Pontifical Council on Christian Unity head, Cardinal Walter Kasper, has warned the Anglican church that it "must clarify its identity" and make "difficult decisions" ahead of its forthcoming Lambeth Conference.
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Quarantine for Indigenous welfare cards undermines responsibility: CSSA
Quarantining welfare payments in indigenous communities fails to address the real issues putting children at risk and undermines people's sense of responsibility, according to Catholic Social Services Australia Executive Director, Frank Quinlan.
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Baby dies in car outside Toowoomba school
A five month old girl died yesterday after the child's mother left her in the family car while she collected her other children from a Toowoomba Catholic school.
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Latin back on menu at Vatican website
The Vatican website has introduced a section in Latin which will publish the official original editions of pontifical documents.
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Abuse victims plan protest for pope
Support groups for victims of clerical abuse are joining together to hold protests during Pope Benedict's Australian visit.
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ACU seeks student volunteers
Australian Catholic University has announced that starting in 2009 it will base its selection of students on their involvement in cultural, sporting and religious activities including volunteering as well as on academic performance.
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Hart slams Vic government over Catholic school funding
Melbourne Archbishop Denis Hart has attacked the Victorian government for its failure to increase funding for Catholic schools while boosting support for public schools by $1.3 billion and raising state teachers' annual salaries by $5,000.
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Priests and sisters among Burma dead
At least two priests and several sisters are among the ten of thousands of Burmese killed by Cyclone Nargis, a Salesian priest says, with many churches and related projects also badly damaged.
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Feature - Woodstock and worship renew chance for improved relations
Since Pope John Paul II launched World Youth Day 22 years ago, it has become the Olympic Games of world religion, the largest and most complex spiritual event held on a recurring basis across the globe. One part worship and one part Woodstock, the youth oriented festival is designed to offer a rocking rebuttal to impressions that Catholicism is sliding toward oblivion. - John Allen, Sydney Morning Herald
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Featured Website - Rosary in the street
May is a month of devotion to Our Lady often best expressed through the Rosary. This website is encouraging people not just to pray the Rosary in their homes, but to take the pray with others to the street.
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Television Review - No limits
A television program devoted to showcasing people living with a disability is indeed a rare find in our commercialised world and its quest for perfection. No Limits looks at living life to the fullest with a disability, featuring stories about workshops on UN dignity and rights of people with disabilities, disability standards in education, disability legislation and much more.
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Opinion - Respect the key to youth violence
Without other standards of human flourishing to counteract those communicated on billboards and in advertising, the young members of some communities are deprived of all sources of self-esteem and respect. Unable to hope for those signs of success which the consumerist environment holds up for our emulation, young men in particular can be without resources to resist the message given them that they are failures, nonentities, nothing. - Thinking Faith
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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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Vatican insisting on liturgy norms observance
The norms for celebrating Mass must be followed exactly to ensure reverence for the Eucharist and to preserve the unity of the Catholic Church, according to a new Vatican document released on Friday.
"In some places the perpetration of liturgical abuses has become almost habitual, a fact which obviously cannot be allowed and must cease," said the document, "Redemptionis Sacramentum" ("The Sacrament of Redemption"), written by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments.
The instruction, approved by Pope John Paul II and released at a Vatican press conference on Friday, particularly cited as abuses the use of eucharistic prayers not approved by the church, changing approved prayer texts, and allowing lay people to carry out functions reserved to a priest or deacon.
The document said that while it was "laudable" to encourage boys and young men to be altar servers, girls and women can be altar servers if the local bishop permitted the practice.
Congregation prefect Cardinal Francis Arinze (pictured) told reporters: "The eucharistic norms were elaborated to express and safeguard the eucharistic mystery and, even more, to demonstrate that it is the church which celebrates this august sacrifice and sacrament."
The norms reaffirm church teaching that a Catholic, in a situation of serious sin, must go to confession before approaching the Eucharist.
Cardinal Arinze refused to answer a direct question about whether US Senator and likely presidential candidate John Kerry should be denied Communion unless he goes to confession and repents for his position of support for legalised abortion.
"The norm of the church is clear," he said. "The church exists in the United States. There are bishops there, let them interpret it."
However, when asked more generally if a priest should refuse Communion to a politician who supports abortion, Cardinal Arinze said, "Yes."
SOURCE
Vatican says Mass norms must be followed exactly to ensure reverence (Catholic News Service 23/4/04)
LINKS
Document on liturgical abuse a stern call to discipline (National Catholic Reporter 23/4/04)
Vatican Cracks Down on Liturgical Abuses (The Guardian/Associated Press 23/4/04)
Pope lays down law with recipe for perfect Mass (Independent 24/4/04)
Vatican Document Targets Abuses Against Eucharist (Zenit 23/4/04)
Vatican Seeks to Stem Abuses During Celebration of Mass (Associated Press/TBO.com 23/4/04)
Instruction Redemptionis Sacramentum on certain matters to be observed or to be avoided regarding the Most Holy Eucharist - Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments (Zenit 23/4/04)
Vatican Document Targets Abuses Against Eucharist (Zenit 23/4/04)
Document on Eucharist Underwent a Dozen Drafts (Zenit 23/4/04)
Cardinal Arinze's Presentation on Instruction Regarding the Eucharist (Zenit 23/4/04)
Document lists 28 grave abuses against Eucharist (Catholic News Service 23/4/04)
New Vatican document condemns liturgical abuses (Catholic World News/Spirit Daily 23/4/04)
Vatican again rules out Catholics and Protestants celebrating eucharist (Ecumenical News International 26/4/04)
Instruction Redemptionis Sacramentum - On certain matters to be observed or to be avoided regarding the Most Holy Eucharist (Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacrament)
Vatican Cardinal Arinze Says Pro-Abortion Politicians Must be Denied Holy Communion (Lifesite 23/4/04)
Vatican presents Redemptoris Sacramentum (Independent Catholic News 23/4/04)
John L Allen: Kerry and communion; Liturgical abuse document released; The Vatican and terrorism; A talk by Passionist Fr. Donald Senior; 'New movements' congress in Stuttgart; North American College honors (National Catholic Reporter 23/4/04)
Denying Communion on abortion is last resort, Bishop Gregory says (Catholic News Service 26/4/04)
What to keep and what to cut: Vatican doesn't list all Mass abuses (Catholic News Service 23/4/04)
New Vatican document condemns liturgical abuses (Catholic World News 26/4/04)
Prelate makes case against liturgical abuse (Catholic World News 23/4/04)
Pro-Choice Politicians 'Not Fit' for Communion (Washington Post 23/4/04)
No Communion for Pro-Abortion Politicians, Says Cardinal Arinze (Zenit 23/4/04)
European bishops say they'd hesitate to deny politicians Communion (Catholic News Service 22/4/04)
European bishops say they'd hesitate to deny politicians Communion (Catholic News Service 22/4/04)
Cardinal Arinze comments on Kerry-Communion debate (Catholic World News 23/4/04)
Give Kerry Communion--For Now (Beliefnet)
Kerry snub for Vatican on choice (New York Daily News 24/4/04)
27 Apr 2004
