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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.
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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".
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Bees for Benedict
Italian scooter manufacturer Piaggio has presented Pope Benedict with two new specially made three wheeled vehicles.
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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
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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.
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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
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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
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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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Archbishop reflects on Port Arthur massacre
Hobart's Archbishop Adrian Doyle has used his Good Friday message to prepare the faithful for the imminent tenth anniversary of the Port Arthur massacre.
In 1996, lone gunman Martin Bryant killed 35 people and wounded 18 others in the popular tourist town about 100 km south-east of Hobart.
ABC Hobart reports that Archbishop Adrian Doyle reminded hundreds of worshippers gathered at St Mary's Cathedral of the significance of the anniversary.
"We'll be going through the experience of the 10 years since the Port Arthur tragedy," he said. "I think we have to just re-invigorate ourselves and just make sure that these things just simply never happen, that we make sure that the climate ... is such that these things won't occur."
The Mercury reports that pews at St Mary's Cathedral filled early and about 100 latecomers had to perch in a vestibule to watch the service from behind people already standing inside the crowded church.
The Archbishop said the 1000-strong congregation was the biggest in many years and that it had been lovely to see tiny babies, families and frail elders in the crowd.
He said his sermon's message had been simple and urged people to move forward with hope.
Also, in Perth, Archbishop Barry Hickey told the congregation at St Mary's Cathedral there that many people in society are burdened by tragedies and financial problems. "They are not alone - God is with them [and] that Christ has risen from the dead," he said.
Meanwhile, The Age reports that Auxiliary Bishop of Melbourne Christopher Prowse's Easter homily concentrated on people's search for meaning and purpose in life.
He said church congregations were growing as people searched for spiritual answers in "today's confusing world". "They (Church congregations) have been growing in recent years, which is interesting because there's often a lot of pessimism about numbers at church," Bishop Prowse said.
In Adelaide, Archbishop Philip Wilson told about 2000 worshippers Easter is a reminder of the need to work towards peace and unity.
"When we see all the violence and hatred, we must not turn our back and turn away from that," he told the congregation at St Francis Xavier Cathedral. "We must reshape the world in which we live today and embrace the beauty of Christ."
The more people work in harmony, the more beautiful and energised the world can become, Archbishop Wilson said.
Brisbane's Archbishop John Bathersby said Easter was a time to celebrate victory over sin and death.
In Sydney, up to 3500 people crowded St Mary's Cathedral for mid-morning mass celebrated by Cardinal George Pell.
"The resurrection was the great sign that God has forgiven our sins, that evil and death will not have the last word," Cardinal Pell said in his 2006 Easter message.
Pictured: Archbishop Denis Hart at the Easter Vigil Ceremony at St Patrick's Cathedral, Melbourne
SOURCE
Archbishop reflects on Port Arthur massacre (ABC Hobart 15/4/06)
Cathedrals packed for Easter worship (The Mercury 17/4/06)
Don't ignore evil: churches (news.com.au/Australian Associated Press 16/4/06)
Congregations to hear messages of hope (ABC Perth 16/4/06)
Thousands turn out for Easter services (The Age 16/4/06)
MORE STORIES
Leaders call for truth in Easter (Daily Telegraph 16/4/06)
Crowds turn out for Easter services (The Courier Mail 16/4/06)
More at Church in Qld (The Courier Mail 16/4/06)
Crowds turn out for Easter services (Sunday Herald-Sun/Australian Associated Press 16/4/06)
Rising to the occasion (Herald-Sun 17/4/06)
Catholic service urges Easter peace (news.com.au/Australian Associated Press 16/4/06)
Big crowds at Churches (Ballarat Courier 17/4/06)
18 Apr 2006
