PRAYER AND SOLIDARITY WITH CHRISTIANS IN THE HOLY LAND

VATICAN CITY, MAR 2, 2004 (VIS) - As is customary at the beginning of Lent, the prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches has sent a letter to all bishops in which he requests assistance for Christians in the Holy Land in light of the "delicate social, political and economic situation in this region."

"There are many Christians in the Holy Land who have left their country to look elsewhere for another home where they can live in peace and dignity," writes Cardinal Ignace I Daoud. "This situation makes necessary and urgent the intervention of the whole Catholic Church in order to preserve their presence in the birthplace of Christianity."

The cardinal affirms that his dicastery "remains close to our brothers and sisters in the Holy Land and works to make sure that they may concretely feel the solidarity, the concern and the support of the universal Church."

In the message, he recalls the Holy Father's recent remarks to the members of ROACO, an assembly of aid agencies providing assistance to the Oriental Churches: "A special collection is designated for this land, and my venerable predecessors beginning with Leo XIII have strongly encouraged all Catholic communities to contribute generously. Alas, the Holy Land continues to be an arena of conflicts and violence and Catholic communities present there suffer and need support and assistance in their many necessities."

"Therefore, in recognition of the duty of ecclesial communion with the Christians in the Holy Land I wish to address with great confidence a call to all the local Churches and Christian communities around the world asking them to fulfill their responsibility of prayer and concrete solidarity."

Cardinal Daoud emphasizes that this assistance "is an expression of our response to the words of the Lord: 'Whatever you do for the least of these, you do unto me'."

At the end of the letter, the cardinal conveys "the deepest gratitude of the Apostolic See to all those who contribute with commitment and generosity to sustain the presence of the Christian community in the Holy Land."
CEO/HOLY LAND/DAOUD VIS 20040302 (350)

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, MAR 2, 2004 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Fr. Victor Sanchez Espinosa of the archdiocese of Puebla de los Angeles, Mexico as auxiliary bishop of the archdiocese of Mexico City (area 1,479, population 7,380,687, Catholics 6,999,402, priests 1,735, permanent deacons 76, religious 6,891), Mexico. The bishop-elect was born in 1950 in Puebla de los Angeles and was ordained a priest in 1976.
NEA/./SANCHEZ VIS 20040302 (60)

JOHN PAUL'S PONTIFICATE BECOMES THIRD LONGEST ON MARCH 14

VATICAN CITY, MAR 2, 2004 (VIS) - The pontificate of Pope John Paul II, who was elected as Successor of Peter on October 16, 1978 and who solemnly began his petrine ministry six days later, becomes the third longest in the history of the Church on March 14th. On that day he overtakes Pope Leo XIII who reigned for 25 years and 5 months.

John Paul II will follow St. Peter, whose precise dates are unknown and Pope Pius IX, whose pontificate lasted over 31 years, from his election on June 16, 1846 to his death on February 7, 1878.

Starting from the date of his election, March 14 marks the 9,281st day of the Holy Father's pontificate. Calculating the length of pontificates took into account leap years.
JPII-PONTIFICATE/THIRD LONGEST/. VIS 20040302 (140)

BUILD A PEACEFUL, UNIFIED AND RECONCILED SOCIETY

VATICAN CITY, FEB 28, 2004 (VIS) - This morning the Holy Father received the Letters of Credence of the new ambassador of the Republic of Argentina, Carlos Luis Custer, and recalled that this year marks the centenary "of the inauguration of the monument of Christ the Redeemer in the Andes, on the border with Chile."

"If then," he said, "it was an expression of confidence in divine help in order to resolve serious problems for the life of the country," now this solemnity "is again a great reason for hope, for it revives that joyful faith and anticipates the future commitment to continue to promote values that are inspired by the Gospel and that contribute decisively to building a more peaceful, unified and reconciled society which strives to improve the conditions of life of all citizens without exception."

John Paul II underscored that Argentina "is a unique witness to the fruits that the cordial relations and spirit of collaboration between the Church and nations have in different milieux." In some cases, he affirmed, such relations facilitate finding solutions "to critical questions that endanger the inestimable value of peace on the path of dialogue and understanding." In other cases, he said, good relations help to "minimize external factors which influence serious economic trends, while never ceasing to encourage those who suffer these consequences so that they may develop their great capacity to work and be creative in order to overcome them."

The Holy Father highlighted the Church's effort "to invite all men and women of good will to build a society based on fundamental values that cannot be compromised in order to achieve a national and international order worthy of man. One value is certainly that of human life" which must be "carefully guarded, immediately putting a stop to the many attempts to subtly degrade the primordial good of life, turning it into a mere instrument for other ends."

"Another pillar of society," he continued, "is marriage, the union between man and woman, open to life, which gives a place to the natural institution of the family." Laws, he added, "must scrupulously guarantee these rights of the family and help them with their duties when they are unable to fulfill them on their own." In this context, he recalled that the "lawmaker, and the Catholic lawmaker in particular, cannot contribute to formulating or approving laws contrary to the 'primary and essential norms that regulate moral life'."

"It is necessary to remember this," he concluded, "in a moment in which there is no lack of attempts to reduce marriage to a mere individual contract, in a moment of values which are very different from those that pertain to marriage and the family, and which end up degrading it as if it were a gratuitous association within a social body. Therefore, perhaps more than ever, public officials must protect and promote the family which is the fundamental nucleus of society in all its aspects, knowing that in this way they are promoting a stable and promising social justice." The Pope concluded by expressing his appreciation to Argentines "for their efforts in favor of marriage and the family during international meetings, and I invite you, at the same time, to continue doing so."
CD/CREDENTIALS/ARGENTINA:CUSTER VIS 20040301 (510)

AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, FEB 28, 2004 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

- His Beatitude Cardinal Ignace Moussa I Daoud, prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches.

- Archbishop Bruno Musaro, apostolic nuncio in Guatemala.

- Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the Congregations for Bishops.
AP/./. VIS 20040301 (50)