AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, SEP 13, 2002 (VIS) - The Holy Father received today in separate audiences:

- Archbishop Alfio Rapisarda, apostolic nuncio in Brazil.
- Four prelates from the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (North/Northwest region) on their "ad limina" visit:
- Bishop Gutemberg Freire Regis, C.S.S.R., prelate of Coari.
- Bishop Jose Afonso Ribeiro, T.O.R., prelate of Borba.
- Bishop Jesus Moraza Ruiz de Azua, O.A.R., prelate of Labrea.
- Bishop Sergio Eduardo Castriani, C.S.Sp., prelate of Tefe.
- Bishop Miguel Esteban Hesayne, emeritus of Viedma, Argentina.
- Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.

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EUROPE: CONSTRUCT CULTURE AND ETHIC OF UNITY

VATICAN CITY, SEP 13, 2002 (VIS) - This morning in the apostolic palace at Castelgandolfo, the Holy Father received the Letters of Credence of the new ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany, Gerhard Westdickenberg.

After recalling that twelve years ago the "historic reunification of Germany" took place, the Pope said: "The Holy See has supported the unification of Europe from the beginning, with all possible means, making it very clear that faith in a spiritual and cultural common identity of nations must be the base for the common political and institutional growth of the European Union. ... Europeans have to confront the great challenge of constructing a culture and an ethic of unity. If these elements do not exist, any political position of unity is destined to fail sooner or later."

"The Holy See," continued John Paul II, "confirms with joy that the Federal Republic, after reunification and great economic and social efforts, has not let itself get distracted by the challenges presented by European integration. ... Germany has continued to be faithful to its European vocation as well as to its commitment, recognized by all, to solidarity with other nations of the world."

In the process of the continent's integration, the Federal Republic, affirmed the Holy Father, emphasizes that the "ever-stronger unity of Europe must not be understood as a movement toward isolation from other parts of the world, since it bears inherently in itself an openness to the world."

"Countries," he concluded, "are called to collaborate actively in the construction of a global order of justice and peace. From this perspective, the Holy See observes with pleasure the constant commitment of the Federal Republic to promoting respect for human rights in the whole world and their help in development."

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, SEP 12, 2002 (VIS) - The Holy Father gave his blessing to the election by the Synod of Bishops of the Antiochene Church of the Maronites, who gathered from June 2 to 8, 2002 at Bkerke, of Fr. Mansour Hobeika, director of St. Jean Okaibe school, to the episcopal see of the Bishops of Zahleh of the Maronites (priests 29, religious 47) in Lebanon. The bishop-elect was born in 1941 in Hadeth-Baalbek, Lebanon and was ordained a priest in 1968. He succeeds Bishop Georges Scander whose resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese was accepted in accordance with Canon 210, para. 2, of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches.

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, SEP 12, 2002 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

- Archbishop Luigi Bonazzi, apostolic nuncio in Haiti.
- Six prelates from the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (North/Northwest region) on their "ad limina" visit:
- Bishop Mose Joao Pontelo, C.S.Sp., of Cruzeiro do Sul.
- Bishop Giuliano Frigeni, P.I.M.E., of Parintins.
- Bishop Joaquin Pertinez Fernandez, O.A.R., of Rio Branco.
- Bishop Franz Josef Meinrad Merkel, C.S.Sp., of Humaita.
- Bishop Jose Song Sui-wan of Sao Gabriel de Cachoeira accompanied by Bishop Walter Ivan de Azevedo, S.D.B., emeritus.

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CARDINAL MOREIRA NEVES SERVED GOD AND HIS BROTHERS

VATICAN CITY, SEP 12, 2002 (VIS) - John Paul II presided yesterday evening in the Vatican Basilica at the funeral of Cardinal Lucas Moreira Neves, O.P., who died on September 8 in Rome. The Eucharistic Liturgy was celebrated by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, vice deacon of the College of Cardinals, along with the other cardinals.

In the homily, the Pope recalled that Cardinal Moreira Neves "entered the Order of Preachers very young." In his will he said: "I loved this vocation passionately," and he added: "I hope to die keeping completely faithful to the essence of the Dominican vocation."

"In these long years marked by illness," continued the Holy Father, "his incessant cooperation for the good of his brothers became even more apostolic and in a certain sense, became more effective in virtue of his intimate union with the Our Lord Jesus."

In his testament, John Paul II said, the cardinal affirmed: "In a perspective of faith and obedience to the adorable will of God, I thank him also for my illness. ... The certainty that with this suffering I have entered into communion with the Passion of Christ, that I have tried a part of purgatory and that I have collaborated, more than with any preaching, in the redemption of my brothers, consoles me."

The Pope indicated that "in the face of the mystery of death, for the man who has no faith everything can seem irreparably lost. But the word of Christ lights up the way and gives value to everything. Jesus Christ is the Lord of life. ... Our brother lived his whole existence precisely on this horizon of faith."

Cardinal Moreira Neves directed his last thought to "the search for Christ's face," affirmed the Holy Father. The cardinal "wanted to conclude his own spiritual will by expressing one last desire: "I would like it to be written on my grave only the words of the psalm: 'Vultum tuum, Domine quaesivi."

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