PAPAL ENVOY TO FIRST PLENARY COUNCIL OF THE CHURCH IN SLOVENIA

VATICAN CITY, MAY 11, 2002 (VIS) - Made public today was the Pope's letter, written in Latin and dated April 28, in which he names Cardinal Jozef Tomko as his special envoy for the solemn promulgation of the Acts of the first Plenary Council of the Church in Slovenia. It will take place on May 18 in Ljubljana.

Msgr. Borut Kosir, president of the Ecclesiastical Metropolitan Tribunal and professor of Canon Law on the faculty of Theology in Ljubjlana, and Fr. Bogdan Kolar, S.D.B., professor of Church History on the faculty of Theology in Ljubjlana, will accompany Cardinal Tomko, prefect emeritus of the Congregation for Evangelization of Peoples.

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JOHN PAUL II WELCOMES DELEGATION FROM BULGARIA

VATICAN CITY, MAY 11, 2002 (VIS) - The Holy Father this morning welcomed Bulgaria's foreign minister, Solomon Passy, and the delegation he led to the Vatican on the occasion of the Feast of Saints Cyril and Methodius. Also present during this traditional encounter was Metropolitan Kalinik, who greeted the Pope on behalf of Patriarch Maxim.

John Paul II spoke of his imminent trip to Bulgaria, and said that "while my visit to your country will have a pastoral purpose, that of confirming my Catholic brothers and sisters in their faith, it is also my fervent desire to strengthen the bonds of Christian communion between the Catholic Church and the Bulgarian Orthodox Church. Our encounter will surely help Bulgaria to consolidate its Christian foundations at a time when the old order has gone and a new life is taking shape for your country."

The Pope noted that the vision of Saints Cyril and Methodius "was a vision of unity within diversity, of freedom tied to truth, of hope in the face of every affliction. In visiting Bulgaria I shall be visiting the people born of their witness and meeting the culture which embodies the soul of their teachings."

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GREETING TO THE PARTICIPANTS IN STUDENT MARATHON

VATICAN CITY, MAY 12, 2002 (VIS) - At 9:30 a.m., the Holy Father appeared at the window of his private study in the Vatican Apostolic Palace to greet participants - the students of Catholic schools in Rome and Lazio - in the 22nd edition of the Spring Marathon.

Organized during the holidays of Roman Catholic schools, "this act," said the Holy Father, "brings together students, teachers, collaborators, former students and all those who help Catholic schools, in order to live a moment of happiness and fraternity, with the desire to give visibility to a social and educational reality, committed to carrying out a project of formation inspired by the Gospel."

"I urge the different Catholic schools of Rome to persevere with courage and dedication in their important mission to the service of young generations. He concluded by saying, "I hope, at the same time, that the steps already initiated on the way of effective equality between public and private schools can reach a good end."

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CARDINAL KASPER IN YUGOSLAVIA ON ECUMENICAL AND SPIRITUAL VISIT

VATICAN CITY, MAY 11, 2002 (VIS) - Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, arrived in Yugoslavia yesterday and will remain there on a visit until May 15, upon the invitation of the episcopal conference. Fr. Jozef M. Maj, S.J., official of the Eastern section of this dicastery, is accompanying him.

During the visit, which is of an ecumenical and spiritual nature and for contact with the local Catholic Church, Cardinal Kasper will meet with His Beatitude Pavle, the Serbian Orthodox patriarch, according to a communique published yesterday afternoon.
On Sunday May 12, the cardinal will attend a liturgy officiated by Patriarch Pavle in the shrine of Saint Sava, in the presence of the Greek Orthodox patriarch of Alexandria, Petros VII, who is visiting the patriarch of Serbia during these days.

The president of the Council for Christian Unity will participate in various meetings with priests of the archdiocese of Belgrade, to whom he will speak about the "vision of the Catholic Church regarding ecumenism." He will address the bishops of the different churches present in the country on the theme "Christians responsible for their unity."

The cardinal is also scheduled to visit Novi Sad where he will meet with bishops and priests of Serbia and Montenegro and will visit the Orthodox monastery of Kovilj.

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REFLECTIONS ON FEAST OF ASCENSION, WORLD COMMUNICATIONS DAY

VATICAN CITY, MAY 12, 2002 (VIS) - Before reciting the Regina Coeli, Pope John Paul spoke to the faithful in St. Peter's Square from his study window that overlooks the piazza, and he reflected on the celebrations today of the solemnity of the Ascension and of the World Day of Social Communications.

Noting that the Ascension is celebrated today in many countries, the Pope said: "Having arisen from the dead and ascended into Heaven, the Redeemer is for believers the anchor of salvation and comfort in the daily commitment to be in the service of truth and peace, justice and freedom. Ascending into Heaven, He re-opens for us the way to the blessed homeland, not to alienate us from history, but to give our path a breath of hope."
The Holy Father then turned to today's observance of the World Day of Social Communications, stating that the theme he proposed for this year's celebration was very current: "The Internet: A New Forum for Proclaiming the Gospel."

He chose this theme, he said, because "the most recent progress in communications and information have placed the Church before unheard-of possibilities of evangelization. ... We must enter into this modern and ever more dense communications network with realism and trust, persuaded that, if it is used with competency and attentive responsibility, it can offer valid opportunities for spreading the Gospel message."

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