 |
|
 |
|
|
|
Pontifical Council on Christian Unity head, Cardinal Walter Kasper, has warned the Anglican church that it "must clarify its identity" and make "difficult decisions" ahead of its forthcoming Lambeth Conference.
[More]
Quarantine for Indigenous welfare cards undermines responsibility: CSSA
Quarantining welfare payments in indigenous communities fails to address the real issues putting children at risk and undermines people's sense of responsibility, according to Catholic Social Services Australia Executive Director, Frank Quinlan.
[More]
Baby dies in car outside Toowoomba school
A five month old girl died yesterday after the child's mother left her in the family car while she collected her other children from a Toowoomba Catholic school.
[More]
Latin back on menu at Vatican website
The Vatican website has introduced a section in Latin which will publish the official original editions of pontifical documents.
[More]
Abuse victims plan protest for pope
Support groups for victims of clerical abuse are joining together to hold protests during Pope Benedict's Australian visit.
[More]
ACU seeks student volunteers
Australian Catholic University has announced that starting in 2009 it will base its selection of students on their involvement in cultural, sporting and religious activities including volunteering as well as on academic performance.
[More]
Hart slams Vic government over Catholic school funding
Melbourne Archbishop Denis Hart has attacked the Victorian government for its failure to increase funding for Catholic schools while boosting support for public schools by $1.3 billion and raising state teachers' annual salaries by $5,000.
[More]
Priests and sisters among Burma dead
At least two priests and several sisters are among the ten of thousands of Burmese killed by Cyclone Nargis, a Salesian priest says, with many churches and related projects also badly damaged.
[More]
Feature - Woodstock and worship renew chance for improved relations
Since Pope John Paul II launched World Youth Day 22 years ago, it has become the Olympic Games of world religion, the largest and most complex spiritual event held on a recurring basis across the globe. One part worship and one part Woodstock, the youth oriented festival is designed to offer a rocking rebuttal to impressions that Catholicism is sliding toward oblivion. - John Allen, Sydney Morning Herald
[More]
Featured Website - Rosary in the street
May is a month of devotion to Our Lady often best expressed through the Rosary. This website is encouraging people not just to pray the Rosary in their homes, but to take the pray with others to the street.
[More]
Television Review - No limits
A television program devoted to showcasing people living with a disability is indeed a rare find in our commercialised world and its quest for perfection. No Limits looks at living life to the fullest with a disability, featuring stories about workshops on UN dignity and rights of people with disabilities, disability standards in education, disability legislation and much more.
[More]
Opinion - Respect the key to youth violence
Without other standards of human flourishing to counteract those communicated on billboards and in advertising, the young members of some communities are deprived of all sources of self-esteem and respect. Unable to hope for those signs of success which the consumerist environment holds up for our emulation, young men in particular can be without resources to resist the message given them that they are failures, nonentities, nothing. - Thinking Faith
[More]
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
Warning: main(http://www.cathnews.com/cgi-bin/ad_management.pl) [function.main]: failed to open stream: HTTP request failed! HTTP/1.1 404 Not Found in E:\hshome\eureka0\cathnews.com\news\512\130.php on line 162
Warning: main() [function.include]: Failed opening 'http://www.cathnews.com/cgi-bin/ad_management.pl' for inclusion (include_path='.\;C:\HSphere.NET\3rdparty\PHP\4.4.7\PEAR') in E:\hshome\eureka0\cathnews.com\news\512\130.php on line 162
Pope's first encyclical expected in January
According to Italian press reports, Pope Benedict XVI plans to sign off on his first encyclical on Christmas Day, and the document will be made public after the feast of the Epiphany.
Catholic World News says the Italian media report claims that the encyclical will be a 40-page letter. Previous reports had suggested that the Pope signed the document on December 8, the feast of the Immaculate Conception and the 40th anniversary of the closing of Vatican II.
The encyclical is believed to be entitled, God is Love. The phrase is derived from the Gospel of St John. Traditionally, encyclicals take their titles from opening words.
The text, according to inside Vatican sources, is a meditation on the indispensable role of Jesus Christ in the plan of salvation. The Pope's presentation, reflecting his training as a theologian, also discusses how divine love shapes, and is reflected by, in the charitable work of the Christian community.
The pontifical charity, Cor Unum, is said to have provided the Holy Father with detailed information about the charitable work of the Catholic Church as he prepared the encyclical. The encyclical was originally written in German, during the Pope's summer vacation in the Italian Alps. Observers had suspected that the Pope had a major writing project in mind when he arrived at the Alpine chalet with several cartons of books.
The text was then translated into an official Latin version. Italian and English translations are reportedly already near completion, and by the date of publication the document will also be available in several other languages.
Pope John Paul II wrote 14 encyclicals during his long pontificate. The first, Redemptor Hominis, appeared in March 1979, less than five months after his election. The first encyclical is often seen as a sort of theological blueprint for his pontificate, setting forth the essential themes that he would stress during the 26 years that followed. The final encyclical by John Paul II, Ecclesia de Eucharistia (doc), appeared in April 2000.
SOURCE
Pope's first encyclical expected in January (Catholic World News 22/12/05)
MORE STORIES
To the Sistine Chapel Choir: The liturgy has need of beauty (Vatican Information Service 22/12/05)
Benedict XVI offers Christmas Greetings to Roman Curia (Vatican Information Service 22/12/05)
Vatican opens up secrets of Index of Forbidden Books (Mosters and Critics/DPA 22/12/05)
Pope Benedict XVI faces busy Christmas schedule (Mosters and Critics/DPA 22/12/05)
Pope: Christ’s Christmas and 2005 “which is about to set” (AsiaNews.it 22/12/05)
Pope Sees Terrorism And Arms Race As Key Threats (Catholic Bishops Conference of India 22/12/05)
Pope meets Curia, surveys 2005 (Catholic World News 22/12/05)
Jerusalem Patriarch sees rising prospects for peace (Catholic World News 22/12/05)
Belarus ousts Catholic priests (Catholic World News 22/12/05)
Australian bishops decry government proposal for backing embryo research (Catholic World News 22/12/05)
Holy See to WTO: trade should favor the poor (Catholic World News 22/12/05)
Pope Recalls 'Fright' at Being Elected (The Guardian/Associated Press 22/12/05)
Benedict XVI urges rediscovery of Christmas traditions (The Universe 22/12/05)
Benedict XVI Urges Rediscovery of Christmas Traditions (Zenit 21/12/05)
Following Jesus Is Key to Meaning of Life, Says Pope (Zenit 21/12/05)
Red-hatted Pope Gets a Warm Greeting (Zenit 21/12/05)
Pre-Christmas Reflection (Zenit 21/12/05)
23 Dec 2005
