HOLY SEE AT MEETING ON NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION TREATY

VATICAN CITY, APR 28, 2004 (VIS) - Archbishop Celestino Migliore, Holy See permanent observer to the United Nations, spoke yesterday in New York at the Third Session of the Preparatory Committee for the 2005 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT). The meeting began on April 26 and concludes May 7.

  In opening remarks, the archbishop said that, although this Treaty "has contributed to international peace and security, there is still much to accomplish," especially because the Treaty's integrity and good faith application are being challenged today. "The NPT promised a world in which nuclear weapons would be eliminated and nuclear technological cooperation for development would be widespread."

  "The current geo-political environment," stated the nuncio, "especially considering the threat posed by global terrorist networks acquiring weapons of mass destruction, requires us to reinforce these commitments. At the same time, it is becoming obvious that nuclear business as usual cannot continue." 

  He then outlined three concerns: 1)    Nuclear-weapon States have not given evidence of fulfilling their obligations related to the elimination of their nuclear arsenals; 2) Non-nuclear-weapon States Parties have Article II obligations which include not receiving, transferring, manufacturing or otherwise acquiring nuclear weapons yet "it is becoming clear that peaceful (use of nuclear energy) can be too easily diverted into weapons programs"; 3) "Yet another problem is posed by States which remain outside or withdraw from the NPT."
 
  Archbishop Migliore reiterated the Holy See position that "a 'peace' based on nuclear weapons cannot be the peace we seek in the 21st century. ... A global dialogue is necessary" which "should be multilateral, informed by public opinion and the views of expert analysts." He affirmed Holy See support for "an international conference to identify ways to eliminate nuclear dangers, such as those explicitly mentioned in the U.N. Millennium Declaration."
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IN LITURGY AND PRAYER WE ENVISION CHRIST'S FACE

VATICAN CITY, APR 28, 2004 (VIS) - In today's general audience, which took place in St. Peter's Square, the Pope spoke about the second part of Psalm 26, "The prayer of the persecuted innocent." It is, he said, "a song of faith raised to the Lord on the dark day of assault by the wicked."

  "But even now, as in the first part of the psalm, the decisive element is the faith of the supplicant in the Lord Who saves us in times of trial and sustains us in tribulation."

  The Holy Father said that there are three symbolic elements in the psalm. "The first, which is negative, is the nightmare of the enemies ... described as false witnesses who breathe violence out of their nostrils. ... There is an aggressive evil in the world whose inspiration and guide is Satan."

   John Paul II said that the second image "clearly illustrates the serene confidence of the faithful, even when abandoned by their parents." In this context, he urged that these words of the psalm be a consolation to the elderly, the sick and those who are lonely, "so that they feel the fatherly and motherly hand of the Lord who silently and lovingly touches their faces which are sad and perhaps wet with tears."

  The Pope indicated that the third and last element which is repeated various times in the psalm is: "'Seek His face.  I will seek your face, Lord!  Do not hide your face from me.'  The face of God is the goal of the supplicant's spiritual search. ... In the language of the psalms 'seek the Lord's face' is often synonymous with entering the temple to celebrate and experience communion with God. ... In liturgy and in personal prayer, we obtain the grace to envision that face that we will never be able to directly see during our earthly existence."

  In concluding remarks at the audience, the Holy Father recalled that tomorrow is the feast of St. Catherine of Siena, patron of Italy and Europe. "May the example of this great saint help everyone to persevere in the faith and to bear generous witness to Christ
and His Gospel in every moment."
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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, APR 26, 2004 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

 - Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the archdiocese of Dublin, Ireland, presented by Cardinal Desmond Connell upon having reached the age limit. Coadjutor Archbishop Diarmuid Martin succeeds him.

 - Appointed Bishop Claudio Stagni, auxiliary of the archdiocese of Bologna, Italy, as bishop of Faenza-Modigliani (area 1,044, population 121,000, Catholics 116,000, priests 134, permanent deacons 3,  religious 219), Italy. 

  It was made public on Saturday April 24 that the Holy Father:

  - Elevated Msgr. Jan Kocis, protosyncellus of the Apostolic Exarchate for Catholics of the Byzantine Rite resident in the Czech Republic, to the dignity of bishop.

 - Appointed Sr. Enrica Rosanna, F.M.A., of the Pontifical Faculty of Educational Sciences "Auxilium" of the Daughters of Mary, Our Help, as undersecretary of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.
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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, APR 26, 2004 (VIS) - Today the Holy Father received in separate audiences:

- Nine prelates from the United States Bishops Conference on their "ad limina" visit:

    - Cardinal Theodore Edgar McCarrick, archbishop of Washington, accompanied by Auxiliary Bishops Leonard James Olivier, S.V.D., Kevin Joseph Farrell, and Francisco Gonzalez Valer, S.F.

    - Cardinal William Henry Keeler of Baltimore, accompanied by Auxiliary Bishops Gordon Dunlap Bennett, S.J., William Francis Malcoly, and William Clifford Newman.

    - Bishop George Vance Murry of St. Thomas, Virgin Islands.

  On Saturday April 24, the Holy Father received in separate audiences:

- Carlos Abella y Ramallo, ambassador of Spain, accompanied by his wife on his farewell visit.

- Bishop Velasio De Paolis, secretary of the Supreme Court of the Apostolic Signatura, accompanied by family members.

-  Archbishop Josef Michalik of Przemysl, Poland.
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LEADERS URGED TO GENEROUSLY SERVE THEIR COMMUNITIES

VATICAN CITY, APR 26, 2004 (VIS) - Pope John Paul this morning received representatives of the National Association of Italian Municipalities which has gathered to celebrate the centenary of Giorgio La Pira, whom the Pope called "an eminent figure in politics, culture and spirituality of the last century."

  He noted that La Pira worked "for the cause of fraternal coexistence among nations," in particular "to favor friendship between the peoples whose reference is Abraham - Hebrew, Christian and Islamic." And he thanked the association for their tangible gift in La Pira's memory of "concrete aid for the Caritas Baby Hospital in Bethlehem."

  "Before the leaders of the world," said the Holy Father, Giorgio La Pira "set forth with firmness his ideas as a believer and as a man who loved peace, inviting his interlocutors to a common effort to promote this basic good in various spheres: in society, politics, the economy, cultures and among religions." The Pope added that, in an October 1964 letter to his friend Amintore Fanfani, a former Italian prime minister, La Pira "wrote words of a surprising actuality: 'Politicians are civil guides to whom the Lord entrusts, through the changing technologies of the times, the mandate to lead peoples towards peace, unity, and the spiritual and civil promotion of each people and of everyone together'."

  In closing, John Paul II urged the mayors present today to follow La Pira's example and "place yourselves generously at the service of your communities, with special attention to the younger generation. ... Thanks to everyone's contribution, the dream of a better world can become a reality."
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