DECREES OF THE CONGREGATION FOR THE CAUSES OF SAINTS

VATICAN CITY, JUL 7, 2003 (VIS) - This morning in the Clementine Hall, decrees relative to 10 Blesseds and Servants of God were promulgated in the presence of the Holy Father, members of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints and the postulators of the respective causes. Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martins, prefect of the Congregation, read a speech detailing the lives of the Blesseds and Servants of God.

The decrees concern the following causes:

MIRACLES

- Blessed Luigi Orione, Italian, priest and founder of the Small Work of Divine Providence and of the Congregation of the Missionary Sisters of Charity (1872-1940).

- Venerable Servant of God Jean Marie Cassant, French, priest and monk of the Order of Cistercians of Strict Observance (Trappists) (1878-1903).

- Venerable Servant of God Laura of St. Catherine of Siena, nee Laura Montoya y Upegui, Colombian, foundress of the Congregation of Missionary Sisters of Immaculate Mary and of St. Catherine of Siena (1874-1944).

- Venerable Servant of God Anna Caterina Emmerick, German, professed nun of the Order of Regular Nuns of St. Augustine (1774-1824).

- Venerable Servant of God Alberto Marvelli, Italian, lay person, (1918-1946).

MARTYRDOM

- Servant of God Basil Hopko, Slovakian, auxiliary bishop of Presov, Slovakia (1904-1976).

- Servant of God Zdenka, nee Cecilia Schelingova, Slovakian, of the Congregation of the Sisters of Charity of the Holy Cross (1916-1955).

HEROIC VIRTUES

- Servant of God Pierre Vigne, French, priest of the diocese of Viviers, France, founder of the Congregation of the Sisters of the Most Holy Sacrament (1670-1740).

- Servant of God Maria Maddalena Della Passione, nee Costanza Starace, Italian, foundress of the Congregation of the Compassionist Sisters, Servants of Mary (1845-1921).

- Servant of God Eurosia Fabris, Italian, mother of a family, of the Third Order of St. Francis (1866-1932). CSS/DECREES/SARAIVA VIS 030707 (280)

HOLY FATHER'S MESSAGE TO CARITAS INTERNATIONALIS

VATICAN CITY, JUL 7, 2003 (VIS) - Made public today was Pope John Paul's Message to Msgr. Fouad El-Hage, president of Caritas Internationalis, on the occasion of its 17th General Assembly which opened today at the Pontifical Urban University in Rome on the theme "Globalizing Solidarity." The assembly ends July 12. Caritas International meets every four years to discuss global issues and set future goals.

In the Message, written in French and dated July 4, the Pope expresses his "appreciation" to Caritas "for having carried out, in an active and competent way, the precept of charity and for your generous work throughout the world, most notably in serving the least protected." He says this is a great challenge in today's world, marked by interdependence among people and nations "but also threatened by break-ups, separations and violent opposition, such as we have seen with a resurgence of terrorism."

The Holy Father notes that "globalization has become the obligatory horizon of all politics. ... For solidarity to become global, one must effectively take into account all peoples of all regions of the world. This calls for great efforts, and above all of firm international guarantees vis-a-vis humanitarian organizations, often put to one side, despite themselves, wherever there are conflicts because they cannot be guaranteed security nor be assured of the right to assist persons."

He states that an end must be put "to one-way assistance as this contributes too often to further deepening imbalances through a mechanism of permanent indebtedness."

"Desiring the globalization of solidarity," he writes, "is above all a response to the pressing appeals of the Gospel of Christ. For us Christians, and for all men and women, this demands a true spiritual path, the conversion of minds and of persons." Aid cannot be mere almsgiving to the poor, making the giver feel proud and the recipient feel humiliated: aid must be "fraternal sharing."

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