AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, FEB 1, 2007 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences three prelates from the Italian Episcopal Conference on their "ad limina" visit:

    - Bishop Domencio Calcagno of Savona-Noli.

    - Bishop Martino Canessa of Tortona.

    - Bishop Alberto Maria Careggio of Ventimiglia-San Remo

  This evening, he is scheduled to receive in audience Archbishop Robert Sarah, emeritus of Conakry, Guinea, secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.
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THE POPE WILL PRESIDE AT FUNERAL OF CARDINAL JAVIERRE

VATICAN CITY, FEB 1, 2007 (VIS) - The Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff today released a communique announcing that in St. Peter's Basilica at midday tomorrow, February 2, the Holy Father will preside at a funeral Mass for Cardinal Antonio Maria Javierre Ortas S.D.B., prefect emeritus of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, who died in Rome this morning at the age of 85.
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BENEDICT XVI'S PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR FEBRUARY

VATICAN CITY, FEB 1, 2007 (VIS) - Pope Benedict XVI's general prayer intention for February is: "That the goods of the earth, given by God for all men, may be used wisely and according to criteria of justice and solidarity."

  His mission intention is: "That the fight against diseases and great epidemics in the Third World may find, in the spirit of solidarity, ever more generous collaboration on the part of the governments of all nations."
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HOLY SEE WILL NOT SIGN U.N. CONVENTION ON DISABLED PEOPLE

VATICAN CITY, FEB 1, 2007 (VIS) - Made public today was a talk delivered by Archbishop Celestino Migliore, Holy See permanent observer to the United Nations in New York, concerning a Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, approved by the U.N. General Assembly on December 13, 2006 and due to be signed by member States on March 30.

  In a note accompanying the talk, the archbishop recalls that, "since the beginning of work in July 2002, the Holy See has participated actively in the preparation of the document, collaborating in the insertion of explicit references to respect for the right to life and the recognition of the role of the family in the lives of disabled people. Nonetheless, in the final stage of the work, unacceptable references to 'reproductive health' have been introduced into articles 23 and 25 and, for that reason, the Holy See has decided not to adhere to the new convention."

  In his English-language talk, Archbishop Migliore highlighted how "the Holy See has consistently called for disabled individuals to be completely and compassionately integrated into society, convinced that they possess full and inalienable human rights."

  With reference to article 23 of the convention, he indicated that his delegation "interprets all the terms and phrases regarding family planning services, regulation of fertility and marriage in article 23, as well as the word 'gender,' as it did in its reservations and statements of interpretation at the Cairo and Beijing International Conferences," held respectively 1994 and 1995.

  "Finally, and most importantly, regarding article 25 on health, and specifically the reference to sexual and reproductive health, the Holy See understands access to reproductive health as being a holistic concept that does not consider abortion or access to abortion as a dimension of those terms. ... We opposed the inclusion of such a phrase in this article, because in some countries reproductive health services include abortion, thus denying the inherent right to life of every human being, also affirmed by article 10 of the Convention. It is surely tragic that ... the same Convention created to protect persons with disabilities from all discrimination in the exercise of their rights, may be used to deny the very basic right to life of disabled unborn persons.

  "For this reason," he concluded, "and despite the many helpful articles this convention contains, the Holy See is unable to sign it."
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POPE RECALLS DIFFICULTIES FACED BY CHRISTIANS IN MIDDLE EAST

VATICAN CITY, FEB 1, 2007 (VIS) - Today in the Vatican, the Pope received members of the Joint International Commission for Theological Dialogue between Catholics and Orthodox, which is currently holding its fourth plenary meeting.

  Addressing the group in English, the Holy Father said: "Your meeting concerning the constitution and the mission of the Church is of great importance for our common journey towards the restoration of full communion. The Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches share an ecclesial patrimony stemming from apostolic times and the first centuries of Christianity. This 'heritage of experience' should shape our future 'guiding our common path towards the re-establishment of full communion'."

  "Many people today are still waiting for the truth of the Gospel to be brought to them," said Pope Benedict. "May their thirst for the Good News strengthen our resolve to work and pray diligently for that unity required for the Church to exercise her mission in the world."

  "Many of you come from countries of the Middle East," the Holy Father observed, and he recalled how Christian minorities may face difficulties in surviving "in the midst of such a volatile geopolitical panorama" and how they "are often tempted to emigrate. In these circumstances, Christians of all traditions and communities in the Middle East are called to be courageous and steadfast in the power of the Spirit of Christ.

  "May the intercession and example of the many martyrs and saints, who have given courageous witness to Christ in these lands, sustain and strengthen the Christian communities in their faith!"
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