ASSOCIATIONS OF FAITHFUL: ECUMENICAL, INTER-RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE

VATICAN CITY, JUN 21, 2001 (VIS) - On June 22 and 23, in the "Aula Magna" of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, a study seminar will be held on the theme: "Associations of faithful: ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue."

The seminar is being promoted by the Pontifical Council for the Laity in collaboration with the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity and the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue.

Cardinal James Francis Stafford, president of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, will inaugurate the seminar. Later, Bishop Rino Fisichella, auxiliary of Rome, will speak on the theme: "Questions, requirements and challenges in ecumenical and inter-religious dialogue, in the light of the Church's mission in the global and multi-cultural society."

...;SEMINAR;...;STAFFORD;VIS;20010621;Word: 140;

STATISTICS ON THE CHURCH IN UKRAINE

VATICAN CITY, JUN 21, 2001 (VIS) - On the occasion of John Paul II's apostolic visit to Ukraine - his 94th trip outside Italy, due to take place from June 23 to 27 - some statistics on the Church in that country were published by the Central Statistical Office of the Church. They are from the year 2000.

Ukraine has a population of 50.1 million inhabitants of whom 5.5 million (11.08 percent) are Catholics. There are 3,676 parishes and 399 pastoral centers of other types. Bishops number 23 (as of May 16, 2001), priests 2,522, religious 1,075 and permanent deacons 14. There are 30 minor seminarians and 1,236 major seminarians.

A total of 1,267 students attend 20 Catholic centers of education, from nursery school to university level. There are also various charity and social centers belonging to the Church and/or run by priests or religious: 22 hospitals, 17 orphanages and kindergartens, 3 family consultancy and pro-life centers and 13 special education centers, as well as other institutions.

OP;STATISTICS UKRAINE;...;...;VIS;20010621;Word: 160;

AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, JUN 21, 2001 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

- Archbishop Pier Giacomo De Nicolo, apostolic nuncio in Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein.
- Archbishop Alberto Bottari De Castello, apostolic nuncio in Gambia, Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone.
- Archbishop Andrea Cordero Lanza di Montezemolo, apostolic nuncio.
- Abdelouhab Maalmi, ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco, on a farewell visit.
- Svetlozar Raev, ambassador of Bulgaria, on a farewell visit.
Keys: AP;...;...;... ;VIS;20010621;Word: 70;

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JUN 20, 2001 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed:

- Bishop Jose Gonzalez Alonso, auxiliary of Teresina, Brazil, as bishop of Cajazeiras (area 13,934, population 574,000, Catholics 556,000, priests 37, religious 57), Brazil.

- Fr. Jose Carlos dos Santos F.D.P., general counsellor of the Little Work of Divine Providence (Don Orione), as auxiliary of Luziania (area 16,480, population 700,000, Catholics 500,000, priests 33, religious 42), Brazil. The bishop-elect was born in Maruim, Brazil, in 1951 and ordained a priest in 1979.

- Bishop Heinz Josef Algermissen, auxiliary of Paderborn, Federal Republic of Germany, as bishop of Fulda (area 10,000, population 1,910,000, Catholics 447,275, priests 402, permanent deacons 17, religious 538), Federal Republic of Germany

NER; NEA;...;...;GONZALEZ; DOS SANTOS; ALGERMISSEN;VIS;20010620;Word: 110;

POPE SPEAKS OF WORLD'S REFUGEES, COMING TRIP TO UKRAINE

VATICAN CITY, JUN 20, 2001 (VIS) - At the end of today's general audience, held in St. Peter's Square in the presence of 14,000 faithful, Pope John Paul spoke of the World Day of the Refugee and also of his impending trip to Ukraine.

"I affectionately greet," he said, "a group of refugees accompanied by members of the Jesuit Refugee Services in Rome. Today, which has been declared World Day of the Refugee by the United Nations, your presence reminds us of the 50 million refugees concentrated in several of the poorest regions of the world. I greatly hope that the leaders of nations will know how to seek prompt and efficacious solutions for the problems which are at the basis of such great suffering, guaranteeing the necessary aid so that persons in exile may have living conditions worthy of human beings."
"This Saturday," the Holy Father continued, "God willing, I will travel to Ukraine, to Kiev and Lviv, realizing a desire I have had in my heart for some time. I thank the Lord for the opportunity He is giving me to walk in the footsteps of the missionaries who, at the end of the first Christian millennium, sent by the Churches of the East and the West, proclaimed the Gospel in that part of Europe. Since then, the history of those peoples is incomplete without the reference to Christianity."

The Pope added that he is "preparing to go to Ukraine with great hope. My aim is to confirm in the faith our brothers and sisters of the Catholic community and also to promote ecumenical commitment, in obedience to Christ's words: "That they may all be one!"

AG;REFUGEES; UKRAINE;...;...;VIS;20010620;Word: 290;