OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JUL 12, 2002 (VIS) - The Holy Father accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese Libano-Honda, Colombia, presented by Bishop Jose Luis Serna Alzate, I.M.C., in accordance with Canon 401, para. 2, of the Code of Canon Law.

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11 DAYS UNTIL THE BEGINNING OF WORLD YOUTH DAY

VATICAN CITY, JUL 12, 2002 (VIS) - The Pontifical Council for the Laity has published the program of scheduled events for the 17th World Youth Day which will take place in Toronto, Canada from July 23 to 28 on the theme: "You are the salt of the earth....You are the light of the world."

World Youth Day will officially open on the afternoon of Tuesday July 23 with a Eucharistic celebration at Exhibition Place presided by Cardinal Aloysius Ambrozic, archbishop of Toronto. The cardinal will welcome young people from Canada as well as from other nations.

According to information provided by the office in charge of planning this event, 200,000 young people have registered to date. However, this figure does not include many Canadians who have not yet signed up. In addition, many young people from poor countries have had difficulties with their visas.

The welcoming ceremony with the Pope is scheduled for the afternoon of Thursday July 25 at Exhibition Place. On the mornings of July 24, 25 and 26, in more than 100 Churches and civic centers in Toronto, there will be sessions of catechesis for young people in various languages, led by bishops from all over the world. The themes for the three days are: "You are the salt of the earth"; "You are the light of the world"; "Be reconciled to God". All the catechesis sessions will conclude with Mass.

On the afternoons of July 24, 25 and 26, young people will be able to visit Coronation Park, situated on the outskirts of Ontario, which has been christened "Duc in Altum Park" for this occasion. Confessionals will be installed in the park and priests will be availabe for confession in different languages. One area of the park will be reserved for Eucharistic adoration.

In Exhibition Place on the afternoons of July 24, 25 and 26, there will be the Youth Festival which will include artistic, cultural and spiritual events based on the life and faith of young people from all around the world. For the first time, there will be the opportunity to participate in social service projects.

On the afternoon of July 26, the Way of the Cross will take place in several areas of Toronto. The main procession will depart from City Hall at 7:30 p.m. and will cross the center of the city along University Avenue.

The climax of World Youth Day will be the Vigil and Mass presided by Pope John Paul II at Downsview Park on the evening of Saturday July 27 and the morning of July 28. Young people will walk to Downsview Park after 8 a.m. on Saturday morning from different points of the city. The distance will be between 6 and 10 kilometers. The vigil will begin at 8 p.m. and will include prayer, music, testimony and the Holy Father's words.
The Holy Father will celebrate the concluding Mass of the 17th World Youth Day on Sunday July 28 at 9:30 a.m.

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CHURCH MUST FOSTER PASTORAL CARE OF NOMADS

VATICAN CITY, JUL 11, 2002 (VIS) - The 15th National Assembly of the Pastoral Care of Nomads took place from July 2 to 5 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The meeting was sponsored by the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil and Bishop Paulo Moretto, leader of the Episcopal Commission for this type of ministry, presided.

The opening address was delivered by Fr. Michael Blume, S.V.D., under secretary of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant Peoples which examined the characteristics, problems and hopes of pastoral care for nomads (around 15 million in the whole world).

"Gypsies constitute a world characterized by marked differences and contrasts ... nevertheless they have also some features in common (ethnic identity, culture and psychology) which give them a certain degree of uniformity ... Neither welcomed nor accepted, they live isolated in their camps on the outskirts of cities, forgotten in their needs, rights and dignity. ... Gypsies often consider the Church an institution for the majority in society and some see gypsies as a small group requiring no special pastoral care which will eventually integrate with the masses of faithful. As a result, few priests dedicate themselves full time to this pastoral work." Fr. Blume went on to affirm that "many people, often even priests themselves, engaged in this activity, are isolated because of their friendship with gypsies and their desire to live with them the Gospel of Jesus Christ."

"This situation demands," he specified, "a pastoral care which involves gypsies themselves, as subjects and protagonists. It also means assuring that ... they can foster their vocations so that their people will be well-represented." Referring to the difficulties involved, he then cited a few: not being part of a local Church due to constant nomadism which leads to a lack of ecclesial reference, sense of Church, community and sufficient religious instruction that exposes gypsies to pressure by religious sects. "Pastoral work therefore includes the necessity to integrate the family of nomads into the hosting parish community ... the constitution of personal parishes where the circumstances so require."

In continuation, he referred to the "positive values" that characterize the gypsy world: hospitality, solidarity, strong attachment to the faith and the traditions of their ancestors. He also affirmed that these values must be "given suitable revaluation in new pastoral programs. It will be necessary to set up structures to guarantee the continuity of the process of furthering gypsies' participation in society and of their acceptance."

"In her maternal solicitude, the Church, and through the Church all those who hold responsibilities within the Church, have a duty to promote the pastoral care of nomadic peoples."

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JUL 11, 2002 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Appointed Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi, archbishop of Genova, Italy, as metropolitan archbishop of Milan (area 4,243, population 5,089,148, Catholics 4,789,148, priests 3,188, permanent deacons 32, religious 8,582), Italy. He succeeds Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini, S.J., whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted upon having reached the age limit.

- Appointed Fr. Valentino Di Cerbo, official in the Secretariat of State, as bureau chief of the Section for General Affairs.

- Appointed Archbishop Jean-Pierre Ricard of Bordeaux, France, as a member of the Pontifical Commission "Ecclesia Dei."

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IMMIGRANTS DESERVE RESPECT FOR THEIR DIGNITY

VATICAN CITY, JUL 9, 2002 (VIS) - Archbishop Stephen Fumio Hamao, president of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant Peoples, participated last week in a congress that took place in Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, sponsored by the Office for Human Development of the Federation of Asian Episcopal Conferences.

Archbishop Hamao recalled that all people by virtue of the fact that they are sons and daughters of God possess their own dignity. "This dignity never disappears, whatever the external circumstances may be, even when a human person loses his mind, commits a crime or is on his death bed. Persons in an illegal situation and asylum seekers maintain that dignity."

Christian solidarity manifests itself, he underlined, in taking "care of human beings, especially young people, minors and children, who are incapable of defending themselves because they lack protection under the law and often do not know the language of the country in which they have been obliged to seek refuge due to natural catastrophes, wars, violence, persecution, even genocide in their own country or to economic conditions there that are such as to endanger their physical integrity or life itself."

The president of the council affirmed that the "obligation to receive immigrants cannot be determined only by the mere defense of its own well-being. Emigrants have the right to live worthily with their family, to preserve and develop their cultural and religious patrimony, and to be treated under all circumstances in keeping with their human dignity."

Archbishop Hamao concluded by emphasizing that "migration has certainly opened a new way for inter-religious dialogue." And he urged believers of different religions to consider dialogue as a "leading way to follow."

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