OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JUL 14, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Fr. Edward Gabriel Risi, O.M.I., master of Our Lady of Hope Novitiate of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate in Johannesburg, South Africa as bishop of Keimoes-Upington (area 272,265, population 314,110, Catholics 65,879, priests 16, religious 44, permanent deacons 3), South Africa. The bishop-elect was born in 1949 in Johannesburg and was ordained a priest in 1974. He succeeds Bishop John Baptist Minder, O.S.F.S., whose resignation to the pastoral governing of Keimoes-Upington was accepted by the Holy Father for having reached the age limit.

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MESSAGE FOR 5TH CENTENARY CELEBRATIONS OF "BROWN MADONNA"

VATICAN CITY, JUL 14, 2000 (VIS) - Made public today was Pope John Paul's Message to Cardinal Michele Giordano, archbishop of Naples, Italy, on the occasion of the fifth centenary celebrations of the pilgrimage during which a group of faithful brought the icon of "The Brown Madonna" from Naples to Rome.

"This event," the Holy Father recalls, "gave rise to the widespread practice of the 'Wednesdays of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel', an expression of Marian devotion in which ... it is possible to recognize a reflection of the goodness of Mary Most Holy." July 16 is the feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel.

The Pope writes: "On our earthly pilgrimage Mary is the biblical 'column of fire' which illuminates us, the 'guiding star' towards the heavenly homeland, the 'sure port' in which to find consolation and refuge. Guided by her, believers go forward with trust, aware that her sweet presence constantly leads to Christ."

"And thus proceeds the Church," he remarks, "among the trials of the world and the consolations of God towards the fulfillment of the Kingdom in the eschatological phase. This is a path which develops through an ever more intimate communion with God and our brothers and sisters; This (path), 'especially in our era, is marked by the sign of ecumenism'. Mary, Mother of the Church, Mother of unity, hope and love, walks with us."

The Message concludes with a "heartfelt exhortation to the beloved ecclesial community of Naples to proceed ceaselessly, comforted by the maternal intercession of Our Lady, in its efforts for spiritual renewal and an incessant search for unity and communion."

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PAPAL TELEGRAM FOR DEATH OF ARCHBISHOP RUNCIE

VATICAN CITY, JUL 13, 2000 (VIS) - Following is the text of the telegram sent by Pope John Paul II to The Most Rev. and Rt. Hon. George Leonard Carey, archbishop of Canterbury, for the death of his predecessor, Lord Robert Runcie, at the age of 78:

"Saddened by the news of the death of Lord Runcie, former archbishop of Canterbury, I hasten to offer my condolences to Your Grace, to the Anglican Communion and to all who are mourning the passing of your predecessor. Looking in faith to the Risen Christ, I join you in commending Archbishop Runcie to the God of all mercies, praying that he will rest in peace and rise in glory when 'death shall be no more' (Rev. 21:4). I give praise and thanks to the Most Holy Trinity for the times when we prayed together, in particular when I came to Canterbury Cathedral in 1982 and when the archbishop later came to the Church of Saint Gregory in Rome. It is my fervent hope that the memory of Archbishop Runcie will stir us all to love more deeply the past which is our common heritage and to work more eagerly for the future which is the will of Him Who is 'the faithful witness and firstborn from the dead' (Rev 1:5)."

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JUL 13, 2000 (VIS) - The Holy Father has appointed Msgr. Pierre-Marie Carre, vicar general of Agen, as metropolitan archbishop of Albi (area 5,780, population 342,800, Catholics 300,000, priests 172, religious 616, permanent deacons 14), France. The archbishop-elect was born in Seques, France in 1947 and was ordained a priest in 1974.

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"EMBRYO REDUCTION CONSTITUTES SELECTIVE ABORTION"

VATICAN CITY, JUL 13, 2000 (VIS) - "The Pontifical Council for the Family, having been asked to express its position on the so-called 'embryo reduction', and after having consulted with the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith," published a declaration today. Dated July 12, it is written in Italian and signed by Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo and Bishop Francisco Gil Hellin, respectively council president and secretary. Following are excerpts:

"Currently, cases of multiple pregnancies, that is, when the maternal womb is shared by several embryos, have become rarer. Such cases usually occur because of ovary stimulation in the case of infertility or because of recourse to artificial insemination, on which the Magisterium has already pronounced itself (Congr. Doct. Faith, Instr. 'Donum vitae', II). ... What must be underlined, however, is the responsibility of those doctors who, ... applying the techniques of artificial insemination, cause situations that put at risk the life of the mother and of the children which have been conceived."

"As to multiple pregnancies, some state that, together, they cannot reach their term, either for the spontaneous death of several embryos in the uterus, or because of the premature birth of fetuses without hope of life. They add that, if the unborn all survive up to the delivery, the obstetric difficulty (and the consequent danger for the mother) is greater. On this basis the conclusion was reached that the selection and elimination of several embryos to save the others, or at least one of them, would be justified. And it was for this reason that the technique known as 'embryo reduction' was introduced.
"In this regard it is necessary to underscore the following: since every embryo must be considered and treated as a human person in respect for their eminent dignity (Cong. Doct. Faith, Instr. 'Donum vitae, I 1), the basic human rights of the unborn, in the first place, the right to life, which cannot be violated in any way, must be recognized from the first moment of conception. Beyond any confusion and ambiguity, it must be stated that 'embryo reduction' constitutes a selective abortion: it consists, in fact, of direct and voluntary elimination of an innocent human being (John Paul II, Enc. 'Evangelium vitae', 57). Therefore, whether this is used as an ends or as a means, it always constitutes a grave moral disorder (John Paul II, Enc. 'Evangelium vitae', 62). ... The illicitness of such behavior is a valid norm for everyone, even for non-believers (John Paul II, Enc. 'Evangelium vitae', 101). This moral prohibition remains even in those cases where continuing the pregnancy constitutes a serious risk for the life or health of the mother and the other (unborn) brothers/sisters."

"Embryo selection, involving the voluntary elimination of a human life, can never be justified, neither on the basis of a so-called lesser evil, nor on the basis of the double effect: neither one nor the other can be applied in this case."

"May the Lord of life ... guide ... those who are at the service of life to do everything possible to save the mother and children. ... What is certain is that, if it is part of human limitation to sometimes have to assist powerless at the premature death of innocent creatures, it is never morally licit to cause death voluntarily."

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