Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople and representatives of other Orthodox and Anglican churches accompanied Pope Benedict in lighting a candle to launch the Year of St Paul.
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Volunteers refuse WYD powers
Rural Fire Service and State Emergency Service volunteers will not seek "authorised person" status while assisting with WYD in order to avoid "negative interactions with people".
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Vietnam up, US down on WYD numbers
A record number of Vietnamese pilgrims will attend World Youth Day this year but US numbers are down - and 50 Angola pilgrims are stranded in Sydney instead of Adelaide because tour organisers thought the SA capital was only an hour way.
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Celebrate the living spirit: Bishops urge
Australia's bishops have urged Catholics to "celebrate the Living Spirit" to mark Aboriginal and Torres Islander Sunday this weekend.
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Korean priests in Mass protest against US beef
Two hundred South Korean priests have celebrated a street Mass in Seoul to protest an unpopular government decision to resume beef imports from the US.
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Bees for Benedict
Italian scooter manufacturer Piaggio has presented Pope Benedict with two new specially made three wheeled vehicles.
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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
His challenge was to see the beauty in every face, even when the owner of that face had long given up on it. Surely, that is to love others as Jesus did—Jesus the One who never gives up on us. If we are to love as Jesus loved, we need to be forgiving people. Forgiving people are bridge-builders and reconcilers. - Fr Chris Gleeson, Madonna
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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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Audience cancelled, but Pope blesses crowd from window
Although the Vatican announced the cancellation of Pope John Paul II's general audience scheduled for yesterday, the pilgrims came anyway and were rewarded with a brief appearance by the Holy Father.
Catholic News Service reports that large groups from Poland, Spain, Mexico and Italy staked themselves out in St Peter's Square early yesterday, unfurled their banners, waved their flags, and sang hymns in their respective languages.
A written announcement in Italian flashed onto four large video screens installed before Holy Week in the square: "The Holy Father will come to his studio window at 11:00 to bless the faithful."
As the news spread, the crowd in the square slowly grew.
A huge roar of applause and cheers rose up when the fifth-floor window of the pope's residence opened a few minutes before 11:00 am, but it was a false alarm: It was the pope's valet and assistant secretary who poked their heads out to hang the red papal tapestry outside the window.
The singing and chanting grew stronger as the people waited. Then at 11:13 a.m., the curtains parted, the pope appeared and, looking determined, blessed the crowd.
His appearance lasted less than a minute, but it was enough to move many to tears.
For the first time in his pontificate, Pope John Paul is skipping most Holy Week and Easter activities. He is still convalescing from the 24 February tracheotomy he underwent to ease breathing difficulties brought on by the flu.
SOURCE
No weekly general audience, but pope blesses crowd from his window (Catholic News Service 23/3/05)
ARCHIVE
Fresh doubts about Pope's health (CathNews 23/3/05)
Palm Sunday pilgrims retrace Jesus' trip to Jerusalem (CathNews 21/3/05)
Pope marks anniversary of Gaudium et Spes (CathNews 18/3/05)
No more updates on Pope's health crisis (CathNews 17/3/05)
Era of 'video-pope' approaches (CathNews 15/3/05)
Pope returns home from hospital (CathNews 14/3/05)
Pell says distance creates Australian uncertainty about Pope's health (CathNews 14/3/05)
Pope to come home for Holy Week (CathNews 11/3/05)
Pope a non-starter for Holy Week (CathNews 9/3/05)
Pope told to use gestures to spare voice (CathNews 8/3/05)
Pope´s message to Berlusconi on hero Nicola Calipari (CathNews 7/3/05)
Pope hoping to be home for Easter (CathNews 4/3/05)
Cardinal urges pope to keep World Youth Day commitment (CathNews 4/3/05)
Pope celebrates Mass in hospital room (CathNews 2/3/05)
Chilean cardinal to announce Pope´s successor (CathNews 1/3/05)
Pell backs Pope resolve to carry on (CathNews 28/2/05)
Pope set for tracheotomy procedure (CathNews 25/2/05)
Mixed signals on Pope recovery (CathNews 23/2/05)
New Pope book hits Jewish sensitivities (ICathNews 21/2/05)
Pope tells media to promote truth, not trash (CathNews 22/2/05)
Vatican official urges effort to reach lapsed Catholics (CathNews 4/6/04)
Pope again encourages use of Internet for evangelisation (CathNews 18/2/04)
Vatican official urges advertising that promotes human dignity (CathNews 29/10/03)
64% in US use Internet for religious reasons (CathNews 19/5/04)
Pope says truth in media serves cause of peace (CathNews 26/3/03)
MORE STORIES
Pope doesn't conduct Mass but waves from his window (USA Today/Yahoo 21/3/05)
A moved Pope appears and blesses the faithful (AsiaNews.it 23/3/05)
Pope makes brief appearance from window (Catholic News Agency 23/3/05)
Poll finds American's morals increasingly influenced by the Pope (Catholic News Agency 23/3/05)
Pope Appears, But Does Not Speak (Associated Press/CBS 23/3/05)
Pope Blesses Crowd From His Studio Window (The Guardian/Associated Press 23/3/05)
Pope not responding too well to medications (keralanext.com 23/3/05)
Pope blesses the faithful in St. Peter's (Missionary Service News Agency 23/3/05)
Pope blesses crowd from open window (Australian Associated Press/Sydney Morning Herald 23/3/05)
Pope's slow recovery clouds Easter run-up (Sydney Morning Herald 24/3/05)
Pope blesses faithful from his study window (Vatican Information Service 23/3/05)
No General Audience on Wednesday (Zenit 22/3/05)
24 Mar 2005
