VATICAN CITY, 21 MAY 2008 (VIS) - During this morning's general audience, Benedict XVI dedicated his catechesis to Romanus the Melodist, a Syrian "theologian, poet, composer and permanent deacon who resided in a monastery on the outskirts of Constantinople in the sixth century". Before delivering his catechesis in the Paul VI Hall, the Holy Father visited the Vatican Basilica to greet faithful gathered there.

Romanus, the Pope explained, belongs to "that sizeable group of theologians who transformed theology into poetry" and whose numbers include "St. Ephrem the Syrian, ... St. Ambrose, ... St. Thomas Aquinas, ... and St. John of the Cross. Faith is love and so creates poetry and music. Faith is joy and so creates beauty".

The Melodist "has gone down in history as one of the most characteristic authors of liturgical hymns" at a time in which "homilies were practically the only occasion for the faithful to receive catechistic guidance". His was "a lively and original way of presenting the catechesis. ... Through his compositions we get an idea of the creativity ... the theology, the aesthetics and the sacred hymns of that time".

In his musical homilies, known as "kontakia", Romanus "did not use the solemn Byzantine Greek of the court, but a simple Greek closer to the language of the people. ... The power of conviction of his preaching was founded on the great coherence between his words and his life".

Benedict XVI then went on to examine some of the focal points of the poet-theologian's teaching: "the unity of God's actions in history, ... the unity between creation and the history of salvation, the unity between the Old and New Testaments".

Another aspect the Pope highlighted was Romanus' "doctrine on the Holy Spirit". On the subject of the Pentecost, he said, the poet "underlined the continuity that exists between the ascended Christ and His Apostles, in other words the Church, and he exalted missionary activity in the world". In the Christological field, "he did not enter into the conceptual problem ... which so lacerated the unity not only of theologians but also of the Church". Instead, he preached "the Christology of the great Councils, remaining close to popular piety. ... The concepts of the Councils arose from popular piety, from the knowledge of the Christian heart. Hence he underlined the fact that Christ is true God and true man, ... a single person".

Romanus' moral teachings, the Holy Father observed, "were particularly concerned with the Final Judgement. He led us to that moment of truth of our lives - the meeting with the righteous Judge - and so advised conversion through penance, fasting and charity, which for him was the most important of all the virtues".

"Vibrant humanity, ardent faith and profound humility impregnate the music of Romanus the Melodist", said Pope Benedict. "This great poet and composer reminds us of all the wealth of Christian culture which was born of faith, born of hearts that encountered Christ. From this contact with the Truth that is love ... all great Christian culture came into being".

"If faith remains alive, this cultural heritage does not die, ... it remains. Icons also speak today to hearts that believe. They are not just things of the past. Cathedrals are not medieval monuments, but places where we can meet God and one another. Great music, Gregorian chants, Bach, Mozart, are not things of the past. They exist with the vitality of our liturgy and our faith. If faith is alive, Christian culture does not become a thing of the past".

"And if faith remains alive", the Holy Father concluded, "we too can respond to the constantly-repeated imperative: ... 'Sing to the Lord a new song!' Creativity, innovation, new song, new culture and the presence of all cultural heritage", he concluded, "are not things that exclude one another but a single reality. They are the presence of God's beauty, the joy of being His children".

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VATICAN CITY, 21 MAY 2008 (VIS) - On 16 May, Archbishop Celestino Migliore, Holy See permanent observer to the United Nations in New York, pronounced a discourse during the 16th session of the Commission on Sustainable Development of the U.N. Economic and Social Council.

"Investing in long-term and sustainable agriculture programmes at the local and international levels remains central to the development prospects of so many", he said in his English-language remarks. "This investment must be done in a way that addresses the prices of food commodities as well as the distribution and production of food around the world, in particular in Africa ".

Noting the fact that "seventy percent of the world's poor live in the same rural areas where widespread chronic malnourishment continues to persist" archbishop Migliore explained that this "illustrates that in addressing sustainable development we must continue to focus not merely upon those who consume food commodities but also upon those who produce it.

"Greater investment in small-holder farmers which enables them to increase production in a sustainable manner would provide an important element to addressing the continued presence of chronic hunger and malnourishment in certain regions", he concluded.

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VATICAN CITY, 21 MAY 2008 ( VIS ) - The Holy Father appointed:

- Fr. Jorge Alves Bezerra S.S.S., vice-provincial and master of novices in the diocese of Tres Lagoas , Brazil , as bishop of Jardim (area 69,972, population 370,000, Catholics 254,000, priests 17, permanent deacons 1, religious 37), Brazil . The bishop-elect was born in Sao Joao de Meriti , Brazil in 1955 and ordained a priest in 1985.

- Fr. Philip Dickmans of the clergy of the diocese of Hasselt, Belgium, fidei donum priest in the archdiocese of Palmas, Brazil, as bishop of Miracema do Tocantins (area 45,985, population 193,194, Catholics 140,350, priests 16, religious 26), Brazil. The bishop-elect was born in Herk-de-Stad , Belgium in 1963 and ordained a priest in 1990.

- Fr. Theirry Scherrer of the clergy of the archdiocese of Aix, France, pastor of the Saint-Sauveur cathedral in Aix-en-Provence, as bishop of Laval (area 5,175, population 285,338, Catholics 270,000, priests 195, permanent deacons 12, religious 564), France. The bishop-elect was born in Versailles , France in 1959 and ordained a priest in 1988.

- Fr. Eric de Moulins-Beaufort of the clergy of the archdiocese of Paris, France, private secretary to the cardinal archbishop of Paris and professor at the "Faculte Notre-Dame"; and Fr. Renauld de Dinechin, also of the clergy of Paris, pastor of the "Bl. Frederic Ozanam" parish in Cergy, as auxiliaries of Paris (area 105, population 2,144,700, Catholics 1,286,820, priests 1,206, permanent deacons 91, religious 3,195). Bishop-elect Moulins-Beaufort was born in Landau , Germany in 1962 and ordained a priest in 1991. Bishop-elect Dinechin was born in Lille , France in 1958 and ordained a priest in 1988.

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VATICAN CITY, 21 MAY 2008 (VIS) - As previously advised, tomorrow, Solemnity of Corpus Christi and a holiday in the Vatican, no VIS bulletin will be transmitted. Service will resume on Friday 23 May.

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VATICAN CITY, 20 MAY 2008 (VIS) - The Pontifical Council for Social Communications is promoting the First Congress of Faculties of Communication of Catholic Universities, which is due to be held from 22 to 24 May in Rome's Pontifical Urban University.

The conference, which will be attended by professors in communication from Catholic universities in various countries, aims, according to communique on the event, "to strengthen and expand the co-operative relationship" between the Pontifical Council for Social Communications and representatives of Catholic universities, and "to give the council a fuller understanding of the range of activities taking place in these institutions and a greater appreciation of the qualifications, talents and skills of those who work within them".

"The opening speech of the congress will outline the changing world of communications and the challenges that face all those dedicated to the academic formation of future professional communicators", reads the communique.

Subsequent sessions of the congress will be dedicated to such themes as: "The identity and mission of communications faculties in Catholic universities in various geographical and ecclesiastical contexts"; "The ethical formation of communicators"; and "Preparing the study programme; how can study programmes in Catholic university faculties reflect the specific mission of universities?"

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VATICAN CITY, 20 MAY 2008 (VIS) - According to a note published today by the Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff, at 6 p.m. on Saturday 24 May, Cardinal Angelo Comastri, archpriest of the papal basilica of St. Peter's in the Vatican, vicar general of His Holiness for Vatican City and president of the Fabric of St. Peter's, will take possession of the new diaconate of San Salvatore in Lauro, in Piazza di San Salvatore in Lauro 15, Rome.

At midday on Sunday 25 May, Cardinal James Francis Stafford, major penitentiary of the Apostolic Penitentiary, will take possession of the title of San Pietro in Montorio, in Piazza di San Pietro in Montorio 2, Rome .

The communique further announces that at 7 p.m. on Friday 30 May, Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko, president of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, will take possession of the diaconate of the Sacred Heart of Christ the King, in Viale Mazzini 32, Rome .

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VATICAN CITY, 20 MAY 2008 (VIS) - This evening, the Holy Father is scheduled to receive in separate audiences four prelates from the Episcopal Conference of Albania, on their ad limina" visit:

- Archbishop Angelo Massafra O.F.M. of Shkodre-Pult, accompanied by former Auxiliary Bishop Zef Simoni.

- Bishop Ottavio Vitale R.C.I. of Lezhe.

- Bishop Lucjan Avgustini of Sape.

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VATICAN CITY, 20 MAY 2008 ( VIS ) - The Holy Father appointed:

- Fr. Neil Tiedemann C.P., provincial consultor of the Passionist Fathers, as bishop of Mandeville (area 3,282, population 582,000, Catholics 8,800, priests 43, religious 34), Jamaica . The bishop-elect was born in New York in 1948 and ordained a priest in 1975.

- Bishop Christophe Dufour of Limoges , France , as coadjutor archbishop of Aix (area 4,580, population 861,000, Catholics 691,000, priests 175, permanent deacons 14, religious 381), France . The archbishop-elect was born in Armentieres , France in 1947, he was ordained a priest in 1975 and consecrated a bishop in 2001.

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VATICAN CITY, 20 MAY 2008 ( VIS ) - The following prelates died in recent weeks:

- Cardinal Bernardin Gantin, dean emeritus of the College of Cardinals, on 13 May at the age of 86.

- Bishop Jorge Mario Avila del Aguila C.M., emeritus of Jalapa , Guatemala , on 3 May at the age of 84.

- Bishop Donald William Montrose, emeritus of Stockton , U.S.A. , on 7 May at the age of 84.

- Bishop Ignacio Prieto Vega I.E.M.E., emeritus of Hwange , Zimbabwe , on 9 May at the age of 85.

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PSEUDO-DIONYSIUS THE AREOPAGITE: MEDIATION AND DIALOGUE

VATICAN CITY, 14 MAY 2008 (VIS) - In today's general audience, held in St. Peter's Square, the Holy Father resumed his series of catecheses on the Fathers of the Church, concentrating his remarks on the figure of Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite whose aim, said the Pope, was "to place Greek wisdom at the service of the Gospel".

  Benedict XVI explained how, during a period marked by "harsh disputes following the Council of Chalcedon", this sixth-century author affirmed the fact that "the light of truth ... eradicates error and brings the good to shine forth. With this principle he purified Greek thought, bringing it into relation with the Gospel".

  The Pseudo-Dionysius used Greek polytheism "to show the truth of Christ and transform the polytheistic world into a cosmos created by God" in which "all creatures together reflect the truth of God".

  "Because the creature is a glorification of God, the Pseudo-Dionysius' theology becomes a theological liturgy. God is found, above all, by praising Him and not just through reflection".

  This Father of the Church created the first "great mystical theology. ... With him the word 'mystical' took on a more personal and intimate meaning: it expresses the soul's journey towards God. ... The Pseudo-Dionysius shows that at the end of the road to God is God Himself, Who comes close to us in Jesus Christ".

  "Today Pseudo-Dionysius the Areopagite assumes fresh relevance", said the Holy Father. "He appears as a greater mediator in the modern dialogue between Christianity and the mystical theologies of Asia, the well-known characteristic of which lies in their conviction that it cannot be said who God is, that He can be spoken of only in negative terms, ... and that only by entering this experience of 'no' can He be reached".

  Dialogue, said Benedict XVI "does not accept superficiality. It is when we enter deeply into the encounter with Christ that a vast area for dialogue opens before us. When one meets the light of truth, one realises that it is a light for everyone: disputes disappear and it becomes possible to understand one another, or at least to speak to and approach one another".

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POPE EXPRESS HIS CLOSENESS TO CHINESE EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS

VATICAN CITY, 14 MAY 2008 (VIS) - Following his catechesis in this morning's general audience, Benedict XVI launched an appeal for "the people of Sichuan and adjoining provinces in China, so harshly affected by the earthquake which has provoked serious loss of human life, left large numbers missing and caused incalculable damages.

  "I invite you to join me in fervent prayer for those who have lost their lives. I remain spiritually close to the people suffering from such a devastating calamity; and we implore God to grant them relief in their suffering". The Pope concluded his appeal by asking the Lord "to give support to all those involved in meeting the immediate needs" of the victims.

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TELEGRAM FOR THE DEATH OF CARDINAL GANTIN

VATICAN CITY, 14 MAY 2008 (VIS) - Benedict XVI sent the following telegram to Archbishop Marcel Honorat Leon Agboton of Cotonou, Benin, for the death of Cardinal Bernardin Gantin, dean emeritus of the College of Cardinals. Cardinal Gantin died in Paris , France , yesterday at the age of 86.

  "Having learned the sad news of the death of Cardinal Bernardin Gantin, dean emeritus of the College of Cardinals, I unite myself in prayer to the bishops of the Episcopal Conference of Benin, to the faithful of the archdiocese of Cotonou and of all Benin, to the family of the deceased and to all those who mourn. I ask God the Father, from Whom all mercy comes, to welcome into His light and peace this eminent son of Benin and of Africa who, universally esteemed, was animated by a profound apostolic spirit and by an exalted sense of the Church and her mission in the world. I give thanks to the Lord for his fruitful ministry, first as archbishop of Cotonou then, for many years, at the Holy See which he served faithfully and generously, especially in the Congregation for Bishops and as a member of the College of Cardinals, of which he was also a much-respected dean. In sign of consolation, I send an affectionate apostolic blessing to the priests, religious, catechists and all the faithful of Benin , and to those who will participate in his funeral".

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, 14 MAY 2008 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Bishop Romulo T. de la Cruz of San Jose de Antique, Philippines, as bishop of Kidapawan (area 5,199, population 783,179, Catholics 418,803, priests 42, religious 64), Philippines.

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PLENARY ASSEMBLY ON EMIGRANT AND ITINERANT FAMILIES

VATICAN CITY, 13 MAY 2008 (VIS) - "The emigrant and itinerant family" is the theme of the 18th plenary assembly of the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant Peoples, which was inaugurated this morning by Cardinal Renato Martino, president of that dicastery.

  In his opening address, the cardinal drew from the most recent documents published by the pontifical council, in order to illustrate the pastoral guidelines it follows in the various areas in which it undertakes its mission.

  A communique released by the council explains that the plenary - which is being held in the Vatican from 13 to 15 May - is to be attended by 26 members, including cardinals, archbishops and bishops from various countries, and by 14 consultors, also of various nationalities, specialists in the various aspects of human mobility with which the council concerns itself. These aspects, listed by the communique, are: emigrants, refugees and displaced persons, foreign students, nomads, circus workers, tourists and pilgrims, seafarers, airport workers, drivers, women and children who live on the streets, and people of no fixed abode.

  Over these days the plenary assembly is also scheduled to include testimonies from people who work directly with families in certain sectors of human mobility, from various countries: Australia , U.S.A. , Colombia , Dominican Republic , Great Britain , France , Italy , Spain and Germany .

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HOLY SEE WEBSITE NOW AVAILABLE IN LATIN

VATICAN CITY, 13 MAY 2008 ( VIS ) - As of 9 May, the Holy See website may also be accessed in Latin, the official language of the Catholic Church.

  Alongside the other languages in which the website (www.vatican.va) has been available for many years (Italian, German, Spanish, French, English and Portuguese), a new option, "Sancta Sedes Latine", has now been added. Clinking on that link, users reach the "Documenta Latina" page where they may chose from a menu including: biographies of Popes ("Summi Pontifices"), the Bible ("Biblia Sacra"), the Catechism ("Catechismus Catholicae Ecclesiae"), the documents of Vatican Council II ("Concilium Vaticanum II"), and the Code of Canon Law ("Codex Iuris Canonici"). There is also a section entitled "Romana Curia" where documents concerning the activities of the dicasteries of the Holy See may be consulted.

  Also under "Romana Curia" is a subsection dedicated to "Latinitas", a foundation created in 1976 by Pope Paul VI with the Chirograph "Romani sermonis" and dedicated to the study of the Latin language, of classical and Christian literature and medieval Latin, and to the promotion of Latin through the publishing of books in the language, and through other means.

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CALENDARS WITH PHOTOS OF JOHN PAUL II AND BENEDICT XVI

VATICAN CITY, 13 MAY 2008 ( VIS ) - The photographic service of the "Osservatore Romano" newspaper has produced two versions of a calendar for 2009, each containing 13 photos. One version has photos from the pontificate of Benedict XVI, the other from that of Servant of God John Paul II.

  The photographs (42 x 30 cm ) are not associated with particular events or identified by a specific time and place. Rather they represent - according to a communique accompanying the release of the calendars - a small gallery of the finest available close-up images of the two Popes, which may even be cut out and framed.

  The calendars have been produced by the Vatican Publishing House, they cost five euros each and may be purchased in the offices of the photographic service of the "Osservatore Romano", in the Vatican , or in the main newspaper kiosks and bookshops nearby. They may also be ordered by e-mail by contacting the address: photo@ossrom.va.

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, 13 MAY 2008 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Archbishop Pierre Nguyen Van Tot, apostolic nuncio to the Central African Republic and Chad, as apostolic nuncio to Costa Rica.

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CATHOLIC CHURCH : A POINT OF REFERENCE IN HUNGARY

VATICAN CITY, 10 MAY 2008 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican , Benedict XVI received prelates from the Hungarian Catholic Bishops' Conference, at the end of their "ad limina" visit.

  "The people entrusted to your care", he told them, "now stand before us spiritually, with their joys, their plans, their suffering, their problems and their hopes. ... The long period of communist rule left a deep mark on the Hungarian people, and even today its consequences are evident, particularly in the difficulty many find in trusting others, a typical trait of people who have long lived in an atmosphere of suspicion.

  "The sense of insecurity is accentuated by the difficult economic situation, which thoughtless consumerism does nothing to improve", the Pope added. "People, including Catholics, suffer from that 'weakness' of thought and will which is so common in our times". Hence, "profound theological and spiritual reflection becomes difficult because ... of the lack, on the one hand, of intellectual preparation and, on the other, of an objective reference to the truths of faith.

  "In such a situation the Church must certainly be a teacher, but always and above all a mother, so as to favour the development of reciprocal trust and the promotion of hope".

  The Holy Father then went on to speak of the effects of secularisation in the country, highlighting the crisis of the family which includes among its symptoms "a notable drop in the number of marriages and an astonishing increase in divorces", as well as a growth "in so-called 'de facto' couples".

  "You have rightly criticised public recognition of homosexual unions, because it runs counter not only to the teaching of the Church but also to the Hungarian Constitution itself", the Holy Father told the prelates, recalling how "the lack of subsidies for large families has led to a drastic drop in the birth-rate, made even more dramatic thanks to the widespread practice of abortion".

  Benedict XVI emphasised the fact that the crisis of values is also affecting young people, and he expressed his appreciation for "the many initiatives the Church promotes, though with the limited means at her disposal, to animate the world of youth with formational activities ... that stimulate their sense of responsibility".

  He praised the bishops' initiatives to "take advantage of and modernise such traditional activities as pilgrimages and expressions of veneration to Hungarian saints, especially St. Elisabeth, St. Emeric, and of course St. Stephen". Pope Benedict then told the prelates that he shared their concern "for the lack of priests and the consequent overburden of pastoral work on the current ministers of the Church". In this context, he invited them to ensure the clergy "do not lose the focus of their lives and their ministry and, as a consequence, remain able to discern the essential from the secondary, identifying the right priorities for everyday life".

  "Despite secularisation the Catholic Church remains, for many Hungarians, the religious community of choice or, at least, an important point of reference. It is therefore to be hoped that relations with State authorities remain characterised by respectful collaboration, thanks also to bilateral agreements", the Holy Father said. Finally, in closing, he noted how the unity characterising the Hungarian prelates "in following the teachings of the Church is for me a cause of serenity and comfort".

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TECHNOLOGY CANNOT SUBSTITUTE THE ACT OF MARITAL LOVE

VATICAN CITY, 10 MAY 2008 (VIS) - At midday today, Benedict XVI received participants in an international congress being promoted by the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome to mark the 40th anniversary of the promulgation of the Encyclical "Humanae vitae".

  Recalling that the Encyclical was published by Pope Paul VI on 25 July 1968, the Pope highlighted how "the document soon became a sign of contradiction", and pointed out that "it constitutes a significant show of courage in reiterating the continuity of the Church's doctrine and tradition".

  "The truth expressed in 'Humanae vitae 'does not change", he said, "quite the contrary, in the light of new scientific discoveries its teaching becomes more relevant and stimulates reflection on the intrinsic values it possesses".

  The Holy Father affirmed that "in a culture suffering from the prevalence of having over being, human life risks losing its value. If the practice of sexuality becomes a drug that seeks to enslave the partner to one's own desires and interests without respecting the times of the beloved, then what must be defended is no longer just the concept of love but, primarily, the dignity of the person. As believers we could never allow the power of technology to invalidate the quality of love and the sacredness of life".

  Natural law, he said, "deserves to be recognised as the source inspiring the relationship between a married couple in their responsibility to generate children. The transmission of life is inscribed in nature and its laws stand as an unwritten norm to which everyone must refer".

  Nascent life, said the Pope, "is the fruit of a love capable of thinking and choosing in complete freedom, without allowing itself to be overly conditioned by the sacrifice this may require. From here emerges the miracle of life which parents experience in themselves as they sense the extraordinary nature of what is achieved in them and through them. No mechanical technique can substitute the act of love that husband and wife exchange as a sign of the greater mystery, in which they are protagonists and co-participants of creation".

  After recalling the sad episodes that sometimes involve adolescents "whose reactions display their incorrect appreciation of the mystery of life and of the dangerous implications of their actions", the Holy Father expressed the hope that young people "may learn the true meaning of love and prepare for it with appropriate sexual education, not allowing themselves to be distracted by superficial messages that prevent them appreciating the essence of the truth at stake".

  "Freedom must join with truth, and responsibility with strength of dedication to others, also through sacrifice. Without these principles the community of man does not develop and there is a risk of being trapped in oppressive selfishness".

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PLENARY INDULGENCE FOR BI-MILLENNIUM OF ST. PAUL

VATICAN CITY, 10 MAY 2008 (VIS) - According to a decree made public today and signed by Cardinal James Francis Stafford and Bishop Gianfranco Girotti, O.F.M. Conv., respectively penitentiary major and regent of the Apostolic Penitentiary, Benedict XVI will grant the faithful Plenary Indulgence for the occasion of the two-thousandth anniversary of the birth of the Apostle Paul. The Plenary Indulgence will be valid throughout the Pauline Year which is due to run from 28 June 2008 to 29 June 2009.

  "With the imminence of the liturgical Solemnity of the Prince of the Apostles", says the decree, "the Supreme Pontiff ... wishes, in good time, to provide for the faithful with spiritual treasures for their own sanctification, that they may renew and reinforce ... their purpose of supernatural salvation from the moment of the First Vespers of the aforementioned Solemnity, principally in honour of the Apostle of the Gentiles the two-thousandth anniversary of whose earthly birth is now approaching.

  "In fact, the gift of indulgences which the Roman Pontiff offers the Universal Church , facilitates the way to interior purification which, while rendering honour to the Blessed Apostle Paul, exalts supernatural life in the hearts of the faithful and spurs them on ... to produce fruits of good works".

  The means to obtain the Plenary Indulgence are as follows:

  "All Christian faithful - truly repentant, duly purified by the Sacrament of Penance and restored with Holy Communion - who undertake a pious visit in the form of a pilgrimage to the papal basilica of St. Paul on Rome's Via Ostiense and pray in accordance with the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff, are granted and imparted Plenary Indulgence for the temporal punishment of their sins, once they have obtained sacramental remission and forgiveness for their shortcomings.

  "Plenary Indulgence may be gained by the Christian faithful, either for themselves or for the deceased, as many times as the aforementioned acts are undertaken; it remains the case, however, that Plenary Indulgence may be obtained only once a day.

  "In order that the prayers pronounced on these holy visits may lead and draw the souls of the faithful to a more intense veneration of the memory of St. Paul, the following conditions are laid down: the faithful, apart from pronouncing their own prayers before the altar of the Blessed Sacrament, ... must go to the altar of the Confession and pray the 'Our Father' and the 'Creed', adding pious invocations in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Paul; and such acts of devotion must remain closely linked to the memory of the Prince of the Apostles St. Peter".

  "Christian faithful from the various local Churches, under the usual conditions (sacramental Confession, Eucharistic communion, prayer in keeping with the intentions of the Supreme Pontiff) and completely unattached to any form of sin, may still obtain the Plenary Indulgence if they participate devotedly in a religious function or in a pious exercise held publicly in honour of the Apostle of the Gentiles: on the days of the solemn opening and closing of the Pauline Year in any place of worship; on other days determined by the local ordinary, in holy places named for St. Paul and, for the good of the faithful, in other places designated by the ordinary".

  The document concludes by recalling how the faithful who, "through sickness or other legitimate or important reason", are unable to leave their homes, may still obtain the Plenary Indulgence if, with the soul completely removed from attachment to any form of sin and with the intention of observing, as soon as they can, the usual three conditions, "spiritually unite themselves to a Jubilee celebration in honour of St. Paul, offering their prayers and suffering to God for the unity of Christians".

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, 10 MAY 2008 ( VIS ) - The Holy Father:

 - Promoted Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B. to the order of bishops, assigning him the suburbicarian see of Frascati.

 - Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Mackenzie-Fort Smith , Canada , presented by Bishop Denis Croteau O.M.I., upon having reached the age limit. He is succeeded by Coadjutor Bishop Murray Chatlain.

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THE CHURCH IS A SIGN AND INSTRUMENT OF THE PEACE OF GOD

VATICAN CITY, 11 MAY 2008 ( VIS ) - In the Vatican Basilica at 10 a .m. today, the Pope presided at a Eucharistic celebration for the Solemnity of Pentecost.

  In his homily, the Holy Father indicated that on the day of the coming of the Holy Spirit, the Church received a "Baptism of fire", and he continued: "At Pentecost the Church was constituted not by human will but by the power of the Spirit of God. And it immediately became clear how this Spirit gave life to a community that is, simultaneously, one and universal, thus overcoming the curse of Babel .

  "Only the Holy Spirit, which creates unity in love and in mutual acceptance of diversity, can free humanity from the constant temptation to seek earthly power which wishes to dominate and standardise everything".

  The Pope referred to that "particular aspect of the action of the Holy Spirit" which is "the interweaving of multiplicity and unity", and he pointed out that with "the event of Pentecost it became clear that the Church has multiple languages and diverse cultures. In the faith they can understand and fecundate one another".

  "In the very act of its foundation, the Church was already 'catholic' and universal", said Benedict XVI. "From the beginning she spoke all languages because the Gospel entrusted to her is destined for all peoples, in accordance with the will and command of the Risen Christ. The Church that came into being at Pentecost was not above all a particular community - the Church of Jerusalem - but the Universal Church which speaks the languages of all peoples.

  "From her, other communities would be born in every part of the world", he added, "particular Churches all of which are realisations of the one Church of Christ. The Catholic Church is not, then, a federation of Churches, but a single unit; ontological priority belongs to the Universal Church . A community not catholic in this sense would not even be Church".

  The Pope highlighted how "the path of the Word of God which began in Jerusalem reached its goal, because Rome represents the whole world and therefore incarnates St. Luke's idea of catholicism".

  The word pronounced by the Risen Christ when He appeared before His disciples in the Cenacle: "Shalom - peace be with you" is not, said the Holy Father, "a simple greeting, it is much more. It is the gift of the promised peace, conquered by Jesus at the cost of His blood, it is the fruit of His victory in the struggle against the spirit of evil".

  Pope Benedict then called people to a renewed awareness of the responsibility this gift brings with it, "the responsibility of the Church to be ... a sign and instrument of God's peace for all people". In this context, he recalled how he had sought to transmit this message during his recent visit to U.N. headquarters, "but it is not only with such events 'at the summit' that we must concern ourselves", he said. "The Church accomplishes her service to Christ's peace above all in her ordinary presence and activity among men and women, by preaching the Gospel, and with the signs of love and mercy that accompany it".

  Of these signs, he particularly mentioned the Sacrament of Penance. "How important and, unfortunately, insufficiently understood is the gift of Reconciliation which brings peace to hearts", he said.

  "The peace of Christ is spread only through the renewed hearts of men and women who have become reconciled, servants of justice, ready to spread peace in the world using only the power of truth, without making compromises with the mentality of the world, because the world cannot give the peace of Christ: this is how the Church can be a leavening for the reconciliation that comes from God".

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REDISCOVERING THE BEAUTY OF BAPTISM IN THE HOLY SPIRIT

VATICAN CITY, 11 MAY 2008 (VIS) - At midday today, following this morning's Mass for the Solemnity of Pentecost held in the Vatican Basilica, Benedict XVI appeared at the window of his study to pray the Regina Coeli with the thousands of faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square below.

  "In a special way", he said, "Pentecost is the Baptism of the Church which embarks on her universal mission, beginning on the streets of Jerusalem , with her prodigious preaching in the various languages of humankind. In this Baptism of Holy Spirit the personal dimension is inseparable form the community dimension, the 'I' of the disciple and the 'us of the Church.

  "The Spirit", added the Holy Father, "consecrates the person and at the same time makes him a living member of the mystical Body of Christ, a participant in the mission of bearing witness to His love. And this comes about through the Sacraments of Christian initiation: Baptism and Confirmation". Pope Benedict concluded his remarks by calling on everyone to rediscover "the beauty of being baptised in the Holy Spirit" and to rediscover "an awareness of our Baptism and our Confirmation, ever present sources of grace".

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CALL FOR PEACE IN LEBANON

VATICAN CITY, 11 MAY 2008 (VIS) - After today's Regina Coeli prayer, the Holy Father launched an appeal for peace in Lebanon .

  "Over recent days I have followed events in Lebanon with great concern", he said. "There the stalled political initiative was followed first by verbal violence then by armed clashes which have left many dead and injured. Although in the last few hours tension has eased, I feel it incumbent upon me today to exhort the Lebanese to abandon the logic of aggressive confrontation, which would lead their dear country to irreversible consequences.

  "Dialogue, mutual understanding and the search for reasonable compromise are the only way to give Lebanon back its institutions and its people back the security necessary for a dignified daily life, rich in hope for tomorrow.

  "May Lebanon , by the intercession of Our Lady of Lebanon, respond courageously to its vocation to be, for the Middle East and for the entire world, a sign of the real possibility of peaceful and constructive coexistence among mankind. The country's various communities are, ... at one and the same time, 'an element of originality, of richness, and of difficulty. But making Lebanon live is the shared duty of all its inhabitants'".

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ROME AND JERUSALEM : FAITH AND WISDOM FOR THE WORLD

VATICAN CITY, 12 MAY 2008 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican, the Holy Father received the Letters of Credence of Mordechay Lewy, the new ambassador of Israel to the Holy See.

  Addressing the diplomat in English, Benedict XVI expressed his "cordial good wishes on the occasion of Israel 's celebration of 60 years of statehood. The Holy See joins you in giving thanks to the Lord that the aspirations of the Jewish people for a home in the land of their fathers have been fulfilled, and hopes soon to see a time of even greater rejoicing when a just peace finally resolves the conflict with the Palestinians".

  The Pope also highlighted areas of mutual interest shared by the Holy See and the Sate of Israel, highlighting how "Judeo-Christian heritage should inspire us to take a lead in promoting many forms of social and humanitarian action throughout the world, not least by combating all forms of racial discrimination". He also referred to "the cultural and academic exchanges that are taking place between Catholic institutions worldwide and those of the Holy Land " and recalled how dialogue between Jews and Christians "is bearing much fruit and needs to be continued with commitment and generosity.

  "The holy cities of Rome and Jerusalem", he added, "represent a source of faith and wisdom of central importance for Western civilization, and in consequence, the links between Israel and the Holy See have deeper resonances than those which arise formally from the juridical dimension of our relations".

  Turning to consider the question of "the alarming decline in the Christian population of the Middle East, including Israel, through emigration" the Holy Father observed that "of course Christians are not alone in suffering the effects of insecurity and violence as a result of the various conflicts in the region, but in many respects they are particularly vulnerable at the present time".

  Invoking the "the growing friendship between Israel and the Holy See", Benedict XVI expressed the hope that "ways will be found of reassuring the Christian community, so that they can experience the hope of a secure and peaceful future in their ancestral homelands, without feeling under pressure to move to other parts of the world in order to build new lives.

  "Christians in the Holy Land have long enjoyed good relations with both Muslims and Jews. Their presence in your country, and the free exercise of the Church's life and mission there, have the potential to contribute significantly to healing the divisions between the two communities".

  "I do realise that the difficulties experienced by Christians in the Holy Land are also related to the continuing tension between Jewish and Palestinian communities. The Holy See recognizes Israel 's legitimate need for security and self-defence and strongly condemns all forms of anti-Semitism. It also maintains that all peoples have a right to be given equal opportunities to flourish. Accordingly, I would urge your Government to make every effort to alleviate the hardship suffered by the Palestinian community, allowing them the freedom necessary to go about their legitimate business, including travel to places of worship, so that they too can enjoy greater peace and security.

  " Clearly, these matters can only be addressed within the wider context of the Middle East peace process", said the Pope and, recalling the recent negotiations at Annapolis , indicated that the Holy See "prays that the hopes and expectations raised there will not be disappointed. ... When all the people of the Holy Land live in peace and harmony, in two independent sovereign states side by side, the benefit for world peace will be inestimable, and Israel will truly serve as 'light to the nations', a shining example of conflict resolution for the rest of the world to follow".

  Pope Benedict also mentioned negotiations on economic and fiscal matters between the Holy See and Israel . "I know that I speak on behalf of many when I express the hope that these agreements may soon be integrated into the Israeli internal legal system and so provide a lasting basis for fruitful co-operation", he said.

  Finally, referring to the situation of Christians in the Holy Land and "the difficulties caused by continuing uncertainties over their legal rights and status, especially with regard to the question of visas for church personnel", he concluded: "Only when these difficulties are overcome, will the Church be able to carry out freely her religious, moral, educational and charitable works in the land where she came to birth".

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RESPECT FOR LIFE, THE FOUNDATION OF CIVIL COEXISTENCE

VATICAN CITY, 12 MAY 2008 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican , the Holy Father received members of the Italian organisation Movement for Life, led by their president Carlo Casini.

  Opening his address to them, Benedict XVI recalled how the year 2008 marks the 30th anniversary of the legalisation of abortion in Italy . "It is your intention", he told his audience, "to suggest profound reflections on the human and social effects the law has produced in the civil and Christian community during that period".

  "We cannot but recognise", he went on, "that, in practical terms, defending human life has become more difficult today, because a mentality has been created that progressively devalues human life and entrusts it to the judgement of individuals. A consequence deriving therefrom is lessened respect for the human person, a value that lies at the foundation of any form of civil coexistence, over and above the faith a person may profess".

  Abortion "not only has not resolved the problems afflicting many women and no small number of families, but it has opened another wound in our societies" said the Holy Father. He also called for combined efforts to ensure that "institutions once again focus their activities on defence of human life and priority concern for families. ... Families must be helped, using all legislative means to facilitate their formation and their educational work in the difficult social context of today".

  "It is necessary to bear concrete witness to the fact that respect for life is the first form of justice that must be applied. For those who have the gift of faith this becomes an imperative that cannot be deferred. ... Only God is the Lord of life. Each human being is known, loved, wanted and guided by Him, ... and each has his origins in God's creative plan".

  The Pope pointed out that this year also marks the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and he praised the Movement for Life's commitment "in the political sphere, assisting and encouraging the institutions to ensure that correct recognition is given to the words 'human dignity'.

  "Your initiative in the European Parliament's Commission for Petitions, in which you affirm the fundamental values of the right to life from the moment of conception, of the family founded on the marriage of a man and a woman, of the right of all conceived human beings to be born and educated in a family of parents, is further confirmation of the solidity of your commitment and your full communion with the Church's Magisterium which has always proclaimed and defended such values as 'non negotiable'".

  Benedict XVI concluded by thanking his audience for their service "to the Church and to society. How many human lives have you saved from death! Continue along this path and do not be afraid, so that the smile of life may triumph on the lips of all children and their mothers".

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, 12 MAY 2008 ( VIS ) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

 - Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani Thorne, archbishop of Lima , Peru .

 - Cardinal Julio Terrazas Sandoval C.SS.R., archbishop of Santa Cruz de la Sierra , Bolivia .

 - Four prelates from the Hungarian Catholic Bishops' Conference, on their "ad limina" visit:

    - Bishop Miklos Beer of Vac, accompanied by Auxiliary Bishop Lajos Varga.

    - Bishop Laszlo Kiss-Rigo of Szeged-Csanad.

    - Bishop Szilard Keresztes, emeritus of Hajdudorog for Catholics of Byzantine Rite.

  On Saturday 10 May he received in separate audiences:

 - Three prelates from the Hungarian Catholic Bishops' Conference, on their "ad limina" visit:

    - Bishop Bela Balas of Kaposvar.

    - Bishop Andras Veres of Szombathely .

    - Bishop Imre Asztrick Varszegi O.S.B., abbot of the territorial abbey of Pannonhalma.

 - Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.

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ASKING THE HOLY SPIRIT FOR UNITY OF THE CHURCH

VATICAN CITY, 9 MAY 2008 ( VIS ).- This morning the Pope received His Holiness Karekin II Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of All Armenians. He then met with the bishops in the patriarch's delegation who were from many diverse countries.

  At noon in the Clementine Hall, the Holy Father presided over the celebration of the Middle Hour (hora media), which was attended by Karekin II,  the Armenian bishops, and a group of faithful apostolic Armenians from a number of countries in the East and West.

 After the Patriarch's greeting, the Pope addressed the assembly. Referring to tomorrow's solemnity of Pentecost, Benedict XVI affirmed that, on this day, "we will pray in a particular way for the unity of the Church. (...) If our hearts and minds are open to the Spirit of communion, God can work miracles again in the Church, restoring the bonds of unity. Striving for Christian unity is an act of obedient trust in the work of the Holy Spirit, who leads the Church to the full realization of the Father’s plan, in conformity with the will of Christ".

 Continuing, the Holy Father pointed out that "the recent history of the Armenian Apostolic Church has been written in the contrasting colors of persecution and martyrdom, darkness and hope, humiliation and spiritual re-birth". However, he added, "the restoration of freedom to the Church in Armenia has been a source of great joy for us all. An immense task of rebuilding the Church has been laid on your shoulders," mentioning the "remarkable pastoral results that have been achieved in such a short time".

 "Thanks to your pastoral leadership," the Pope assured, "the glorious light of Christ shines again in Armenia and the saving words of the Gospel can be heard once more. Of course, you are still facing many challenges on social, cultural, and spiritual levels. In this regard," he added, "I must mention the recent difficulties suffered by the people of Armenia , and I express the prayerful support of the Catholic Church in their search for justice and peace and the promotion of the common good".

 Benedict XVI emphasized that in ecumenical dialogue "important progress has been made in clarifying the doctrinal controversies that have traditionally divided us, particularly over questions of Christology. During the last five years, much has been achieved by the Joint Commission for Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Oriental Orthodox Churches , of which the Catholicosate of All Armenians is a full member".

 In conclusion, the Holy Father added that "we pray that its activity will bring us closer to full and visible communion, and that the day will come when our unity in faith makes possible a common celebration of the Eucharist. (...) Only when sustained by prayer and supported by effective cooperation, can theological dialogue lead to the unity that the Lord wishes for his disciples".

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, 9 MAY 2008 (VIS).- This morning, the Holy Father received in separate audiences two prelates of the Hungarian Bishop's Conference on their ad limina visit:

-Bishop Mihály Mayer, of Pécs.

-Archbishop Gyula Márfi, of Veszprém.

  This afternoon he will receive Archbishop Angelo Amato, Secretary of the Congregation of the Doctrine of the Faith.

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POPE AT CONCERT OF CHINESE PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

VATICAN CITY, 8 MAY 2008 (VIS) - Yesterday afternoon, the Holy Father attended a concert offered by the Chinese Philharmonic Orchestra and the Shanghai Opera House Chorus who presented Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Requiem Mass.

 The Pope affirmed that this concert “puts us in touch, as it were, with the living reality of the world of China,” recognizing that “in a group of such accomplished artists, we see represented the great cultural and musical tradition of China, and this performance helps us to understand better the history of the Chinese people, their values, and their noble aspirations”.

 “Music, and art in general,” he continued, “can serve as a privileged instrument for encounter and reciprocal knowledge and esteem between different populations and cultures, a means attainable by all for valuing the universal language of art”.

 Benedict XVI emphasized the orchestra and choir’s interest in “European religious music. This shows that it is possible, in different cultural settings, to enjoy and appreciate sublime manifestations of the spirit such as Mozart’s Requiem which we have just heard, precisely because music expresses universal human sentiments, including the religious sentiment, which transcends the boundaries of every individual culture.”

 Referring to the “great hall”, the Paul VI audience hall in which “the Pope receives his guests”, he said: “It is like a window opening onto the world, a place where people from all over the world often meet, with their own personal stories and their own culture, all of them welcomed with esteem and affection”.

 “In greeting you this evening, dear Chinese artists,” he added, “the Pope intends to reach out to your entire people, with a special thought for those of your fellow citizens who share faith in Jesus and are united through a particular spiritual bond with the Successor of Peter.”

 The Pope pointed out that “the Requiem came into being through this faith as a prayer to God, the just and merciful judge, and that is why it touches the hearts of all people, as an expression of humanity’s universal aspirations”.

 In closing, the Pope extended his greetings, through the artists, “to all the people of China as they prepare for the Olympic Games, an event of great importance for the entire human family” and added, speaking in Chinese, “I thank you all and I offer you my best wishes”.

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HOLY FATHER PRAISES VITALITY OF THE MELKITE CHURCH

VATICAN CITY, 8 MAY 2008 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican, Benedict XVI received 300 members of the Melkite Greek Catholic Patriarchate, headed by His Beatitude, Patriarch Gregorios III Laham, who are on pilgrimage to Rome.

  The Pope praised “the vitality of the Melkite Church, despite the difficulties of the region’s social and political situation”, affirming that “on drawing near to the beginning of the year dedicated to St. Paul, I cannot forget that the seat of your patriarchy is established in the city of Damascus, on the road to which the apostle lived the event that transformed his existence and opened the doors of Christianity to all the nations”.

  The Holy Father used the occasion of the Pauline Year to invite the patriarch to carry out “an intense pastoral outreach” to awaken in the faithful “a new impetus to know ever more closely the person of Christ, thanks to a renewed reading of Paul’s writings”. This focus,” he emphasized, “will also guarantee a thriving future for the Melkite Church ”.

  “In order to ensure the evangelical dynamism and unity of the communities, as well as the proper functioning of the ecclesial work in the patriarchal Churches,” Benedict XVI observed, “the role of the Bishops’ Synod is of primary importance. That is why it is necessary, every time the right allows for it, above all when it has to do with questions related to those same bishops, to give this venerable institution and not only the Permanent Synod, the standing it merits”.

  Referring to ecumenical outreach, the Pope recalled that “the commitment to the search for unity of all Jesus’ disciples is an urgent obligation” and therefore “everything possible must be done to tear down the walls of division and mistrust that prevent us from achieving it. Nevertheless, we cannot lose sight of the fact that the search for unity is a task that concerns not only a particular Church but the entire Church, in respect of its nature”.

  “I also appreciate,” he added, “your good relations with the Muslims (...) as well as your efforts to resolve, with a sincere and objective spirit of fraternal dialogue, problems that may arise. (...) In line with Vatican Council II, the Melkite Church has sincerely sought mutual understanding and the promotion and a shared defense of social justice, moral values, peace, and freedom with the Muslims to the benefit of all”.

  On achieving its mission in the troubled and at times dramatic context of the Middle East ,” he concluded, “the Church finds itself faced with situations where politics plays a role that is not indifferent to its life. That is why it is important to maintain contacts with the political authorities and institutions and the different political parties. Nevertheless, it does not fall to the clergy to dedicate themselves to a political life. That is the duty of the laity. The Church, however, should propose the light of the Gospel to all so that all may dedicate themselves to serve the common good and so that justice may always prevail, so that the path to peace for all peoples in this much loved region may be opened”.

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SCHEDULE OF POPE’S PASTORAL VISIT TO GENOA AND SAVONA

VATICAN CITY, 8 MAY 2008 (VIS) - Today, the Holy See’s Press Office publicized the schedule for Benedict XVI’s pastoral visit to Savona and Genoa (Italy) that will take place this 17-18 May.

 The Pope will depart from Ciampino Airport on Saturday, 17 May, at 3:30pm and will land an hour later at Christopher Columbus Airport of Genoa-Sestri where he will be taken by helicopter to the shrine of Our Lady of Mercy in Savona .

 After visiting the shrine, Benedict XVI will be taken by car to the Piazza del Popolo in Savona where, at 5:45pm, he will concelebrate Holy Mass and give the homily. After the celebration he will go to the bishop’s palace to privately visit the rooms of Pope Pius VII. At around 8:15pm he will be taken by helicopter from the old dock of the port of Savona to Genoa where he will land a half hour later at the shrine of the Virgin of the Watch in Ceranesi, the Genoese municipality where he will spend the night.

 On Sunday, 18 May, at 9:00am, the Pope will make a private visit to the shrine and will then be taken by helicopter to Genoa where he will arrive at the Villa Gentile Sports Center around 9:40am. From there will be taken by car to the Gaslini Children’s Hospital where he will meet the medical staff and the children who are patients and their families. He will then be taken by car to Piazza Matteotti where, at 11:15am, he will meet with the youth of the area, addressing them and praying the Angelus with them.

 From Piazza Matteotti, the Pope will travel to the Genoese Cathedral of St. Lawrence where, at 12:20pm, he will meet with the cathedral’s chapter and consecrated men and women, addressing them. He will then be taken to the Benedict XV Seminary where he will lunch with the Ligurian bishops.

 At 4:30pm he will arrive at the Piazza della Vittoria to concelebrate Holy Mass and give the homily. Afterward, Benedict XVI will be taken to Christopher Columbus Airport where his flight will leave at 7:00pm, returning to Rome around 7:50pm.

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, 8 MAY 2008 ( VIS ).- Today, the Holy Father received in separate visits:

-Five prelates of the Hungarian Bishop's Conference on their ad limina visit:

    -Archbishop Csaba Ternyák, of Eger , with Auxiliary Bishop István Katona.

    -Bishop Nándor Bosák, of Debrecen-Nyíregyháza.

    -Archbishop Balázs Bábel, of Kalocsa-Kecskemét, with Auxiliary Bishop László Bíro.

   -Archbishop Raymundo Damasceno Assis, of Aparecida (Brazil), President of the Latin American Episcopal Conference (CELAM), with Bishop Víctor Sánchez Espinosa, Auxiliary Bishop of Mexico (Mexico) and secretary general of the same organization.

-His Beatitude Gregorios III Laham, Patriarch of Antioch of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church ( Syria ).

  This afternoon, the Holy Father will receive in audience Cardinal Ivan Dias, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, 8 MAY 2008 ( VIS ).- The Holy Father named:

-Monsignor Ambrose Madtha, in charge of internal affairs at the apostolic nunciature in China , as apostolic nuncio of Ivory Coast , elevating him to the dignity of archbishop. The new nuncio was born in Belthangady ( India ) in 1955 and was ordained a priest in 1982.

-Monsignor Bernardito C. Auza, First Counsellor of the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations in New York , as apostolic nuncio of Haiti , elevating him to the dignity of archbishop. The new nuncio was born in Talibon ( Philippines ) in 1959 and was ordained a priest in 1985

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THE CHURCH IS ALWAYS IN A STATE OF PENTECOST

VATICAN CITY, 7 MAY 2008 (VIS) - In the general audience, held this morning in St. Peter's Square in the presence of 20,000 faithful, the Holy Father used the occasion of the visit to Rome of His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of all Armenians, to focus his remarks on ecumenical dialogue. The Patriarch, who was present at the audience, also made a brief address in which he reflected on the same theme, also dwelling upon the history of the Armenian people.

  Greeting the Patriarch in English, Benedict XVI referred to the statue of St. Gregory the Illuminator, founder of the Armenian Church, which is located in a niche of the Vatican Basilica and "serves to remind us of the severe persecutions suffered by Armenian Christians, especially during the last century. Armenia 's many martyrs are a sign of the power of the Holy Spirit working in times of darkness, and a pledge of hope for Christians everywhere".

  The Patriarch's presence, said the Pope, "revives our hope for the full unity of all Christians", and he noted the well-known "commitment of the Armenian Apostolic Church to ecumenical dialogue".

  "These days of preparation that immediately precede the Solemnity of Pentecost stimulate us to renew our hope in the help of the Holy Spirit to advance along the path of ecumenism. We have the certainty that the Lord Jesus never abandons us in our search for unity, because His Spirit is tirelessly at work to support the efforts we make to overcome all forms of division".

  Benedict XVI went on: The Holy Spirit is "a power for the forgiveness of sins, for the renewal of our hearts and our lives. It renews the earth and creates unity where before there was division". When it descended upon the Apostles they spoke in tongues, a sign that "the Babylonian dispersion, fruit of the pride which divides mankind, was overcome in the Spirit, which is charity and gives us unity in diversity".

  "Since the first moment of her existence the Church, thanks to the power of the Holy Spirit, has spoken in all tongues and lived in all cultures. She destroys nothing of their history and gifts, but assumes them all in a great and new unity, which reconciles unity with the multiplicity of forms. With its power, the Holy Spirit ... unites divided man in divine charity and thus creates ... the great community which is the Church in all the world".

  Pope Benedict then went on to highlight how "the Church is always, so to say, in a state of Pentecost. Gathered in the Cenacle, she prays incessantly to obtain ever new effusions of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, ... and is not afraid to announce the Gospel to the furthest confines of the earth. This is why, faced with difficulties and divisions, Christians cannot resign themselves or give way to discouragement.

  "This is what Christ asks of Christians: to persevere in prayer in order to keep alive the flame of faith, hope and charity, and the longing for full unity", the Pope added. He then went on to mention his recent apostolic trip to the United States during which he had made reference "to the centrality of prayer in the ecumenical movement. In this period of globalisation and, at the same time, of fragmentation, 'without prayer ecumenical structures, institutions and programs would be deprived of their heart and soul'", he said.

  Finally, the Holy Father quoted St. Paul 's Letter to the Galatians where it is written that "the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Today", he concluded, "we too invoke these gifts of the Spirit for all Christians, so that in the joint and generous service of the Gospel they may be a sign in the world of God's love for humanity".

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MYANMAR: GENEROUS ASSISTANCE TO VICTIMS OF CYCLONE

VATICAN CITY, 7 MAY 2008 (VIS) - At the end of today's general audience, the Pope reiterated his closeness to people affected by the cyclone that struck southern Myanmar recently.

  "I make my own the cry of pain and the call for assistance of the dear people of Myanmar ", he said, "who without warning saw so many lives, and so much property and means of sustenance destroyed by the terrifying violence of the cyclone Nargis.

  "As I already said in the message of solidarity I sent to the president of the episcopal conference, I remain spiritually close to the people affected. I would also like to repeat to everyone my call to open their hearts to pity and generosity so that, thanks to the collaboration of people who can and wish to bring help, the suffering caused by such an immense tragedy may be relieved".

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, 7 MAY 2008 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Fr. Joao Evangelista Pimentel Lavrador, pro-vicar general of the diocese of Coimbra, Portugal, as auxiliary of the diocese of Porto (area 3,010, population 2,086,900, Catholics 1,889,000, priests 531, permanent deacons 16, religious 1,464), Portugal. The bishop-elect was born in Seixo de Mira , Portugal in 1956 and ordained a priest in 1981.

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TELEGRAM FOR VICTIMS OF CYCLONE IN MYANMAR

VATICAN CITY, 6 MAY 2008 (VIS) - Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B. has sent a telegram, in the Pope's name, to Archbishop Paul Zinghtung Grawng of Mandalay, and president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Myanmar, for the cyclone which struck the country recently, leaving thousands of victims in its wake. The text of the English-language telegram is given below:

  "Deeply saddened by news of the tragic aftermath of the recent cyclone, the Holy Father expresses his heartfelt sympathy. With prayers for the victims and their families, he invokes God's peace upon the dead and divine strength and comfort upon the homeless and all who are suffering. Confident that the international community will respond with generous and effective relief to the needs of your countrymen, His Holiness asks you to convey his solidarity and concern to the civil authorities and to all the beloved people of Myanmar ".

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OFFICIAL VISIT OF CATHOLICOS KAREKIN II

VATICAN CITY, 6 MAY 2008 (VIS) - His Holiness Karekin II, Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of all Armenians, will make an official visit to the Church of Rome and to the Holy Father from 6 to 9 May.

  According to a communique released by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, the patriarch will be accompanied by 18 bishops of the Catholicosate of all Armenians and by a group of 75 Armenian Apostolic faithful, from Armenia and other countries in east and west. They will participate in the main events of the visit.

  Karekin II, who was elected as the 132nd Supreme Patriarch and Catholicos of all Armenians in October 1999, is due to arrive in Rome this evening.

  Tomorrow, 7 May, having prayed at the tomb of St. Peter and visited the statue of St. Gregory the Illuminator, patron saint of Armenia , which is located in the north patio of the Vatican Basilica, the Pope will welcome him at the beginning of the general audience in St. Peter's Square. In the afternoon, the Catholicos is to receive a doctorate "honoris causa" in "the theology of youth pastoral care" from the Pontifical Salesian University .

  On Thursday 8 May, the Patriarch will visit the Pontifical Armenian College and, during the afternoon, participate in an academic congress being held at the Pontifical Oriental Institute on "holy sacrifice in the Armenian tradition".

  On the morning of Friday 9 May, His Holiness Karekin II and his entourage will visit the offices of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, after which Benedict XVI will receive the Catholicos in the Vatican Apostolic Palace . Following a private meeting between the two, the Pope will also receive the bishops accompanying the Patriarch. A celebration of the Word is due to take place, jointly presided by the Pope and Karekin II, at which the Armenian Apostolic faithful of the Patriarch's entourage will also participate.

  On the evening of 9 May, the Catholicos and his entourage will participate in the celebration of Vespers at the papal basilica of St. Paul 's Outside-the-Walls, the final event of the Patriarch's visit to Rome .

  In November 2000, scarcely a year after his election, His Holiness Karekin II visited the Church of Rome and John Paul II. During that visit the Pope and the Patriarch presided at a Liturgy of the Word in the Vatican Basilica during which John Paul II gave the Catholicos a relic of St. Gregory the Illuminator which had been conserved for many years at the Convent of St. Gregory the Armenian in Naples , Italy .

  In September 2001, John Paul II made a visit to Armenia and to the See of Etchmiadzin where the Catholicos resides. The Patriarch also came to Rome for the Polish Pontiff's funeral on 8 April 2005.

  The communique concludes by explaining that, on the occasions of the various meetings between Bishops of Rome and the Catholicos of the Armenian Apostolic Church , joint declarations have been signed on questions of great ecumenical importance in the historical, theological and pastoral fields.

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, 6 MAY 2008 (VIS) - Yesterday afternoon, the Holy Father received in audience Cardinal Joachim Meisner, archbishop of Cologne , Germany .

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, 6 MAY 2008 ( VIS ) - The Holy Father appointed:

 - As members of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts: Cardinals Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops; Ivan Dias, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples; Lluis Martinez Sistach, archbishop of Barcelona, Spain; Oswald Gracias, archbishop of Bombay, India; William Joseph Levada, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and Leonardo Sandri, prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches; Archbishops John Joseph Myers of Newark, U.S.A., and Raymond Leo Burke of Saint Louis, U.S.A.

 - As members of the Congregation for the Clergy: Cardinals Polycarp Pengo, archbishop of Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania; Marc Ouellet P.S.S., archbishop of Quebec, Canada, and Jorge Liberato Urosa Savino, archbishop of Caracas, Venezuela; Archbishops Tomash Peta of Maria Santissima in Astana, Kazakhstan; Raymond Leo Burke of Saint Louis, U.S.A., and Willem Jacobus Eijk of Utrecht, Netherlands.

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IN MEMORIAM

VATICAN CITY, 6 MAY 2008 ( VIS ) - The following prelates died recently:

 - Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo , president of the Pontifical Council for the Family, on 19 April at the age of 72.

- Bishop Alphonsus Maria H. A. Castermans, former auxiliary of Roermond , Netherlands , on 21 April at the age of 84.

- Bishop Benedito Domingos Coscia O.F.M., emeritus of Jatai , Brazil , on 30 April at the age of 85.

- Bishop Lucien Monsi-Agboka, emeritus of Abomey , Benin , on 27 April at the age of 81.

- Bishop Paul Marie Nguyen Minh Nhat, emeritus of Xuan Loc , Vietnam , on 17 January 2007 at the age of 80.

BUILDING THE COMMON GOOD, WORKING FOR PEACE AND JUSTICE

VATICAN CITY, 3 MAY 2008 (VIS) - Today in the Vatican, the Holy Father received participants in the plenary assembly of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, who are meeting to study the theme: "Pursuing the common good: how solidarity and subsidiarity can work together".

  Addressing them in English, the Holy Father told the participants that the "heart of the matter" facing them was "how can solidarity and subsidiarity work together in the pursuit of the common good in a way that not only respects human dignity, but allows it to flourish?"

  "Solidarity", he said, "refers to the virtue enabling the human family to share fully the treasure of material and spiritual goods, and subsidiarity is the co-ordination of society's activities in a way that supports the internal life of the local communities".

  The Holy Father highlighted the relationship between the four main principles of Catholic social doctrine (human dignity, the common good, subsidiarity and solidarity), explaining that "we can initially sketch the interconnections between these four principles by placing the dignity of the person at the intersection of two axes: one horizontal, representing 'solidarity' and 'subsidiarity', and one vertical, representing the 'common good'. This creates a field upon which we can plot the various points of Catholic social teaching that give shape to the common good".

  Solidarity and subsidiarity, he went on, "have the potential to place men and women on the path to discovering their definitive, supernatural destiny. ... The responsibility of Christians to work for peace and justice, their irrevocable commitment to build up the common good, is inseparable from their mission to proclaim the gift of eternal life to which God has called every man and woman".

  The Pope assured participants in the plenary assembly that their discussions "will be of service to all people of good will, while simultaneously inspiring Christians to embrace more readily their obligation to enhance solidarity with and among their fellow citizens, and to act upon the principle of subsidiarity by promoting family life, voluntary associations, private initiative, and a public order that facilitates the healthy functioning of society's most basic communities".

  "When those responsible for the public good attune themselves to the natural human desire for self-governance based on subsidiarity, they leave space for individual responsibility and initiative, but most importantly, they leave space for love, which always remains 'the most excellent way'".

  The Holy Father concluded his remarks with words of encouragement to members of the Pontifical Academy for Social Sciences "to survey both the 'vertical' and 'horizontal' dimensions of solidarity and subsidiarity. In this way, you will be able to propose more effective ways of resolving the manifold problems besetting mankind at the threshold of the third millennium, while also bearing witness to the primacy of love, which transcends and fulfils justice as it draws mankind into the very life of God".

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CARDINAL DANNEELS, SPECIAL ENVOY TO LUXEMBOURG

VATICAN CITY, 3 MAY 2008 (VIS) - Made public today was a Letter from the Pope to Cardinal Godfried Danneels, archbishop of Mechelen-Brussels, Belgium, appointing him as special papal envoy to celebrations marking the 1350th anniversary of the birth of St. Willibrord, due to be held in Luxembourg from 11 to 13 May.

  Cardinal Danneels will be accompanied on his mission by Msgr. Mathias Schiltz, vicar general of the archdiocese of Luxembourg and by Fr. Andre Heiderscheid, provost of the cathedral chapter of Luxembourg .

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ROSARY IS NOT A PIOUS PRACTICE RELEGATED TO THE PAST

VATICAN CITY, 3 MAY 2008 (VIS) - This evening Benedict XVI presided at the praying of the Rosary in the Roman basilica of St. Mary Major, "Marian temple par excellence" in which, as the Holy Father recalled, the image of Mary "Salus Populi Romani" is venerated.

  "In the experience of my generation", he said, "May evenings evoke pleasant memories of vespertine appointments to pay homage to the Virgin Mary. ... Today we together confirm that the holy Rosary is not some pious practice relegated to the past, a prayer of distant times to be thought of nostalgically. Indeed, the Rosary is experiencing what is almost a new springtime".

  "In the modern world which is so dispersive, this prayer helps us to place Christ at the centre, as did the Virgin who meditated upon everything that was said about her Son and upon what He Himself did and said. When we recite the Rosary we relive important monuments of the history of salvation, we again go over the various stages of Christ's mission. With Mary we turn our hearts to the mystery of Jesus".

  "May Mary help us to welcome within ourselves the grace that emanates from these mysteries, so that through us this grace can 'irrigate' society, starting with our everyday relationships, purifying it from many negative forces and opening it to the novelty of God.

  "The Rosary", the Pope added, "when it is prayed in an authentic manner - not mechanically and superficially, but profoundly - brings peace and reconciliation. It contains the healing power of the Most Holy Name of Jesus, invoked with faith and love at the heart of each Hail Mary".

  Benedict XVI then called on those present to ensure they remained united to Mary during these days leading up to Pentecost, "invoking a renewed effusion of the Holy Spirit for the Church". He also entrusted them with "the most urgent intentions" of his ministry: "the needs of the Church, the great problems of humanity, peace in the world, the unity of Christians, and dialogue between cultures", as well as the pastoral objectives of the diocese of Rome , and the "solidary development" of Italy .

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CHRISTIAN HOPE IS A SURE AND STEADFAST ANCHOR

VATICAN CITY, 4 MAY 2008 (VIS) - On today's Solemnity of the Ascension, Benedict XVI prayed the Regina Coeli from the atrium of the Vatican Basilica with thousands of faithful from Italian Catholic Action and other pilgrims who filled St. Peter's Square.

  The Pope recalled how following the Ascension "the first disciples remained together in the Cenacle around the Mother of Jesus, fervently awaiting the gift of the Holy Spirit which Jesus had promised".

  "In His farewell discourses to His disciples, Jesus had given great emphasis to the importance of His 'return to the Father', as the coronation of His mission. He, in fact, came into the world to bring man back to God, not theoretically - like a philosopher or a sage - but in a real sense, as a shepherd leading his sheep to the fold. And it was entirely for us that Jesus experienced in His own person this 'exodus' towards the heavenly homeland".

  "It is for this reason that the Father was pleased with Him and 'highly exalted' Him, restoring Him to the fullness of His glory, but now with our humanity. God in man - man in God: this is now a real not a theoretical truth. Hence Christian hope, founded in Christ, is not an illusion but, as the Letter to the Hebrews says, 'a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul'".

  "And what", the Pope asked, "does man in all times need if not this: a solid anchor for his existence? Here again, then, is the stupendous sense of Mary's presence among us. Turning our gaze to her, as the first disciples did, we are immediately transported to the reality of Jesus. The Mother leads back to the Son, Who is no longer among us physically but awaits us in the house of the Father. Jesus invites us not to remain gazing upwards, but to stay together, united in prayer, invoking the gift of the Holy Spirit".

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CATHOLIC ACTION COMMEMORATES 140TH ANNIVERSARY

VATICAN CITY, 4 MAY 2008 (VIS) - After praying the Regina Coeli today, the Pope addressed some remarks to 150,000 members of Catholic Action: adults, young people and children from Italy and 40 other countries around the world who were gathered in St. Peter's Square to celebrate the 140th anniversary of the foundation of their organisation. Before the papal audience, they had participated in a Eucharistic celebration presided by Cardinal Angelo Bagnasco, president of the Italian Episcopal Conference.

  Opening his address, the Holy Father mentioned the Saints, Blesseds, Venerables and Servants of God "who grew up in the ranks of Catholic Action" and whose images bedecked the colonnade of St. Peter's Square.

  "Is it not perhaps possible, even today", Benedict XVI asked the young people and adults, "to make your lives a testimony of communion with the Lord, one that becomes a real masterpiece of saintliness? Is that not the goal of your association? This will be possible if Catholic Action continues to remain faithful to its own profound roots of faith, nourished by full adhesion to the Word of God, by unconditional love for the Church, by judicious participation in civic life, and by a constant commitment to education".

  "Respond generously to this call to sanctity, using the forms most in keeping with your condition as lay people!" cried the Pope. "Continue to allow yourselves to be inspired by the three great 'commissions' that my venerated predecessor Servant of God John Paul II entrusted to you at Loreto , Italy , in 2004: contemplation, communion and mission".

  The Pope then recalled how Catholic Action came into being as an "association of faithful marked by a special and direct link with the Pope, soon becoming a precious form of 'collaboration of the laity in the apostolate of the hierarchy'. ... This vocation still remains valid today", he said. "I encourage you, then, generously to continue your service to the Church".

  Italy , said the Holy Father, "has always been able to rely on men and women who, formed by your association, are willing to provide disinterested service to the cause of the common good, in order to create a just ordering of society and the State". And he went on: "Always be 'citizens worthy of the gospel' and 'ministers of Christian wisdom for a more human world'. This is the theme of your assembly and the commitment you assume today before the Italian Church , which is here represented by you, by the priests that assist you, by the bishops and by their president".

  Benedict XVI also highlighted the "educational emergency" facing the Church in Italy , and called upon his audience to be "tireless heralds and well-prepared and generous educators. In a Church called to face demanding trials of faithfulness, and tempted to adaptation, be courageous witnesses and prophets of evangelical radicalism; in a Church that daily faces a relativist, hedonist and consumer mentality, make room for rationalism under the banner of a faith that befriends intelligence, both in the area of popular mass culture and of more elaborate and more profound research; in a Church which calls people to the heroism of sanctity, respond without fear, trusting always in the mercy of God".

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POPE THANKS SWISS GUARD FOR THEIR SERVICE

VATICAN CITY, 5 MAY 2008 ( VIS ) - This morning the Holy Father received 33 new recruits to the Pontifical Swiss Guard accompanied by their families and by other members of the Corps. In keeping with tradition, the new recruits will swear their oath of allegiance tomorrow, 6 May, in a ceremony to be held in the Vatican .

  In his talk to them, delivered in German, French and Italian, the Pope pointed out how, five centuries after the foundation of the Corps, "the spirit of faith remains unchanged which encourages young Swiss to leave their beautiful land to come and serve the Pope in the Vatican . The love for the Catholic Church remains the same", he said, "to which you bear witness, rather than with words, with your bodies which, thanks to the characteristic uniforms, are easily recognisable at the entrance to the Vatican and to pontifical audiences. Your historic uniforms speak ... of your commitment to serve God by serving the 'servant of His servants'".

  Benedict XVI called on the new recruits "above all to assimilate this Christian and ecclesial spirit which is the foundation and the motor of all the activities you will undertake. Always cultivate prayer and spiritual life, also by taking advantage of the crucial presence of your chaplain. Be open, straightforward and loyal. Learn how to appreciate the differences of personality and character that exist among you, because under the uniform each one is a unique and irreplaceable person called by God to serve His Kingdom of love and peace".

  The Swiss Guard, said the Pope, "is also a school of life", and he explained to the recruits how during their period of service in the Vatican "many of your predecessors were able to discover their own vocation: to Christian marriage, to the priesthood, to consecrated life. This is a reason to praise God, but also to appreciate your Corps".

  The Holy Father concluded by thanking all members of the Pontifical Swiss Guard for the "generosity and dedication with which you work in the service of the Pope. May the Lord reward you and fill you with abundant heavenly fruits".

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THIRTY-THREE NEW SWISS GUARDS TO BE SWORN IN TOMORROW

VATICAN CITY, 5 MAY 2008 (VIS) - At 5 p.m. tomorrow May 6 in the San Damaso Courtyard of the Apostolic Palace, 33 new recruits will be sworn in as members of the Pontifical Swiss Guards in the presence of members of the Roman Curia, diplomatic representatives and civil and religious authorities from Switzerland.  Twenty will take their oath in German, 11 in French, one in Italian and one in Romansch.

  The Pontifical Swiss Guard was founded by Pope Julius II in 1506 as a stable corps, directly dependant on the Holy See. Its main duties were to guard the person of the Roman Pontiff and the Apostolic Palaces .

  The day will start at 7:30 a.m. with Mass in St. Peter's Basilica celebrated by Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B. for the Swiss Guards, their families and friends. At 9 a .m., Archbishop Fernando Filoni, substitute for General Affairs of the Secretariat of State, will confer military decorations on members of the corps, and the commander of the guards will place a laurel wreath at the monument honouring the fallen members of the corps.

  May 6, in fact, is the date chosen for the swearing-in ceremony of the new guards because on that day in 1527, 147 members of the Swiss Guards lost their lives during the Sack of Rome protecting Pope Clement VII and the Church from the onslaught of the troops of Emperor Charles V.

  To become a guard, one must be a Swiss Catholic male under the age of 30, unmarried, over 174 cm (5' 8") in height and with a professional diploma or high school degree. The candidate must have attended Swiss military school. Guards live inside Vatican City . The minimum term of service is 25 months.

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CARDINALS TAKE POSSESSION OF TITULAR CHURCH , DIACONATE

VATICAN CITY, 5 MAY 2008 (VIS) - According to a note published today by the Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff, at 6.30 p.m. on Saturday 10 May, Cardinal Oswald Gracias, archbishop of Bombay, India, will take possession of the title of St. Paul of the Cross a "Corviale", in Via Poggio Verde 319, Rome.

  The communique also announces that at 5.30 p.m. on Sunday 11 May, Cardinal Paul Josef Cordes, president of the Pontifical Council "Cor Unum" will take possession of the new diaconate of St. Lawrence in Piscibus, Via Padre Pancrazio Pfeiffer, Rome .

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, 5 MAY 2008 ( VIS ) - Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

 - Six prelates from the Hungarian Catholic Bishops' Conference, on their "ad limina" visit:

    - Cardinal Peter Erdo, archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest, Hungary, accompanied by Auxiliary Bishops Gyorgy Udvardy, Ferenc Cserhati and Janos Szekely.

    - Bishop Lajos Papai of Gyor .

    - Bishop Antal Spanyi of Szekesfehervar .

 - His Grace Rowan Williams, archbishop of Canterbury .

  On Saturday, 3 may, he received in separate audiences:

 - Cardinal Camillo Ruini, His Holiness' vicar general for the diocese of Rome .

 - Three prelates from the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Cuba on their "ad limina" visit:

    - Bishop Emilio Aranguren Echeverria of Holguin , accompanied by Bishop emeritus Hector Luis Lucas Pena Gomez.

    - Bishop Alvaro Julio Beyra Luarca of Santismo Salvador de Bayamo y Manzanillo

CUBAN CHURCH CALLED TO OFFER THE ONLY TRUE HOPE: CHRIST

VATICAN CITY, 2 MAY 2008 (VIS) - This morning in the Vatican , Benedict XVI received prelates from the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Cuba, who have recently completed their quinquennial "ad limina" visit.

  The Holy Father began his address to the bishops by underlining "the vitality of the Church in Cuba , as well as its unity and its commitment to Jesus Christ". He also remarked upon the "profound change" in ecclesial life in Cuba "especially since the celebration of the Cuban National Ecclesial Meeting, now more than 20 years ago, and above all following the historic visit to Cuba in 1998 by my venerated predecessor Pope John Paul II".

  "At this historic moment, the Church in Cuba is called to offer all Cuban society the only true hope: Our Lord Jesus. ... This means that the fomentation of ecclesial life must be given a central role in your aspirations and your pastoral projects".

  After thanking priests for "their faithfulness and tireless service to the Church and the faithful", the Holy Father expressed the hope that "an increase in vocations and the simultaneous adoption of appropriate measures in this field, may soon enable the Cuban Church to have a sufficient number of priests, as well as the churches and places of worship necessary to accomplish her strictly pastoral and spiritual mission".

  "It is necessary", he went on, "to continue promoting a specific form of vocational pastoral care, one that is not afraid of encouraging the young to follow the footsteps of Christ, Who alone is capable of satisfying their longing for love and happiness". At the same time he encouraged the prelates to ensure seminarians have "the best possible spiritual, intellectual and human formation" so that, "identifying themselves with the Heart of Christ", they can shoulder "the commitment to the priestly ministry".

  Benedict XVI highlighted "the exemplary efforts of so many male and female religious", whom he encouraged to continue "enriching the whole of ecclesial life with the wealth of their charisms and their generous commitment". He also thanked "the numerous missionaries who offer the gift of their consecration to all the Church in Cuba ".

  He then turned to focus on "one of the main objectives of the pastoral plan", the promotion of "a committed laity", and he invited the prelates to encourage "an authentic process of education in the faith at various levels, with the help of well-trained catechists". He also asked them to facilitate "reading and prayerful meditation upon the Word of God", for the faithful, "as well as their frequent attendance at the Sacraments of Penance and the Eucharist".

  The Pope also stressed how, with an "intense spiritual life and the support of a solid religious education", the laity "will be able to offer convincing testimony of their faith in all areas of society, illuminating them with the light of the Gospel. In this context, it is my hope that the Church in Cuba , in keeping with her legitimate aspirations, may enjoy normal access to the social communications media".

  On the subject of the pastoral care of marriage and the family, the Holy Father encouraged the prelates "to redouble their efforts so as to ensure that everyone, and especially the young, gains a better understanding of - and feels ever more attracted by - the beauty of the true values of marriage and the family. At the same time, it is necessary to encourage and offer the appropriate means so that families can exercise their responsibilities, and their fundamental right to a religious and moral education for their children".

  The Pope spoke of his joy at realising "the generosity with which the Church in your beloved nation is committed to serving the poorest and the most disadvantaged, for which she receives the appreciation and recognition of all the Cuban people. I give you my heartfelt encouragement to continue bringing a visible sign of God's love to those in need, the sick, the elderly and the imprisoned".

  Benedict XVI concluded by expressing the hope that the forthcoming beatification of Servant of God Fr. Jose Olallo Valdes "may give fresh impulse to your service to the Church and the people of Cuba , always being a leavening for reconciliation, justice and peace".

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PLENARY ACADEMY SOCIAL SCIENCES: PURSUING COMMON GOOD

VATICAN CITY, 2 MAY 2008 (VIS) - In the Holy See Press Office at midday today, a press conference was held to present the 14th plenary session of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, which is to take place in the Vatican from 2 to 6 May on the theme: "Pursuing the common good: how solidarity and subsidiarity can work together".

  Participating in the press conference were Bishop Marcelo Sanchez Sorondo, chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences; Margaret Archer of the University of Warwick, England; and Pierpaolo Donati of the University of Bologna, Italy.

  The goal of the assembly, explains an English-language note released for the press conference, "is to give new meaning and application to the concept of common good in this age of globalisation, which in certain fields is leading to growing inequalities and social injustice, laceration and fragmentation of the social fabric, in short, to the destruction of common goods throughout the world".

  "The main hypothesis on which scholars are called to exchange their views is that the principles of subsidiarity and solidarity can, unlike the compromises between socialism and liberalism, mobilise new social, economic and cultural forces of civil society which, within politically-shared fundamental values, can generate those common goods on which the future of humanity depends.

  "The programme", the note adds, "envisages a careful inspection of the current processes of radical change in the light of the four fundamental principles of the Catholic social doctrine (dignity of the human person, common good, solidarity and subsidiarity) to understand how and in what measure these principles are effectively applied, and to suggest new solutions where they are misconstrued, misunderstood, disobeyed or distorted".

  Explaining how these principles "are very often interpreted in ways that are very far from the meanings and intentions that attain to social doctrine," the note refers to the family. "The common good of the family is identified with its assets", it says, "family solidarity with sentiments of pure affection, subsidiarity with leaving each 'actor' to define the family as he/she likes".

  "At the practical-operational level, some case studies on good practices will be presented", such as "new forms of solidary and subsidiary economy (the 'economy of communion' and the 'Food Bank'); shared access (peer to peer) to information goods on communication networks (the Internet); the new 'Local Alliances for the Family' (born in Germany and spreading throughout Europe); subsidiary educational activities in developing countries; third sector organisations using the instrument of micro-credit for social, economic and human development".

  The note concludes by underlining how "the fundamental challenge" facing the assembly is that "once we acknowledge that the great deficit of modernity, which is nevertheless responsible for many social conquests, has been and still is social solidarity (at all levels, from local to global), it is a matter of seeing whether and how this deficit can be overcome by a new way of intending and practising subsidiarity as a pro-active, promotional principle, not only as a defensive, protective one. In short, the challenge is for a new combination of subsidiarity and solidarity to become the key to activate those social circuits on which common goods depend, the key to turn globalisation into a 'civilisation of the common good'".

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, 2 MAY 2008 ( VIS ) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

 - Five prelates from the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Cuba, on their "ad limina" visit:

    - Bishop Manuel Hilario de Cespedes Garcia-Menocal of Matanzas .

    - Bishop Jorge Enrique Serpa Perez of Pinar del Rio .

    - Archbishop Dionisio Guillermo Garcia Ibanez of Santiago de Cuba , accompanied by Archbishop emeritus Pedro Claro Meurice Estiu.

    - Bishop Wilfredo Pino Estevez of Guantanamo-Baracoa.

 - Archbishop Leon Kalenga Badikebele, apostolic nuncio to Ghana , accompanied by members of his family.

  - Bishop Frans Daneels O. Praem., secretary of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, accompanied by members of his family.

  - Bishop Juan Ignacio Arrieta Ochoa de Chinchetru, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts, accompanied by members of his family.

  This evening, he is scheduled to receive in audience Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, 2 MAY 2008 ( VIS ) - The Holy Father:

 - Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis , U.S.A. , presented by Archbishop Harry J. Flynn, upon having reached the age limit. He is succeeded by Coadjutor Archbishop John C. Neinstedt.

 - Appointed Fr. Byran Bayda C.SS.R., pastor and superior of the Redemptorist Fathers at Yorkton, Canada, as bishop of the eparchy of Saskatoon of the Ukrainians (Catholics 8,422, priests 11, permanent deacons 3, religious 27), Canada. The bishop-elect was born in Saskatoon in 1961 and ordained a priest in 1987. He succeeds Bishop Michael Wiwchar C.SS.R., whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same eparchy the Holy Father accepted, in accordance with canon 210 para. 1 of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches.

 - Appointed Fr. Fulop Kocsis, a monk of Damoc, Hungary, as bishop of the eparchy of Hajdudorog (Catholics 270,000, priests 227, permanent deacons 2, religious 22), Hungary and apostolic administrator "ad nutum Sanctae Sedis" of the apostolic exarchate of Miskolc (Catholics 20,000, priests 38), Hungary. The bishop-elect was born in Szeged , Hungary in 1963 and ordained a priest in 1989.

  On Thursday 1 May, the Holy Father:

 - Appointed Fr. Anibal Saldana Santamaria O.A.R., pastor of Totonicapan in the archdiocese of Guatemala , Guatemala , as bishop-prelate of Bocas del Toro (area 8,115, population 126,000, Catholics 63,000, priests 11, religious 20), Panama . The bishop-elect was born in Puerto Armuelles , Panama in 1958 and ordained a priest in 1982. He succeeds Jose Agustin Ganuza Garcia O.A.R., whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same territorial prelature the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

 - Appointed Msgr. Gerardo Melgar Viciosa, vicar general of Palencia , Spain , as bishop of Osma-Soria (area 10,287, population 93,503, Catholics 75,500, priests 160, permanent deacons 1, religious 269), Spain . The bishop-elect was born in Cervatos de la Cueza , Spain in 1948 and ordained a priest in 1973.

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POPE RECALLS HIS RECENT VISIT TO THE UNITED STATES

VATICAN CITY, 30 APR 2008 (VIS) - In today's general audience, which was held in St. Peter's Square, the Pope dedicated his remarks to his recent apostolic trip to the U.S.A. and the headquarters of the United Nations, from 15 to 21 April.

  After recalling how the motive for his U.S. visit was the bi-centenary of the elevation of the country's first diocese, Baltimore, to the status of metropolitan archdiocese, and the foundation of the sees of New York, Boston, Philadelphia and Louisville, the Holy Father affirmed that his aim had been "to announce to everyone the message that 'Christ is our Hope', the phrase which was the theme of my visit".

  During the meeting with President George Bush in the White House, said the Pope, "I had the opportunity to pay homage to that great country, which from its beginnings was built on the foundation of a harmonious union between religious, ethical and political principles, and which still constitutes a valid example of healthy laicism, where the religious dimension, in the diversity of its expressions, is not only tolerated but turned to advantage as the 'soul' of the nation and the fundamental guarantee of the rights and duties of human beings".

  The Holy Father then went on to explain that he had supported his "brother bishops in their difficult task of spreading the Gospel in a society marked by no small number of contradictions, which also threaten the coherence of Catholics and even of the clergy. I encouraged them to make their voices heard on the moral and social questions of the day, and to form the lay faithful so they become good 'leavening' in the civil community on the base of that fundamental cell which is the family. In this context, I exhorted them to re-present the Sacrament of Marriage as a gift and an indissoluble commitment between a man and a woman, the natural environment in which to welcome and educate children.

  "The Church and the family, as well as schools", the Pope added, "must co-operate in offering young people a solid moral education. ... Reflecting upon the painful question of sexual abuse of minors by ordained ministers, I told the bishops of my closeness, and encouraged them in the task of binding wounds and strengthening their relationships with their priests".

  During the Eucharistic celebration held in the Nationals Stadium in Washington , said Pope Benedict, "we evoked the Holy Spirit" upon the Church in America that she "may face current and future challenges with courage and hope". And when meeting with representatives of other religions "in what may be considered as the homeland of religious freedom, I recalled how such freedom must be defended with congruous efforts to avoid all forms of discrimination and prejudice. I also highlighted the great responsibility religious leaders have, both in teaching respect and non-violence and in upholding the deepest questions of the human conscience".

  On the subject of his visit to U.N. headquarters in New York, the Pope pointed out that "providence gave me the opportunity to confirm" - on the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights - "the importance of that Charter, recalling its universal foundation, in other words the dignity of the person who was created by God in His image and likeness in order to co-operate in ... His great plan of life and peace".

  In St. Patrick's Cathedral the Pope had celebrated Mass for priests and consecrated people. "I will never forget", he said, "with how much warmth they congratulated me for the third anniversary of my election to the See of Peter. It was a moving moment, in which I particularly felt the support of all the Church for my ministry. And I could say the same about my meeting with young people and seminarians".

  At Ground Zero "I lit a candle and prayed for all the victims of the terrible tragedy" of 11 September 2001, said the Pope. And he concluded his reminiscences of his U.S. visit with the Eucharistic celebration in New York 's Yankee Stadium which he described as "a feast of faith and of brotherhood. ... To that Church which now faces the challenges of the present time, I had the joy of announcing "Christ our Hope', yesterday, today and forever".

  Prior to the audience, the Pope blessed a statue of St. John Leonardi (1541-1609), founder of the Clerks Regular of the Mother of God, which has been placed in a niche on the exterior wall of the Vatican Basilica. On 8 august 2006, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, by virtue of the powers granted by Benedict XVI, proclaimed him patron saint of pharmacists.

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CARDINAL KASPER TO COMMEMORATE TRANSLATION OF RELICS

VATICAN CITY, 30 APR 2008 (VIS) - Made public today was a Letter, written in Latin and dated 4 April, in which Benedict XVI appoints Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, as his special envoy to celebrations marking the eighth centenary of the translation of the relics of the Apostle Andrew to Amalfi, Italy. The event is due to be held on 8 May.

  The mission accompanying the cardinal will be made up of Msgr. Carlo Papa, vicar general of the archdiocese of Amalfi - Cava de' Tirreni, and Msgr. Riccardo Arpino, president of the cathedral chapter and chancellor of the Curia.

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CELEBRATIONS TO BE PRESIDED BY THE POPE: MAY - AUGUST

VATICAN CITY, 30 APR 2008 ( VIS ) - Given below is the calendar of liturgical celebrations due to be presided over by the Holy Father between the months of May and August.

MAY

 - Saturday 3: At 6 p.m. in the Roman basilica of St. Mary Major, recitation of the Rosary

 - Sunday 11: Pentecost Sunday. Mass at 10 a .m. in the Vatican Basilica.

 - Saturday 17 and Sunday 18: Pastoral visit to Savona and Genoa , Italy .

 - Thursday 22: Solemnity of Corpus Christi . Mass at 7 p.m. in the basilica of St. John Lateran, followed by a procession to the basilica of St. Mary Major for Eucharistic blessing.

JUNE

 - Saturday 14 and Sunday 15: Pastoral visit to Santa Maria di Leuca and Brindisi , Italy .

 -Saturday 28: At 6 p.m. in the Roman basilica of St. Paul 's Outside-the-Walls, First Vespers for the solemn opening of the Pauline Year

 - Sunday 29: Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul, Apostles. Mass at 9.30 a .m. in the Vatican Basilica. Blessing and imposition of the pallium on metropolitan archbishops

JULY

 - Saturday 12 to Monday 21: Apostolic trip to Australia for World Youth Day in Sydney .

 AUGUST

 - Friday 15: Solemnity of the Assumption, Mass at 8 a .m. in the parish church of St. Thomas of Villanova in Castelgandolfo.

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BENEDICT XVI's PRAYER INTENTIONS FOR MAY

VATICAN CITY, 30 APR 2008 (VIS) - Pope Benedict's general prayer intention for May is: "That Christians may use literature, art and the mass media to greater advantage in order to favour a culture which defends and promotes the values of the human person".

  His mission intention is: "That the Virgin Mary, Star of evangelisation and Queen of the Apostles, may still guide today with maternal affection the missionaries, both men and women, throughout the world, just as she accompanied the Apostles in the early stages of the Church".

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FAITH AND REASON ARE INTRINSICALLY NON-VIOLENT

VATICAN CITY, 30 APR 2008 (VIS) - Following today's general audience, Benedict XVI received participants in the sixth meeting of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue and the Islamic Culture and Relations Organisation of Tehran, Iran. They have been meeting to study the theme of: "Faith and Reason in Christianity and Islam".

  The participants in the meeting, led by Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, president of the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue, and by Mahdi Mostafavi, president of the Islamic Culture and Relations Organisation, agreed upon the following points:

  "Faith and reason are both gifts of God to mankind.

  "Faith and reason do not contradict each other, but faith might in some cases be above reason, but never against it.

  "Faith and reason are intrinsically non-violent. Neither reason nor faith should be used for violence; unfortunately, both of them have been sometimes misused to perpetrate violence. In any case, these events cannot question either reason or faith.

  "Both sides agreed to further co-operate in order to promote genuine religiosity, in particular spirituality, to encourage respect for symbols considered to be sacred and to promote moral values.

  "Christians and Muslims should go beyond tolerance, accepting differences, while remaining aware of commonalties and thanking God for them. They are called to mutual respect, thereby condemning derision of religious beliefs.

  "Generalisation should be avoided when speaking of religions. Differences of confessions with Christianity and Islam, diversity of historical contexts are important factors to be considered.

  "Religious traditions cannot be judged on the basis of a single verse or a passage present in their respective holy Books. A holistic vision as well as an adequate hermeneutical method is necessary for a fair understanding of them".

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, 30 APR 2008 (VIS) - The Holy Father accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the diocese of Gallup, U.S.A. presented by Bishop Donald E. Pelotte S.S.S., in accordance with canon 401 para. 2 of the Code of Canon Law.

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NOTICE

VATICAN CITY, 30 APR 2008 (VIS) As previously announced, tomorrow May 1, feast of St. Joseph the Worker and Solemnity of the Ascension of the Lord, no VIS bulletin will be transmitted. Service will resume on Friday, May 2.

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CHRISTIANS AND BUDDHISTS: CARING FOR THE PLANET EARTH

VATICAN CITY, 29 APR 2008 (VIS) - Made public today was the annual Message to Buddhists for the Feast of Vesakh, issued by the Pontifical Council for Inter-religious Dialogue and signed by Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran and Archbishop Pier Luigi Celata, respectively president and secretary of the council.

  Vesakh, the main Buddhist festivity, marks three fundamental moments in the life of Gautama Buddha. It is held during the full moon of the month of May because, according to tradition, Buddha was born, achieved enlightenment and passed away in that period.

  This year's message - published in English, French and Italian - is entitled "Christians and Buddhists: Caring for the Planet Earth". It indicates that "preservation of the environment, promotion of sustainable development and particular attention to climate change are matters of grave concern for everyone. Many governments, NGOs, multi-national companies, and research and tertiary institutes, in recognising the ethical implications present in all economic and social development, are investing financial resources as well as sharing expertise on bio-diversity, climate change, environmental protection and conservation.

  "Religious leaders too", the message adds, "are contributing to the public debate. This contribution is of course not just a reaction to the more recent pressing threats associated with global warming. Christianity and Buddhism have always upheld a great respect for nature and taught that we should be grateful stewards of the earth. Indeed it is only through a profound reflection on the relationship between the divine Creator, creation and creatures that attempts to address environmental concerns will not be marred by individual greed or hampered by the interests of particular groups.

  "On a practical level can we Christians and Buddhists not do more to collaborate in projects which confirm the responsibility that falls to each and everyone of us? Recycling, energy conservation, the prevention of indiscriminate destruction of plant and animal life, and the protection of waterways all speak of careful stewardship and indeed foster goodwill and promote cordial relations among peoples. In this way Christians and Buddhists together can be harbingers of hope for a clean, safe and harmonious world".

  The message concludes by expressing the hope that such ideas may be promoted "within our respective communities through public education and our good example in respecting nature and acting responsibly towards our one common planet Earth".

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YOUNG PEOPLE: RESPOND COURAGEOUSLY TO THE LORD'S CALL

VATICAN CITY, 26 APR 2008 (VIS) - Made public today was a Letter from the Pope addressed to Cardinal Andre Vingt-Trois, archbishop of Paris, France, to mark the hundredth anniversary of an annual pilgrimage by young people from the province of Paris. This year's pilgrimage, which takes them to Lourdes , is being held from 22 to 27 April.

  In his Letter to the cardinal, who is also president of the Conference of Bishops of France, the Holy Father mentions the fact that 2008 marks the 150th anniversary of the apparition of the Virgin Mary to Bernadette Soubirous in the grotto of Massabielle.

  Benedict XVI calls on young people to imitate Mary's response when she was "invited to follow an amazing yet disconcerting journey. Her readiness led her to experience a joy of which all previous generations had sung", he writes.

  "Our 'yes' to God", the Pope continues, "makes the font of true happiness gush forth. It frees the 'I' from everything that closes it in on itself. It brings the poverty of our lives into the richness and power of God's plan, without restricting our freedom and our responsibility. ... It conforms our lives to Christ's own life".

  The Holy Father then encourages the young "enthusiastically to celebrate the joy of loving Christ and of believing and hoping in Him, and trustingly to follow the path of initiation you have before you. I particularly invite you", he writes, "to take up the witness of your ancestors in the faith, and to learn to welcome the Word of God - in silence and meditation - so that it can mould your hearts and produce generous fruits in you".

  This pilgrimage, Pope Benedict concludes, "is also a good time to allow yourselves to be asked by Christ: 'What do you want to do with your lives?' May those among you who feel the call to follow Him in the priesthood or in consecrated life - as have so many young participants in these pilgrimages - reply to the Lord's call and put yourselves totally at the service of the Church, with a life completely dedicated to the Kingdom of heaven. You will never be disappointed".

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CARDINAL DIAS, SPECIAL ENVOY TO ETHIOPIA

VATICAN CITY, 26 APR 2008 (VIS) - Made public today was the Letter, written in Latin and dated 27 March, in which Benedict XVI appoints Cardinal Ivan Dias, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, as his special envoy to ceremonies commemorating the new Christian Millennium in Ethiopia. The event will coincide with the Ethiopian National Eucharistic Congress, to be held in Addis Ababa from 2 to 4 May.

  The mission accompanying Cardinal Dias will be made up of Fr. Tsegaye Kenini of the archdiocese of Addis Ababa, former secretary general of the Ethiopian Catholic Secretariate, and Fr. Tesfaye Tadesse M.C.C.I., superior general of the Combonian Missionary Fathers in Ethiopia and president of the conference of religious superiors major of Ethiopia.

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, 26 APR 2008 ( VIS ) - The Holy Father appointed:

 - Archbishop Osvaldo Padilla, apostolic nuncio to Korea , as apostolic nuncio to Mongolia .

 - As consultors of the Commission for Religious Relations with Jews of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity: Archbishop Kevin John Patrick McDonald of Southwark, Great Britain; Bishop William Francis Murphy of Rockville Centre, U.S.A.; Fr. Pierbattista Pizzaballa O.F.M. Custos of the Holy Land; Fr Joseph Sievers, director of the Cardinal Agostino Bea Institute at Rome's Pontifical Gregorian University; and Fr. Lawrence E. Frizzel, director of the Institute of Judeo-Christian Studies at Seton Hall University, U.S.A.

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NEW PRIESTS: ANNOUNCING AND BEARING WITNESS TO HOPE

VATICAN CITY, 27 APR 2008 (VIS) - At 9.30 a .m. today, the sixth Sunday of Easter, Benedict XVI presided at a Eucharistic celebration in the Vatican Basilica during which he ordained 28 deacons from the diocese of Rome and one from the Pontifical Urban College.

  Thirteen of the new priests from the diocese of Rome come from the city's major seminary, nine from the "Redemptoris Mater" College, and the other six from the "Almo Collegio Capranica", the Priestly Society of the Sons of the Cross and the Seminary of the Virgin of Divine Love.

  In his homily Holy Father noted how his ordination of new priests usually takes place on the fourth Sunday of Easter, "Good Shepherd" Sunday and the World Day of Prayer for Vocations, but that this year it had had to be postponed because of preparations for his apostolic trip to the United States .

  "The icon of the Good Shepherd, more than any other, seems to highlight the role and ministry of the priest in the Christian community", observed the Holy Father before turning his attention to today's biblical readings which, he said, "throw light from a different angle on the mission of priests".

  Benedict XVI examined the first reading, the passage in the Acts of the Apostles narrating the persecution in Jerusalem against the first Christian converts, the scattering of the disciples including Philip's flight to Samaria , and his preaching being welcomed there "with great joy".

  "Bringing the Gospel to everyone, that everyone may experience the joy of Christ and that there may be great joy in every city; what could be more beautiful than this? What could be greater? What could create greater enthusiasm than helping to spread the Word of Life throughout the world, than communicating the living water of the Holy Spirit? Announcing and bearing witness to this joy: this is the very heart of your mission", said the Pope to the ordinands.

  "These are elemental words for all priests", he told them. "To collaborate in other people's joy - in an often sad and negative world - the fire of the Gospel must burn within each of you, the joy of the Lord must live in you. Only then will you be able to convey and multiply this joy, bringing it to everyone, especially those who are sad and disillusioned".

  The Holy Father then went on to consider the rite of laying on of hands, which also figures in the reading from the Acts of the Apostles, highlighting how "such a sign is inseparable from prayer, of which it is a silent continuation. Without saying a word the consecrating bishop - and after him the other priests - places his hands on the heads of the ordinands, thus expressing an invocation to God to effuse His Spirit upon them, to transform them and to make them participants in the priesthood of Christ".

  "A meeting of two freedoms comes about in that silent prayer: the freedom of God, working though the Holy Spirit, and the freedom of man, ... a mysterious Trinitarian 'movement' which brings the Holy Spirit and the Son to dwell in the disciples. ... Without love for Christ, which is put into effect by observing His commandments, people exclude themselves from the Trinitarian movement and begin to turn in on themselves, losing the capacity to receive or communicate God".

  Benedict XVI encouraged the new priests "to adore Christ the Lord in your hearts: that is, carve our a personal relationship of love with Him" in which "to live, purify, illuminate and sanctify all other relationships".

  "Our hope, your hope, is God in Jesus and in the Spirit", the Pope concluded. "From today, that hope becomes in you a 'priestly hope', the hope of Jesus the Good Shepherd Who dwells within you and shapes your desires in accordance with His divine Heart: a hope of life and forgiveness for the people who will be entrusted to your pastoral care; ... a hope of openness to faith and to the meeting with God for those who will come to you in their search for peace; a hope for peace and comfort for the suffering and the injured of life".

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APPEALS FOR SOMALIA , DARFUR AND BURUNDI

VATICAN CITY, 27 APR 2008 (VIS) - At midday today, Benedict XVI appeared at the window of his study overlooking St. Peter's Square to pray the Regina Coeli with pilgrims gathered below.

  In his remarks, the Pope mentioned the recently-concluded ordination of 29 new priests in St. Peter's Basilica. "Fresh lymph is infused into the tissues of the ecclesial and civic communities", he said, recalling how he had invited the ordinands "to spread the joy of the Gospel through the world. Where Christ is preached with the power of the Holy Spirit and is accepted with an open heart, society, though full of so many problems, becomes a 'city of joy' - to quote the title of a famous book on the work of Mother Teresa in Calcutta ".

  The Holy Father referred to his apostolic visit to the United States , where he encountered "great vitality and a resolute desire to live and bear witness to faith in Jesus". He then went on to greet the Oriental Churches which are celebrating Easter today, asking God to help them "in the difficult situations in which they often have to live and bear witness to the Gospel".

  Following the Regina Coeli, the Pope launched appeals for three African regions, where news "continues to cause profound suffering and intense concern". Somalia , Darfur and Burundi .

  In Somalia , and especially in Mogadishu , he said, "armed conflicts render the humanitarian situation ever more dramatic for that dear people, who for too many years have been oppressed by the burden of brutality and poverty".

  "In Darfur , despite a few momentary glimmers of hope, the tragedy continues for hundreds of thousands of defenceless and abandoned people".

  Finally, the Pope turned his attention to Burundi , calling on all sides involved in recent conflict "to return without delay to the path of dialogue and reconciliation", especially "following the bombardments of recent days which terrorised the inhabitants of the capital Bujumbura ".

  He concluded: "I trust that local political authorities, the leaders of the international community and all people of good will make every effort to put an end to the violence and to honour the commitments they have taken on, so as to lay solid foundations for peace and development".

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RESULTS OF A SURVEY INTO THE READING OF SCRIPTURE

VATICAN CITY, 28 APR 2008 (VIS) - A press conference held this morning in the Holy See Press Office presented the results of a survey into "the reading of the Scriptures in a number of countries (U.S.A., UK, Netherlands, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Poland and Russia". The research was promoted by the Catholic Biblical Federation and by GFK-Eurisko.

  Participating in the press conference were Archbishop Gianfranco Ravasi, president of the Pontifical Council for Culture; Bishop Vincenzo Paglia of Terni, Italy, who is also president of the Catholic Biblical Federation; and Luca Diotallevi, co-ordintaor of the research group and professor of sociology at the University of "Roma Tre".

  Presenting the results of the survey, Archbishop Ravasi dwelt on the need to underline the importance of the Bible, commenting that the philosopher Blaise Pascal was right to affirm that Scripture contains passages that console people of all conditions and other passages that disquiet them.

  Bishop Paglia explained that with a view to the forthcoming Synod on "The Word of God in the Life and the Mission of the Church", due to be held in October, the Catholic Biblical Federation "had felt it would be useful to undertake research in a number of countries in the world - while bearing in mind the various Christian traditions - in order to acquire concrete information on Christians' relationship with Scripture".

  The survey, he said, "confirmed in full Vatican Council II's pastoral intuition to exhort the faithful to rediscover Scripture as the primary source of spiritual life". It also reaffirmed "the bond that exists between the Bible and the Eucharist", because "the majority of those interviewed indicated the Sunday celebration as the place in which they habitually listen to the Word of God".

  In examining "the role of the Bible in ecumenical dialogue", the survey highlighted how "Scripture remains the most effective 'place' Christians have to progress together along the path of unity. ... The answers also showed that there no longer exists that diversity among the various Christian traditions - a diversity evident in the past - concerning their relationship with Scripture".

  Another factor to emerge was "the considerable expectations that the men and women of our time have towards Holy Scripture" which "is considered with great respect by everyone". Among Christians "it is widely held that the Bible contains the Word of God, that it is an inspired work capable of giving meaning to life, and that it has far greater authority than other ecclesial manifestations", although the values it contains "are difficult to put into practice".

  For this reason, said Bishop Paglia, one of the great challenges is "the responsibility of preaching, which on the basis of the Scripture must constitute an authoritative appeal to believers and to all those who seek".

  "Listening to the Scriptures favours the cohesion of listeners", he said. "Indeed, listening to the Word of God truly 'makes' the Church". Hence "reading Scripture in the company of the Church" makes it possible to avoid "the two most dangerous obstacles: a fundamentalist reading, ... and an individualist pseudo-psychological reading which leads readers to reflect themselves in the pages".

  The prelate concluded his remarks by highlighting the need "to find space for the 'schools of the word', the 'schools of the Gospel', and the 'schools of reading and listening to the Bible'. ... It is in this perspective", he said, "that we must see 'lectio divina', the oldest and riches method of listening to Scripture" which must be given "new spaces and new forms until it becomes the habitual way of approaching the Word of God in our Christian communities".

  For his part Professor Diotallevi explained that some 13,000 interviews had been completed during the course of the survey, which he described as "the most systematic scientific undertaking yet attempted to compare, on an international scale, levels and forms of familiarity with the Scriptures of Christian tradition among the adult population".

  "The Bible in the areas we examined", he said, "is not the text of a minority but an important point of reference present - in different degrees and ways - in the life and culture of broad majorities of the population. ... It may be affirmed that between a third and a quarter of adults in the countries examined have read a Bible passage at least once in the last 12 months".

  Professor Diotallevi noted the existence of "a gap dividing the Anglo-Saxon world from central and eastern Europe". In the former, "the sensation of the closeness of God is anything but extinct and the practice of prayer is anything but marginal. A very large majority of people look to the Bible as a source of truth, as the source of a message that has to do with life".

  It also emerged from the survey that "the practice of reading the Bible depends statistically, more than on shared religious beliefs, on participation in events and groups which already adopt this practice. ... Reading the Bible in no way echoes political polarisation between 'right' and 'left'", said Professor Diotallevi noting in conclusion the prevalence among the populations examined "of a position favourable to studying the Bible in schools. In particular those in favour exceed 50 percent in Russia , Poland , Italy , UK and Germany ".

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, 28 APR 2008 ( VIS ) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

 - Seven prelates from the Conference of Catholic Bishops of Cuba, on their "ad limina" visit:

    - Cardinal Jaime Lucas Ortega y Alamino, archbishop of San Cristobal de la Habana, accompanied by Auxiliary Bishops Alfredo Victor Petit Vergel and Juan de Dios Hernandez Ruiz S.J.

    - Archbishop Juan Garcia Rodriguez of Camaguey.

    - Bishop Mario Eusebio Mestril Vega of Ciego de Avila.

    - Bishop Domingo Oropesa Lorente of Cienfuegos.

    - Bishop Marcelo Arturo Gonzalez Amador of Santa Clara.

 - Archbishop Joseph Marino, apostolic nuncio to Bangladesh, accompanied by members of his family.

SPIRITUAL VALUE OF MUSIC INFUSES US WITH HOPE

VATICAN CITY, 25 APR 2008 (VIS) - Yesterday evening in the Vatican, the Pope attended a concert marking the third anniversary of his election to the Pontificate, offered in his honour by Giorgio Napolitano, president of the Italian Republic,.

  The Giuseppe Verdi symphony orchestra and choir of Milan conducted, respectively, by Oleg Caetani and Erina Gambarini, played pieces by Luciano Berio, Johannes Brahms and Ludwig van Beethoven.

  The Pope followed the concert from the central passage of the Paul VI Hall where he was seated next to President Napolitano, and his elder brother Msgr. Georg Ratzinger.

  At the end of the concert, Benedict XVI thanked the Italian president for the concert in which, he said, "I discern a further sign of the great affection the Italian people nurture for the Pope".

  Having extended his gratitude to the choir and the orchestra, the Holy Father encouraged the Giuseppe Verdi Foundation "to continue the prestigious artistic and cultural journey they have begun, which, I am aware, is also enhanced by their commitment to use music to mitigate situations of human difficulty, such as in hospitals and prisons".

  The Pope then went on to refer to "the spiritual value of the art of music which, in a special way, is called to infuse hope into the human soul, marked and sometimes injured by its earthly condition. There is a profound and mysterious relationship between music and hope, between song and eternal life", he said. "It is no coincidence that Christian tradition shows the spirits of the blessed as they sing in chorus, captivated and enraptured by the beauty of God. But true art, like prayer, is not foreign to everyday reality, rather it calls us to 'irrigate' that reality, to make it sprout that it may bring forth fruits of goodness and peace.

  "The magnificent rendering we have just heard", the Holy Father added, "reminds us furthermore of the value and the universal importance of artistic heritage". In this context he mentioned the young, who can draw "new inspiration" from such heritage "in order to build a world founded on justice and solidarity, putting the multiform expressions of world culture to good account at the service of mankind".

  Benedict XVI mentioned the importance that "educating people to recognise true beauty has for the formation of the young", and he explained how art "contributes to refining their souls and leads towards the construction of a society open to the ideals of the spirit.

  " Italy , with is exceptional artistic heritage, can, in this regard, play an important role in the world", he concluded. "The quantity and quality of monuments and works of art the country possesses effectively make it a universal 'messenger' of all the values which art, at one and the same time, expresses and promotes. In the same way, the festive nature of song and music are a constant invitation to believers and to men and women of good will to commit themselves to giving humanity a future rich in hope".

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GREAT CORDIALITY BETWEEN POPE AND ITALIAN HEAD OF STATE

VATICAN CITY, 25 APR 2008 (VIS) - Given below is the text of a declaration by Holy See Press Office Director Fr. Federico Lombardi S.J. concerning the meeting between the Holy Father and Giorgio Napolitano, president of the Italian Republic, prior to yesterday evening's concert in the Paul VI Hall:

  "During the meeting, which lasted around 15 minutes and was characterised by great cordiality, the great questions of the world situation today were examined, with particular reference to the Holy Father's recent address to the General Assembly of the United Nations: the dignity of the human person; the foundations of human rights and the international community's commitment to their protection and promotion; the dialogue between reason and faith at the service of the integral development of the person and the harmonious advancement of the human community; and the dialogue between the great religions and their contribution to peace in the world.

  "The President of the Republic, also in the name of the Italian people, passed on his warmest congratulations to the Holy Father for the third anniversary of his Pontificate and for his recent birthday. For his part, the Holy Father renewed the expression of his feelings of affection and close participation in the affairs of the beloved Italian people, giving assurances of constant thoughts in his prayers".

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, 25 APR 2008 ( VIS ) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

 - Cardinal Andre Vingt-Trois, archbishop of Paris , France .

 - Archbishop Peter Takeo Okada of Tokyo, president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Japan, accompanied by Archbishop Leo Jun Ikenaga S.J. of Osaka, vice-president of the same conference, and by Archbishop Joseph Mitsuaki Takami P.S.S. of Nagasaki, and Bishop Francis Xavier Osamu Mizobe S.D.B. of Takamatsu.

 - Cardinal Edmund Casimir Szoka, president emeritus of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State and of the Governorate of Vatican City State.

 - Bishop-elect Fernando Jose Monteiro Guimaraes C.Ss.R., of Garanhuns, Brazil.

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PRELATES OF CAUCASUS : SUPPORT FAITHFUL IN DIFFICULTIES

VATICAN CITY, 24 APR 2008 (VIS) - At midday today, the Holy Father received prelates from the southern Caucasus region on their "ad limina" visit.

  "Since the fall of the Soviet Union ", said the Pope in his address to them, "your peoples have seen significant social changes along the road to progress. Yet difficult situations persist: many are the poor, the unemployed, and the refugees whom war has forced from their homes". Nonetheless, he noted, "the flame of the Gospel" has not been extinguished in the Caucasus , "despite there having been no lack of violent confrontations, both internal and from outside, which have caused many victims, among whom the Church includes many martyrs of the faith".

  The Holy Father described the Catholic community in the region as "a small flock" in which "Catholics of Armenian, Latin and Chaldean rite coexist with Orthodox, Armenian-Apostolic, Jews and Muslims. In such a multi-religious context", he said, "it is important for Catholics to continue and to intensify their collaboration with other Churches and with the followers of other religions, as already happens in many places".

  Pope Benedict associated himself with the Catholic communities' aspiration to see their juridical status recognised, and expressed the hope that Catholic-Orthodox dialogue may lead to a "growth in the fraternity which must characterise relations between Churches, respectful of one another despite differences that still exist".

  The Pope then encouraged the prelates to support their faithful so as to ensure that "in the face of difficulties, the joy of professing the faith and of belonging to the Catholic Church never diminishes".

  "Pray, and bring others to pray, that workers may never be lacking in the vineyard of the Lord. Continue to promote vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life. It is necessary to ensure that future generations in Armenia , Azerbaijan , and Georgia have saintly priests who live their vocation with joy and generously dedicate themselves to caring for all the faithful".

  The Holy Father also invited the prelates to support families who, he said, "are facing no small number of difficulties and are affected by those wounds and those attacks on human life which, unfortunately, take place in so many other parts of the world. ... Educate Christian spouses to 'bear witness to the inestimable value of the indissolubility and fidelity of marriage'".

  "I know", said Benedict XVI, "how many efforts you make to spread the Gospel of hope. I am particularly struck by the attention ... you reserve for the needs of the poor and of people in difficulties, thanks also to the precious contribution of religious and laity".

  Finally, the Pope encouraged the prelates of the Caucasus to find time for periodic meetings "to verify the pastoral plans you have drawn up, especially as concerns preparation for the Sacraments. Such plans aim above all at the formation of the consciences of the faithful according to evangelical ethics, with a particular attention for the young".

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RITES OF BEATIFICATION APPROVED BY THE HOLY FATHER

VATICAN CITY, 24 APR 2008 (VIS) - The Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff today announced three beatification ceremonies due to take place over coming days:

  Candelaria de San Jose (nee Susana Paz Castillo Ramirez), virgin and foundress of the Congregation of the Carmelite Sisters of the Third Regular Order of Venezuela. Her beatification is scheduled for Sunday 27 April in the stadium of the Central University of Caracas, Venezuela.

  Maria Maddalena of the Incarnation (nee Caterina Sordini), virgin and foundress of the Order of Sisters of the Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Her beatification is scheduled for 4 p.m. on Saturday 3 May in the Roman Basilica of St. John Lateran.

  Maria Rosa Flesch (nee Margherita), virgin and foundress of the Congregation of the Franciscan Sisters of Saint Mary of the Angels. Her beatification is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Sunday 4 May in the cathedral of Trier , Germany .

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TRANSFERRING TECHNOLOGY TO THE HUMAN DIMENSION

VATICAN CITY, 24 APR 2008 (VIS) - On 17 April, Msgr. Renato Volante, Holy See permanent observer to the Rome-based United Nations Organisation for Food and Agriculture (FAO), participated in the FAO Regional Conference for Latin America and the Caribbean, which was held in Brasilia, Brazil, on 17 and 18 April.

  In his talk, the prelate praised the work FAO accomplishes in collaboration with various governments to eliminate hunger and malnutrition. He also reaffirmed the support of the Holy See, "with her essentially ethical perspective, for those political and social options capable of providing a concrete and coherent response to current needs. It is clear that the lack of adequate nutrition not only impedes the full development of the personality of men and women, but also constitutes an evident negation of their rights, beginning with the fundamental right to life, of which nutrition is an indispensable component".

  This conference, said Msgr. Volante, shows how the main requirement is "to transfer to the human dimension those forces ... which technology and new scientific research make it possible apply to agriculture and, hence, to food production".

  Going on to refer to one of the central questions being examined at the Brasilia meeting, that of food security, the permanent observer indicated that this involves "considering not only the difficulties in agricultural production provoked by environmental and territorial factors" but also "those deriving from unfavourable trade policies, ... caused by the absence of progress in multilateral negotiations on trade in agricultural products". In this context, he also recalled how the economy of many countries "depends almost exclusively on the export of a limited number of typical products, while their food security depends on the importation of many food products".

  Agricultural reform continues to be an "open and problematic question", he said, "and its slow evolution in countries of the region confirms the need to adopt land ownership strategies and laws that can be effectively implemented. ... All agricultural reform must take account of the situation of smallholders and of indigenous communities, whose traditions are often far distant from the institutions and from the advantages offered by new production criteria. ... This is a priority objective to which the Catholic Church gives great attention, and in which she remains ready to collaborate using her structures, and through forms of association and co-operation".

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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, 24 APR 2008 ( VIS ) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

 - Archbishop Mario Roberto Cassari, apostolic nuncio to Croatia .

 - Four prelates from the Caucasus on their "ad limina visit:

    - Archbishop Nechan Karakeheyan, apostolic administrator of the ordinariate for Catholics of Armenian rite resident in Greece, and ordinary for Armenian Catholics of Eastern Europe, accompanied by Archbishop Vartan Kechichian C.A.M., coadjutor emeritus of the ordinariate for Armenian Catholics of Eastern Europe.

    - Bishop Giuseppe Pasotto C.S.S., apostolic administrator of the Caucasus of the Latins.

    - Fr. Jan Capla S.D.B., superior of the "sui iuris" mission to Baku , Azerbaijan .

  This afternoon, he is scheduled to receive in audience Giorgio Napolitano, president of the Italian Republic , for the occasion of the concert offered by the president to the Holy Father to mark the third anniversary of his election to the pontifical throne.

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, 24 APR 2008 ( VIS ) - The Holy Father appointed:

 - As members of the Pontifical Council for the Laity: Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, archbishop of Krakow, Poland; Archbishop Reinhard Marx of Munich and Freising, Germany; Paola Bignardi, co-ordinator of the international forum of Italian Catholic Action; Matteo Calisi, president of the Catholic Fraternity of "Comunita e Associazioni Carismatiche di Alleanza", Italy; Henrique Elias, procurator of the Christian Life Association, Peru; Katarina Hulmanova, co-ordinator of the forum of Catholic organisations of the Bishops' Conference of Slovakia; Pilar Jensen of the Institute of Families of Schonstatt, Chile; Guy Maginzi, secretary general of the Community of Christian Life, Democratic Republic of the Congo; Josep Miro i Ardevol, founder of "E. Cristians" and animator of the Conventions of Christians for Europe, Barcelona, Spain; Michelle Moran, president of International Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services, Great Britain; Norbert Muller, professor of the University of Mainz, Germany; Balazs Schanda, dean of the faculty of law at the Peter Pazmany Catholic University of Budapest, Hungary; Guilherme Vaz, director of Education and Technology, Mumbai, India; Lola Velarde, president of the European Institute for Family Policy, Spain, and Karol Zyczkowski, professor of the Jagellonica University of Krakow, Poland.

 - As consultors of the Pontifical Council for the Laity: Bishop Carlo Mazza of Fidenza, Italy; Msgr. Piero Coda of the diocese of Frascati, Italy; Fr. Julian Carron, president of the Communion and Liberation association, Spain; Helen Alvare, professor at the Catholic University of America, U.S.A.; Edio Costantini, president of the Italian Sporting Centre; Moyses de Azevedo, founder of the Shalom Community, Brazil; Guillermo Leon Escobar-Herran, professor at the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome; Salvatore Martinez, president of Renewal in the Holy Spirit, Italy, and Danuta Piekarz, Poland.

 - Angelika Nussberger, professor of public law and director of the "Institut fur Ostrecht" at the University of Cologne, Germany, as an ordinary member of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences.

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CARDINAL LOPEZ TRUJILLO: TIRELESS DEFENDER OF THE FAMILY

VATICAN CITY, 23 APR 2008 ( VIS ) - This morning in St. Peter's Basilica, Benedict XVI pronounced a homily following the funeral Mass for the late Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo, president of the Pontifical Council for the Family, who died on Saturday 19 April at the age of 72.

  The Mass was celebrated by Cardinal Angelo Sodano, dean of the College of Cardinals.

  The Holy Father traced the biography of the youngest cardinal created by John Paul II in the consistory of 1983, recalling his priestly ordination in 1960, his work as auxiliary bishop of Bogota in the 1970s, as president of the Latin American Episcopal Council from 1979 to 1983, as president of the Episcopal Conference of Colombia from 1987 to 1990, and his appointment as president of the Pontifical Council for the Family in 1990.

  The Pope highlighted "the zeal and passion" with which the cardinal worked over the last 18 years, "his tireless activity in safeguarding and promoting the family and Christian marriage" as well as "the courage with which he defended the non-negotiable values of human life".

  Among the late cardinal's achievements, the Pope mentioned "the 'Lexicon', which is a valuable formational text for pastoral care workers and an instrument for dialogue with the modern world on the fundamental themes of Christian ethics. We cannot", he added, "but be grateful for the tenacious battle he fought to defend the truth of familial love and to spread the gospel of the family".

  "The late cardinal drew his love for the truth about mankind and for the gospel of the family from the belief that each human being and each family reflects the mystery of God Who is Love", said the Pope. He also recalled the Synod of 1997 during which the president of the Pontifical Council for the Family "proposed a highly effective form of spirituality for those committed to realising the divine plan for the family; and he highlighted the fact that if science does not dedicate itself to understanding life and to educating for life, it will lose the most important battles in the fascinating and mysterious field of genetic engineering".

  Alfonso Lopez Trujillo, whose motto was "Veritas in caritate", dedicated "his entire life to affirming the truth", said the Pope. This, he explained, was because "the truth of love" always remained the bedrock of the cardinal's life. While still in Colombia , he sought "to discover the significance of genuine liberation in the area of theology" and later, in Rome , he dedicated himself to "proclaiming and spreading the gospel of life and the gospel of the family, as a collaborator of the Holy Father".

  "May the generosity of the lamented cardinal - which translated into multiple works of charity, especially in support of children in various parts of the globe - encourage us to use all our own physical and spiritual resources for the Gospel, may it spur us on to work in defence of human life, and help us to look constantly to the goal of our earthly pilgrimage".

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, 23 APR 2008 ( VIS ) - The Holy Father:

 - Appointed Msgr. Dimitrios Salachas of the clergy of the apostolic exarchate for Greek Catholics of Byzantine Rite, Greece , as apostolic exarch of the same exarchate (Catholics 2,300, priests 10, religious 14). The bishop-elect was born in Athens , Greece in 1939 and ordained a priest in 1964. He succeeds Bishop Anarghyros Printesis, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same exarchate the Holy Father accepted, in accordance with canon 210 para. 1 of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches.

 - Appointed Fr. Jacques Danka Longa of the clergy of the diocese of Kara, Togo, rector of the John Paul II major seminary, as coadjutor of the same diocese (area 10,590, population 920,000, Catholics 123,288, priests 67, religious 94). The bishop-elect was born in Sokode , Togo in 1961 and ordained a priest in 1992.

 - Appointed Fr. Lazlo Nemet SVD, secretary of the Hungarian Catholic Bishops' Conference, as bishop of Zrenjanin (area 9,387, population 560,809, Catholics 65,746, priests 25, permanent deacons 1, religious 16), Serbia . The bishop-elect was born in Odzaci , Serbia in 1956 and ordained a priest in 1983.

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PRIESTLY ORDINATION OF 29 DEACONS OF DIOCESE OF ROME

VATICAN CITY, 22 APR 2008 (VIS) - At 9.30 a .m. on Sunday 27 April, the Holy Father Benedict XVI is due to preside at Mass in the Vatican Basilica, during which he will confer priestly ordination upon 29 deacons of the diocese of Rome.

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FACING THE CONSEQUENCES OF RAPID URBANISATION

VATICAN CITY, 22 APR 2008 (VIS) - Archbishop Celestino Migliore, Holy See permanent observer to the United Nations in New York, delivered an address on 9 April before the 41st session of the Economic and Social Council's Commission on Population and Development.

  Speaking English, Archbishop Migliore said that "migration and the urbanisation of societies should not be purely measured in terms of their economic impact. In finding ways to address the serious challenges posed by massive internal and trans-national migrations, let us not forget that at the heart of this phenomenon is the human person".

  "New environmental, social and economic problems emerge with the birth of mega cities", he said. "But one of the most pressing and painful consequences of rapid urbanisation is the increasing number of people living in urban slums. As recently as 2005 over 840 million people around the world lived in such conditions".

  Such people, he warned, "become trapped in a vicious cycle of extreme poverty and marginalisation. ... They feel powerless to demand even the most basic public services" and "policy makers and civil society actors must put these people and their concerns among the priorities in their decision-making".

  "If", Archbishop Migliore concluded "we are to achieve the Millennium Development Goals by 2015, greater concern must be given to those communities, in which approximately 675 million still lack access to safe drinking water and two billion live without access to basic sanitation. National and international policies would do well to ensure that rural communities have access to higher quality and more accessible social services".

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CARDINAL VINGT-TROIS, POSSESSION OF TITULAR CHURCH

VATICAN CITY, 22 APR 2008 (VIS) - The Office of the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff announced today that at 11 a .m. on Sunday 27 April Cardinal Andre Vingt-Trois, metropolitan archbishop of Paris, France, will take possession of the title of San Luigi dei Francesi, Largo Santa Giovanna d'Arco 5, Rome.

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, 22 APR 2008 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Fr. Hugo Nicolas Barbaro, spiritual director of the prelature of Opus Dei in Argentina, as bishop of the diocese of San Roque de Presidencia Roque Saenz Pena (area 71,303, population 495,000, Catholics 422,000, priests 37, permanent deacons 6, religious 126), Argentina. The bishop-elect was born in Vicente Lopez , Argentina in 1950 and ordained a priest in 1980. He succeeds Jose Lorenzo Sartori, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

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OVERCOME ALL FORMS OF SEPARATION BETWEEN FAITH AND LIFE

VATICAN CITY, 20 APR 2008 (VIS) - At 2.30 p.m. local time today, Benedict XVI celebrated Mass in New York's Yankees Stadium, which since 1923 has been the home ground of the New York Yankees baseball team.

  Before the Eucharistic celebration, the Pope made a tour of the stadium by popemobile, receiving a rapturous welcome from the 60,000 people gathered there. The Mass commemorated the bicentennial of the dioceses of New York , Boston , Philadelphia and Louisville , created 200 years ago with territory taken from the mother see of Baltimore .

  In his homily, Benedict XVI recalled that today's celebration "is also a sign of the impressive growth which God has given to the Church in your country in the past 200 years. ... In this land of freedom and opportunity, the Church has united a widely diverse flock in the profession of the faith and, through her many educational, charitable and social works, has also contributed significantly to the growth of American society as a whole".

  Commenting on the readings, the Holy Father highlighted how they show "the power of the word of God, authoritatively proclaimed by the Apostles and received in faith, to create a unity which transcends the divisions arising from human limitations and weakness.

  "Here", he added, "we are reminded of a fundamental truth: that the Church's unity has no other basis than the Word of God, made flesh in Christ Jesus our Lord. All external signs of identity, all structures, associations and programmes, valuable or even essential as they may be, ultimately exist only to support and foster the deeper unity which, in Christ, is God's indefectible gift to His Church. .... The Church's unity is 'apostolic'. It is a visible unity, grounded in the Apostles, ... and it is born of what the Scriptures call 'the obedience of faith'".

  The Pope then went on to explain how the words "authority" and "obedience" represent "a 'stumbling stone' for many of our contemporaries, especially in a society which rightly places a high value on personal freedom. Yet, in the light of our faith in Jesus Christ, ... we come to see the fullest meaning, value, and indeed beauty, of those words. The Gospel teaches us that true freedom ... is found only in the self-surrender which is part of the mystery of love".

  "And this freedom in truth brings in its wake a new and liberating way of seeing reality. When we put on 'the mind of Christ', new horizons open before us! In the light of faith, within the communion of the Church, we also find the inspiration and strength to become a leaven of the Gospel in the world".

  "In these 200 years, the face of the Catholic community in your country has changed greatly", Benedict XVI observed. "We think of the successive waves of immigrants whose traditions have so enriched the Church in America . We think of the strong faith which built up the network of churches, educational, healthcare and social institutions which have long been the hallmark of the Church in this land"

  "In this land of religious liberty, Catholics found freedom not only to practice their faith, but also to participate fully in civic life, bringing their deepest moral convictions to the public square and co-operating with their neighbours in shaping a vibrant, democratic society. Today's celebration is more than an occasion of gratitude for graces received. It is also a summons to move forward with firm resolve to use wisely the blessings of freedom, in order to build a future of hope for coming generations".

  The Holy Father invited all those present to pray for the coming of the Kingdom of God . This, he said, "also means being constantly alert for the signs of its presence, and working for its growth in every sector of society. It means facing the challenges of present and future with confidence in Christ's victory and a commitment to extending His reign. It means not losing heart in the face of resistance, adversity and scandal. It means overcoming every separation between faith and life, and countering false gospels of freedom and happiness. It also means rejecting a false dichotomy between faith and political life, since, as Vatican Council II put it, 'there is no human activity - even in secular affairs - which can be withdrawn from God's dominion'".

  "As 'a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation', follow faithfully in the footsteps of those who have gone before you!", exclaimed Pope Benedict at the end of his homily. "Find the courage to proclaim Christ, ... and the unchanging truths which have their foundation in Him. These are the truths that set us free! They are the truths which alone can guarantee respect for the inalienable dignity and rights of each man, woman and child in our world - including the most defenceless of all human beings, the unborn child in the mother's womb. In a world where, as Pope John Paul II, speaking in this very place, reminded us, Lazarus continues to stand at our door, let your faith and love bear rich fruit in outreach to the poor, the needy and those without a voice".

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PROMOTE PEACEFUL CO-EXISTENCE BETWEEN NATIONS

VATICAN CITY, 20 APR 2008 (VIS) - At 8 p.m. local time today, the Pope arrived at New York 's John Fitzgerald Kennedy international airport at the end of his visit to the United States . The farewell ceremony was held in the presence of political and civil authorities; U.S. cardinals; the president, vice-president and secretary general of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), and 5,000 faithful from the diocese of Brooklyn where the airport is located, led by Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio.

  Following a greeting pronounced by U. S. Vice-President Richard B. Cheney, the Pope delivered the final address of his trip.

  The Holy Father spoke of his "deep appreciation" for the welcome he had received, thanking U.S. President Bush "for kindly coming to greet me at the start of my visit, and ... Vice-President Cheney for his presence here as I depart".

  "Once again I offer prayerful good wishes to the representatives of the see of Baltimore , the first archdiocese, and those of New York , Boston , Philadelphia and Louisville , in this jubilee year".

  To his brother bishops and to "the officers and staff of the episcopal conference who have contributed in so many ways to the preparation of this visit", the Pope extended his "renewed gratitude for their hard work and dedication. With great affection I greet once more the priests and religious, the deacons, the seminarians and young people, and all the faithful in the United States , and I encourage you to continue bearing joyful witness to Christ our Hope, our Risen Lord and Saviour, Who makes all things new and gives us life in abundance".

  The Holy Father identified "one of the high-points" of his visit as "the opportunity to address the General Assembly of the United Nations". In this context, he also thanked Ban Ki-moon, U.N. secretary general, "for his kind invitation and welcome".

  Benedict XVI went on: "Looking back over the 60 years that have passed since the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, I give thanks for all that the Organisation has been able to achieve in defending and promoting the fundamental rights of every man, woman and child throughout the world, and I encourage people of good will everywhere to continue working tirelessly to promote justice and peaceful co-existence between peoples and nations.

  The visit to Ground Zero, said the Pope, "will remain firmly etched in my memory, as I continue to pray for those who died and for all who suffer in consequence of the tragedy that occurred there in 2001. For all the people of America , and indeed throughout the world, I pray that the future will bring increased fraternity and solidarity, a growth in mutual respect, and a renewed trust and confidence in God, our heavenly Father.

  "With these words, I take my leave, I ask you to remember me in your prayers, and I assure you of my affection and friendship in the Lord. May God bless America !"

  The papal aircraft took off at 8.30 p.m. local time ( 2.30 a .m. in Rome ). Following a flight of slightly more than eight hours, his plane is due to land at Rome 's Ciampino airport at 10.45 a .m., whence the Pope will travel by car to the Vatican .

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ON WEDNESDAY, FUNERAL OF CARDINAL LOPEZ TRUJILLO

VATICAN CITY, 21 APR 2008 (VIS) - Benedict XVI has sent a telegram of condolence for the death of Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo, president of the Pontifical Council for the Family. The cardinal died in Rome on Saturday 19 April at the age of 72.

  In his telegram, addressed to the late cardinal's brother Anibal, the Holy Father writes:

  "Having received the sad news of the death of the beloved Cardinal Alfonso Lopez Trujillo, president of the Pontifical Council for the Family, I would like to express my heartfelt condolences to you, to your brothers Flavio and Asdrubal, and to all your relatives. I feel close to all of you at this painful time, and I ask God, by the intercession of Our Lady of Chiquinquira, to grant eternal repose to this tireless pastor, so generously committed to the service of the Church and of the Gospel of life.

  "His wide-ranging ministerial work - as priest and auxiliary bishop of Bogota, as archbishop of Medellin, secretary and president of the Latin American Episcopal Council, president of the Episcopal Conference of Colombia and, finally, president of the Pontifical Council for the Family - is clear evidence of his profound love for the Church and his dedication to the noble cause of promoting marriage and the Christian family.

  "At this time, I am pleased to grant you a comforting Apostolic Blessing, which I happily extend to all those who helped him, and to the bishops, priests, religious communities and faithful who accompanied him closely with their friendship and collaboration".

  At the altar of the Cathedra in the Vatican Basilica at 11 a .m. on Wednesday 23 April, Cardinal Angelo Sodano, dean of the College of Cardinals, will celebrate Mass with other members of the college.

  The Pope will then preside at the funeral liturgy, pronounce the homily, and administer the rites of "Ultima Commendatio" and of "Valedictio".

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CHURCH'S CHALLENGE: TO COMMUNICATE THE JOY BORN OF FAITH

VATICAN CITY, 19 APR 2008 (VIS) - In New York at 9.15 a .m. today, Benedict XVI celebrated Mass in the city's neo-Gothic St. Patrick's Cathedral. As he arrived, the Holy Father was greeted by Cardinal Edward Egan, archbishop of New York , Msgr. Robert T. Ritchie, the rector of the cathedral, and Michael Bloomberg, mayor of New York .

  The celebration of Mass for the Universal Church , which coincided with the third anniversary of Benedict XVI's election to the pontifical throne, was dedicated to clergy and religious of U.S. east coast dioceses, where New York is located.

  "In this country", said the Holy Father in his homily, "the Church's mission has always involved drawing people 'from every nation under heaven' into spiritual unity, and enriching the Body of Christ by the variety of their gifts. As we give thanks for past blessings, and look to the challenges of the future, let us implore from God the grace of a new Pentecost for the Church in America ".

  The Church, he went on, "is called to proclaim the gift of life, to serve life, and to promote a culture of life. ... The proclamation of life, life in abundance, must be the heart of the new evangelisation. For true life - our salvation - can only be found in the reconciliation, freedom and love which are God's gracious gift.

  "This", he added, "is the message of hope we are called to proclaim and embody in a world where self-centredness, greed, violence, and cynicism so often seem to choke the fragile growth of grace in people's hearts. ... Perhaps we have lost sight of this: in a society where the Church seems legalistic and 'institutional' to many people, our most urgent challenge is to communicate the joy born of faith and the experience of God's love".

  Benedict XVI then dwelt on some features of the cathedral building itself, associating them with the mission of priests and religious within the Church.

  "The first", he said, "has to do with the stained glass windows. ... From the outside, those windows are dark, heavy, even dreary. But once one enters the church, they suddenly come alive; reflecting the light passing through them, they reveal all their splendour. ... It follows", he explained, "that we, who live the life of grace within the Church's communion, are called to draw all people into this mystery of light.

  "This is no easy task in a world which can tend to look at the Church, like those stained glass windows, 'from the outside': a world which deeply senses a need for spirituality, yet finds it difficult to 'enter into' the mystery of the Church. Even for those of us within, the light of faith can be dimmed by routine, and the splendour of the Church obscured by the sins and weaknesses of her members. It can be dimmed too, by the obstacles encountered in a society which sometimes seems to have forgotten God and to resent even the most elementary demands of Christian morality".

  "Yet the word of God reminds us that, in faith, we see the heavens opened, and the grace of the Holy Spirit lighting up the Church and bringing sure hope to our world".

  The second feature the Pope considered was the architecture of the cathedral, "like all Gothic cathedrals, a highly complex structure, whose exact and harmonious proportions symbolise the unity of God's creation. ... Does this not bring to mind our need to see all things with the eyes of faith, and thus to grasp them in their truest perspective, in the unity of God's eternal plan? This requires, as we know, constant conversion, and a commitment to acquiring 'a fresh, spiritual way of thinking'. ... Is not this ongoing 'intellectual' conversion", he asked, "as necessary as 'moral' conversion for our own growth in faith, our discernment of the signs of the times, and our personal contribution to the Church's life and mission?".

  In this context, Pope Benedict expressed the view that "one of the great disappointments which followed Vatican Council II, with its call for a greater engagement in the Church's mission to the world, has been the experience of division between different groups, different generations, different members of the same religious family. We can only move forward if we turn our gaze together to Christ! In the light of faith, we will then discover the wisdom and strength needed to open ourselves to points of view which may not necessarily conform to our own ideas or assumptions. ... In this way, we will move together towards that true spiritual renewal desired by the Council, a renewal which can only strengthen the Church in that holiness and unity indispensable for the effective proclamation of the Gospel in today's world".

  "Here, within the context of our need for the perspective given by faith, and for unity and co-operation in the work of building up the Church, I would like say a word about the sexual abuse that has caused so much suffering. I have already had occasion to speak of this, and of the resulting damage to the community of the faithful. Here I simply wish to assure you, dear priests and religious, of my spiritual closeness as you strive to respond with Christian hope to the continuing challenges that this situation presents. I join you in praying that this will be a time of purification for each and every particular Church and religious community, and a time for healing".

  "The unity of a Gothic cathedral, we know, is not the static unity of a classical temple, but a unity born of the dynamic tension of diverse forces which impel the architecture upward, pointing it to heaven. Here too, we can see a symbol of the Church's unity, which is the unity ... of a living body composed of many different members, each with its own role and purpose".

  "Certainly within the Church's divinely-willed structure there is a distinction to be made between hierarchical and charismatic gifts. Yet the very variety and richness of the graces bestowed by the Spirit invite us constantly to discern how these gifts are to be rightly ordered in the service of the Church's mission".

  "In the finest traditions of the Church in this country", the Pope concluded, addressing the priests and religious, "may you also be the first friend of the poor, the homeless, the stranger, the sick and all who suffer. Act as beacons of hope, casting the light of Christ upon the world, and encouraging young people to discover the beauty of a life given completely to the Lord and His Church".

  At the conclusion of Mass the Holy Father made some off-the-cuff remarks concerning his Petrine ministry:

  "At this moment I can only thank you for your love of the Church and Our Lord, and for the love which you show to the poor Successor of St. Peter. I will try to do all that is possible to be a worthy successor of the great Apostle, who also was a man with faults and sins, but remained in the end the rock for the Church. And so I too, with all my spiritual poverty, can be for this time, in virtue of the Lord's grace, the Successor of Peter. It is also your prayers and your love which give me the certainty that the Lord will help me in this my ministry. I am therefore deeply grateful for your love and for your prayers. My response now for all that you have given to me during this visit is my blessing, which I impart to you at the conclusion of this beautiful celebration".

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FAITH HELPS US TO SEE LIFE AS GOD DOES

VATICAN CITY, 19 APR 2008 (VIS) - This afternoon, having lunched with bishops of the archdiocese of New York , the Pope travelled by car to the city's St. Joseph 's Seminary, where he was welcomed by the rector, Msgr. Gerald T. Walsh.

  The Pope first went to the seminary chapel where he met with a group of 50 disabled children. One of them addressed a greeting to the Holy Father in the name of all of them, after which Pope Benedict made some remarks of his own.

  "God", he said, "has blessed you with life, and with differing talents and gifts. Through these you are able to serve Him and society in various ways. ... Sometimes it is challenging to find a reason for what appears only as a difficulty to be overcome or even pain to be endured. Yet our faith helps us to break open the horizon beyond our own selves in order to see life as God does. God's unconditional love, which bathes every human individual, points to a meaning and purpose for all human life".

  Benedict XVI encouraged the young people "to pray every day for our world, ... including those who have yet to come to know Jesus. And please do continue to pray for me", he concluded. "As you know I have just had another birthday. Time passes!"

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YOUNG PEOPLE: PERSONAL PRAYER, LITURGICAL PRAYER, CHARITY

VATICAN CITY, 19 APR 2008 (VIS) - Today at 4.30 p.m. local time, the Holy Father met with young people and seminarians at New York's St. Joseph's Seminary.

  Following a welcome speech delivered by Cardinal Edward Egan, archbishop of New York , three representatives of the 20,000 young people presented the Pope with bread, rice and maize as a symbol of the richness of their various traditions. A group of young people then sang him "Happy Birthday" in German.

  The Pope began his address by referring to the six images on display at the meeting. "Images", he said, "of six ordinary men and women who grew up to lead extraordinary lives. The Church honours them as Venerable, Blessed, or Saint: ... St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, St. John Neumann, Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha, Venerable Pierre Toussaint, and Fr. Felix Varela. ... Each responded to the Lord's call to a life of charity and each served Him here, in the alleys, streets and suburbs of New York ".

  "And what of today?" the Pope asked. "Who bears witness to the Good News of Jesus on the streets of New York , in the troubled neighbourhoods of large cities, in the places where the young gather, seeking someone in whom they can trust? God is our origin and our destination, and Jesus the way", he said.

  After highlighting the fact that young Americans today "are brought up with a sense of generosity, service and fairness", the Holy Father recalled how his own adolescence was "marred by a sinister regime that thought it had all the answers; its influence grew - infiltrating schools and civic bodies, as well as politics and even religion - before it was fully recognised for the monster it was. It banished God and thus became impervious to anything true and good".

  "Let us thank God", said the Pope, "that today many people of your generation are able to enjoy the liberties which have arisen through the extension of democracy and respect for human rights".

  "The power to destroy does, however, remain", he warned. "To pretend otherwise would be to fool ourselves. Yet, it never triumphs; it is defeated. ... During the beautiful Easter vigil liturgy, it was not from despair or fear that we cried out to God for our world, but with hope-filled confidence: dispel the darkness of our heart! dispel the darkness of our minds!" And "what might that darkness be?" the Pope asked. "What happens when people, especially the most vulnerable, encounter a clenched fist of repression or manipulation rather than a hand of hope?" In this context, he recalled young people "affected by drug and substance abuse, homelessness and poverty, racism, violence, and degradation - especially of girls and women".

  Another "area of darkness - that which affects the mind - often goes unnoticed, and for this reason is particularly sinister. The manipulation of truth distorts our perception of reality, and tarnishes our imagination and aspirations", said the Pope. Hence "the fundamental importance of freedom must be rigorously safeguarded" because "it can be misunderstood or misused so as to lead not to the happiness which we all expect it to yield, but to a dark arena of manipulation in which our understanding of self and the world becomes confused, or even distorted by those who have an ulterior agenda".

  The Holy Father noted that "often the call for freedom is made without ever referring to the truth of the human person, ... and in truth's place - or better said its absence - an idea has spread which, in giving value to everything indiscriminately, claims to assure freedom and to liberate conscience. This we call relativism".

  "Dear friends", he told the young people "truth is not an imposition. Nor is it simply a set of rules. It is a discovery of the One who never fails us; the One Whom we can always trust. ... Ultimately truth is a person: Jesus Christ. That is why authentic freedom is not an opting out. It is an opting in".

  "How then can we as believers help others to walk the path of freedom which brings fulfilment and lasting happiness? ... Christ's light beckons you to be guiding stars for others, walking Christ's way of forgiveness, reconciliation, humility, joy and peace".

  Benedict XVI then turned his attention to "four essential aspects of the treasure of our faith: personal prayer and silence, liturgical prayer, charity in action, and vocations.

  "What matters most", he added, "is that you develop your personal relationship with God. That relationship is expressed in prayer. ... Friends, do not be afraid of silence or stillness, listen to God, adore Him in the Eucharist. Let His word shape your journey as an unfolding of holiness".

  "Through the liturgy, the 'work of Jesus' is continually brought into contact with history; with our lives in order to shape them. ... Whenever you gather for Mass, when you go to Confession, whenever you celebrate any of the Sacraments, Jesus is at work".

  The Pope then referred to "new injustices" stemming "from the exploitation of the heart and manipulation of the mind; even our common habitat, the earth itself, groans under the weight of consumerist greed and irresponsible exploitation", he said. "We must respond with a renewed social action that stems from the universal love that knows no bounds".

  He invited the young men and women to express their gratitude to "parents, grandparents and godparents, ... they made it possible for you to receive the greatest gift of your life", Baptism. "On that day you entered into the holiness of God Himself. You became adoptive sons and daughters of the Father. You were incorporated into Christ".

  Turning then to address the 300 seminarians from east coast dioceses present at the gathering, the Pope told them: "The People of God look to you to be holy priests. ... I urge you to deepen your friendship with Jesus the Good Shepherd. ... Reject any temptation to ostentation, careerism, or conceit".

  The Holy Father also underlined the generous contribution made by religious and by regular priests "to the mission of the Church. ... The wondrous array of charisms proper to each religious institute is an extraordinary spiritual treasury. ... Through the discovery of charisms, which yield such a breadth of spiritual wisdom, I am sure that some of you young people will be drawn to a life of apostolic or contemplative service".

  "The hope which never disappoints is Jesus Christ", said Pope Benedict in conclusion, telling the young people present that within the Church "you too will find the courage and support to walk the way of the Lord. ... You are Christ's disciples today. Shine His light upon this great city and beyond".

  Finally, the Pope bid farewell to his audience "until we meet again in Sydney this July for World Youth Day!"

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POPE AT GROUND ZERO: GOD BRING PEACE TO OUR VIOLENT WORLD

VATICAN CITY, 20 APR 2008 (VIS) - In New York at 9.30 a .m. local time today, the Pope visited Ground Zero, the name now used to refer to the site once occupied by the twin towers of the World Trade Centre.

  On 11 September 2001 two aircraft crashed into the twin towers, destroying them and a number of neighbouring buildings in a terrorist attack which cost the lives of 2,896 people. The site today is a vast 80-metre deep crater, surrounded by a fence and marked with a cross.

  In 2002 the reconstruction of the World Trade Centre was put out for tender in a competition won by the architect Daniel Libensky. Today, Ground Zero is a construction site where work is scheduled to finish in the year 2012. The main building of the new complex will be the " Freedom Tower ", 541 metres high.

  Benedict XVI arrived at Ground Zero accompanied by Cardinal Edward Egan, archbishop of New York . Awaiting him there were Michael Bloomberg, mayor of the city; David A. Paterson and John Corzine, respectively governors of New York and of New Jersey ; 24 people representing the forces that responded to the attack of 11 September, and a number of injured and relatives of the victims.

  The Holy Father kneeled for a few minutes of silent prayer for the victims of the attack, then lit a candle before pronouncing the following prayer:

  "O God of love, compassion, and healing,

look on us, people of many different faiths and traditions,

who gather today at this site,

the scene of incredible violence and pain.

  "We ask you in your goodness

to give eternal light and peace

to all who died here -

the heroic first-responders:

our fire fighters, police officers,

emergency service workers, and Port Authority personnel,

along with all the innocent men and women

who were victims of this tragedy

simply because their work or service

brought them here on 11 September 2001.

  "We ask you, in your compassion

to bring healing to those

who, because of their presence here that day,

suffer from injuries and illness.

Heal, too, the pain of still-grieving families

and all who lost loved ones in this tragedy.

Give them strength to continue their lives with courage and hope.

  "We are mindful as well

of those who suffered death, injury, and loss

on the same day at the Pentagon and in Shanksville , Pennsylvania .

Our hearts are one with theirs

as our prayer embraces their pain and suffering.

  "God of peace, bring your peace to our violent world:

peace in the hearts of all men and women

and peace among the nations of the earth.

Turn to your way of love

those whose hearts and minds

are consumed with hatred.

  "God of understanding,

overwhelmed by the magnitude of this tragedy,

we seek your light and guidance

as we confront such terrible events.

Grant that those whose lives were spared

may live so that the lives lost here

may not have been lost in vain.

Comfort and console us,

strengthen us in hope,

and give us the wisdom and courage

to work tirelessly for a world

where true peace and love reign

among nations and in the hearts of all".

  The prayer over, the Pope greeted survivors of the attack, relatives of some of the victims, and members of the rescue squads. Finally, he imparted his blessing to those present.

  After the ceremony, the Holy Father returned to his residence where he bid farewell to the staff of the Holy See permanent mission to the United Nations in New York before having lunch in private.

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HUMAN RIGHTS ARE UNIVERSAL AND INDIVISIBLE

VATICAN CITY, 18 APR 2008 (VIS) - This morning, the Pope visited the New York headquarters of the United Nations Organisation where, on his arrival, he was welcomed by Ban Ki-moon, U.N. secretary general, and Srgjan Kerim, current president of the General Assembly.

  Benedict XVI is the third Pontiff to address the U.N. General Assembly. Pope Paul VI did so on 4 October 1965, and John Paul II on two occasions: 2 October 1979 and 5 October 1995.

  Following a private meeting with the secretary general, the Holy Father went to the General Assembly where he addressed representatives of the 192 member States.

  Excerpts from the Holy Father's address are given below:

  "Through the United Nations, States have established universal objectives which, even if they do not coincide with the total common good of the human family, undoubtedly represent a fundamental part of that good. The founding principles of the Organisation - the desire for peace, the quest for justice, respect for the dignity of the person, humanitarian co-operation and assistance - express the just aspirations of the human spirit, and constitute the ideals which should underpin international relations. ... The United Nations embodies the aspiration for a 'greater degree of international ordering', inspired and governed by the principle of subsidiarity, and therefore capable of responding to the demands of the human family through binding international rules and through structures capable of harmonising the day-to-day unfolding of the lives of peoples. This is all the more necessary at a time when we experience the obvious paradox of a multilateral consensus that continues to be in crisis because it is still subordinated to the decisions of a few, whereas the world's problems call for interventions in the form of collective action by the international community.

  "Indeed, questions of security, development goals, reduction of local and global inequalities, protection of the environment, of resources and of the climate, require all international leaders to act jointly and to show a readiness to work in good faith, respecting the law, and promoting solidarity with the weakest regions of the planet. I am thinking especially of those countries in Africa and other parts of the world which remain on the margins of authentic integral development, and are therefore at risk of experiencing only the negative effects of globalisation.  In the context of international relations, it is necessary to recognise the higher role played by rules and structures that are intrinsically ordered to promote the common good, and therefore to safeguard human freedom. These regulations do not limit freedom. On the contrary, they promote it when they prohibit behaviour and actions which work against the common good, curb its effective exercise and hence compromise the dignity of every human person".

  "Here our thoughts turn also to the way the results of scientific research and technological advances have sometimes been applied. Notwithstanding the enormous benefits that humanity can gain, some instances of this represent a clear violation of the order of creation, to the point where not only is the sacred character of life contradicted, but the human person and the family are robbed of their natural identity. Likewise, international action to preserve the environment and to protect various forms of life on earth must not only guarantee a rational use of technology and science, but must also rediscover the authentic image of creation. This never requires a choice to be made between science and ethics: rather it is a question of adopting a scientific method that is truly respectful of ethical imperatives.

  "Recognition of the unity of the human family, and attention to the innate dignity of every man and woman, today find renewed emphasis in the principle of the responsibility to protect. ... Every State has the primary duty to protect its own population from grave and sustained violations of human rights, as well as from the consequences of humanitarian crises, whether natural or man-made. If States are unable to guarantee such protection, the international community must intervene with the juridical means provided in the United Nations Charter and in other international instruments. The action of the international community and its institutions, provided that it respects the principles undergirding the international order, should never be interpreted as an unwarranted imposition or a limitation of sovereignty".

  "The principle of 'responsibility to protect' was considered by the ancient 'ius gentium' as the foundation of every action taken by those in government with regard to the governed. ... Now, as then, this principle has to invoke the idea of the person as image of the Creator, the desire for the absolute and the essence of freedom. The founding of the United Nations, as we know, coincided with the profound upheavals that humanity experienced when reference to the meaning of transcendence and natural reason was abandoned, and in consequence, freedom and human dignity were grossly violated. ... When faced with new and insistent challenges, it is a mistake to fall back on a pragmatic approach, limited to determining 'common ground', minimal in content and weak in its effect.

  "This reference to human dignity, which is the foundation and goal of the responsibility to protect, leads us to the theme we are specifically focusing upon this year, which marks the sixtieth anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. ... Human rights are increasingly being presented as the common language and the ethical substratum of international relations. At the same time, the universality, indivisibility and interdependence of human rights all serve as guarantees safeguarding human dignity. It is evident, though, that the rights recognised and expounded in the Declaration apply to everyone by virtue of the common origin of the person, who remains the high-point of God's creative design for the world and for history. They are based on the natural law inscribed on human hearts and present in different cultures and civilisations. Removing human rights from this context would mean restricting their range and yielding to a relativistic conception, according to which the meaning and interpretation of rights could vary and their universality would be denied in the name of different cultural, political, social and even religious outlooks".

  "The life of the community, both domestically and internationally, clearly demonstrates that respect for rights, and the guarantees that follow from them, are measures of the common good that serve to evaluate the relationship between justice and injustice, development and poverty, security and conflict. ... The merit of the Universal Declaration is that it has enabled different cultures, juridical expressions and institutional models to converge around a fundamental nucleus of values, and hence of rights. Today, though, efforts need to be redoubled in the face of pressure to reinterpret the foundations of the Declaration and to compromise its inner unity so as to facilitate a move away from the protection of human dignity towards the satisfaction of simple interests, often particular interests".

  "Experience shows that legality often prevails over justice when the insistence upon rights makes them appear as the exclusive result of legislative enactments or normative decisions taken by the various agencies of those in power. When presented purely in terms of legality, rights risk becoming weak propositions divorced from the ethical and rational dimension which is their foundation and their goal. The Universal Declaration, rather, has reinforced the conviction that respect for human rights is principally rooted in unchanging justice, on which the binding force of international proclamations is also based. This aspect is often overlooked when the attempt is made to deprive rights of their true function in the name of a narrowly utilitarian perspective. Since rights and the resulting duties follow naturally from human interaction, it is easy to forget that they are the fruit of a commonly held sense of justice built primarily upon solidarity among the members of society, and hence valid at all times and for all peoples".

  "As history proceeds, new situations arise, and the attempt is made to link them to new rights. Discernment, that is, the capacity to distinguish good from evil, becomes even more essential in the context of demands that concern the very lives and conduct of persons, communities and peoples".

  "Discernment, then, shows that entrusting exclusively to individual States, with their laws and institutions, the final responsibility to meet the aspirations of persons, communities and entire peoples, can sometimes have consequences that exclude the possibility of a social order respectful of the dignity and rights of the person. On the other hand, a vision of life firmly anchored in the religious dimension can help to achieve this, since recognition of the transcendent value of every man and woman favours conversion of heart, which then leads to a commitment to resist violence, terrorism and war, and to promote justice and peace. This also provides the proper context for the inter-religious dialogue that the United Nations is called to support, just as it supports dialogue in other areas of human activity".

  "Human rights, of course, must include the right to religious freedom, understood as the expression of a dimension that is at once individual and communitarian - a vision that brings out the unity of the person while clearly distinguishing between the dimension of the citizen and that of the believer. ... It is inconceivable, then, that believers should have to suppress a part of themselves - their faith - in order to be active citizens. It should never be necessary to deny God in order to enjoy one's rights. The rights associated with religion are all the more in need of protection if they are considered to clash with a prevailing secular ideology or with majority religious positions of an exclusive nature. The full guarantee of religious liberty cannot be limited to the free exercise of worship, but has to give due consideration to the public dimension of religion, and hence to the possibility of believers playing their part in building the social order".

  "My presence at this Assembly is a sign of esteem for the United Nations, and it is intended to express the hope that the Organisation will increasingly serve as a sign of unity between States and an instrument of service to the entire human family. It also demonstrates the willingness of the Catholic Church to offer her proper contribution to building international relations in a way that allows every person and every people to feel they can make a difference".

  "The United Nations remains a privileged setting in which the Church is committed to contributing her experience 'of humanity', developed over the centuries among peoples of every race and culture, and placing it at the disposal of all members of the international community. This experience and activity, directed towards attaining freedom for every believer, seeks also to increase the protection given to the rights of the person. Those rights are grounded and shaped by the transcendent nature of the person, which permits men and women to pursue their journey of faith and their search for God in this world. Recognition of this dimension must be strengthened if we are to sustain humanity's hope for a better world and if we are to create the conditions for peace, development, co-operation, and guarantee of rights for future generations".

  Having completed his address, the Holy Father met with the president of the General Assembly and, subsequently, with the president of the U.N. Security Council, a post currently held by Dumisani Kumalo, South African ambassador.

  Click here to read the complete text of the Holy Father's address.

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HOLY FATHER GREETS U.N. STAFF

VATICAN CITY, 18 APR 2008 (VIS) - At the end of his meeting with the president of the U.N. Security Council, the Pope met with members of the United Nations staff, to whom he addressed some brief remarks.

  Benedict XVI contrasted the relatively small size of the U.N. headquarters and the greatness of its mission with the reduced dimensions of Vatican City State and the universality of the Church's calling. "The sixteenth-century artists who painted the maps on the walls of the Apostolic Palace ", he said, offered Popes "a tangible sign of the immense outreach of the Church's mission at a time when the discovery of the New World was opening up unforeseen horizons.

  "Here in this glass palace, the art on display has its own way of reminding us of the responsibilities of the United Nations Organisation. We see images of the effects of war and poverty, we are reminded of our duty to strive for a better world, and we rejoice in the sheer diversity and exuberance of human culture, manifested in the wide range of peoples and nations gathered together under the umbrella of the international community".

  The Pope expressed his own and the Church's appreciation to U.N. staff, particularly recalling "the many civilians and peace-keepers who have sacrificed their lives in the field for the good of the peoples they serve" and "the vast multitude who dedicate their lives to work that is never sufficiently acknowledged, often in difficult circumstances".

  U.N. personnel, he said, "constitute a microcosm of the whole world, in which each individual makes an indispensable contribution from the perspective of his or her particular cultural and religious heritage. The ideals that inspired the founders of this institution need to take shape here and in every one of the Organisation's missions around the world in the mutual respect and acceptance that are the hallmarks of a thriving family".

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JEWISH COMMUNITY: BUILD BRIDGES OF FRIENDSHIP

VATICAN CITY, 18 APR 2008 (VIS) - At 5.20 p.m. today, the Holy Father visited New York's Park East Synagogue, which was built in 1889 and is one of the city's historic landmarks. The members of the synagogue are involved in educational and charitable activities and its Rabbi, the Austrian Arthur Schneier, a Holocaust survivor, is president of the Appeal of Conscience Foundation which campaigns to make the Cross the Crescent, and the Star of David symbols of peace, tolerance and mutual respect.

  In his address, the Holy Father spoke of his desire to express his "respect and esteem for the Jewish community in New York City . ... I find it moving", he said, "to recall that Jesus, as a young boy, heard the words of Scripture and prayed in a place such as this".

  After thanking Rabbi Schneier for his words of welcome, Benedict XVI said: "I know that the Jewish community make a valuable contribution to the life of the city, and I encourage all of you to continue building bridges of friendship with all the many different ethnic and religious groups present in your neighbourhood".

  The Pope renewed his Passover greetings to the community and assured them of his prayers "at this time, as you prepare to celebrate the great deeds of the Almighty, and to sing the praises of Him Who has worked such wonders for His people".

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TRANSPARENT WITNESS TO THE REASONS FOR OUR HOPE

VATICAN CITY, 18 APR 2008 (VIS) - At 6 p.m. local time today, the Holy Father participated in an ecumenical meeting at the church of St. Joseph. The event was attended by 250 representatives from 10 Christian confessions.

  At the beginning of his address, the Holy Father expressed his appreciation "for the invaluable work of all those engaged in ecumenism: the National Council of Churches, Christian Churches Together, the Catholic Bishops' Secretariat for Ecumenical and Inter-religious Affairs, and many others. The contribution of Christians in the United States to the ecumenical movement is felt throughout the world", he said.

  The Holy Father expressed the opinion that "globalisation has humanity poised between two poles. On the one hand, there is a growing sense of interconnectedness and interdependency between peoples even when - geographically and culturally speaking - they are far apart. ... On the other hand, we cannot deny that the rapid changes occurring in our world also present some disturbing signs of fragmentation and a retreat into individualism".

  The Pope then went on to express his concern for "the spread of a secularist ideology that undermines or even rejects transcendent truth. The very possibility of divine revelation, and therefore of Christian faith, is often placed into question by cultural trends widely present in academia, the mass media and public debate. For these reasons, a faithful witness to the Gospel is as urgent as ever. Christians are challenged to give a clear account of the hope that they hold.

  "Too often", he added, "those who are not Christians, as they observe the splintering of Christian communities, are understandably confused about the Gospel message itself. Fundamental Christian beliefs and practices are sometimes changed within communities by so-called 'prophetic actions' that are based on a hermeneutic not always consonant with the datum of Scripture and Tradition. Communities consequently give up the attempt to act as a unified body, choosing instead to function according to the idea of 'local options'".

  "Faced with these difficulties", the Pope went on, "we must first recall that the unity of the Church flows from the perfect oneness of the Trinitarian God". With reference to the Apostles, he also recalled how "the ultimate effectiveness of their preaching" depended "on the work of the Spirit Who confirmed their authoritative witness".

  "The power of the 'kerygma' has lost none of its internal dynamism", he continued. "Yet we must ask ourselves whether its full force has not been attenuated by a relativistic approach to Christian doctrine similar to that found in secular ideologies, which, in alleging that science alone is 'objective', relegate religion entirely to the subjective sphere of individual feeling".

  The Holy Father made it clear that although "scientific discoveries, and their application through human ingenuity, undoubtedly offer new possibilities for the betterment of humankind. This does not mean ... that the 'knowable' is limited to the empirically verifiable, nor religion restricted to the shifting realm of 'personal experience'.

  "For Christians to accept this faulty line of reasoning would lead to the notion that there is little need to emphasise objective truth in the presentation of the Christian faith, for one need but follow his or her own conscience and choose a community that best suits his or her individual tastes. The result is seen in the continual proliferation of communities which often eschew institutional structures and minimise the importance of doctrinal content for Christian living".

  The Pope told the representatives of different Christian confessions that "only by 'holding fast' to sound teaching will we be able to respond to the challenges that confront us in an evolving world. Only in this way will we give unambiguous testimony to the truth of the Gospel and its moral teaching. This is the message which the world is waiting to hear from us.

  "Like the early Christians, we have a responsibility to give transparent witness to the 'reasons for our hope', so that the eyes of all men and women of goodwill may be opened to see that God has shown us His face and granted us access to His divine life through Jesus Christ. He alone is our hope!"

  "May this prayer service", the Holy Father concluded, "exemplify the centrality of prayer in the ecumenical movement; for without it, ecumenical structures, institutions and programs would be deprived of their heart and soul".

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PROGRAMME OF PAPAL TRIP FOR SATURDAY AND SUNDAY

VATICAN CITY, 19 APR 2008 (VIS) - Today, the third anniversary of his election to the pontifical throne, Benedict XVI will celebrate Mass for priests and religious in New York's St. Patrick's Cathedral, at 9.15 a .m. local time (3.15 p.m. in Rome).

  At 4 p.m. local time the Holy Father will travel to St. Joseph 's Seminary. There he will briefly greet a group of disabled children before moving on to the sports field behind the seminary building for a gathering with young people and seminarians.

  Following this, the Pope will return to his residence in New York where he will dine with staff of the Holy See permanent mission to the United Nations.

  Tomorrow, 20 April, the last day of his apostolic trip the United States , the Pope is scheduled to visit Ground Zero at 9.30 a .m. local time. Ground Zero is the site once occupied by the twin towers, destroyed in the terrorist attack of 11 September 2001 which cost the lives of 2,896 people.

  At 2.30 p.m. that day the Holy Father will celebrate Mass in New York 's Yankee Stadium. Since 1923 the stadium, which has capacity for 60,000 people, has hosted games of the New York Yankees baseball team, famous for having won more World Series championships than any other team.

  At 7.30 p.m. local time, Benedict XVI will travel to the John Fitzgerald Kennedy international airport, where the farewell ceremony will be held at 8 p.m.

  The papal flight is scheduled to take off at 8.30 p.m. ( 2.30 a .m. in Rome ) and land at Rome 's Ciampino airport eight hours later at 10.45 a .m.

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OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, 19 APR 2008 ( VIS ) - The Holy Father:

 - Appointed Fr. Edward Hiiboro Kussala, professor of moral theology at St. Paul 's Seminary in Khartoum , Sudan , as bishop of Tombura-Yambio (area 81,321, population 671,000, Catholics 316,590, priests 27, religious 32), Sudan . The bishop-elect was born in Source Yuba, Sudan in 1964 and ordained a priest in 1994. He succeeds Bishop Joseph Abangite Gasi, whose resignation from the pastoral care of the same diocese the Holy Father accepted, upon having reached the age limit.

 - Appointed Bishop Peter J. Kairo of Nakuru , Kenya , as archbishop of Nyeri (area 7,823, population 178,000, Catholics 71,400, priests 80, religious 287), Kenya . The archbishop-elect was born in Londiani , Kenya in 1941, he was ordained a priest in 1970 and consecrated a bishop in 1983.

 - Appointed Msgr. Hubert Berenbrinker of the clergy of the archdiocese of Paderborn, Germany, canon of the metropolitan chapter, as auxiliary of the same archdiocese (area 14,754, population 4,900,000, Catholics 1,694,853, priests 1,171, permanent deacons 158, religious 2,093). The bishop-elect was born in Verl , Germany in 1950 and ordained a priest in 1977.

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CATHOLICS MUST OFFER A CONVINCING ACCOUNT OF THEIR HOPE

VATICAN CITY, 17 APR 2008 (VIS) - At 9.30 a .m. local time today, the Pope arrived by car at the Nationals Park Stadium of Washington D.C., which has capacity for 45,000 spectators and is the most modern baseball stadium in the United States. The Holy Father was welcomed by Archbishop Donald William Wuerl of Washington , by Adrian M. Fenty, mayor of Washington D.C. , and by Theodore Lerner, owner of the stadium and its team.

  Benedict XVI made a tour of the stadium by popemobile before moving to the sacristy. Mass, dedicated to the faithful of the archdiocese of Washington , began at 10 a .m.

  In his homily, the Holy Father recalled how Pope Pius VII had divided the diocese of Baltimore and established the dioceses of Boston, Bardstown (now Louisville), New York and Philadelphia. "Two hundred years later, the Church in America can rightfully praise the accomplishment of past generations in bringing together widely differing immigrant groups within the unity of the Catholic faith and in a common commitment to the spread of the Gospel", he said.

  Benedict XVI then went on to express the hope that "this significant anniversary" and his own visit "will be an occasion for all Catholics to reaffirm their unity in the apostolic faith, to offer their contemporaries a convincing account of the hope which inspires them, and to be renewed in missionary zeal for the extension of God's Kingdom.

  "The world needs this witness", he added. "Who can deny that the present moment ... is a time of great promise, as we see the human family in many ways drawing closer together and becoming ever more interdependent. Yet at the same time we see clear signs of a disturbing breakdown in the very foundations of society: ... increased violence; a weakening of the moral sense; a coarsening of social relations; and a growing forgetfulness of God".

  "The fidelity and courage with which the Church in this country will respond to the challenges raised by an increasingly secular and materialistic culture will depend in large part upon your own fidelity in handing on the treasure of our Catholic faith. ... The challenges confronting us require a comprehensive and sound instruction in the truths of the faith. But they also call for cultivating a mindset, an intellectual 'culture', which is genuinely Catholic, confident in the profound harmony of faith and reason, and prepared to bring the richness of faith's vision to bear on the urgent issues which affect the future of American society".

  Recalling how his U.S. visit "is meant to be a witness to 'Christ our Hope'", the Pope expressed the view that "Americans have always been a people of hope" whose ancestors came to the country "with the expectation of finding new freedom and opportunity", and of building "a new nation on new foundations.

  "To be sure", he added, "this promise was not experienced by all the inhabitants of this land; one thinks of the injustices endured by the native American peoples and by those brought here forcibly from Africa as slaves. Yet hope, hope for the future, is very much a part of the American character. And the Christian virtue of hope ... has also marked, and continues to mark, the life of the Catholic community in this country".

  He continued: "It is in the context of this hope born of God's love and fidelity that I acknowledge the pain which the Church in America has experienced as a result of the sexual abuse of minors. No words of mine could describe the pain and harm inflicted by such abuse. It is important that those who have suffered be given loving pastoral attention. Nor can I adequately describe the damage that has occurred within the community of the Church. Great efforts have already been made to deal honestly and fairly with this tragic situation, and to ensure that children - whom our Lord loves so deeply, and who are our greatest treasure - can grow up in a safe environment. These efforts to protect children must continue".

  Pope Benedict called on the faithful to do everything possible "to foster healing and reconciliation, and to assist those who have been hurt", as well as "to love your priests, and to affirm them in the excellent work that they do".

  "Through the surpassing power of Christ's grace, entrusted to frail human ministers, the Church is constantly reborn and each of us is given the hope of a new beginning" said the Holy Father. "Let us trust in the Spirit's power to inspire conversion, to heal every wound, to overcome every division, and to inspire new life and freedom. How much we need these gifts! And how close at hand they are, particularly in the Sacrament of Penance!

  "The liberating power of this Sacrament ... needs to be rediscovered and re-appropriated by every Catholic. To a great extent, the renewal of the Church in America depends on the renewal of the practice of Penance and the growth in holiness which that Sacrament both inspires and accomplishes".

  "'In hope we were saved'", exclaimed the Pope, exhorting the faithful "to continue to be a leaven of evangelical hope in American society" and, by the witness of faith, to "point the way towards that vast horizon of hope which God is even now opening up to His Church, and indeed to all humanity: the vision of a world reconciled and renewed in Christ Jesus, our Saviour".

  At the end of his homily, the Holy Father addressed some worlds to the Hispanic community. "The Church in the United States ", he said, "welcoming so many of her immigrant children to her bosom, has grown thanks also to the witness of faith of the Spanish-speaking faithful. ... Do not let yourselves be defeated by pessimism, inertia or problems. ... The Lord calls you to continue contributing to the future of the Church in this country and to spreading the Gospel".

  Mass over, the Pope blessed the first stone of the altar of the John Paul the Great Catholic school of the diocese of Arlington, and the first stone of the new chapel of the St. Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula, California.

PV-U.S.A./HOPE/WASHINGTON                                                          VIS 080418 (1040)

EDUCATION IS INTEGRAL TO THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH

VATICAN CITY, 17 APR 2008 (VIS) - At 5 p.m. local time (11 p.m. in Rome ), the Pope went to the Catholic University of Washington where he met with representatives from the Catholic academic world. The event was attended by a total of around 600 people, including 235 rectors of Catholic universities and colleges, 195 diocesan heads of education, as well as professors and students.

  "Education", said the Pope in his address, "is integral to the mission of the Church to proclaim the Good News".

  "Set against personal struggles, moral confusion and fragmentation of knowledge, the noble goals of scholarship and education, founded on the unity of truth and in service of the person and the community, become an especially powerful instrument of hope".

  The Pope highlighted the need "to reflect on what is particular to our Catholic institutions" and to ask: "how do they contribute to the good of society through the Church's primary mission of evangelisation?"

  He went on: "A university or school's Catholic identity is not simply a question of the number of Catholic students. It is a question of conviction - do we really believe that only in the mystery of the Word made flesh does the mystery of man truly become clear? ... Do we accept the truth Christ reveals? Is the faith tangible in our universities and schools?"

  "The contemporary 'crisis of truth' is rooted in a 'crisis of faith'", he said. " Only through faith can we freely give our assent to God's testimony and acknowledge Him as the transcendent guarantor of the truth He reveals. ... Freedom is not an opting out. It is an opting in - a participation in Being itself. Hence authentic freedom can never be attained by turning away from God".

  The Holy Father explained how the Church's mission to evangelise "involves her in humanity's struggle to arrive at truth. In articulating revealed truth she serves all members of society by purifying reason, ensuring that it remains open to the consideration of ultimate truths".

  "With confidence, Christian educators can liberate the young from the limits of positivism and awaken receptivity to the truth, to God and His goodness. In this way you will also help to form their conscience which, enriched by faith, opens a sure path to inner peace and to respect for others".

  "When nothing beyond the individual is recognised as definitive", the Pope warned, "the ultimate criterion of judgement becomes the self and the satisfaction of the individual's immediate wishes".

  Then, after thanking the academic authorities for their "dedication and generosity" and "selfless contributions" which "serve both your country and the Church", Benedict XVI recalled that "any appeal to the principle of academic freedom in order to justify positions that contradict the faith and the teaching of the Church would obstruct or even betray the university's identity and mission; a mission at the heart of the Church's 'munus docendi' and not somehow autonomous or independent of it.

  "Teachers and administrators, whether in universities or schools, have the duty and privilege to ensure that students receive instruction in Catholic doctrine and practice", he added. "This requires that public witness to the way of Christ, as found in the Gospel and upheld by the Church's Magisterium, shapes all aspects of an institution's life, both inside and outside the classroom. Divergence from this vision weakens Catholic identity and, far from advancing freedom, inevitably leads to confusion, whether moral, intellectual or spiritual".

  The Pope had special words of encouragement for teachers of catechesis, both lay and religious. "Religious education", he said, "is a challenging apostolate, yet there are many signs of a desire among young people to learn about the faith and practice it with vigour". In conclusion, he encouraged religious and priests not to "abandon the school apostolate; indeed, renew your commitment to schools especially those in poorer areas".

PV-U.S.A./ACADEMIC WORLD/WASHINGTON                     VIS 080418 (660)

DISCOVERING TRUTH: PURPOSE OF INTER-RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE

VATICAN CITY, 17 APR 2008 (VIS) - In the Pope John Paul II Cultural Centre in Washington D.C. at 6.30 p.m. local time today, Benedict XVI met with some 200 representatives of five religious communities: Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and Jains. The Pope John Paul II Cultural Centre was founded in 1998 at the initiative of the then archbishop of Washington, Cardinal Joseph Adam Maida, and was inaugurated in 2001 in the presence of President George W. Bush. It is a place of meeting, dialogue and academic research on the relationship between faith and culture.

  "This country has a long history of co-operation between different religions in many spheres of public life", said the Pope in his address. "Inter-religious prayer services during the national feast of Thanksgiving, joint initiatives in charitable activities, a shared voice on important public issues: these are some ways in which members of different religions come together to enhance mutual understanding and promote the common good".

  The Holy Father recalled how "Americans have always valued the ability to worship freely and in accordance with their conscience". Today, "children of all religions sit side-by-side, learning with one another and from one another. This diversity gives rise to new challenges that spark a deeper reflection on the core principles of a democratic society.

  "May others", he added, "take heart from your experience, realising that a united society can indeed arise from a plurality of peoples, ... provided that all recognise religious liberty as a basic civil right.

  "The task of upholding religious freedom is never completed", the Holy Father observed. "Protecting religious freedom within the rule of law does not guarantee that peoples - particularly minorities - will be spared from unjust forms of discrimination and prejudice. This requires constant effort on the part of all members of society to ensure that citizens are afforded the opportunity to worship peaceably and to pass on their religious heritage to their children".

  Going on to examine the question of dialogue between religions, the Pope expressed the view that "as we grow in understanding of one another, we see that we share an esteem for ethical values, discernible to human reason, which are revered by all peoples of goodwill. The world begs for a common witness to these values. I therefore invite all religious people to view dialogue not only as a means of enhancing mutual understanding, but also as a way of serving society at large".

  The Holy Father noted the "growing interest among governments to sponsor programmes intended to promote inter-religious and inter-cultural dialogue", and he described such initiatives as "praiseworthy". However, "at the same time, religious freedom, inter-religious dialogue and faith-based education aim at something more than a consensus regarding ways to implement practical strategies for advancing peace. The broader purpose of dialogue is to discover the truth".

  "Spiritual leaders have a special duty ... to place the deeper questions at the forefront of human consciousness, to reawaken mankind to the mystery of human existence, and to make space in a frenetic world for reflection and prayer".

  He went on: "Confronted with these deeper questions concerning the origin and destiny of mankind, Christianity proposes Jesus of Nazareth. ... The ardent desire to follow in His footsteps spurs Christians to open their minds and hearts in dialogue".

  "In our attempt to discover points of commonality, perhaps we have shied away from the responsibility to discuss our differences with calmness and clarity", suggested Pope Benedict. "While always uniting our hearts and minds in the call for peace, we must also listen attentively to the voice of truth.

  "In this way, our dialogue will not stop at identifying a common set of values, but go on to probe their ultimate foundation. We have no reason to fear", he concluded, "for the truth unveils for us the essential relationship between the world and God. We are able to perceive that peace is a 'heavenly gift' that calls us to conform human history to the divine order".

  Having completed his discourse, the Pope moved on to the Pope John Paul II Cultural Centre's Polish National Room. There he met representatives of the Jewish community to whom he consigned a Message for the Feast of the Passover, which this year begins on Saturday 19 April.

  In his Passover Message, the Pope writes: "At this time of your most solemn celebration, I feel particularly close, precisely because of what 'Nostra Aetate' calls Christians to remember always: that the Church 'received the revelation of the Old Testament through the people with whom God in His inexpressible mercy concluded the ancient Covenant. ... In addressing myself to you I wish to re-affirm the Second Vatican Council's teaching on Catholic-Jewish relations and reiterate the Church's commitment to the dialogue that in the past forty years has fundamentally changed our relationship for the better.

  "Because of that growth in trust and friendship", the Holy Father adds in his Message, "Christians and Jews can rejoice together in the deep spiritual ethos of the Passover, a memorial of freedom and redemption. Each year, when we listen to the Passover story we return to that blessed night of liberation. This holy time of the year should be a call to both our communities to pursue justice, mercy, solidarity with the stranger in the land, with the widow and orphan, as Moses commanded".

  "This bond permits us Christians to celebrate alongside you, though in our own way, the Passover of Christ's death and resurrection, which we see as inseparable from your own, for Jesus Himself said: 'salvation is from the Jews'. Our Easter and your Pesah, while distinct and different, unite us in our common hope centred on God and His mercy".

  "With respect and friendship, I therefore ask the Jewish community to accept my Pesah greeting in a spirit of openness to the real possibilities of co-operation which we see before us as we contemplate the urgent needs of our world, and as we look with compassion upon the sufferings of millions of our brothers and sisters everywhere. Naturally, our shared hope for peace in the world embraces the Middle East and the Holy Land in particular. May the memory of God's mercies, which Jews and Christians celebrate at this festive time, inspire all those responsible for the future of that region - where the events surrounding God's revelation actually took place - to new efforts, and especially to new attitudes and a new purification of hearts!"

PV-U.S.A./INTER-RELIGIOUS MEETING/WASHINGTON    VIS 080418 (1080)

POPE MEETS WITH A GROUP OF VICTIMS OF SEXUAL ABUSE

VATICAN CITY, 17 APR 2008 (VIS) - The Holy See Press Office today announced that this afternoon in the chapel of the apostolic nunciature in Washington, the Pope met with a small group of people who were sexually abused by members of the clergy.

  "Cardinal Sean P. O'Malley O.F.M. Cap., archbishop of Boston , accompanied the group. They prayed with the Holy Father, who afterwards listened to their personal accounts and offered them words of encouragement and hope.

  "His Holiness assured them of his prayers for their intentions, for their families and for all victims of sexual abuse".

OP/MEETING VICTIMS ABUSE/WASHINGTON                     VIS 080418 (110)

ADDRESS TO U.N., SYNAGOGUE VISIT, ECUMENICAL MEETING

VATICAN CITY, 18 APR 2008 (VIS) - This morning, the Pope celebrated a private Mass in the chapel of the apostolic nunciature in Washington D.C. , then bid farewell to the staff there.

  At 8.45 a .m. local time (2.45 p.m. in Rome ) he boarded his aircraft and departed for New York , where he is scheduled to land at the John Fitzgerald Kennedy international airport at 9.45 a .m. He will then travel directly to the headquarters of the United Nations where, at 10.45 a .m. local time ( 4.45 in Rome ), he will deliver an address before the General Assembly.

  The General Assembly is formed of 192 member States. The president of this 62nd General Assembly is Srgjan Kerim, ambassador of the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia. The secretary general of the United Nations is the Korean Ban Ki-moon, who was elected to office in October 2006.

  At 5.10 p.m. (11.10 p.m. in Rome), having had lunch at the residence of the Holy See permanent observer to the United Nations, the Pope will visit New York's Park East Synagogue and, an hour later, attend an ecumenical meeting in the church of St. Joseph.

PV-U.S.A./U.N. ECUMENICAL MEETING/ NEW YORK         VIS 080418 (200)

SATURDAY AND SUNDAY: SPECIAL VIS BULLETINS FOR PAPAL TRIP

VATICAN CITY, 18 APR 2008 (VIS) - The Vatican Information Service will transmit two special services on Saturday 19 April and on Sunday 20 April. These will cover, respectively, the Holy Father's address to the General Assembly of the United Nations (scheduled for 4.45 p.m. Rome time today) and his visit to Ground Zero (scheduled for 3.30 p.m. Rome time on Sunday).

.../.../...                                                                                               VIS 080418 (80)

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, 18 APR 2008 ( VIS ) - The Holy Father appointed:

 - Msgr. Julio Parrilla Diaz, pastor of the parish of "La Inmaculada de Inaquito" in Quito , Ecuador , as bishop of Loja (area 11,476, population 575,000, Catholics 533,000, priests 163, permanent deacons 2, religious 386), Ecuador . The bishop-elect was born in Orense , Spain in 1946 and ordained a priest in 1975.

 - Fr. Roger Victor Rakotondrajao, priest of the diocese of Miarinarivo , Madagascar , as coadjutor bishop of Mahajanga (area 71,900, population 1,049,000, Catholics 200,000, priests 45, religious 193), Madagascar . The bishop-elect was born in 1960 and ordained a priest in 1990

CATHOLICS MUST OFFER A CONVINCING ACCOUNT OF THEIR HOPE

VATICAN CITY, 17 APR 2008 (VIS) - At 9.30 a .m. local time today, the Pope arrived by car at the Nationals Park Stadium of Washington D.C., which has capacity for 45,000 spectators and is the most modern baseball stadium in the United States. The Holy Father was welcomed by Archbishop Donald William Wuerl of Washington , by Adrian M. Fenty, mayor of Washington D.C. , and by Theodore Lerner, owner of the stadium and its team.

  Benedict XVI made a tour of the stadium by popemobile before moving to the sacristy. Mass, dedicated to the faithful of the archdiocese of Washington , began at 10 a .m.

  In his homily, the Holy Father recalled how Pope Pius VII had divided the diocese of Baltimore and established the dioceses of Boston, Bardstown (now Louisville), New York and Philadelphia. "Two hundred years later, the Church in America can rightfully praise the accomplishment of past generations in bringing together widely differing immigrant groups within the unity of the Catholic faith and in a common commitment to the spread of the Gospel", he said.

  Benedict XVI then went on to express the hope that "this significant anniversary" and his own visit "will be an occasion for all Catholics to reaffirm their unity in the apostolic faith, to offer their contemporaries a convincing account of the hope which inspires them, and to be renewed in missionary zeal for the extension of God's Kingdom.

  "The world needs this witness", he added. "Who can deny that the present moment ... is a time of great promise, as we see the human family in many ways drawing closer together and becoming ever more interdependent. Yet at the same time we see clear signs of a disturbing breakdown in the very foundations of society: ... increased violence; a weakening of the moral sense; a coarsening of social relations; and a growing forgetfulness of God".

  "The fidelity and courage with which the Church in this country will respond to the challenges raised by an increasingly secular and materialistic culture will depend in large part upon your own fidelity in handing on the treasure of our Catholic faith. ... The challenges confronting us require a comprehensive and sound instruction in the truths of the faith. But they also call for cultivating a mindset, an intellectual 'culture', which is genuinely Catholic, confident in the profound harmony of faith and reason, and prepared to bring the richness of faith's vision to bear on the urgent issues which affect the future of American society".

  Recalling how his U.S. visit "is meant to be a witness to 'Christ our Hope'", the Pope expressed the view that "Americans have always been a people of hope" whose ancestors came to the country "with the expectation of finding new freedom and opportunity", and of building "a new nation on new foundations.

  "To be sure", he added, "this promise was not experienced by all the inhabitants of this land; one thinks of the injustices endured by the native American peoples and by those brought here forcibly from Africa as slaves. Yet hope, hope for the future, is very much a part of the American character. And the Christian virtue of hope ... has also marked, and continues to mark, the life of the Catholic community in this country".

  He continued: "It is in the context of this hope born of God's love and fidelity that I acknowledge the pain which the Church in America has experienced as a result of the sexual abuse of minors. No words of mine could describe the pain and harm inflicted by such abuse. It is important that those who have suffered be given loving pastoral attention. Nor can I adequately describe the damage that has occurred within the community of the Church. Great efforts have already been made to deal honestly and fairly with this tragic situation, and to ensure that children - whom our Lord loves so deeply, and who are our greatest treasure - can grow up in a safe environment. These efforts to protect children must continue".

  Pope Benedict called on the faithful to do everything possible "to foster healing and reconciliation, and to assist those who have been hurt", as well as "to love your priests, and to affirm them in the excellent work that they do".

  "Through the surpassing power of Christ's grace, entrusted to frail human ministers, the Church is constantly reborn and each of us is given the hope of a new beginning" said the Holy Father. "Let us trust in the Spirit's power to inspire conversion, to heal every wound, to overcome every division, and to inspire new life and freedom. How much we need these gifts! And how close at hand they are, particularly in the Sacrament of Penance!

  "The liberating power of this Sacrament ... needs to be rediscovered and re-appropriated by every Catholic. To a great extent, the renewal of the Church in America depends on the renewal of the practice of Penance and the growth in holiness which that Sacrament both inspires and accomplishes".

  "'In hope we were saved'", exclaimed the Pope, exhorting the faithful "to continue to be a leaven of evangelical hope in American society" and, by the witness of faith, to "point the way towards that vast horizon of hope which God is even now opening up to His Church, and indeed to all humanity: the vision of a world reconciled and renewed in Christ Jesus, our Saviour".

  At the end of his homily, the Holy Father addressed some worlds to the Hispanic community. "The Church in the United States ", he said, "welcoming so many of her immigrant children to her bosom, has grown thanks also to the witness of faith of the Spanish-speaking faithful. ... Do not let yourselves be defeated by pessimism, inertia or problems. ... The Lord calls you to continue contributing to the future of the Church in this country and to spreading the Gospel".

  Mass over, the Pope blessed the first stone of the altar of the John Paul the Great Catholic school of the diocese of Arlington, and the first stone of the new chapel of the St. Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula, California.

PV-U.S.A./HOPE/WASHINGTON                                                          VIS 080418 (1040)

EDUCATION IS INTEGRAL TO THE MISSION OF THE CHURCH

VATICAN CITY, 17 APR 2008 (VIS) - At 5 p.m. local time (11 p.m. in Rome ), the Pope went to the Catholic University of Washington where he met with representatives from the Catholic academic world. The event was attended by a total of around 600 people, including 235 rectors of Catholic universities and colleges, 195 diocesan heads of education, as well as professors and students.

  "Education", said the Pope in his address, "is integral to the mission of the Church to proclaim the Good News".

  "Set against personal struggles, moral confusion and fragmentation of knowledge, the noble goals of scholarship and education, founded on the unity of truth and in service of the person and the community, become an especially powerful instrument of hope".

  The Pope highlighted the need "to reflect on what is particular to our Catholic institutions" and to ask: "how do they contribute to the good of society through the Church's primary mission of evangelisation?"

  He went on: "A university or school's Catholic identity is not simply a question of the number of Catholic students. It is a question of conviction - do we really believe that only in the mystery of the Word made flesh does the mystery of man truly become clear? ... Do we accept the truth Christ reveals? Is the faith tangible in our universities and schools?"

  "The contemporary 'crisis of truth' is rooted in a 'crisis of faith'", he said. " Only through faith can we freely give our assent to God's testimony and acknowledge Him as the transcendent guarantor of the truth He reveals. ... Freedom is not an opting out. It is an opting in - a participation in Being itself. Hence authentic freedom can never be attained by turning away from God".

  The Holy Father explained how the Church's mission to evangelise "involves her in humanity's struggle to arrive at truth. In articulating revealed truth she serves all members of society by purifying reason, ensuring that it remains open to the consideration of ultimate truths".

  "With confidence, Christian educators can liberate the young from the limits of positivism and awaken receptivity to the truth, to God and His goodness. In this way you will also help to form their conscience which, enriched by faith, opens a sure path to inner peace and to respect for others".

  "When nothing beyond the individual is recognised as definitive", the Pope warned, "the ultimate criterion of judgement becomes the self and the satisfaction of the individual's immediate wishes".

  Then, after thanking the academic authorities for their "dedication and generosity" and "selfless contributions" which "serve both your country and the Church", Benedict XVI recalled that "any appeal to the principle of academic freedom in order to justify positions that contradict the faith and the teaching of the Church would obstruct or even betray the university's identity and mission; a mission at the heart of the Church's 'munus docendi' and not somehow autonomous or independent of it.

  "Teachers and administrators, whether in universities or schools, have the duty and privilege to ensure that students receive instruction in Catholic doctrine and practice", he added. "This requires that public witness to the way of Christ, as found in the Gospel and upheld by the Church's Magisterium, shapes all aspects of an institution's life, both inside and outside the classroom. Divergence from this vision weakens Catholic identity and, far from advancing freedom, inevitably leads to confusion, whether moral, intellectual or spiritual".

  The Pope had special words of encouragement for teachers of catechesis, both lay and religious. "Religious education", he said, "is a challenging apostolate, yet there are many signs of a desire among young people to learn about the faith and practice it with vigour". In conclusion, he encouraged religious and priests not to "abandon the school apostolate; indeed, renew your commitment to schools especially those in poorer areas".

PV-U.S.A./ACADEMIC WORLD/WASHINGTON                     VIS 080418 (660)

DISCOVERING TRUTH: PURPOSE OF INTER-RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE

VATICAN CITY, 17 APR 2008 (VIS) - In the Pope John Paul II Cultural Centre in Washington D.C. at 6.30 p.m. local time today, Benedict XVI met with some 200 representatives of five religious communities: Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Buddhists and Jains. The Pope John Paul II Cultural Centre was founded in 1998 at the initiative of the then archbishop of Washington, Cardinal Joseph Adam Maida, and was inaugurated in 2001 in the presence of President George W. Bush. It is a place of meeting, dialogue and academic research on the relationship between faith and culture.

  "This country has a long history of co-operation between different religions in many spheres of public life", said the Pope in his address. "Inter-religious prayer services during the national feast of Thanksgiving, joint initiatives in charitable activities, a shared voice on important public issues: these are some ways in which members of different religions come together to enhance mutual understanding and promote the common good".

  The Holy Father recalled how "Americans have always valued the ability to worship freely and in accordance with their conscience". Today, "children of all religions sit side-by-side, learning with one another and from one another. This diversity gives rise to new challenges that spark a deeper reflection on the core principles of a democratic society.

  "May others", he added, "take heart from your experience, realising that a united society can indeed arise from a plurality of peoples, ... provided that all recognise religious liberty as a basic civil right.

  "The task of upholding religious freedom is never completed", the Holy Father observed. "Protecting religious freedom within the rule of law does not guarantee that peoples - particularly minorities - will be spared from unjust forms of discrimination and prejudice. This requires constant effort on the part of all members of society to ensure that citizens are afforded the opportunity to worship peaceably and to pass on their religious heritage to their children".

  Going on to examine the question of dialogue between religions, the Pope expressed the view that "as we grow in understanding of one another, we see that we share an esteem for ethical values, discernible to human reason, which are revered by all peoples of goodwill. The world begs for a common witness to these values. I therefore invite all religious people to view dialogue not only as a means of enhancing mutual understanding, but also as a way of serving society at large".

  The Holy Father noted the "growing interest among governments to sponsor programmes intended to promote inter-religious and inter-cultural dialogue", and he described such initiatives as "praiseworthy". However, "at the same time, religious freedom, inter-religious dialogue and faith-based education aim at something more than a consensus regarding ways to implement practical strategies for advancing peace. The broader purpose of dialogue is to discover the truth".

  "Spiritual leaders have a special duty ... to place the deeper questions at the forefront of human consciousness, to reawaken mankind to the mystery of human existence, and to make space in a frenetic world for reflection and prayer".

  He went on: "Confronted with these deeper questions concerning the origin and destiny of mankind, Christianity proposes Jesus of Nazareth. ... The ardent desire to follow in His footsteps spurs Christians to open their minds and hearts in dialogue".

  "In our attempt to discover points of commonality, perhaps we have shied away from the responsibility to discuss our differences with calmness and clarity", suggested Pope Benedict. "While always uniting our hearts and minds in the call for peace, we must also listen attentively to the voice of truth.