NEWS & VIEWS
from a CATHOLIC perspective

      VATICAN CITY, JUN 25 (ZENIT).- John Paul II's trip to Armenia has been definitely canceled. The Pope looked forward to this trip with great enthusiasm, since the Catholic Church has reached an historic theological agreement with the Armenian Church, which has put an end to 1500 years of religious controversy. Patriarch Karekin I's health has continued to deteriorate, however, and everything points to the fact that the two religious leaders will be unable to meet.

      Consequently, the Pope has asked Australian Cardinal Edward I. Cassidy, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, to travel to Yerevan, Armenia, to visit the dying Catholicos of All Armenians on the Pope's behalf.

      In a statement today by Joaquin Navarro-Valls, director of the Holy See's Press Office, it was announced that the date of the meeting will be July 2. The Australian Cardinal will give the Armenian Patriarch a personal message from the Pope.

      As reported earlier, during John Paul II's visit to Poland a representative of the Catholicos requested a meeting with the Holy Father in Warsaw to tell him about the difficulties of the papal trip given the worsening health condition of Karekin I. The Pontiff had then changed his plans in hopes of visiting the Patriarch in his private quarters at the end of his pastoral marathon in Poland. Because of the fever the Pope himself suffered, the visit was postponed, and has now been canceled. ZE99062505

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