TELEGRAM UPON THE DEATH OF CARDINAL TODEA

VATICAN CITY, MAY 23, 2002 (VIS) - John Paul II sent a telegram from Azerbaijan to Archbishop Lucian Murecan of Fagaras y Alba Iulia, Romania, upon the death, yesterday afternoon, of Cardinal Alexandru Todea, emeritus of the same diocese, at 89 years of age. The cardinal was born in Teleac, Romania in June 1912, and was ordained a priest in 1939, bishop in 1950 and made a cardinal in 1991. He spent 16 years in jail and 27 years under house arrest during the period of the communist regime. The last time that he was with the Pope was during his pastoral visit to Romania in May of 1999.

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PAPAL MASS IN BAKU: CHURCH HONORS CATHOLIC COMMUNITY

VATICAN CITY, MAY 23, 2002 (VIS) - John Paul II celebrated Mass this morning in the Sports Palace of Baku, Azerbaijan, which was filled to its capacity of 1,500 people. The 120 Catholic faithful were joined by other Catholics who work in the country and by a group of Orthodox Christians and various refugees of Nagorno-Karabaj who live in camps in the Azerbaijani capital.

"The universal Church pays tribute," the Pope said in his homily, "to all those who succeeded in remaining faithful to their Baptismal commitments, ... in particular those who experienced the tragedy of Marxist persecution. ... I wish to repeat once again, honor also to you, the holy Orthodox Church; you opened your doors to the Catholic faithful, who were without fold or shepherd. May the Lord reward your generosity."

"The Pope today," he continued "is here to share in your joy at freedom restored, and to support you on the journey which has as its final goal the promised land of Heaven. ... Sustained by this certainty, you know that this is a time of joy, a time of hope. A sign of this is the foundation stone of the future parish church, which I shall bless at the end of Mass. The Pope brings you the greetings and the esteem of the entire Catholic Church."

"O Church present in Azerbaijan, today I would like to leave you as your task what we asked for in the opening prayer of today's Eucharist. Know that you are 'a people gathered from all the nations of the earth in the unity of the one spirit.' Your community, Brothers and Sisters, is a symbolic expression of that universality," formed by people of many places and "by those who are on their way to other lands."

The Holy Father urged Catholics to be faithful to their mission "to preserve the faith and bear witness to it with a life which is truly prophetic, so that the world may believe. ... You share the joys and hopes of the people who live close to you and with you. ... Be cautious, but have the courage to make things new. ... Not the novelty that only brings uncertainty and insecurity, no! Rather, the newness that will restore to all, especially the young, a desire to live and work for world of greater justice and solidarity."
"Look at them, these young people! They run the risk of succumbing to the illusion of aimless idleness, of easy but dishonest gain. But they are also able to commit themselves to an ideal and risk the heroism of sacrifice in order to bring about the victory of justice and promote the establishment of freedom and peace. ... We have to reveal to them the radiant perspective of faith, of the friendship of Christ. There is no enthusiasm for good that Christ does not understand, for He Himself is eternally young!"

After the Eucharistic celebration, John Paul II went to the parish house to participate in a gathering with the Sheik of the Muslims of the Caucasus, the Orthodox Eparch and the president of the Jewish community. This was followed by lunch with the Salesian community and members of the papal entourage. In the afternoon, he is scheduled to go to the international airport at Baku and, after saying goodbye to the civil and religious authorities of the country, will leave for Sofia, Bulgaria at 5 p.m., arriving after a three-hour flight.

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NO WARS IN THE NAME OF GOD! NO PROFANATION IN HIS NAME!

VATICAN CITY, MAY 22, 2002 (VIS) - At 6 p.m., local time, in the Presidential Palace in Baku, Azerbaijan, Pope John Paul met with representatives of the religious of the country and with men and women representing politics, culture and the arts.

Noting that the "three great religions (are) present in this country, Jewish, Christian and Muslim," the Pope said: "Despite the differences between us, together we feel called to foster ties of mutual esteem and benevolence. I am aware of all that is being done by religious leaders in Azerbaijan to favor tolerance and mutual understanding. I am looking forward to the meeting tomorrow with the representatives of the three monotheistic religions, so that together we can affirm our conviction that religion must not serve to increase rivalry and hatred, but to promote peace and love.

"From this country, which has held and still holds tolerance as a primary value of all wholesome life in society, we wish to proclaim to the world: enough of wars in the name of God! No more profanation in His holy name! I have come to Azerbaijan as an ambassador of peace. As long as I have breath within me, I shall cry out: Peace, in the name of the God!"

"Praise to you, followers of Islam in Azerbaijan, for being open to hospitality, a cherished value of your religion and your people, and for having accepted the believers of other religions as brothers and sisters.

"Praise to you, Jewish people, who with courage and constancy, have kept your ancient traditions of good neighborliness, enriching this land with a contribution of great value and depth.

"Praise to you, Christians, who have given so much ... in shaping the identity of this land. Praise especially to you, Orthodox Church. ... When the fury of atheism was unleashed in this region, you welcomed the children of the Catholic Church who had lost their places of worship and their pastors, and put them into contact with Christ through the grace of the holy sacraments."

The Holy Father urged the men and women of culture and the arts to "transmit a taste for beauty to all those you meet!" He told them their contribution "is essential for the future of the Azerbaijani people. If culture is cast aside, if art is neglected and despised, the very survival of a civilization is imperiled."

Turning to the men and women of politics, he reminded them that their "specific activity is the service of the common good, the promotion of legality and justice, the guarantee of freedom and prosperity for all. But politics is also an area fraught with dangers. The selfish seeking of personal advantage can easily take over, to the detriment of faithful dedication to the common good." He remarked that "politics requires honesty and accountability" and that politicians "cannot deceive themselves: people do not forget!"
John Paul II exhorted the leaders to "look to your young people and spare no effort on their behalf. They are tomorrow's potential. ... Above all, care must be taken to educate them in the important values which last and give meaning to life and its pursuits."

In closing, the Pope addressed the men and women of religion: "You should become ever more involved in proclaiming with sincerity and frankness the values in which you believe, without recourse to dishonest means that impoverish and betray the ideals you affirm. Take a hard look at the substance of these ideals, and avoid methods of persuasion that do not respect the dignity and freedom of the human person."

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HOLY SEE DELEGATE ADDRESSES U.N. FORUM ON ECOTOURISM

VATICAN CITY, MAY 22, 2002 (VIS) - Msgr. Piero Monni, Holy See permanent observer to the World Tourism Organization, late yesterday afternoon addressed the United Nations program for the environment, the World Summit on Ecotourism, which began May 19 and ends today in Quebec, Canada.

Msgr. Monni noted that, "in a rapidly evolving modern world, ... the tourism sector plays a considerable role. ... A sector that appears still fragile and changing, (tourism) represents today the third export industry at a world level. ... It is an industry which, instead of exporting merchandise, imports consumers." Yet, he admonished, "we cannot forget, as the Holy Father recently recalled, 'those tourism offers of 'artificial paradises', where, for merely commercial reasons, populations and local cultures are exploited to benefit a tourism that does not even respect the most elementary human rights of the local people'."

He said that, for the development of the "new type of tourism, ecotourism, ... it is indispensable to have as a reference point the central character of the human being, recalling the premier principle adopted by the Rio Declaration on the Environment and Development in 1992 according to which 'the human person is at the center of concerns for a lasting development'. Such an approach inevitably involves a revision and reorganization of operational systems that aim to obtain immediate economic and financial results to the detriment of a lasting ecotourism, which calls for preserving the common cultural patrimony."

Msgr. Monni pointed out that, in the specialized world of ecotourism, "the participation of local and indigenous communities in organizing, examining and administering tourism activities, as well as the decision processes linked to them, must be guaranteed. ... It would be interesting to evaluate the impact of ecotourism on the protection of the environment and on the socio-economic development of the local communities themselves."

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"EVERYONE MUST BE COMMITTED TO PEACE"

VATICAN CITY, MAY 22, 2002 (VIS) - At 9 a.m. today, the Pope departed from Fiumicino airport in Rome for Azerbaijan, and after traveling 3,111 kilometers in four hours, landed in the international airport of Baku, the capital. There he was welcomed by the president of the republic, Heydar Aliyev, political and civil authorities, three members of the Salesian community and senior members of the diplomatic corps.

After getting off the airplane, the Holy Father kissed the country's soil which two children offered him in a shallow receptacle, as is traditional when he visits a country for the first time.

At the beginning of his speech, the Holy Father recalled that this trip takes place during the 10th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and the Holy See.

After emphasizing the role of the great religions in the country that coexist in "a spirit of tolerance and mutual acceptance," he said: "I hope and pray to God that any remaining tensions will soon be overcome and that all will find peace in justice and truth."

"From this gateway of civilization which is Azerbaijan," he continued, "I address today a heartfelt appeal to those lands experiencing the upheavals of conflict. ... Everyone must be committed to peace. But it must be true peace, based on mutual respect, on the rejection of fundamentalism and every form of imperialism, on the pursuit of dialogue as the only effective means of resolving tensions, so that entire nations are saved from the cruelty of violence."

Religions, he went on, "should not be used as a tragic excuse for enmities which have their origin elsewhere. No one has the right to call upon God to justify their own selfish interests. ... I ask all religious leaders to reject all violence as offensive to the name of God and to be tireless promoters of peace and harmony, with respect for the rights of one and all."

John Paul II ended by addressing all Christians, and in particular the Catholic community of the country, assuring them that the "tragic difficulties" that they endured "during the time of communism will be compensated for by the Lord with the gift of lively faith, exemplary moral commitment and local vocations for pastoral and religious services."

After the welcoming ceremony, the Pope is scheduled to go to the Monument of the Fallen for the Independence of Azerbaijan. Later he will go to the presidential palace at Baku to pay a courtesy visit to the president of the republic and there he will meet with representatives of religions, politics, culture and art.

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