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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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Vatican Secretary of State backs UN renewal
Cardinal Angelo Sodano has told the General Assembly of the United Nations that while the UN has managed to "realise a lot of service to humanity", it has "shown signs of wearing".
The Vatican being a permanent observer to the UN, is entitled to express itself at the world summit taking place last week.
Catholic News Agency reports that Cardinal Sodano first expressed the salutations of Pope Benedict, and said he wished to give through this speech an echo for all the Catholics in the world .
He referred to the UN as "an institution that is more and more necessary. In 60 years of existence, it has managed to realize a lot at the service of humanity."
"Nevertheless," he added "it has shown signs of wearing, and needs a renewal in order to face the challenges of today. It is not a super government, but has to answer to the real expectations of the whole population." He regretted that "a lot of resolution were adopted, but not respected."
He reiterated the Vatican's Commitment for development and expressed his concerns for the problem of debt for poor countries. He called on the institution to "be attentive to the expectations of the people, rather than to the equilibrium of powers" and for a " renewed sense of responsibility for developed countries, in their duty to fight corruption, and to give equal opportunity."
Meanwhile Caritas Internationalis said rancour and politics among world leaders had turned the UN Summit into a missed opportunity for eradicating global poverty.
"Disappointment does not nearly contain the depth of anguish," said Caritas Internationalis Secretary General Duncan MacLaren. "We believe an awesome opportunity has been forfeited," he said on behalf of the Caritas Confederation, which serves people in more than 200 countries and territories.
"There had been a mutually realised sense that there could be no more excuses not to work towards the eradication of poverty and other life-saving developments through the MDGs," he said. However, several countries – led by the United States – lobbied successfully to marginalise discussion of the goals. While the MDGs were acknowledged in the 35-page final declaration – which is to be solemnly ratified on Friday – the United States ensured that any reference to specific financial commitment by developed countries was eliminated from the document.
SOURCE
Vatican backs goals and objectives of the summit, Cardinal Sodano to United Nations (Catholic News Agency 16/9/05)
Caritas Calls UN Summit "Opportunity Forfeited", Urges Re-Commitment (Caritas Internationalis 16/9/05)
LINKS (not necessarily endorsed by Church Resources)
United Nations
The MDGs Summit (CAFOD)
ARCHIVE
Pax Christi tells Downer to fight poverty and stop arms race (CathNews 15/9/05)
Pope urges leaders to live up to UN plan (CathNews 13/9/05)
MORE STORIES
Cardinal Sodano: Yes to UN reform and an effective commitment for peace and the fight against poverty (AsiaNews.it 18/9/05)
Vatican delegate tells UN: "the poor cannot wait" (Independent Catholic News 19/9/05)
It's Time for U.N.'s "Resurrection," Says Cardinal Sodano (Zenit 15/9/05)
U.N. Summit a Disappointment, Says Caritas (Zenit 16/9/05)
19 Sep 2005
