OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, NOV 8, 2004 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Fr. Enrique Benavent Vidal, head dean of the faculty of Theology in Valencia, Spain, as auxiliary of the same archdiocese (area 13,060, population 2,499,357, Catholics 2,294,307, priests 1,556, religious 4,900).  The bishop-elect was born in Quatretonda, Spain in 1959 and was ordained a priest in 1982.

  It was made public on Saturday November 8 that the Holy Father:

- Appointed Bishop Edouard Mathos, auxiliary of the archdiocese of Bangui, Central African Republic, as bishop of Bambari (area 173,000, population 334,714, Catholics 121,957, priests 23, religious 28). He succeeds Bishop Jean-Claude Rembanga whose resignation from the same diocese was accepted in accordance with Canon 401, para. 2, of the Code of Canon Law.

- Appointed Msgr. Sofronio Aguirre Bancud, S.S.S., auxiliary of the diocese of Cabanatuan, the Philippines, as bishop of the same diocese (area 2,743, population 1,703,280, Catholics 862,313, priests 46, religious 68).  The bishop-elect was born in 1948 in Atulayan, the Philippines, and was ordained a priest in 1977.

- Appointed Bishop Dominik Duka, O.P., of Hradec Kralove, Czech Republic, as apostolic administrator "sede plena et donec aliter provideatur" of the diocese of Litomerice area 9.380 population 1,335,154, Catholics 277,736, priests 143, permanent deacons 14, religious 102) Czech Republic.
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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, NOV 8, 2004 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

- Three prelates from the Episcopal Conference of the Indian Ocean on their "ad limina" visit:

   - Bishop Maurice Piat, C.S.Sp. of Port-Louis, Ile Maurice (Mauritius).

   - Bishop Alain Harel, apostolic vicar of Rodrigues, Ile Maurice (Mauritius).

   - Bishop Denis Wiehe, C.S.Sp. of Port-Victoria or Seychelles, Seychelles.

- Cardinal Jozef Glemp, archbishop of Warsaw and primate of Poland.

  On Saturday November 6, the Holy Father received in separate audiences:

- Cardinal Jozef Tomko, president of the Pontifical Committee for International Eucharistic Congresses.

- Archbishop Domenico De Luca, apostolic nuncio.

- Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops
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IN BRIEF

POPE JOHN PAUL WROTE A LETTER TO CARDINAL ENNIO ANTONELLI, archbishop of Florence, Italy, on the occasion of the upcoming celebrations for the centenary of the birth of Giorgio La Pira, former mayor of Florence and "an exemplary Christian lay person." In the November 1 Letter he wrote that "La Pira was gifted with great intellectual and moral strength," and noted "the spiritual legacy that he left the Church of Florence and the entire ecclesial community. His spirituality was, so to speak, 'immanent' to daily activity; from Eucharistic communion to meditation, to his cultural commitment, to social and political action, there was continuity in all he did. .... Faithful to the Magisterium of the Church, ... he understood public office as serving the common good. ... Let us pray that his example will stimulate and encourage all those who make an effort to witness, with their lives, to the Gospel in modern society and who work for the common good."

IN A LETTER DATED OCTOBER 18, AND PUBLISHED TODAY, to Cardinal Salvatore De Giorgi, archbishop of Palermo, Italy and president of the Sicilian Episcopal Conference, the Holy Father expressed his "spiritual presence" at the October 24 Eucharistic celebration in Palermo that concluded a week of prayer and reflection preparatory to celebrations in Sicily to mark the 150th anniversary of the proclamation of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception. The Pope noted that, in the 17th century, the city of Palermo officially asked the Holy See to proclaim this dogma, adding that "the Immaculate Conception was proclaimed the principal patroness of all Sicily, with the faithful committed to professing and defending this truth, to the point of dying for it. ... In 1850 the Sicilian episcopacy, answering a query by Pope Pius IX, unanimously expressed their hope that this dogma would be proclaimed, affirming that the belief in the Immaculate Conception of Mary was an integral and undeniable part of the patrimony of faith and piety of the Christian people of the island."
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HINDUS AND CHRISTIANS: TOGETHER TO HELP NEEDY CHILDREN

VATICAN CITY, NOV 8, 2004 (VIS) - Made public today was the annual message of Archbishop Michael L. Fitzgerald, president of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue, to Hindus on the festival of Diwali which represents the victory of light over darkness, or good over evil.

  The theme of the message, published in English, French, and Italian, is: "Collaboration between Hindus and Christians with Special Reference to Children."  Archbishop Fitzgerald writes that children participate in the festival with great enthusiasm and he recalls that Jesus expressed a special love for them, especially for their "simplicity, their joy of life, their spontaneity, and their faith filled with wonder," as the Holy Father reminds us.
 
  After discussing the evils that afflict children, such as forced labor, forced conscription, breakdown of the family, trafficking in organs and persons, sexual abuse, forced prostitution, AIDS, the sale and use of drugs, Archbishop Fitzgerald posed the question: "What have children done to merit such suffering?"

  The president of the council urges Hindus and Christians in India to work together "in support of underprivileged children, who are often the innocent victims of war and violence, inadequate food and water, forced immigration and the many forms of injustice present in today's world."

  "I am fully aware that such cooperation between the followers of our two religious traditions already exists, but we could and should do more, as the problem is serious, indeed it is tragic. Your suggestions as to what could be done to give children their rightful place in society would be most welcome. Our children are our future; they are the future of humanity."
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SCIENCE CAN BENEFIT MAN IF DETACHED FROM FINANCES, IDEOLOGY

VATICAN CITY, NOV 8, 2004 (VIS) - Today the Pope received the participants of the plenary session of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, which has been meeting since November 5 in the Vatican's Casina Pius IV on the theme "Paths of Discovery."

   He underscored that "this year's plenary session, devoted to science and creativity, raises important questions deeply connected with the spiritual dimension of man. ... Revelation teaches that men and women are created in the 'image and likeness of God' and thus possessed of a special dignity which enables them, by the work of their hands, to reflect God's own creative activity."

   "The creativity which inspires scientific progress," said John Paul II, "is seen especially in the capacity to confront and solve ever new issues and problems, many of which have planetary repercussions.  Men and women of science are challenged to put this creativity more and more at the service of the human family, by working to improve the quality of life on our planet and by promoting an integral development of the human person, both materially and spiritually. If scientific creativity is to benefit authentic human progress, it must remain detached from every form of financial or ideological conditioning, so that it can be devoted solely to the dispassionate search for truth and the disinterested service of humanity."

   He told the academicians that the theme of their meeting "invites renewed reflection on the 'paths of discovery'. ... The 'wonder' which sparked the earliest philosophical reflection on nature and which gave rise to science itself, has in no way been diminished by new discoveries; indeed, it constantly increases and often inspires awe at the distance which separates our knowledge of creation from the fullness of its mystery and grandeur."

   In concluding, the Holy Father said: "Despite the uncertainties and the labor which every attempt to interpret reality entails - not only in the sciences, but also in philosophy and theology - the paths of discovery are always paths towards truth. And every seeker after truth, whether aware of it or not, is following a path which ultimately leads to God, Who is Truth itself."
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