ARCHBISHOP TAURAN VISITS SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO

VATICAN CITY, FEB 25, 2003 (VIS) - Made public yesterday afternoon was a communique on the February 17-21 visit to Serbia and Montenegro by Archbishop Jean-Louis Tauran, secretary for Relations with States, who had been invited by the government of that country.

Upon his arrival, the archbishop was welcomed by civil and religious authorities. He then held a meeting with representatives of local and international charity organizations that work in this Balkan nation and later celebrated Mass with priests from the archdiocese of Belgrade.

Tuesday, February 18 was dedicated to encounters with civil authorities, including Foreign Minister Goran Svilanovic "with whom," says the communique, "there was a broad consensus of views. ... In particular, the two heads of diplomacy agreed on the importance of not overlooking Christian roots during the process of building a new united Europe in its enlargement towards the East; on the need to make every effort possible to avoid recourse to arms in solving conflicts; on the determining role that religious communities - in this specific instance the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church - play on the path of reconciliation and rebuilding of society after the dark years of communism and war in the ex-Yugoslav Federation."

A dinner at the apostolic nunciature with leaders of religious communities in Serbia concluded the day.

February 19 was devoted to encounters with the Holy Synod of the Patriarchate of Belgrade and to a visit to the Orthodox church in the diocese of Sabac-Vajievo.

On Thursday, February 20 there was a meeting with the episcopal conference of Serbia and Montenegro where, said the communique, Archbishop Tauran "heard in person from the pastors of that Church the hopes, desires and difficulties of the Catholic community. Even though a minority, it is esteemed and appreciated for its contribution in favor of dialogue and reconciliation as well as for its commitment in proclaiming the Gospel."

Before his departure for Rome on February 21, Archbishop Tauran held a press conference at the nunciature "during which he expressed his impressions on the local realities, both ecclesial and civil, and he addressed the Holy See's commitment in the world, in particular on the themes of peace and the contribution that believers can make to it."

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BOOK OF POETRY BY JOHN PAUL II TO BE PRESENTED MARCH 6

VATICAN CITY, FEB 25, 2003 (VIS) - The Italian translation of a book of poetry written by Pope John Paul II and titled "Roman Triptych" will be presented on Thursday, March 6 at 12 noon in the Holy See Press Office, according to a communique released today.

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, will present the volume. A critique of the text by Prof. Giovanni Reale is scheduled. During the presentation, a professional actor will read several of John Paul II's new poems.

The presentation, strictly reserved to journalists accredited to the Holy See Press Office, will be followed by Telepace television station. The text will be under embargo until 1 p.m. Rome time on March 6.

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, FEB 25, 2003 (VIS) - Today the Holy Father received in separate audiences:

- Bishop Slawoj Leszek Glodz, military ordinary for Poland.

- Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz of the archdiocese of Mother of God in Moscow, Russia, president of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of the Russian Federation.

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TO ENTREPRENEURS: GIVE PRECEDENCE TO ETHICS, FAMILIES, YOUTH

VATICAN CITY, FEB 22, 2003 (VIS) - The Pope today received 350 participants in a meeting promoted by the National Federation of Knights of Work and told them that they "represent not only a chosen group of Italian entrepreneurs, but also promoters of solid and well-balanced growth of the national economy."

In opening remarks to the group, the Pope invited them "to make your attention to ethical and moral principles a priority in your work." He asked them to "be the first witnesses" of the universal duty that he spoke of in the Encyclical "Sollicitudo rei socialis': "Collaborating in the development of the whole person and of every human being is in fact a duty of all towards all."

"This is," he added, "an even more urgent duty in the light of the current evolution of society, marked by the process of globalization, within which must be safeguarded the value of solidarity, the guarantee of access to resources and the equitable distribution of the riches produced."

"In contemporary society," affirmed John Paul II, "the family, not infrequently, seems penalized by rules imposed by production and by the market. Among your efforts, therefore, must be that of sustaining the family efficaciously so that it is always more respected as an active subject also by the sector of production and the economy." He noted the attention and encouragement they give to young people, and said: "Continue to invest in young people, helping them to overcome the breach that exists between scholastic formation and the real needs of the production industry."

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VALUE PAST SPIRITUAL TRADITIONS, WELCOME NEW ONES

VATICAN CITY, FEB 22, 2003 (VIS) - Bishops from the Episcopal Conference of the Region of North Africa (CERNA) were received by John Paul II this morning as they concluded their "ad limina" visit. Archbishop Henri Teissier of Algiers, president of the conference, gave the Pope a document produced by CERNA entitled "The Churches of the Maghreb in the Year 2000."

The Pope noted in his talk in French that "the world we live in is marked by a multiplication of exchanges, an ever stronger interdependence and an ever greater opening of borders: this is the phenomenon of globalization, with its positive and negative aspects, that nations must learn how to administer in a constructive manner!"

"In what concerns her," he continued, "the Catholic Church knows well the universal dimension which is part of her identity. ... Your dioceses have always been sensitive to this dimension of catholicity and the vital link that joins them to the Universal Church, for the pastors and faithful come from different countries." He noted that in their region "this reality has assumed a new dimension in recent years with the development of relations and exchanges between the North and South of the Sahara," because so many men and women have come to the Maghreb from subsaharan countries.

The Holy Father invited the prelates to value "the richness of the different spiritual traditions that have nourished the Christian history of your countries." These traditions have underscored "one facet or another of the treasure of the Gospel: "a sense of community, the joy of fraternal communion ... and availability for one's neighbor." He urged them to value these spiritual riches but also to "not be afraid of what is new that is brought by our brothers and sisters coming from other continents or cultures."

The Pope underscored the bishops' attention to "the active and important presence of young people in your dioceses, who have come from subsaharan countries to study in universities. Their welcome and participation in Christian communities clearly shows that the Gospel is not linked to one culture."

John Paul II then turned to "the good quality of relations that exist between Christians and the Muslim population" and "the good will of civil authorities with regard to the Church. All that is possible thanks to reciprocal knowledge, encounters in daily life and to exchanges, notably with families." He exhorted the bishops to "continue to encourage these meetings" because "they contribute to the evolution of mentalities on both sides and they help overcome the ready-made images carried still too often by the media."

"In every Christian community, even small and fragile," stated the Pope, "service to charity towards the poorest remains a priority as it is the expression of God's goodness for all men and of that sharing that we are called to live, regardless of race, culture or religion." Show this charity in a special way, he said, in welcoming migrants and "in offering them, in their precarious condition, a time of rest and fraternal conviviality!"

The Holy Father concluded his talk with heartfelt greetings for the priests, religious and laity of the North African countries. He encouraged them in their work, exhorted them to nourish their faith through prayer and appropriate formation, and assured them "of my prayers and paternal affection."

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