Papal Audience
John Paul II

Letter of the NDT Community to the Holy Father Dear Holy Father John Paul II The people of the NDT Community enjoy and express their grateful thanks for the privilege we have of joining you in this Papal Audience. We are as Pilgrims, coming from 75 Countries, we are part of the greatness of the Jubilee 2000. In this extraordinary time, we pray to enrich our faith. Our work is to guarantee the integrity of materials, to prevent failures, for ensuring the safety of people. Our profession takes us close to the harmony that exists in the universe, to its beauty and splendour bringing us closer to the mystery of creation and to the greatness of God. Fundamental to our desire for a better world, is the awareness of the need for freedom, peace, social equity and love. You give to all people an admirable testimony of faith and courage m the way you promote peace and love at all times. You have broken down the borders among religions bringing people of different faiths closer, maintaining their dignity; Entering the 3rd Millennium You tell to all of us: "Don't be afraid," "Non abbiate paura" melting our anxiety and shaping a vision of hope and serenity. Thanks for this illumination. This Jubilee highlights the 2000th anniversary of the birth of Jesus. His life, His, parables are still today a fundamental guide in religious life as in the social life. We take part in your joy, in your enthusiasm, and in your love for Jesus. Going home, we take with us the intense emotion we feel in your presence. We will pray to God to give you the grace to continue your divine mission for a long time. Thanks for all that we have received. ICNDT The International Committee for Nondestructive Testing G. Nardoni President

Reflections of the Holy Father JOHN PAUL II on authentic culture expressed during His pastoral mission. The man of culture -Through your scientific and professional capacity you can offer a service of authentic intellectual charity to your colleagues, to students, to society and all its institutions". "The real man of culture is not only an intellectual who reflects, evaluates and contemplates truth in an individualistic ivory tower but is solidly involved in a prophetical task of forming sensitive consciences of saying NO to death, to hatred, to violence, to terror, to degradation, and saying YES to the good, to the beautiful, to truth, to justice, to responsibility, to life, to peace, to love". Harmonize technology with conscience "Love for truth, sought after in humility, is one of the great values capable of uniting men and women of today across the various cultures" "All authentic cultures are open to the essential, and there is no truth which cannot be universal" "'I trust that the man of science will preserve the sense of man's transcendence over the world, also of God's transcendence over man "and will link that universal sense of culture with a universal sense of fraternal love" "It is even more evident that cultural progress is closely related with building a more just and more fraternal world" "The dialogue between science and faith shall enter into an even more positive stage" The believer and the world of culture "The man of faith is conscious of covering a path together with the rest of mankind within a history in which God achieves his plan of love" "Faith, in its relation with culture presents itself as a clarification of God's project, as an aid and complement to rationality; but rationality is not impoverished by having recourse to the Faith.