SIXTH POST-SYNODAL MEETING FOR SPECIAL ASSEMBLY FOR ASIA

VATICAN CITY, NOV 27, 2002 (VIS) - The Council of the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops for the Special Assembly for Asia held its sixth meeting November 19-20 under the presidency of Cardinal Jan Schotte, C.I.C.M., in the presence of three cardinals, the patriarch of Jerusalem of the Latins, three archbishops, three bishops and four Synod staff members.

The meeting was divided into two plenary sessions, an afternoon of individual study and a group work session. Cardinal Schotte opened the encounter with an account of the activity of the General Secretariat since its last meeting in November 2001, and council members then reported on the situations in their own countries.

In the concluding plenary session, following the oral reports of the two work groups, members composed a list of urgent pastoral needs that will be brought to the attention of episcopal conferences with reference to the post-synodal document. They then decided to hold the next meeting on November 18-19, 2003.

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GOD IS THE ONLY ONE WHO CAN FREE US FROM EVIL AND DEATH

VATICAN CITY, NOV 27, 2002 (VIS) - Psalm 98, "Holy is the Lord, Our God," was the theme of the Pope's catechesis during the general audience celebrated today in the Paul VI Hall.

John Paul II explained that Psalm 98 "is a hymn raised by the people of God to the Lord Who governs the world and history as transcendent and supreme sovereign."

"The faithful, at the beginning of the day," he said, "know that they will not be abandoned to the mercy of a blind and dark fate, or destined to uncertainty as to their freedom, or left to the decisions of others, or dominated by the events of history. They know that the Creator and Savior rises in His grandeur, holiness and mercy above of all earthly realities."

The Holy Father affirmed that "God is superior to us and He is infinitely above all creatures. However, this transcendence does not make Him a strange and impassive God: when He is invoked, He responds. God is the One Who saves, the only one who can free humanity from evil and death."

After underscoring the profound link between "'holiness' and God's closeness", the Psalmist recalls that "God was continually in contact with His people" and that "He spoke and was listened to, punished wrongs, but also forgave."

"God came in our midst," he ended, "through His Son Who became one of us in order to instill His life and His holiness in us. For this reason, we approach God not with terror but with trust. In Christ we have the supreme holy priest, innocent, undefiled. ... Thus, our hymn is filled with serenity and joy: it exalts the Lord king who dwells among us, wiping away every tear from our eyes."

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POPE ATTENDS CONCERT, "A HYMN FROM THE MOUNTAIN TOPS"

VATICAN CITY, NOV 27, 2002 (VIS) - A concert entitled "A hymn from the Mountain Tops" was offered last evening in the Paul VI Hall by the National Union of Mountain Communities, in the presence of John Paul II. The Pope remarked that "this solemn event assumes singular importance in the framework of the Year of the Mountains," sponsored by the United Nations.

He thanked the orchestra from Pecs, Hungary, the choir from Italy's Friuli-Venezia Giulia region and the National Union of Mountain Communities, noting that the union "wished to celebrate its 50th anniversary offering the Pope, also a lover of mountains, this very pleasing gift."

The Holy Father said he followed "the splendid musical compositions of Raff and Brahms," as well as the accompanying images of mountains, "with great emotion," adding that this "has invited us to raise a hymn of praise to the Creator for the marvels of nature, the work of His hands. The arduous majesty of mountain summits stimulates us to underscore those values of tenacity and humility that are indispensable for facing everyday life and for approaching with ardor the high mountain of holiness."

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, NOV 27, 2002 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Bishop Alois Kothgasser of Innsbruck, Austria as metropolitan archbishop of Salzburg (area 9,715, population 677,000, Catholics 516,767, priests 344, permanent deacons 32, religious 686), Austria. The archbishop-elect was born in Sankt Stefan im Rosental, Austria in 1937 and was ordained a priest in 1964.

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, NOV 27, 2002 (VIS) - Yesterday the Holy Father received in audience Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.

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