New Edition of "Tertium Millenium" Magazine presented

VATICAN CITY, JUL 9, 1996 (VIS) - Archbishop Sergio Sebastiani, secretary of the Central Committee for the Great Jubilee of the Year 2000, said this morning during the presentation of the new edition of "Tertium Millennium" magazine, that its aim is to serve as a forum for dialogue and debate "on the major themes related to the passage from one millennium to another."

Accompanying Archbishop Sebastiani in the presentation, which was held in the Holy See Press Office, were Bishop Pierfranco Pastore, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, and Angelo Scelzo, director of the magazine.

Noting the importance that the Holy Father attributes to the communications media, he said that in his first speech to the Central Committee in June of 1995, the Pope "pointed out the need to use 'modern technologies' to transmit the message of Christ and to allow humanity to cross the threshold of the third millennium as a threshold of genuine hope."

In addition to the official bulletin of the Great Jubilee, concluded the archbishop, a news agency and other publications are planned.

Angelo Scelzo then presented the magazine, which has 136 color pages. The first part, he said, is dedicated to "a report on the Jubilee throughout the world." There is a section titled "The word of the Pope," which is "like a living archive, an always up-to-date agenda on everything that the Holy Father pronounces regarding the Jubilee." Another segment includes the activities of the commissions and committees.

The director of the magazine added that this new issue - the first came out in February - has two special reports: one dedicated to the beginning of the Citizens' Mission of Rome, and another to the 10th anniversary of the Day of Prayer in Assisi. He concluded with the announcement that "Tertium Millennium" will reach more than 80 countries and will have five editions.