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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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Baghdad bishop hails yesterday's vote as "exercise in democracy"
Bishop Jean Baptiste Sleiman spoke optimistically about yesterday's referendum on the Iraqi Constitution following a solid turnout, and the relative lack of violence.
He told AsiaNews: "Even if they do not really know what they are voting about, the Iraqis are catching a glimpse of a more stable country." The Constitution is too "ethnic and confessional".
He described the ballot as an "important educational exercise in democracy" even if people were "not fully conscious".
According to Bishop Sleiman, most Iraqis did not know what they were voting about, but it was an important step in the long path towards democracy.
He said: "We are all tired of constant insecurity, and even of conditions of the infrastructure: we lack water and electricity for several hours a day, and in summer, the sewers present a severe problem of hygiene; one is afraid to go to work."
The bishop is convinced people realise that "not going to vote is very dangerous".
"Positive results in today's referendum will give hope of continuation of the political process and that the authorities will keep their promises of more commitment to national unity and dialogue among all parties."
Bishop Sleiman said this could lead to real improvement in the situation in Iraq, where daily life "continues to be shaped by suffering".
SOURCE
Baghdad bishop dubs today's vote "an exercise in democracy" (AsiaNews.it 15/10/05)
ARCHIVE
Baghdad nuncio says stampede also a tragedy for Catholics (CathNews 1/9/05)
MORE STORIES
"Joy" over the peaceful vote, says Baghdad's Chaldean Patriarch (AsiaNews.it 16/10/05)
Mgr Sako: people in Kirkuk have not read the constitution but will vote (AsiaNews.it 13/10/05)
Chaldean bishops plan special meeting on Iraq's future (Catholic World News 12/10/05)
Eucharist gives hope to those in war, says Iraqi patriarch (Catholic News Service 7/10/05)
17 Oct 2005
