Pope Grateful for Kind Words from Leaders

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, Oct. 27 — On Oct. 26, Pope John Paul II publicly thanked leaders of foreign countries and other faiths for their words of congratulations on the anniversary of his election as Pope.

The Associated Press reported that the Holy Father addressed worshipers gathered at St. Peter's Square for afternoon prayers, thanking “heads of state and government leaders of so many countries who sent me their congratulations, and for... the witness of Christians of other denominations, as well as those of other faiths. The intense emotions experienced in recent days when so many were assembled around me for the 25th anniversary of my pontificate are still very alive in my mind. I thank God for these 25 years of service to the Church ... and commit my life and my ministry to the Virgin Mary.”

Scotland Celebrates Papal Jubilee

BBC, Oct. 26 — To mark the papal 25th anniversary, the Church in Scotland held a national thanksgiving, according to the BBC.

The celebration was led by Archbishop Mario Conti of Glasgow and Cardinal Keith O'Brien of St. Andrews and Edinburgh. It began with a Mass at St. Andrew's Cathedral in Glasgow, then a reception in the city chambers, which was widely attended by government leaders and representatives of other churches.

“I am delighted that so many people representing so many areas of national life will be present to celebrate the Holy Father's silver jubilee and a series of other anniversaries,” Archbishop Conti said.

The event also commemorated the 125th anniversary of the restoration of the Catholic hierarchy to Scotland; bishops had been driven out and the faith persecuted during the Protestant Reformation.

New Cardinal Discusses Vatican Ties With Switzerland

SWISSINFO, Oct. 26 — Newly-elevated Cardinal Georges Cottier, 82, Pope John Paul II's longtime personal theologian, told the online news site Swissinfo the Pope has given three cardinals to that small country as a sign of his faith in its future.

In an interview, he answered a wide range of questions about the Church, which is distrusted by some democratic-minded Swiss.

“The Church is by its very nature hierarchical,” Cardinal Cottier explained. “And many people are prejudiced against it. For instance, there is a tendency to exaggerate the centralization of the Church. I've been at the Vatican 14 years, and I can confirm that there are plenty of meetings and commissions. What's more, the Pope takes his decisions after speaking to various people, not all of whom share his opinions or his outlook.”

Summing up the themes that unify the pontificate of John Paul, the cardinal said that “the Pope is always preoccupied with the faith of Christian people. ... [T]his pontificate, like that of Pope Paul VI, is marked by a clear wish to apply the teachings of the Second Vatican Council. Also, the Holy Father pays a lot of attention to the problems in our society. He has made considerable efforts on behalf of the family and peace.”