A daily news service

December 21

Cardinal Ruini: Jubilee will stay in history as a great jubilee

Rome, 21 (NE) After presiding a Eucharist celebration in the Italian region of Lazio, Cardinal Camillo Ruini, Vicar general of Pope John Paul II for the Diocese of Rome, said to the press that "the Jubilee of the year 2000 will stay in history as a great jubilee". The Italian Cardinal stressed that especially "in the second half of the Holy Year there have been events with a numerically surprising attendance, but from the beginning there have been moments of great spiritual intensity".

Cardinal Ruini also pointed out that "when the Pope, writing the Letter preparing the Jubilee, spoke of this extraordinarily big Holy Year and of the door that should open for humanity, he was not being rhetorical, but foreseeing what has really happened".

The Roman Agency for the Jubilee informed that throughout the Holy Year 24.5 million people have arrived at Rome with an average stay of 2,7 days. It was also informed that 69.273 volunteers offered their help during the Jubilee.

Sri Lanka: Catholic parlamentaries must be coherent with their faith

Rome, 21 (NE) Catholic parlamentaries in Sri Lanka were recently called to live up to their faith as Catholics and create a new political culture, during a meeting with Bishop Oswald Gomis of Anuradhapura. During the meeting held in Colombo, Bishop Gomis, who is also President of the Catholic Bishops' Conference in Sri Lanka, stressed the need for parlamentaries to serve the people, especially stressing that though members of Parliament, they are "primarily Catholics." The Prelate also called "try to build a new political culture," highlighting peace as fundamental horizon in Sri Lanka. Recalling the 17-year war between Tamil separatists and the government, Bishop Gomis urged assistants to the meeting to "work out a just solution to the problem." The Bishop also reminded the parliamentarians of their obligations toward the Catholic community, particularly citing "injustices that are happening to the Catholic community in the field of education." He especially referred to the Church's petition to the government asking to return Catholic schools nationalized in 1960. Out of the 225 members of parliament in Sri Lanka elected last October, 18 are Catholic.

Archbishop Cipriani encourages unity in families in Christmas message

Lima, 21 (NE) Archbishop Juan Luis Cipriani of Lima stressed in his recent pastoral letter to faithful on occasion of Christmas the value of family in society and called people in Peru to defend family from the different attacks it suffers today. In his message, the Prelate also warned faithful against indifference and highlighted Christmas as a special time to live charity and solidarity with those most in need. "Nobody should feel alone in this feast, full of joy and peace", he wrote.

"Thanks to Jesus, Mary and Joseph, the Holy Family, we want to reinforce our commitment with the wonderful institution that today suffers so many attacks. We must commit ourselves to defend family both privately and publicly, among our friends, in public opinion, caring the laws must not only respect but protect and encourage family". "Here in this school of Bethlehem", he continued, "we understand better the need for a greater unity in Peruvian families, strengthening among all a true effort in favor of national reconciliation, based on Christian truth, justice and charity."

"Upon concluding the Holy Year, we want to thank God for the many blessings he has bestowed upon all of us, and we are sure that when we start the new 21st century, we will see flourishing in our family, in our homeland and in all the world, a new springtime of spirituality, that leads us to see Jesus as the only Savior of the world".

Hong Kong: new convent prays for evangelization of China

Rome, 21 (NE) Since December 10th the Diocese of Hong Kong has a new monastery. It is a convent of Clares, which has become the third monastery in this diocese, adding to the Trappist and the Carmelite convents already existing. The monastery has been blessed by the Coadjutor Bishop of Hong Kong, Joseph Zen Zi-kiun, who expressed his hope that the increase of religious presence in Hong Kong will encourage people to live the Christian virtues. The superior of the new monastery emphasized the importance of Hong Kong as a bridge towards continental China. She also said that the prayers of the sisters who now inhabit the monastery will be especially directed to encourage the evangelization of the continental China.

December 20

Pope reflects on Christmas during general audience

Rome, 20 (NE) During the general audience held today in St. Peter's Square, Pope John Paul centered his catechesis in the celebration of Christmas in the frame of the Holy Year. "In a few days, we shall celebrate the Birth of the Lord Jesus, who came among us to redeem us by his death on the Cross. This Christmas is special, occurring as it does at the close of the Jubilee Year, during which we have celebrated more intensely the mystery of the Incarnation," the Pope stressed.

"Our thoughts turn to the stable of Bethlehem, where God became man in order to bring joy and peace, reconciliation and a spirit of brotherhood to humanity. We can best celebrate this event through prayer and by welcoming the gift of God's love ever more fully into our lives," the Holy Father said.

"Christmas," the Pope further said, "is an invitation to cooperate with God's plan by committing ourselves more generously to the cause of peace and understanding among peoples." "In this way the message of peace which the angels announced to the shepherds at Bethlehem will become a reality in our lives".

"Fill the churches with your prayers" calls Patriarch Sabbah to faithful in Holy Land

Rome, 20 (NE) "We celebrate Christmas this year, with its message of peace, which we live in times of suffering and lack of peace". With these word the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Michel Sabbah, addressed faithful in Holy Land in his traditional Christmas letter. In his message, the Patriarch expressed his concern regarding the violent situation that the land in which the Lord was born is currently enduring.

"This message of peace and love is addressed to the whole reality which we live within the whole region," he said, stressing the need for freedom for Palestinian people, as the way to attain peace and justice in Holy Land. In his message, Patriarch Sabbah expressed his special concern for the situation of Bethlehem, "center of our celebrations", which "is under siege and experiencing famine. Its residents cannot leave it, nor can the visitors enter it".

"Our feasts remain however a time for prayer and a source of comfort for us all." "Feast is a time of prayer and sanctification. It is an occasion for renewing joy and hope in our hearts and in our houses, so that we may triumph with this renewed hope over death and demolitions."

"Fill the churches with your prayers" invited Patriarch Sabbah to faithful in closing his letter. "Pilgrims this year will not share with us the midnight mass. Come yourselves to pray." "In Bethlehem, the Savior has been born. From Bethlehem, from amidst our sufferings and prayers, we ask God Almighty for the salvation of the whole world."

Korea: government bill to prohibit medical research using human embryos

Rome, 20 (NE) Catholic theologians in South Korea expressed their satisfaction for a government-proposed bill that regulates human cloning technology. According to a report from the Asian catholic agency UCANews, the bill was drafted by the government-funded Institute for Health and Social Affairs. It prohibits medical and bioengineering research using human embryos, stressing that human embryos should not be artificially produced. The bill also stipulates that an embryo's genetic content should not be artificially changed or manipulated. In declarations to UCANews, Father Aloysius Ku Kyong-kuk, Pusan Catholic University professor, said he was "satisfied with the bill because it clearly states that human embryos should not be artificially produced except for conception." Meanwhile, Father Paul Lee Chang-young, secretary of the Korean bishops' Committee for Justice and Peace, told the catholic news agency that "the government should not allow cloning of human embryos because human embryos are also human beings."

Pittsburgh: diocese encourages ongoing faith formation of adults

Pittsburgh, 20 (NE) "Faith in the New Millennium" is the title of an adult lecture series sponsored by the Diocese of Pittsburgh's to take place from January to June next year. The lecture series, which will be held each month at the Saint Paul Seminary auditorium, is the central focus of an effort to renew adult faith formation in the diocese. Regarding the program, the diocesan Secretary for Education, Rev. Kris D. Stubna, stressed that "for the Christian, faith in Christ is everything, and it is particularly important that adults be strong in their faith so they can build Christian homes and guide their children to Christ." Themes such as Religious and Human Rights, Courts and Faith in Today's America", the phenomenon of anti-Catholicism and the debates between scientists and believers, will be discussed during the lectures. As a follow-up to the lecture series, every parish is invited to expand its adult faith formation programs. "We hope that this lecture series will revitalize our efforts aimed at the ongoing faith formation of adults in the Church," stressed commenting the program Judy Kirk, director of the diocese's Department for Religious Education.

December 19

Pope to beatifiy 233 martyrs of the Spanish civil war

Vatican City, 19 (NE) Pope John Paul II presided yesterday a ceremony where decrees concerning the martyrdom of 102 Spanish Servants of God were promulgated. Also promulgated were decrees regarding miracles attributed to four Blessed and one Servant of God, and decrees regarding the heroic virtues of seven Servants of God. 116 Spanish martyrs were recognized last December, and 15 recognized prior to that date, which means that 233 Spanish martyrs killed during religious persecution in the 20th century will be raised to the altars, probably on March 11, 2001.

In his address to the Holy Father, Archbishop José Saraiva Martins, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, said that "what is impresive of this group of martyrs is their great strenght, their deep religious formation, their docility, their capacity to forgive, their joyful disposition for martyrdom to the point of causing astonishment to their persecutors who had an incredible brutality and a total lack of humanity."

The four Blessed who are to be canonized are Blessed Giuseppe Marello, bishop of Acqui, Italy, and founder of the Congregation of the Oblates of St. Joseph (1844-1895); Blessed Teresa Eustochio (nee Ignazia Verzeri), Italian, virgin, foundress of the Institute of the Daughters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (1801-1852); Blessed Francesca Salesia, French, (nee Leonia Aviat), virgin, foundress of the Congregation of the Oblate Sisters of St. Francis of Sales (1844-1914); and Blessed Maria Crescenzia, German, (nee Anna Hoss), professed nun of the Third Order Regular of St. Francis (1682-1744). The Servant of God Emilia Tavernier, widow Gamelin, foundress of the Congregation of the Sisters of Providence of Montreal, Canada, (1800-1851), will be beatified.

Caritas in the Archdiocese of La Plata begins "Food bank"

Buenos Aires, 19 (NE) Caritas of La Plata, Argentina, presented a new initiative aiming to help those most in need. The "Food bank", as it is called, will allow the exchange between those companies related to the alimentary sector and people and associations that distribute food among those in need.

In the presentation of the system, the Archbishop of La Plata, Hector Aguer, recalled the experience of the Church in the attention to the poor and pointed out that Food bank "constitutes a bridge between overabundance and misery, extreme realities increased nowadays in a society where only the logic of the market prevails." "It is very auspicious," stressed the Prelate, "that Caritas, inspired by Christian love, manages to raise the solidarity of many people of good will to alleviate the poverty of the many Argentine people looking for help."

Born in the United States, the idea has been realized in over 250 banks in America and Europe. The system tries to take advantage of those foods that, being approved for consumption, for some reason do not fulfill the requirements for commercialization. The food bank gathers the foods from the companies and the dining places and takes them to be distributed among the most needy.

Brazil may have its first saint soon

Rio de Janeiro, 19 (NE) Experts from the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints acknowledged last weekend the second miracle of Mother Paulina of the Dying Heart of Jesus. This miracle consists in a healing unexplainable by science, which occurred after the endless prayers that the relatives of Iza Bruna Vieira de Oliveira, an eight year-old girl, commended to the Brazilian Blessed. With the approval of this miracle conferred to Mother Paulina's intercession, only the approval of the Theologians and Cardinals is awaited in order for Pope John Paul II to finally promulgate the decree confirming the miracle and establishing a date for the ceremony of canonization. The Archbishop of Sao Paulo, Claudio Hummes, affirmed that "it is great news for this end of the century and works as a stimulus so that people love God and others more." Mother Paulina is the founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, created on August 25, 1895, with its headquarters in the city of Sao Paulo.

Holy Land: message of peace and hope for Christmas

Rome, 19 (NE) A call to peace and hope is the content of the joint message from the Patriarchs and Heads of all the Christian Communities in the Holy Land on occasion of Christmas. "The land of Jesus' birth," reads the message, "cries out in pain…hope has been replaced with fear, despair, pain, loss and death. Stones and shells are competing unequally on a daily basis. Palestinians and Israelis are living once again with the painful realities of violence, terror, injustice, closures, insecurity and dehumanization."

In recent days Israeli authorities have threatened to prevent access to Bethlehem which would make liturgical celebrations at the Nativity Basilica practically impossible. "We remain conscious that our people will not enjoy many of the customary celebrations for Christmas this year - the message says - Yet we urge them not to lose sight of that event in Bethlehem some two thousand years ago".

"We urge the leaders of the international community to help all those fighting to tackle the root causes of the conflict, and to give back to the Palestinian people their freedom and dignity so that the Israeli people can then enjoy security and tranquility…" The Message calls on all Christians, in the Holy Land and throughout the world, to work and pray for peace. "We have heard and accepted the Gospel of the peace of Christ and we are his witnesses and ambassadors who are entrusted with the message of reconciliation".

December 18

Pope presided Mass for Jubilee of the world of entertainment

Vatican City, 18 (NE) Pope John Paul II presided yesterday the Mass on occasion of the Jubilee of the world of entertainment, held in St. Peter's Square. During his homily, the Pope stressed to artists and those involved in the world of entertainment that "if you have a sensitivity for good, truth and beauty, the products of your creativity, even the most simple ones, will have a good moral and aesthetic quality". New evangelization, the Holy Father said, must include "the world of entertainment, very important for the formation of minds and habits".

The Pope also called those present celebrating the Jubilee to always consider the people to whom they offer their work, "especially when they are people in formation. Do not let yourselves be conditioned by mere economical or ideological interest". "This is the fundamental principle of the ethics in social communications that every one of you is called to apply in your own activity", the Pope stressed.

In closing, recalling the celebration of Christmas, the Pope invited artists to "let Mary, the Mother of the Word Incarnate, guide you in your itinerary of preparation for Christmas. She awaits in silence the fulfillment of the divine promises and teaches us that to take peace and joy to the world, it is necessary first to welcome in our heart the Prince of Peace and the source of joy: Jesus Christ".

Peru: festival underlines Christian spirit of Christmas

Lima, 18 (CN) Numerous artists, musicians, people from the world of culture and the general public will meet in next days in Lima (Peru) to participate in the Artistic Christmas Festival "Christmas is Jesus", that will take place from December 18th to the 24th. The event, which will be carried out in the Great Park of Lima, aims to revitalize the celebration of Christmas in its authentic sense, as a party that celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. The Festival is organized by the Foundation for Development of solidarity (in Spanish, FUNDADES), the Christian Life Movement and the Municipality of Lima.

"We want all the Peruvian people to remember that the center of Christmas is Jesus, and very specially in this great Holy Year in which we celebrate 2000 years of the Reconciler's birth", said organizers commenting the event. During the festival "Christmas is Jesus" many Christmas artistic activities will be carried out, such as competitions of composition and interpretation of songs, choirs, stories, poetry, paintings and photography.

The main event of the Festival will take place on Saturday 23rd at 7:30 pm in the Open Theatre of the Park. The Archbishop of Lima and Primate of Peru, Juan Luis Cipriani Thorne, will preside a Christmas liturgy that will be an occasion to ask especially for families and for peace and reconciliation in this country.

As the organisers informed, during the 7 days of the Christmas Artistic Festival donations of clothes, toys, food and medicines will be received to be afterwards distributed among people in need. In this way, the organisers of the Festival look for the activity to include not only moments of amusement, recreation and reflection, but also to be a Festival with a social projection that can wake up a spirit of solidarity among the people who participate in it.

Street honoring Pope John XXIII inaugurated in Turkey

Rome, 18 (NE) The municipal Council of Sisli, in Istanbul (Turkey) decided unanimously in a plenary session to name a street in honor of Pope John XXIII, expressing the country's recognition for the affection that Pope Roncalli manifested to Turkish people during his time working as Apostolic Nuncio in the country, from 1935 to 1945. The new street was inaugurated with a series of ceremonies that took place from the 8th to the 10th of December, in which many civil and religious authorities participated.

Pope John Paul II, through a message from Cardinal Angelo Sodano, State Secretary, also made present his recognition to his predecessor. In his words he emphasized "the tireless defense of the cause peace" of Pope Roncalli, remarking as well his efforts to "heal, discreetly but effectively, the evil of war, the sadness of the exiles and the injustices of the persecution". "In Turkey he left many friends and the memory of a man of peace and of fraternity," he wrote.

Cardinal Paul Poupard, President of the Pontifical Council for Culture, was also present at the ceremony of the inauguration of the street in honor of Pope John XXIII, and highlighted Pope Roncalli's work as a representative of the Holy See, first in Bulgaria and then in Turkey.

Benin: Africa's first national Catholic radio inaugurated

Rome, 18 (NE) Last Sunday December 10 "Radio Immaculée Conception" in Benin, Africa, officially inaugurated its satellite-beamed programmes. According to Fides news agency, the inauguration took place on occasion of the annual Marian Pilgrimage to the shrine of Our Lady of Divine Mercy at Allada, Cotonou. Pope John Paul II sent a message and his blessing for this promising initiative in the field of evangelization through the means of social communications. Radio Immaculate Conception reaches almost the entire territory of Benin, 112,622 sq km. Thanks to the support of the Bishops it has become the first national Catholic radio in Africa and the first to use satellite which covers Africa, Europe, and the Middle East, informed Fides. The radio began broadcasts on April 19, 1998, twenty four hours a day from the Marian Centre at Allada. Its programmes focus on Christian formation, prayer, culture, news, information, development, music. Benin has a population of 5,510,000, of whom 2 million are Catholics.

December 15

Papal message for World Day of Peace presented

Vatican City, 15 (NE) "Dialogue between Cultures for a Civilization of Love and Peace" is the title of Pope John Paul II's Message for the 34th World Day of Peace which will be celebrated on January 1, 2001. The Message, dated December 8 was made public yesterday during a press conference at the Holy See Press Office.

In his message, the Pope emphasizes that he considers "urgent to invite believers in Christ, together with all men and women of good will, to reflect on the theme of dialogue between cultures and traditions. ... I do not believe that there can be easy or readily applicable solutions to a problem like this. ... But for this very reason I see the usefulness of a shared reflection on these issues". "Cultural diversity", the Pope says, "should therefore be understood within the broader horizon of the unity of the human race."

"Dialogue between cultures ... emerges as an intrinsic demand of human nature itself, as well as of culture. It is dialogue which protects the distinctiveness of cultures as historical and creative expressions of the underlying unity of the human family, and which sustains understanding and communion between them," says the new Papal document. Among other themes, the Pope recalls as well in his message that "human life cannot be seen as an object to do with as we please, but as the most sacred and inviolable earthly reality." "There can be no peace when this most basic good is not protected. It is not possible to invoke peace and despise life."

"During the Great Jubilee, two thousand years after the birth of Jesus, the Church has had a powerful experience of the challenging call to reconciliation. ... Mindful of the significant Jubilee experience of the purification of memory, I wish to make a specific appeal to Christians to become witnesses to and missionaries of forgiveness and reconciliation."

In closing his message, the Pope recalls the "young people of the whole world, who are humanity's future and living stones in the building of the civilization of love. I treasure in my heart the memory of ... the recent World Youth Day in Rome." "Feeling your closeness to me, I sensed a profound gratitude to the Lord who gave me the grace of contemplating ... the miracle of the universality of the Church, of her catholicity, of her unity. ... Dear young people of every language and culture, a high and exhilarating task awaits you: that of becoming men and women capable of solidarity, peace and love of life, with respect for everyone. Become craftsmen of a new humanity".

"Evangelization must, above all, talk about God," stresses Cardinal Ratzinger

Rome, 15 (NE) "Evangelization must, above all, talk about God, announce the true God." This point was recently emphasized by Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith, in a speech during the Jubilee of catechists and religion teachers, held last Sunday. The Cardinal started his reflection outlining a question that, in some way, every human being has already made to himself: "how to learn the art of living? What is the path to happiness?" "Jesus," he said, "says in the very beginning of his public life, 'I have come to announce the Good News to the poor.' This means, 'I am the answer to your fundamental question; I show you the path of life, the path to happiness, and more: I am this path.'" Further on, he pointed out that theological reflection "must again be truly 'theology', a speech of God and with God." In closing, the Prefect Cardinal explained that "God cannot be made known only through words. Announcing God is introducing into a relationship with Him: learning how to pray. Only in the experience of life with God appears the evidence of His existence," he affirmed.

US Bishop calls to renew nation's moral conscience

Arlington, 15 (NE) "How is it that a president continually vetoes legislation banning partial-birth abortion? How is it that a child needs parental permission to be given an aspirin at school but can be given the morning-after pill to abort a newly-conceived child without such consent? And, how is it that our nation threatens to withhold foreign aid to countries unless they subscribe to an abortion-rights agenda?

With these words Bishop Paul S. Loverde of Arlington addressed faithful gathered for a Pro-life Mass held last December 9, at All Saints Church in Manassas, stressing that "by all statistical surveys, the moral thrust of our nation has been running in reverse".

During his homily, Bishop Loverde called people to strive for a world "without abortion, a world where every human is treated as a person from conception until natural death, a world where there is right and wrong and right means following the will of the Father. It is in forging this new world that we all must strive."

"Being pro-life is something which should radiate throughout our entire being, whether at home, in the community, or in the work place. Regardless of what any poll indicates, we must publicly promote the Gospel of Life because that is the right thing to do. This is a question of right and wrong, of life and death". "During this Advent season, which is the new dawn of the Liturgical Year", Bishop Loverde said in closing, "let us make a commitment to take up the challenge of the gospel and be evangelizers."

December 14

Pope reflects on value of commitment in temporal realities

Vatican City, 14 (NE) "The value of commitment in temporal realities" was the theme of Pope John Paul II' catechesis yesterday, during Wednesday's general audience. Gathering with pilgrims in St. Peter's Square, the Pope said that "biblical revelation and the finest philosophical wisdom agree in their emphasis that humanity is, on the one hand, drawn towards the infinite and the eternal and, on the other, firmly rooted on earth within the coordinates of time and space." The Holy Father emphasized as well that "the work of creation is, in a certain sense, delegated by God to man in order that it may continue in the extraordinary feats of science and technology, ... with the aim of 'cultivating and protecting' the earth and making men and women more united." "Christians," he concluded, "are called to collaborate with the Creator in order to build on earth a 'house for man' more in keeping with his dignity and the divine plan."

Holy Father will preside Christmas midnight Mass in St. Peter's Square

Vatican City, 14 (NE) Pope John Paul II will preside Christmas midnight Mass in St. Peter's Square, and not inside the Basilica, as it was previously announced. The Christmas Mass at 10 a.m. on December 25 will take place inside the Basilica. The Pope will also preside the celebration on Monday, January 1, Solemnity of Mary and World Day of Peace, and the 9:30 a.m. Mass and Te Deum on Saturday, January 6, Epiphany of Our Lord. During this last celebration, the Holy Father will close the Holy Door of St. Peter's Basilica, 379 days after it was opened, and will officially close the Holy Year. The Holy Doors of the other Basilicas will be closed on January 5 by Cardinal legates. The updated calendar of events for Pope John Paul during the Christmas season also announced the Pope's apostolic benediction in St. Peter's Square at midnight on December 31, feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary and Joseph, and a Mass in the Sistine Chapel on Sunday, January 7, feast of the Baptism of the Lord, during which the Holy Father will baptize some children.

Founder consecrates Sodalitium Christianae Vitae to Virgin Mary

Lima, 14 (NE) In a moving ceremony in Lima, Peru, the founder of the Sodalite Family, Luis Fernando Figari, consecrated the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae to the Virgin Mary. The ceremony took place in the presence of more than 250 members and adherents of the Sodalitium last December 8, feast of the Immaculate Conception. The ceremony also marked the closing of the General Assembly of the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae, a Society of Apostolic Life approved by Pope John Paul II in 1997.

With great joy and in spirit of thanksgiving, the Sodality Family celebrated the day of the Immaculate Conception in different countries and dioceses where it is present. On December 8 a new anniversary of the foundation is commemorated. Celebrating the Marian feast, thousands of members of the Christian Life Movement, the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae, the Marian Community of Reconciliation, the Servants of God's Plan and the Brotherhood of Our Lady of Reconciliation, gathered throughout America and Europe to commemorate the anniversary of the foundation.

In the city of Lima, the main celebration took place in the church of Our Lady of Reconciliation. The Mass was presided over by the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Rino Passigato. Present at the Eucharist celebration were the founder of the Sodalitium and several members of this Society who participated in the II General Assembly, which took place in the Peruvian capital. Archbishop Passigato expressed his adhesion to the "greetings and blessing that the Holy Father" sent on occasion of the society's Assembly.

During his homily, the Papal Nuncio reflected on the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, describing with beautiful images the purity of the Mother of God. In Mary, stated the Archbishop, "we know better than in any other creature who God is." He also stressed the virtues of tenderness, goodness, obedience and wisdom of the Virgin and urged everybody to grow deeper in the Marian devotion.

At the end of his homily, Archbishop Passigato emphasized the teachings of the II Vatican Council, urging those present to reread them in order to "discover again its great richness in doctrinal and pastoral impulses." The Council, he emphasized, has helped many people to "understand that the Christian vocation is by its nature a vocation to apostolate and to holiness… If you live Christianity without compromises," he concluded, "you may light fire to the world."

Madrid: Archbishop encourages commitment to life and family

Madrid, 14 (NE) "We lack a clear and firm policy to support matrimony, family and life," recently stated Cardinal Antonio Rouco Varela, Archbishop of Madrid, during a reflection on the Immaculate Conception. Talking about the Marian feast, the Cardinal stated that "with deep grief and pain we witness a growing diffusion of conceptions and behaviors… defined in clear contraposition to the irreplaceable value that a marriage lived in fidelity" and family have for society and for the future.

This occurs, he also stated "with the aggravating factor of the action of public institutions and authorities at all levels. In the best of cases, this action doesn't go beyond the limit of a permissive passivity. But on other occasions it is articulated through normative and administrative norms that clearly support initiatives of legislation and adoption of the government's dispositions, openly formulated against the child's right to life, and against the essential goods of matrimony and family, which is discriminated without any palliative."

"Are we Catholics going to collaborate with this intellectual, social and political culture of ethical and juridical relativization of family and of the sacred value of each human life? Or are we going to start a new stage in our public and private commitment with the culture of love and life, configured by the Gospel of the Emmanuel, Son of God incarnated in the womb of the Virgin Mary and supported by the simple, integral and persevering love of Mary, the Immaculate Virgin of Nazareth?"

"The answer," concluded Cardinal Rouco in his reflection, "doesn't admit doubt in this Jubilee year, before the eyes of the crucified Christ, who appears before us with renewed insistence: 'son, there is your mother'. We commit ourselves, we want to commit ourselves to Mary, before the third millennium for the Christian matrimony and family!"

Government invites Pope to visit Kazakhstan

Rome, 14 (NE) The Catholic Church and the government authorities of Kazakhstan have officially invited the Pope to visit the new central Asian Republic following his scheduled 4 day pastoral pilgrimage to Ukraine, next June 21-24. According to Fides news agency, a first invitation had been addressed to the Pope by Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev, when he was received in audience in the Vatican on September 24. An official invitation has now come from the Catholic Bishop of Karaganda, and the three Apostolic Administrators of Almaty, Astana and Atyrau.

The total population in the former soviet republic is approximately of 17 million people, of which 8 million are Sunni Muslims and 6.2 million Russian Orthodox Christians. Catholics, mostly of German and Polish descent, number some 360,000. The Holy See recognized the five Central Asian republics of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan soon after they declared independence from the Soviet Union in 1991. In 1997 the Vatican set up a "sui juris" (self-governing) Central Asia missions in each country, and named Bishop Lenga as apostolic administrator of Karaganda. On Aug. 6, 1999, the Vatican established in Kazakhstan the Diocese of Karaganda and the apostolic administrations of Almaty, Astana and Atyrau.

December 13

Millions celebrate with great devotion feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe

Mexico City, 13 (NE) Hundreds of thousands of Mexican Catholics flooded yesterday the streets of Mexico City on occasion of the feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Pilgrims from all over the country reached the Mexican capital early on Monday to prepare for the celebration. One hour before midnight the Marian feast officially started. Traditional songs and dances were held to honor the Mother of God and to express the filial love of Mexican faithful to "Santa Maria del Tepeyac". Every hour Mass was celebrated in the Basilica where the "tilma" of Blessed Juan Diego with the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe is kept.

At eleven in the morning, Cardinal Norberto Rivera, Archbishop of Mexico, presided the main Eucharist celebration. Together with Cardinal Rivera was Cardinal Francis George, Archbishop of Chicago. During his homily, the Mexican Cardinal recalled that through blessed Juan Diego and the image of the Virgin, "God has encountered his people". He also called Mexican faithful to be thankful to God for the great gift that Marian devotion means in the American Continent.

"We recognize and thank [God] because She has been the instrument of love through whom the Lord converted us into a 'model of evangelization of perfect inculturation', a privilege for all the American continent", Cardinal Rivera further stressed. The Basilica of Guadalupe is the most visited Marian shrine in the world. Last year, Pope John Paul II declared that on the 12 of December the feast of our Lady of Guadalupe be celebrated in the entire continent.

December 12

Pope recalls invitation to new evangelization for Latin American bishops

Vatican City, 12 (NE) Pope John Paul II received yesterday the Letters of Credence of Victor A. Hidalgo Justo, new ambassador from the Dominican Republic. During his address to the 73-year-old ambassador, the Pope expressed his closeness to faithful in this country. "I can not forget", the Pope said, "that, following the route of the first evangelizers, it was the first American land to welcome me at the start of my pontificate."

The Holy Father also recalled his visit to this country in 1992, for the celebration of the V Centenary of the first evangelization. "On that occasion, I invited the Bishops gathered for the IV assembly of the General Conference of Latin American Bishops, to receive the heritage of the effort from the first missionaries with another effort, not least committing and important for the new millennium: the new evangelization".

The Pope also spoke about the collaboration between Church and state in Dominican Republic. "The points in which the Church and States meet and collaborate ... concern those fields that determine full human dignity and that cultivate the values upon which an ever more just, unified and peaceful world must be built. At the present moment in history - in which many factors motivate (people) to think only in terms of immediate results, producing apprehension in people and instability in society - it is supremely important to be ever more watchful in order not to lose the most authentic and deeply-rooted values of human nature."

Philadelphia: Archdiocesan synod to encourage communion and mission

Philadelphia, 12 (NE) Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua, Archbishop of Philadelphia, recently announced the convocation of the Tenth Archdiocesan Synod. "This will be a unique event for all of us in the Archdiocese. The last diocesan synod took place sixty-six years ago in 1934", Cardinal Bevilacqua said, stressing that "renewal is not just another program or initiative. It is on-going, as we strive for our entire lives to 'renew the face of the earth' through the power of the Holy Spirit".

"A synod is an ancient and proven instrument for fostering renewal in the life of the local Church. The final object of an archdiocesan synod is to foster communion and mission. The synod achieves this end by contributing in shaping the pastoral activities of the archdiocese through an evaluation of existing pastoral programs and a subsequent proposal of new pastoral plans. As such, the synod is a natural progression for our Archdiocese, building upon all the pastoral planning we have accomplished thus far".

As it was announced, the Synod will be held in the Spring of 2002, with a Year of Preparation to begin on January 8, 2001. The announcement comes as the Archdiocese of Philadelphia examines ways to build upon the spiritual and pastoral renewal begun in 1991 in preparation for the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000 and the Third Millennium of Christianity.

Archbishop Re: "The Pope loves everybody, but above all youth"

Rome, 12 (NE) "Many things of the Pope impress. His security, his facility to communicate, but, above all, the intensity of his prayer. He is a dynamic, active man, a man that prays." With these words the Prefect for the Congregation for Bishops, Archbishop Giovanni Battista Re, recently described Pope John Paul II, during the inauguration in Loreto, Italy, of a pastoral youth center named "John Paul II."

In his reflection about the "Pope and the young people," the Prefect highlighted the importance of prayer in the Holy Father's life. " His entire day is interweaved of prayer. Specially before making an important decision," added the Prelate, who shared with the young people several experiences as a close assistant to the Pope.

On the other hand, the Prelate emphasized the special love of the Pope for youth. "Pope John Paul II has always favored you. When he greeted you for the first time in St. Peter's Square, during his first Angelus, he did it in a special way: 'You are the Church's hope, my hope.' And with the occasion of each apostolic pilgrimage, he always asks for an occasion to meet the young people." "The Pope loves everybody but above all youth," he further emphasized.

The Prefect also recalled the demands that the Holy Father raises to today's youth: "he invites them to live intensively their youth, because it is a decisive age for the future." "Youth is the age of questions. It is an age that requires clear and honest answers. The Pope answers: what the human heart aspires to is not any thing, is Someone", the Prelate concluded.

Vatican Cardinal stresses importance of "Evangelii nuntiandi"

Rome, 12 (NE) With the occasion of the anniversary of the Apostolic Exhortation "Evangelii nuntiandi, Cardinal Lucas Moreira Neves, Prefect Emeritus for the Congregation for Bishops and direct witness of the development of this document, recently highlighted the importance that this letter from Pope Paul VI still has for the Church and for today's world. In an article appeared in "L'Osservatore Romano," the Brazilian Cardinal affirmed that "I am intimately convinced that, beyond the concrete circumstances that moved Paul VI to write it... the Evangelii nuntiandi was a highly expressive text from Pope Montini."

With this document -he further emphasized- "the Pontiff offered… a kind of a pastoral will, summarizing and synthesizing his entire ´munus pontificale´, opening the times about to come." After making a brief revision of the different parts of the document, Cardinal Neves highlighted the second one as that "which is at the center of the Apostolic Exhortation."

"In it, Paul VI deliberately proposes the true definition of the evangelization against all those possible false conceptions," eliminating the "fragmentary" vision and giving a total and complex sight of the evangelizing process, which consists in "taking Jesus to those ones who don't know Him, but, at the same time, offering a more systematic and perfect knowledge of Him." "We talk about taking the Gospel not to the surface (to external proceedings) but rather to the inside, to the most intimate nucleus of the cultures and of the culture."

"Certainly the integrated process is the most beautiful framework to offer to the Church and to the humanity the Good News of the endless love of the Father, of Christ, the Father's Son and center of our lives; of the reasons of our hope; of the total liberation of humanity and its total promotion; of a complete humanism that finishes in the installation of the Kingdom of God; of the conversion of the spirit; of peace and reconciliation; of freedom of the consciences. Such is the Gospel of salvation and of man's happiness," stressed Cardinal Neves.

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