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VATICAN CITY, MAR 21, 2007 (VIS) - Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone S.D.B., has sent a telegram of condolence, in the name of the Holy Father, to Vladimir Putin, president of the Russian Federation, for the many victims of two recent disasters in the country: an explosion in a mine and a fire in an old people's home

"Profoundly saddened by the terrible tragedy in the mine of Novokuznetsk and the violent conflagration at the old people's home in the village of Kamyshevatskaya, with the tragic death of many people and large numbers of injured, the Holy Father expresses his spiritual closeness to the citizens struck by these tragic events and to the entire population of the Russian Federation in these hours of anguish and, while raising fervent prayers to the Lord for the eternal repose of the deceased, he invokes heavenly consolation upon those weeping the loss of their loved ones. The Supreme Pontiff, in expressing his hopes for the speedy recovery of those injured in these incidents, offers his sincere condolences to relatives of the victims, invoking upon everyone abundant consolation from heaven."

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VATICAN CITY, MAR 21, 2007 (VIS) - The Holy Father dedicated his catechesis during this morning's general audience to the figure of St. Justin, philosopher and martyr, the most important of the Apologist Fathers of the second century. The audience took place in St. Peter's Square and was attended by around 25,000 people.

St. Justin, said the Pope, was born in Samaria around the year 100. He "long sought after the truth" by studying Greek philosophy before converting to Christianity after meeting a mysterious old man who spoke to him "of mankind's incapacity to satisfy his aspiration to the divine through his own efforts," then indicated "in the ancient prophets ... the path to God and 'true philosophy'," exhorting Justin to pray in order to open the "doors of light."

After his conversion, Justin founded a school in Rome where he taught the new religion to his pupils free of charge. He was denounced for his activities and decapitated during the reign of Marcus Aurelius.

In his works "Justin seeks to explain, above all, the divine project of salvation that comes about in Jesus Christ, the Word of God," said the Holy Father. "All men and women, as rational beings, share in the Logos, they carry in themselves a 'seed' and can catch some glimmers of the truth.

"Thus," he added, "the same Logos that was revealed in prophetic figures to the Jews in the ancient Law, was also partially manifested as 'seeds of truth' to the Greeks. ... And because Christianity is the historical and personal manifestation of the Logos in its entirety, it follows that 'everything of beauty that has ever been expressed by anyone belongs to us Christians'."

Justin, in the conviction that Greek philosophy tends towards Christ, "believed that Christians could draw from that philosophy with complete confidence. ... The figure and work of Justin mark the ancient Church's decisive option in favor of philosophy, rather than of pagan religion," with which the early Christians rejected "any form of compromise."

"In fact, pagan religion did not follow the paths of Logos but persisted along those of myth, even though myth was recognized by Greek philosophy as having no foundation in truth. Therefore the decline of paganism was inevitable, stemming as a logical consequence of the removal of religion - reduced to an artificial agglomeration of ceremonies and conventions - from the truth of existence."

Justin and the other apologists chose "the truth of existence over the myth of convention. ... In an age such as our own, marked by relativism in its debate of values, religion and inter-religious dialogue, this is a lesson that must not be forgotten.

At the end of today's catechesis, the Pope recalled that March 24 is World Tuberculosis Day. "May this anniversary," he said, "favor increased responsibility in the treatment of this sickness and an ever greater solidarity towards those who suffer from it. Upon them and their families I invoke the comfort of the Lord while encouraging the many initiatives the Church promotes in this field."

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CARPI, Italy, MARCH 20, 2007 (Zenit.org).- The Catholic journalist Odoardo Focherini saved more than 100 Jews before he died in a concentration camp during World War II, at the age of 37.

The Catholic Union of the Italian Press paid tribute to Focherini on Saturday, marking the 100th anniversary of his birth. The journalist was the administrative director of L'Avvenire d'Italia and president of the Italian segment of Catholic Action.

In a letter he dictated shortly before dying, he said: "I declare that I die in the most pure catholic, apostolic, Roman faith and in full submission to the will of God, offering my life as a holocaust for my diocese, Catholic Action, for the Pope and for the return of peace to the world."

Bishop Elio Tinti of Carpi, who opened the celebration, said: "He was a man who knew how to bring joy to the lives of many people, especially the 105 Jews he saved, but also to all those he met, offering a shining example of what it means to be a man of simplicity."

The prelate spoke of the journalist's deep love for his family, "his tender relationship with his beloved wife and his seven dear children -- deep ties that we see revealed in the marvelous letters that he wrote, but ties which did not impede him from living his life for others."

Bishop Tinti added: "With hope and devotion, we hope that the Church will soon be able to recognize him as a martyr. His life is truly a hymn of sanctity."

Focherini organized a network to move Jews out of Italy to safety in Switzerland. He was arrested for this on March 11, 1944. After stops in several prisons, he died from an infected leg wound on Dec. 27, 1944, in the Hersbruck concentration camp in Germany.

Father Claudio Pontiroli, vice postulator of his cause for beatification, reported: "We found more than 300 letters of condolences; in 62 of them Odoardo is spoken of as a martyr of charity. Celebrations for him were made, like for no other victim of the war."

Code: ZE07032004

Date: 2007-03-20

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JERUSALEM, MARCH 20, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Jewish and Catholic delegations dedicated to improving relations between the two religions concluded a recent meeting with a call to respect religious freedom and the role of the conscience.

The bilateral commission meeting of the Delegation of the Holy See's Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews and the Chief Rabbinate of Israel's Delegation for Relations with the Catholic Church considered "The Freedom of Religion and Conscience and Its Limits."

They met March 11-13 in Jerusalem. Cardinal Jorge Mejía and Chief Rabbi Shear Yashuv Cohen, chairmen of the respective delegations, presided over the meeting.

The concluding document of the meeting states: "The human capacity to choose is a manifestation of the divine image in which all people are created and is foundational for the biblical concept of human responsibility and divine justice."

It continues: "Moreover freedom of choice is derived from God and therefore is not absolute, but must reflect divine will and law.

"Accordingly human beings are called to freely obey the divine will as manifested in Creation and in his revealed word."

Relativism

"The idea of moral relativism is antithetical to this religious worldview and poses a serious threat to humanity," the Jewish and Catholic representatives asserted. "Even though the Enlightenment helped bring about a purification from the abuse of religion, secular society still requires religious foundations to sustain lasting moral values.

"Critical among these is the principle of the sanctity of human life and dignity. Ethical monotheism affirms these as inviolable human rights and therefore can provide inspiration in this regard for society at large."

The delegations considered that it is "legitimate for a society with a predominant religious identity to preserve its character, as long as this does not limit the freedom of minority communities and individuals to profess their alternative religious commitments, nor to limit their full civil rights and status as citizens, individuals and communities."

The declaration concludes with an appeal to all religious and political leaders "to work determinedly to promote peace, dignity, security and tranquility in the Holy Land for all its peoples and for the world as a whole."

Code: ZE07032008

Date: 2007-03-20

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March 19, 2007 (ocmc.org) - The Metropolitanate of Hong Kong and Southeast Asia (Ecumenical Patriarchate) wishes to issue the following statement, concerning situations in Indonesia.

The Orthodox Christians in Indonesia have joined the list of those attacked by Muslim extremists. Father Methodios Sri Gunarjo, his family and other Orthodox were terrorized and threatened this past weekend. Although there are no reports of physical harm at this point, the verbal, psychological and other forms of abuse continue. At one point, a knife was put to the throat of Father Methodios, as his attackers demanded that he close the Churches in the Boyolali area of Central Java. It should be noted that there is a thriving ministry in this area.

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PETROPAVLOVSK, Russia, MARCH 19, 2007 (Zenit.org).- Construction is under way in the city of Petropavlovsk, in far-eastern Russia, for its first Catholic church.

With the blessing of Bishop Cyryl Klimovicz, of the Diocese of Irkutsk, the new church, like the parish, "is devoted to St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus," said Father Krzystof Kowal during a recent interview with Aid to the Church in Need.

Catholics make up 3% of the 250,000 inhabitants in Petropavlovsk, mostly descendants of those deported from Poland, Lithuania, Belarus and Ukraine during and after World War II.

The new church will replace the small chapel in an old wooden house where the faithful have been meeting since 19

Code: ZE07031927

Date: 2007-03-19