AUDIENCE WITH GENERAL CONGRESS OF THE ORATORY OF PHILIP NERI

VATICAN CITY, OCT 5, 2000 (VIS) - At midday today in the Clementine Hall, John Paul II received the participants in the general congress of the Confederation of the Oratory of St. Philip Neri.

The Pope expressed the desire that the revision of the sources of St. Philip Neri's spirituality and works - which will take place during the congress - "will give rise in each congregation to a renewed awareness of the validity and contemporariness of the 'missionary method' of your founder, and make a significant contribution towards the commitment to 'new evangelization'."

"The ever-valid criterion for all renewal of the Christian community," said the Holy Father, "consists in returning to Jesus Christ: to His Word, to His presence, to the salvific action He accomplishes in the Sacraments of the Church. This commitment will lead priests to give precedence, as is part of your tradition, to the ministry of Confession and to the spiritual guidance of the faithful, in order to respond fully to your charism and to the Church's expectations. In this way, they will help lay people who belong to the secular oratories to understand the essential value of being 'christifideles' in the light of St. Philip Neri's own experience which, with regard to the laity, anticipated methods and ideas that would later turn out to be fruitful in the life of the Church."

The Pope asked that each congregation dedicate particular attention to the initial and permanent formation of its members in order to attain "a growing spiritual vitality and an effective apostolic presence. In particular, I call upon you to let yourselves be guided by these values - especially in approaching the world of youth which, notwithstanding the difficulties, is full of promise - considering yourselves as special envoys to those who are 'distant', but so close to the heart of the Savior."

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, OCT 5, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

- Bishop Joseph Anthony Fiorenza of Galveston-Houston, president of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops of the United States of America. Bishop Fiorenza was accompanied by Bishop Wilton Daniel Gregory of Belleville and Msgrs. Dennis M. Schnurr and William P. Fay, respectively vice-president, secretary general and secretary general-elect of the same conference.
- Archbishop Theodore-Adrien Sarr of Dakar, Senegal.
- Kizhakke Pisharath Balakrishnan, ambassador of India, accompanied by his wife, on a farewell visit.

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POPE TO PRESIDE FUNERAL MASS FOR CARDINAL RIGHI-LAMBERTINI

VATICAN CITY, OCT 5, 2000 (VIS) - Tomorrow morning at 10, at the Altar of the Chair in St. Peter's Basilica, Pope John Paul II will preside at a concelebrated funeral Mass for Cardinal Egano Righi-Lambertini, who died this morning at the age of 94.

Today Cardinal Angelo Sodano sent the following telegram in Pope John Paul's name to Gianangelo Gandolfi, the cardinal's nephew:

"The Holy Father, informed of the pious death of the dear Cardinal Egano Righi-Lambertini, raises fervent prayers to the Lord for the eternal happiness of the soul of the dear departed. He also recalls, with intense emotion, the long testimony of a priestly life totally consecrated to the glory of the Lord and the service of the Holy See, particularly as apostolic delegate in Korea and apostolic nuncio in Lebanon, Chile, Italy and finally in France, at the same time holding the position of permanent observer to the Council of Europe and always providing an example of authentic pastoral spirit and profound love for the Church. The Holy Father expresses to you and to relatives of the deceased his profound participation in your deep mourning, and sends you a heartfelt apostolic blessing. I add my personal condolences, recalling with grateful affection my venerated superior at the apostolic nunciature in Chile, and I assure you of my special prayers for his elect soul."

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CARDINAL OTUNGA OF KENYA CELEBRATES 50 YEARS AS A PRIEST

VATICAN CITY, OCT 4, 2000 (VIS) - Made public yesterday was a Letter from Pope John Paul to Cardinal Maurice Michael Otunga, archbishop emeritus of Nairobi, Kenya, who yesterday celebrated the 50th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood. The papal Letter, written in Latin, was dated September 3, 2000.

Cardinal Otunga was born in Kenya in 1923 and was ordained a priest on October 3, 1950, and a bishop in February, 1957. As coadjutor he succeeded the archbishop of Nairobi on October 24, 1971. He was made a cardinal by Pope Paul VI in the consistory of March 5, 1973.

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POPE EXPRESSES PAIN FOR MURDERED MISSIONARIES

VATICAN CITY, OCT 4, 2000 (VIS) - At the end of today's weekly general audience in St. Peter's Square, the Holy Father expressed his "pain and prayers" for the murder of two missionaries in Uganda and Burundi, and asked for the release of two others who had been kidnapped on September 6 at the Pamalap Mission in the region of Forecariah, Guinea.

"For several weeks now," he said, "worrisome news has been reaching us of bloody attacks in Guinea against the local population and against the refugees of Liberia and Sierra Leone. In the name of God I ask both for an end to so much violence and that everyone's rights be respected, especially those of refugees, who already live in precarious conditions."

The Holy Father asked for the release of Fathers Franco Manganello and Victor Mosele, kidnapped on September 6 and then expressed his "pain and prayers for the two Gospel workers, brutally assassinated in recent days: Fr. Rafaelle of Bari, Combinian, in Uganda, and Antonio Bargiggia, a lay missionary of the Brothers of the Poor, in Burundi. May the Lord receive in His peace these two faithful servants, who fell in fulfilling the 'greatest commandment', that of love."

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