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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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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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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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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 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



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QCEC seeks consultation with bishops over Amnesty


The Queensland Catholic Education Commission is looking for a "clear direction" from Australia's Catholic bishops on whether church school authorities should continue to be involved with Amnesty International.

In a statement released yesterday, the QCEC said it would consult with the bishops before it recommends whether or not Catholic school authorities should continue to be involved with Amnesty International.

This follows Amnesty's decision to change its formerly neutral position on abortion.

QCEC executive director Mike Byrne said he had been advised by Bishop Michael Putney, on behalf of his fellow Queensland bishops, that the country's Bishops had issued a statement calling on Amnesty to reverse its policy.

"The bishops said they would now consider the situation carefully in consultation with the Catholic education sector and other arms of the Catholic Church in Australia," Mr Byrne said.

He added: "I will write to the President of the Bishop's Conference, Archbishop Philip Wilson, seeking advice about how the QCEC might be part of this consultation and I am hopeful that a clear direction on the matter can be achieved as quickly as possible."

Many of schools have had a long association with Amnesty. They are very disappointed that the situation has arisen.

Mr Byrne said the Commission had been made aware of moves by some within the Church to establish an alternative action group with similar goals to Amnesty International but more aligned with the original ideals of its founder, Englishman Peter Benenson, a Catholic, who died in 2005.


SOURCE
QCEC to Consult Bishops on Amnesty Issue (Queensland Catholic Education Commission, Media Release, 26/9/07)

LINKS (not necessarily endorsed by Church Resources)
Queensland Catholic Education Commission
Amnesty International

ARCHIVE
Melbourne Catholic schools to cut ties with Amnesty (CathNews, 21/9/07)
Wilson calls on Amnesty to reverse abortion policy (CathNews, 12/9/07)
God bigger than Amnesty: US bishops (CathNews, 28/8/07)
Sydney Catholic College quits Amnesty (CathNews, 21/9/07)
Bishop resigns as Amnesty backs abortion (CathNews, 20/8/07)
Amnesty refuses to budge on abortion (CathNews, 31/7/07)
US bishops pressure Amnesty over abortion (CathNews, 5/7/07)
Vatican, Amnesty in abortion stoush (CathNews, 14/6/07)
Bishops to respond to Amnesty abortion policy (CathNews, 28/5/07)
God bigger than Amnesty: US bishops (CathNews, 28/8/07)
Sydney Catholic College quits Amnesty (CathNews, 21/9/07)
Bishop resigns as Amnesty backs abortion (CathNews, 20/8/07)
Amnesty refuses to budge on abortion (CathNews, 31/7/07)
US bishops pressure Amnesty over abortion (CathNews, 5/7/07)
Vatican, Amnesty in abortion stoush (CathNews, 14/6/07)
Bishops to respond to Amnesty abortion policy (CathNews, 28/5/07)

27 Sep 2007