PAUL VI AND JOHN PAUL I, IMAGE OF THE CHURCH'S JOY

VATICAN CITY, SEP 27, 2003 (VIS) - This afternoon in the Vatican Basilica the Pope presided at a Mass in memory of Popes Paul VI and John Paul I on the 25th anniversary of their deaths. Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, dean of the College of Cardinals, celebrated the Mass.

Speaking about Paul VI and John Paul I who died respectively on August 6 and September 28, 1978, the Pope said: "We like to think that they have already entered into 'God's time'; on that 'eighth day' that 'the Lord made', the purpose and fulfillment of our earthly days."

Referring to "Paul VI's frequent invitation to Christian joy," the Holy Father emphasized that "despite many difficulties, it was born of the awareness of adhering constantly to the divine will. I also think about the serene smile of Pope Luciani, who in the brief period of one month conquered the world."

"In both pontificates," he continued, "the peaceful joy of the Church is reflected. Even when she is tried by so much suffering, the Church is not afraid; she does not close herself off but she trusts in the Lord. She knows how to be guided by the Holy Spirit, and therefore she rejoices at the signs of God's mercy, she admires the marvels that the Almighty performs for the little ones, the poor and those who fear Him."

While commenting on the first reading of the Mass, which presents Moses with an outlook of deep interior freedom inspired by faith in God, John Paul II said: "We can find this same attitude in Paul VI and John Paul I, as they did not give in to judgements of the moment or to visions linked to contingent interests. Firmly rooted in the Truth, they did not hesitate to dialogue with all men of good will."

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EXPLORE THE LINK BETWEEN TRUTH, GOOD AND FREEDOM

VATICAN CITY, SEP 27, 2003 (VIS) - Made public today was a Message from the Holy Father to Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, on the occasion of the symposium organized by the same dicastery on the theme "The anthropology of moral theology according to the Encyclical 'Veritatis splendor'."

"Ten years since its publication," writes the Pope in the Message dated September 24, "the doctrinal value of the encyclical is more current than ever."

John Paul II says that "the teachings that 'Veritatis splendor' continues to propose to us are: begin again with Christ, contemplate His face, persevere in following Him. Beyond all the ephemeral cultural changes, there are basic realities that do not change, but find their ultimate foundation in Christ who is the same, yesterday, today and always."

"Certainly, today it seems even harder for the pastors of the Church, for scholars and teachers of Christian morality, to guide the faithful in formulating judgements according to the truth in a climate of challenging the saving truth and of widespread relativism in the face of moral law. Therefore, I urge all participants in the symposium to explore the essential link between truth, good and freedom. Such a relationship, in addition to being in the nature of the human being, has its ontological foundation in the Incarnation and is renewed and put into light in the historical-salvation event of Our Redeemer's cross."

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WORLD COMMUNICATIONS DAY 2004: "MEDIA IN THE FAMILY"

VATICAN CITY, SEP 29, 2003 (VIS) - The theme chosen by Pope John Paul II for the 2004 World Communications Day was announced today: "The Media in the Family: A Risk and a Richness." The Pope's full Message for this day is traditionally published on the January 24 feast of St. Francis de Sales, patron of writers. In 2004, World Communications Day falls on May 23.

A note today from the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, the office that customarily communicates both the annual theme and papal Message, stated that "for the first time, the announcement of the theme was made on September 29, the feast of the Archangels Michael, Raphael and Gabriel, the last of whom has been designated the patron saint of radio."

Archbishop John Foley, council president, said in the communique that the theme chosen "reflects the Holy Father's concern that the media should enrich family life and not damage it. ... He is aware of the many periodicals and programs of excellence which help to educate and inspire families, but he is also concerned about the negative influences of the media on family life through materialism and even the depiction of pornography and violence."

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CHRISTIAN HUMANISM PRESERVES MEANING OF HUMAN BEINGS

VATICAN CITY, SEP 29, 2003 (VIS) - Made public today was a Message from the Pope to participants in the International Thomist Congress, organized by the Pontifical Academy of St. Thomas and the International Thomas Aquinas Society. The meeting took place in Rome last week.

After recalling the theme of the congress, "Christian Humanism in the Third Millennium," the Holy Father writes that "the humanism of St. Thomas revolves around this essential intuition: Man comes from God and to Him he must return. Time is the sphere within which he will carry out this noble mission of his, taking advantage of the opportunities that are offered to him on the level of nature and grace."

In the face of dangers such as "the loss of faith in reason and in its capacity to find the truth, nihilism, relativism, the rejection of transcendence. ... I have indicated how St. Thomas' thought, with its strong faith in reason and the clear explanation of the articulation of nature and grace, can offer us the basic elements for a valid response. Christian humanism, as illustrated by St. Thomas, has the capability of preserving the meaning of man and his dignity. This is the exalting task entrusted to his disciples!"

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POPE JOHN PAUL NAMES 31 NEW CARDINALS

VATICAN CITY, SEP 28, 2003 (VIS) - Today, the 45th anniversary of his episcopal ordination, Pope John Paul II, in the ninth such consistory of his papacy, named 31 new cardinals, one of whom is "in pectore" or "in the breast." The College of Cardinals will now have 194 members (not including the "in pectore"), of whom 135 are cardinal electors, exceeding by 15 the maximum number of electors established by Pope Paul VI.

The consistory to create the cardinals will be held October 21, less than the traditional month that passes between a Pope making an announcement and creating new cardinals.

Following is the Holy Father's announcement made today just prior to reciting the Angelus with the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square.

"The month of October, the month of the Holy Rosary, is approaching. I entrust to Our Lady in a special way the consistory that I intend to hold on October 21, on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of my pontificate. Putting aside once again the established numerical limit, I will create new cardinals.

"Among them are some of my collaborators in the Roman Curia:

Archbishop Jean-Louis Tauran: Secretary for Relations with States.

Archbishop Renato Raffaele Martino: President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace.

Archbishop Francesco Marchisano: Archpriest of the Vatican Basilica.

Archbishop Julian Herranz: President of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts.

Archbishop Javier Lozano Barragan: President of the Pontifical Council for Health Care Workers.

Archbishop Stephen Fumio Hamao: President of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People.

Archbishop Attilio Nicora: President of APSA (Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See.

"Then there are 19 pastors of as many local Churches. They are:

Archbishop Angelo Scola, patriarch of Venice, Italy.

Archbishop Anthony Olubunmi Okogie of Lagos, Nigeria.

Archbishop Bernard Panafieu of Marseille, France.

Archbishop Gabriel Zubeir Wako of Khartoum, Sudan.

Archbishop Carlos Amigo Vallejo, O.F.M., of Seville, Spain.

Archbishop Justin Francis Rigali of Philadelphia, U.S.A.

Archbishop Keith Michael Patrick O'Brien of Saint Andrews and Edinburgh, Scotland.

Archbishop Eusebio Oscar Scheid, S.C.I., of Sao Sebastiao do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Archbishop Ennio Antonelli of Florence, Italy.

Archbishop Tarcisio Bertone, S.D.B., of Genoa, Italy.

Archbishop Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson of Cape Coast, Ghana.

Archbishop Telesphore Placidus Toppo of Ranchi, India.

Archbishop George Pell of Sydney, Australia.

Archbishop Josip Bozanic of Zagreb, Croatia.
Archbishop Jean-Baptiste Pham Minh Man of Hochiminhville, Vietnam.

Archbishop Rodolfo Quezada Toruno of Guatemala, Guatemala.

Archbishop Philippe Barbarin of Lyon, France.

Archbishop Peter Erdo of Esztergom-Budapest, Hungary.

Archbishop Marc Ouellet, P.S.S., of Quebec, Canada.

"Among the new cardinals, there are also four priests who are particularly worthy for their commitment to the service of the Church. They are:

Fr. Georges Marie Martin Cottier, O.P., theologian of the Pontifical Household, from Switzerland.

Msgr. Gustaaf Joos of the diocese of Ghent, Belgium.

Fr. Tomas Spidlik, S.J., of the Czech Republic.

Fr. Stanislas Nagy of the Priests of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, (Dehonians), Poland.

"Finally I communicate to you that I have appointed another worthy prelate as cardinal, reserving his name "in pectore."

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