BRAZILIAN BISHOPS: RESPONSES TO ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL CHALLENGES

VATICAN CITY, NOV 26, 2002 (VIS) - This morning the Holy Father received prelates from the Southern Region (III-IV) of the National Conference of Bishops from Brazil who just completed their "ad limina" visit.

In his speech, the Pope recalled that "in exercising the triple function of sanctifying, teaching and governing, bishops help the faithful to be authentic witnesses to the Risen Jesus. It is not always easy to guide them in their search for appropriate responses - according to the teachings of Jesus Christ - to the challenges in the economic and social context."

After emphasizing that plans for development implemented in the 20th century brought about material growth in the country, he said, these plans were still "not capable of eliminating poverty and misery or reducing inequalities in wealth and income, which continue to grow. Perhaps Brazilian economic history itself may be a good demonstration of the inefficacy of economic systems designed to resolve the problems of human development by themselves, when they are not complemented by a strong ethical commitment and a constant effort of service to human dignity."

"The simple planning of measures in the long term to correct existing imbalances never should overlook the commitment of the institutional and personal solidarity of all Brazilians. Thus, Catholics who make up the majority of the Brazilian population, can make a fundamental contribution."

John Paul II indicated that "a vision of the economy and the social problems that departs from the social doctrine of the Church leads us to consider things always from the point of view of the dignity of the human being which transcends the simple games of economics. Furthermore, it helps us to understand that in order to achieve social justice much more is necessary than the simple application of ideological outlines produced by the struggle of the classes, such as for example the invasion of lands - that I reproached during my pastoral visit in 1991 - and of public and private buildings, or, in order not to cite others, the adoption of extreme technical measures which could have much more serious consequences than injustice which aimed at resolving (problems), such as in the case of not fulfilling international commitments."

The Holy Father referred to the importance of promoting the participation of lay people "so that - as much as possible - authentic justice and solidarity, which are the fruits of a coherent Christian life, will reign in Brazil. In a true democracy there must always be legal options so that groups, instead of resorting to violence, can facilitate processes of just pressure in order to accelerate the establishment of equality and justice, so desired, for all."

"We must work incessantly," he concluded, "for the formation of politicians, of all Brazilians so that they may have some decision-making power, great or small, and in general, of all members of society, so that they may assume their own responsibilities fully and know how to offer a human and unified face to economics. It is necessary to instill in the political and business echelons an authentic spirit of truthfulness and integrity."

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, NOV 26, 2002 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Appointed Bishop Basilio do Nascimento, apostolic administrator "Sede vacante et ad nutum Sanctae Sedis" of Baucau, East Timor, as apostolic administrator of Dili (area 7,767, population 539,811, Catholics 504,299, priests 64, religious 342), East Timor. Bishop do Nascimento retains the office of apostolic administrator of Baucau. He succeeds Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo, S.D.B., whose resignation from the same office the Holy Father accepted in accordance with Canon 401, para. 2, of the Code of Canon Law.

- Appointed Fr. Joseph Vu Van Thien, professor of theology at the Major Seminary in Hanoi, Vietnam, as bishop of the diocese of Hai Phong (area 10,000, population 4,600,000, Catholics 120,000, priests 23, religious 23), Vietnam. The bishop-elect was born in 1960 in Ke Sat, Vietnam and was ordained a priest in 1988.

- Appointed Fr. Stephanus Tri Buu Thien, professor of moral theology at the Major Seminary of Can Tho, Vietnam, as coadjutor bishop of the same diocese (area 13,257, population 4,798,1522, Catholics 161,564, priests 137, religious 377). The bishop-elect was born in Tra Long, Tan Long, Soc Trang, Vietnam in 1950 and was ordained a priest in 1987.

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, NOV 26, 2002 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

- Archbishop Giorgio Zur, apostolic nuncio in Austria.

- Archbishop Jean-Paul Gobel, apostolic nuncio in Nicaragua.

- Archbishop emeritus Attilio Nicora of Verona, Italy, president of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See.

This evening at 6:30 p.m. in the Paul VI Hall, a concert is scheduled in celebration of the International Year of the Mountains as declared by the United Nations.

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POPE ACCEPTS RESIGNATION OF BISHOP BELO IN EAST TIMOR

VATICAN CITY, NOV 26, 2002 (VIS) - Joaquin Navarro-Valls, Holy See Press Office director, said in a communique released today that "Bishop Carlos Filipe Ximenes Belo, S.D.B., has presented to the Holy Father on numerous occasions his resignation as apostolic administrator of Dili, East Timor, motivated by health reasons. Today the Holy Father accepted that resignation. Bishop Belo will explain the reasons for his resignation in a communique that he will issue today."

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MESSAGE FOR 40TH WORLD DAY OF PRAYER FOR VOCATIONS

VATICAN CITY, NOV 23, 2002 (VIS) - The Holy Father's Message for the 40th World Day of Prayer for Vocations, to be celebrated May 11, 2003 on the theme "Vocation to Service" was published today. The Message is dated October 16, 2002, the 24th anniversary of Pope John Paul's election to the papacy, and was issued in English, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and German.

Following are excerpts from the text:

"1. 'Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased'.

"The theme of this Message for the 40th World Day of Prayer for Vocations invites us to return to the roots of the Christian vocation, to the story of the first person called by the Father, His Son Jesus. He is the 'servant' of the Father, foretold by the prophets as the One Whom the Father has chosen and formed from His mother's womb."

"In today's culture the person who serves is considered inferior; but in sacred history the servant is the one called by God to carry out a particular action of salvation and redemption."

"In the Bible, service is always linked to a specific call that comes from God. For this reason, it represents the greatest fulfillment of the dignity of the creature, as well as that which invokes the creature's mysterious, transcendent dimension."

"2. 'Like a lamb that is led to slaughter ...'

"In Sacred Scripture there is a strong and clear link between service and redemption, as well as between service and suffering. ... The Messiah is the Suffering Servant Who takes on His shoulders the weight of human sin. ... The Servant is the Lamb who ... showed an extraordinary power, the power not to react to evil with evil, but to respond to evil with good."

"3. '... Even as the Son of man came not to be served but to serve'.

"In truth, Jesus is the perfect model of the 'servant' of whom Scripture speaks. ... Jesus did not come to be served 'but to serve and to give His life as ransom for many'. Jesus washed the feet of His disciples and obeyed the plan of the Father, even unto death, death on a cross."

"How can one not read in the story of the 'servant Jesus' ... the story that the Creator has planned for every human being? ... In particular, how can one not read in the parable of the Son, Servant and Lord, the vocational story of the person who is called by Jesus to follow Him more closely, that is, to be a servant in the priestly ministry or in religious consecration?"

"4. 'Where I am, there shall My servant be also'.

"Jesus, Servant and Lord, is also the One Who calls. He calls us to be like Him, because only in service do human beings discover their own dignity and the dignity of others."

"With this Message I should like, in a way, to give voice to Jesus, so as to propose to young people the ideal of service, and to help them overcome the temptations of individualism and the illusion of obtaining their happiness in that way. Notwithstanding certain contrary forces, present also in the mentality of today, in the hearts of many young people there is a natural disposition to open up to others, especially to the most needy. This makes them generous, capable of empathy, ready to forget themselves in order to put the other person ahead of their own interests.

"Dear young people, service is a completely natural vocation. ... Service shows that we are free from the intrusiveness of our ego. It shows that we have a responsibility to other people."

"Dear young people, I hope you can know how to listen to the voice of God calling you to service. This is the road that opens up to so many forms of ministry for the benefit of the community: from the ordained ministry to various other instituted and recognized ministries, such as Catechesis, liturgical animation, education of young people and the various expressions of charity."

5. 'If any one would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all'.

"This is how Jesus spoke to the Twelve, when He caught them discussing among themselves 'who was the greatest'. This is a constant temptation, which does not spare even the one called to preside at the Eucharist, the sacrament of the supreme love of the 'Suffering Servant'. Whoever carries out this service is actually called to be a servant in a yet more radical way. He is called, in fact, to act 'in persona Christi'."

"Dear young men, nurture your attraction to those values and radical choices which will transform your lives into service of others. ... Do not let yourselves be seduced by the call of power and personal ambition. The priestly ideal must be constantly purified from these and other dangerous ambiguities."

"The call of the Lord Jesus still resounds today. ... Do not be afraid to accept this call. You will surely encounter difficulties and sacrifices, but you will be happy to serve."

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