HOLY FATHER RECITES ANGELUS FROM MOUNTAIN CHALET

VATICAN CITY, JUL 11, 1999 (VIS) - Looking tanned and rested, Pope John Paul, on the fourth day of his vacation period in Les Combes, appeared on the balcony of his chalet to recite the noon angelus with the faithful who had joined him in this Italian mountain region of Valle d'Aosta, about 10 kilometers from the French border. In remarks before the angelus, he spoke of the value of vacations and highlighted man's responsibility to preserve the environment.

Recalling that this is the seventh time he has spent his vacation in Les Combes, the Pope thanked "the Lord and everyone who has offered me hospitality," and said: "I hope that the many families whose income derives from tourism will have a favorable season, and I hope that those who, like me, are on vacation, can enjoy the beauties of nature - the air, the woods, the water - with great respect for the treasures that the Creator has entrusted to us."

"Every time that I can go to the mountains and contemplate these scenes," added the Holy Father, "I thank God for the majesty of creation. I thank Him for His own Beauty, of which the world is a reflection, capable of fascinating those who are attentive and of motivating them to praise its greatness."

"All of this," he said, "invites us to reflect on man's role in the universe. Called to cultivate and care for the world's garden, the human being has a specific responsibility for the living environment, not only for the present, but also for future generations. ... May mankind of the third millennium be reconciled with creation and find ways for a harmonious and sustainable development."

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