MARRIAGE ESSENTIALLY DIFFERS FROM DE FACTO UNIONS

VATICAN CITY, JAN 21, 1999 (VIS) - The Pope this morning received prelate auditors, officials and lawyers from the Tribunal of the Roman Rota in the Clementine Hall on the occasion of the opening of the judicial year. The focus of the Pontiff's speech was on the analysis of the nature of marriage and its essential connotations in the light of natural law.

Having highlighted "the widespread deterioration of the natural and religious meaning of marriage," John Paul II stated that today "the very value and utility of the institution" are doubted. "Thus it is not possible to ignore the growing phenomenon of simple de facto unions and the insistent public opinion campaigns whose aim is to obtain conjugal dignity for unions including those between persons of the same sex."

"Conjugal love is not above all based on feelings, it is rather a commitment to the other person, which is accepted with a precise act of will. It is exactly this which qualifies this love, making it conjugal. Once the commitment is made and accepted by consent, love becomes conjugal, and never loses this character."

With the simulation of consent, the marriage rite acquires a purely exterior value, which does not correspond to "a reciprocal gift of love, of exclusive, indissoluble and fertile love. How can one fail to be astonished if a marriage of this kind is doomed to failure?"

"In the light of these principles, the essential difference existing between a mere de facto union - even if claimed to be founded on love - and marriage in which love means not only a moral but also a rigorously juridical commitment, can be established and understood." In the same way, "the pretense of attributing a 'conjugal' reality to the union of persons of the same sex is also revealed as being incongruous."

The Pope concluded by highlighting that "only in the union of two people of the opposite sex can the individual be fulfilled, in a synthesis of unity and mutual psycho-physical complementarity. In this perspective, love is not an end in itself, and is not reduced to the bodily meeting of two beings, but is rather a deep interpersonal relationship, which reaches its summit in full reciprocal giving, cooperating with God the Creator, the ultimate source of all new human life."

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JAN 21, 1999 (VIS) - The Holy Father today appointed Archbishop Pier Giacomo de Nicolo, apostolic nuncio in Syria, as apostolic nuncio in Switzerland and Liechtenstein.

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AUDIENCE

VATICAN CITY, JAN 21, 1999 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received Cardinal Johannes Willebrands, president emeritus of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.

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APPEAL FOR PEACE IN KOSOVO AND SIERRA LEONE

VATICAN CITY, JAN 20, 1999 (VIS) - At the end of today's general audience in the Paul VI Hall, Pope John Paul remarked that "peace is still threatened in so many parts of the world. In these days, fierce and merciless manifestations are taking place, in particular in Kosovo and Sierra Leone."

He continued: "We ask God with renewed trust that where there is hate, there might be an outpouring of God's mercy, reawakening the consciences of all those who guide the future of peoples and encouraging all to work for peace.

"A particular thought of closeness and solidarity goes to the archbishop of Freetown and to missionaries who are being held hostage by combatants in Sierra Leone, in spite of their untiring devoted service to the people in that African country. I call on all responsible, so that they might be set free as soon as possible to continue their mission of evangelization and charity."

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AUDIENCE: THE "FATHERHOOD" OF GOD IN THE OLD TESTAMENT

VATICAN CITY, JAN 20, 1999 (VIS) - At today's general audience held in the Paul VI Hall, the Holy Father spoke on the theme of "The 'Fatherhood' of God in the Old Testament."

The Pope said that "Israel recognized divine fatherhood from the sense of wonder in the face of creation and the gift of life."

"The respect which Israelite society demanded for parents led them to see God as a demanding father. In fact, Mosaic law is very strict with children who do not obey their parents, to the point of having the death penalty for whoever might strike or speak badly of their father or mother."

John Paul II recalled that "God, in saving Israel from slavery in Egypt, calls it to enter into a relationship of covenant with Him and even to considering itself his first born. ... Israel was obliged to observe a law which distinguished it from other peoples, to whom it should bear witness to divine fatherhood which it experienced in a special way."

"Divine fatherhood for Israel is characterized by an intense, constant and compassionate love. In spite of the infidelities of the people and the ensuing threats of punishment, God reveals himself as being able to continue to love them."

Likewise, "a fatherhood so divine and at the same time so 'human' in the way in which it is expressed, includes in itself the characteristics which are normally associated with motherly love. ... The divine attitude towards Israel is expressed with motherly gestures, which express tenderness and goodness."

In his greetings to pilgrims in different languages, the Holy Father asked for prayers to Our Lady of Guadalupe before his forthcoming trip to Mexico, "so that she might guide the steps of the new evangelization among the peoples of Hispanic language and culture."

Finally, having recalled that we are celebrating the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, he invited all "to participate with prayer and concrete commitment to the cause of full communion between believers in Christ."

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