OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, APR 24, 1999 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed:

- Fr. Salvador Emilio Riveron Cortina as auxiliary bishop of the archdiocese of San Cristobal de La Habana (area 7,542, population 3,010,000, Catholics 1,375,000, priests 129, religious 352), Cuba. The bishop-elect was born in Florida, Cuba, in 1948, was ordained a priest in 1982, and since 1996 has been episcopal vicar and parish priest for the forementioned archdiocese.

- Fr. Wlodzimierz Roman Juszczak, O.S.B.M., as bishop of the eparchy of Wroclaw-Gdansk (Catholics 53,000, priests 23, religious 14), Poland. The bishop-elect was born in Legnica, Poland, in 1957, made his perpetual vows in 1983, was ordained a priest in 1983, and since 1994 has been provincial superior of the Order of St. Basil the Great and pastor of Warsaw.

- Fr. Tadeusz Pikus as auxiliary of the archdiocese of Warsaw (area 3,350, population 1,526,000, Catholics 1,457,050, priests 1,004, religious 3,249), Poland. The bishop-elect was born in Zbiele, Poland, in 1949, was ordained a priest in 1971, and is currently dean of fundamental theology at the Metropolitan Seminary of Warsaw.

- Fr. Grzegorz Balcerek as auxiliary of the archdiocese of Poznan (area 9,700, population 1,624,000, Catholics 1,559,500, priests 1,084, religious 2,163), Poland. The bishop-elect was born in Grodzisk Wielkopolski, Poland, in 1954, was ordained a priest in 1979, and is currently pastor of San Stanislao Kostka in Poznan, and dean of the Sociology of Religion at the Faculty of Theology of the Adam Mickiezicz University in Poznan.

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HOLY FATHER TO VISIT TOR VERGATA UNIVERSITY THURSDAY

VATICAN CITY, APR 24, 1999 (VIS) - On Thursday April 29, the Pope will visit the Roman University of Tor Vergata, where at 11 a.m. he will meet with students, academic staff and university personnel in the square in front of the Faculty of Medicine and Surgery.

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POPE GREETS CATHOLIC SCHOOL MARATHON PARTICIPANTS

VATICAN CITY, APR 24, 1999 (VIS) - This morning at 10 Pope John Paul, speaking from his study window overlooking St. Peter's Square, addressed the thousands of young boys and girls participating in the "Spring Marathon," organized by the Association of Catholic Schools of Rome.

"The word 'spring'," said the Pope, "indicates the reawakening of nature and the will to live; the word 'marathon', on the other hand, evokes the dynamism of change and growth. These are precisely the characteristics of youth. May your friendly event, as it goes through the streets of the city with a message of trust and fraternity, contribute to realizing a world where violence is banned and solidarity and peace reign."

The Holy Father concluded, speaking of the "problems regarding Catholic schools," which he said he is closely following and which he hopes are resolved by leaders "for the good of the entire civic and ecclesial community."

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DAY OF PRAYER FOR VOCATIONS, INTERNATIONAL MEETING OF PRIESTS

VATICAN CITY, APR 25, 1999 (VIS) - In remarks preceding the recitation of the Regina Coeli, the Pope spoke of his "joy (this morning) at conferring priestly ordination on 31 deacons from the diocese of Rome, ... a great gift for the Roman ecclesial community and for the universal Church."

He then pointed to the celebration today, the Fourth Sunday of Easter, of "the World Day of Prayer for Vocations, whose theme this year is 'The Father calls to eternal life'. ... God continues to show Himself as a Father through those persons who witness, by word and deed, sometimes to the point of martyrdom, their resolute dedication to the service of their fellow man."
"The Fourth International Meeting of Priests," the Holy Father affirmed in concluding, "organized by the Congregation for the Clergy in the Holy Land from June 22 to 27, will be a privileged occasion for the priests of all nations walk together towards the Great Jubilee and to enter the new millennium with renewed fidelity and an ardent missionary spirit. I assure my prayers for the successful outcome of this encounter, for which I hope there will be many representatives of various nations of the continents.

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THIRTY-ONE NEW PRIESTS FOR THE DIOCESE OF ROME

VATICAN CITY, APR 25, 1999 (VIS) - The Holy Father this morning celebrated Mass in St. Peter's Basilica and conferred priestly ordination on 31 deacons from the diocese of Rome.

In the homily, the Pope asked the new priests "to be faithful to their mission, and to renew every day their 'yes' to Christ and be a sign of His love for each person."

"The Eucharist, source and summit of Christian life," he said in his talk to the ordained, "will be the crystal spring which will unceasingly nourish your spirituality as priests. From this spring you will draw strength and inspiration for your daily ministry, apostolic zeal for the work of evangelization and spiritual consolation in inevitable moments of difficulty and inner struggle. Approaching the altar, where the Sacrifice of the Cross is renewed, you will discover ever more the riches of the love of Christ and you will learn to use them in your lives."

John Paul II highlighted that it is very significant that the new ministers received the Sacrament of Holy Orders "on this Sunday of the 'Good Shepherd', in which we celebrate the World Day of Prayer for Vocations."

"The call to the priesthood is a great gift and a great mystery. It is a gift, above all for divine benevolence, because it is the fruit of grace. It is also a mystery, because vocation is linked to the depths of human awareness and freedom. With this (vocation)," concluded the Pope, "begins the dialogue of love which day after day molds the personality of the priest through a path of formation begun in the family, which continues in the seminary and is extended right through his lifetime."

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THE WORLD NEEDS WITNESSES TO THE GOSPEL OF CHARITY

VATICAN CITY, APR 25, 1999 (VIS) - Today, after praying the Regina Coeli, John Paul II told the faithful in St. Peter's Square that "in the face of the great sufferings in today's world, and in particular those caused by war, it is more than ever necessary to spread and witness to, in a concrete way, the Gospel of Charity."

"We can place within this context," he went on, "the meeting promoted by the Pontifical Council 'Cor Unum', at which I will have the joy of presiding on Sunday, May 16. Numerous witnesses to charity will take part in this, and I will celebrate a solemn mass for them in St. Peter's Square. It will be a meaningful occasion to express the Church's encouragement for all those who devote themselves to their brothers and sisters in difficulty and who work to build a future of true peace in a society which is more fraternal and marked by greater solidarity."

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MACEDONIA: ARCHBISHOP CORDES BRINGS A DONATION FROM POPE

VATICAN CITY, APR 26, 1999 (VIS) - Archbishop Paul Josef Cordes, president of the Pontifical Council "Cor Unum", went to Macedonia on April 22, where he brought a donation on the Pope's behalf to aid victims of the war.

"The Macedonian government," states the communique made public today, "expressed the great esteem for what the Catholic Church is doing in this country and, among other things, for the money personally offered by the Holy Father. ... The government appreciates the Holy See's commitment to a peaceful solution to the conflict, fully respecting the rights of all."

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JOINT CATHOLIC ORTHODOX COMMISSION POSTPONES MEETING DUE TO WAR

VATICAN CITY, APR 26, 1999 (VIS) - The following communique will be made public jointly today by the Ecumenical Patriarchate and the Holy See Press Office. Addressed to the Catholic members of the Joint International Commission for the Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, it is signed by Cardinal Edward Idris Cassidy and Archbishop Stylianos of Australia, co-chairmen.

"The Co-Chairmen, taking into consideration the present critical situation and the hostilities in Europe, have decided of common accord to postpone the scheduled meeting of the International Joint Commission for The Theological Dialogue between the Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church, from June 6 to 15 1999, in Baltimore, (United States), to the year 2000 (June 6-15), for a better participation and for the benefit of this dialogue, while praying fervently in the Risen Lord for a peaceful and satisfactory to the tragic situation."

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CARDINAL JAVIERRE ORTAS CELEBRATES GOLDEN JUBILEE

VATICAN CITY, APR 26, 1999 (VIS) - Made public today was a Letter from Pope John Paul, written in Latin and dated March 24, 1999, to Cardinal Antonio Maria Javierre Ortas, S.D.B., on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood on April 24. Congratulating him on his golden priestly jubilee, the Pope highlighted the cardinal's long years of service to the Church in diverse ministries.

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, APR 26, 1999 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

- Ariel Sharon, foreign affairs minister of Israel, accompanied by his wife and entourage.
- Cardinal Silvano Piovanelli, archbishop of Florence, Italy, on his "ad limina" visit.
- Four prelates from the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops on their "ad limina" visit (Ontario):
- Bishop Eugene Philippe LaRocque of Alexandria-Cornwall.
- Bishop John Michael Sherlock of London, with his auxiliary, Bishop Richard Grecco.
- Bishop Andre Vallee oF Hearst. - Archbishop Hector Gonzalez Martinez of Antequera, Oaxaca, Mexico.
- A group of ten prelates from the Italian Episcopal Conference (Tuscany region) on their "ad limina" visit:
- Archbishop Gaetano Bonicelli of Siena-Colle di Val d'Elsa-Montalcino.
- Bishop Alberto Ablondi of Livorno.
- Bishop Alberto Giglioli of Montepulciano-Chiusi-Pienza.
- Bishop Simone Scatizzi of Pistoia.
- Bishop Luciano Giovannetti of Fiesole.
- Bishop Edoardo Ricci of San Miniato.
- Bishop Giacomo Babini of Grosseto.
- Bishop Gastone Simoni of Prato.
- Bishop Gualtiero Bassetti of Arezzo-Cortona-Sansepulcro.
- Bishop Mario Meini of Pitigliano-Sovana-Orbatello.

On Saturday April 24, he also received in separate audiences:

- Cardinal Achille Silvestrini, prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches.
- Archbishop Luis Robles Diaz, apostolic nuncio in Cuba.
- Archbishop Romeo Panciroli, apostolic nuncio.
- Bishop Sergio Goretti of Assisi, Italy, on his "ad limina" visit.
- Bishop Julian Voronovsky of Sambir-Drohobych of the Ukraines, Ukraine.
- Elliot Latevi-Atcho Lawson, ambassador of Togo, on a farewell visit.
- Professor Andrzej Rottermund, Poland, and his entourage.
- Cardinal Lucas Moreira Neves, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.
- A group of seven prelates from the Italian Episcopal Conference of their "ad limina" visit:
- Archbishop Giuseppe Chiaretti of Perugia-Citta della Pieve.
- Archbishop Riccardo Fontana of Spoleto-Norcia.
- Bishop Decio Lucio Grandoni of Orvieto-Todi.
- Bishop Franco Gualdrini of Terni-Narni-Amelia.
- Bishop Pellegrino Tommaso Ronchi of Citta di Castello.
- Bishop Pietro Bottaccioli of Gubbio.
- Bishop Arduino Bertoldo of Foligno.

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ISRAELI FOREIGN MINISTER INVITES POPE TO VISIT HOLY LAND

VATICAN CITY, APR 26, 1999 (VIS) - Holy See Press Office Director Joaquin Navarro-Valls made the following declaration on the private audience this morning between Pope John Paul and Israeli Foreign Minister Ariel Sharon:

"(Minister Sharon) also had a meeting with Cardinal Secretary of State Angelo Sodano and, following that, there was a working session with Archbishop Jean-Louis Tauran, secretary for Relations with States, and Msgr. Celestino Migliore, under-secretary.

"In the meetings there was an exchange of viewpoints on the belabored peace process in the Middle East, on the conditions of the presence and activity of the Catholic Church in the country, as well as the cooperation needed in view of the celebrations of the forthcoming Jubilee Year.

"The invitation by Israeli authorities to Pope John Paul to visit soon the Holy Land was renewed."

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