OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, MAY 15, 2002 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Appointed Bishop Moacyr Jose Vitti C.S.S., auxiliary of Curitibia, Brazil, as bishop of Piracicaba (area 5,402, population 819,000, Catholics 655,200, priests 76, relgious 184), Brazil. He accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese presented by Bishop Eduardo Koaik, upon having reached the age limit.

- Appointed Archbishop Guiseppe Leanza, apostolic nuncio in Bosnia-Herzegovina, as apostolic nuncio in Slovenia.

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STATEMENT ON ALLEGED HOLY SEE INVOLVEMENT IN FRAUD

VATICAN CITY, MAY 15, 2002 (VIS) - Holy See Press Office Director, Joaquin Navarro-Valls, made a statement today on "the news reported by several newspapers concerning Holy See involvement in a financial fraud in which Martin Frankel is accused of being the principal architect." Navarro-Valls said: "I wish to make clear, as was already done on July 1, 1999, that:

"1. The 'Monitor Ecclesiasticus' Foundation, presided over by Msgr. Emilio Colagiovanni, was set up in the archdiocese of Naples in 1967, but is in no way a Vatican foundation; Neither is the St. Francis of Assisi Foundation, whose constitution and aims the Holy See knows nothing about;

"2. At the time of these facts, Msgr. Emilio Colagiovanni was a retired priest who no longer exercised any function within the sphere of the Holy See. In this affair, he acted purely as a private Italian citizen;

"3. Fr. Peter Jacobs was suspended 'a divinis' and warned by the ecclesiastical authorities of the archdiocese of Washington, starting in 1983;

"4. The Holy See neither received funds from nor furnished funds to the above-named foundations, as was already stated on July 1, 1999;

"5. When it became aware of these facts, the Holy See declared its total extraneousness in this regard and gave the information it had to the Attorney General of the State of Mississippi."

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PONTIFICAL COUNCIL FOR CULTURE CELEBRATES 20TH ANNIVERSARY

VATICAN CITY, MAY 14, 2002 (VIS) - Made public today was a Message from the Holy Father addressed to Cardinal Paul Poupard, president of the Pontifical Council of Culture, on the 20th anniversary of the creation of this dicastery.

"From the beginning of my pontificate," writes the Pope in the message dated May 13, "I have taken advantage of every opportunity to underline the importance of dialogue between the Church and cultures. ... I would like to thank this pontifical council, that I created on May 20, 1982, for the help it has offered me in this field, so important for the missionary activity of the Church."

John Paul II encourages the members of the dicastery to "continue the path that has been undertaken so that the voice of the Holy See reaches the diverse areopaghi of modern culture, maintaining useful contacts with experts in art and science, in humanities and philosophy."

"In the ecclesiastical and intercultural gatherings of science, culture, education," he concludes, "may you constantly strive to give testimony to the Church's interest in fruitful dialogue of the Gospel of Christ with cultures and an active participation of Catholics in building a society that is ever-more respectful of the human person, who is created in the image of God."

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HOLY FATHER TO CANONIZE FIVE BLESSEDS ON PENTECOST

VATICAN CITY, MAY 14, 2002 (VIS) - On Sunday, May 19, the solemnity of Pentecost, Pope John Paul II will celebrate the Eucharist in St. Peter's Square, during which he will canonize five Blesseds.

The future saints are: Alonso de Orozco, priest, of the Order of St. Augustine; Ignazio da Santhia (Lorenzo Maurizio Belvisotti), priest, of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchins; Umile da Bisignano (Luca Antonio Pirozzo), religious, of the Order of Friars Minor; Paulina do Coracao Agonizante de Jesus (Amabile Lucia Visintainer), virgin, foundress of the Sisters of the Congregation of the Immaculate Conception; Benedetta Cambiagio Frassinello, religious, foundress of the Benedictine Sisters of Providence.

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PAPAL ENVOY TO FIRST PLENARY COUNCIL OF THE CHURCH IN SLOVENIA

VATICAN CITY, MAY 11, 2002 (VIS) - Made public today was the Pope's letter, written in Latin and dated April 28, in which he names Cardinal Jozef Tomko as his special envoy for the solemn promulgation of the Acts of the first Plenary Council of the Church in Slovenia. It will take place on May 18 in Ljubljana.

Msgr. Borut Kosir, president of the Ecclesiastical Metropolitan Tribunal and professor of Canon Law on the faculty of Theology in Ljubjlana, and Fr. Bogdan Kolar, S.D.B., professor of Church History on the faculty of Theology in Ljubjlana, will accompany Cardinal Tomko, prefect emeritus of the Congregation for Evangelization of Peoples.

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