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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 frank talk producing few breakthroughs
The English-speaking world's most quoted Vatican expert has suggested that while there have been many frank statements on heartfelt issues, no identifiable consensus has yet emerged at the Synod of Bishops taking place in Rome.
The National Catholic Reporter's John Allen yesterday spoke in his daily column of the utterance of an unidentifable Western European cardinal, who told the bishops that he understood all the positions expressed on a number of tough questions, and cautioned bishops not to go home "feeling as if they have not been heard."
"Tough questions" discussed include celibacy, and communion for divorced and remarried Catholics.
On Tuesday night, a bishop asked the synod to express appreciation for the practice of celibacy in the Western church, which he described as especially difficult to maintain in a "pan-sexual culture," and as a valuable witness in a "hedonistic world." He also said there are married deacons who are today getting divorced, a problem that would also extend to married priests. An Eastern-rite bishop warned that the priest shortage should not induce the church to abandon celibacy in the West.
On Wednesday morning, Cardinal George Pell of Sydney issued another ringing defense of celibacy.
"To loosen this tradition now would be a serious error, which would provoke confusion in the mission areas and would not strengthen spiritual vitality in the First World," Pell said.
"It would be a departure from the practice of the Lord Himself, bring significant practical disadvantages to the work of the church, e.g., financial, and weaken the sign value of the priesthood; it would weaken, too, the witness to loving sacrifice, and to the reality of the Last Things, and the rewards of Heaven," Pell said.
In other business, Archbishop Roland Minnerath of Dijon, France, the special secretary for the synod, gave an overview of what he saw as important themes to date.
Minnerath pointed to two "contradictions" that have emerged: first, the church's identity as a eucharistic community, yet its inability to provide the Eucharist because of priest shortages; second, the church's requirements of Sunday Mass attendance and regular confession, yet its inability to provide those sacraments to many faithful, again because of shortages of clergy.
SOURCE
Despite frank talk, few breakthroughs expected from synod (National Catholic Reporter 12/10/05)
LINKS (not necessarily endorsed by Church Resources)
Synod of Bishops
Synodus Episcoporum Bulletin
ARCHIVE
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
Fourteenth General Congregation (Vatican Information Service 12/10/05)
Fifteenth General Congregation (Vatican Information Service 12/10/05)
Synod's solidarity with Pakistan quake victims (AsiaNews.it 12/10/05)
Top church law expert says Catholics have right to receive Eucharist
Synod members offer local snapshots of Eucharist in church life
Church's hope lies in young people, say Synod participants (Catholic News Agency 12/10/05)
Bishops Synod addresses liturgical norms, Eucharistic unity and reverence (Catholic News Agency 12/10/05)
Life-giving practice of priestly celibacy must be preserved, says Cardinal Pell (Catholic News Agency 12/10/05)
Sandro Magister: The Synod: The Eucharist Determines the State of the Church's Health (L'Espresso 12/10/05)
Ukrainian prelate clarifies call for Synod on Eastern churches (Catholic World News 12/10/05)
Synod solidarity messages to Guatemala, Pakistan after natural disasters (Catholic World News 12/10/05)
Synod: excerpts from thirteenth and fourteenth sessions (Independent Catholic News 12/10/05)
Synod Of Bishops (Vatican Radio English Features 12/10/05, audio - requires Real Player)
13 Oct 2005
