SERVING TRUTH IS MORAL REQUIREMENT OF ALL COMMUNICATIONS

VATICAN CITY, MAR 25, 2003 (VIS) - Today, the second day of their annual plenary assembly, the members, consultors, staff and experts of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications were welcomed by the Holy Father. Noting that today is the solemnity of the Annunciation, "when the Good News of our salvation in Jesus Christ was announced by the Angel Gabriel to Mary," the Pope said it is the council's duty to make this news "ever more effectively present in the world of the media."

"There is no question that the media today exercise a most powerful and pervasive influence, forming and informing public opinion on a local, national and global scale. As we reflect on this fact, a passage from St. Paul's Letter to the Ephesians comes to mind: 'Let every one speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another'. These words of the Apostle form an apt summary of what should be two basic aims of modern social communications: Making the truth ever more widely known and increasing solidarity within the human family."

John Paul II remarked that, for his Message for the 37th World Day of Social Communications, he chose a theme suggested by Blessed Pope John XXIII in "Pacem in terris", when he called for "'fairness and impartiality' in the use of the 'instruments for the promotion and spread of mutual understanding between nations'. ... In that Message I noted that 'the fundamental moral requirement of all communications is respect for and service of the truth."

"In fact," he concluded, "truth and solidarity are two of the most efficacious means available for overcoming hatred, resolving conflict and eliminating violence. They are also indispensable for re-establishing and strengthening the mutual bonds of understanding, trust and compassion that unite all individuals, peoples and nations, regardless of their ethnic or cultural origin. In short, truth and solidarity are necessary if humanity is to succeed in building a culture of life, a civilization of love, a world of peace."

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WORK AND PRAY SO THAT THERE IS NO MORE WAR

VATICAN CITY, MAR 25, 2003 (VIS) - Made public today was a Message from the Holy Father to military chaplains who are participating today and tomorrow in a formation course on human rights in the Vatican, organized by the Congregation for Bishops and the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace.

"It is precisely when arms are unleashed," writes the Pope in the Message dated March 24, "that the need becomes imperative for laws that make military operations less inhuman. Throughout the centuries, awareness of a similar need gradually grew, right up to the progressive formation of a real and proper juridic 'corpus', defined as 'international human rights law.' This 'corpus' has been able to develop thanks to the maturation of principles inherent to the Christian message."
John Paul II emphasizes that the military chaplains must bear witness that "even in the hardest of battles it is always possible, and therefore a duty, to respect the dignity of the military adversary, the dignity of civilians, and the indelible dignity of each human being involved in armed conflicts. In this way, reconciliation necessary for the reestablishment of peace after the conflict is favored."

After making reference to the present "difficult hour in history" due to the outbreak of a new war, the Pope affirms that "thinking of the victims, the destruction and the suffering caused by armed conflicts always causes great concern and pain."

"It should be clear by now that war used as an instrument of resolution of conflicts between states was rejected, even before the Charter of the United Nations, by the conscience of the majority of humanity, except in the case of defense against an aggressor. The vast contemporary movement in favor of peace - which, according to Vatican Council II, is not reduced to a 'simple absence of war' - demonstrates this conviction of men of every continent and culture."

The Holy Father highlighted "the strength of different religions in sustaining the search for peace is a reason for comfort and hope. In our view of faith, peace, even if it is the result of political accords and understanding among individuals and peoples, is a gift from God that we must constantly invoke with prayer and penance. Without a conversion of the heart there is no peace! Peace is only achieved through love! Right now we are all asked to work and pray so that war disappears from the horizon of humanity."

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, MAR 25, 2003 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

- Archbishop Domenico Umberto D'Ambrosio of Manfredonia-Vieste-San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy and delegate of the Holy See for the Works of St. Pio of Pietrelcina.

- Four prelates from the Episcopal Conference of Indonesia on their "ad limina" visit:

- Bishop Leo Laba Ladjar, O.F.M. of Jayapura.
- Bishop Johannes Sudiarna Hadiwikarta of Surabaya.

- Bishop Petrus Canisius Mandagi of Amboina, M.S.C. accompanied by Auxiliary Bishop Josephus Tethool, M.S.C.

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HOLY FATHER TO CANONIZE FIVE BLESSEDS IN MADRID ON MAY 4

VATICAN CITY, MAR 25, 2003 (VIS) - According to a statement made this morning by Joaquin Navarro-Valls, director of the Holy See Press Office, "Pope John Paul II will undertake an apostolic trip to Spain on May 3 and 4 for the canonization in Madrid of Blesseds Pedro Poveda Castroverde, Jose Maria Rubio y Peralta, Genoveva Torres Morales, Angela de la Cruz and Maria Maravillas de Jesus."

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, MAR 25, 2003 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Accepted the resignation from the office of Auxiliary of Brescia, Italy presented by Bishop Vigilio Mario Olmi upon having reached the age limit.

- Appointed Msgr. Francesco Beschi, pro-vicar general of the diocese of Brescia, Italy, as auxiliary of the same diocese (area 4,339, population 1,041,466, Catholics 1,025, 116, priests 1,097, permanent deacons 26, religious 2,813). The bishop-elect was born in Brescia in 1951 and was ordained a priest in 1975.

- Appointed Fr. Claude Champagne, O.M.I., provincial superior of the oblate province of Saint-Joseph, Montreal, Canada, as auxiliary of the diocese of Halifax (area 21,770, population 517,833, Catholics 155,000, priests 84, permanent deacons 25, religious 310), Canada. The bishop-elect was born in 1947 in Lachine, Canada and was ordained a priest in 1975.

- Appointed Msgr. Richard Seminack of the clergy of the Eparchy of St. Josaphat in Parma of the Ukraines, U.S.A., as bishop of the Eparchy of St. Nicholas of Chicago of the Ukraines (area Catholics 10,000, priests 55, permanent deacons 12, religious 19), U.S.A. The bishop-elect was born in Philadelphia, U.S.A., in 1942 and was ordained a priest in 1967.

- Appointed Fr. Wieslaw Alojzy Mering, rector of the diocesan seminary of Pelplin, Poland, as bishop of Wloclawek (area 10,143, population 872,853, Catholics 851,629, priests 616, religious 726), Poland. The bishop-elect was born in Zukow, Poland in 1945 and was ordained in 1972.

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