PAPAL MESSAGE ASKS FOR "COURAGE TO EMBRACE PEACE" IN BALKANS

VATICAN CITY, JUN 4, 1999 (VIS) - Made public today was Pope John Paul's Message to Archbishop Francois Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, who visited Belgrade, Yugoslavia, yesterday, on the occasion of the day of prayer for peace in the Balkans.

The text of the Message, written in English and dated June 1, follows:

"Through you I wish to express my closeness to all those gathered in spiritual union with the day of prayer that I shall be leading in Rome on June 3, to implore from Almighty God the gift of peace for all the peoples of the Balkans. For so long now too many have suffered. Countless numbers have been driven from their homes, others have been innocent victims of military action. It is my hope that all those who share some responsibility for resolving the present conflict will have the courage to embrace peace. Only justice, dialogue and reconciliation will enable this part of Europe to be - at last and always - a place where diversity does not mean confrontation but mutual enrichment. To all present I willingly impart my Apostolic Blessing."

Archbishop Nguyen Van Thuan celebrated a Mass for peace in Belgrade's cathedral. Bishop Diarmuid Martin, council secretary, visited a refugee camp in Macedonia and Msgr. Giampaolo Crepaldi, under-secretary, visited refugees in Albania.

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DIALOGUE WITH THE ORTHODOX MUST BE INTENSELY CONTINUED

VATICAN CITY, JUN 4, 1999 (VIS) - Made public today was a letter from the Pope addressed to Cardinal Edward Idris Cassidy, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, the subject of which was dialogue with the Orthodox.

John Paul II recalled that, due to the war in the Balkans, it would not be possible to celebrate the plenary session of the mixed international commission for theological dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church in its entirety, which had been scheduled to take place this month.

"On the threshold of the third millennium of the Christian era," writes the Pope, "ecumenical commitment must be undertaken with renewed and ardent vigour."

The Holy Father encourages the cardinal and the members of the commission to reflect on relations between the Orthodox Churches and the Oriental Catholic Churches, "in awareness of the fact that the latter have, within the Catholic Church, a dignity equal to that of all other Churches in full communion with the Bishop of Rome; they enjoy the same rights and have the same obligations."

"Not only must dialogue not cease, it must continue with renewed intensity. ... I therefore urge this pontifical council to find the ways and means of rendering, as far as possible, relations with each Orthodox Church cordial and constructive. ... I hope that this effort may lead to progressively overcoming the difficulties still present and help the disciples of Christ to walk resolutely towards full communion."

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, JUN 4, 1999 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

- Cardinal Ricardo J. Vidal, archbishop of Cebu, the Philippines.
- Archbishop Luigi Ventura, apostolic nuncio in Chile.
- Bishop Jayme Henrique Chemello of Pelotas, Brazil, president of the National Conference of Brazilian Bishops, with the vice-president, Archbishop Marcelo Pinto Carvalheira of Paraiba and the general secretary, Bishop Raymundo Damasceno Assis, auxiliary of Brasilia.
- Hisakazu Takase, Japanese ambassador to the Holy See, on his farewell visit.
- Cardinal Jan Pieter Schotte, secretary general of the Synod of Bishops.
This evening he is scheduled to receive Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

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POPE TO LEAVE TOMORROW MORNING FOR POLAND

VATICAN CITY, JUN 4, 1999 (VIS) - Pope John Paul II is scheduled to leave Rome's Fiumicino Airport at 8:45 a.m. tomorrow to start a 13-day trip to Poland. This is the eighth time he has travelled to his native land and is the 87th foreign apostolic trip of his pontificate.

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JUN 4, 1999 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the archdiocese of Papeete, Tahiti, French Polynesia, presented by Archbishop Michel-Gaspard Coppenrath on having reached the age limit. He is succeeded by Coadjutor Archbishop Hubert Coppenrath.

- Appointed Fr. John McAreavey of the clergy of the diocese of Dromore, as Bishop of Dromore (area 1,000, population 190,000, Catholics 65,200, priests 89, religious 173), Ireland. The bishop-elect was born in Banbridge, Ireland in 1949, he was ordained a priest in 1973 and since 1988 has been professor of Canon Law at St. Patrick's College, Maynooth. He succeeds Bishop Francis Gerard Brooks, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted upon having reached the age limit.

- Appointed Bishop Marcelo Arturo Gonzalez Amador, auxiliary of Santa Clara (area 12,754, population 1,145,302, Catholics 500,000, priests 22, religious 39), Cuba as bishop of the same diocese.

- Appointed Fr. Mile Bogovic, professor of Church history at the Technological Institute of Rijeka, Croatia, as auxiliary of the archdiocese of Rijeka-Senj (area 10,975, population 390,000, Catholics 290,000 priests 153, religious 275). The bishop-elect was born in Cerovac, Croatia in 1939 and ordained a priest in 1964.

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