AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, SEP 6, 2004 (VIS) - Today the Holy Father received in separate audiences at the Apostolic Palace in Castelgandolfo:

- Cardinal Jozef Tomko, president of the Pontifical Committee for International Eucharistic Congresses, and committee secretary, Fr. Ferdinand Pratzner, S.S.S.

- Archbishop Luigi Bonazzi, apostolic nuncio in Cuba.

- Four prelates from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops on their "ad limina" visit:
 
    - Bishop Edward Peter Cullen of Allentown.

    - Bishop Joseph Victor Adamec of Altoona-Johnstown.

    - Bishop Donald Walter Trautman of Erie.

    - Bishop Lawrence E. Brandt of Greensburg.

  On Saturday, September 4, the Holy Father received in separate audiences:

- Oto Agripino Maia, ambassador of Brazil, on his farewell visit.

- Kelebert Nkomani, ambassador of Zimbabwe, on his farewell visit.
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NEED FOR INTELLECTUAL AND SPIRITUAL FORMATION OF THE CLERGY

VATICAN CITY, SEP 6, 2004 (VIS) - Made public today was a Message from the Holy Father to Bishop Pier Giorgio Micchiardi of Acqui, Italy, on the millennium anniversary of the birth of their patron St. Guido, bishop.

  In the Message, dated July 30, the Pope recalls the commitment of the saint "to institute and consolidate the rural parishes, spread out throughout the territory, making them points of reference for the religious and sacramental life of the faithful, in a time of difficulties and precarious conditions for the diocese due to invasions, wars and famines."

  "In addition to his work to increase the number of rural parishes, St. Guido zealously cared for the spiritual and cultural formation of the clergy." In this sense, John Paul II indicates that in the face of discrimination against priests "renewed pastoral care" is necessary, as well as "careful preparation of those who aspire to the priesthood which assures human, spiritual and intellectual formation in response to the complex demands of today's world."
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POPE ASKS CONTEMPLATION, COMMUNION, AND MISSION

VATICAN CITY, SEP 5, 2004 (VIS) - At noon today, the Holy Father prayed the Angelus with a crowd estimated at 250,000 faithful, mostly members of Catholic Action, who had come for the papal Mass at Montorso di Loreto during which the Pope beatified three of their members: Fr. Pedro (Pere) Tarres y Claret,  a doctor and priest from Barcelona, Spain, and Alberto Marvelli and Pina Suriano of Italian Catholic Action. Catholic Action had been meeting in Loreto since September 1.

  After the Angelus, John Paul II told the members of Catholic Action he wished to entrust them with three "assignments." "The first, he said, "is 'contemplation': commit yourselves to walking on the path of holiness with your eyes fixed on Jesus, the one Master and Savior of the World.

  "The second is 'communion': seek to promote the spirituality of unity with the pastors of the Church, with all your brothers in the faith and with other ecclesial groups. Be leaven of dialogue with all men and women of good will. The third assignment is 'mission': As lay people, bring the leaven of the Gospel into homes and schools, into places of work and of recreation. The Gospel is the word of hope for the world."

  Following lunch, Pope John Paul greeted the Spanish and Italian delegations from Catholic Action, leaders and young people of Italian Catholic Action, members of Civil Protection and the cooks who prepared his lunch. The Pope departed just after 4 p.m. by helicopter for Castelgandolfo.
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THE NEW BLESSEDS WERE HEROIC WITNESSES OF CHRIST'S CROSS

VATICAN CITY, SEP 5, 2004 (VIS) - The Pope today left Castelgandolfo at 8:30 a.m. by helicopter for Loreto where he arrived one hour later. After being greeted by civil and religious authorities in the John Paul II Youth Center, he proceeded in the popemobile to the square in Montorso where at 10 a.m. he celebrated Mass and beatified the Servants of God and members of Catholic Action Fr. Pedro (Pere) Tarres i Claret (1905-1950), Alberto Marvelli (1918-1946), and Pina Surian (1915-1950), lay persons.

  Commenting on today's gospel, the Pope told the crowd of 250,000 that "to adhere to Christ is a 'demanding choice.'  It is not by chance that Jesus speaks of the 'cross.'  He immediately clarifies himself: 'follow me.'  This is the great message: we are not alone in carrying the cross.  He walks in front of us, opening up the way with the light of His example and with the strength of His love."
 
  Archbishop Leonardo Sandri, substitute for General Affairs of the Secretariat of State, read part of the homily about the new blesseds. "The three new blesseds," he said in Spanish, "became humble disciples and heroic witnesses through Jesus' cross. Pedro Tarres i Claret, first a doctor and then a priest, dedicated himself to the lay apostolate of the young people of Catholic Action in Barcelona. In exercising the medical profession, he gave himself with special solicitude to the poorest of the sick. … He accepted with faith and heroic patience a horrible illness which lead to his death at the young age of 45.  Despite his suffering, he used to repeat frequently: 'How good the Lord is to me! I am truly happy'."

  "Alberto Marvelli, strong and free-spirited young person, generous son of the Church of Rimini and of Catholic Action, thought of his short life of 28 years as a gift of love to Jesus for the good of his brothers and sisters.  … He made the daily Eucharist the center of his life. In prayer he sought inspiration for his political commitment, as he was convinced of the need to fully live as children of God in history, to make history a history of salvation."

  As a girl, Blessed Pina Suriano of the diocese of Monreale, "was close to the Young Women of Catholic Action which she later served as parish leader, finding in the association an important stimulus for human and cultural growth in an intense climate of fraternal friendship.  Little by little, she matured the simple and firm will of giving her young life to God as an offering of love, especially for the sanctification and perseverance of priests."

  Addressing all the members of Catholic Action, the Holy Father assured them that through the beatification of these three Servants of God, the Lord "says to you that holiness is the greatest gift you can give to the Church and to the world. May the Church's concern be your concern as well: that many men and women of our time may be overcome by Christ's attraction; that His Gospel may shine once again like a light of hope for the poor, sick and those who hunger for justice; may Christian communities be ever-more lively, open and attractive; may our cities be hospitable and liveable for all; may humanity be able to follow the ways of peace and fraternity."

  "It is the responsibility of you, lay people, to bear witness to the faith through the virtues which are more specific to your state in life: fidelity and tenderness in family, competence in work, tenacity in serving the common good, solidarity in social relations, creativity in undertaking works that are useful to evangelization and human promotion.  It is up to you also to show, in close communion with pastors, that the Gospel is timely, and that faith does not remove the believer from history, but submerges him more profoundly in it."

  During the prayers of the faithful, those present prayed for the innocent victims of the school siege in Beslan and for the people of Russia, affected by the tragedy.
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EUROPEAN YOUTH: GIVE LIFE TO A CONTINENT RICH WITH VALUES

VATICAN CITY, SEP 4, 2004 (VIS) - More than 15,000 young people participated this evening in a gathering of prayer and celebration in Loreto, Italy in which Italian artists sang and young people from Sudan, Iraq, Spain and Sarajevo gave testimony.

  The celebration and pilgrimage, promoted by Italian Catholic Action, began on September 1 and will end tomorrow with Mass during which the Pope will beatify three members of Catholic Action: Alberto Marvelli, Pina Suriano and  Fr. Pedro Tarres i Claret.

  The program also included a recorded greeting from the Pope to a group of young people who presented "The Letter of the Christian Youth of Europe" to him two days ago in Castelgandolfo, an idea born during the August 5 to 8 European youth pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, Spain on the occasion of the Holy Year of St. James.

  "Be witnesses of Christ in order to build a Europe of hope. This is the message that you want to present to your peers and to the entire European community of today.  The dream that you carry in your heart is that of a Europe which is proud of its rich cultural and religious heritage and attentive at the same time to the values of humanity and life, solidarity and acceptance, justice and peace."

  "You are not embarrassed of the Gospel," continues the Holy Father, "and you are conscious that the civilization of love is not built by separating the Gospel and culture, but by looking for an ever-new synthesis between the two."

  "In order to carry out your mission," he concludes, "fidelity to Christ and to His Church, coherence and courage to the point of the heroism of sanctity is necessary.  It is the path that the saints of Europe took in centuries past. May their witness be a stimulus for each one of you, beloved young people who are following me by radio and television."

  The evening ended with a silent pilgrimage to the Holy House of Loreto.
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