AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, FEB 20, 2003 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:
- Professor Bungaran Saragih, president of the Governing Council of the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD).

- Bishop Giovanni Innocenzo Martinelli, apostolic vicar of Tripoli, Libya, on his "ad limina" visit.

- Bishop Sylvester Carmel Magro, apostolic vicar of Benghazi, Libya, on his "ad limina" visit.

- Archbishop Michael Louis Fitzgerald, M.Afr., president of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue.

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STATEMENT ON INTER-RELIGIOUS DELEGATION FROM INDONESIA

VATICAN CITY, FEB 20, 2003 (VIS) - The following declaration was made this afternoon by Joaquin Navarro-Valls, director of the Holy See Press Office, on the visit to the Pope today by an inter-religious delegation from Indonesia:

"This morning a delegation from the 'Gerakan Moral Nasional Indonesia' organization, made up of the heads of all religions present in Indonesia, was received in audience by the Holy Father, to whom they turned over a 'Statement of Concerns' regarding the Iraqi crisis.

"Beyond an exchange of opinions on the evolution of the religious situation in Indonesia and Asia, the members of the delegation appealed to the Holy See to continue and to intensify its diplomatic efforts so that all interested parties might find a just and peaceful solution to the present Iraqi crisis, based on the humanitarian and moral principles shared by all the religions of the world."

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, FEB 20, 2003 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Appointed the following as auxiliary bishops of the diocese of Mainz (area 7,692, population 2,770,000, Catholics 814,205, priests 553, religious 577), Germany:

- Msgr. Werner Guballa, vicar general of the same diocese. The bishop-elect was born in Mainz-Marienborn, Germany in 1944 and was ordained a priest in 1970.

- Fr. Ulrich Neymeyr, pastor of Offstein, Worms-Horchheim and Worms-Wiesoppenheim, Germany. The bishop-elect was born in 1957 in Worms-Hermsheim, Germany and was ordained a priest in 1982.

- Accepted the resignation from the office of auxiliary from the same diocese presented by Bishop Wolfgang Rolly, upon having reached the age limit.

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STATEMENT ON HOLY FATHER'S AUDIENCE WITH KOFI ANNAN

VATICAN CITY, FEB 19, 2003 (VIS) - The following statement was released last evening by Holy See Press Office Director Joaquin Navarro-Valls after the visit to the Holy Father by United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan:

"Today, February 18, the Holy Father received in audience Kofi Annan, secretary general of the United Nations. Mr. Annan also had the opportunity to meet with Cardinal Angelo Sodano, secretary of State, who was accompanied by Cardinal Roger Etchegaray.

"In a cordial and in-depth conversation which lasted a half hour, the Pope and Mr. Annan were able to examine different aspects of the current critical situation regarding Iraq. Emphasizing the essential role of the United Nations, they expressed the hope that just and effective solutions may be found to the challenges of the moment which respect international law that the Organization of the United Nations guarantees. Solutions must be found which avert further grave suffering for that population, already tried by long years of embargo.

"Other situations of conflict in the world were also reviewed, particularly the ever dramatic situation in the Holy Land.

"During the conversation, Kofi Annan was thanked for his constant personal commitment to peace in different regions of the world."

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TELEGRAM FOR VICTIMS OF ARSON IN KOREAN SUBWAY

VATICAN CITY, FEB 19, 2003 (VIS) - The following telegram was sent in the Holy Father's name by Cardinal Angelo Sodano, secretary of state, to Archbishop Paul Ri Moun-hi of Taegu, Korea for the victims of an arson attack:

"Saddened by the great loss of life in the arson attack on a subway train in Taegu, the Holy Father asks you to kindly convey his heartfelt condolences to the civil authorities and the afflicted families. He prays for the eternal repose of the victims and invokes God's gift of strength and comfort upon those who are in mourning."

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