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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 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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Pope congratulates Philippine President for death penalty ban
Pope Benedict has told the Philippine President Gloria Arroyo "well done" at their Vatican meeting yesterday for outlawing the death penalty but local bishops have warned that the move was not enough to win "moral affirmation" for her presidency.
Catholic News Service reports that during the meeting yesterday, Philippine's President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo smiles as Pope Benedict XVI holds a copy of a law she signed abolishing the death penalty in the Philippines.
At the end of the meeting with the Pope, Arroyo gave him a statue of Our Lady of Guidance and a copy of the law in a leather case, telling him, "These are two expressions of the faith of the Filipino people."
After the Pope gave her some medals, she spent a couple of moments digging in her purse before pulling out her rosary and asking Pope Benedict to bless it.
Earlier in Manila, Philippines, members of the opposition parties filed an impeachment complaint against Arroyo in the House of Representatives, alleging that she has condoned political killings and violated the constitution to silence dissent. She and her supporters deny the charges.
A Vatican statement on the meeting said the president discussed with the Pope the abolition of the death penalty, a bill she signed on 24 June on the feast of St John the Baptist, before leaving for Rome.
In addition to banning capital punishment, the law changes the death sentences of about 1,000 prisoners to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
After her meeting with the Pope, she met with Cardinal Angelo Sodano, Vatican Secretary of State, before praying in the Blessed Sacrament Chapel and at the tomb of Pope John Paul II in St Peter's Basilica.
According to the AsiaNews report, despite the papal audience and President Arroyo's move on the death penalty, key Filipino Church figures continue to call for her resignation over alleged election rigging and her indifferences to human rights abuses.
Oscar Cruz, Archbishop of Lingayen-Dagupan, said it was "very doubtful" that the Pope, former prefect of the Congregation of the Doctrine for the Faith, would extend his "moral affirmation" to the President, despite the abrogation of the death penalty.
"It won't make any difference," he said, "given that the government closes its eyes to the kidnapping of activists seeking to improve our country, including Church people."
The stand of the Bishop of Lingayen-Dagupan reflects that already expressed by the Bishop of Novaliches, Antonio Tobias, who last April celebrated Mass for the birthday of the ex-President Joseph Estrada. During Mass, he "apologised for the Church's participation and support in rallies that led to his resignation".
SOURCE
Pope has "cordial meeting" with Arroyo who faces impeachment in Manila (AsiaNews 26/6/06)
Pope Benedict tells Filipino president "well done" for outlawing death penalty (Catholic Online 26/6/06)
LINKS (not necessarily endorsed by Church Resources)
Gloria Macapagal Arroyo (Wikipedia)
President Gloria Arroyo's website
ARCHIVE
Church in Philippines hails death penalty abolition (CathNews 9/6/06)
US Bishops statement calls for rejection of death penalty (CathNews 17/11/05)
Pope backs campaign against death penalty (CathNews 2/12/03)
MORE STORIES
Arroyo Repeals Death Penalty Law In Advance Of Papal Audience (UCA News 26/6/06)
27 Jun 2006
