OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, NOV 18, 1999 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed:

- Fr. Jose Camnate na Bissign, apostolic administrator of Bissau (area 36,125, population 1,100,000, Catholics 132,000, priests 61, religious 126), Guinea Bissau, as bishop of the same diocese. The bishop-elect was born in Mansoa, Guinea Bissau, in 1953 and ordained a priest 1982.

- Fr. Benjamin Castillo Plascencia, episcopal vicar for pastoral ministry, as auxiliary of Guadalajara (area 20,827, population 5,158,000, Catholics, 4,899,000, priests 1,174, permanent deacons 2, religious 3,825), Mexico. The bishop-elect was born in Ixtlahuacan del Rio, Mexico, in 1945.

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, NOV 18, 1999 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received eight prelates from the German Episcopal Conference, on their "ad limina" visit:
- Bishop Franz Xaver Eder of Passau.
- Bishop Karl Lehmann of Mainz, accompanied by his auxiliary Bishop Franziskus Eisenbach, and by Msgr. Helmut Moll.
- Bishop Anton Schlembach of Speyer, accompanied by his auxiliary, Bishop Otto Georgens.
- Bishop Viktor Josef Dammertz O.S.B., of Augsburg, accompanied by his auxiliary, Bishop Josef Grunwald.

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SPECIAL COUNCIL FOR OCEANIA HOLDS THIRD MEETING

VATICAN CITY, NOV 18, 1999 (VIS) - The Council for the Special Assembly for Oceania of the Synod of Bishops met in the Vatican from November 9 to 11 under the presidency of Cardinal Jan Schotte, C.I.C.M. secretary general of the Synod of Bishops. All members of the council - 3 cardinals, 5 archbishops and 2 bishops - were in attendance.

During this third meeting of the Council, the members reviewed the activity of the secretariat since the last meeting and discussed the celebratory phase of the synod for Asia, which took place November 5-9 with Pope John Paul's trip to India and Georgia. They also studied the first drafts of the proposals they will send to the Holy Father for the post-synodal apostolic exhortation for Oceania, and evaluated new suggestions for their document with the help of experts. The synod took place in the Vatican from November 22 to December 12, 1998.

The next meeting of this council is scheduled for April 4 to 6, 2000.

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IN MEMORIAM

VATICAN CITY, NOV 18, 1999 (VIS) - The following prelates died in recent weeks:
- Bishop Jose de Jesus Aguilera Rodriguez, emeritus of Huajuapan de Leon, Mexico, on November 9 at the age of 68.
- Bishop John William Comber M.M., titular of Foraziana, on March 27 1998, at the age of 92.
- Bishop Firmin Courtemanche M. Afr., emeritus of Chipata, Zambia, on November 3, at the age of 86.
- Bishop Stephane Desmazieres, emeritus of Beauvais, France, on November 13, at the age of 96.
- Archbishop Gabriel Gonsum Ganaka of Jos, Nigeria, on November 11, at the age of 62.
- Bishop Alfons Karl Kempf, former auxiliary of Wurzburg, Germany, on November 8, at the age of 87.
- Bishop Orestes Santiago Nuti Sanguinetti S.D.B., emeritus of Canelones, Uruguay, on November 2, at the age of 80.
- Bishop Joseph Sibomana, emeritus of Kibungo, Rwanda, on November 9, at the age of 84.

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PAPAL PILGRIMAGE TO HOLY LAND FORESEEN FOR MARCH 2000

VATICAN CITY, NOV 17, 1999 (VIS) - Today at noon in the Holy See Press Office there was a press conference to present an updated Jubilee calendar of events, along with the charitable initiatives which will be undertaken by the Church, especially the diocese of Rome, during the Holy Year 2000.

Present were Cardinal Etchegaray and Archbishop Crescenzio Sepe, respectively president and secretary of the Committee of the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000, Marcello Sacchetti, president of St. Peter's Club, Msgr. Guerino Di Tora, the head of Caritas in Rome and Volker Goetz, president of the Solidarity Fund.

Archbishop Sepe began the presentation of the New Jubilee calendar by listing the principal changes and new events. He said the calendar has been printed in various languages and sent to all the bishops in the world, as well as to interested offices and institutions.

Events where the Holy Father will be present are marked by an asterisk. From Friday, December 24, 1999, the vigil of Christmas and the opening of the Holy Door at St. Peter's, through January 6, 2001, the Epiphany and the closing of that same Holy Door, and thus the Holy Year, the Pope is scheduled to participate in 65 events. The introduction to the calendar states that other papal events, however, may be inserted throughout the year.

Among the changes or additions to the Jubilee calendar: Pope John Paul II will personally open the Holy Doors of all four patriarchal basilicas (St. Peter's, St. John Lateran, St. Mary Major and St. Paul's Outside-the-Walls); beatification ceremonies go from two to three ( March 5, April 9, September 3), and there are now two canonization ceremonies scheduled (May 21 and October 1: this was moved from November 1; the "request for pardon" ceremony will take place on the First Sunday of Lent, March 12, in St. Peter's, instead of Ash Wednesday, March 8. Four concerts in the Vatican have been added to the calendar: May 18 (Pope John Paul's 80th birthday), June 8, September 23 and October 22.

"The apostolic pilgrimage of the Pope to the Holy Land has also been placed on the Jubilee calendar," Archbishop Sepe pointed out. In fact, a footnote for the month of March 2000 states that the Pope's trip to the Holy Land is foreseen within the last ten days of that month.

Marcello Sacchetti then explained that St. Peter's Club has been performing charitable works in Rome since 1869. They are in charge of collecting Peter's Pence in the diocese of Rome: this offering is then given to the Pope to use for his favorite charities. The Club is also in charge of the chapel located in the Colosseum where Mass is said every Sunday of the year.
Mr. Sacchetti stated that, for the entire Jubilee Year, St. Peter's Club will provide free daily hot meals for the needy who have come to Rome on pilgrimage. These will be available at special kiosks at each of the four patriarchal basilicas (200 meals at St. Peter's, and 100 at each of the other basilicas).

Archbishop Sepe indicated that "in the whole country at the present time, around 400 houses have been made available by various ecclesial bodies. These will offer hospitality at reduced prices, while around 40 will offer free hospitality, for a total of over 26,000 beds."

The director of Caritas in Rome, Guerino Di Tora, said that during the Jubilee, Caritas aims to "upgrade the operation of its services, especially as regards board, lodging and health care."

On the subject of initiatives for the Holy Year in Rome, he announced, among other things: the improvement of services in meals for the poor; the opening of a welcome center for pilgrims infected with the AIDS virus; the publication of a guide to places of worship and prayer for immigrants and the publication of a new edition of the guide to social and health services in the city.

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