WYD visitors in modest boost to tourism
The number of tourists to Australia in World Youth Day month, July 2008, jumped by 47,000 compared with the same month last year, figures show.
[More]


NSW parents lobby to keep free student travel
The New South Wales Catholic Education Commission has confirmed that it has called on parents of children in Catholic schools to lobby for the scrapping of a new travel levy for students.
[More]


Qld, Vic school teachers in new abuse cases
A former Catholic College Bendigo staff member has pleaded guilty to sexually abusing two young boys twenty years ago while a Darling Downs Catholic school teacher has been charged with seven counts of rape.
[More]


Catholic Healthcare pilots squalor phone hotline
Catholic Healthcare is to launch a Sydney telephone hotline to coordinate responses to people living in domestic squalor.
[More]


Poland's Wyszynski proposed Wojtyla
Cardinal Stefan Wyszinski declined to be nominated as pope during a 1978 conclave, proposing instead his compatriot Karol Wojtyla, the late Polish primate's journal reveals.
[More]


Vatican denounces Congo "massacre of the poor"

Describing recents events in the Democratic Republic of the Congo as a "massacre of the poor", Vatican spokesman Fr Federico Lombardi called for world support to end the violence and assist refugees.


[More]


Feature - A positive legacy comes from grief

David and Samantha Meyn of East Maitland have gained wisdom beyond their years after losing their son Harrison, who was diagnosed with a brain tumour at the age of 6, in July 2006. Oscar, now 7 and Campbell, 3, speak often of their older brother and love to draw attention to the photos displayed at home. - Tracey Edstein, Aurora


[More]


Featured Website - Edmund Rice Centre for Justice and Community Education
The western Sydney based Edmund Rice Centre for Justice and Community Education is the organisation behind the documentary on Australia's treatment of asylum seekers, A Well Founded Fear, which airs on SBS TV tonight. The Centre is a ministry of the Christian Brothers and has a history of advocacy and campaigning on social justice issues.
[More]


Radio - The Rhythm Divine: The Rapping Priest

Fr Stan Fortuna is a Catholic priest and a founding member of the Community of Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, an order established in the heart of the South Bronx in 1987. But he is also a musician known worldwide as "the rapping priest". Even after 20 years it's not a title he's totally comfortable with.


[More]


Opinion - A moment in history for Anglicans and Catholics

2008 has been a year of potentially historic breakthroughs between Anglican Christians and the Chair of Peter. Many Catholics have noted with great interest the growing number of Anglicans who have approached the possibility of coming into full communion with the Catholic Church. - Deacon Keith Fournier, Catholic Online


[More]




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



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\80.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\80.php on line 159

Opus Dei apologises for cartoon of Mohammed


The Opus Dei prelature has issued an apology for the publication of a sketch depicting Mohammed in hell.

Catholic World News reports that the public apology released by Manuel Sanchez Hurtado, the director of communications for Opus Dei, follows the controversy caused by an illustration in Studi Cattolici, a magazine closely associated with Opus Dei.

The illustration showed Mohammed in hell, as depicted by Dante in Canto XXVIII of the Inferno.

"It is one thing to appreciate Dante's Divine Comedy and a very different thing to joke about this particular scene in the present climate and in a Catholic magazine," said that Opus Dei communications director.

While the prelature is not directly responsible for Studi Cattolici, he said, the editors responsible had apologised for the illustration and Opus Dei leaders wanted to "unite ourselves to this request for forgiveness."

Sanchez Hurtado cited two reasons for special sensitivity on the issue. He said that the earlier riots over the Danish cartoons mocking Mohammed should have underlined the volatile nature of such depictions.

He also said that Opus Dei has been subject to harsh public treatment because of the sensational depiction of the lay movement in the novel The DaVinci Code. He said Opus Dei should offer the same respectful treatment toward Islam that it hopes others will show to the prelature.

"As we participated in the discussions about The DaVinci Code we have tried to show maximum respect towards all parties," the Opus Dei statement ran. "We have tried to show others the kind of treatment we ask for ourselves. Anything else would be inconsistent and hypocritical."


SOURCE
Opus Dei apologizes for cartoon of Mohammed (Catholic World News 17/4/06)

LINKS (not necessarily endorsed by Church Resources)
Opus Dei

MORE STORIES
Papal preacher condemns DaVinci Code, Gospel of Judas (Catholic World News 14/4/06)
Jesus' Passion Is Being Manipulated, Laments Homilist (Zenit 14/4/06)
Group demands Da Vinci disclaimer (BBC 16/4/06)
Opus Dei officials apologize for controversial Muslim cartoon in affiliate magazine (Catholic News Agency 17/4/06)
John L Allen: Church and politics - Opus Dei (National Catholic Reporter 14/4/06)
The Ways of Opus Dei (Time 16/4/06)
Opus Dei Decries Mohammed Cartoon (Zenit 16/4/06)


18 Apr 2006