AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, OCT 23, 2003 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences eleven prelates from the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales on their "ad limina" visit:

- Bishop John Patrick Crowley of Middlesbrough.
- Bishop Terence John Brain of Salford.

- Archbishop Michael George Bowen of Southwark, accompanied by Auxiliary Bishops Howard George Tripp and John Hine, and Auxiliary Bishop emeritus Charles Joseph Henderson.

- Bishop Kieran Thomas Conry of Arundel and Brighton.

- Bishop Hugh Christopher Budd of Plymouth.

- Bishop Roger Francis Crispian Hollis of Portsmouth.

- Archbishop Thomas Matthew Burns, S.M., military ordinary.

- Bishop Paul Patrick Chomnycky, O.S.B.M., apostolic exarch for the faithful of the Byzantine rite resident in Great Britain.

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CARDINAL OUELLET TO TAKE POSSESION OF TITULAR CHURCH

VATICAN CITY, OCT 23, 2003 (VIS) - The Office of the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff announced today that on Sunday, October 26, at 11 a.m. Cardinal Marc Ouellet, P.S.S., metropolitan archbishop of Quebec, Canada, will take possession of the Title of St. Mary in Traspontina, Via della Conciliazione.

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A CULTURE OF DIALOGUE IN ALL SPHERES OF CULTURE

VATICAN CITY, OCT 23, 2003 (VIS) - Archbishop Francisco Javier Lozano, apostolic nuncio in Croatia, spoke yesterday at the Conference of European ministers of Cultural Affairs which took place in Opatija, Croatia from October 20 to 22.

The head of the delegation of the Holy See said that "the tragic start of the new millennium shows us the evident danger of isolating ourselves, and invites the ministers of Cultural Affairs - this is the great merit of the project that we are discussing - to develop a culture of dialogue among civilizations in all spheres of culture."

"As you know," continued Archbishop Lozano, "Pope John Paul II, from the start of his pontificate, has not stopped travelling the world, inviting men to dialogue and peace, with respect for freedom of conscience and sharing the riches of the spirit."

After emphasizing the "need for dialogue among civil institutions and different religions," the nuncio concluded: "In particular, the Holy See greatly desires that a necessary collaboration with representatives of religions is maintained in order to present them in a just and balanced way in educational programs. One can imagine what the harmful effects would be on younger generations of a presentation that is tendentious or disparaging of religions."

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, OCT 23, 2003 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Fr. Jesus Sanz Montes, O.F.M., director of the Secretariat of the Episcopal Commission for Consecrated Life of the Spanish Episcopal Conference, as bishop of Huesca and Jaca, Spain, joining the two dioceses "in persona Episcopi" (total area 10,624, population 125,780, Catholics 124,442, priests 170, permanent deacons 2, religious 303). The bishop-elect was born in Madrid, Spain in 1955 and was ordained a priest in 1986.

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THE CHURCH AND HUMANITARIAN AND DISASTER RELIEF

VATICAN CITY, OCT 22, 2003 (VIS) - Archbishop Celestino Migliore, permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, spoke yesterday before the U.N. General Assembly on Item 40: Strengthening the Coordination of Humanitarian and Disaster Relief Assistance of the U.N., including special economic assistance.

He stated that "the world has advanced to such a degree that it is often possible to foresee natural disasters, thereby helping reduce harm to people and damage to property." Yet, he added, "emergencies are so numerous, intense and varied that the Secretary-General has quite fittingly noted that because of the severity and suddenness of these 'loud emergencies', others are reduced into 'forgotten' or 'silent' ones. This situation worsens when assistance is colored by partiality and incoherent policies, not to mention when crises are ignored or even put aside because of misrule and misguided politics."

Archbishop Migliore stated that the vastness of the problem, however, "should not paralyze us into inaction. ... Simple gestures of giving, oftentimes combined with rapidity and coordination will make a difference and bear fruit. ... The Holy See has taken an active role in this regard. More than 30 years ago, it established the Pontifical Council "Cor Unum" to harmonize and encourage the activities of church organizations, associations, NGOs and other groups involved in the field of social and charitable assistance to people in countries hit by natural disasters and wars. In particular, the Pontifical Council has been engaged in intensifying its humanitarian action in favour of the victims of almost all types of natural catastrophes, especially in developing countries." The Church also, he noted, works through such agencies as Caritas Internationalis and Catholic Relief Services.

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