News From Vatican Information Services 02/09/2006

SUMMARY:

- Pope Accepts Invitation to Visit Turkey
- Initiatives for Fifth Centenary of the Vatican Museums
- Audiences
- Other Pontifical Acts

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POPE ACCEPTS INVITATION TO VISIT TURKEY

VATICAN CITY, FEB 9, 2006 (VIS) - At midday today, Holy See Press Office Director Joaquin Navarro-Valls released the following declaration to journalists:

"I confirm that Ahmet Necdet Sezer, president of Turkey, has invited His Holiness Benedict XVI to make an official visit to that country from November 28 to 30, 2006.

The Holy Father has accepted the invitation. The details of the visit are being defined."
OP/VISIT TURKEY/NAVARRO-VALLS:SEZER VIS 060209 (80)

INITIATIVES FOR FIFTH CENTENARY OF THE VATICAN MUSEUMS

VATICAN CITY, FEB 9, 2006 (VIS) - In the Holy See Press Office at 11.30 a.m. on Tuesday, February 14, a press conference will be held to present initiatives for the commemoration of the fifth centenary of the Vatican Museums. Participating in the conference will be Cardinal Edmund Casimir Szoka, president of the Governorate of Vatican City State, and Francesco Buranelli, director of the Vatican Museums.
OP/CENTENARY VATICAN MUSEUMS/SZOKA VIS 060209 (80)

AUDIENCES

VATICAN CITY, FEB 9, 2006 (VIS) - The Holy Father today received in separate audiences:

- Laura Bush, wife of the president of the U.S.A., accompanied by an entourage.

- Cardinal Edmund Casimir Szoka, president of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State and of the Governorate of Vatican City State.

- Cardinal Camillo Ruini, His Holiness' vicar general for the diocese of Rome and president of the Italian Episcopal Conference, accompanied by Bishop Giuseppe Betori, secretary of the same episcopal conference.

This evening he is scheduled to receive in audience Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe, prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.
AP/.../... VIS 060209 (110)

OTHER PONTIFICAL ACTS

VATICAN CITY, FEB 9, 2006 (VIS) - The Holy Father appointed Fr. Franz Scharl of the clergy of the archdiocese of Vienna, Austria, pastor of the parish of Christ's Resurrection and dean of the deaconate Vienna 4/5, as auxiliary of the same archdiocese (area 9,000, population 2,423,466, Catholics 1,360,433, priests 1,172, permanent deacons 145, religious 2,540). The bishop-elect was born in Oberndorf, Austria in 1958 and ordained a priest in 1990.
NEA/.../SCHARL VIS 060209 (80)

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