OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JUN 16, 2004 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Accepted the resignation from the office of Auxiliary of the archdiocese of Brasilia, Brazil, presented by Bishop Joao Evangelista Martins Terra, S.J., upon having reached the age limit.

- Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Larantuka, Indonesia, presented by Archbishop Darius Nggawa, S.V.D., upon having reached the age limit. Coadjutor Bishop Franciscus Kopong Kung succeeds him.
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POPE SENDS GREETINGS, ENCOURAGEMENT TO GERMAN CATHOLICS

VATICAN CITY, JUN 16, 2004 (VIS) - Made public today was a letter in German from Pope John Paul to Bishop Gebhard Furst of Rottenburg-Stuttgart, Germany extending his greetings and encouragement to the prelates, bishops, religious and lay  faithful participating in the 95th German Katholikentag, that is being held in the city of Ulm in this diocese. The theme of this encounter is "Living through God's strength."
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HELPING AFRICA AND AFRICANS REDISCOVER PEACE AND SERENITY

VATICAN CITY, JUN 16, 2004 (VIS) - Yesterday afternoon Pope John Paul welcomed the participants in the 12th meeting of the Post-synodal council of the Special Assembly for Africa of the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops, which took place in 1994 in the Vatican.

  The Pope noted how the council had, since 1994, "so often encouraged the bishops of Africa in their efforts to put into practice the conclusions of the synod which were contained in the Apostolic Exhortation 'Ecclesia in Africa'. In regular meetings, you have been able to verify the realizations, projects and progress of the local African Churches. These Churches are worthy of praise and admiration, especially when the political and socio-economic situations are for the most part tragically unfavorable, even if there are a few signs of comfort."

  "This continent" the Holy Father stated, "seems to know neither truces nor peace. To international conflicts must be added the hotspots of fighting that sow terror and devastation among the populations, so very anxious to live in a serenity that is finally re-discovered." He spoke of the other "scourges that afflict Africa and Africans": poverty, great problems in the health and educations sectors, AIDS, insecurity due to conflicts and widespread corruption.

  John Paul II underscored that all of society, and especially the Church, must act cohesively to overcome these problems. He said the Universal Church has many times reminded world leaders of "the five priorities to give Africans what has been taken from them, often violently: respect for life and for religious diversity, the eradication of poverty, an end to arms trafficking, an end to conflicts and concrete action with a view to development motivated by solidarity."

  "Has the moment not come," asked the Pope in concluding, "to deepen this African synod experience? The exceptional growth of the Church in Africa, the rapid exchange of pastors, the new challenges that the continent must face, demand answers" that can only be found in putting into act "Ecclesia in Africa."
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PEACE AND SERENITY ARE THE FRUIT OF COMMUNION WITH GOD

VATICAN CITY, JUN 16, 2004 (VIS) - In today's general audience, which took place in St. Peter's Square, the Pope spoke about Psalm 45, "God, our refuge and strength."

  This Psalm, said the Holy Father, "celebrates the holy city of Jerusalem, 'a sacred place where the Most High dwells,' but above all it expresses total faith in God Who 'is our refuge and strength, and Who is always near us in our suffering.'  The psalm evokes the most tremendous trials in order to affirm with greater force the victorious intervention of God who provides total security."

  "The first part of the hymn," he said, "focuses on the symbol of water and presents a  double, contrasting meaning. On the one hand, there are tempestuous waters, which in biblical language are a symbol of disaster, chaos and evil. ... On the other hand, the waters which satisfy thirst ... are a sign of the life that prospers in the holy city, of its spiritual fecundity and of its regenerating strength. Therefore, despite the circumstances of history which make peoples sigh and kingdoms shake, the faithful find the peace and serenity that come from communion with God in Zion."

  John Paul II indicated that the second part of the Psalm refers to "a world transformed.  The Lord intervenes with great strength from his throne in Zion against wars and establishes the peace that everyone hopes for. ... The prophet Isaiah praised the end of the arms race and the transformation of the instruments of war into means of development for the people: 'They shall beat their swords into ploughshares, their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more."

  "With this psalm," he concluded, "Christian tradition exalts Christ, 'our peace' and our deliverer from evil, through His death and resurrection."

  During his remarks to the crowd of 10,000, the Holy Father recalled that on Friday we will celebrate the solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. "This feast," he said, "evokes the mystery of God's love for mankind in all ages." Addressing young people in particular, he invited them to prepare themselves "in the school of Christ's heart, in order to confront life's commitments with faith."
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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JUN 15, 2004 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Appointed Metropolitan Archbishop Lluis Martinez Sistach of Tarragona, Spain, as metropolitan archbishop of Barcelona (area 3,041, population 4,301,346, Catholics 3,956,616, priests 1,512, permanent deacons 55, religious 4,730), Spain. He succeeds Cardinal Ricardo Maria Carles Gordo whose resignation from the pastoral care of the archdiocese of Barcelona was accepted upon having reached the age limit.

- Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the office of auxiliary of Barcelona, Spain, presented by Bishop Pere Tena Garriga upon having reached the age limit.

- Erected the dioceses of Terrassa and Sant Felieu de Llobregat with territory taken from the archdiocese of Barcelona.

- Erected the ecclesiastical province of Barcelona, Spain, elevating the same archdiocese to Metropolitan Church and assigning the new dioceses of Terrasa and Sant Feliu de Llobregat as its suffragan churches.

- Appointed Fr. Jaume Pujol Balcells, professor of theology and director of the Superior Institute of Religious Sciences in the Faculty of Theology at University of Navarre as metropolitan archbishop of Tarragona (area 2,700, population 456.526, Catholics 437,000, priests 184, permanent deacons 5, religious 623), Spain.  The archbishop-elect was born in Guissona, Spain in 1944 and was ordained a priest in 1973.

- Appointed Bishop Josep Angel Saiz Meneses, auxiliary of Barcelona, Spain, as bishop of Terrassa, Spain.

- Appointed Bishop Agustin Cortes Soriano of Ibiza, Spain, as bishop of Sant Feliu di Llobregat, Spain.

- Appointed Fr. Mariano Manzana, a fidei bonum priest in Brazil, as bishop of Mossoro (area 18,832, population 825,000, Catholics 793,000, priests 37, religious 63), Brazil.  The bishop-elect was born in Mori, Italy in 1947 and was ordained a priest in 1973.  The Holy Father accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese presented by Bishop Jose Freire de Oliveira Neto upon having reached the age limit.

- Appointed Bishop Jose Clemente Weber, auxiliary of Porto Alegre, Brazil, as bishop of Santo Angelo (area 19,293, population 510,000, Catholics 392,000, priests 92, permanent deacons 3, religious 398), Brazil. The Holy Father accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese presented by Bishop Estanislau Amadeu Kreutz upon having reached the age limit.

- Appointed Bishop Jacinto Bergmann, auxiliary of Pelotas, Brazil, as bishop of Tubarao (area 4,531, population 391,455, Catholics 290,704, priests 49, permanent deacons 1, religious 121), Brazil.  The Holy Father accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese, presented by Bishop Hilario Moser, S.D.B., in accordance with Canon 401, para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law.

- Accepted the resignation from the Office of Auxiliary of the diocese of Piura, Peru, presented by Bishop Augusto Beauzeville Ferro in accordance with Canon 401, para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law.
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