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Bees for Benedict
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Feature - Walking away from what they do not know
"People who leave the Church are not leaving because they are rejecting the teachings of John Paul II or Pope Benedict. Most do so because they go to Catholic schools and they think that the kind of warm secular humanism with Christian gloss that they get in Catholic schools is in fact the Catholic faith and it hasn't captured their imagination, their love or their intellect so they are walking away from something that they do not know." - The Catholic Herald
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Featured Website - First Things
First Things is a monthly ecumenical journal concerned with the creation of a "religiously informed public philosophy for the ordering of society." It is published by The Institute on Religion and Public Life in the United States of America.
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Film Review - Kung Fu Panda
Kung Fu Panda is essentially a martial arts comedy and is a total action movie. It has striking effects and action sequences and a particularly impressive concluding fantasy sequence which brings DreamWorks to a new level of technological sophistication. There is a strong cultural feel about the movie and it heavily draws on Chinese culture to bring authenticity to its fantasy. - Peter Sheehan, Australian Catholic Office for Film and Broadcasting
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Opinion - God is without circumference
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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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Abortion law puts NZ Catholic schools at risk
A New Zealand law allowing girls of any age the right to an abortion without the knowledge or consent of their parents "is radically out of step with today's social and educational climate", according to Br Pat Lynch, the chief executive officer of the New Zealand Catholic Education Office.
NZ Catholic newspaper reports that the Care of Children Bill currently before Parliament to replace the Guardianship Act continues this 27-year old provision. But Br Lynch said the new bill is an opportunity to have this clause overturned.
"Given that schools require written permission from a parent or guardian for a child or young person to leave the school grounds for reasons such as a dentist's appointment, and schools are feeling vulnerable as regards the health and safety issues around outdoor education, clause 37 seems radically out of step with today's social and educational climate," said Br Lynch in a letter to boards of trustees.
"The clause also appears to fly in the face of attempts being made by schools to forge closer partnerships with parents and communities through greater transparency and consultation," he said.
"This clause places schools in a dangerous position where a representative of the school, such as school counsellor, might assist a young girl to procure an abortion without access to details of medical history which, in most cases, can only be provided by a family member.
"Few children under 16 would be aware of a family history of anaesthetic complications or clotting problems," he said.
Statistics for last year show 89 girls age 11-14 and 3757 aged 15-19 had abortions.
"It seems to me we are talking about a life-and-death situation," said Br Lynch. "This is not just a Catholic issue, or a moral issue, but one of health and safety and the law is radically out of step."
Asked about the situation in New Zealand Catholic schools, Br Lynch said that under current law there is no way of stopping a pupil from having an abortion, but guidance counsellors in Catholic schools should be upholding the Catholic character of the school.
If it was discovered that a guidance counsellor was advising or assisting a pupil to have an abortion that could be a serious breach of contract, he said. Parents also would have a legitimate argument before a judge that sending their child to a Catholic school meant they could expect Catholic teaching to be upheld. Br Lynch said that it was not only principals at Catholic schools who felt compromised by this law.
"This is not just a Catholic issue," he said. "Parents have a fundamental right to nurture and care for their children."
SOURCE
Abortion law puts schools at risk (NZ Catholic 11/7/04)
LINKS
Catholic Education Office New Zealand
Ministry of Justice. Briefing on the Care of Children Bill
20 Jul 2004
