FUTURE CANNOT BE BUILT WITHOUT CONSIDERING THE PAST

VATICAN CITY, OCT 25, 2003 (VIS) - Made public today was a Message from the Holy Father to Msgr. Walter Brandmuller, president of the Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences on the occasion of the 14th centenary of the death of St. Gregory the Great. In the days to follow, the committee as well as the National Academy of the Lincei will be commemorating the life of this successor of Peter.

"An attentive seeker of truth," writes the Pope in the message dated October 22, St. Gregory "understood that the patrimony of classical antiquity, in addition to Christian antiquity, constituted a precious foundation for all successive scientific and human development. This intuition continues to be of value currently in view of the future of humanity and especially of Europe. The future cannot be built without considering the past. This is why on many occasions I have urged the appropriate authorities to fully value the rich classical and Christian roots of European civilization, in order to pass on this lifeblood to the new generations."

John Paul II highlights another characteristic of St. Gregory the Great, "his commitment to underscoring the supremacy of the human person, considered not only in his physical, psychological and social dimension but also in constant reference to his eternal destiny."

At the end of the message, the Pope emphasizes that "in order to build a peaceful future in solidarity, we must turn our gaze toward this authentic disciple of Christ and follow his teaching, proposing again the saving message of the Gospel to the modern world with courage."

MESS;ST. GREGORY THE GREAT;...;BRANDMULLER;VIS;20031027;Word: 260;

ST. JOSEPH OF CUPERTINO CONTINUES TO INVITE EVERYONE TO SANCTITY

VATICAN CITY, OCT 25, 2003 (VIS) - Today in the Paul VI Hall, the Pope received a group of pilgrims who came to Rome on the occasion of the fourth centenary of the birth of St. Joseph of Cupertino who was a disciple of St. Francis of Assisi. Among the participants in the audience was Fr. Joachim Giermek, general minister of the Friars Minor Conventuals.

In his speech, the Pope said St. Joseph "is a teacher of prayer. The celebration of the Mass was at the center of his day, followed by long hours of adoration in front of the tabernacle. According to the most authentic Franciscan tradition, he was fascinated and moved by the mysteries of the Incarnation and Our Lord's Passion."

"Secondly, the saint from Cupertino continues to speak to young people, in particular to students who venerate him as their patron. He advises them to fall in love with the Gospel, 'to take off' in the vast ocean of the world and of history, remaining firmly anchored in the contemplation of Christ's face."

John Paul II said that St. Joseph of Cupertino is a "model of exemplary holiness for his brothers of the Franciscan Order of the Friars Minor Conventuals. ... For those who have embraced the ideas of a life of consecration, he represents a loud call to always live in search of the values of the spirit, totally consecrated to the Lord, and a necessary service of charity toward their brothers and sisters."

"Like all saints," he concluded, "St. Joseph of Cupertino never goes out of style! Four centuries later, his testimony continues to represent for everyone an invitation to be saints. Even if he belongs to another age, in certain aspects so different from ours, he shows us an itinerary of spirituality valid for all times; remember the supremacy of God, the need for prayer and contemplation, ardent and faithful adhesion to Christ, the commitment of the missionary proclamation, the love of the Cross."

AC;...;...;ST JOSEPH CUPERTINO;VIS;20031027;Word: 340;

HOLY SEE ASKS FOR BAN ON CLONING IN ALL ITS FORMS

VATICAN CITY, OCT 27, 2003 (VIS) - Made public today was the speech given by Archbishop Celestino Migliore, Holy See permanent observer to the United Nations, on October 21 in New York on Item 172 of the agenda of the 58th General Assembly: "International Convention Against the Cloning of Human Beings." His focus was the serious dangers that cloning involves for human dignity and the need for international agreements that regulate all aspects of cloning.

"My delegation," he stated, "wishes to reaffirm its view that the matter before us can be resolved through the earliest ban on human embryonic cloning. It must be clear that the position my delegation takes is not, in the first instance, a religious one. It is a position informed by the process of reason that is in turn informed by scientific knowledge."

"We have heard," the nuncio continued, "a number of statements from a variety of delegations that this is a 'complex' issue. ... The science may be complex, but the issue for us is simple and straightforward. The matter of human cloning that involves the creation of human embryos is the story of the beginning of human life ... (and is) a universal issue because an embryo is a human being regardless of its geography. If reproductive cloning of human beings contravenes the law of nature - a principle with which all delegations appear to agree - so does the cloning of the human embryo that is slated for research purposes. A cloned embryo (for this purpose) ... is destined for pre-programmed destruction."

"In closing," affirmed Archbishop Migliore, "my delegation wants to remind this distinguished assembly that one of the fundamental missions of the United Nations is to uphold the rights of all human beings. If the United Nations were to ban reproductive cloning without banning cloning for research, this would, for the first time, involve this body in legitimizing something extraordinary: the creation of human beings for the express purpose of destroying them."

DELSS;CLONING;...;UN; MIGLIORE;VIS;20031027;Word: 330;

POPE EXPRESSES DEEP GRATITUDE FOR JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS

VATICAN CITY, OCT 26, 2003 (VIS) - Pope John Paul appeared at his study window today to pray the Angelus with the thousands of faithful gathered below in St. Peter's Square.
"Still very much alive in my heart," he told the pilgrims, "are the intense emotions I have felt these days, during which so many people gathered close to me on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of my pontificate. I renew my thanks above all to God, rich in mercy, for these 25 years of ministry in service to the Church. I wish above all to express my deep gratitude to my brother cardinals, patriarchs and bishops who wished to participate in such great numbers in this silver jubilee, witnessing in this way to their deep communion with the See of Peter."

"I would also like to thank the heads of State and the government leaders from so many countries, who extended their congratulations to me.

"And lastly, I extend a heartfelt thank you to priests, to consecrated persons and to all the faithful who spiritually joined me with their wishes and with the precious gift of prayer. I am thinking in a special way of the sick who have been very close to me by offering their sufferings. There were also testimonials from Christians of other denominations, as well as from the followers of other religions. I thank you all from the bottom of my heart."

"I ask the Lord," concluded the Holy Father, "to reward you, dear brothers and sisters, for the affection and the support you have shown me. I entrust once again my life and my ministry to the Virgin Mary, mother of the Redeemer and mother of the Church. To her I repeat with filial abandonment: 'Totus tuus!"

ANG;...;...;...;VIS;20031027;Word: 300;

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, OCT 25, 2003 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Fr. Filomeno do Nascimento Vieira Dias, vice rector of the Catholic University of Angola and rector of the Major Seminary of the archdiocese of Luanda, Angola as auxiliary bishop of the same archdiocese (area 34,000, population 4,890,000, Catholics 3,011,000, priests 134, religious 546). The bishop-elect was born in Luanda in 1958 and was ordained a priest in 1983.

NEA;...;...;DO NASICMENTO;VIS;20031027;Word: 70;