Papal envoys named for 500th birthday of St. Francis Xavier, diplomatic anniversary with Singapore

(April 04, 2006) : Pope Benedict XVI has named Cardinal Antonio Maria Rouco Varela of Madrid , as his special envoy to celebrations marking the 500th anniversary of the birth of St. Francis Xavier. The celebrations will be held in Javier, Spain, on April 7. St. Francis Xavier, one of the earliest Jesuit followers of St. Ignatius of Loyola, died on an island off the coast of China in 1552 after a highly successful career as a missionary in Asia. The Pope also named Cardinal Renato Martino , the president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, as his personal representative to celebrations in Singapore, marking the 25th anniversary of that country's diplomatic relations with the Holy See. The celebrations will be held in Singapore in June.