NEWS & VIEWS
from a CATHOLIC perspective

      VATICAN (CWNews.com) -- The Vatican's Central Committee for the Grand Jubilee held a press conference on Friday, February 26, to update reporters on preparations for the Year 2000 celebrations.

      The two main subjects for discussion were the "Pilgrim's Card" which organizers have designed, and the new Web site (www.jubil2000.org) which was recently launched to provide information about the Jubilee.

      The "Pilgrim's Card" is a "smart card" which will help visitors to Rome use gain entry to Vatican sites, find information about Jubilee events, use public transportation, make telephone calls, and pay for their food and lodging. At the same time it will help organizers to track the number of pilgrims, their countries of origin, and the places they visit. Six million such cards are being prepared for 2000. The "Pilgrim Card" for each visitor will include some personal information-- including medical data which might be needed in case of an emergency. The price for the cards-- which will offer different levels of services-- has not yet been set.

      The Jubilee Web site, opened to the public on February 22, has already drawn an enormous amount of attention; organizers report that there were 45,000 "hits" on the first day of operation. The site, which offers information in seven different languages, is intended primarily to help pilgrims prepare for the Jubilee celebration.