OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, MAY 9, 2001 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Accepted the resignation of Bishop Alphonsus Augustus Sowada, O.S.C., from the pastoral care of Agats, Indonesia, in conformity with canon 401, para. 2, of the Code of Canon Law.

- Appointed Canon Aloys Jousten, episcopal vicar of the diocese of Liege (area 3,862, population 1,016,762, Catholics 700,000, priests 650, permanent deacons 74, religious 1,009), Belgium, as bishop of the same diocese. He succeeds Bishop Albert Houssiau, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted in accordance with the age limit. The bishop-elect was born in Saint-Vith, Belgium in 1937, and ordained to the priesthood in 1962.

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POPE TO VISIT PRECA TOMB, SOCIETY OF CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE

VATICAN CITY, MAY 9, 2001 (VIS) - Pope John Paul, after the Mass and beatifications this morning, left St. Publius Square, also known as the Granaries, in Floriana and returned to the apostolic nunciature in Rabat where he had lunch with the Maltese bishops and the cardinals and bishops of the papal entourage.

On the Pope's schedule for this afternoon is a visit to Hamrun and the Church of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal which houses the tomb of Blessed George Preca, who was beatified earlier in the day. The Pope will be welcomed by the superiors general of the male and female branches of the Society of Christian Doctrine (SCD), founded by Blessed Preca in Malta in 1907 and located in a building next to the church.

After his private visit to the church and tomb of Blessed Preca, the Holy Father will go to the SCD auditorium for a liturgy of the Word and will speak to those assembled.

At 6 p.m. the Pope is scheduled to go directly from the SCD Center to Gudja International Airport where there will be a farewell ceremony before he departs for the hour and a half flight back to Rome.

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BEFORE CROWD OF 100,000 POPE BEATIFIES THREE SERVANTS OF GOD

VATICAN CITY, MAY 9, 2001 (VIS) - This morning in Floriana's St. Publius Square, John Paul II celebrated a Mass during which he beatified Servants of God Fr. George Preca, Nazju (Ignatius) Falzon, and Sister Maria Adeodata Pisani. The square, the largest in the country, is also known as the Floriana Granaries as it originally held large silos for storing grain. Over the years, the square has served as the site for many important social, religious, and political gatherings.

A crowd estimated at 100,000 faithful filled the square and its outlying areas to participate in the Eucharistic celebration, which was conducted in Latin, Maltese, and English.

In his homily, the Pope recalled that Blessed Preca (1880-1962) "was a pioneer in the field of catechetics and in promoting the role of the laity in the apostolate, which (the Second Vatican) Council was to stress in a particular way. ... The Society of Christian Doctrine which he founded continues his work of witness and evangelization in these islands and elsewhere." Made up of both men and women, the Society has among its goals the preparation of youth in order that they, in turn, may give religious formation to others. In his writings, the Holy Father noted, using the priest's Maltese name, that "Dun Gorg urges his fellow Christians to follow the example of the Crucified Lord in forgiving every offence. Is not this message of mutual respect and forgiveness especially needed today in Malta and in the world?"

Blessed Ignatius Falzon (1813-1865), founder of the Congregation of the Rosary, "also had a passion for preaching the Gospel and teaching the Catholic faith. ... He renounced the worldly success for which his background had prepared him, in order to serve the spiritual good of others, including the many British soldiers and sailors stationed in Malta at the time. ... (He) drew his strength and inspiration from the Eucharist, prayer before the Tabernacle, devotion to Mary and the Rosary, and imitation of Saint Joseph. These are fountains of grace from which all Christians may drink."

Speaking of Blessed Sr. Maria Adeodata Pisani (1806-1855), born in Italy of a Maltese father and an Italian mother, the Holy Father recalled that at the age of nineteen she came to live in Malta, where she "spent most of her life as a splendid figure of Benedictine religious consecration in the monastery of St. Peter."

"Sister Adeodata's holy example," the Pope continued, "certainly helped to promote the renewal of religious life in her own monastery. I therefore wish to commend to her intercession a special intention of my heart. Much has been done in recent times to adapt religious life to the changed circumstances of today, and the benefit of this can be seen in the lives of very many men and women religious. But there is need for a renewed appreciation of the deeper theological reasons for this special form of consecration."
At the conclusion of Mass the Holy Father give a special greeting to all those who could not participate in the beatification, to the nuns of the six cloistered religious communities, the elderly, the sick, and the inmates of the Corradino Corrective Facility. "I know," the Pope said, "that it was your great desire to have, together with your relatives and friends, a visit by the Pope in memory of St. Paul, the prisoner Apostle. But this has not been possible. I embrace you all, spiritually, and I invoke upon you abundant divine graces."

Before leaving, John Paul II made a new appeal for peace in the Middle East. Having received the news that two young Israelis has been stoned in Teokan, located between Bethlehem and Hebron, the Pope said: "Yet again today we are receiving painful news from the Holy Land, of the terrible violence, even against innocent young people. We must intensify our prayers for peace in the Holy Land."

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HISTORIC SYRIAN PILGRIMAGE ENDS AS POPE DEPARTS FOR MALTA

VATICAN CITY, MAY 8, 2001 (VIS) - The Holy Father this morning celebrated Mass privately at the apostolic nunciature and at 10:15 left for the Damascus Airport, where he was greeted by Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, political, religious and civil authorities and the diplomatic corps. He addressed those assembled to see him off, as he departs for Malta and the final leg of his 93rd foreign apostolic trip.

"As I take my leave of the ancient land of Syria," he said, "I am filled with a sense of gratitude. I give thanks above all to Almighty God for enabling me to continue my Jubilee pilgrimage of faith on the 2,000th anniversary of the birth of Jesus Christ. I am grateful to St. Paul who has been my travelling companion at every step of the way."

John Paul II also expressed gratitude to Syria's government and people and to all religious and civil authorities who made his pilgrimage possible. "The Syrian people are renowned for their hospitality and during these days they have made a pilgrim feel at home. I shall not forget this kindness." He underscored how he "shall cherish the memory of my visit to the Omayyad Mosque."

"My pilgrim prayer," stated the Holy Father, "is that Syria will move confidently and serenely into a new and promising future, and that your country will flourish in an era of well-being and tranquillity for its people.

"Syria," the Pope concluded, "is a vital presence in the life of this whole region, whose peoples have long suffered the tragedy of war and conflict. But for the door of peace to open, fundamental issues of truth and justice, of rights and responsibilities must be resolved. The world looks to the Middle East with hope and concern, expectantly awaiting every sign of constructive dialogue. Many serious obstacles remain, yet the first step towards peace must be a steadfast conviction that a solution is possible within the parameters of international law and the resolutions of the United Nations. I appeal once more to all the peoples involved, and to their political leaders, to recognize that confrontation has failed and will always fail. Only a just peace can bring the conditions needed for the economic, cultural and social development to which the peoples of the region have a right."

In off-the-cuff remarks made at the foot of the plane, Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad shook the Pope's hand at length and told him: "If Your Holiness ever wants anything from Syria, you only have to let me know." The Pope thanked him for the warm welcome to Syria, and the president responded: "I know you must be tired from this trip but I thank you for coming." To which John Paul II replied: "You must be the youngest president I have ever met. Maybe I am the oldest and you are the youngest."

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POPE MEETS WITH YOUTH OF VARIOUS CHRISTIAN CONFESSIONS

VATICAN CITY, MAY 7, 2001 (VIS) - This afternoon the Holy Father presided over a meeting with more than 2,000 youth, who filled the Greek-Melkite Cathedral of Damascus and also followed the event from outside on a large screen.

Participating in the event were the patriarchs and Catholic bishops of Syria, representatives from all of the Catholic rites (Armenian, Chaldean, Greek, Latin, Maronite, and Syrian), and the cardinals and bishops in the papal entourage. Also present were representatives from the Orthodox Churches of Syria.

After the greeting of His Beatitude Gregoire III Laham, Greek-Melkite Catholic patriarch, litanies were recited and various youth spoke. Following this the Holy Father addressed the young people.

"Although you belong to a variety of Christian confessions," the Pope said, "all of you wish to listen to the voice of the one Lord and to journey together towards Him. May your presence here be a sign of your commitment to work together, with Christ's grace, in promoting full visible unity between all Christians!"

John Paul II told the youth that notwithstanding the questions and uncertainties of the present day, "Christ is calling you and awakening in you a desire to make your life something magnificent and beautiful, a determination to pursue high ideals, a refusal to be satisfied with mediocrity, and the courage to make commitments, with patience and perseverance."

"In order to be able to respond to this call," the Pope continued, "strive constantly to grow in closeness to the Lord of life," through prayer, the reading of the Gospel, participation at Mass and the sacrament of Reconciliation. The Holy Father affirmed that "you cannot be a Christian if you reject the Church founded on Jesus Christ; you cannot be called believers unless you put your faith into practice."

John Paul II exhorted the youth: "Don't be afraid to take time to reflect with older people, in order to consider seriously the choices you have to make, choices which involve listening to Jesus Christ as He invites you to follow Him along the demanding path of a courageous witness to values worth living for and worth giving your lives for: values such as truth, faith, human dignity, unity, peace and love."

"I invite you today," the Pope said, "to proclaim Jesus Christ with courage and fidelity, above all to the young people of your generation. ... In seeing the way you live, your contemporaries ought to wonder what is your inspiration and the source of your joy."

The Pope affirmed that "the future of Christianity in your country depends on better relations and closer cooperation between the Churches and Ecclesial Communities present here. ... Strengthen the things that unite you. ... Your country is marked by fellowship between all parts of society."

At the end of his discourse, John Paul II asked the youth to witness to "'the Gospel of charity'" and to "build 'the civilization of love'! I say this with great hope and immense confidence."

Following this the Pope passed through the square outside of the cathedral in his "popemobile," greeting the youth, and then went to the apostolic nunciature where he spent the night.

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