AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, FEB 5, 2001 (VIS) - The Holy Father received today in separate audiences:

- Cardinal Jean-Claude Turcotte, archbishop of Montreal, Canada, with Prime Minister of Quebec, Lucien Bouchard and his family, and J. Fernand Tanguay, ambassador of Canada to the Holy See, and an entourage.
- Bishop Henry Theophilus Howaniec, apostolic administrator of Almaty, Kazakhstan, on the occasion of his "ad limina" visit.
- Bishop Giuseppe Pasotto, apostolic administrator of Caucasus of the Latins, Georgia, on the occasion of his "ad limina" visit.
- Fr. Tomasz Peta, apostolic administrator of Astana, Kazakhstan, on the occasion of his "ad limina" visit.
- Fr. Janusz Kaleta, apostolic administrator of Atyrau, Kazakhstan, on the occasion of his "ad limina" visit.
- Fr. Aleksandr Kan, S.J., superior of the "sui iuris" mission of Kyrgyzstan, on the occasion of his "ad limina" visit.

On Saturday the Holy Father received in separate audiences:
- Cardinal William Wakefield Baum, major penitentiary, and Bishop Luigi De Magistris, regent of the Apostolic Penitentiary.
- Jose Bernardo Domingos Quiosa, ambassador of the Republic of Angola to the Holy See, on a farewell visit.
- Bishop Jan Pawel Lenga of Karaganda, Kazakhstan, on the occasion of his "ad limina" visit.
- Archbishop Nerses der Nersessian, ordinary for the Armenian Catholics of Eastern Europe, on the occasion of his "ad limina" visit.
- Fr. Wenceslaus Padilla, C.I.C.M., superior of the "sui iuris" mission in Urga, Ulanbator, Mongolia, on the occasion of his "ad limina" visit.
- Archbishop Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.
- Cardinal Fiorenzo Angelini.

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FRIDAY: PRESENTATION OF PAPAL MESSAGE FOR LENT

VATICAN CITY, FEB 5, 2001 (VIS) - Friday, February 9, at 11:30 a.m. in the Holy See Press Office, Archbishop Paul Josef Cordes, president of the Pontifical Council "Cor Unum," will present the Holy Father's Message for Lent 2001, on the theme "Love does not rejoice at wrong."

Also participating in the presentation will be Alberto Piatti, member of the Pontifical Council "Cor Unum" and board member of AVSI (Association of Volunteers for International Service) of Milan, Italy, and Rose Busingye, director of "Meeting Point," a Ugandan NGO (Non-governmental Organization) which supports those suffering from AIDS and their family members.

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, FEB 2, 2001 (VIS) - The Holy Father received today in separate audiences seven prelates of the Episcopal Conference of Albania, on the occasion of their "ad limina" visit.
- Archbishop Angelo Massafra of Shkrode, accompanied by Auxiliary Bishop Zef Simoni.
- Bishop Hil Kabashi, apostolic administrator of southern Albania.
- Msgr. Dode Gjergji, apostolic administrator of Sape.
- Fr. Ottavio Vitale, R.C.I., apostolic administrator of Lezhe.
- Fr. Prele Gjurashaj, O.F.M., apostolic administrator of Pult.
- Fr. Cristoforo Palmieri, C.M., apostolic administrator of Rreshen.

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, FEB 2, 2001 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Elevated the apostolic prefecture of Leticia, Colombia, to the status of apostolic vicariate, with the same denomination and territorial configuration. At the same time the Holy Father appointed Bishop Jose de Jesus Quintero Diaz as first apostolic vicar of Leticia (area 121,000, population 60,000, Catholics 57,000, priests 22, religious 35), Colombia, accepting his resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Tibu, Colombia, presented in accordance with Canon 401, para. 2, of the Code of Canon Law.

- Elevated the apostolic prefecture of San Adres y Providencia, Colombia, to the status of apostolic vicariate, with the same denomination and territorial configuration. He appointed Msgr. Eulises Gonzalez Sanchez, pastor of the Cathedral of Girardota, as the first apostolic vicar of San Andres y Providencia (area 52, population 84,000, Catholics 50,200, priests 9, permanent deacons 2, religious 26), Colombia. The bishop-elect was born in Tinjaca, Colombia, in 1938, and was ordained to the priesthood in 1968.

- Appointed Msgr. Casimiro Lopez Llorente, vicar general of the diocese of Osma-Soria, Spain, as bishop of Zamora (area 6,984, population 169,449, Catholics 168,449, priests 240, religious 590), Spain. The bishop-elect was born in Burgo de Osma, Spain, in 1950, and was ordained to the priesthood in 1975.

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VATICAN CITY STATE HAS A NEW CONSTITUTION

VATICAN CITY, FEB 1, 2001 (VIS) - Made public today was the text of the New Basic Law of Vatican City, promulgated by Pope John Paul on November 26, 2000, after an ad hoc commission he had appointed had completed its work to revise the text of the 1929 Basic Law. This earlier law was the first of six laws promulgated by Pope Pius XI following the signing of the Lateran Treaty on February 11, 1929 between the Holy See and Italy, which ended the "Roman Question" and also led to the creation of Vatican City State.

Considered Vatican City's "constitution," the current Basic Law will enter into force on February 22, 2001, feast of the Chair of Peter. Given the many changes that have occurred in the last 70 years, says a communique on the new law, it became evident that the 1929 Basic Law had to be updated and revised. The ad hoc juridical commission held 14 meetings between February and November 2000, during which they completed the revision.

Article I of the new law states, as did the old one, that "the Supreme Pontiff, Sovereign of Vatican City State, possesses the fullness of legislative, executive and judicial powers." Representation with other States is reserved to the Supreme Pontiff and is exercised through the Secretariat of State.

Legislative power is entrusted "by delegation and in a collegial way, to a Commission of Cardinals, named by the Pope to five-year terms and presided over by a president." Legislative power thus belongs, properly speaking, to the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State. Executive power is delegated by the Pope to the president of this commission. Judicial power is entrusted in a vicarial way to the civil courts of Vatican City State.

The communique on the New Basic Law notes "several significant changes: a more suitable distinction between legislative and executive powers; the power given to the Commission of Cardinals to emanate laws; the abolition of the office of governor (there had only been one governor over the years and this office has been vacant since 1952); a definition and listing of the powers and jurisdiction of the Secretariat of State.

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