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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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Pope urges faithful to have more children
Pope Benedict XVI has said that the gift of children is a blessing from God, expressing the hope for the rejuveneation of societies that are "lacking in energy and hope because of a declining birth rate".
Catholic News Agency reports that the Holy Father told his weekly Wednesday audience at the Vatican: "To have children is a gift that brings life and welfare to society."
He said the steep decline in birth rates across western Europe has "deprived some nations of the freshness, the energy, the future embodied in children."
The Holy Father also paid homage to the Solidarity labor union, which is marking the 25th anniversary of its formation. He praised Solidarity for its historic role in bringing freedom to Poland and transforming the face of Europe in the late 20th century.
Enlarging on the theme of how cultures flourish, the Pope said that solidarity is built upon the shared commitment of all members of society.
However, he added, the common good also requires a proper reverence for God's role, "which is, unfortunately, often excluded or ignored." Pope Benedict said that a steady awareness of God's presence in human lie helps people to understand and to draw upon "the power of his love."
Although he showed clear signs of physical fatigue, the Holy Father followed his usual practice by greeting different groups in the audience after he finished his prepared remarks, using several different languages. Ordinarily papal audiences in August are held in the Paul VI auditorium, to protect participants from the heat of the northern summer. But because 11,000 pilgrims turned up, Vatican officials moved this week's audience to St. Peter's Square.
SOURCE
Pope deplores Europe's plunging birth rate (Catholic World News 31/8/05)
LINKS (not necessarily endorsed by Church Resources)
Benedict XVI General Audience - text (31/8/05)
MORE STORIES
Telegramma di Cordoglio del Santo Padre per le vittime dell’uragano "Katrina" negli Stati Uniti D’America, 31.08.2005
Pope tells Catholics to multiply (Agence France-Presse/ABC 31/8/05)
Pope offers concern for Katrina's victims, prayers for relief workers (Catholic News Service 31/8/05)
Without God, human efforts will fail, Pope says (Catholic News Agency 31/8/05)
Schismatic groups calls on Rome to make first move toward reconciliation (Catholic News Agency 31/8/05)
Pope will return to Rome on September 28 (Catholic World News 31/8/05)
Solidarity celebration hears papal praise (Catholic World News 31/8/05)
Christopher Merrill: Bridging the East-West divide (National Catholic Reporter 2/9/05)
Pope meets anti-Islam author, reports say (New Zealand Herald 31/8/05)
Benedict XVI: Jesus Alone Makes Us Free (Vatican Radio English Features 31/8/05, audio - requires Real Player)
Benedict XVI: Offer It All To Him (Vatican Radio English Features 31/8/05, audio - requires Real Player)
Pope's General Audience (Vatican Radio English Features 31/8/05, audio - requires Real Player)
Papal Intention: Religious Freedom (Zenit 30/8/05)
Walesa Credits John Paul II With Solidarity's Peaceful Side (Zenit 30/8/05)
Papal condolences for US hurricane victims (Catholic World News 31/8/05)
32 Sep 2005
