AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, SEP 9, 1999 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences seven prelates from the Episcopal Conference of Burundi, on their "ad limina" visit:

- Archbishop Simon Ntamwana of Gitega.
- Bishop Stanislas Kaburungu of Ngozi.
- Bishop Bernard Bududira of Bururi.
- Bishop Joseph Nduhirubusa of Ruyigi.
- Bishop Evariste Ngoyagoye of Bujumbura.
- Bishop Jean-Berchmans Nterere of Muyinga.
- Bishop Jean Ntagwarara of Bubanza.

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TELEGRAM FOR EARTHQUAKE IN GREECE

VATICAN CITY, SEP 9, 1999 (VIS) - Made public today was a telegram sent by the Holy Father to Archbishop Paul Fouad Tabet, apostolic nuncio in Greece, for last Tuesday's earthquake which struck Athens and the surrounding area:

"Having heard with deep emotion of the tragic earthquake which struck Athens and the surrounding area, I ask you to express my most sincere condolences and most profound sympathy to all those harshly affected by the tremors. I ask the Lord to accept the victims into His light and to bring comfort to the injured and to families who mourn. I pray the Almighty to inspire the country's people and the international community to renewed sentiments of solidarity and charity, in order that the people of Greece struck by this drama may be helped and that the urgent needs of the population may be met, assisting them to reconstruct that which has been destroyed. Entrusting to God all those struck by the tragedy, I invoke the blessing of the Most High upon the people of Greece.

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RELIGIOUS LIBERTY IS THE HEART OF HUMAN RIGHTS

VATICAN CITY, SEP 9, 1999 (VIS) - This morning at Castelgandolfo, John Paul II received a group of prelates from the Episcopal Conference of Chad, who have just completed their "ad limina" visit.

In his speech, given in French, the Pope manifested his joy at the "dynamism" of Church communities in Chad. "An eloquent indication" of this, he said, is the creation of two new dioceses in the last five years.

The Holy Father referred to the "significant increase" in the number of priests in Chad over the last few years. He exhorted them to "determine ever more profoundly their identity as priests. May they find the living source of their existence and ecclesial mission in personal encounters with the Risen Lord, through prayer and the sacraments."

"The formation of future priests is one of your greatest concerns. ... The creation of a new seminary is an encouraging sign and a fine occasion to give thanks for the generosity of the young in responding to the call of the Lord. I ask you to offer candidates to the priesthood not only a solid intellectual and spiritual formation, but also a serious education."

John Paul II went on to talk about lay people whose "fitting doctrinal and spiritual formation must be given ever greater importance, in order that their faith be confirmed and their witness be truthful and credible." In this matter he praised the catechists "who generously affirm the mission you have entrusted to them. ... During their whole lives, may they be ardent disciples of Christ and models of Christian life!"

The faithful must be "brought to understand the dignity and the role of marriage, which is an authentic path of sanctity. ... A greater awareness of the equal dignity of man and woman, in particular of the love they mutually express, will also help to clearly show that the conjugal bond requires the unity of matrimony."

The Pope referred to Catholic schools which "are an important contribution of the Church to the education of the young in Chad, with no social or religious distinctions." He added that it is necessary to help the young to overcome obstacles and present day challenges and give them an education "that takes into account the human and spiritual realities of their lives, and that helps them to live amongst young people from different religions and social backgrounds."

The Holy Father encouraged the prelates to support links with other Christians and with Muslims "in order that the causes of misunderstanding and confrontation disappear, and that the principles of tolerance and fraternity come to characterize the building of a solid and unified nation. ... It is necessary that Catholics totally refuse all fear and rejection of others."
Religious liberty, the Pope concluded, "constitutes the heart of human rights and renders possible other personal and collective liberties. Recourse to violence in the name of one's own religious creed represents a deformation of the very teachings of the great religions. It is my fervent wish that all believers overcome their antagonism once and for all, and unite their efforts in order to combat anything that opposes peace and reconciliation, in order to contribute to establishing a society of Love."

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GOD SHOWS HIS MERCY IN PARDONING SINS

VATICAN CITY, SEP 8, 1999 (VIS) - In this morning's general audience held in St. Peter's Square, the Holy Father, continuing his reflections on the meaning of conversion, spoke of the significance of the remission of sins which is offered through sacramental meditation.

If, said the Pope, forgiveness of sin in the Old Testament "does not attenuate man's responsibility and the need for his commitment to conversion," in the New Testament "God's forgiveness is manifested through the words and deeds of Jesus. In forgiving sin, Jesus reveals to us the merciful face of the Father."

John Paul II confirmed that the "pinnacle of this revelation may be considered as being the parable which is known as the 'prodigal son' but which should be called the 'merciful father.'"

"The decision of the younger son to liberate himself (from his father) ... is a blatant rejection of family communion. The distancing from the paternal home well expresses the meaning of sin and its character of ungrateful rebellion." Human logic, expressed in the elder brother's protest, would suggest "adequate punishment." Nonetheless, the Pope continued, the father goes out to meet the prodigal son and shows him his love. "Pure legality is overcome by generous and unconditional parental love, which goes beyond human justice and summons both brothers to sit once more at the father's table."

"The merciful father of the parable both contains within himself and transcends all the attributes of paternity and maternity. ... The mystery of the 'return home' admirably expresses the meeting between the Father and humanity, between mercy and misery, in a circle of love that does not only concern the lost son but extends to all."

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PAPAL MESSAGE FOR WORLD DAY OF LITERACY

VATICAN CITY, SEP 8, 1999 (VIS) - Made public this afternoon was the Holy Father's annual message to the director general of UNESCO (The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) on the occasion of today's Thirty-Third International Day for Literacy. The French-language message, dated August 28 from Castelgandolfo, is addressed to Federico Mayor Zaragoza.

In the message, the Pope praises all those "men and women who, throughout the ages," have led the campaign against "the serious situation of illiteracy in the world." He also lauds the efforts made by UNESCO in this regard.

"At the dawn of the third millennium," he writes, "I invite all peoples to join together in fighting illiteracy, which is a heavy handicap for an important part of mankind, especially women and girls. In fact, up to recently, two-thirds of illiterate people were women and 70 percent of those children not attending schools were girls."

"The Church, for her part," John Paul II concludes, "pursuing the mission that Christ entrusted to her, hopes to continue to participate in educating young people and adults, side by side with men and women of good will."

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