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Monday, October 24, 2005

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, OCT 24, 2005 (VIS) - The Holy Father:

 - Accepted the resignation from the pastoral care of the archdiocese of Cartagena, Colombia, presented by Archbishop Carlos Jose Ruiseco Vieira, in accordance with Canon 401, para. 2, of the Code of Canon Law. He is succeeded by Coadjutor Archbishop Jorge Enrique Jimenez Carvajal C.I.M.

 - Appointed as members of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, Archbishops William Joseph Levada, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith; Angelo Comastri, president of the Fabric of St Peter's; and Pier Giacomo De Nicolo, apostolic nuncio.

  On Saturday, October 22, it was made public that he appointed:

 - Fr. Christian Nourrichard of the clergy of the archdiocese of Rouen, France, vicar general, as coadjutor bishop of Evreux (area 5,978, population 541,000, Catholics 390,000, priests 118, permanent deacons 22, religious 375), France. The bishop-elect was born in Notre-Dame-de-Bondeville, France in 1948 and ordained a priest in 1974.

 - Cardinal Anthony Olubunmi Okogie, archbishop of Lagos, Nigeria, as his special envoy to the National Eucharistic Congress of Ghana, which is due to be held at Kumasi, Ghana, on November 19 - 20.
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AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, OCT 24, 2005 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

 - Bishop William Stephen Skylstad of Spokane, U.S.A., Cardinal Francis Eugene George, archbishop of Chicago, U.S.A., and Msgr. William P. Fay, respectively president, vice-president and secretary general of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.

 - Cardinal Claudio Hummes O.F.M., archbishop of Sao Paulo, Brazil.
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TRUE JOY IS TO BE FOUND IN SERVING OTHERS


VATICAN CITY, OCT 24, 2005 (VIS) - At midday today in the Vatican's Paul VI Hall, the Holy Father received pilgrims who had come to Rome for yesterday's canonization of Blesseds Jozef Bilczewski, Zygmunt Gorazdowski, Alberto Hurtado Cruchaga, Gaetano Catanoso, and Felice da Nicosia.

  Speaking of St. Jozef Bilczewski, who was archbishop of Lviv of the Latins, Ukraine, and of St. Zygmunt Gorazdowski, priest, the Pope indicated how "both carried out their priestly ministry united to Christ and totally dedicated to man."

  "A pre-eminent figure of the Chilean nation," the Pope said, "was St. Alberto Hurtado Cruchaga, priest of the Society of Jesus. ... The aim of his life was to be another Christ." This saint, he went on, "calls everyone to responsibility, and especially to sanctity. May he intercede for you all that you carry back to your homes, ecclesial communities and social milieux the light that gave splendor to his life and joy to his heart."

  Benedict XVI pointed out that St. Gaetano Catanoso "announced the reign of God with apostolic ardor and with the conviction of a witness. He administered the Sacraments, and above all the Holy Eucharist," and "placed himself at the service of the lowest and of the most isolated," of the poor and the abandoned.

  In greeting pilgrims from the area of St. Felice da Nicosia, especially Friars Minor Capuchins, the Pope said: "In a world strongly marked by concern for appearance and for selfish wellbeing, St. Felice reminds everyone that true joy is often hidden behind small things and is achieved by carrying out one's daily duty in a spirit of service."
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SPECIAL BOND BETWEEN EUCHARIST AND THE CHURCH'S MISSION


VATICAN CITY, OCT 23, 2005 (VIS) - At midday today, before praying the Angelus with the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square, the Pope recalled that the morning's Eucharistic celebration, during which he had proclaimed five new saints, marked both the end of the Eleventh Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops and the close of the Year of the Eucharist, inaugurated by John Paul II in October 2004.

  "These new saints," he said, "whom we contemplate in their heavenly glory, invite us to resort in all circumstances to the maternal protection of the Virgin Mary, in order to progress ever more along the road of evangelical perfection, upheld by constant union with the Lord, truly present in the Sacrament of the Eucharist.

  "In this way," he continued, "we will be able to live the vocation to which all Christians are called, that of being 'bread broken for the life of the world,' as today's World Mission Day most appropriately reminds us. The bond between the Church's mission and the Eucharist is more significant than ever. ... Those who welcome Christ in His Body and Blood cannot keep this gift for themselves, but feel compelled to share it in courageous witness of the Gospel, in the service of their brothers and sisters in difficulty, and in forgiveness of injuries. For some people, what is more, the Eucharist is the seed of a specific call to leave everything in order to go and announce Christ to those who do not yet know Him."

  Benedict XVI then entrusted to Mary Most Holy, "Eucharistic woman," the "spiritual fruits of the Synod and of the Year of the Eucharist. May she watch over the Church's journey and teach us to grow in communion with the Lord Jesus, that we may be witnesses of His love, wherein the secret of joy lies."

  Following the Angelus, the Pope greeted pilgrims, civil authorities and religious from the countries of provenance of the new saints.
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POPE CLOSES THE SYNOD AND THE YEAR OF THE EUCHARIST


VATICAN CITY, OCT 23, 2005 (VIS) - During a Eucharistic concelebration over which he presided this morning in St. Peter's Square, Benedict XVI closed the Synod of Bishops on the Eucharist and the Year dedicated to the same Sacrament. He also proclaimed five new saints, the first of his pontificate.

  In his homily the Pope referred to the new saints in turn, describing St. Jozef Bilczewski (1860 - 1923), as "a man of prayer," whose "profound theological knowledge, faith and Eucharistic devotion ... made him an example for priests and a witness for all the faithful."

  The Polish St. Zygmunt Gorazdowski (1845 - 1920), priest, founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph, "became famous for his devotion rooted in the celebration and adoration of the Eucharist. His experience of Christ's sacrifice drove him to the sick, the poor and the needy."

  The Holy Father went on to speak of the Chilean Jesuit priest, St. Alberto Hurtado Cruchaga (1901 - 1952) who "wished to identify himself with the Lord and to love the poor with the Lord's own love. ... In love and in total commitment to God's will, he found the strength for his apostolate. He founded the 'Hogar de Cristo' (Home of Christ) for the most needy and the homeless, offering them a family atmosphere full of human warmth. In his priestly ministry he stood out for his simplicity and his readiness to help others."

  With reference to the Italian priest, St. Gaetano Catanoso (1879 - 1963), founder of the Congregation of the Veronica Sisters of the Holy Countenance, the Pope stressed how "daily Mass and frequent adoration of the Sacrament of the altar were the soul of his priestly ministry. With ardent and tireless pastoral charity he dedicated himself to preaching, catechesis, the ministry of Confession, the poor, the sick, and to nurturing priestly vocations."

  Finally, Benedict XVI spoke of St. Felice da Nicosia (1715 - 1787) of the Friars Minor Capuchin, who was "austere and penitent, faithful to the most genuine expressions of the Franciscan tradition. ... (He) helps us to discover the value of small things that give life a precious value, teaching us to perceive the meaning of the family and of service to our brothers and sisters, and showing us that the true and lasting joy, for which all human hearts long, is the fruit of love."

  The Pope then sent, together with the Synod Fathers and in the name of the entire episcopate, "a fraternal greeting to the bishops of the Church in China," who did not receive permission from the authorities to participate in the Synod. "With heartfelt sorrow we felt the absence of their four representatives. Yet I would like to assure all Chinese prelates that, in prayer, we remain close to them, to their priests and to their faithful. The troubled path of their communities ... will not fail to bear fruit."

  Benedict XVI continued: "Contemplation of the Eucharist must encourage all members of the Church - and in the first place priests, ministers of the Eucharist - to revive their commitment to faithfulness. In the mystery of the Eucharist, celebrated and adored, lie the roots of celibacy which priests have received as a precious gift and a sign of total love towards God and towards others. For lay people too, Eucharistic spirituality must be the inner force for all their activities, and there can be no separation between faith and life in their mission of Christian animation of the world."

  The Holy Father highlighted how, "this Eucharistic perspective, is an appropriate context for today's World Mission Day, for which the venerated Servant of God John Paul II chose the theme: "Mission: Bread broken for the life of the world."

  "Even today," he concluded, "before the multitudes, Christ continues to exhort His disciples, 'you give them something to eat.' And in His name missionaries continue to announce and bear witness to the Gospel, at times even sacrificing their lives."
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NOTICE

VATICAN CITY, OCT 23, 2005 (VIS) - Due to the large amount of news concerning the Eleventh Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, information concerning the 50 propositions, which the Holy Father has decided should be made public, will be published by VIS on Tuesday, October 25.
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LETTER TO CHINESE BISHOPS ABSENT FROM THE SYNOD


VATICAN CITY, OCT 23, 2005 (VIS) - Made public this afternoon was a letter signed by the presidents delegate and by the secretary general of the Synod of Bishops - respectively Cardinals Francis Arinze, Juan Sandoval Iniguez and Telesphore Placidus Toppo, and Archbishop Nikola Eterovic - addressed to the four Chinese prelates absent from the synodal assembly: Bishops Antonio Li Duan, Xi'an; Luca Li Jingfeng, Fengxiang; Aloysius Jin Luxian S.J., Shanghai; and Giuseppe Wei Jingyi, Qiqihar:

  "Vatican City, October 22nd 2005.

  "Dearest Brothers in the Episcopacy,

  "We, the Synod Fathers, participating in the Eleventh Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, joined with Pope Benedict XVI, wish to give you our fraternal and cordial greetings.

  "Your absence during the synodal work caused great unhappiness in our soul. We would have liked to meet with you and hear of your demanding and fruitful ecclesial experience. All this was not possible, but we would like to assure you and the whole Church that is in China that you are present in a particular way in our hearts and in our prayers.

  "As you know, the Eucharistic Mystery is the center of our reflections. Regarding this, we would like to underline that it is in the Eucharist itself, source and summit of the life and mission of the Church, that we are all in communion with Christ and with the Universal Church. For this reason we give praise, with you, to the Eternal Father, the Giver of all good: from His heart comes the love that is poured to us through the Spirit of the Risen Lord, which makes us 'of one heart and soul.'

  "In the Lord Jesus, we hope that all the ecclesial communities in China may flourish in listening to the Word, in celebrating the Paschal Mystery and in generous service to their brethren. Our prayers include the ardent hope that paths may soon be found to make full communion more visible. We entrust these wishes to Most Holy Mary, Mother of the Church, accompanied by a fervent prayer from the whole Church."
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TWENTY-SECOND GENERAL CONGREGATION


VATICAN CITY, OCT 22, 2005 (VIS) - During the Twenty-Second (and final) General Congregation held this morning in the Synod Hall, a vote was held on the final list of propositions, which will be presented to the Holy Father to consider as he prepares the post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation. At 1 p.m., the participants in the synodal assembly were invited by the Pope to lunch at the "Domus Sanctae Marthae" (St. Martha residence) in Vatican City.

  In the Sistine Chapel at 6 p.m., a concert in honor of the Holy Father was given by the choir of Ratisbone Cathedral, conducted by Roland Buchner.
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CLIMATE OF FRATERNITY AND UNITY IN THE FAITH


VATICAN CITY, OCT 22, 2005 (VIS) - At 12.15 p.m. today, a press conference was held in the Holy See Press Office for the conclusion of the work of the Eleventh Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, which has been considering the theme: "The Eucharist: Source and Summit of the Life and Mission of the Church."

 Participating in the press conference were Cardinals George Pell, archbishop of Sydney Australia, and Marc Ouellet P.S.S., archbishop of Quebec, Canada, Archbishop Roland Minnerath of Dijon, France, and Bishop Salvatore Fisichella, rector of the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome.

  Cardinal Ouellet emphasized the climate of fraternity and unity in the faith that had characterized the Synod, despite the diversity of cultures; and specified how the final message of the synodal assembly was based not on propositions or comments, but on the Eucharist as the fulcrum of Church life and activity. He then went on to recall how the text of the message insists on the Eucharist as being the mission of the People of God and reaffirmed the responsibility of Christians who, like the Synod Fathers, "must echo the suffering of the world," and participate actively in such important fields as the economy, education and the communications media.

  For his part, Bishop Fisichella observed how the Synod began and ended with a message of peace, hope and encouragement. "This message," he said, "deals with a number of shadows, which we have not sought to ignore, but it also has great prophetic import, because despite the problems, there is also much light: the increase in priestly vocations, and the growing awareness among families of their social role."

  Archbishop Minnerath revealed one of the novelties of the Synod: the Pope has ordered that the propositions of the Synod Fathers, in their Italian version, be made public. The archbishop also underlined the atmosphere of openness and communication that had marked the assembly, "without taking anything away from the traditional procedure."

  Once the prelates had finished speaking, the journalists present were given the opportunity to request clarification on some of the subjects, among them the vote on the message.

  "No vote was taken on the message," explained Archbishop Minnerath, "because the regulations of the Synod do not make voting obligatory, rather they speak of approval, which both in yesterday's congregation and today's was expressed with a great ovation."

  Replying to a question on the freedom given by the synodal assembly to diocesan bishops to administer communion to politicians and legislators who sometimes create laws at variance with Church teaching, Cardinal Ouellet said: "the Synod does not wish to isolate any category of individuals. Of course, all Christians are responsible for their own behavior, but lawmakers have a more impelling collective responsibility and a greater duty to be consistent. Thus diocesan bishops, with wisdom and firmness, will consider each case as it arises."

  Attention was also given to the subject of divorced and re-married Catholics, who cannot receive communion. "For them we have a specific and particularly sensitive form of pastoral care," the prelates explained, "which makes it clear that, although they cannot take communion, they are not excluded from the Church."
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FINAL MESSAGE OF THE SYNOD OF BISHOPS


VATICAN CITY, OCT 22, 2005 (VIS) - The final message of the Eleventh Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops was made public today. The document, entitled "The Eucharist: Living Bread for the Peace of the World," has been published in several languages, given below are extracts from the English-language version:

  "Called to Rome by Pope John Paul II, of venerable memory, and confirmed by His Holiness Benedict XVI, we have come from the five continents of the world to pray and reflect together on the Eucharist, 'Source and Summit of the Life and Mission of the Church.' The goal of the Synod was to offer proposals to the Holy Father that might help him to update and deepen the Eucharistic life of the Church. We have been able to experience what the Holy Eucharist has been from the very beginning: one faith and one Church, nourished by one bread of life, in visible communion with the successor of Peter.

  "The fraternal sharing among the bishops, the auditors, and also the ecumenical representatives, has renewed our conviction that the Holy Eucharist animates and transforms the life of the particular Churches of the East and West, as well as the many human activities in the very different circumstances in which we live. We have sensed a profound joy in experiencing the unity of our Eucharistic faith in the midst of the widespread diversity of rites, cultures and pastoral situations. The presence of so many brother bishops has allowed us to experience, in a more direct way, the richness of our different liturgical traditions that makes the depths of the unique Eucharistic mystery shine forth.

  "We invite you, dear Christian brothers and sisters of every confession, to pray more fervently that the day of reconciliation, and the full visible unity of the Church, might come in the celebration of the Holy Eucharist in conformity with Jesus' prayer on the eve of His death: 'That all may be one'."

  "We also extend our thanks to all the people of God, whose presence and solidarity we have felt during these three weeks of prayer and reflection. The local Churches in China, and their bishops who were not able to join us in our work, had a special place in our thoughts and prayers."

LISTENING TO THE SUFFERING OF THE WORLD

  "The meeting of the Synod has been an intense time of sharing and witnessing to the life of the Church in the different continents. We have been made aware of extreme situations and suffering generated by wars, hunger, different forms of terrorism and injustice, which touch the daily life of hundreds of millions of human beings. The explosive violence in the Middle East and in Africa has reminded us that the African continent has been forgotten by the public opinion of the world. Natural disasters, which seem to have multiplied, force us to look upon nature with greater respect and to strengthen our solidarity with those suffering peoples.

  "We have not remained silent before the consequences of secularization, present above all in the West, that lead to religious indifference and various expressions of relativism. We have remembered and denounced situations of injustice and extreme poverty that are in evidence everywhere, but especially in Latin America, in Africa and in Asia. All this suffering cries out to God, and challenges the conscience of humanity. ... We also direct our thoughts to those who govern nations that they take diligent care to provide access to the common good for all. We ask that they be promoters of the dignity of every human being, from conception till natural death. We ask them to enact laws which respect the natural rights of marriage and the family. For our part, we will continue to participate actively in a common effort to generate lasting conditions for genuine progress for the whole human family, where no one is lacking his or her daily bread."

DO THIS IN MEMORY OF ME

  "From its beginnings, the Church has remembered the death and resurrection of Jesus with the same words and actions of the Last Supper, asking the Spirit to transform the bread and wine into the Body and into the Blood of Christ. We firmly believe and we teach in the constant tradition of the Church that the words of Jesus pronounced by the priest at the Mass, in the power of the Holy Spirit, effect what they signify. They bring about the real presence of the Risen Christ."

  "Forty years after Vatican Council II we wanted to examine to what extent the mysteries of the faith are adequately expressed and celebrated in our liturgical assemblies. The Synod reaffirms that Vatican Council II provided the necessary basis for an authentic liturgical renewal. It is necessary now to cultivate the positive fruits of this reform, and to correct abuses that have crept into liturgical practice. We are convinced that respect for the sacred character of the liturgy is transmitted by genuine fidelity to liturgical norms of legitimate authority. No one should consider himself master of the Church's liturgy."

LIGHTS IN THE EUCHARISTIC LIFE OF THE CHURCH

  "Many of the interventions have reported positive and joyful events, for example: the renewed consciousness of the importance of the Sunday Mass; the increase in the number of vocations to the priesthood and to consecrated life in various places of the world; the powerful experiences of World Youth Days, culminating at Cologne in Germany; the development of numerous initiatives for the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament almost everywhere in the world; the renewal of the catechesis on Baptism and the Eucharist in the light of the Catechism of the Catholic Church; the growth of movements and communities forming missionaries for the new evangelization."

  "We thank God that in many countries where priests were not present, or were forced underground, the Church is now freely able to celebrate the Holy Mysteries. The freedom to preach the Gospel and the renewed fervor of testimony are little by little reawakening the faith in areas profoundly de-Christianized. We affectionately greet and encourage all those who continue to suffer persecution. We also ask that in those places where Christians are a minority group, they be allowed to celebrate the day of the Lord in complete freedom."

CHALLENGES FOR A EUCHARISTIC RENEWAL

  "The life of our Churches is also marked by shadows and problems which we have not ignored. In the first place, we think of the loss of the sense of sin and the persistent crisis in the practice of the Sacrament of Penance."

  "Nevertheless, the lack of priests to celebrate the Sunday Eucharist worries us a great deal and invites us to pray and to promote priestly vocations more actively. Some priests, undergoing great difficulty, are forced to celebrate many times and to move from one place to another to best meet the needs of the faithful."

  "Various forms of celebration already exist in different continents that suffer from a lack of priests. Yet, the practice of 'spiritual communion,' dear to the Catholic tradition, can and should be better promoted and explained so that the faithful may be helped both to communicate sacramentally in a better way and to bring genuine consolation to those who, for various reasons, cannot receive the Body and Blood of Christ in communion. We believe that this practice should help people who are alone, especially the handicapped, the aged, those in prison and refugees.

  "We know the sadness of those who do not have access to sacramental communion because their family situations do not conform to the commandment of the Lord. Some divorced and remarried people sadly accept their inability to take sacramental communion and they make an offering of it to God. Others are not able to understand this restriction, and live with an internal frustration. We reaffirm that, while we do not endorse their choice, they are not excluded from the life of the Church. We ask that they participate in Sunday Mass and devote themselves assiduously to listening to the Word of God so that it might nourish their life of faith, of love and of conversion. We wish to tell them how close we are to them in prayer and pastoral concern."

  "We have also observed that in certain areas there is a lessening of the sense of the sacred that affects not only the active and fruitful participation of the faithful at Mass, but also the manner in which the celebration takes place and the quality of the witness that Christians are called to give. ... The fact of de-Christianization calls for a better formation to Christian life in families so that sacramental practice is revitalized and genuinely expresses the content of the faith. We therefore invite parents, pastors and catechists to work toward re-establishing a strategy for evangelization and education in the faith at the beginning of this new millennium.

  "Before the Lord of history and the future of the world, the poor of every generation and of today, the ever-increasing number of victims of injustice and all the forgotten of this world challenge us. They remind us of Christ's agony, until the end of the world. These sufferings cannot remain extraneous to the celebration of the Eucharistic Mystery which summons all of us to work for justice and the transformation of the world in an active and conscious fashion, on the basis of the social teaching of the Church that promotes the centrality and the dignity of the human person."

YOU WILL BE MY WITNESSES

  "The Holy Eucharist is the gift of love, an encounter with the God who loves us and a spring welling up to eternal life. Bishops, priests and deacons, we are the first witnesses and servants of this love.

  "Dear Priests, ...we ask you to be, with us and following the example of the Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI, 'humble workers in the vineyard of the Lord,' following a consistent priestly life."

  "We remember with gratitude the commitment of the permanent deacons, catechists, pastoral workers and numerous lay people who work for the community."

  "We greet and thank all consecrated people, that chosen portion of the vineyard of the Lord who freely witness to the Good News of the Spouse who is coming. Your Eucharistic witness in the service of Christ is a cry of love in the darkness of the world."

  "Dear young people, ...we have great trust in your capacity and your desire to develop the positive values in the world, and to change what is unjust and violent. Please count upon our support and our prayer so that we may together accept the challenge to build the future with Christ."

  "To all young seminarians, ... we wish to express our hope that their formation will be permeated by an authentic Eucharistic spirituality.

  "Dear Christian married couples and your families, your vocation to holiness begins as the domestic Church, and is nourished at the Holy Table of the Eucharist. Your faith in the Sacrament of Marriage transforms your nuptial union into a Temple of the Holy Spirit, into a rich source of new life, generating children, the fruit of your love. We have often spoken of you at the Synod because we are conscious of the fragility and the uncertainties of the world today."

  "To the sick and the handicapped, ... in your suffering of body and heart, you participate in a special way in the sacrifice of the Eucharist and you are privileged witnesses of the love which comes from it."

THAT ALL MAY BE ONE

  "The Holy Father Benedict XVI has restated the solemn commitment of the Church to the cause of ecumenism. ... We all feel the sadness of separation which prevents the common celebration of the Eucharist. We wish to intensify the prayer for unity within communities, the exchange of gifts between the Churches and ecclesial communities, as well as the respectful and fraternal contact among everyone, so that we may better know and love one another, respecting and appreciating our differences and our shared values. The precise regulations of the Church determine the position we are to take on sharing the Eucharist with brothers and sisters who are not yet in full communion with us. A healthy discipline prevents confusion and imprudent gestures that might further damage true communion.

  "As Christians, we are close to the other descendants of Abraham: the Jews, who were the first to inherit the Covenant, and the Muslims. In celebrating the Holy Eucharist, we also believe that we are, in the words of Saint Augustine, 'a sacrament of humanity'."

CONCLUSION: PEACE FULL OF HOPE

  "We thank God for this Eleventh Synodal Assembly which, convened forty years after the Second Vatican Council, has made us go back to the source of the mystery of the Church. We thus end the Year of the Eucharist on a high note, confirmed in unity and renewed in apostolic and missionary enthusiasm."

  "At the end of this Synod we experience that peace full of hope which the disciples of Emmaus, with burning hearts, received from the Risen Lord. They arose and returned in haste to Jerusalem, to share their joy with their brothers and sisters in the faith. We hope that you will go joyfully to meet Him in the Holy Eucharist, and that you will experience the truth of His words: 'And I am with you until the end of the world'."
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TWENTY-FIRST GENERAL CONGREGATION

VATICAN CITY, OCT 21, 2005 (VIS) - In the Synod Hall of the Vatican at 4.30 p.m., the Twenty-First General Congregation of the Eleventh Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops was held, during which the final list of propositions was read out. The Holy Father was present, as were 243 Synod Fathers, and the president delegate on duty was Cardinal Francis Arinze, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.

  Archbishop Nikola Eterovic, secretary general of the Synod of Bishops, announced the names of the elected members of the post-synodal council and the names of members appointed by the Holy Father:

AFRICA

1. Cardinal Francis Arinze, prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments.
2. Archbishop Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya of Kisangani, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and president of the country's episcopal conference.
3. Archbishop John Olorunfemi Onaiyekan of Abuja, Niger, president of the Episcopal Conference for Niger, and president of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (S.E.C.A.M.).

AMERICA

1. Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani Thorne, archbishop of Lima, Peru.
2. Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio S.J., archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina, vice-president of the country's episcopal conference.
3. Cardinal Marc Ouellet P.S.S., archbishop of Quebec, Canada.
4. Bishop Donald William Wuerl of Pittsburgh, U.S.A.

ASIA/OCEANIA

1. Cardinal Telesphore Placidus Toppo, archbishop of Ranchi, India.
2. Cardinal George Poll, archbishop of Sydney, Australia.
3. Bishop Joseph Zen Ze-kiun S.D.B., of Hong Kong, China.
4. Bishop Luis Antonio G. Tagle of Imus, Philippines.

EUROPE

1. Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, archbishop of Westminster, England, president of the country's episcopal conference.
2. Cardinal Angelo Scola, patriarch of Venice, Italy.
3. Cardinal Walter Kasper, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.
4. Bishop Djura Dzudzar, apostolic exarch of Serbia and Montenegro for Catholics of Byzantine Rite.
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