IN MEMORIAM

VATICAN CITY, JUN 18, 2003 (VIS) - The following prelates died in recent weeks:

- Archbishop Adalbert Boros, titular of Ressiana, Romania on June 6 at age 94.

- Bishop Barthelemy Nguyen Son Lam, P.S.S., of Thanh Hoa, Vietnam on June 9 at age 74.

- Archbishop Angelo Palmas, apostolic nuncio in Italy, on June 9 at age 88.

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EVANGELIZATION IS AN ESSENTIAL MISSION OF THE CHURCH

VATICAN CITY, JUN 17, 2003 (VIS) - This morning John Paul II received prelates from the Conference of Bishops of Burkina Faso and Niger who just completed their "ad limina" visit.

At the beginning of his speech in French, the Pope referred to his concern "for the stable and integral development of peoples" and the difficulties "of survival. The difficult climatic conditions of the region of Sahel and the growing desertification keep peoples in an endemic poverty that engenders instability and desperation." The Holy Father thus appealed to the international community to help these peoples to achieve a "more serene future."

"Despite difficulties related to the instability of the life of local populations, the missionary vitality of your diocesan Churches has expressed itself in multiple ways. I thank you for the celebration that marked the centenary of the evangelization of Burkina Faso."

The Holy Father underscored that "evangelization is an essential mission of the Church. Proclaiming the Gospel cannot be done fully without the contribution of all believers." After recalling that he wrote in the Apostolic Exhortation "Ecclesia in Africa" that "inculturation is a priority and a necessity on the path of particular churches," he said: "The pastoral ministry of inculturation that you have accomplished in your dioceses is bearing fruit, in particular in the life and testimony of the founding Christian communities."

Speaking about lay people, the Pope urged the African bishops to help them "to have an ever-more lively consciousness of their role in the Church and to honor their mission as baptized and confirmed Christians."

After emphasizing that "Christian families are called to be a powerful cell of Christian witness," John Paul II recalled "the example of numerous families that heroically live fidelity to the sacrament of Christian marriage, in the context of civil legislation or traditional customs that are detrimental to monogamous marriage. Given the dangers that afflict the African family of today and its foundations, I urge you to promote the dignity of the Christian family."

John Paul II then spoke about the difficulty that priests encounter when caring for and forming Christian communities, citing "the distance between parishes, the network of highways in bad conditions and the reduced number of apostolic workers. I thank you," he said, "for your generosity in serving Christ and His Church and I know how much you want, with the means at your disposition, to give them everything that is necessary for their spiritual health and their material needs." He invited the prelates to "always show, ... as you already do, the solidarity of your local Churches with neighboring countries, that often need pastors, by sending them priests and lay missionaries."
Referring to the formation of candidates for the priesthood, the Pope underlined the importance of a "serious spiritual, intellectual and pastoral formation, necessary for the exercise of the priestly ministry that must be associated with a solid human and cultural formation. It is very important to insist on the emotional maturity of candidates, necessary for the call to celibacy."

The Holy Father went on to recall that in Burkina Faso and Niger "Christian communities live in the midst of societies characterized by the predominance of Islam and by values that are not your own. I am glad that, as you said, the relationships of Catholics with followers of Islam are marked by respect, esteem and coexistence." The Pope invited the bishops to "cultivate dialogue ... so that fear of others disappears, a fear which is born out of the profound ignorance of the religious values that encourage this dialogue."

John Paul II, in parting remarks to the prelates, expressed the desire that "in the face of the scandal of poverty and injustice ... the Church may continue to carry out its prophetic role and be the voice of those without a voice, so that the human dignity of the whole person is recognized and all initiatives are promoted that seek to develop and ennoble human beings in their spiritual and material existence."

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, JUN 17, 2003 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in audience four prelates from the Episcopal Conference of Burkina Faso-Niger on their "ad limina" visit:

- Bishop Thomas Kabore of Kaya, Burkina Faso.

- Bishop Joseph Sama of Nouna, Burkina Faso.

- Bishop Michel-Christian Cartateguy, S.M.A., of Niamey, Niger.

- Bishop Ambroise Ouedraogo of Maradi, Niger.

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SPECIAL ENVOY FOR TRANSFER OF RELICS OF BLESSED TEODOR ROMZHA

VATICAN CITY, JUN 14, 2003 (VIS) - Made public today was a Letter, written in Latin and dated May 21, in which the Pope appoints Cardinal Jozef Tomko as his special envoy to a ceremony in which relics of bishop and martyr, Blessed Teodor Romzha, will be moved from Budapest to the cathedral church of Uzhorod, Ukraine. The ceremony will take place in Uzhorod on June 28.

The following people will accompany Cardinal Tomko, president of the Pontifical Committee for International Eucharistic Congresses: Msgr. Tymon Tytys Chmielecki, secretary of the nunciature in Kiev, Fr. Pavlo Sabov, pastor of parishes in the district of Uzhorod, Strypa and Jarok, and Fr. Andrij Vaskov, who serves in the cathedral of Uzhorod.

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WORK OF THE HOLY CHILDHOOD: CHILDREN HELPING CHILDREN

VATICAN CITY, JUN 14, 2003 (VIS) - This morning in the Paul VI Hall the Holy Father welcomed 8,000 children of the Pontifical Work of the Holy Childhood, which this year is celebrating the 160th anniversary of its founding by Bishop Charles de Forbin-Janson of Nancy, France. Accompanying them were priests and animators as well as Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.

The Pontifical Work of the Holy Childhood is one of the four branches of the Pontifical Missionary Works and is, in the Pope's words, "children helping children." It assists more than one billion children worldwide - of whom about 300,000 are Catholic - in its principal activities of missionary formation, animation, organization and cooperation. The other missionary works are Propagation of the Faith, St. Peter Apostle and the Pontifical Missionary Union.

Pope John Paul, in his talk to the young people today, remarked that "in your hearts and on your lips God put three little words, 'here I am', which are so important in the Bible. The Son of God said them when He came into the world and His entire life was an immediate response of 'here I am' to the heavenly Father. The Virgin Mary also said 'here I am' when she welcomed the announcement from God. ... You too, my dear little missionaries, must also learn to answer 'here I am'.

He added that "it is beautiful to think of the Pontifical Work of the Holy Childhood as an immense chorus, formed by children from throughout the world, who together sing their 'here I am' to God with their prayers, their enthusiasm and their concrete commitment!"

John Paul II noted that "there have been great and profound changes in mankind" since the pontifical work was founded. "In the so-called 'north' of the world, the living conditions for infants have improved, but economic and social development has not always been accompanied by human development in its fullest sense. A loss of values has been noted and those who pay the highest price are often the smallest ones, without mentioning that even in developed nations there are areas of great poverty."

The Pope added that "in the 'south' of the planet, the cry of millions of children who are condemned to die by hunger and illness linked to poverty, has become more heart-rending and it calls out to everyone."

"Dear children of the Holy Childhood," he concluded, "you are the first to answer this appeal. You form a chain of human solidarity across five continents and offer the possibility to even the poorest to 'give' and to the richest 'to receive' thorough giving."

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