OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JAN 16, 2002 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Erected the ecclesiastical province of Feira de Santana (area 16,878, population 1,125,151, Catholics 979,906, priests 65, permanent deacons 5, religious 149), Brazil, elevating the diocese of Feira de Santana to the rank of metropolitan church and assigning to it as suffragans the dioceses of: Barra, Barreiras, Bonfim, Irece, Juazeiro, Paulo Afonso and Ruy Barbosa. He appointed Bishop Itamar Vian O.F.M. Cap. of Feira de Santana as the first metropolitan archbishop of the new ecclesiastical province. The archbishop-elect was born in Porto Alegre, Brazil, in 1940, ordained a priest in 1968 and consecrated bishop in 1983.

- Erected the ecclesiastical province of Vitoria da Conquista (area 24,709, population 750,000, Catholics 600,000, priests 26, permanent deacons 2, religious 72), Brazil, elevating the diocese of Vitoria da Conquista to the rank of metropolitan church and assigning to it as suffragans the dioceses of: Bom Jesus da Lapa, Caetite, Jequie and Livramento de Nossa Senhora. He appointed Bishop Geraldo Lyrio Rocha of Colatina, Brazil, as the first metropolitan archbishop of the new ecclesiastical province. The archbishop-elect was born in Fundao, Brazil, in 1942, ordained a priest in 1967 and consecrated bishop in 1984.

- Appointed Fr. Alessio Saccardo S.J., director of the St. Francis of Sales college in the archdiocese of Teresina, as bishop of Ponta de Pedras (area 14,283, population 106,504, Catholics 97,700, priests 11, religious 17), Brazil. The bishop-elect was born in Marano Vicentino, Italy, in 1940, and ordained a priest in 1970. He succeeds Bishop Angelo Maria Rivato S.J., whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

- Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the archdiocese of Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, presented by Auxiliary Bishop John Mendes, upon having reached the age limit.

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GENERAL AUDIENCE: INVOKE THE LORD WITH CONFIDENCE

VATICAN CITY, JAN 16, 2002 (VIS) - In today's general audience, which was held in the Paul VI Hall, the Holy Father spoke on Psalm 41 which contains the image of the deer longing for cooling streams to quench its thirst. This, he said, symbolizes: "the person in prayer who tends with all his being, body and soul, towards the Lord Who is felt to be distant yet, at the same time, necessary."

"The opening scene of the Psalm is an expression of the profound nostalgia generated by a past rendered joyful by wonderful liturgical celebrations that are now unattainable. ... The festive prayer of the past, raised to the Lord during worship in the Temple, is substituted by tears, lamentation and imploration."

Alas, the Pope went on, "the Psalmist is now far from Zion." He is in Galilee near the cataracts of the Jordan River. "However, these waters do not quench the thirst as do those of Zion. In the eyes of the psalmist they are similar to the turbulent waters of the flood that destroy all before them. He feels them overwhelm him like a raging torrent that annihilates life."

John Paul II explained that this deluge symbolizes "the corrupt, the enemy, perhaps even the pagans who live in the remote region where the faithful Psalmist has been relegated. They despise the just man and deride his faith, asking him ironically 'where is your God?' While he raises the anguished question to the Lord: 'Why have you forgotten me?' ... Faced by this tormented soul, can God remain silent? Of course not!" The following Psalm, number 42, contains "a faithful invocation to God: 'Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy'."

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, JAN 15, 2002 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences nine prelates from the Episcopal Conference of Vietnam, on their "ad limina" visit:
- Archbishop Jean-Baptiste Pham Minh Man of Thanh-Pho Ho Chi Minh, accompanied by his auxiliary, Bishop Joseph Vu Duy Thong.
- Bishop Nicolas Huynh Van Nghi of Phan Thiet, accompanied by his coadjutor, Bishop Paul Nguyen Thanh Hoan.
- Bishop Paul Nguyen Van Hoa of Nha Trang, accompanied by his coadjutor, Bishop Pierre Nguyen Van Nho.
- Bishop Barthelemy Nguyen Son Lam P.S.S., of Thanh Hoa.
- Bishop Jean-Baptiste Bui Tuan of Long Xuyen, accompanied by his coadjutor, Bishop Joseph Tran Xuan Tieu.

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JAN 15, 2002 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Regensburg, Federal Republic of Germany, presented by Bishop Manfred Muller, upon having reached the age limit.

- Appointed Bishop Peter Louis Caku, auxiliary of Kengtung (area 45,856, population 971,896, Catholics 54,326, priests 33, religious 113), Myanmar, as bishop of the same diocese. He succeeds Bishop Abraham Than whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, in conformity with Canon 401, para. 2, of the Code of Canon Law.

- Appointed Bishop Mario Joseph Conti of Aberdeen, Scotland, as metropolitan archbishop of Glasgow (area 1,165, population 900,000, Catholics 223,534, priests 245, religious 312), Scotland. The archbishop-elect was born in Elgin, Scotland, in 1934, ordained a priest in 1958 and consecrated bishop in 1977.

- Appointed Fr. Francis Daw Tang, pastor at Kamaing, Myanmar, as auxiliary of Myitkyina (area 78,000, population 1,600,000, Catholics 93,000, priests 41, religious 106), Myanmar. The bishop-elect was born in Maw Gun, Myanmar, in 1946 and ordained a priest in 1979.

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PARENTS COLLABORATE IN THEIR CHILDREN'S DIVINE PATERNITY

VATICAN CITY, JAN 13, 2002 (VIS) - In the Sistine Chapel at 10 a.m. today, Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, the Pope presided at a Eucharistic celebration during which he administered the Sacrament of Baptism to 20 newborns from Italy, France, Spain and the U.S.A.

In his homily the Pope said, addressing particularly the parents of the children, "the grace of Christ will transform their existence from mortal to immortal, freeing it from original sin. Give thanks to the Lord for the gift of their birth and of their spiritual rebirth today."

"These children," he continued, "today receive Baptism on the basis of your faith, which I will shortly ask you to profess. How much love, how much responsibility lies in the gesture you will perform in your children' name!"

"Yet, will they be able to open themselves to faith if they do not receive a worthy testimony thereof from the adults around them? These children need, above all, you, dear parents. They also need you, dear godparents, that they may learn to know the true God Who is merciful love. ... They will understand that God is faithfulness if they can recognize the reflection - though limited and fallible - of that faithfulness, above all, in your loving presence."

John Paul II concluded by emphasizing "parents' great responsibility of cooperating in the spiritual growth of their children. ... If your mission as parents 'according to the flesh' is great, how much more is that of collaborating in the divine paternity, offering your contribution to forming in these creatures the very image of Jesus, the perfect Man."

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