MASS TODAY COMMEMORATES PRELATES WHO DIED IN PAST YEAR

VATICAN CITY, NOV 5, 2002 (VIS) - Mass was celebrated this morning in St.Peter's Basilica for the cardinals, archbishops and bishops who died over the past 12 months. Cardinal Angelo Sodano, secretary of state, was the main celebrant and Pope John Paul delivered the homily.

Noting that today's Mass closely follows upon the solemnity of All Saints and the commemoration of All Souls, the Pope said that these feasts "stimulate in the faithful an intense and widespread climate of prayer," a climate "in which the consoling certainty of the communion of saints lessens the pain, which never disappears entire, for those persons who have died."

Pope John Paul stated that he was "linked by bonds of deep friendship to many of the deceased prelates" and named in particular the cardinals who died this year: Paolo Bertoli, Franjo Kuharic, Louis-Marie Bille, Alexandru Todea, Johannes Joachim Degenhardt, Lucas Moreira Neves, Francis Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan and John Baptist Wu Cheng-Chung.

He recalled that there was a day in which each of the deceased prelates, "fresh with energy, pronounced his 'Here I am!' at the moment of priestly ordination. ... At the hour of death they pronounced their final 'Here I am', joined to that of Christ who died entrusting His spirit into the hands of the Father."

John Paul II recalled that the deceased commemorated today "were pastors of Christ's flock. ... Through their preaching, they instilled in the hearts of the faithful the disconcerting yet consoling truth of God's love. ... In the name of the God of love, their hands blessed, their words comforted, their presence - sometimes silent - witnessed with eloquence that God's mercy is endless, that His compassion is tireless."

"Several of them," the Pope affirmed, "had the grace of offering this witness in a heroic way, facing harsh trials and inhuman persecutions."

HML;REMEMBRANCE DECEASED PRELATES;...;...;VIS;20021105;Word: 310;

AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, NOV 4, 2002 (VIS) - Today the Holy Father received the following: Cardinals Opilio Rossi, Antonio Innocenti, Paul Augustin Mayer, Alfons M. Stickler, Angelo Felici, Giovanni Canestri, Antonio M. Javierre Ortas, Jose T. Sanchez, Fiorenzo Angelini, Luigi Poggi, Gilberto Agustoni, and Giovanni Cheli.

AP;...;...;...;VIS;20021105;Word: 50;

POPE EVOKES ALL SOULS DAY, PRAYS FOR EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS

VATICAN CITY, NOV 3, 2002 (VIS) - Pope John Paul appeared at the window of his study at noon today to recite the Angelus prayer and to address the faithful gathered below in St. Peter's Square. In brief remarks, he referred to yesterday's commemoration of All Souls Day and also asked for prayers for the victims of the earthquake in Italy.

Speaking about All Souls Day, the Pope noted that "a chorus of prayers from the Church throughout the world was raised to the God of life and peace that He might receive all souls into His kingdom of infinite light, especially the most abandoned and in need of His mercy." He added that "the world today needs more than ever to rediscover the sense of living and dying in the prospect of eternal life. Outside of this, modern culture, born to exalt man and his dignity, paradoxically becomes a culture of death."

The Holy Father then remarked that tomorrow, November 4 is the liturgical memory of St. Charles Borromeo, for whom he was named, and he expressed his "gratitude to all those who, having remembered this occasion, have sent me best wishes for my name day." He also thanked everyone for their prayers on his behalf.

After praying the Angelus, John Paul II observed that "today we have all participated spiritually in the pain of the community of San Giuliano di Puglia, so very tried by the tragic deaths of so many of her children. Once again I wish to tell those dear families that the Pope is close to them and is praying for them, imploring the Lord, through the intercession of Mary, mother of mercy, for the comfort of faith and Christian hope."

Earlier in the day, the Pope had sent a separate message, through Archbishop Paolo Romeo, apostolic nuncio in Italy, to the people of San Giuliano di Puglia who held funeral services this morning for the 29 victims, mostly children, who died when their school collapsed following the earthquake.

"In this time of deep pain for so many families of San Giuliano di Puglia who, shattered by pain, are about to say farewell to their dear ones, I wish to once again express my paternal closeness to them, commending into the hands of the Father Who is in heaven the young lives of those who died and imploring for everyone the comfort of faith and Christian hope. For the beloved community of San Giuliano I ask the Lord for the gift of serenity in this tragic circumstance, certain that this will give everyone sentiments of deep solidarity, which is a precious legacy of the Italian people."

ANG;VICTIMS EARTHQUAKE;...;...;VIS;20021105;Word: 440;

IN MEMORIAM

VATICAN CITY, NOV 5, 2002 (VIS) - In recent weeks the following prelates died:

- Bishop Phillipe Chebaya, emeritus of Baalbek-Deir El-Ahmar, Lebanon on October 9 at age 82.
- Archbishop Octavio Nicolas Derisi, former auxiliary of La Plata, Argentina on October 22 at age 95.
- Bishop Denzil Reginald D'Souza, emeritus of Aizawl, India on October 25 at age 73. - Archbishop Jose Sebastian Laboa, apostolic nuncio, on October 24 at age 79.
- Bishop Christopher Mwoleka, emeritus of Rulenge, Tanzania on October 16 at age 75.
- Bishop Louis Bertrand Tirilly, emeritus of Taiohae o Tefenuaenata, Marquises Islands, French Polynesia on October 25 at age 90.

...;DEATHS;...;... ;VIS;20021105;Word: 90;

MAN'S DIGNITY AND RIGHTS COME FROM GOD, NOT A CONSENSUS

VATICAN CITY, OCT 31, 2002 (VIS) - Pope John Paul this morning welcomed Benoit Cardon de Lichtbuer, the new ambassador from the Kingdom of Belgium to the Holy See, who gave the Pope his Letters of Credence.

"As you have noted," said the Pope in reply to the diplomat's speech, "Belgium has always had a role in the European project from its very origins and has always actively supported it in the successive stages of its development. ...The European Union today represents on the international scene an instance of dialogue and cooperation which constitutes an evident appeal for many people in the world who aspire to development and peace. I am happy to know that your country encourages and supports the process of expansion that is underway."

The Pope remarked that building Europe requires leaders with "will and determination, with the desire to build the Union on the common values aware of the Christian roots of different peoples which are an inescapable reality of European history and culture" and "a common treasure."

He pointed to the "serious tensions" that afflict the world today, saying there must be "great determination to efficaciously fight terrorism, to reduce oppositions among peoples through dialogue ... and to fight the many injustices that provoke resentment, hatred or violence." He thanked the ambassador for his country's "renewed attention" to many African nations "with whom you have strong economic and cultural ties. It is good that a country such as yours helps these young nations to overcome their internal crises and the conflicts which put them at odds."

John Paul II turned to the Church's great attention to and care for children, adolescents and young people, stating that "current realities show in an often dramatic fashion the need" to protect and educate them. "It is important to condemn with the greatest vigor sexual abuses with regard to young people. Audacious policies to support families must be pursued in order to help them in their educational task, especially in support of the institution of marriage. As a fundamental tie between a man and a woman, marriage allows the family to be a stable and well-balanced place for children to grow."

"Man, created by God and called to share in His divine life, has always been at the center of the Christian vision of the world and that is why the Church respects and defends life," affirmed the Holy Father. "How can she silence her great anxiety and reprobation in the face of laws recently voted on in different countries which legalize active euthanasia? He said that the "only true rampart" against the constant violations of man's dignity and his rights is "recognizing the sacred and inviolable nature of every human person."

Human dignity and human rights are God-given, said the pontiff, they do not come from a consensus by men. Society exposes itself to grave dangers, he added, if it does not recognize God as the author of life, human dignity and human rights.

CD;LETTERS CREDENCE;...;BELGIUM;VIS;20021031;Word: 500;