Pope Benedict has made a plea for more action to address the poverty, conflicts and neglect that lead to the suffering or death of millions of children around the world.
[More]
WYD visitors in modest boost to tourism
The number of tourists to Australia in World Youth Day month, July 2008, jumped by 47,000 compared with the same month last year, figures show.
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ACU unveils MacKillop sculpture
Sydney Cardinal George Pell has unveiled and blessed a specially commissioned sculpture of Blessed Mary MacKillop at the Australian Catholic University North Sydney campus.
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Breaching laws hit families: CSSA
Harsh social security breaching laws impact on families with up to 50 percent of breached job seekers falling behind in their rent, Catholic Social Services chief Frank Quinlan has told a Senate enquiry.
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Confirmation "the sacrament of farewell": Bunbury bishop
Saying that Confirmation has practically become a "Sacrament of Farewell", Bunbury Bishop Gerard Holohan has called for a radical reconsideration of the age and practice relating to its conferral.
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Qld, Vic school teachers in new abuse cases
A former Catholic College Bendigo staff member has pleaded guilty to sexually abusing two young boys twenty years ago while a Darling Downs Catholic school teacher has been charged with seven counts of rape.
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Poland's Wyszynski proposed Wojtyla
Cardinal Stefan Wyszinski declined to be nominated as pope during a 1978 conclave, proposing instead his compatriot Karol Wojtyla, the late Polish primate's journal reveals.
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Priests arrested over Indian nun murder
Citing "fresh and concrete evicence", Indian detectives have arrested two priests and a nun over the 1992 murder in Kerala of 21 year old Sr Abhaya.
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Salvador archbishop rejects inquiry into killed Jesuits
San Salvador Archbishop Fernando Saenz Lacalle has criticised the prosecution in Spain of Salvadoran officials over the 1989 massacre of six Jesuit priests.
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Feature - Differing memories of a Melbourne institution
The Abbotsford Convent wasn't a cruel place, Angela Dyer says. At least not for her. During her four years there, Dyer says, the nuns did not mistreat her, but she does remember the lack of love and her craving for affection. For some, the nuns were angels of mercy, while others remembered a nightmare childhood of beatings. - Katherine Kizilos, The Age
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Featured Website - Catholic League
This is the website of the Catholic League, the organisation which holds itself as the defender of Catholic civil rights in the United States. The League views that bias against the Catholic Church is deeply rooted in Amercian society and that "Catholic baiting is the anti-Semitism of the liberals."
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Book Review - The Ethics of the Common Good in the Social Doctrine of the Church
Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican's Secretary of State and effectively the second most important official in the Catholic Church, takes a close look at economic globalisation and the social nature of markets in this book which is notable for its ecumenical character. - Paola Fantini, Acton Institute
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Opinion - Anglican dissenters in conflict of conscience
The GAFCON leaders claimed that what they regarded as their orthodox views have not been properly respected in the Anglican Communion. They therefore have had to act out in organisational dissent. To claim that at the global level and not to respect and engage with dissenters in your own immediate family is manifestly dishonest. - Reverend Bruce Kaye, Online Opinion
[More]
OPINION
Beyond knowledge to wisdomI believe this is one of the crisis points for contemporary Christianity. Put bluntly, its representatives do not seem wise. Yes, those representatives can give you any amount of information, some of them can even speak knowledgeably of Christian teachings. Wisdom is another thing altogether. - Fr Michael Whelan [More] - Aquinas Academy
FEATURE
Connected across bordersIt is time for leaders of nations to see their national interests as connected with the interests of people on the other side of the globe. We have reached the point where human existence is at stake and our destiny is inextricably linked. If we are to overcome this crisis of climate change we need to think beyond the confines of national states. - Just Comment [More] - Edmund Rice Centre
FEATURED CATHOLIC WEBSITE
Catholic Education Diocese of ParramattaReturning to our education theme, we shine the spotlight on arguably the most innovative Catholic education website in the country. In addition to all the standard features of any CEO site, Parramatta's includes some interactive opinion polls and a competition for students to attempt to ''Become the Executive Director for the day''. The site is also well regarded for its RE and curriculum resources.
- www.parra.catholic.edu.au
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Adelaide Archbishop encourages 'proper' response to Bali tragedy
Adelaide’s Catholic Archbishop Philip Wilson says the ratio of suffering from the Bali tragedy could be greater than the September 11 attack on America, but that Australia should prepare a "proper response" to the tragedy based on a full knowledge of the facts.
"Given the size of the Australian population, the ratio of suffering could be higher here than it was in the United States on September 11 because our population is so much smaller," he said. "This is a period of grief and shock as the full dimensions of what happened in Bali on Saturday night begin to unfold.
Archbishop Wilson on Monday contacted the Catholic Bishop of Bali Benjamin Bria to send sympathy to the Balinese community. Bishop Bria is a former American university classmate of Archbishop Wilson’s.
Archbishop Wilson postponed his annual leave to celebrate a special Mass at St Francis Xavier’s Cathedral on Monday. He said the difficulty and the pain experienced by those who do not know if their loves ones are alive or dead must also be remembered.
"This would be among the most terrible of experiences and they should know the thoughts of Adelaide people are with them. Our hearts go out to all who are affected by this tragedy and we stand in solidarity with them," Archbishop Wilson said.
SOURCE
Archdiocese of Adelaide
MELBOURNE ARCHBISHOP SAYS CHRIST DEFEATS EVIL
In Melbourne, Archbishop Denis Hart expressed solidarity with victims while condemning "the evil of this cold and calculated act of horror against innocent people".
"The correct word for the acts of horror is evil," he said. "It's not something that we happy Australians are at all used to happening to our own loved ones."
However he said that because "good has defeated evil in Jesus Christ", Christians have a "deeper hope". He argued that this precludes the need for a violent response.
"Evil is defeated with a firm solidarity," he said. "For Christians the ultimate response has already been made in Jesus Christ, our lasting peace and true hope."
Archbishop Hart will celebrate a special lunchtime Mass at St Patrick's Cathedral on Friday at 1:00 pm.
SOURCE
Archdiocese of Melbourne
PM'S OFFICE SUGGESTS ATTENDING CHURCH IN SUNDAY MOURNING
Churches will make special efforts to honour Sunday's day of mourning for the Bali victims and urged sporting groups and retailers to do the same.
Prime Minister John Howard has not issued any formal communique on observing the day, but his office has suggested activities by which people may observe the day. They include attending a religious service, a minute's silence or dedicating an event such as a sporting fixture.
The Moderator of the Uniting Church, the Rev Alastair Macrae has written a special prayer, which will be read to all congregations.
A spokeswoman for Catholic Archbishop Denis Hart suggested retailers could dim their window displays or conduct business in a way that respected the tone of the day.
The Australian Retailers Association has not yet decided how or if it should recommend major retailers and small businesses to react.
Meanwhile, the Catholic Church is planning an inter-faith service at St Mary's Cathedral in Hobart on Sunday, in recognition of the events far reaching effects.
SOURCE
Herald-Sun/ABC
LINKS
Churches send message of sympathy to Indonesia and Australia (Independent Catholic News)
Archbishop reminds shocked nation that good overcomes grief (15/10/02)
16 Oct 2002
