_WORLD WATCH______________________________
____________________ The Vatican ________________

A dark horizon
Pope’s annual address to diplomats
In his annual address to the Vatican diplomatic corps, Pope John Paul II summarized his outlook on the world’s political problems by saying that “we are tragically aware that humanity finds itself in a situation of violence, suffering, and sin.”

The address to the diplomats who are accredited to the Holy See traditionally offers the Pope a chance to survey the world scene, and list both the hopeful signs and the trouble spots that the Vatican observes. The speech is, in effect, a summary of the Vatican’s foreign-policy objectives.

Pope John Paul began his January 9 talk by reminding the assembled diplomats that although “the horizon is indeed dark,” the light that shines from Bethlehem can overcome human failures. He then pointed to several positive developments on the world scene. He mentioned the growing strength of the European Union (although he lamented “the marginalization of religion” in the European political system); the clear steps toward lasting peace in Cyprus and in Kosovo; the admission of China into the World Trade Organization; and the prospects for successful peace talks in Sri Lanka.

However, the Pontiff continued, the world is troubled by warfare in many places. He turned first to the Holy Land, saying: “No one can remain indifferent to the injustice of which the Palestinian people have been victims for more than 50 years.” And he re-stated the Vatican’s consistent stance on the Middle East:

As I have already stated on many occasions, only respect for others and their legitimate aspirations, the application of international law, the evacuation of the occupied territories, and an internationally guaranteed special status for the most holy places in Jerusalem can bring about a beginning of pacification in that part of the world and break the hellish cycle of hatred and vengeance.

Next he spoke of “the legitimate fight against terrorism.” While expressing hopes that Afghanistan will now build a peaceful society, he seemed determined to stress the moral justification for the battle against terror, repeating the word “legitimate” when he spoke of “the question of legitimate defense” against terrorists.

John Paul went on to express keen concern about the tensions between India and Pakistan. And he emphatically repeated his frequent insistence that religion must never be used as a justification for violence.

Before concluding his speech, the Pope said that the immediate crises of the day should not distract attention from enduring difficulties in other countries. He mentioned Africa, where 17 armed conflicts are now occurring, aggravating the problems of disease and poverty. And in Latin America, he added, drug traffic and political corruption—as well as the economic crisis in Argentina—threaten the common welfare.

Christmas prayers
Pontiff pleads for peace
In his traditional Urbi et Orbi message on Christmas Day, Pope John Paul II said that only through Christ can the world find a true path to peace.

The Pope expressed his deep concern about the world’s conflicts, laying special emphasis on those in the Middle East and in Afghanistan. He remarked that these conflicts—and the ever-present threat that they may escalate into wider warfare—undermine the hopes with which mankind had greeted the new millennium last year.

However, as he delivered his Christmas greetings to the world, in 60 different languages, the Pontiff reminded his listeners that Jesus is the “Prince of Peace.” He urged everyone to see the face of Christ in everyone, and particularly in every child: “the Palestinian baby and the Israeli baby; the baby in the US or in Afghanistan.”

The Pope delivered his Urbi et Orbi message to an enthusiastic crowd of about 15,000 people in St. Peter’s Square, under sunny skies. On Christmas Eve, he had celebrated midnight Mass for a more subdued group, under conditions of markedly tight security.

The Pope’s preoccupation with the spread of violence was evident in nearly all of his public appearances as the year came to a close. In his last regularly scheduled public audience of the calendar year, too, John Paul II had asked all Christians to pray for peace, especially in the Middle East and in Afghanistan.

Speaking to about 5,000 people in the Paul VI Auditorium on December 19, the Holy Father said that the worldwide day of fasting and prayer for peace the previous Friday, December 14, had been the “high point” of the Advent season. As the world prepared to celebrate the Incarnation, he said, “We Christians must proclaim, louder than ever, the message of peace that came out of that stable in Bethlehem.

Canonizations approaching
Rome braces for ceremonies
On December 20, by reading a series of decrees in the presence of Pope John Paul II in a formal ceremony held in the Clementine Hall of the apostolic palace, the Congregation for the Causes of Saints officially cleared the way for the canonization of Padre Pio, the Capuchin stigmatic; Msgr. Josemaria Escriva, the founder of Opus Dei; and Juan Diego, to whom the Virgin Mary appeared at Gaudalupe, Mexico.

By recognizing the authenticity of miracles attributed to the candidates’ intercession, the Congregation for the Causes of Saints fulfilled the last requirement for sainthood. Also cleared for canonization were Ignazio da Santhia (1686-1770), another Italian Capuchin; and Benedetta Cambiagio Frassinello (1791-1858), the Italian founder of the Congregation of the Benedictine Sisters of Providence. Canonization ceremonies for all five are expected to be scheduled during this calendar year. The dates of those ceremonies will not be announced until a meeting of the “ordinary consistory”—the cardinals present in Rome—in February.

Preparations for these ceremonies of the three most famous candidates will be intensive, as the Vatican expects enormous crowds to descend on Rome for the events. The beatification of Msgr. Escriva in 1992 drew an estimated 300,000 people.

Year-end assessment
John Paul prays for strength to continue
When he met with the members of the Roman Curia on Saturday, December 22, for the traditional exchange of Christmas greetings, Pope John Paul II provided a quick summary of the year’s main activities. The Holy Father stressed the efforts of the Holy See to work on behalf of world peace. He gave particular emphasis to his appeal to the Chinese government to open negotiations aimed at the establishment of diplomatic relations.

The Pope also mentioned his apostolic voyages, pointing to the efforts he had made during those trips to reach out to the Orthodox churches and to Muslim believers. He went on to discuss the challenges he had set forth for the Church in his apostolic letter Novo Millennio Ineunte, issued at the close of the Jubilee year. And he mentioned his many meetings with bishops from around the world, especially during the Synod of bishops and the consistory of the College of Cardinals, both held during the past year.

Cardinal Bernardin Gantin, the dean of the College of Cardinals, offered the prelates’ response to the papal message. He thanked the Pontiff for his “fatherly sense of human and Christian solidarity,” which has been repeatedly made manifest “in response to the acts of violence that threaten the lives of men and of nations,” but is also visible in “his gift of his life to the Church and to mankind.”

In his final liturgical ceremony of the year 2001, Pope John Paul II presided at the singing of the Te Deum on the evening of December 31. In a meditation prepared for the occasion, the Pope offered his own thanks for the accomplishments of the past year. He also prayed: “I ask God for the strength to continue in faithful service to the Church of Rome and the whole world, for as long as he wills it.”

Although the traditional year-end ceremony is ordinarily held at St. Ignatius church in Rome, this year the Pope led the Te Deum at St. Peter’s Basilica. Some Vatican-watchers speculated that the location had been switched—after an original announcement that it would again take place in the Jesuit church—because of the Pope’s increasing difficulty in moving from place to place.

Vatican auction for Afghanistan
Unique event follows day of fasting
In an extraordinary effort to raise funds for war victims in Afghanistan, the Vatican announced plans to auction off items including works of art, books, and even episcopal rings.

Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, the prefect of the Congregation for Evangelization, announced that the proceeds from the January 17 auction would be used to provide relief for all war victims, but particularly for children. And he added that Pope John Paul II had encouraged the sale. The items to be auctioned were donated by various bishops, who indicated that they wished to remain anonymous.

The auction came just over a month after another unusual relief effort: the Pope’s request for Catholics all around the world to observe December 14 as a day of fasting and prayer—and his invitation to the faithful to send the money they saved by foregoing meals into a special account for the victims of terrorism. One week after that day of fasting, the Vatican reported that 750,000 euros —about $660,000—had already been received in a special fund set up for the occasion.

The Pontifical Council Cor Unum, which set up a special bank account for the donations, confirmed that the donations were quickly being directed to programs that provide care for the victims of terrorism. While donations are still flowing into the account, Cor Unum has made arrangements to transfer the money as fast as possible to those in need. Vatican spokesman Joaquin Navarro-Valls conveyed the thanks of Pope John Paul II to those who have donated to the fund. He said that the proceeds were being used to help “children, aged people, the sick, people who are without means, and those exposed to cold and hunger during the winter months.”

Christmas tree lighting
Romanian guests at annual ceremony
Romanian President Ion Iliescu led a delegation from his country in a meeting with Pope John Paul II, as the Pontiff formally accepted the gift of a Christmas tree from Romania to be displayed in St. Peter’s Square.

Each year, the Vatican accepts a Christmas tree from a different country. This year the 82-foot tree came from Romania, and a delegation from that country participated in the formal lighting of the tree on Monday afternoon, December 17.

During his short audience with the Romanian delegation before that ceremony, Pope John Paul recalled his “unforgettable” trip to Romania in 1999, and spoke of the “intense emotion” which he had experienced—particularly as he met Romanian Orthodox Patriarch Teoctist. That visit was the Pope’s first trip to a country in which the Orthodox Church claims majority status.

List of the year’s martyrs
Fides notes 33 mission workers killed in 2001
The Fides news service, an arm of the Vatican’s Congregation for Evangelization, has published a list of 33 Catholic missionaries who were killed during the year 2001.

The director of Fides, Father Bernardo Cervellera, observed that the list of 33 slain missionaries is far from exhaustive. That list does not include the faithful who were killed during a massacre at a Catholic church in Pakistan, in riots in Nigeria, or during attacks by Islamic extremists on the Moluccas Islands in Indonesia. The list, he emphasized, was merely a representation of the many Christians who died for the faith.

Most of the missionaries who died were the victims of some form of religious (or anti-religious) extremism. The heaviest death toll came in India, where eight missionaries died, among the 10 killed in Asia during the year. There were also 10 killed in the Americas (three in Colombia); nine in Africa, two in Europe, and two in Papua New Guinea.

The greatest number of missionaries killed during 2001—12 in all—came from Europe, including six from Italy. There were also eight born in Asia—all of them from India. The list of victims included 25 priests, one seminarian, five nuns, one consecrated lay woman, and one lay mission volunteer.

The deaths of the 33 victims occurred under widely varying circumstances, Father Cervellera noted: “Some cases were simply armed robberies. But this also reveals a tendency. Ten or fifteen years ago missionaries were respected and esteemed for the spiritual values they represented.”

Back to Catholic World Report February 2002 Table of Contents