GENERAL AUDIENCE: THE PROPHET'S JOY FOR THE NEW JERUSALEM

VATICAN CITY, JUN 18, 2003 (VIS) - In this Wednesday's general audience, celebrated in St. Peter's Square in which 11,000 people participated, the Pope spoke about the canticle of the prophet Isaiah that is found in the third part of the book of Isaiah, which proclaims "the prophet's joy for the New Jerusalem."

In the canticle proclaimed today, the Holy Father said, Isaiah describes the "rebuilding of Jerusalem and the temple" after the exile of Babylon.

"The prophet opens the canticle by describing the reborn people, wrapped in splendid clothing, as a bride and groom who are preparing for the big day of the wedding. ... The prophets use the image of the seed, in different ways, to describe the messianic king. The messiah is a fruitful seed that renews the world and the prophet specifies the profound meaning of this vitality: 'The Lord God will plant justice', so that the city will be holy like a garden of justice, that is, of fidelity and truth, of law and love."

John Paul II affirmed that the "symbolism of marriage ... is one of the most intense images that appear in the Bible to exalt the bond of intimacy and the pact of love between the Lord and the chosen people."

"The words that indicated the previous situation of abandonment and desolation, that is the devastation of the city by the Babylonians and the drama of exile," he continued, "are now replaced by words of rebirth and are terms of love, tenderness, celebration and joy."

The Pope concluded by saying that "this nuptial symbolism will be used in the New Testament and will be taken up and developed by the Fathers of the Church. St. Ambrose, for example, recalls in this way 'the bridegroom is Christ, the bride is the Church'."

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, JUN 18, 2003 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

- Appointed Fr. Ibrahim Ibrahim of the Salvatorian Basilian Order, head of the Eparchial Commission on Ecumenism and on Inter-religious Questions, as bishop of St. Sauveur de Montreal of the Greek Melkite Catholics (Catholics 43,000, priests 15, permanent deacons 1, religious 10), Canada. The bishop-elect was born in Jinsnaya, Libya in 1962 and was ordained a priest in 1987.

- Accepted the resignation to the pastoral care of the diocese of Phoenix, U.S.A., of Bishop Thomas J. O'Brien, in conformity with Canon 401, para 2, of the Code of Canon Law.

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POPE GREETS STAFF OF HOSPITAL NAMED FOR HIS BROTHER

VATICAN CITY, JUN 18, 2003 (VIS) - Following the catechesis of today's general audience, held in St. Peter's Square in the presence of 11,000 faithful, the Pope read summaries of his talk in French, English, Spanish, German, and Portuguese. He then briefly greeted pilgrims in those languages as well as in Romanian, Lithuanian, Hungarian, Slovakian and Polish.

In greeting Polish pilgrims, the Holy Father expressed his "special welcome to the staff of the hospital in Bielsko-Biala in which my brother worked and to which you have wished to give his name. Thank you so much for this commemoration!"

Continuing in Polish, John Paul II stated that the Canticle of Isaiah in today's catechesis "introduces us to the solemnity of the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, which we will celebrate tomorrow. The special presence that we feel not just in the sign of the temple, but in the sacrament of the Eucharist, constitutes the content of this solemnity. This is why we go out into the streets of the city and the countryside so that - following Christ Who is hidden in the Host - He may be glorified and thanked because He truly and uninterruptedly is present among us, Body and Blood, soul and divinity." He invited everyone, especially Romans, to participate in tomorrow evening's celebrations at the basilicas of St. John Lateran and St. Mary Major.

"This coming Sunday," the Pope said in conclusion, "I will go to Bosnia-Herzegovina to confirm in the faith that Catholic community which is committed to an important path of reconciliation and harmony. I ask you to accompany me in prayer on this apostolic trip which I entrust to the maternal care of Our Lady."

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IN MEMORIAM

VATICAN CITY, JUN 18, 2003 (VIS) - The following prelates died in recent weeks:

- Archbishop Adalbert Boros, titular of Ressiana, Romania on June 6 at age 94.

- Bishop Barthelemy Nguyen Son Lam, P.S.S., of Thanh Hoa, Vietnam on June 9 at age 74.

- Archbishop Angelo Palmas, apostolic nuncio in Italy, on June 9 at age 88.

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EVANGELIZATION IS AN ESSENTIAL MISSION OF THE CHURCH

VATICAN CITY, JUN 17, 2003 (VIS) - This morning John Paul II received prelates from the Conference of Bishops of Burkina Faso and Niger who just completed their "ad limina" visit.

At the beginning of his speech in French, the Pope referred to his concern "for the stable and integral development of peoples" and the difficulties "of survival. The difficult climatic conditions of the region of Sahel and the growing desertification keep peoples in an endemic poverty that engenders instability and desperation." The Holy Father thus appealed to the international community to help these peoples to achieve a "more serene future."

"Despite difficulties related to the instability of the life of local populations, the missionary vitality of your diocesan Churches has expressed itself in multiple ways. I thank you for the celebration that marked the centenary of the evangelization of Burkina Faso."

The Holy Father underscored that "evangelization is an essential mission of the Church. Proclaiming the Gospel cannot be done fully without the contribution of all believers." After recalling that he wrote in the Apostolic Exhortation "Ecclesia in Africa" that "inculturation is a priority and a necessity on the path of particular churches," he said: "The pastoral ministry of inculturation that you have accomplished in your dioceses is bearing fruit, in particular in the life and testimony of the founding Christian communities."

Speaking about lay people, the Pope urged the African bishops to help them "to have an ever-more lively consciousness of their role in the Church and to honor their mission as baptized and confirmed Christians."

After emphasizing that "Christian families are called to be a powerful cell of Christian witness," John Paul II recalled "the example of numerous families that heroically live fidelity to the sacrament of Christian marriage, in the context of civil legislation or traditional customs that are detrimental to monogamous marriage. Given the dangers that afflict the African family of today and its foundations, I urge you to promote the dignity of the Christian family."

John Paul II then spoke about the difficulty that priests encounter when caring for and forming Christian communities, citing "the distance between parishes, the network of highways in bad conditions and the reduced number of apostolic workers. I thank you," he said, "for your generosity in serving Christ and His Church and I know how much you want, with the means at your disposition, to give them everything that is necessary for their spiritual health and their material needs." He invited the prelates to "always show, ... as you already do, the solidarity of your local Churches with neighboring countries, that often need pastors, by sending them priests and lay missionaries."
Referring to the formation of candidates for the priesthood, the Pope underlined the importance of a "serious spiritual, intellectual and pastoral formation, necessary for the exercise of the priestly ministry that must be associated with a solid human and cultural formation. It is very important to insist on the emotional maturity of candidates, necessary for the call to celibacy."

The Holy Father went on to recall that in Burkina Faso and Niger "Christian communities live in the midst of societies characterized by the predominance of Islam and by values that are not your own. I am glad that, as you said, the relationships of Catholics with followers of Islam are marked by respect, esteem and coexistence." The Pope invited the bishops to "cultivate dialogue ... so that fear of others disappears, a fear which is born out of the profound ignorance of the religious values that encourage this dialogue."

John Paul II, in parting remarks to the prelates, expressed the desire that "in the face of the scandal of poverty and injustice ... the Church may continue to carry out its prophetic role and be the voice of those without a voice, so that the human dignity of the whole person is recognized and all initiatives are promoted that seek to develop and ennoble human beings in their spiritual and material existence."

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