ARCHBISHOP TAURAN GOES TO PHILIPPINES TO FETE DIPLOMATIC TIES

VATICAN CITY, MAY 31, 2001 (VIS) - The following declaration was released this morning by Joaquin Navarro-Valls, Holy See Press Office director:

"Archbishop Jean-Louis Tauran, secretary for Relations with States, leaves Rome today for Manila, the Philippines, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Holy See and the Philippines.

"The archbishop will be accompanied by Msgr. Joseph Marino of the second section of the Secretariat of State.

"During his visit, Archbishop Tauran will preside at the inauguration of a new pavilion in the gardens of the apostolic nunciature. The pavilion will serve as a chancery office of the nunciature. He will also meet with members of the diplomatic corps.

"On Sunday, June 3, solemnity of Pentecost, he will celebrate Mass in the cathedral in Manila.

"He will also have an opportunity to meet with members of the episcopal conference of the Philippine Islands and with young people.

"During his stay in Manila, the archbishop will receive an honoris causa degree. He is expected to return to Rome on June 7."

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MARRIAGE, FAMILY AND THE NEED FOR A FITTING ANTHROPOLOGY

VATICAN CITY, MAY 31, 2001 (VIS) - This morning the Holy Father received the grand chancellor, president, professors and students of the "John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and the Family," on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of its foundation. The Institute is a part of the Pontifical Lateran University.

In his discourse, the Pope addressed the theme of "the need to devise a fitting anthropology which seeks to understand and interpret man in what is essentially human."

"Disregard of the principle of man's creation as masculine and feminine represents, in effect," he affirmed, "one of the factors of greatest crisis and weakness in contemporary society. ... Where the principle is lost, the perception of the singular dignity of the human person is obscured and the way is opened to a threatening 'culture of death'."

John Paul II emphasized that "a particularly current and decisive aspect for the future of the family and of humanity concerns the respect of man in his origins and the modalities of his procreation. ... With the pretext, in fact, of assuring a better quality of existence through genetic control, or in developing medical and scientific research, experiments on human embryos and methods for their production are proposed which open the door to exploitation and abuse on the part of those who unduly claim an arbitrary and limitless power over the human being."

"The context of spousal love and the corporeal mediation of the conjugal act are therefore the only place in which the singular value of the new human being, called to life, is fully recognized and respected. ... Every person that comes into the world is eternally called by the Father to participate in Christ, through the Spirit, in the fullness of life in God."

The Pope then referred to "the permissive legislation, in certain countries, ... founded upon erroneous concepts of freedom, (which) have favored ... presumed alternative family models, no longer founded on the irrevocable commitment of a man and a woman to form a 'lifelong community'." Furthermore, he added, "the rights specifically recognized as proper to the family ... have been extended to forms of association, to de facto unions, to civil agreements of solidarity."

"The shrewd promotion of similar juridical-institutional models," John Paul II concluded, "tends ever more to dissolve the original right of the family to be recognized as a social subject with full rights."

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POPE CALLS BIBLE OF BLAJ "A TRUE MONUMENT TO FAITH"

VATICAN CITY, MAY 31, 2001 (VIS) - The Holy Father this morning welcomed a delegation from Romania's episcopal conference, who presented him with a copy of the Bible of Blaj, which he called "a true monument of faith." He said that, as his trip to Romania brought Catholics and Orthodox closer to unity, "I hope that the reprinting of the Bible of Blaj will be a further step towards full communion of Christ's disciples."

The Pope noted that "from the earliest days of Christianity the Bible was the book which molded quite a number of cultures, and sometimes national alphabets were created to translate it." He recalled that the first Romanian edition of Sacred Scriptures, the 1688 "Bible of Bucharest," went out of print in the second half of the 18th century. A new edition was needed, especially in view of the "notable changes" that had taken place in the Romanian language. Thus, he said, the Bible was edited by "the great erudite monk, Samuil Micu," and printed in Blaj in 1795 by Bishop Ioan Bob.

The Holy Father pointed out that the Bible of Blaj was used by both the Greek-Catholic Church of Transylvania and the Orthodox, "thus serving all Romanians in spreading the faith in Christ." He added that, "given the great literary quality of this work" and "its notable impact on the entire nation, ... I wished to have it reprinted ... in the Vatican as a gift of the Holy See."

Then, referring to his May 1999 pastoral trip to Romania, John Paul II said he well remembers "the cry of the people during Mass in Parcul Izvor: 'Unity, Unity! That was the spiritual longing of a people asking for unity and desirous of working for unity."

He dedicated his closing remarks to the Bible: "The Word of the Lord must first of all be lived. It must penetrate the spaces where man lives and works. For that to happen, the Church is called to preach it with strength and clarity, using traditional means as well as those offered by new technologies."

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, MAY 31, 2001 (VIS) - The Holy Father received today in audience Archbishop Agostino Marchetto, permanent observer at the United Nations Organizations and Organisms for Food and Agriculture.

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FAITHFUL CAN VIEW BODY OF JOHN XXIII ON PENTECOST SUNDAY

VATICAN CITY, MAY 31, 2001 (VIS) - Today in the Holy See Press Office, Cardinal Virgilio Noe, archpriest of St. Peter's Basilica, presided at a conference to explain the new resting place in the Vatican Basilica for Blessed Pope John XXIII. He also spoke of the papal Mass on Pentecost Sunday, June 3, when Pope John's body, in a new casket, will be in St. Peter's Square, after which it will be transferred to the basilica's Altar of the Confession for viewing by the public.

The cardinal recalled that Pope John XXIII died exactly 38 years ago - on Pentecost Sunday, June 3, 1963 - and has been buried in the Vatican Grottoes, beneath the basilica, since June 6. When his body was exhumed for verification earlier this year - in preparation for his new resting place - it was found to be incorrupt. It was thus felt that a new casket was needed which would allow the faithful to better view the "good Pope."

Blessed Pope John XXIII will be in a casket of crystal and bronze below the altar of St. Jerome, which is located on the back side of the Pillar of St. Longinus, at the end of the basilica's central nave, on the right side. The altar takes its name from an altarpiece which depicts a scene from "The Last Communion of St. Jerome." This is the area of St. Peter's where the work by Michelangelo ends and that of Carlo Maderno starts. Cardinal Noe will preside at a dedication ceremony at the altar on Saturday morning, June 2.

Cardinal Noe then explained that the new casket will be placed under the altar and will be protected by a gold-leaf covered bronze grill which will nonetheless allow the public to view the Blessed. He added that four gold-leaf covered bronze reliefs, "almost miniatures of goldsmith's art," will depict four events which dominated the five-year pontificate of Pope John XXIII: Vatican Council II, "Ut Unum Sint," "Mater et Magistra" and "Pacem in Terris."

The focal point of the panel depicting Vatican Council II is Pope John XXIII who is shown standing in the midst of Latin and Oriental bishops and blessing them. The panel "Ut Unum Sint" (That they may be one) recalls the words spoken by Blessed John XXIII on his death bed and show him as the Good Shepherd among his sheep.

The "Mater et Magistra" (Mother and Teacher) panel refers to the title of his encyclical letter published on May 15, 1961 and shows a leafless pomegranate branch, with an open pomegranate as nourishment; this represents the Church as "open to every man and every situation in order to give the fruits of salvation."

"Pacem in Terris" (Peace on earth) was the last encyclical written by Blessed John XXIII. It was published on April 11, 1963. This panel shows "a dove flying from an olive branch and represents the Church, destined to spread the peacemaking message of Christ."

Pope John XXIII will be wearing the typical, white pontifical vestments, not papal liturgical vestments. His body will be on a red damask-covered mattress with the coat-of-arms of St. Peter's Basilica. His head, slightly elevated, will rest on a pillow. The Pope's face will be covered in a very light wax mask but will faithfully portray the facial features of the Blessed.

Cardinal Noe reiterated that on Pentecost Sunday, the procession bearing the casket will leave the basilica at 9:30 a.m., proceed through the Arch of the Bells to the obelisk in St. Peter's Square and then be brought to the papal altar. After Mass and the Regina Coeli, it will be brought again into the basilica and placed at the Altar of the Confession where the faithful will be able to view it until 8 p.m. when the basilica closes. It will then be placed in its new and permanent resting place.

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, MAY 31, 2001 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Fr. Francisco Gonzalez Hernandez, O.P., pastor in Quillabamba, Puerto Maldonado, Peru, as coadjutor bishop of the apostolic vicariate of Puerto Maldonado (area 156,000, population 238,000, Catholics 223,000, priests 37, permanent deacons 5, religious 96), Peru. The bishop-elect was born in Valladolid, Spain, in 1952 and ordained to the priesthood in 1982.

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