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VATICAN CITY, MARCH 27, 2007 (Zenit.org).- A Vatican Television Center catalogue of DVDs in various languages is now available by Internet.

The collection was presented to the press today by the director of the television center, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, and by the administrative director, Roberto Romolo.

The DVDs have been made public to mark the anniversary of Pope John Paul II's death (April 2, 2005) and the election of Benedict XVI.

The catalogue has already been distributed in the United States, Poland and Spain.

The DVDs are available from eBay and Amazon.com.

The collection includes presentations (with Latin titles) on: The Keys of the Kingdom: From John Paul II to Benedict XVI; John Paul II: The Pope That Made History; The Vatican: How the Smallest Kingdom in the World Works; and John Paul II: This Is My Life.

Code: ZE07032702

Date: 2007-03-27

VATICAN CITY, MAR 27, 2007 (VIS) - Archbishop Silvano M. Tomasi C.S., Holy See permanent observer to the United Nations at Geneva, spoke on March 23 during the 4th session of the Human Rights Council.

In opening his English-language address, which was published yesterday afternoon, Archbishop Tomasi recalled that "the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child attributes to the child the fundamental rights of a person; it recognizes the child to have the same equality and dignity as any adult person."

"In many cases," he went on, "due to lack of will and of resources, good legal provisions and public policies are not implemented, with grave consequences for children. They often become the first victims of famines and wars."

"To many children the right to life is denied; prenatal selection eliminates both babies suspected of having disabilities and female children simply because of their sex, and thus denies the equal and intrinsic value of disabled persons and of girls for their families and for society."

Archbishop Tomasi then pointed out that "the first right of children is that of being born and educated in a welcoming and secure family environment where their physical, psychological and spiritual growth is guaranteed, their potential is developed and where the awareness of personal dignity becomes the base for relating to others and for confronting the future."

State and society, said the permanent observer, must "concretely support and enable the family to carry out its task. ... The Catholic Church's over 300,000 social, caring and educational institutions work daily to ensure both a peace-oriented and creative education for children, and the development of their talents, and to provide the reintegration of abused and neglected children into their families, if possible, and into society."

Children are both weakness and hope. To pursue the defence of their rights and the elimination of all forms of violence against them remains an institutional challenge for the international community. Success will be reached if priority is given to the natural role of the family and to the public culture that recognizes that children too are full human persons."

DELSS/CHILDREN RIGHTS/GENEVA:TOMASI                       VIS 070327 (260)

Lviv, Mar. 27, 2007 (CWNews.com) - Responding to a personal appeal from Cardinal Marian Jaworski, three Catholic women have ended a hunger strike that they had held at St. Mary Magdalene Church in Lviv, Ukraine.

The three women, former parishioners of St. Mary Magdalene, were demanding that the government give the church over to the use of Latin-rite Polish Catholics living in the city. The church is currently serving as a municipal concert hall.

The controversy at St. Mary Magdalene echoes numerous disputes over the ownership and use of Catholic parish properties that were seized by the country's former Communist government. The case is unusual, however, in that this parish belonged to the Latin-rite Catholic archdiocese, headed by Cardinal Jaworksi, and many of the parishioners were ethnic Poles; the parish-property disputes in Ukraine have more typically involved Byzantine Catholic churches.

Addresses U.N. Conference on Palestinian Rights

ROME, MARCH 26, 2007 (Zenit.org).- The Holy See says that the various religious confessions present in the Holy Land can be instrumental in promoting peace between Israelis and Palestinians.

Monsignor Pietro Parolin, undersecretary for relations with states of the Vatican Secretariat of State, said this last Thursday when addressing a conference sponsored by the U.N. committee dedicated to the rights of the Palestinian peoples.

The prelate praised the conference, which aimed "at giving fresh impetus to the reflection and the involvement of the international community, religious confessions, parliamentary groups and civil society, in order to determine the challenges which must be faced and the approach which should be adopted so as to contribute to the building of peace between Israelis and Palestinians."

The conference came as the national unity government, established by the Palestinian Authority, was in its first days.

"It is surely positive that this government is the product of a compromise between the principal Palestinian political groups," the Vatican official said. "It brings to an end several months of severe, armed and violent conflict, which resulted in many victims, often innocent ones, among the Palestinian people who have already suffered so much."

Christian presence

Monsignor Parolin recalled the presence of Christians in the area, and the contribution they can make to the resolution of conflict.

"The Holy See has always followed with particular attention the events of recent decades: thousands of Catholics live in this land, which we like to call the 'Holy Land' since it preserves the living memory of the events which have marked our history of salvation," he said. "Millions of Catholics and Christians throughout the world look to this land, with the hope of being able to travel there on pilgrimage."

Monsignor Parolin quoted Benedict XVI's Christmas message to Catholics living in the Middle East: "In the present circumstances, marked little by light and too much by darkness, it is a cause of consolation and hope for me to know that the Christian communities in the Middle East, whose intense suffering I am well aware of, continue to be vital and active communities, resolute in bearing witness to their faith with their specific identity in the societies in which they are situated.

"They wish to contribute in a constructive manner to the urgent needs of their respective societies and the whole region."

The Pope added in his Dec. 21 message: "The daily news coming from the Middle East shows a growth of alarming situations, seemingly with no possible escape. They are events which naturally give rise, in those involved, to recriminations and rage, leading them to thoughts of retaliation and revenge."

Monsignor Parolin concluded his intervention, asserting: "In the name of the Holy See, I wish to state my firm conviction that the different religious confessions present in the Holy Land can make a decisive contribution to the relaunching of peace talks between Israelis and Palestinians, precisely by working to promote among their members the attitudes which I mentioned."

Code: ZE07032604

Date: 2007-03-26

Marks 50th Anniversary of Treaty of Rome With Overview

ROME, MARCH 26, 2007 (Zenit.org).- The Holy See gave an overview of its concerns for Europe's future, including issues ranging from fossil fuels to protecting human dignity in scientific research.

Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, secretary for relations with states of the Vatican Secretariat of State, mentioned the Holy See's main concerns at a conference in Italy's capital, marking the 50th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome.

The conference was organized by the Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Community (COMECE) and ran from Friday to Sunday.

The first preoccupation Archbishop Mamberti spoke about was the "energy crisis." The Vatican official underlined its moral dimension, speaking of the need to "reduce the use of fossil fuels" and to look for diversification of energy sources, in order to promote "peace in the world and protection of the environment."

"The destruction of the environment, its inappropriate or selfish use and the violent cornering of the earth's resources, generate damage, conflicts and wars," he said.

As for economic challenges, above all in underdeveloped nations, the 55-year-old archbishop underlined the need to "give incentives to investments in research and innovation."

He added: "The Catholic Church is convinced that, inasmuch as they are oriented toward the common good and respect human dignity, science and technology are essential tools to be encouraged."

"However, we cannot deny the serious and unacceptable results of research that does not have the human being as the center of its objectives," the Archbishop Mamberti said, referring to the 7th European Framework Program 2007-2013, which projects funding for human stem cell research.

"A democracy that, instead of serving human life, puts it to a vote and supports those who suppress it, seems to be the prey of falsehood and intolerance," the prelate said.

This behavior, he added, signifies "a strategy solicited by vast technological and industrial interests, turning to politics to obtain juridical protection in support of these interests … considering ethics as an obstacle, instead of an aid to well-being."

Life and family

The archbishop also spoke about demographic decline, mentioning that none of the Western European countries have a birthrate high enough to maintain the population.

"This is, first of all, a problem of individualism and the new generation's deep crisis regarding trust in the future," the Vatican official said.

"The Church is ready to contribute to resolve this pessimism; but the political and economic institutions should have the courage to question a consumerist and hedonistic lifestyle," he added. The prelate also underlined the need to "support life and the family with resolute actions on various levels."

Regarding countries joining the European Union, Archbishop Mamberti underlined that the Holy See "asks for the observance" of the so-called Copenhagen criteria, approved in 1993, which consider the defense of human rights, religious freedom, and protection of minorities.

Archbishop Mamberti added: "If expansion is a policy of security and stability for the EU, the 'costs' this entails for the citizens should not be ignored -- not only in financial terms, even if very relevant, but also cultural terms.

"In other words, a policy of expansion should not endanger the sharing of those principles and values, forged by Christianity, that have made Europe a light of civilization for the entire world.

"Catholics involved in the public field should know that the meaning of their political activities and the future of Europe are at stake."

The prelate added that for Christians working in the European public space, "to be fully coherent with their faith (… they) must take as a priority for their public work the welfare of human life, from conception to natural death, and the natural structure of the family, as a union between a man and a woman, founded on matrimony."

Laity

Archbishop Mamberti then spoke about the need for the construction of a "correct laicism" and the "autonomy of temporal realities."

The Vatican official said: "During the last two legislatures of the European Parliament, the positions of the Catholic Church and the Vatican were attacked almost 30 times and unjustly accused of uncalled-for involvement in a European issue."

He then highlighted the dangers of an ideology for the laity, which would mean a "form of intolerance, presented as the quintessence of tolerance." History has shown, the prelate said, that when "neo-pagan ideologies have made the state an absolute, dissolving any form of pluralism, democracies have fallen and the rights of human beings have been violated and destroyed."

"It corresponds in first place to the Holy See, as well as to all Christians," Archbishop Mamberti said, "to remind this continent […] that it cannot betray its Christian values, just as a person cannot betray his reasons to live and have hope, without falling into a dramatic crisis."

Code: ZE07032601

Date: 2007-03-26

VATICAN CITY, MARCH 26, 2007 (ZENIT.org).- Benedict XVI received in audience the superior of the ecumenical Taizé community, continuing an annual tradition begun by Pope John XXIII.

The Vatican press office reported that Benedict XVI met with Brother Alois Löser today. Brother Alois, 52, succeeded Taizé's founder, Brother Roger Schutz, as prior of the group.

Brother Roger, 90, was killed by a mentally disturbed woman in 2005.

The Holy See did not report any details about today's audience.

Code: ZE07032627

Date: 2007-03-26