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MARCH 31

Pope's letter to priests presented in the Vatican

Vatican City, 31 (NE) Pope John Paul II' Letter to Priests for Holy Thursday 2000 was presented yesterday at the Holy See Press Office. During the presentation, Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos, Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy, referred to reflections the Pope had made when -on March 23, during the course of his Jubilee pilgrimage to the Holy Land- he signed the document in the Cenacle. The Cardinal specially recalled that the Pope had signed the letter in "the same blessed place where, according to tradition, Jesus… instituted the Eucharist".

Cardinal Castrillon also commented that the Pope's Letter is a call to renewal for priests, saying that "to renew one must go back to the sources, and the Eucharist… is the source". With this document, the Cardinal Prefect further said, the Pope "encourages every priest to perform with enthusiasm the task of the New Evangelization in the Third Millennium, under the sign of the Eucharist".

"From this place where Christ spoke the words instituting the Eucharist", -says the Pope in his Letter- "I invite you, dear priests, to rediscover the 'gift' and the 'mystery' which we have received. To go to the heart of it, we must reflect upon the priesthood of Christ."

"Let us rediscover our priesthood in the light of the Eucharist!" exclaimed the Pope. "Let us help our communities to rediscover this treasure in the daily celebration of Holy Mass, and especially in the more solemn Sunday assembly. Through your apostolic labors, may love for Christ present in the Eucharist grow stronger. This is a particularly important goal in this Jubilee Year."

Archbishop Foley highlights use of media technology for evangelization

Rome, 31 (NE) Archbishop John Foley, President of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, addressed yesterday participants at a congress in Rome on the theme "The Media: What Technological and Ethical Future?" During his conference, the Prelate announced as well that this council will publish a study on "Ethics in Communications" in June on the occasion of World Communications Day and the Jubilee Day for Journalists.

Communication media "must be designed for people and their integral development", Archbishop Foley emphasized during his talk, urging to make of man the ultimate aim of Mass media. "The Church", he later said, "thank God has generally made early use of improvements in media technology". The Archbishop recalled that the Bible was the first book printed with moveable type, as well as the establishment of Vatican Radio and television, which use satellite technology to reach the world, and to the web page on the Internet

Archbishop Foley also stated that while there have been many positive advances in technology, "there are also some potential ethical problems." Among these, he mentioned measuring the good of technology not as it serves the person, but rather as it serves greed, together with the use of technology "not so much for information but for manipulation and control" and using it "to communicate the tawdry and demeaning, if not the downright immoral."

"The Holy Land has become the Land of the Message again," emphasizes Nuncio in Israel

Rome, 31 (NE) "God has elected this land to reveal Himself and to reveal man to man. With the Pope's visit, it has become the Land of the Message again," stated Archbishop Pietro Sambi, Nuncio in Israel, commenting the recent pilgrimage of Pope John Paul II to the Holy Land. In declarations to Avvenire, the Nuncio declared that now that the visit is over "we can state that through the Pope's presence, words and gestures, this Holy Land's Good News have been witnessed and have sounded again with strength."

Archbishop Sambi underlined the general interest that the Pope's visit aroused in the Holy Land's people. Even the guards, commented Archbishop Sambi as an anecdote, "that at the beginning were all silent and circumspect, have 'melted' and told that their families spent the whole day watching TV" to follow the Pope's pilgrimage.

The Nuncio in Israel affirmed that "as the Pope wished, this has been an exclusively religious pilgrimage, of inevitable spiritual impact." "The Pope has taken all the Church with him, upon Jesus' steps, to the places of Revelation and Redemption," he added.

He also noted the fruits of peace that this visit may bear. Archbishop Sambi stated that the Pope has "thrown seeds of peace upon rough terrain. It will take some time until they germinate." "But the impact has been considerable. They all recognize this, from Prime Minister Barak to President Yaser Arafat," he stated.

Mass for peace and education celebrated in Argentina

Buenos Aires, 31 (NE) Archbishop Jorge Mario Bergoglio of Buenos Aires presided this week a Eucharist for peace and education in Argentina. Hundreds of students, teachers and staff members of Catholic, private, and public schools filled the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Archdiocese. The Vice-president of the nation and other civil authorities were also present.

In his homily, Archbishop Bergoglio urged shared responsibility in "education for peace and hope." He emphasized the need of education with values and exhorted the educative community in Buenos Aires to be "audacious and creative" to teach values to the students and to face the challenges that the formative tasks demanded by "a global, deep and complex crisis".

"Know that your lives have meaning in the measure that they assume the love and tenderness that God has put in your heart and transformed it into a fountain," he told the students present at the Cathedral. "School," he added, "continues being the place where persons may be recognized as such, welcomed and promoted." Even though efficiency in the transmission of knowledge is something we shouldn't forget, it is fundamental that we have "teachers of humanity," finally noted the Argentinean prelate.

Costa Rican Archbishop urges solution to border conflict

San Jose, 31 (NE) "Let the Holy Year of the Jubilee be the year when the dispute between Costa Rica and Nicaragua about the San Juan River be definitively solved for everybody's happiness, security and wellbeing," stated recently Archbishop Roman Arrieta of San Jose, Costa Rica. The Prelate urged a soon and definitive solution for the dispute that has caused conflicts between these two countries for many years.

The Costa Rican Archbishop expressed his joy for the reestablishment of bilateral dialogue. He also stated that these dialogues will have success with one condition: "if God is not left outside the hall of negotiations… It is urgent that He be there, He whom the Nicaraguan and Costa Rican authorities love so greatly, as well as the peoples they govern."

Archbishop Arrieta also urged "all Central Americans -for there are conflicts in other countries as well- to imitate the beautiful and Christian example that those who live on one and the other side of the San Juan River have given us." He was referring to the recent peace gestures between the Costa Rican and the Nicaraguan persons that lived on one and the other side of the river, who "truly feeling themselves brethren, raised their heart to God to ask Him for a fast solution to the dispute".

MARCH 30

Pope recalls recent pilgrimage to Holy Land

Vatican City, 30 (NE) Pope John Paul II thanked God yesterday for his recent pilgrimage to Holy Land and prayed for the fruits of the historic visit, during his meeting with pilgrims in St. Peter's Square, where approximately 60.000 faithful gathered. "It was like a return to the source, to the roots of faith and of the Church," the Pope said, as he briefly recalled each of the historic sites he had visited.

The Holy Father specially referred to Jerusalem during his address to pilgrims, saying that "the memory of Jerusalem is indelibly marked on my soul.". "Jerusalem", he said, "saw the central and culminating event of the history of salvation: Christ's paschal mystery." In the Cenacle "I celebrated the Eucharist in the same place that it was instituted by Christ."

Among the other places the Pope visited during his pilgrimage, the Holy Father also recalled the Mass in Nazareth, and his moment of prayer at the Grotto of the Annunciation. "There", the Pope said, "reflected in the Virgin's Fiat, it is possible to hear, in the silence of adoration, the 'yes' full of love of God for man, the 'Amen' of the eternal Son, which opens to every human being the path to salvation". "There, where God made himself man, man rediscovers his dignity and his high vocation."

Finally, the Holy Father referred to the Mass on the Mount of the Beatitudes at the Sea of Galilee, "with many young people from the Holy Land and the whole world. A moment full of hope!"

Activities for 500th anniversary of St. John of Avila announced

Madrid, 30 (NE) An international Congress on St. John of Avila and the publication of his Complete Works are two of the initiatives that the Church in Spain is organizing to celebrate the 500th anniversary of the saint's birthday. Apart from these initiatives, the Spanish Bishop's Conference wants to give a new thrust to the effort to declare St. John of Avila Doctor of the Universal Church. The cause is currently being studied in Rome.

The international congress on St. John of Avila will take place on November, from the 27th to 30th. On May the first volume of the new edition of his Complete Works will be published. In May as well, a Meeting and Homage from Spanish priests to their Patron Saint will take place in Montilla. Also, during the Holy Year, books for children illustrating the saint's life will also be published.

Some activities have already taken place. On January 6, a Eucharist was celebrated in Almodovar del Campo (Ciudad Real), St. John of Avila's birthplace, commemorating the V centenary of his birth. Last year, on November, the Spanish Bishop's Conference published a message during its LXXIII General Assembly, titled "St. John of Avila, Master of Evangelizers."

St. John of Avila was born on January 6 in Almodovar del Campo, within the jurisdiction of Toledo. His apostolic work was varied and intense. His efforts to reform the clergy of his time were especially relevant. His spirituality is an original expression of the Spanish Reform. He died on May 10, 1569 in Montilla, Cordoba. Pope Leo XIII beatified him on April 6, 1894; Pope Pius XII declared him Principal Patron saint of the Spanish secular clergy on July 2, 1946. Pope Paul VI canonized him on May 31, 1970.

Number of pilgrims to shrine of Apostle James exceeded expectations

Madrid, 30 (NE) The Pilgrim Office of the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, Spain, published the numbers of the Compostelan Holy Year, celebrated during 1999. It confirmed that 154,613 pilgrims reached the historical shrine after walking at least 100 kilometers by foot or by horse or riding 200 kilometers by bicycle. The numbers exceeded the expectations made at the beginning of the year regarding the number of pilgrims to walk the "Way of James", as the route is called.

The Pilgrim Office confirmed as well that the number increased as summer reached. During summer the increase was considerable. On June there were 34,560 pilgrims and on August 45,308. With this numbers, the Holy Year 1999 has broken former records. During the Compostelan Holy Year celebrated in 1993, almost 100,000 pilgrims made it to the shrine following the traditional route.

Pope Calixtus II instituted the Jacobean Holy Year in 1122. The celebration takes place each year in which July 25, feast of the Apostle James, is celebrated on Sunday. In 1999 the last Compostelan Holy Year of the millennium took place. Following a tradition from the IX century, thousands of people visited Santiago de Compostela, where, according to tradition, the remains of the Apostle are kept.

Pontifical Commission for the Cultural Patrimony to celebrate assembly in Rome

Vatican City, 30 (NE) This year, from March 30 to April 1, the Pontifical Commission for the Cultural Patrimony of the Church will celebrate its General Assembly. The encounter will take place in Rome and will gather participants from different parts of the world to reflect on the contribution of the artistic and cultural patrimony of the Church to the new millennium. The President of the Pontifical Commission explained that the first topic to be discussed during the assembly will be the way in which the patrimony of the Church is used to evangelize in their different countries of origin. Further reflection will be on how these cultural expressions are part of the rich patrimony of the Church and may help to proclaim the Gospel.

With John Paul II's Motu Proprio "Inde a Pontificatus Nostri Initio," the Pontifical Commission for the Cultural Patrimony of the Church was established in 1993, substituting the Pontifical Commission for the Conservation of the Artistic Patrimony of the Church. This commission's task is to preside over the guardianship of the historical and artistic patrimony of the entire Church; collaborating in the conservation of this patrimony with the individual Churches and their respective episcopal organizations; and promoting an ever greater awareness in the Church about these riches.

As the Pope told the members of this Commission in 1996, the patrimony of the Church includes "the artistic patrimonies of painting, sculpture, architecture, mosaic and music placed at the service of the mission of the Church." Apart from this, also the books kept at ecclesiastic libraries and the historical documents kept at the archives of the Church communities are also part of the Church's patrimony.

Arlington Bishop stresses need of formation in faith

Arlington, 30 (NE) After a year heading the Diocese of Arlington, Bishop Paul S. Loverde stressed the need of formation in faith among faithful to meet the challenges of the new times. In an interview with the "Herald", the Prelate pointed out several demands to be met to continue encouraging the growth of the Catholic faith among people in the diocese.

"Certainly everyone tells me that the growth will continue at a great rate," Bishop Loverde said. "I foresee an ongoing challenge to respond. To make that a little more concrete, there's going to be a challenge in responding by way of personnel. We are going to need more vocations to the priesthood and religious life."

Stressing as well the need of sufficient funding to support the necessary structures, Bishop Loverde emphasized "the need we will always have to integrate the living of our faith." "There is the obvious dimension of prayer, but that has to be integrated with witness, with the entire Gospel, not just with parts of it," he said. The laity, the Prelate further emphasized, need to be properly formed in the faith so they can become better catechists and teachers of religion

"Over the next five years, we must strengthen the faith, both the understanding of our faith and the practice of our faith," he said. "That gets into the work of evangelization." "We have to meet that challenge. We have to enable people to understand their faith and to live it. They have to understand the traditions of the Church and the practices of the Church. It should begin with a good overview of the Catechism."

MARCH 29

Archdiocese of Boston prepares youth meeting - "Pilgrimage 2000"

Boston, 29 (NE) "Pilgrimage 2000" is the name of an ambitious program to culminate on April in Boston, gathering youth from all over the Archdiocese for an encounter with the Lord Jesus. It will be "a remarkable spiritual renewal effort for all Catholic teenagers, college-age students, and young adults", recently said Cardinal Bernard Law, Archbishop of Boston, commenting on Pilgrimage 2000.

As the Cardinal himself explained, on Saturday, April 29, 2000, there will be a culminating celebration of Pilgrimage 2000. The event will begin with the morning gathering of participants in a Welcome Area on the Boston Common. This area will include musical and other performances, games, displays for various Catholic organizations, areas for Eucharistic adoration, confession, and vocation information, food, and other activities.

After mid-day, there will be a great march by all the participants from the Boston Common to Fenway Park. At Fenway Park, the afternoon program will include inspirational speakers, musical performances, witness talks by young people, and a interaction with all the participants. The celebration will climax with a Mass, at which a representative group of teenagers, college students and young adults will be baptized, confirmed, and will receive their First Holy Communion.

"It is my hope and prayer", said the Archbishop of Boston, "that the thousands of young people who will be gathered with me at Fenway Park on April 29 will commit themselves to a life of ongoing formation and education." "It is essential for all of us to recognize more clearly our responsibility to grow in our knowledge of the faith and to deepen our participation in the life of grace," he further emphasized. On September last year, 22.000 young people gathered with the Cardinal at Foxboro Stadium, in a event of preparation for Pilgrimage 2000.

Argentina prepares for main celebration of Jubilee Year

Buenos Aires, 29 (NE) From September 8 to 10, the Church in Argentina will celebrate its central event on occasion of the Holy Year 2000: the National Eucharistic Congress, that will take place in Cordoba and will count with the participation of approximately 120,000 persons from different parts of the country. "The aim is that pilgrims from all over the country experience a joyful communion with God and also fraternal reconciliation" stated Archbishop Carlos Jose Ñañez of Cordoba regarding the encounter, in an interview made by a local newspaper.

"The country lives a deep crisis of values; there is an urgent need of a much awaited justice. Unclear horizons demand the Church proposals of a new model of society," further said the Prelate. He also commented that for three days there will be celebrations that emphasize the importance of the congress.

The first day, Friday 8 of September, will be dedicated to the purification of the personal and communal memory, through work groups. There will be a celebration of reconciliation and a penitential pilgrimage that will precede the opening Mass. The second day, Saturday 9, will be committed to solidarity, during which different deeds of Christian charity will be encouraged. Finally, the closing Mass will take place on Sunday 10. Each of the Bishops attending will give a Gospel to one family of his diocese, as a testimony of Jubilee encounter and of the assumed commitment.

Jubilee of priests to take place in May

Vatican City, 29 (NE) Cardinal Dario Castrillon Hoyos, Prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy, informed in a recent interview published by the Italian daily Avvenire about the preparations for the Jubilee of priests. The Cardinal recalled that this Jubilee will begin on May 14 and will finish on May 18, day of the 80th birthday of Pope John Paul II.

Cardinal Castrillon stated that preparations for this Jubilee began 4 years ago with the international encounter of priests in Fatima (1996). After this event, this "Marian pilgrimage" has continued, in Yamassoukro (1997), Guadalupe (1998) and last year in the Holy Land. "On this occasion the pilgrimage reaches its final goal in Rome, to cross the Holy Door."

The Cardinal also stated that this Jubilee will be a very special occasion for its participants to recall and deepen in the truth that "all priests act in the name and in the persons of Christ." This is also an occasion to "renew the joyful conscience of the marvelous gift God has granted us in priesthood," Cardinal Castrillon remarked.

Bishops in Paraguay issue new Pastoral Letter

Asuncion, 29 (NE) During a Eucharist at the Metropolitan Cathedral this Sunday the Bishops in Paraguay presented their new Pastoral Letter, offering several reflections on the country's situation. The Bishops emphasized the period of "deep preoccupations, concerns and tensions" that the country is suffering, urging to the "creation of a new model of society". "This supposes that we all clearly perceive the roots of evil, not only in certain economic laws, but in human attitudes." They especially urged honesty as a moral and civic virtue to face the country's high level of corruption.

The Letter asked the country's leaders for "growth in responsibility regarding the commonwealth and in generosity at their service of the people," and also underlined the necessary help for the most poor. The Bishops also called the country's faithful to give witness of their Christian life, being "light of the world with their life, their personal witness, their ideas and doctrine." "This calling," they stressed, "is especially for the lay people that belong to the different Church movements."

The Apostolic Nuncio in Paraguay, Archbishop Antonio Lucibello, commented on the Pastoral Letter of the Paraguayan Episcopate, noting the need for each citizen to assume his responsibility. He also expressed his confidence in a better future and stated that Paraguay is suffering a "growth crisis." He stated that if all Paraguayans give their quote of responsibility, "the situation will improve."

Philippines: Church lauds decision to declare a moratorium on death penalty

Manila, 29 (NE) The Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) lauded this week President Joseph Estrada's decision to declare a moratorium on executions for the rest of the year, in response to an appeal made by the Catholic Church. The decision of the Philippine president was made public on March 24. In a statement released after the announcement, CBCP President Archbishop Orlando B. Quevedo expressed his satisfaction for the decision to suspend death penalty, saying it will give "breathing space" for all death row convicts, which currently are more than one thousand. He also noted it was a fitting gesture to mark the fifth anniversary of Pope John Paul II's Encyclical "Evangelium vitae" which was written to encourage a "culture of life." In his statement, Archbishop Quevedo also urged legislators to make use of the moratorium period as an opportunity to review and eventually cancel the Death Penalty Law.

MARCH 28

US Archbishop recalls message of "Evangelium vitae" in fifth anniversary

Saint Louis, 28 (NE) "We cannot relax our vigilance!" said Archbishop Justin Rigali of St. Louis, recalling this week the fifth anniversary of Pope John Paul II' encyclical "Evangelium vitae". This encyclical was published on March 25, 1995, Archbishop Rigali remembered, stating that the anniversary "provides a welcome opportunity for our recommitment to do everything possible to promote the dignity of each person and to defend every human life."

The Archbishop of St. Louis stressed as well the importance of the encyclical, in which the Pope cited the "grave and disturbing fact that conscience itself is finding it increasingly difficult to distinguish between good and evil in what concerns the basic value of human life." "The Holy Father -he said- addressed the many alarming manifestations of the 'culture of death' in contemporary society and called for the mobilization of a 'new culture of life'".

Recalling the fight for life currently taking place in the United States, specially the successful effort in Missouri last September to override the Governor's veto of the Infant's Protection Act, the Prelate expressed his concern for other "subtle and sinister attacks on human life". Archbishop Rigali made a special reference to the guidelines proposed by the National Institute of Health for funding research on stem cells, an example of these attacks against life which "must not be allowed to go unchallenged".

Three new Bishops consecrated in Kenya

Rome, 28 (NE) Cardinal Jozef Tomko, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, consecrated on March 18 and 20 three new Bishops in Nairobi and Lodwar, Kenya, two of them born in this country and the other a missionary. "This is certainly a motive of joy for the Church in Kenya, indeed for the universal Church", Cardinal Tomko said in his homily on March 18 in Nairobi, as Fides informed in its last issue.

The Vatican Cardinal recalled as well the important duties and responsibilities of Bishops, stressing the active life of the Church in Kenya. The Church in Nairobi, a city with 1 million Catholics from a total population of 4 million, is very active in pastoral and social activities and is one of the few dioceses in Africa which can rely on a sizeable number of clergy, religious and committed lay Catholics.

Among current challenges, Cardinal Tomko highlighted as a major priority pastoral formation in the faith for all ages. It is also necessary, he further emphasized, that the diocesan community grows "in missionary spirit because, while in Nairobi there are many pastoral workers, elsewhere in Kenya and in the rest of Africa there are dioceses and peoples in urgent need of apostolic personnel".

The Cardinal Prefect ended his homily recalling that the fundamental vocation of a Bishop is to "love his flock and to spread love, reconciliation, harmony, forgiveness and solidarity. The Bishop is a man of God who lives for others!"

Franciscans in Holy Land stress value of Pope's pilgrimage for Christians

Vatican City, 28 (NE) Due to the Pope's visit and the Synod recently celebrated, Christians in Holy Land will begin to reaffirm their identity, stated father Frederic Manns, official spokesman of the Franciscan Custos in the Holy Land and Head of the Biblical Study in Jerusalem, recalling Pope John Paul II's visit to the Holy Land that concluded on Sunday. "The Pope urges us to rediscover our being children of God and also urges our effort to affirm human dignity," stated the Franciscan religious. In an interview by Fides Vatican agency, he emphasized that the Pontiff's pilgrimage will help to encourage the presence and permanence of Christians in this land. "Christians," he added, "must strive by themselves, due to their situation, they must recognize this great dignity." Father Manns also noted the importance of biblical studies. He stated that this specialty is an area that will have renewed interest after the Pope's visit. "I believe that the Church in Jerusalem will give the greatest Bible scholars in the future," he stated, recalling that the Pontiff had proposed "the rediscovery of the spiritual message of the Bible". Also, he further said, the Pope "has invited everyone to an interior and exterior pilgrimage, in the frame of the Great Jubilee… we Christians must rediscover Christianity as a pilgrimage."

Portuguese teachers analyze challenges of today's society

Lisbon, 28 (NE) Catholic educators from all over country met last week in Fatima, Portugal, to reflect about the theme "Children and adolescents in school: motivations, constraints and therapies." The two-day meeting was organized by the Movement of Catholic Educators to analyze the challenges that today's society presents to schools, and the values and behavior references of students. During the first day, participants attended conferences on "School and the young generations: institutional crisis and new civic foundations" and "Understandings and misunderstandings in teacher-adolescent relations." Portuguese teachers gathered for the event worked during the second day on the theme "A new pedagogic attitude for the teacher", which was followed by a presentation of the perspectives before life of today's Portuguese youth. Bishop Serafim Ferreira e Silva of Leira-Fatima, President of the Episcopal Commission of Lay Apostolate, attended the closing ceremony, stressing the importance of the event and of youth for society.

Peru: Catholic doctors ask candidates to define positions on life issues

Lima, 28 (NE) The National Medical Association in Peru recently made public a declaration expressing their support to the fight for life, calling candidates to the presidency and to the senate of this country to define their positions regarding issues such as life and abortion. As a local newspaper reported, the Catholic association manifested its support in the struggle against any form of violence in families against women, denouncing as well the fact that in many occasions, under the term "reproductive rights", the legalization of abortion and the distribution of contraceptives among youth is encouraged. The declaration of the medical association also recalled several policies of Peru's government regarding forced sterilization among poor women, denouncing such activities as well as the promotion of sexual education programs for schools containing misleading concepts about human sexuality.

MARCH 27

Holy Father consecrates to Mary efforts to defend family and life

Vatican City, 27 (NE) On Saturday, day in which the Church celebrates the Solemnity of the Annunciation, Pope John Paul II made a visit to Nazareth, where he presided a Mass in the church which precisely commemorates this historic event. As the Pope traveled in the popemobile through the streets of Nazareth, he was welcomed by thousands who crowded the streets cheering, waving flags, and throwing rose petals.

In Nazareth, the Pope was first taken to the Grotto of the Annunciation, the house where Mary lived and where the Angel Gabriel appeared. Afterwards, the Pope went upstairs to join the 2,000 people gathered to celebrate Mass at the Basilica of the Annunciation. During his homily, recalling the visit he made to the city in 1963 as a Bishop in Poland, the Pope said: "I have longed to come back to the town of Jesus. We are gathered to celebrate the great mystery accomplished here two thousand years ago."

"Like Abraham, Mary is asked to say yes to something that has never happened before", the Pope said. "Yet even her question, 'How can this come about?', suggests that Mary is ready to say yes, despite her fears and uncertainties. Mary asks not whether the promise is possible, but only how it will be fulfilled. It comes as no surprise, therefore, when finally she utters her Fiat: 'I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let what you have said be done to me'. With these words, Mary shows herself the true daughter of Abraham, and she becomes the Mother of Christ and Mother of all believers."

Later on, the Pope raised a prayer "for a great renewal of faith in all the children of the Church." He also asked the Holy Family "to inspire all Christians to defend the family against present-day threats to its nature, its stability and its mission", entrusting the Holy Family as well "the efforts of Christians and of all people of good will to defend life and to promote respect for the dignity of every human being". Then, he said: "To Mary, the Theotokos, the great Mother of God, I consecrate the families of the Holy Land, the families of the world."

At the end of the Eucharist, after the closing prayer His Holiness prayed the Angelus with the Assembly present. The Pope then handed to representatives of the local Church the acts of the Diocesan Synod which was celebrated last year. After Mass, the Holy Father left Nazareth and headed for Jerusalem.

Pope John Paul II finishes historic pilgrimage to Holy Land

Vatican City, 27 (NE) Pope John Paul II arrived back to the Vatican yesterday night, finishing a historic pilgrimage to Holy Land. After a brief ceremony at Tel Aviv's international airport, the Pope climbed the steps to the airplane, waved goodbye and boarded the airplane for Rome, closing his 92nd apostolic trip outside Italy.

The Pope's last day in Holy Land included a Mass at the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre, the Shrine that commemorates the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. "Here in the church of the Holy Sepulchre the tomb is empty. It is a silent witness to the central event of human history: the Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. For almost two thousand years the empty tomb has borne witness to the victory of Life over death. The Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ is the sign that the Eternal Father is faithful to His promise and brings new life out of death", the Pope recalled during his homily.

"I urge all of the Church's members to renew their obedience to the Lord's command to take the Gospel to all the ends of the earth", the Pope said in closing. "At the dawn of a new Millennium" he further emphasized, "there is great need to proclaim from the roof tops that 'God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.'"

The Holy Father also visited during his last day in Israel the Mosque of Omar, where he was welcomed by the Great Mufti of Jerusalem Sheikh Akram Sabri and other Moslem authorities. Afterwards, he visited the area of the Western Wall where he was welcomed by the Jewish Religious authorities. After the prayer the Pope deposited on the wall the parchment with the psalm he had read, a tradition among the Jews, and finally blessed the wall.

"Life is the most precious gift human beings have" says former Argentinean president

Buenos Aires, 27 (NE) "Life is the most precious gift for a human being," recalled former Argentinean president Carlos Saul Menem in a recent article published in the "El Clarin" newspaper, commenting the celebration of the Day of the Unborn Child. The Argentinean government inaugurated this feast during the government of president Menem, and is celebrated since 1999 every March 25, precisely on the day that the Church celebrates the Feast of the Annunciation-Incarnation of the Lord Jesus.

"We wanted to encourage in the culture, in a symbolic but effective way," said ex-president Menem commenting on the decision to celebrate life, "the sentiment and the appreciation of human life as the most fundamental fact and right, to be protected from the moment it begins, that is at the time of conception." We have also wanted to encourage people to reflect on "such a transcendent matter," he added.

"Thus, we want each home, school and church to reflect on the rights of the unborn child. It is important for collective culture to affirm this absolute value and to make it present, especially today, when it is threatened and concretely violated by abortion and certain practices that don't respect the essential personal dignity of the human embryo. As Pope John Paul II has said many times," added the former president, "in our time the 'culture of death' is imposing itself over the 'culture of life.'"

"This new century we begin should be marked by respect for human rights, even through the preventive and repressive action of supranational organizations. Instead we see a right as basic as the right to life in crisis. It even has as victim the most undefended and fragile of human beings: the unborn child. Let's celebrate with dignity, the 'Day of the Unborn Child' recalling that life is the most precious gift that the human being has. This is the Argentinean contribution to the consolidation of the 'culture of life.'"

Spanish Bishops welcomed new Apostolic Nuncio

Madrid, 27 (NE) The new Nuncio of Pope John Paul II for Spain, Archbishop Manuel Monteiro de Castro, arrived to Madrid last week, expressing his desire to "work to do his best for Spain and the Spanish people." The Prelate, until some weeks ago Papal Nuncio in South Africa, was received by a delegation of Spanish bishops in the airport of Barajas. In later declarations to journalists, Archbishop Monteiro stated that "I joyfully come to work in Iberian lands, where I was born and where I was prepared for life." He also announced his desire to "give a message of personal conversion, in the frame of the Jubilee Year, so that we all feel ourselves children of God." The new Nuncio will present his credentials to the King of Spain this week. It is expected that he will also participate in the next General Assembly of the Spanish Episcopate that will take place from April 3 to 7. "I've had the opportunity to live in many Spanish speaking countries, and I have seen how important still are the values that Spain has taken to these peoples," also stated Archbishop Monteiro de Castro in his declarations to the local press.

Mexicans celebrated Day of the Unborn Baby in the Basilica of Guadalupe

Mexico City, 27 (NE) Responding to the exhortation of Pope John Paul II, the Church in Mexico celebrated yesterday the Day of the Unborn Child, as it had been announced last week. The event took place within the framework of the Great Jubilee and a day after the Jubilee of Women and the Sacredness of Life. The main events were held at the Basilica of Guadalupe. In declarations before the celebration, the president of the Pastoral Health Commission of the Archdiocese of Mexico, Jorge Palencia, urged Mexicans to defend, promote, respect and love life from the moment of conception. Meanwhile, the President of Pro-vida (Pro Life), Jorge Serrano Limon, stated that induced abortion can never be justified. Members of this association joined to faithful celebrating on Saturday the Jubilee celebration of the Sacredness of Life. Serrano emphasized that the majority of women who abort in Mexico do not do it for economic but for social and family reasons. He highlighted the efforts that the Centers of Aid for Women have been accomplishing, recalling that they have prevented almost 3,000 abortions in 1999.

Pope to visit Fatima for beatification of children shepherds

Rome, 27 (NE) Pope John Paul II will fly to Portugal in May for the beatification of two of the three little shepherds who witnessed the appearances of the Virgin of Fatima. The secretary of the Pontifical Commission for the Jubilee informed that the Pontiff accepted the invitation made by Bishop Serafim Ferreira e Silva of Leiria-Fatima to celebrate the ceremony of beatification of the children in Fatima. The Pope will go in mid-May to preside over the ceremony of beatification that will take place during the anniversary of the appearances of the Virgin. The first appearance occurred on May 13, 1917. It was first thought that the beatification ceremony would take place in April in Rome but the date was finally changed. Portuguese faithful have expressed great joy for the raising to the altars of the little shepherds of Fatima. Books, biographies and medals are being prepared for the beatification. Also, a two-volume edition of critical documents in relation to the Canonic Diocesan process that led the Bishop of Leiria in 1930 to declare the Marian appearances in the Cova da Iria worthy of credit will be published on occasion of the beatification.

MARCH 25

Holy Father calls youth to follow Christ

Vatican City, 25 (NE) "Jesus calls you to be fishers of men. He tells each and every one of you, come and follow me. Do not be afraid to answer this call because He is your strength" said Pope John Paul II yesterday, to the 100.000 young people present for the Mass he presided at the Mount of the Beatitudes. Together with twelve Cardinals, approximately 100 bishops, and 1.200 priests, young people from Middle Eastern countries and from abroad attended the Eucharist celebrated in Korazim, 135 kilometers north of Jerusalem.

During his homily the Pope, who was interrupted several times by the enthusiastic cheers of the crowd, pointed out the paradoxical and demanding nature of the Beatitudes. The call of the Lord, he said, "has always demanded a choice between the two voices competing for your hearts even now on this hill, the choice between good and evil, between life and death. Which voice will the young people of the twenty-first century choose to follow?"

"Young people of the Holy Land, Young people of the world: answer the Lord with a heart that is willing and open! Willing and open, like the heart of the greatest daughter of Galilee, Mary, the Mother of Jesus. How did she respond? She said: 'I am the servant of the Lord, let it be done to me according to your word'".

At the end of Mass the Holy Father greeted the young people present in Italian, French, German, Spanish, Polish, Hebrew and Arabic. He watched as several young people released white doves, and he then blessed several saplings which will be planted on the Mount of the Beatitudes. Following Mass Pope John Paul went to the shrine of the Mount of the Beatitudes for lunch with the papal party.

Pope visited church of the Primacy of Peter

Vatican City, 25 (NE) In the frame of his fifth day of pilgrimage to Holy Land, Pope John Paul II visited yesterday Tabgha on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee. There the Holy Father visited the church of the Multiplication of the Loaves. According to tradition, the rock upon which Jesus placed the bread later became the altar of a church. The remains of this church, which was constructed in 350 A.D., lie to the right of the modern-day church which is entrusted to the care of Benedictine fathers.

The Pope then visited the church of the Primacy of Peter, which was reconstructed in 1933 by the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land. The church recalls the place of St. Peter's triple confession after the Resurrection of the Lord and the confirmation of his ministry. From there the Pope traveled to Capernaum, also on the Sea of Galilee, a site from where the Shrine of the House of Peter can be seen. During the day, the Pope met as well Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak.

Meanwhile, it was announced that the area used for the Mass the Holy Father presided at the Mount of Beatitudes in the morning will be transformed into a forest in honor of Pope John Paul II. For this purpose, at the end of the Mass celebrated with over 100,000 youth from the Middle East and around the world, the Pope was presented with the first tree to be planted and which he blessed.

Philippines suspends death penalty for Jubilee year

Manila, 25 (NE) After several requests made by the Catholic Church in Philippines to suspend death sentence, President Joseph Estrada announced that the Church's petition will be considered, ordering the suspension of death penalty throughout the Jubilee year. "The restriction will be valid until January, afterwards we will study the issue again," President Estrada declared. Death penalty in the Philippines was abolished in 1987. Nevertheless, it was reestablished a few years later in 1994. Since that year, seven persons have been killed and about one thousand await trial. On several opportunities, Bishops in this country have called the government to abolish capital punishment, since, besides the violation to life and human dignity, the law has caused division among the population and the legislative, judicial and executive branches of the government.

Cardinal George calls to consider "values of faith" in elections

Chicago, 25 (NE) In the frame of the political process taking place in the United States, Cardinal Francis George of Chicago recalled faithful their civic responsibility when electing a candidate. "The primary moral judgment on candidates and their positions is to be made in the light of their concern for protecting human life from conception to natural death", the Cardinal stressed, recalling a document issued by the US Bishops on "Faithful Citizenship: Civic Responsibility for a New Millennium". "In this time of relative prosperity, the Bishops note that not all is right with our nation", Cardinal George wrote, highlighting that "prosperity does not reach far enough, and our culture may diminish us in moral terms". "This is why it is vital to call attention to those structures which fail to enhance life and dignity and which may negatively impact the poor and vulnerable in our communities," he further emphasized, calling faithful to "bring the values of their faith to the public arena and participate fully."

MARCH 24

Holy Father celebrated Mass in the Cenacle in Jerusalem

Vatican City, 24 (NE) Pope John Paul II celebrated yesterday a Mass in the same place where the Lord Jesus celebrated 2000 years ago the first Eucharist, becoming the first Successor of Peter to do so. "In a sense", reflected the Pope, "Peter and the Apostles, in the person of their Successors, have come back today to the Upper Room, to profess the unchanging faith of the Church: "Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again".

During his homily, the Pope recalled that in the Eucharist, "Christ the Good Shepherd, who gave his life for the sheep, remains present in his Church". "What is the Eucharist, if not the sacramental presence of Christ in all who share in the one bread and the one cup?" "This presence is the Church's greatest wealth", he further emphasized.

The Pope also stated that "through the Eucharist, Christ builds up the Church. The hands which broke bread for the disciples at the Last Supper were to be stretched out on the Cross in order to gather all people to himself in the eternal Kingdom of his Father." "Through the celebration of the Eucharist" the Pope emphasized, "he never ceases to draw men and women to be effective members of his Body."

Pope renews call to peace during meeting with religious leaders

Vatican City, 24 (NE) After the Eucharist celebration Pope John Paul II presided in the Cenacle, the Pontiff attended several meetings with local religious leaders. In the Temple of Salomon, the Holy Father met the two highest Jew religious authorities of Israel, the Chief rabbis of the Ashkenazim and the Sephardim communities. "May the Lord of heaven and earth lead us to a new and fruitful era of reciprocal respect and cooperation for the benefit of all", said the Pope during the meeting.

The Holy Father also met during his third day in Israel President Ezer Weizman, moments before visiting the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial. "We wish to remember. But we wish to remember for a purpose, namely to ensure that never again will evil prevail, as it did for the millions of innocent victims of Nazism", said the Pope, who was accompanied by Prime Minister Ehud Barak.

"Our religious teachings and our spiritual experience demand that we overcome evil with good", the Pope further said, lamenting afterwards the acts of anti-semitism throughout the history of the world. Prime Minister Barak, during his words, recalled that the majority of persons who risked their lives to save Jews during the Holocaust were Catholics. In the afternoon, Pope John Paul II met Christian, Muslim and Jewish religious leaders at the Notre Dame Pontifical Institute. During the meeting, the Pope urged to make of Jerusalem a city of peace.

Argentina: government praises religious pro-life institutions

Buenos Aires, 24 (NE) For the second consecutive year, Argentina will celebrate on March 25 the Day of the Unborn Child, a feast began during the government of former President Carlos Menem. In the frame of this celebration, commemorated during the feast of the Annunciation of the Lord, the government will award this year a special distinction to three religious institutions which "dedicate their efforts to nascent life and to the safety of pregnant women". The distinction will be awarded by the Secretariat for Worship of the Argentinean government. The Day of the Unborn Child was instituted in December 1998 through a decree establishing March 25 as the day for its celebration. A few days ago, during the last meeting of the Permanent Commission of the Argentinean Bishop's Conference, Archbishop Jorge Bergoglio of Buenos Aires highlighted the celebration of the Day of the Unborn Child, recalling that the "fight for life starts from the moment of conception and finishes with natural death".

Vatican Bishop stresses importance of ecclesial movements

Rome, 24 (NE) The ecclesial movements and the new communities are "a gift for everyone", said Bishop Stanislaw Rylko, Secretary of the Pontifical Council of the Laity, during a meeting recently held in Italy to reflect about "The Movements in the Church. A gift, a novelty, a resource". During his intervention, Bishop Rylko recalled the Mass and the Meeting of the Holy Father with the ecclesial movements and the new communities held in Pentecost 1998, highlighting them as "events of great importance for the Church". The Bishop also stressed the important role of movements in the proclamation of the Good News in our times. To this respect, he encourage to creativity in order to find "new ways of transmission of the Gospel, so it may reach those places were religious indifference, practical atheism and the most diverse forms of neo-paganism seem to obstruct any possibility for the flourishing of Christian faith". "Ecclesial movements and new communities" -Bishop Rylko further emphasized, "demand today a strong commitment on behalf of all the Church".

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