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Skriven 2005-03-07 08:41:16 av Marc Lewis (1:396/45)
Ärende: Vatican Information Service - Press Release
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              The following press release is Copyrighted by the
                        Vatican Information Service.
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                               VIS-Press releases

AMBASSADORS FROM GREECE, AUSTRIA PRESENT CREDENTIALS

VATICAN CITY, MAR 7, 2005 (VIS) - Cardinal Angelo Sodano, in the name of Pope
John Paul II, this morning received in separate audiences two new ambassadors
to the Holy See, Helmut Turk of Austria and Stavros Lykidis of Greece. Each
ambassador presented his Letters of Credence to the secretary of State who in
turn gave them a signed Message from the Holy Father. The diplomats also gave
the cardinal a copy of their speeches.

The Pope's speech to Ambassador Lykidis, noting that "St. Paul founded there
the first Christian communities in Europe," underscored "the legacy of the
Christian faith in Greece, which is one of the constitutive elements of the
nation. ... I am sure your country can continue to play an important role in
the European Union so that this religious dimension will be recognized and
expressed in an opportune fashion."

"In today's world," said the message, "made unstable by terrorism and the
presence of lasting and continually threatening conflicts, the European Union
seems in many ways a model of political will in favor of the union of peoples
for peace." He expressed the Holy See's delight in this and invited the peoples
of Europe to "work with all their strength" for "dialogue and understanding
among peoples."

John Paul II extended "warm greetings" to the "small and dispersed" communities
of Catholic faithful living in Greece who "are attached to their faith and
anxious to give a living witness to it in the midst of their Orthodox brothers.
In this regard, It would be opportune if the Catholic Church ... could have the
juridical statute due her which would be a sign of the full recognition of her
rights, as is the case in the other countries of the European Union."

In his speech to Ambassador Turk, the Pope recalled his pastoral visits to
Austria and paused to reflect on his "spiritual union" with the 2004
Mitteleuropaischer Katholikentag (Central European Catholic Day), when
participants met on the theme "Christ, The Hope of Europe." He underlined the
"Catholic identity" of Austria and its people.

In his message, the Holy Father said: "The pilgrimage of peoples towards
Mariazell under the auspices of the Catholics of Austria brought to my mind
once again that your country is called to act politically within a broader
European context. The reasons for this come from Austria's history and its
geo-political placement in the heart of the continent. From being a border
region, ... it has become a land that is a bridge."

"Even the Church," said the Pope, "through her various institutions, wishes to
offer her contribution to the common good. ... The Holy See notes with joy that
in Austria there is a lasting and fruitful collaboration between Church and
State for the good and for the convenience of its citizens, independent of
their religious affiliation or denomination."
CD/LETTERS CREDENCE/AUSTRIA:GREECEVIS 050307 (480)

SUMMARY

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