CONSISTORY FOR THE CREATION OF THE NEW CARDINALS

VATICAN CITY, JAN 30, 2001 (VIS) - On Wednesday, February 21, at 10:30 a.m. in St. Peter's Square, the Holy Father will hold the Ordinary Public Consistory for the creation of 44 new cardinals, according to a communique from the Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff.

Courtesy visits to the new cardinals will take place on February 21, from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., in locations still to be announced.

On Thursday, February 22, feast of the Chair of Peter, at 10:30 a.m. in St. Peter's Square, the Holy Father will preside over the Eucharistic celebration with the new cardinals, on whom he will bestow the cardinalate ring.

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POPE WELCOMES HUNGARY'S BISHOPS ON "AD LIMINA" VISIT

VATICAN CITY, JAN 30, 2001 (VIS) - Pope John Paul today resumed the traditional quinquennial "ad limina" visits to Rome by bishops, which he had suspended during the Jubilee year, except for two individual bishops whom he met in June from Vietnam and Portugal. Today he welcomed the bishops of Hungary to the Vatican and, in his talk to them in their language, he highlighted the need to defend life, combat religious indifference and renew their pastoral ministries to families and to young people.

Recalling that Hungary is now celebrating its first millennium as a Christian nation, the Pope said he liked the motto they had chosen for the occasion: "Our past is our hope - Christ is our future." He said that Christ must be the focus of the lives of all the faithful: "It is important never to lose sight of the face of the Savior and to put into practice the Gospel message."

The Holy Father expressed his "appreciation" for the bishops' efforts to promote "an authentic spirituality," and reminded them that one of the principal Gospel imperatives is the defense of life: "More than ever ... we must inspire a true 'culture of life' in our world."

"Notwithstanding your tireless dedication," the Pope went on, "even in your country we note worrisome data which marks in many countries of the old continent the spread of an ever more preoccupying culture of death. The statistics on abortion published in the last ten years in your country are alarming. They must incite you to defend without fear and with clarity human life in every phase of its existence, from conception to natural death. Do everything possible to encourage pregnant women to complete their pregnancy." Pastors, he added, "must be ready to speak on every occasion, opportune or not."

Turning to the religious indifference which marks many societies today, John Paul II said that "even if He is put on the margins or silenced, God is present. Certainly, many live as if God does not exist. But the desire for Him is always alive in man's heart. Man, in fact, ... seeks a truth which transcends him because he feels ... that in this is the meaning of his own life."

The Holy Father then spoke of the decades of persecution which the Church in Hungary had suffered, saying that some of the forms it took were "violent, others sophisticated and more subtle. In the last ten years the Church has lived a different reality: this 'turning point' has brought not only new freedom but also a 'consumeristic shock'. Material goods are on display with such insistence that they often suffocate any desire for religious and moral values."

Consumerism also often makes us overlook or forget the meaning of Sunday, the Pope underlined. "Sunday is both the day of the Lord and the day of man. ... Man, as a person, must never be crushed by economic interests. And this is a real risk because 'consumer societies', where God is often given up as dead, have created enough idols, among which is that of profit at all costs." He urged the bishops "to reawaken the voice of God in man's conscience."

In closing words, Pope John Paul urged the bishops to renew their pastoral ministry to Christian families, "true domestic Churches," and to pay particular attention to young people.

To fulfill these and other pastoral ministries, the Pope advised Hungary's bishops to use not only the traditional forms of evangelization such as preaching, catechesis, retreats and pastoral letters, but to also turn to "the new 'areopaghi'" of the radio, television and new technologies. He congratulated them for "wishing to realize a Catholic radio network."

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JAN 30, 2001 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Erected the ecclesiastical province of Catanzaro-Squillace, elevating the archdiocese of the same name to metropolitan church, until now "immediate subiecta Sanctae Sedi," assigning as suffragans the archdiocese of Crotone-Santa Severina and the diocese of Lamezia Terma, until now suffragans of Reggio Calabria-Bova. He appointed Archbishop Antonio Cantisani as metropolitan archbishop of Cantazaro-Squillace.

- Erected the ecclesiastical province of Cosenza-Bisignano, elevating the archdiocese of the same name to metropolitan see, until now "immediate subiecta Sanctae Sedi," assigning as suffragans the archdiocese of Rossano-Cariate and the diocese of Cassano all'Jonio, until now suffragans of Reggio Calabria-Bova and the diocese of S. Marco Argentano-Scalea, until now "immediate subiecta Sanctae Sedi." He appointed Archbishop Giuseppe Agostino as metropolitan archbishop of Cosenza-Bisignano.

- Appointed Msgr. Robert Wattebled, vicar general of Arras, as bishop of Nimes (area 5,880, population 600,000, Catholics 360,000, priests 195, religious 250, permanent deacons 6), France. The bishop-elect was born in Calais in 1946 and ordained a priest in 1974.

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, JAN 30, 2001 (VIS) - The Holy Father received the following this morning in audience:

- Cardinal Bernardin Gantin, dean of the College of Cardinals.
- Cardinal Francis Arinze, president of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue.

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HOLY FATHER ADDRESSES CONGRESS ON SACRED MUSIC

VATICAN CITY, JAN 27, 2001 (VIS) - This morning in the Consistory Hall, Pope John Paul met 80 participants in the International Congress of Sacred Music, including composers, musicians, specialists in liturgy and teachers of sacred music. He also greeted representatives of the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, the Patriarchate of the Russian Orthodox Church, the Lutheran World Federation and the Jewish community.

In his talk to them in French, Spanish, English and Italian, the Pope underscored the history of sacred music and the multiple forms it has taken over the centuries in the Church, including Gregorian Chant, polyphony and popular religious music. He recalled that it was "following the ancient Jewish tradition, in which Christ and the disciples were nourished, that sacred music developed throughout the centuries on all continents, according to the genius of each culture, and showing the magnificent creative elan displayed by the various liturgical families of East and West."

The Holy Father remarked that "Gregorian chant is an integral part of the liturgy" and "a unique and universal spiritual and cultural patrimony ... at the service of the Word of God. Its influence on the development of music in Europe was considerable." He added that the Church "also shows that it is hospitable to other musical forms, especially polyphony."

"The 20th century, especially the second half," he pointed out, "saw a development of popular religious music in line with the desire expressed by the Second Vatican Council that it be 'skillfully fostered'. This form of singing is especially suitable for the participation of the faithful, both in devotional practices and in the liturgy itself. It requires qualities of creativity of the composers and poets."

John Paul II then made reference to the many celebrations during the Holy Year, stating that "Gregorian chant, classical and contemporary polyphony, popular hymns, especially the Hymn of the Great Jubilee, made possible liturgical celebrations which were fervent and of high quality."

The Pope then paid homage to an Italian artist, recalling that "today ... we are commemorating the centenary of the death of the great composer Giuseppe Verdi, who owed much to the Christian heritage."

In concluding remarks, the Holy Father said that "the application of Vatican Council II orientations on the renewal of sacred music and liturgical song ... today calls for a solid formation of pastors and faithful on the cultural, spiritual, liturgical and musical levels."

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