AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, NOV 3, 1999 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in audience Archbishop Joseph Chennoth, apostolic nuncio in the Central African Republic and Chad.

On Tuesday, November 2, he received in separate audiences:

- Six prelates from the western region of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, on their "ad limina" visit:
- Bishop Reynald Rouleau O.M.I., of Churchill-Baie d'Hudson.
- Bishop Douglas Crosby O.M.I., of Labrador City-Schefferville.
- Dom Peter Novecosky O.S.B., abbot emeritus of Saint Peter Muenster.
- Msgr. Gerry Desmond, diocesan administrator of Kamloops.
- Msgr. Arthe Guimond, diocesan administrator of Grouard-McLennan.
- Msgr. Walter Laliberty, diocesan administrator of Saint Paul in Alberta.

On Saturday, October 30, he received in separate audiences:

- Arnoldo Aleman Lacayo, president of the Republic of Nicaragua, accompanied by his wife and an entourage.
- Two prelates from the western region of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops, on their "ad limina" visit:
- Bishop James Vernon Weisgerber of Saskatoon.
- Bishop Eugene Cooney of Nelson.
- Cardinal Lucas Moreira Neves O.P., prefect of the Congregation for bishops.
- Cardinal Roger Etchegaray and Archbishop Crescenzio Sepe, respectively president and secretary general of the Committee for the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000.

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PAPAL CALL FOR CANCELLATION OF INTERNATIONAL DEBT

VATICAN CITY, NOV 3, 1999 (VIS) - "Commitment to reducing the international debt of poor nations" was the theme of the Pope's catechesis during the general audience held this morning in St. Peter's Square.

The Holy Father recalled that the Christian Jubilee makes reference to the biblical jubilee and is linked with "the demands of the common good and with the fact that the world's resources are meant for everyone. It is precisely in this perspective that, in 'Tertio Millennio Adveniente' I proposed the Jubilee 'as an appropriate time to give thought, among other things, to reducing substantially, if not cancelling outright, the international debt which seriously threatens the future of many nations'."

"The problem," he continued, "is complex and not easy to solve. Nonetheless, it should be clear that it is not purely economic in character but concerns fundamental ethical principles. It must find space in international law in order to be faced and satisfactorily resolved in the medium and long term. It is necessary to apply a 'survival ethic' to regulate the relationship between creditors and debtors in such a way that the debtor in difficulty is not loaded with an insufferable burden." In a "globalized" economy, he added, the problem requires true "solidarity, in order to avoid catastrophic consequences."

John Paul II renewed the call for the "partial or even total remission of international debt." He concluded by indicating that the Jubilee "is an appropriate time for making good will gestures ... as a sign of a new way of understanding wealth in terms of the common good."

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NOTICE

VATICAN CITY, NOV 3, 1999 (VIS) - As previously announced, there will be no edition of VIS tomorrow, November 4, the feast of St. Charles Borromeo and the Holy Father's name day. Service will resume on Friday, November 5.


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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, NOV 3, 1999 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed:

- Msgr. Ian Murray, vicar general of the archdiocese of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh, Scotland as bishop of Argyll and the Isles (area 31,080, population 109,500, Catholics 11,400, priests 27, religious 17), Scotland. The bishop-elect was born in Lennoxtown, Scotland in 1932 and ordained a priest in 1956.

- Msgr. Jozef Wesolowski, nunciature counsellor, as apostolic nuncio in Bolivia, raising him at the same time to the dignity of archbishop. The archbishop-elect was born in Nowy Targ, Poland, in 1948 and ordained a priest in 1972.

On Saturday, October 30, it was made public that he:

- Elevated Msgr. Antonio Cosa, apostolic administrator of Moldova, to the rank of bishop. The bishop-elect was born in Valea Mare, Romania, in 1961 and ordained a priest in 1989.

- Appointed Msgr. Mario Marchesi, bureau chief of the Congregation for the Clergy, as under-secretary of the Pontifical Council for the Interpretation of Legislative texts.

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POPE, WORLD RELIGIOUS LEADERS GATHER IN ST. PETER'S SQUARE

VATICAN CITY, OCT 29, 1999 (VIS) - Last evening in St. Peter's Square, on the fourth and final day of the Inter-religious assembly which has been meeting in the Vatican, Pope John Paul addressed the "many esteemed religious leaders who have travelled long distances to be present at this concluding ceremony," greeting them with "joy" and "in the peace which the world cannot give."

"I have always believed that religious leaders have a vital role to play in nurturing that hope of justice and peace without which there will be no future worthy of humanity," he told the participants in this meeting convened by the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue.

"As we survey the situation of humanity," the Holy Father observed, "is it too much to speak of 'a crisis of civilization'? We see great technological advances, but these are not always accompanied by great spiritual and moral progress. We see as well a growing gap between the rich and the poor. ... Many people make great sacrifices to show solidarity with those suffering want or hunger or disease, but there still is lacking the collective will to overcome scandalous inequalities. ... Then there are the many conflicts continually breaking out around the world."

"Surely," he underscored, "this is not the way humanity is supposed to live."

He remarked that "there are some who claim that religion is part of the problem, blocking humanity's way to true peace and prosperity. As religious people it is our duty to demonstrate that this is not the case. Any use of religion to support violence is an abuse of religion. Religion is not, and must not become, a pretext for conflict, particularly when religious, cultural and ethnic identity coincide."

John Paul II affirmed that "the task before us to promote a culture of dialogue," must not only be taught, but also "translated into action."

"It is a sign of hope," he said, "that in many parts of the world inter-religious associations have been established to promote joint reflection and action." And he cited efforts by such groups to mediate between warring parties, "to protect the unborn, to uphold the rights of women and children, and to defend the innocent."

Pope John Paul closed by recalling the journey to Assisi thirteen years ago by world religious leaders for the World Day of Prayer for Peace. "Since that time," he stressed, "the 'spirit of Assisi' has been kept alive through various initiatives in different parts of the world. ... Our gathering today in St. Peter's Square is another step on that journey."

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