SYNOD COUNCIL FOR OCEANIA HOLDS MEETING IN ROME

VATICAN CITY, FEB 27, 2004 (VIS) - The seventh meeting of the Council for the Special Assembly for Oceania of the Synod of Bishops was held in Rome on February 18 and 19, under the presidency of Cardinal Jan Schotte, C.I.C.M, secretary general of the Synod of Bishops, according to a communique released today by the secretariat.

In attendance were four cardinals, five archbishops and four staff members of the Synod of Bishops.

After an opening speech by the secretary general on the activities of the secretariat between the sixth and seventh meetings, reports were read, and then debated, on the diverse initiatives that have been undertaken up to now on this continent aimed at spreading the application of the Post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation "Ecclesia in Oceania."

The eighth meeting of this council will be held in Suva, Fiji in 2006 during the Plenary Assembly of the Federation of Catholic Bishops' Conferences of Oceania.
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MESSAGE FOR "CAMPAIGN FOR BROTHERHOOD" 2004

VATICAN CITY, FEB 27, 2004 (VIS) - As is customary at the beginning of Lent, the Pope sent a Message for the Campaign for Brotherhood, an initiative promoted for 40 years by the National Conference of Brazilian Bishops. This campaign's theme this year is: "Water, source of life."

In the just-released Message, dated January 7 and addressed to Cardinal Geraldo Majella Agnelo, archbishop of San Salvador and primate of Brazil, the Holy Father writes that water, in addition to being important for the earth, is used to wash and purify, but "it is in Christian baptism where it acquires its full spiritual meaning as the source of supernatural life."

"As a gift from God, water is a vital instrument, necessary for survival, and therefore, a right for all. It is necessary to pay careful attention to problems that come from its evident scarcity in many parts of the world, not only in Brazil."
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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, FEB 27, (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Archbishop Pablo Lizama Riquelme, military ordinary for Chile, as coadjutor archbishop of Antofagasta (area 84,506, population 347,939, Catholics 243,558, priests 43, permanent deacons 17, religious 118), Chile. Archbishop Lizama will keep his office as military ordinary for Chile.
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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, FEB 27, 2004 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

- Four prelates from the French Episcopal Conference on their "ad limina" visit:

- Bishop Francois Maupu of Verdun.

- Archbishop Joseph Dore, P.S.S., of Strasbourg, accompanied by Auxiliary Bishop Christian Kratz.

- Msgr. Bernard Clement, vicar general of Metz.

- Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.

Early this evening the Pope is scheduled to receive Archbishop Angelo Amato, secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.
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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, FEB 26, 2004 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in audience Cardinal Camillo Ruini, vicar general of the diocese of Rome and Bishop Vincenzo Apicella, auxilary of the same diocese for the Western pastoral section, accompanied by the following pastors: Fr. Jean Jacques Boeglin, pastor of St. Bridget Parish with parochial vicars, Fr. Romano Matrone, pastor of St. Hilary Parish with parochial vicars, and Fr. Romano Deb, pastor of St. Maximus.
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