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US Coast Guard officer refuses aborted fetus vaccine
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 wisdom
I 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 borders
It 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 Parramatta
Returning 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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Perth Archbishop condemns new talk of death penalty


Archbishop Barry Hickey of Perth has criticised moves to reintroduce the death penalty for serious offenders in Western Australia.

CLICK HEREThe Sunday Times reported that the State Opposition's police spokesman said that murderers and terrorists should be "executed or flogged by victims' families".

The spokesman, Rob Johnson, re-ignited the debate over the death penalty and corporal punishment for criminals, saying the views of West Australians should be canvassed in a referendum.

But Archbishop Hickey said society should not revert to capital punishment because it would represent a "serious retreat from our standard of respect for human life".

Neither Opposition Leader Matt Birney nor Labor Justice Minister John D'Orazio believed a referendum should be held on the issue.

Mr Birney said he was worried that innocent people would die if capital punishment was re-introduced in WA, while Mr D'Orazio said present punishments were adequate.

In 1984, WA was the last state to abolish capital punishment. The last WA execution was in 1964 when Eric Edgar Cooke was hanged at Fremantle Prison.

SOURCE
Execute killers, says Lib (Sunday Times 16/10/05)

LINKS (not necessarily endorsed by Church Resources)
Helen Prejean CSJ Official Website
Living the Gospel on death row (Catholic Leader 6/3/05)

ARCHIVE
Cardinal repeats Vatican opposition to all forms of killing (CathNews 19/5/05)
Pell to consider appeal for clemency (CathNews 22/4/05)
Death row movie nun set to visit Australia (CathNews 14/2/05)

MORE STORIES
Death Penalty: Life For A Life? (Vatican Radio English Features 13/10/05, audio - requires Real Player)


17 Oct 2005