OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, APR 23, 1999 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Fr. Luis Quinteiro Fiuza as auxiliary bishop of Santiago de Compostela (area 8,546, population 1,288,822, Catholics 1,185,700, priests 912, religious 749), Spain. The bishop-elect was born in Villa de Cruces, Spain, in 1947, was ordained a priest in 1971, and since 1997 has been rector of the Major Seminary of Santiago de Compostela.

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, APR 23, 1999 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

- Francisco Fadul, prime minister of Guinea Bissau, and his entourage.
- Bishop Joseph Anthony Fiorenza of Galveston-Houston, president of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops of the United States of America, together with Bishop Wilton Daniel Gregory of Belleville, vice-president, and Msgr. Dennis M. Schnurr, secretary general.
- Cardinal Jose T. Sanchez.
- Archbishop Piero Biggio, apostolic nuncio in Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Sweden and Norway.
- A group of nine prelates from the Italian Episcopal Conference (second group, Sicily region) on their "ad limina" visit:
- Archbishop Giuseppe Costanzo of Siracusa.
- Archbishop Luigi Bommarito of Catania.
- Archbishop Giovanni Marra of Messina-Lipari-Santa Lucia del Mela, accompanied by his auxiliary, Bishop Francesco Sgalambro.
- Bishop Angelo Rizzo of Ragusa.
- Bishop Giuseppe Maladrino of Noto.
- Bishop Ignazio Zambito of Patti.
- Bishop Vincenzo Manzella of Caltagirone.
- Bishop Salvatore Gristina of Acrireale.

He is scheduled to meet later this evening with Archbishop Tarciscio Bertone, secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

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POPE JOHN PAUL II'S LETTER TO ARTISTS

VATICAN CITY, APR 23, 1999 (VIS) - Pope John Paul's Letter to Artists, dated Easter Sunday. April 4, 1999 was released today in Italian, French, English, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch and Polish.

The Pope addresses the 16-chapter Letter "To all who are passionately dedicated to the search for new 'epiphanies' of beauty so that through their creative work as artists, they may offer these as gifts to the world."

In the first chapter, "The artist, image of God the Creator," he states that his intention is to continue the Church's 2,000-year old "fruitful dialogue" with artists, a dialogue "rooted in the very essence of both religious experience and artistic creativity. ... The human craftsman mirrors the image of God as Creator. ... The one who creates bestows being itself. ... The craftsman, by contrast, uses something that already exists, to which he gives form and meaning."

The work of artists, the Holy Father continues in "The special vocation of the artist," "becomes a unique disclosure of their own being, of what they are and of how they are what they are. ... the history of art, therefore, is ... also a history of men and women."

Chapter Three addresses "The artistic vocation in the service of beauty," and says: "In a certain sense, beauty is the visible form of the good, just as good is the metaphysical condition of beauty." The Pope points out that "the artist has a special relationship to beauty," and "the obligation not to waste this talent but to develop it, in order to put it at the service of their neighbor, and of humanity as a whole."

He develops this theme of the duty to use talent in the chapter dedicated to "The artist and the common good," writing: "There is therefore an ethic, even a 'spirituality' of artistic service, which contributes in its way to the life and renewal of a people."

In the following chapters, "Art and the mystery of the Word made flesh," and "A fruitful alliance between the Gospel and art," Pope John Paul looks at how, over time, all of Sacred Scripture, and the Incarnation in particular, have "fired the imagination of painters, poets, musicians, playwrights and film-makers." Of the Incarnation, he says: "In becoming man, the Son of God has introduced into human history all the evangelical wealth of the true and the good, and with this He has also unveiled a new dimension of beauty."

Three chapters are then dedicated to the origins of art of Christian inspiration, the Middle Ages and Humanism and the Renaissance. Highlighting what he terms the need of believers "to express the mysteries of faith," the Pope touches upon the various forms this took, including architecture, poetry, sacred music, icons, painting and sculpture. And he says: "Even in the changed climate of more recent centuries, when a part of society seems to have become indifferent to faith, religious art has continued on its way."

In Chapter 10, "Towards a renewed dialogue," John Paul II writes of his hopes for a renewed dialogue between the Church and artists, especially in view of the dawn of "another kind of humanism, marked by the absence of God and often by opposition to God."

In Chapter 11, "In the Spirit of the Second Vatican Council," the Pope stresses the Council Fathers appeal to artists: "This world in which we live needs beauty in order not to sink into despair. Beauty, like truth, brings joy to the human heart."

"The Church needs art," writes the Pope in the next chapter. And in the following one he asks: "Does art need the Church?" He answers the question affirmatively, saying: "How then can we fail to see what a great source of inspiration is offered by that kind of homeland of the soul that is religion?"

The final three chapters are entitled "An appeal to artists," "The Creator Spirit and artistic inspiration" and "The 'Beauty' that saves."

While assuring artists of his esteem, the Holy Father writes: "Mine is an invitation to rediscover the depth of the spiritual and religious dimension which has been typical of art in his noblest form in every age."

Pope John Paul II concludes: "May the beauty which you pass on to generations still to come be such that it will stir them to wonder! Faced with the sacredness of life and of the human person, and before the marvels of the universe, wonder is the only appropriate attitude."

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ADDRESS TO CANADIAN BISHOPS ON YOUTH PASTORAL MINISTRY

VATICAN CITY, APR 22, 1999 (VIS) - The Holy Father this morning received the bishops of the apostolic region of Quebec, Canada, including Montreal's two new auxiliaries and the Maronite and Melkite ordinaries, and focussed his talk to them on the importance of youth pastoral ministry.

Addressing the prelates in French, the Pope congratulated them for their "efforts ... in proposing the faith to young people in a renewed and concerted way."

He highlighted the family's role in passing the faith on to children: "Being awakened to the faith within the family is of capital importance. ... The family has an irreplaceable and specific role in (a child's) human and spiritual formation. Childhood is an important period for the discovery of human, moral and spiritual values. And as you yourself have admitted, it is often an occasion for parents to ask themselves about their own faith, their attachment to Christ and the conformity of their lives with the Gospel."

Addressing the difficulties often encountered by those responsible for youth ministry, John Paul II encouraged them "not to despair if they do not immediately see the fruits of their work. ... In today's society, ... young people carry within them questions and sufferings which are marked by personal and social behavior which can disconcert those close to them, notably the phenomena of violence and drugs, as well as suicidal behavior. ... Education requires infinite patience and a loving closeness."

"Young people, "he went on, "need educators and spiritual directors who are competent, wise and sensitive in their ways of leading (youth)." In fact, the Pope said he "could not recommend too highly to priests, consecrated persons and lay people working in this ministry to propose to young people the experience of a spiritual director."

"So that young people might grow in their faith," stated Pope John Paul, "it would be good to assure them of a place and give them their share of responsibility, not only in groups their age, but also within the heart of local communities.. ... In your dioceses, large gatherings or even smaller groups are regularly organized to help young people to reflect on their emotional lives and on the vocation to marriage, transmitting to them the meaning and the value of human sexuality. ... In a world where the family unit is fragile and where many wounds deeply affect young people, ... the Church has the duty to educate them to an emotional life built on healthy human and moral values."

The Holy Father's concluding remarks were dedicated to what he termed "one of the primordial dimensions of the episcopal ministry, ... the pastoral ministry for vocations to the priesthood, which must be constantly organized and developed, thanks to priests and to solid and dynamic and laity, while taking care to give young priests, who can be models and examples, an active role in this sphere."

"Jesus calls certain young men and women to follow Him," stated the Pope, "in a more exclusive manner and to dedicate themselves totally to Him in the religious life. ... This call of Christ's to the consecrated life is an eloquent witness for today's world, reminding us that true happiness comes from Christ and the freedom of the human person cannot be separated from either the truth or from God."

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AUDIENCE FOR WRITERS AT "LA CIVILTA CATTOLICA" MAGAZINE

VATICAN CITY, APR 22, 1999 (VIS) - The Pope received at midday today the writers of the Jesuit-run Italian magazine, "La Civilta Cattolica" (Catholic Civilization), who are commemorating the 150th anniversary of the magazine's founding.

John Paul II highlighted its "total adherence, even if it is sometimes difficult, to Holy See teaching and directives, and the love and veneration for the Pope" during these years.

"Among the magazine's merits, I would like to point out the promptness with which it welcomed the renewal of the Church undertaken by the Second Vatican Council, and the commitment to make known to a vast readership the (Council's) events, the questions discussed and its documents."

The Holy Father encouraged the writers to be interpreters of the Council teachings, "particularly on subjects such as Christology, Ecclesiology and the Magisterium of the Church, the role of the laity and the specificity of Christianity in inter-religious dialogue, religious freedom, the relationship between cultures and ecumenism, instruments of mass communication and their problematic impact on the mentality and behavior of people today."

The "great transformations" of the present day require "a courageous commitment to educate (people) in a strong adult faith, able to give meaning to life, and which resists attacks of an often secularized culture."

The Pope highlighted that "'La Civilta Cattolica' is called to contribute to the overcoming of the separation of faith and modern culture, and between faith and moral behavior."

Having referred to "social injustice" and the "power of money and an uncontrolled global economy," which put difficulties in the way of "welcoming the Gospel message," the Pontiff encouraged the magazine to continue in its role of "spreading the social doctrine of the Church, which the changes in society and the world of work made ever more current and urgent."

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