POPE GREETS PILGRIMS IN ROME FOR BEATIFICATIONS

VATICAN CITY, OCT 21, 2002 (VIS) - Pope John Paul this morning in the Paul VI Hall welcomed the many pilgrims who came to Rome for yesterday's beatification ceremony in St. Peter's Square, saying that the Church presents the six new Blesseds "as models to imitate and powerful intercessors to God."

In English, the Pope greeted the pilgrims from Uganda and other regions of Africa and the world who came to celebrate the beatification of two young Ugandan catechists, Blesseds Daudi Okelo and Jildo Irwa. He called them "a shining example of fidelity to Christ, commitment to Christian living and selfless dedication to the service of neighbor." He noted that they set out to evangelize "fully accepting the difficulties and dangers they knew awaited them."

Of Bishop Andrea Giacinto Longhin of the diocese of Treviso, Italy, the Holy Father noted the "great attention he devoted to the formation of clergy," exhorting priests, in his spiritual testament, to "become, please become saints!" He added that this Capuchin religious was an "ever attentive and thoughtful father" to priests, and to his entire flock, "especially the most humble and the poorest."

The Holy Father then spoke of Blessed Marcantonio Durando, a member of the Congregation of the Mission, or Vincentians, whose confreres called him "the St. Vincent of Italy, who glowed with extraordinary charity that he knew how to infuse into every work he undertook," from community service to missionary work to founding the Nazarene Sisters.

John Paul II welcomed the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary, whose foundress, French-born Mary of the Passion, was beatified. "May you be able," he said in French, "to study more deeply the rich spirituality of your foundress and help young people to discover the joy of giving themselves entirely to God."

Lastly, the Pope greeted the pilgrims, especially the Sisters of St. Francis de Sales who came for the beatification of Liduina Meneguzzi. He said that "the most lively and concrete dimension transparent in Sister Liduina's life was a deeply missionary soul. In Africa she was 'everything to everyone' in charity, helping the wounded, encouraging the afflicted and consoling the dying."

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