entitled "The Mystery and Ministry of the Bishops" and has five parts: "... and He chose from them Twelve" (Lk 6:13); The Trinitarian Foundation of the episcopal ministry; The collegial nature of the episcopal ministry; the missionary character and the unitary nature of the episcopal ministry; and "He called to Him those whom He desired" (Mk 3:13-14).

The Holy Father divided Chapter Two, "The Spiritual Life of the Bishop," into 15 sections: "And He appointed Twelve that they might be with Him" (Mk 3:14); The call to holiness in the Church in our time; The Bishop's spiritual journey; Mary, Mother of Hope and teacher of the spiritual life; Entrusting oneself to the word; Drawing nourishment from the Eucharist; Prayer and the Liturgy of the Hours; The way of the evangelical counsels and the Beatitudes; The virtue of obedience; The spirit and practice of poverty in Bishops; With chastity at the service of a Church which reflects the purity of Christ; The proponent of a spirituality of communion and mission; a journey undertaken in everyday life; The permanent formation of Bishops; and The example of sainted bishops.

In Chapter Three, he writes of the Bishop as "Teacher of the Faith and Herald of the Word." There are six parts: "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel" (Mk 16:15); Christ at the heart of the Gospel and of humanity; The Bishop, hearer and guardian of the word; Authentic and authoritative service of the word; Episcopal ministry for the inculturation of the Gospel; Preaching by word and example.

"Minister of the Grace of the High Priesthood" is the title of Chapter Four. It has ten sections: "Sanctified in Jesus Christ, called to be saints" (1 Cor 1:2); The source and summit of the life of the particular Church; The importance of the Cathedral Church; The Bishop, moderator of the liturgy as a pedagogy of faith; The centrality of the Lord's Day and the liturgical year; The Bishop as minister of the Eucharistic celebration; The Bishop's responsibility for Christian initiation; The Bishop's responsibilities in the discipline of penance; Attention to popular piety; Promoting holiness for all the faithful.

John Paul II entitles Chapter Five "The Pastoral Governance of the Bishops." Its thirteen sections are: "I have given you an example" (Jn 13:15); The Bishop's authority as pastoral service; Pastoral style of governance and diocesan communion; The elements of the particular Church; The Pastoral Visit; The Bishop with his presbyterate; The formation of candidates for the priesthood; The Bishop and permanent deacons; The Bishop's concern for persons of consecrated life; The lay faithful in the pastoral care of the Bishops; The Bishop's concern for the family; Young people, a pastoral priority for the future; The promotion of vocations.

Chapter Six is entitled "In the Communion of the Churches" and it looks at: "Anxiety for all the Churches" (2 Cor 11:28); The Diocesan Bishop in relation to the Church's Supreme Authority; Visits "ad limina Apostolorum"; The Synod of Bishops; Communion between the Bishops and the Churches at the local level; The Eastern Catholic Churches; The Patriarchal Churches and their Synods; The organization of the Metropolitan See and of Ecclesial Provinces; Episcopal Conferences; The Church's Unity and ecumenical dialogue; Missionary Spirit in the episcopal ministry.

Pope John Paul calls Chapter Seven "The Bishop Before the Challenges of the Present." In it he addresses: "Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world" (Jn 16:33); The Bishop, Promoter of justice and peace; Interreliguious dialogue, especially on behalf of world peace; Civil, social and economic life; Respect for the Environment and the protection of creation; The Bishop's ministry in the field of health; The Bishop's pastoral care of migrants.

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