OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, MAR 6, 2001 (VIS) - The Holy Father confirmed Cardinal Camillo Ruini, vicar general for the diocese of Rome, as president of the Italian Episcopal Conference for another quinquennial term.

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JOHN PAUL II TO BEATIFY 233 SPANISH MARTYRS

VATICAN CITY, MAR 6, 2001 (VIS) - On Sunday, March 11, 2001, second Sunday of Lent, Pope John Paul will celebrate the Eucharist in St. Peter's Square during which he will beatify Servants of God Jose Aparicio Sanz, priest, and 232 companion martyrs: priests, religious and lay people.

According to a note from the Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff which announced the beatification ceremony, "(these Servants of God), having witnessed to the Gospel to the point of shedding their blood, belong to the sowing season of martyrs which has marked the second millennium of Christian life and has made the Church once again a Church of martyrs."

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IN MEMORIAM

VATICAN CITY, MAR 6, 2001 (VIS) - The following prelates died in recent weeks:

- Cardinal Jose Lebrun Moratinos, archbishop emeritus of Caracas, Venezuela, on February 21, at the age of 81.
- Bishop Roberto Carniello, emeritus of Volterra, Italy, on February 26, at the age of 83.
- Bishop Heinrich Machens, former auxiliary of Hildesheim, Germany, on February 17, at the age of 82.
- Bishop Benito Epifanio Rodriguez, former auxiliary of Rosario, Argentina, on February 15, at the age of 97.
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IT IS NECESSARY TO DEFEND AND SPREAD THE GOSPEL OF LIFE

VATICAN CITY, MAR 3, 2001 (VIS) - This morning the Holy Father received the participants of the general assembly of the Pontifical Academy for Life, who chose as their theme for reflection: "The culture of life: foundations and dimensions."

The Pope affirmed that "the best way to overcome the dangerous culture of death consists precisely in giving solid foundations and prominent significance to a culture of life which vigorously opposes it. It is not sufficient, even if necessary and proper, to be limited to exposing and denouncing the lethal effects of the culture of death. It is necessary to continually regenerate the inner fabric of contemporary culture."

"The 'Gospel of life'," of which the Encyclical "Evangelium Vitae" speaks, the Holy Father continued, "is a concrete and personal reality, because it consists in announcing the very person of Jesus. ... It involves a fundamental truth that the community of believers, today more than ever, is called to defend and spread."

The Holy Father recalled that "the recovery of the dignity of the body as 'subject', and not simply material 'object', forms the logical consequence of the biblical concept of the person. It involves a unitarian concept of the human being, which many currents of thought, from medieval philosophy to our time, have taught."

The challenges facing humanity today, on one side "from the progress of science and technology, and on the other from the process of the secularization of society, require a passionate and profound effort of reflection on man and on his being in the world and in history. It is necessary to demonstrate a great capacity for dialogue, listening, and proposal, in view of the formation of the conscience. Only thus can life be given to a culture founded on hope and open to the integral progress of every individual in different countries, in a just and sound way. Without a culture that maintains the right to life and promotes the fundamental values of every person, there cannot be a healthy society nor the guarantee of peace and justice."

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EVANGELIZATION, THE TOP PRIORITY OF BISHOPS

VATICAN CITY, MAR 3, 2001 (VIS) - The Pope this morning received the prelates of the Panamanian Episcopal Conference who have been in Rome this past week on their "ad limina" visit.

John Paul II reminded the bishops that their top priority is the proclamation of the Gospel. "In this sense," he said, "it is important that each bishop ingrain this same spirit of evangelization in his collaborators, most especially in priests."

"This will contribute in a decisive way to another very urgent priority in your dioceses, that is, the fostering of vocations, which demands a serious commitment on everyone's part."

The Holy Father said he knew the Panamanian prelates were concerned about making the Gospel message penetrate, given the differences among the regions, the "rapid social changes," the "widespread temptation to a life that is trivial, an egoistic consumerism, irresponsible sexuality, including easy recourse to violence."

"In the face of this," he continued, "and far from giving in to any temptation to despondency, you must be close to and have a word for young people, talking to them directly and without subterfuge, rescuing them from a superficial life or one without meaning, filling them with a determination for responsibility and defending them from the assault of a world filled with alluring deceptions."

John Paul II recalled that during his pastoral visit to Panama in 1983 he had the opportunity "to speak about the Christian meaning of the family." He urged the bishops to have a family pastoral ministry that balances "an adequate preparation for marriage and constant attention to family life with a call at the same time for public leaders to be responsible in all that which refers to educational programs and to the insertion of young people in society."

"In Panama, the Church and her pastors," he underlined, "have a great tradition of assisting the needy, defending ethnic minorities, of human promotion and championing education. I wish to urge you to pursue this path. ... In this sense, it is important to maintain a prophetic voice in the face of those situations of discrimination which seem to perpetuate themselves, even when they do not seem to cause social destabilization."

After underscoring that the Church attempts to promote the integral well-being of the person, he stated that she also makes efforts "to promote the true dignity of the person, which implies, on the one hand, respect for basic human rights and, on the other, a sense of responsibility, solidarity and cooperation in building a better world for everyone."

"This is a specific mission of the lay faithful," he concluded, "to which must be given privileged pastoral attention, so that they have a correct Christian formation and a great strength of soul in their social duties. In this way, they will know how to imbue the worlds of culture, science and politics with Gospel values."

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