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A US Coast Guard officer who refused to be injected with a vaccine derived from the remains of an aborted child has won an exemption from the required vaccination.
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Pope thanks "wifes of Christ"
Pope Benedict yesterday thanked consecrated virgins for their "total gift" to Christ encouraging them to "always irradiate the dignity of being the wife of Christ."
[More]
Mail and penny drop for WYD
Preparations for World Youth Day have stepped up a notch with a letter drop to half a million Sydney homes and the release of a commemorative colour coin of the Pope.
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Priest in supermarket trolley protest
Melbourne parish priest, Fr Noel Brady, has launched a protest against unsightly supermarket trolleys left abandond in streets for up to three months.
[More]
Call to follow WA and reject cloning
Sydney archdiocese policy officer, Dr Brigid McKenna, has welcomed a decision by the Western Australian Legislative Council to reject cloning as a victory for "commonsense science and morality."
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US churches offer mortgage help
With US lenders threatening to repossess 650,000 homes in the first quarter of 2008, Catholic parishes are mobilising to offer assistance to mortgage distressed homeowners.
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Feature - A new dawn for Sorry Day
It is time for this country to build new relationships and to be open to future possibilities, we commit ourselves to deep, on-going dialogue with our indigenous sisters and brothers on further ways of moving forward. - Fr Mark Raper, Pathways
[More]
Featured Website - Ron Rolheiser
This is the website of one of the best known Catholic priests in the western world. Fr Rolheiser is best known through his writings and lecturing on spirituality and prising open the Word in such a clear, beautiful and heart-inspiring style.
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Film Review - Shutter
Based on a 2004 Thai film of the same name, Shutter is an American/Japanese production. If you can take the shocks and violence of this genre, this film is worth the admission price for the cinematography alone. - Fr Richard Leonard, Australian Catholic Office for Film and Broadcasting
[More]
Opinion - Middle class creep in Irish Church
During the transformation of Irish society from a largely rural and agricultural economy to an industrialised one there occurred a failure of imagination in the Irish Church. - Fr Oliver Rafferty, The Catholic Herald
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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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Survey reveals Australians want fewer abortions
Most Australians want a reduction in the number of abortions without restricting access to the procedure, a new survey co-authored by Fr John Fleming on behalf of the Adelaide-based non-denominational Southern Cross Bioethics Institute.
More than 1200 people were interviewed for the survey, which was titled Give Women Choice: Australia Speaks on Abortion.
Dr Fleming said the report showed Australians were dissatisfied with the traditional pro-life versus pro-choice debate.
They wanted an end to the bitter polarisation, said Dr Fleming.
"Between what many Australians view as the twin poles of the abortion debate, pro-choice and pro-life, there is a continuum of varying opinions, reasons and levels of comfort," he said.
Dr Fleming said the report, which is the first from a four-stage research project, was designed to look at the complex issue of abortion from the perspective of all Australians, not just those currently engaged in the debate.
"It is conservatively estimated that one in four Australian pregnancies end in abortion - and 73% of Australians believe that rate is too high," he said.
"More significantly, an overwhelming 87% of Australians endorse an approach that works to reduce the number of abortions without restricting access to the procedure."
The survey found seven out of 10 Australians agreed with arguments for legal access to abortion based upon women's rights and the idea that abortion is "a necessary evil".
But 58% did not accept the "foetus is not a person" argument.
Dr Fleming said one of the most important findings of the survey was that Australians needed to be better informed about abortion and its alternatives.
"Only 22% of Australians believe they are well informed on abortion, and 71% want a continuing and inclusive debate about giving women real alternatives to abortion, and the opportunity to continue their pregnancies," he said.
"Women need to be aware of alternatives."
The executive summary reported that 62% of respondents supported abortion on demand, although this support was reduced when different circumstances were considered.
Support for abortion was highest (85%) in cases involving mild or severe foetal disability and lowest (15%) when in cases where the foetus was healthy and there was no abnormal risk to the mother.
SOURCE
Australians want fewer abortions: survey (Seven News/Australian Associated Press 2/5/05)
LINKS (not necessarily endorsed by Church Resources)
Southern Cross Bioethics Institute
Life Office, Archdiocese of Sydney
ARCHIVE
Bishop says abortion figures a "national disgrace" (CathNews 29/4/05)
Morning after pill a 'threat to women's welfare' (CathNews 15/8/03)
MORE STORIES
Medicare may cover abortion counselling (The Australian 3/5/05)
Majority still backs right to abortion (Sydney Morning Herald 3/5/05)
Counselling key to reducing abortions, survey finds (ABC News 2/5/05)
Reduce procedures but keep access: survey (The Courier Mail 3/5/05)
Bid to Curb Teens' Abortions Is Praised (Zenit 1/5/05 - temporary url)
Abortion in Britain: An Issue That Isn't Fading (Zenit 1/5/05 - temporary url)
USCCB official hails passage of interstate abortion bill, urges Senate to follow through (Catholic News Agency 29/4/05)
85,000 abortions a year (Herald-Sun 1/5/05)
Christopher Pearson: Abortion loses its majority (The Australian 30/4/05)
Women converge on Capitol Hill to tell Senate of their pro-life views (Catholic News Service 28/4/05)
Abortion figures ‘national disgrace’ – Bishop Fisher (Catholic Weekly 1/5/05)
Abortion rate hits 91,000 a year (Sydney Morning Herald 20/4/05)
Senator to move on abortion law (The Australian 20/4/05)
3 May 2005
