 |
|
 |
|
|
|
Orthodox Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople and representatives of other Orthodox and Anglican churches accompanied Pope Benedict in lighting a candle to launch the Year of St Paul.
[More]
Volunteers refuse WYD powers
Rural Fire Service and State Emergency Service volunteers will not seek "authorised person" status while assisting with WYD in order to avoid "negative interactions with people".
[More]
Vietnam up, US down on WYD numbers
A record number of Vietnamese pilgrims will attend World Youth Day this year but US numbers are down - and 50 Angola pilgrims are stranded in Sydney instead of Adelaide because tour organisers thought the SA capital was only an hour way.
[More]
Celebrate the living spirit: Bishops urge
Australia's bishops have urged Catholics to "celebrate the Living Spirit" to mark Aboriginal and Torres Islander Sunday this weekend.
[More]
Korean priests in Mass protest against US beef
Two hundred South Korean priests have celebrated a street Mass in Seoul to protest an unpopular government decision to resume beef imports from the US.
[More]
Bees for Benedict
Italian scooter manufacturer Piaggio has presented Pope Benedict with two new specially made three wheeled vehicles.
[More]
Feature - Walking away from what they do not know
"People who leave the Church are not leaving because they are rejecting the teachings of John Paul II or Pope Benedict. Most do so because they go to Catholic schools and they think that the kind of warm secular humanism with Christian gloss that they get in Catholic schools is in fact the Catholic faith and it hasn't captured their imagination, their love or their intellect so they are walking away from something that they do not know." - The Catholic Herald
[More]
Featured Website - First Things
First Things is a monthly ecumenical journal concerned with the creation of a "religiously informed public philosophy for the ordering of society." It is published by The Institute on Religion and Public Life in the United States of America.
[More]
Film Review - Kung Fu Panda
Kung Fu Panda is essentially a martial arts comedy and is a total action movie. It has striking effects and action sequences and a particularly impressive concluding fantasy sequence which brings DreamWorks to a new level of technological sophistication. There is a strong cultural feel about the movie and it heavily draws on Chinese culture to bring authenticity to its fantasy. - Peter Sheehan, Australian Catholic Office for Film and Broadcasting
[More]
Opinion - God is without circumference
His challenge was to see the beauty in every face, even when the owner of that face had long given up on it. Surely, that is to love others as Jesus did—Jesus the One who never gives up on us. If we are to love as Jesus loved, we need to be forgiving people. Forgiving people are bridge-builders and reconcilers. - Fr Chris Gleeson, Madonna
[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\604\117.php on line 159
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\604\117.php on line 159
Pope says priesthood not for personal gain
Benedict XVI told a group of visiting bishops from Ghana that the priesthood is not for improving one's social standing or standard of living.
Zenit reports that the Pope on Monday stressed that the gift of self to the other is "at the heart of the sacrament of holy orders."
"Those who receive this sacrament are configured in a particular way to Christ the Head of the Church," the Holy Father said. "They are therefore called to give of themselves completely for the sake of their brothers and sisters."
"This can only happen when God's will is no longer seen as something imposed from without, but becomes 'my own will based on the realisation that God is in fact more deeply present to me than I am to myself,'" he said quoting from his encyclical, Deus Caritas Est.
For this reason, "the priesthood must never be seen as a way of improving one's social standing or standard of living," Benedict XVI said.
"If it is, then priestly gift of self and docility to God's designs will give way to personal desires, rendering the priest ineffective and unfulfilled."
The Pope encouraged the bishops of Ghana, who were on their five-yearly visit to Rome, "to ensure the suitability of candidates for the priesthood and to guarantee proper priestly formation for those who are studying for the sacred ministry."
"We must strive," he said, "to help them discern Christ's will and nurture this gift so that they may become effective and fulfilled ministers of his joy."
SOURCE
Priesthood Not for Personal Gain, Says Pope (Zenit 24/4/06)
MORE STORIES
Rome: Beacon of civilization and spirituality (Vatican Information Service 20/4/06 - temporary url)
Jesuits: Uphold intact the spirit of your founder (Vatican Information Service 22/4/06 - temporary url)
Divine Mercy, an integral dimension of the faith (Vatican Information Service 23/4/06 - temporary url)
Priesthood is a sacrament, not a means of advancement (Vatican Information Service 24/4/06 - temporary url)
May the Church draw inspiration from life of St. Toribio (Vatican Information Service 24/4/06 - temporary url)
Statistics concerning the Church in Poland (Vatican Information Service 25/4/06 - temporary url)
Does the Pope Wear Prada? (Wall Street Journal Online)
First Benedict XVI biography in local language released in Kerala (AsiaNews.it 25/4/06)
Trust in God's mercy should be central to all Christians, pope says (Catholic News Service 24/4/06)
Pope asks Jesuits to focus on teaching, research, dialogue (Catholic News Service 24/4/06)
Benedict XVI plans October visit to Verona for historic Italian ecclesial convention (Catholic News Agency 25/4/06)
Pope reminds Jesuits of duty to obedience (Catholic World News 25/4/06)
Pope salutes Orthodox Easter, feast of Divine Mercy (Catholic World News 24/4/06)
Date set for Pope's visit to Brazil in 2007 (Catholic World News 24/4/06)
Pope plans May 1 pilgrimage to Marian shrine (Catholic World News 24/4/06)
Priesthood a sacrament, not for material gain: Pope (Spero News 24/4/06)
Pilgrimage to the tomb of Saint Peter promoted by the Jesuits (April 22, 2006)
Pope Benedict XVI: To the Bishops of the Episcopal Conference of Ghana on their Ťad Liminať visit (April 24, 2006)
Divine Mercy a Key Facet of Faith, Says Pope (Zenit 23/4/06)
Pope Congratulates Eastern Churches for Easter (Zenit 23/4/06)
Christ Transforms Those He Meets, Says Pope (Zenit 23/4/06)
Benedict XVI Condemns Attack in Tel Aviv (Zenit 23/4/06)
Encyclical Hailed as a Letter of Love (Zenit 23/4/06)
Pope's Address on Easter Monday (Zenit 23/4/06)
Pope's Q&A With Young People (Part 1) (Zenit 23/4/06)
On Divine Mercy (Zenit 23/4/06)
Pontiff Speaks for Monogamous Marriage (Zenit 24/4/06)
Pontiff Exhorts Jesuits to Heed Ignatius' Legacy (Zenit 24/4/06)
Benedict XVI Well Aware of Divine Help (Zenit 24/4/06)
Benedict XVI's Analytical-Rational Style (Zenit 24/4/06)
Papal Address to Bishops of Ghana (Zenit 24/4/06)
Pope's Q&A With Young People (Part 2) (Zenit 24/4/06)
26 Apr 2006
