BERTOLI: PROFOUND LOVE FOR GOD AND SERVICE TO THE CHURCH

VATICAN CITY, NOV 10, 2001 (VIS) - Yesterday afternoon at the Altar of the Chair in St. Peter's Basilica, John Paul II presided over the funeral for Cardinal Paolo Bertoli, who died last Thursday in Rome at the age of 93. Concelebrating with the Pope were members of the College of Cardinals.

In his homily, the Pope recalled the many ecclesial services that the Cardinal carried out in Eastern and Western Europe, as well as in Latin America, the Middle East and in the organisms of the Holy See. He was also prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints and camerlengo (chamberlain) of Holy Roman Church.

"The long ecclesial ministry of Cardinal Bertoli was constantly sustained by the strength of God's love, which found its most genuine and immediate expression in the witness of charity and in concrete gestures of solidarity towards his brethren, especially the poorest and most suffering."

The Holy Father emphasized that "During his entire life Cardinal Paolo Bertoli was supported by this great ideal: an intense and profound love towards God, a generous and faithful service to the Church, courageous and supportive action on behalf of his brethren."

"To the Church and the Pope he offered a precious service in the different tasks entrusted to him, always seeking to respond - as he himself recalls in his will - 'with the spirit of faith and fidelity', and with 'that simplicity so dear to me'."

HML;FUNERAL CARDINAL BERTOLI;...;...;VIS;20011112;Word: 250;

POPE JOHN PAUL GREETS DELEGATION OF NEW YORK FIREMEN

VATICAN CITY, NOV 10, 2001 (VIS) - Pope John Paul this morning offered "a warm welcome to the delegation from the New York City Fire Department, so many of whose members lost their lives in the terrorist attack of September 11."

"May Almighty God," the Pope said, "grant the bereaved families consolation and peace, and may He give you and your fellow firefighters strength and courage to carry on your great service to your city. With the promise of my continued prayers I invoke upon you and your families God's abundant blessings."

AC;FIREFIGHTERS;...;NEW YORK;VIS;20011112;Word: 100;

CHRISTIAN FORMATION IMPARTED BY FAMILIES, SCHOOLS AND PARISHES

VATICAN CITY, NOV 10, 2001 (VIS) - The bishops of Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei were welcomed by the Holy Father this morning upon the conclusion of their "ad limina" visit. In his talk to them in English the Pope underscored the importance of the family, the school and the parish in the "lifelong Christian formation" of the faithful.

He told the prelates that "lifelong Christian formation ... is the essential support of a solid Christian life, a formation that begins in Baptism, develops through grace at every stage of life's journey, and will end only when our eyes are fully opened in the beatific vision of heaven. ... It unfolds in the lives of most of the faithful (in) the family, the school and the parish. These are not just conventional arrangements which might at some point be judged outmoded; they are in fact enduringly valid institutions through which the grace of Christ is mediated to those involved."

"In your lands," said the Pope, "the family is under pressure. Divorce has become more common. ... Among couples of different religious allegiance, the problem is especially felt, since the shared bond of faith is lacking. Family life is also more difficult where the mass media present values contrary to the Gospel and become instruments of a vision of life reduced to the ephemeral and unsubstantial." He underlined the Church's "mission of proclaiming to all people the plan of God for marriage and the family."

John Paul II then noted that, "In the lifelong process of formation, Catholic schools are closely associated with parents in teaching children to know and love both God and man." He praised the work in the field of Catholic education in their particular Churches, but noted that "the presence of Religious in the schools is less assured now than it was, and dedicated lay teachers are assuming wider responsibility." He urged the bishops to pay special attention "to their training ... to ensure that they see their professional work as a genuine vocation ... and to ensure that what is most distinctive about Catholic schools is not compromised."

The Holy Father then turned to the role of the parish, saying that "Just as schools cannot be separated from the education that takes place within the family, so too they are intimately related to the formation offered in the parish. This is especially true where the faith cannot be taught in schools but must be taught in the parish." The Pope emphasized the importance of "special formal and informal training," not only for catechists but for priests as well.

And, he said, "What is true of priests is also true, a fortiori, of bishops. ... With the many pressures of your ministry, it is never easy to find the time for further study and reflection. Yet this is very necessary."

In conclusion, Pope John Paul stated: "The Catholic family, school and parish must, each in its own way, become more and more a school of faith and holiness, a sanctuary where God is worshipped and a service to a broken world."

AL;...;...;MALAYSIA; SINGAPORE; BRUNEI;VIS;20011112;Word: 490;

POPE MEETS VOLUNTEERS FOR HEALTH CARE, POOR AND MIGRANTS

VATICAN CITY, NOV 10, 2001 (VIS) - The Pope received today in St. Peter's Basilica the volunteers of the diocese of Rome who work in the areas of health care, migrants, and service to the poor of the city. The meeting, which began with a Mass celebrated by Cardinal Camillo Ruini, vicar general of Rome, was promoted to coincide with the International Year of Volunteer Work.

"Thank you," John Paul II said, "for the generous witness which you offer in a society often dominated by the desire to have and to possess! As faithful disciples and imitators of Christ, you are urged to go against the current, accomplishing the Gospel choice to serve your brothers, not only because you are moved by the desire to achieve legitimate objectives of social justice, but also, and above all, because you are animated by the unstoppable force of divine charity."

The Holy Father referred to the deficiencies in Rome's social services and to the inadequacies of basic services in some areas, as well as "the marginalization in which beggars, nomads, drug addicts, and those with AIDS live, not to mention the disintegration of the family which punishes the weakest persons, and the forms of physical and psychological violence against women and children. How can we forget, furthermore, the problems related to immigration, and to the increase in the number of elderly who are alone, and of the sick and the needy. This worrying social scenario ... calls upon institutions, but in particular Christian communities."

"In order to carry out its prophetic role, the action of the volunteer must be faithful to several typical essential traits: the search above all for an authentic promotion of individuals and of the common good, which goes beyond purely necessary assistance, in the style of genuine volunteerism. ... This style proper to volunteers ... is jealously guarded also when it benefits from those forms of economic support provided by law for the carrying out of volunteer work."

At the end of the audience, the Pope greeted in German the members of the spiritual family "Das Werk" (The Work), which received pontifical approval in August as a "family of consecrated life", and he gave them a message.

AC;ROME VOLUNTEERS;...;...;VIS;20011112;Word: 380;

THE FAITH-LIFE RELATION: A GREAT CHALLENGE OF EVANGELIZATION

VATICAN CITY, NOV 11, 2001 (VIS) - At 9:30 this morning, the Holy Father visited the Roman parish of Santa Maria Mater Dei, where he celebrated the Eucharist. This is the 298th Roman parish that he has visited since the beginning of his pontificate and as bishop of Rome.

The Pope affirmed that this Sunday's liturgy invites us to reflect on the resurrection of the dead. He underscored that "We repeat with firmness our faith in the resurrection of the dead in the face of the critical positions of contemporary thought as well. This is one of the fundamental points of Christian teaching, which illuminates with consoling light our entire earthly existence."

John Paul II reminded the parishioners that many professionals, journalists, and university professors live in their neighborhood. "This," he said, "offers the opportunity to develop a useful pastoral experience, involving these experts and practitioners of language and communication in programs of reflection and deeper study on the fundamental themes of Christian teaching. The relation between faith and life is today one of the most exacting challenges for the new evangelization."

The Pope asked the faithful to follow in the footsteps of Blessed Luigi Orione, "indefatigable apostle of charity and fidelity to the Church," to whom a Center in this area is dedicated. "Follow, dear people, in his footsteps, imitating him in filial obedience to the Church, in the untiring search for the good of souls, in attention to the poor and the needy."

Addressing the youth, the Pope asked them to be "missionaries" to their peers, "without becoming discouraged in the face of difficulties and seeking forms of evangelization suitable to the world of young people. ... to realize a fruitful apostolate, be faithful to prayer and remain anchored to the solid rock which is Christ."

The Holy Father concluded inviting the youth to prepare for the next World Youth Day, which will be celebrated in Toronto, Canada, in July 2001.

HML;...;...;SANTA MARIA MATER DEI;VIS;20011112;Word: 330;