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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."
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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.
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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
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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
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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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Synod worried Catholics misunderstand Real Presence
A major concern of the October Synod of Bishops has been that many Catholics do not seem to understand how Christ is truly present in the Eucharist.
Yet Catholic News Service (CNS) reports that after nearly three weeks of discussion, the bishops did not find an easy way to explain this fundamental concept of the faith.
Instead, they spent considerable time debating the theological fine points of the church's teaching on the real presence of Christ. That led to discussions of such complex topics as transubstantiation versus transignification, or "sacramental presence" as distinct from other forms of Christ's presence in the world.
CNS says some participants, like German Cardinal Joachim Meisner of Cologne, worried that the real presence is largely seen as symbolic. He cited the influence of a secular society that does not easily accept transcendent realities and said Catholics need to be taught that Christ is "truly, really and substantially contained in holy Communion."
Several bishops wanted the synod to clarify the "moment of transubstantiation," in view of liturgical differences in Latin and Eastern Catholic church communities.
Others said the church should clarify to the faithful that the consecration of the bread and wine in the Eucharist brings a change in substance, but not a change in physical matter. They called for a new way of teaching transubstantiation.
Some emphasised the personal transformation that takes place in the Eucharist as the best way to understand that Christ is truly present.
One thing that emerged clearly from the synod debate was that this is not a simple topic. Some bishops said it presented a critical pastoral challenge.
"The mystery of the Eucharist is not being presented well to the faithful, which means there must be some difficulty in communicating it. There must be something wrong with our catechesis," Bishop Peter Kang U-il of Cheju, South Korea, told CNS.
"The catechism that has developed on this in the Western culture is too rational and too philosophical. We can't ask too much of the simple people, who have no theological formation," he said.
Italian Cardinal Camillo Ruini, papal vicar of Rome, told the synod that at the recent World Youth Day celebrations in Germany he had trouble explaining the real presence to young people because they understood "only the visible."
In Africa there are different problems, including the need for the church to distinguish between the real presence of the Eucharist and the worship of idols in animist religions.
A child put it in simpler language last Saturday when he asked Pope Benedict XVI: "My catechism teacher told me that Jesus was present in the Eucharist. But how can that be? I can't see him."
The pope replied that many things are real but cannot be seen -- like the mind, the spirit and even electricity. People know these things exist because they see their effects, and the same is true of Christ's presence in the Eucharist, he said.
SOURCE
Synod concerned that Catholics misunderstand real presence of Christ (Catholic News Service 19/10/05)
LINKS (not necessarily endorsed by Church Resources)
Synod of Bishops
Synodus Episcoporum Bulletin
ARCHIVE
Synod opts for major vocations push, not easing of celibacy (CathNews 19/10/05)
Synod takes time off to work on combining propositions (CathNews 18/10/05)
Synod told of Eucharist as 'pulsating heart' of Timor mission (CathNews 17/10/05)
Synod bishops seek middle ground solutions (CathNews 14/10/05)
Synod frank talk producing few breakthroughs (CathNews 13/10/05)
Pell call to preserve celibacy rule (CathNews 12/10/05)
Irish archbishop says Liturgy of Word can heal (CathNews 11/10/05)
Hobart Archbishop insists on credit for hardworking priests (CathNews 10/10/05)
Opus Dei head argues against giant masses (CathNews 7/10/05)
Oceania bishops plead case for married clergy (CathNews 7/10/05)
Kiwi bishop challenges Synod to review communion ban for divorced (CathNews 6/10/05)
Pope talks to Synod about collegiality (CathNews 5/10/05)
Pope opens Synod with Eucharist link to peaceful, just society (CathNews 4/10/05)
Aussie Synod expert stresses Eucharist values before rules (CathNews 29/9/05)
Two Australians on auditors list for October Synod (CathNews 27/9/05)
Synod tipped to stress Sunday Mass obligation (CathNews 28/9/05)
Pope names four mainland Chinese bishops to October synod (CathNews 9/9/05)
Synod threat to youth masses (CathNews 25/7/05)
MORE STORIES
Meeting of language groups (Vatican Information Service 19/10/05)
Pope, synod members gather for eucharistic adoration to show devotion (Catholic News Service 18/10/05)
Synod proposes greater vocations efforts, no easing of celibacy rules (Catholic News Service 18/10/05)
Divine forgiveness is theme of papal audience (Catholic World News 19/10/05)
Synod proposals back existing Church policies (Catholic World News 19/10/05)
Synod proposals will be made public (Catholic World News 19/10/05)
Statement on married priests likely in final list of proposals (National Catholic Reporter 17/10/05)
Women's voices heard through interventions of 12 synod auditors (National Catholic Reporter 17/10/05)
Draft propositions do not recommend changes in church discipline (National Catholic Reporter 18/10/05)
Gregory: Little change expected but synod had honest talk of pastoral realities (National Catholic Reporter 19/10/05)
Call for African music at Synod (The Universe 19/10/05)
Synod Presents Draft of List of 50 Propositions (Zenit 18/10/05)
20 Oct 2005
