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News from the Holy See
Christus Rex Information Service
V.I.S. - Friday 16 February 1996

JUBILEE PREPARATION: OPPORTUNITY FOR CONVERSION, PASTORAL COMMITMENT

VATICAN CITY, FEB 16, 1996 (VIS) - At the closing this afternoon of the first international meeting organized by the Central Committee for the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000, held over two days in the Vatican, its participants were received by the pope, who conveyed to them his wish that this time of preparation for the Jubilee be "an opportunity for conversion and pastoral commitment."

"May these years that lead us to 2000," he said, "constitute for all a time of listening to the Word of God and of attention to our brothers, like a prolonged course of 'spiritual retreats' to be lived out in each diocese, in each parish, in each community, association, movement and in Christian families."

Recalling that the pre-preparatory stage for the Holy Year concludes at the end of this year, the Holy Father said that from 1997 to 1999, the Church "is called to contemplate the Mystery of the Trinity. In 1997 our attention will be fixed on Him." Interest in the Bible and in catechesis will lead Christians to delve into their faith and Baptism. In 1998, the year that will be dedicated to the Holy Spirit, "Christians will experience His action especially in the sacrament of confirmation." And 1999, he added, "will be a path of true conversion that will culminate in the celebration of the sacrament of penance."

John Paul II spoke later on the need to proclaim Jesus Christ as the only Savior, through personal dialogue and taking advantage of "the potential of the communications media...It is necessary to consider with wise discernment the new multimedia technologies, which have a determinant influence on people's ways of thinking and acting, as well as on the formation of the new generations."

"The role that these instruments can play in the preparation and celebration of the next Jubilee, the first of the telematic age, eludes no one...Putting every modern instrument of communication at the service of the Gospel," he concluded, "believers will keep up with the times and will not cease to donate their specific contributions to build the civilization of love."

PRESS CONFERENCE ON MEETING OF JUBILEE COMMITTEE

VATICAN CITY, FEB 16, 1996 (VIS) - This afternoon in the Holy See Press Office Cardinal Roger Etchegaray, president of the Central Committee for the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000, presided at a press conference to illustrate the work of the first international meeting of the committee with representatives from the particular Churches.

Accompanying Cardinal Etchegaray were Archbishop Sergio Sebastiani, secretary of the Central Committee; Bishops Paul Mandlate, S.S.S., of Mozambique; Francisco Jose Cox Huneeus, of the Schonsttat Fathers of Chile; Paul Shan Kuo- Hsi, S.J., of China; Virgil Bercea of Romania; and H.E. Gavin Reid of the Anglican Communion.

The president of the Central Committee underscored the ecumenical focus that has characterized the preparations for the Jubilee from the beginning, highlighted by the pope in his apostolic letter "Tertio Millennio Adveniente," and said that "we want to associate ourselves to the limit with our brothers from other Churches."

Later, Archbishop Sebastiani offered a synthesis of the activities of the 8 commissions and 4 committees that comprise the Central Committee.

THEOLOGICAL-HISTORICAL COMMISSION: Its main end is to promote the major theological themes of the apostolic letter "Tertio Millennio Adveniente." It studies the biblical dimension of the Jubilee, which will make it possible to appreciate more easily the primacy of the Word of God in the life of the Church, knowledge of it in our ecclesial communities and the strength of its witness in the believer. A second goal is to underline the centrality of the Incarnation of Jesus Christ, which leads to the mystery of the Trinity, fulcrum of the Jubilee. In the field of theology the commission will offer four volumes, three as guides to catechesis in 1997 (christological), 1998 (pneumatological), 1999 (on God the Father), and a fourth on the meaning of the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000. In the historical area it will deal, among other topics, with anti- semitism and intolerance, with reference to the inquisitions. To this end, it will organize international conferences in Rome before the year 2000. It will also present an analysis of the four conciliar thematics set forth in the apostolic letter: the primacy of the Word of God, as it emerges in "Dei Verbum," the ecclesiology of communion reflected in "Lumen gentium," liturgical life as expressed in "Sacrosanctum Concilium," and the Church-world dialogue proposed by "Gaudium et Spes."

PASTORAL COMMISSION: It plans to offer pastoral aids for the preparation of the Jubilee in the local Churches, in harmony with the universal Church; provide models of initiatives appropriate for deepening spirituality and pastoral activity for the Holy Year; create aids for confronting religious indifference, the loss of a sense of transcendence and disorientation in the ethical field; favor the exchange of pastoral experiences and initiatives; and foster in the particular Churches the formation of a pastoral commission for the Jubilee. This commission comprises four sections: missionary pastoral, parochial and catechetical pastoral, family pastoral and the pastoral for lay movements.

ECUMENICAL COMMISSION: It has already established fruitful contacts with other Churches and ecclesial communities; a Mixed Work Group has been created between the Catholic Church and the World Council of Churches to study concrete forms of collaboration; it has informed the World Christian Commissions of the Catholic Church's decision to celebrate the Great Jubilee with strong ecumenical connotations and proposes a pan-Christian encounter for 2000.

LITURGICAL COMMISSION: This commission has begun to prepare liturgical texts on the Holy Trinity for the great celebration of the Jubilee and also for the three preceding years, as well as a handbook of general and specific liturgical guidelines, in line with the themes of 1997-2000.

COMMISSION FOR NEW MARTYRS: Its specific aim is to place itself at the service of the local Churches more directly interested in fostering the collection of testimony, documents and suitable proofs to favor the beginning of beatification processes under the responsibility of the bishops.

SOCIAL COMMISSION: Plans to pick up some essential elements of the biblical concept of the Jubilee to apply them to the current context, making suggestions for concrete action by the Central Committee and the local Churches. In collaboration with the Pontifical Council "Cor Unum," it wishes to promote a series of initiatives to make 1999 a true Year of Charity. It will also work to make the year 2000 a Year of Peace, taking on large-scale actions in favor of achieving a truce, for the ceasing of hostilities among peoples.

COMMISSION FOR INTER-RELIGIOUS DIALOGUE: Its goal is the organization of meetings in sacred places common to the three great monotheistic religions, keeping in mind that the Jubilee of 2000 represents an important opportunity to consolidate good relations with Jews and Muslims. In 1999, the third year of immediate preparation for the Great Jubilee, a commitment to dialogue with the great non-Christian religions is foreseen.

ARTISTIC-CULTURAL COMMISSION: In charge of coordinating cultural activities to be celebrated during the year 2000. It is divided into five sectors: literature, music, theater, painting and cinema. The commission has received to date 60 projects for cultural activities inspired by the themes of the Great Jubilee.

TECHNICAL COMMITTEE: Its task is to coordinate all activities related to the organization of pilgrimages. For the welcoming of the pilgrims who will come to Rome in 2000, it will keep in mind the petitions that arrive from the National Committees. The creation of a "Map for the Pilgrim" - electronic - that will facilitate access to transportation services, places of worship and museums is planned. A Solidarity Fund will also be established to help the poorest pilgrims.

COMMITTEE FOR COMMUNICATIONS MEDIA: Its principal assignment is to write and distribute the official magazine of the Central Committee for the Great Jubilee of 2000, "Tertium Millennium," which will be the link between the Central Committee and the National Committees. In addition, the committee has two subcommittees: one to inform on the Jubilee (through an Internet information agency), and another for communications with cultural and formative ends.

ROME AND JERUSALEM COMMITTEES: Twin committees. The objective of the first is the pastoral welcoming and spiritual assistance of pilgrims, as well as the preparation of the diocese of Rome for the Jubilee. The second aims to sensitize the faithful so that they will be aware of the importance of their local Church for all of Christianity. The Christian Churches of Jerusalem have decided to prepare and celebrate together the Jubilee of 2000.

Bishop Shan Kuo-Hsi of Taiwan pointed out that the Jubilee of 2000 "is a splendid opportunity for communion between the universal Church and other Churches, to promote inter-religious dialogue." On his part, Bishop Bercea of Bucharest expressed his hope that "the sister Churches of Eastern Europe unite with us to celebrate the Jubilee." Gavin Reid, bishop of the Anglican Communion, voiced his joy for having been able to participate in the work of the past two days. "Catholics and Anglicans in England," he added, "have established a coordinating committee with other Christian confessions to prepare for the Jubilee."

Answering a journalist, Cardinal Etchegaray said that the objective of this first international meeting of the Central Committee is to gather suggestions from the various local episcopal conferences for the next three years of preparation for the Jubilee, according to what is set forth in "Tertio Millennio Adveniente."

At the end of the conference the official magazine of the Central Committee, "Tertium Millennium," was presented. The issue introduced today is a special edition, in English and Italian, that discusses the preparations for the Jubilee. After this first issue, the magazine will be published bimonthly and edited also in French, German and Spanish. In 1997 it will begin to be published monthly.

The magazine aims to establish an informative link between the Central Committee and the National Committees. It seeks to be a meeting point for the initiatives, experiences and proposals that the Holy Spirit stirs up in the Church and the Churches to better respond to expectations for renewal and a springtime of Christian life. It plans above all to place itself at the service of the local Churches and pastoral workers committed to the preparation of t this ecclesial event.

In addition to containing the official acts of the pope and the activity of the Central Committee, this communication tool will provide information on the most important pastoral activities and experiences of the National Committees. The magazine is accompanied by a videocassette and CD-Rom with the same title.