The procession, which began as a 13th century tradition, had participants carrying banners, singing hymns and praying while they walked from St Patrick’s Church Hill to St Mary’s Cathedral.

The celebration ended with benediction of the Blessed Sacrament in the courtyard of St Mary’s Cathedral.

Catherine Kennedy, director of CREDO, the organisation which runs the event, was deeply moved by the celebration,

“The blessed sacrament exposed is such a wonderful gift to us. We can see him, we can taste him, we can touch him. I feel a real deep presence of the Lord, when he’s with us, exposed, in the monstrance.

When our Lord is taken away I feel a big loss…’Come back Lord!’ I want to say.”

She spoke of the public, even showy nature of the procession,

“It’s great to have a public expression of faith. We pray for the needs of our city and we are a witness to it, as we walk through it. This year there was a huge uptake in the number of people who wanted us to pray for them.”

Charbel Germanos, a parishioner at St Charbel’s in Punchbowl was personally touched by the gathering,

“I’m walking with Christ, it’s my first time. I just can’t wait, I’m really excited, all these Catholics joining together for a common goal, especially in this time of need!

The strength, faith and courage that I experience because of everyone standing together in prayer, is something I’ve never experienced before.”

Dani Lambeth, a parishioner at Maternal Heart of Mary in Lewisham, felt that the symbolism of the procession was important,

“It was not only a powerful religious experience to see the faithful from all across the diocese celebrating the significance of the Eucharist in unison, but also an important cultural symbol, to show that Christianity is well and alive in people’s hearts and minds in an ever more secularised society.”

The public presence of a large number of Catholics in Sydney City, was also important to Simon Rassy, a parishioner at St Charbel’s in Punchbowl,

“I saw a few bystanders who were looking, recording and taking pictures. They may have realised the significance of the Eucharist to us Catholics.

It’s important for Catholics to come together and unite. To show that we have a voice, that we’re a community, and that there are many of us. We’re not in hiding! I’d like people to know that we’re praying for them in love!”

For Catherine Kennedy however, this tenth anniversary of the Walk With Christ procession, is, most importantly, a powerful outreach to a world in turmoil,

“Anyone can come before our Lord in the monstrance and allow him to love them. That’s a marvellous gift, and one I think we need to continue to capture for evangelisation.”

“To be able to be a part of this, part of something that’s growing is really remarkable.

There’s a lot of pain in the world at the moment, seeing people gathered together in prayer is a wonderful balm…”

Photo courtesy of Walk With Christ Sydney.

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“It was a life changing experience. We were able to present the Pope with a petition that we recently drafted which calls for bold action on Climate change. The Pope signed the petition and we are calling on one million Catholics to do the same.”

Jacqui, the Director of Catholic Earthcare Australia, represented Australia in a delegation of eight countries who gathered as members of the “Global Catholic Climate movement” early this month. The movement exists to help implement a unified Catholic response to Climate change prevention, an expected element of the Pope’s soon to be released encyclical on the subject.

“This first ever ecological encyclical of the Catholic church will actually provide a great stimulus through conversation, and for transformation into action in the world. It’s for business, governments and humankind on earth. It’s really going to be a unified message for humanity across the globe.” Jacqui said.

Catholic Earthcare Australia, the national representative body for the Global Catholic Climate movement, has been working locally to raise awareness of strategies for Catholic Climate policy.

“We’ve invited Catholics throughout the world to join us for a global carbon fast throughout Lent.” This is all a part of a growing, and increasingly urgent feeling that Catholics must act now to prevent the consequences that climate change is having, especially on the poor.

“At this stage we’re sitting at a time where we have a very narrow buffer zone that’s decreasing as time goes on. It’s very urgent that the world agrees on decreasing fossil fuels and taking action that reduces carbon emissions.”

“We’re pretty lucky in Australia in that we’re the first country to set up our own (Catholic) agency on ecology, and there haven’t been that many who’ve followed suit.”

“We’re pioneering in this regard.”

The encyclical is expected to be released in June or July.

Image: Haaretz.com

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The report, submitted by Archbishops Antoine-Charbel Tarabay, and Robert Rabbat, who are, respectively, heads of the Maronite and Melkite Eparchies of Australia and New Zealand, marks five months since a group of Orthodox, Catholic and Assyrian bishops visited suffering Christians in the Middle East, as part of a ‘Solidarity Mission.’

This bishops visited communities in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon.

“What happened to the Christians of Iraq under ISIS was totally unexpected. We need to keep our attention on them, their voices cry out. They look to us for mercy and support.” said Archbishop Tarabey.

The Bishop outlined the varied challenges of different Christian communities of the region.

Of Iraqi Christians, he explained, “Being displaced from towns like Irbil and Mosul to Kurdistan, and the borders of Iraq, means they don’t know what’s in store for them, or what will happen next. They don’t know what will happen tomorrow. “

Christians in Syria face a different set of challenges, “Christians are caught in the middle of a fight between the Alawite regime and the rebel fighters, most of whom are Sunni Muslims.”

The fundamental employment challenges that have fuelled the membership of militant Islamist groups was also cited as a problem.

“We’re talking 52% unemployment in Lebanon at the moment, young people who finish University and have no job.”

“When you’re left with nothing in way of employment, young people take other options. They take the worst option, an evil option, to join Islamic State or Hezbollah, and to fight.”

For the bishops involved, the pursuit of peace begins at home.

“The first thing is that we need to be peacemakers here in Australia, among each other, helping Middle Eastern communities, Muslims and Christians, to live in harmony and peace with one another.”

“Secondly, we have to support refugees and the displaced. We will launch an appeal, once a year, to continue to support them and the presence of the church in the Middle East.”

Interested in supporting the plight of Arab Christians? Donate through Caritas Australia now.

Image: Iraqi Christians in prayer via ibtimes.co.uk

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The congress, a three day event organised by staff of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, is described as one of the ‘largest triennial gatherings of Australian Catholic media, diocesan communications professionals, secular journalists and parishioners.’

The conference theme, “What is our voice? Out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks” tackled the challenges of telling important stories in an overcrowded and often superficial media landscape.

The event featured an address from Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli, President of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications (PCCS).

“Our media is directed not just to Catholics, but to all people. They don’t exist only for–or are directed only to–people who already belong to the Church, rather they should also give careful attention to what exists in the soul of man, in his heart, where sometimes there can be distance from God, or many times, a deep nostalgia for God.”

“People no longer pay attention–if they ever did–simply because a church leader is speaking. Unless we engage digital media, we will wind up talking to ourselves.”

Participants also enjoyed a variety of workshops on technical media production skills as well as “Hot Topics” like ‘Euthanasia’ and ‘Migrants and Refugees’.

Speakers challenged the misconceptions and perhaps prejudices of the participants. During the ‘God’s Creation, The Environment’ workshop Bishop Columba Macbeth-Green, of the rural diocese of Wilcannia-Forbes spoke of the need for city dwellers to act more consciously in their use of resources. “We have to convert ourselves ecologically before we convert the world!”

“Rural people are being squeezed by environmental issues” he added.

Selina Hashem, Communications Manager at the Archdiocese of Sydney, challenged the audience’s conceptions during a ‘Religious Tolerance’ workshop.

“Serious Religious Tolerance goes beyond dialogue and into respectful engagement with the other.”

“We need to move away from the term tolerance and into the word dialogue” agreed conference participant Donella Johnston.

The event ended today with a final blessing from Bishop Peter Ingham.

“This conference is a great networking community, an opportunity to hear what other people are doing in their diocese and parishes.”

“Its been marvellously prepared and its filling my mind with things I can take on when I move back into the office” Mrs Johnston said.

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The diplomatic fallout was conveyed by the Australian Government’s recently announced decision to withdraw its ambassador from Indonesia.

MP Chris Hayes, co-chair of the group ‘Australian Parliamentarians against the Death Penalty’ spoke of the legal uncertainties he felt cast doubt on the justice of proceedings.

“In addition to Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukamaran, another casualty here appears to be the rule of law itself”

“The President is required to seek the advice of the Supreme Court of Indonesia on the application of clemency, but the President made a unilateral decision not to receive any application from a drug-related case”

Claims of court bribery were also been made by the former lawyer of the two men, just days before their execution.

MP Chris Hayes spoke of double standards in Indonesian justice,

“The ultimate hypocrisy in all this is that Indonesians have been very forthright in their pursuit of clearance for their own prisoners on death row in other countries. Clearly it smacks of hypocrisy.”

A sense of the ironic was expressed by John Ferguson, National Executive Officer Australian Catholic Social Justice Council, “A penal system that had been so successful was debased when it destroyed them once they were reformed”

“Nothing justifies state sanctioned killing. Nothing justifies taking someone else’s life.”

Mr Ferguson spoke of Pope Francis’ comments on Capital Punishment last month.

“Pope Francis has been very clear about this, saying that it (the death penalty) was contrary to the meaning of divine mercy.”

“He also spoke of the terrible suspense of people who are awaiting execution, which, in the name of correct proceedings tends to last for many years.”

The Catholic Social Justice Council has worked regionally for the abolition of the death penalty.

Image via news.com.au

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Angelica Alvarez, who promoted the Socialist Alternative gathering on Facebook, explains, “Abortion is a fundamental right. There should be no costs, coercion or stigma connected with the decision to have an abortion” on the event page.

Speakers at the event, which was part of the CSSP’s annual ‘Life Week’, included NSW Upper House MP Greg Donnelly, Debbie Garratt, Executive Director of Real Choices Australia and activist Rosina Gordon.

Of the growth of pro-life support services for women, MP Greg Donnelly explained, “These organisations are meeting a need that is deeply human…that is not being met elsewhere and their lives have been changed for the good.”

Life Week has been taking place at Sydney University for over ten years now, and supporters were not put off by the opposition.

“Those kinds of protest demonstrate … a fear that if we talk too much about the potential harm of abortion and other solutions, that we won’t have abortion available…” said Debbie Garrat.

“What abortion has done has not addressed the social, educational or professional issues for women”, she added.

Catholic Society of Saint Peter staff are proud of the annual event. Evangelisation Officer, Tony Mattar, explained “The purpose of Life Week is to engage with students on campus about the teaching of the Catholic Church regarding bioethics.”

“It was a great witness…to see a great number of Catholics who stood in solidarity and were not put off by the protests. It’s a reminder also that although society may have its own view in support of abortion, we as Catholics must always stand up for the truth.”

‘Life Week’ wraps up today. The full schedule of the Catholic Society of Saint Peter is visible online at sydneyunicatholics.org.au

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LISTEN NOW (9:30 mins)

•  Pope Francis wraps up visit to Turkey

•  World religious leaders unite to end slavery

•  36 Christians killed in Kenya

•  Grand Theft Auto 5 is pulled from shelves as Australian Christian Lobby calls for ban

•  Tasmanian Senator calls for legalisation of baby safe havens in Australia.

TRANSCRIPT

BOBBIE:  Tasmania Labor Senator Helen Polley has renewed calls to introduce baby safe havens to Australia after two babies were found abandoned in as many weeks.

Senator Polley has campaigned for the safe havens for a number of years, but the issue has been brought back to the spotlight after a newborn baby was last month found barely alive in a storm water drain in Sydney’s west. The incident was soon followed by the discovery of another baby buried on a beach under 30 centimeters of sand.

Baby safe havens would provide a mother who is unable to cope with her child the option to hand over child without facing any questioning or incriminations. In a Facebook page set up by Senator Polley she says the safe havens are not meant to be a means to remove responsibility from parents.

“It is about assisting women who are desperate,” the page reads, “women who are not psychologically or emotionally equipped to take care of their babies”.

The safe havens have been rolled out in the United States, Africa, Canada, Japan, China, South Korea, Italy and Germany, among other countries.

Senator Polley has launched a Facebook page and online petition to support the campaign. Visit babysafehavens-senatorhelenpolley.nationbuilder.com to find out more.

—

Music Credit: Waking Up by Dexter Britain.

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LISTEN NOW (9:20 mins)

•    Pope Francis addresses European Parliament

•   Australian Bishops announce delegation to persecuted Christians in the Middle East

•   Caritas Australia renew calls for end to sexual violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo

•   Abortion, religious freedom and gay rights on the agenda as Victorians head to Polls

•  Australian Catholic University award highest honour to Vatican foreign minister.

TRANSCRIPT

BOBBIE: The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference met in North Sydney this week, with the persecution of Christians in the Middle East a key area of concern.

In a media statement released yesterday, the Australian bishops have announced they will send a delegation to refugees in Kurdistan, Iraq and Lebanon on 14 December to provide spiritual support and humanitarian aid.

Cradio Director and Hobart’s Archbishop Julian Porteous will join the delegation, along with Canberra Goulburn’s Archbishop Christopher Prowse, Maronite Archbishop Antoine Tarabay, Melkite Archbishop Robert Rabbat and Chaldean Archbishop Jibrael Kassab.

Archbishop Rabbat spoke to Cradio about the initiative.

ARCHBISHOP RABBAT: Despite the short notice, and despite the fact that maybe we are limited with our resources, but we cannot allow Christmas, this feast of good news, this feast of joy, come only to our heart and our homes and our blessed nation of au and New Zealand while our brethren are saddened.

BOBBIE: The Australian Bishops have also declared that 7 December 2014 will be a day of Solidarity with Christians of the Middle East. They have called on Australian Catholics to take part through prayer and financial offering for their persecuted brothers and sisters, especially those of Iraq.

Details on that story via ACBC Media Blog

—

Australian Catholic University (ACU) has awarded Vatican foreign minister Archbishop Dominique Mamberti its highest honour, marking 100 years since the first Papal Delegate arrived in Sydney in 1914.

Archbishop Mamberti, who was recently appointed Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura, was named Doctor of the University in a ceremony at ACU’s North Sydney Campus on Monday.

Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Paul Gallagher, soon to take Archbishop Mamberti’s role in the Vatican, and Australian Catholic Bishops Conference President Archbishop Denis Hart were both in attendance. The ceremony formed part of a series of events being hosted by ACU to celebrate the Centenary of Papal Representation in Australia.

Ties have strengthened significantly between Australia and the Vatican since Australia’s first Papal Delegate arrived in 1914, with Pope Paul VI visiting in 1970 and St John Paul II in 1986 and 1995. Australia welcomed its fourth papal visit when Emeritus Pope Benedict joined more than 1 million young people for World Youth Day in Sydney 2008.

Details on that story via ACU website.

Music Credit: Waking Up by Dexter Britain.

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LISTEN NOW (12:20 mins)

•    Vatican hosts landmark interfaith colloquium on the complementarity of man and woman

•   An attack on worshippers in Holy Land sparks renewed cries for peace

• Married men may now be ordained priests for Eastern churches in Western countries

• Controversial ‘Zoe’s Law’ Bill lapses without a vote

• Polish Catholic is honoured in Canberra for his bravery during the Holocaust

• Bishop Peter Comensoli appointed to Broken Bay

TRANSCRIPT

BOBBIE: A landmark international colloquium has wrapped up this week in Rome, bringing together representatives from 14 religious traditions and 23 countries to discuss the theme ‘the complimentarity of man and woman’.

The Humanum Colloquium was hosted by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in the Vatican from 17-19 November. It featured presentations and witness testimonies from religious leaders and scholars, as well as a series of short films prepared on the topic.

Pope Francis gave the Colloquium’s opening address, emphasising the vital role of family in building healthy societies.

“Children have a right to grow up in a family with a father and a mother capable of creating a suitable environment for the child’s development and emotional maturity,” Pope Francis said.

“That is why I stressed in the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium that the contribution of marriage to society is “indispensable”; that it “transcends the feelings and momentary needs of the couple.” (n. 66) And that is why I am grateful to you for your Colloquium’s emphasis on the benefits that marriage can provide to children, the spouses themselves, and to society,” he said.

Former Chief Rabbi of the UK and the Commonwealth Jonathan Sachs also addressed the conference, reflecting on the situation in Britain where soon more than 50% of children will be born outside of marriage.

RABBI SACHS: The result of this has been a measurable rise among young people in eating disorders, drug and alcohol abuse, depression, suicide attempts and other stress-related symptoms. Three million children are living in Britain, in an affluent society, in this new form of poverty of single parent families, and it’s women who are bearing the burden because they are the heads of 92% of those families. In Britain today, one million children will grow up never knowing or meeting their father…

BOBBIE: Pope Francis also used the opportunity to confirm he will attend the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia next year.

More on that story via Catholic Vote, news.va, and the Humanum website.

—

At least four people were killed and six others wounded in an attack on a synagogue in Jerusalem Tuesday morning. Vatican Radio has that report.

VATICAN RADIO: Police say the suspects in the attack were a pair of Palestinians wielding knives and axes, and that they shot and killed the suspected assailants inside the synagogue.

The city of Jerusalem has seen months of tension in the wake of a dispute over access to holy sites – tension that has flared into violence on more than one occasion, including kidnappings and the stabbing of a Jerusalem man this weekend.

Speaking on Monday at the United Nations, UN Assistant Secretary General Jens Anders Toyberg-Frandzen decried the upsurge in violence.

TOYBERG-FRANDZEN: Of particular concern are attacks against religious sites, also giving how such violence can resonate regionally and beyond.

VATICAN RADIO: The Assistant Secretary General also renewed his calls for a fair and genuine peace agreement as the only way to build just and lasting tranquility and stability in the region.

TOYBERG-FRANDZEN: Returning to negotiations has never been more important. Without a genuine commitment from the parties and an overall improvement in the lives of Palestians, we should anticipate further deterioration of the security situation, and expansion of the current violence.

VATICAN RADIO: Pope Francis has also called repeatedly for all parties to reject the path of violence and to work together to address outstanding issues in mutual respect for people’s legitimate rights and aspirations.

Source: news.va

—

BOBBIE: Married men of the Eastern Catholic churches in the US, Canada and Australia can now be ordained to the Catholic priesthood.

In a decree approved and signed by Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, prefect of the Congregation for the Eastern Churches, the Vatican has lifted an 84-year ban on married men being ordained to the priesthood in traditionally western countries. Eastern married candidates can now be ordained in their dioceses and exercise pastoral service, though they must first inform their local Latin-rite bishop in writing.

Married men in the Eastern churches traditionally could always be ordained to the priesthood, though once a man is ordained he is not allowed to marry, except in extraordinary circumstances.

The ban in Western countries can be traced back to 1890, when married Ruthenian priests were prohibited from living in the US. To prevent scandal, the Vatican eventually ruled that the Eastern churches could not ordain married men in the countries where their communities form a minority of the Catholic population. In 1930, this was extended to all Eastern-rite priests in the US and Australia. As a result, an estimated 200,000 Ruthenian Catholics became Orthodox.

Fr. Brian Daley, Jesuit and member of the North American Catholic-Orthodox Theological Consultation, said he expects the new development will have a positive impact on ecumenical relations, particularly for Eastern Catholics and Orthodox Christians.

More info at Patheos

You can find Church teaching on priestly celibacy in the Catechism of the Catholic Church paragraphs 1579 and 1580.

– – –

Music Credit: Waking Up by Dexter Britain.

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LISTEN NOW (11:52 mins)

•    Pope Francis writes letter to Tony Abbott ahead of G20 Summit

•   Australia’s Apostolic Nuncio to take new appointment in Rome

•   Kenyan Bishops allege vaccinations are being used to advance the UN’s population control agenda

•   Sydney’s new Archbishop installed at St Mary’s Cathedral

•    Diocese of Wollongong announces a new initiative for the new evangelisation.

TRANSCRIPT

SARAH: Pope Francis has written a letter to Prime Minister Tony Abbott this week ahead of the G20 Summit.

The meeting, which brings together heads of government from the group of 20 nations, will commence tomorrow in Brisbane. Pope Francis has urged all those taking part to consider their responsibility to those whose lives rest on their decisions.

Vatican Radio’s Linda Bordoni has that report.

VATICAN RADIO: In a letter to Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott ahead of the group of 20 Summit that opens this weekend in Brisbane, Pope Francis urged leaders not to forget the men, women and children whose lives will be impacted and changed by the decisions they make, and identifying concrete key areas such as malnutrition, unemployment, an increase in exclusion and a tax on the environment as urgent issues to be tackled by the powers that be.

The Pope got into detail reminding them that the whole world is waiting for a coordinated agreement through the UN for a definitive halt to the unjust aggression directed at different religious and ethnic groups in the Middle East. He said there’s a need for education and a heightened awareness that religion may not be exploited as a means of justifying violence. And he appealed for support for refugees and all victims of the current crisis.

Pointing to the abuses in the financial system, such as those transactions that led to the 2008 financial collapse, and to a mentality that sees the maximisation of profits as the final criterion of all economic activity, Pope Francis deplored this kind of mindset in which individuals, he said, are ultimately discarded a mindset that will never achieve justice or peace. It would indeed be regrettable, Pope Francis wrote, if your discussions were to remain purely on the level of declarations of principle.

BOBBIE: You can find the full letter on the Vatican Radio website.

—

Bishop Peter Ingham has announced a new evangelisation initiative in Sydney’s south-west with television host and evangelist Bruce Downes.

The Bishop of Wollongong, a diocese south of Sydney, announced the collaboration on Tuesday, seeking to reach out to those disconnected from the Catholic Church in Sydney’s Campbelltown area. The initiative will involve weekly prayer and worship events, aimed at forming disciples and directing young people back to their parishes.

Bishop Ingham said that this program [quote]“will not replace a parish community, especially its sacramental life, it is indeed revolutionary within the Catholic Church as a model for outreach and reengagement that aims to draw people into life with Jesus Christ and his Church. My hope is that it will be the first of many such initiatives in dioceses throughout Australia and the rest of the Catholic world,” he said.

Bruce Downes, known as “The Catholic Guy” through his television program on the Australian Christian Channel, has relocated from Western Australia to help set up evangelisation efforts on Australia’s east coast. Mr Downes said that he has been excited about the journey thus far, and what lies ahead in southwestern Sydney.

He said, “It’s only the beginning and we have a lot of work ahead of us, but we are a group of people who are passionate about finding ways to reach others and proclaim God so that their lives would be changed by God’s personal love for them. Many people who attend our events are still on their individual faith journeys back to regular church attendance.”

The Catholic Guy Impact Communities and the Diocese of Wollongong will be partnering with Campbelltown Catholic Club to support and host a number of the evangelisation events, which are set to commence in March 2015.

Details via ACBC Media Blog

Music Credit: Waking Up by Dexter Britain.

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News from around the Catholic world for the week ending 7 November.

LISTEN NOW (9:50 mins)

•    Official English translation of the report on the Extraordinary Synod on the Family released

•   Two Christians burned alive in Pakistan

•   Euthanasia lobby group attacks Catholic priest over comments on Brittany Maynard’s death

•   Maronite Patriarch concludes his Australian visit

•  One of Australia’s newest orders inviting young women to ‘come and see’

TRANSCRIPT

BOBBIE: The Vatican has published the English translation of the final report on the Extraordinary Synod on the Family.

The final report covers the same topics as the controversial interim report, however with more references to Scripture and a greater continuity with Church teaching. Areas explored include the context and challenges for the family in the contemporary world, God’s plan for the family, and pastoral approaches to the family and difficult situations.

More controversial aspects of the interim report have been reworked. The report approaches same-sex attraction in a way that is largely consistent with the Catechism of the Catholic Church, stating that same-sex unions are not [quote]“in any way similar or even remotely analogous to God’s plan for marriage and the family”, while emphasising an avoidance of “unjust discrimination” against same-sex attracted individuals. The report also called for greater theological investigation into access to Communion for the divorced-and-remarried.

According to Catholic World Report, Cardinal Raymond Burke, who publicly aired his concerns about the earlier interim report, is satisfied with the final report.

Cardinal Burke said, “it is a significant improvement… I would say that it provides an accurate, if not complete, summary of the discussions in the Synod Hall and in the small groups.”

The Ordinary Synod of Bishops will take place in October next year.

More on that story via news.va, Catholic News Agency and Catholic World Report.

—

A Christian couple who were taken hostage by a mob of over 100 people in Pakistan were executed on Tuesday.

After being kidnapped on Sunday, Shahzad Masih and his pregnant wife Shama Bibi were held hostage for two days in their workplace – a clay-baking factory. They were then beaten and burned to death in the kiln for allegedly burning pages of the Qur’an.

Shama had been cleaning her recently deceased father-in-law’s house when she burned some papers she had found that seemed useless. A Muslim man witnessed what she was doing and spread allegations in surrounding villages that she had burned pages of the Qur’an – an act considered as blasphemy.

Shazad’s cousin Emaneul Sarfraz has given a different account, suggesting that the owner of the kiln, Muhammad Yousuf Gujjar, was involved in the execution Sarfraz said the couple, along with their four children, wanted to leave the kiln as Yousuf was not paying their remuneration.

“Two days ago, after an exchange of words Yousuf locked the couple along with their children in a room,” Sarfraz said.

After two local mosques announced the alleged blasphemy, “a large number of Muslims led by area clerics reached the kiln and dragged the couple out of the room after breaking into it. They first tortured them and then threw them in the kiln,” he said.

According to another report, Yousaf Gujjar was the one who compelled the mob to form and punish the couple after one of the Muslim employees complained of their alleged blasphemy.

An unofficial police statement confirmed “a mob attacked a Christian couple after accusing them of desecration of the holy Quran and later burnt their bodies at a brick kiln where they worked.”

Fellow Christians alerted police and 35 people were taken in for questioning.

Pakistan has laws prohibiting blasphemy against religion, which may be punishable by death. People have been killed for their opposition to these laws, which have been exploited to persecute minorities and to solve personal disputes.

More on that story via news.va 

—

The euthanasia lobby group who assisted in Brittany Maynard’s highly publicised death have attacked a Vatican-based priest for his comments on the issue.

In a comment made to Italian news agency ANSA, which has been mistakenly reported as an official Vatican statement, Msgr Ignacio Carrasco de Paula said that while assisted suicide as an act is to be condemned, one cannot know Ms Maynard’s conscience.

Msgr de Paula also warned that an organised effort to normalise euthanasia would create a dangerous situation for the ill.

He said, “let’s reflect on the fact that if one day the project according to which all patients take their own life were to be fully realised[,] they would be totally abandoned… Society does not want to shoulder the cost of disease and this risks becoming the solution.”

Rev Dr Ignacio Castuera, a Methodist pastor and board member of Compassion and Choices – the euthanasia lobby group that supported Ms Maynard’s assisted suicide – has said that the Catholic Church cannot make judgement on Ms Maynard’s decision because she was not a Catholic.

He said, “People of faith are free to follow their own beliefs and consciences… Even many Catholics disagree with the Vatican on numerous issues, ranging from birth control – to a woman’s right to choose – to end-of-life choice.”

Brittany Maynard ended her life last Saturday through assisted suicide.

The Catholic Church teaches that direct euthanasia is morally unacceptable, and that the sick and handicapped should be helped whereever possible. Moral thinkers of the Catholic Church have also held that a person should follow what they believe to be good in their conscience, however this conscience must be formed in what is truly good.

More on that story at ANSA, Compassion and Choices and the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

– – –

The Maronite Patriarch today concludes his two-week visit to Australia.

His Beatitude Mar Bechara [Beshara] Boutros Cardinal Rai [Rahi], Patriarch of Antioch, arrived in Australia in October and has been making pastoral visits to Maronite parishes in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.

One of the highlights of his visit included Saturday’s youth festival held at Our Lady of Lebanon in Harris Park, which was recently elevated to the status of co-cathedral with St Maroun’s in Redfern. The event attracted hundreds of young people and featured entertainment by Fr Rob Galea, fireworks and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

In a message to parishioners Parish Priest Monsignor Shora Maree said the event had been a great reflection of the Maronite youth in Australia.

“We believe that our Patriarch has seen the heart of the youth beating with faith, community fellowship and readiness to serve following his visit to Australia and last night’s youth event,” Monsignor Maree said.

Towards the end of the evening the youth presented His Beatitude with a gift and were given the opportunity to meet him. Today the Patriarch will attend final farewell and thanksgiving celebrations before departing for Lebanon this evening.

Cardinal Rai is the 77th Maronite Patriarch of Antioch and head of the Maronite Church. He was created Cardinal by Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI in 2012.

—

One of Australia’s newest orders is inviting young, single women to spend a weekend with them in Brisbane later this month.

The Sisters of the Immaculata were founded under the patronage of Archbishop Julian Porteous in 2008 with a charism for spiritual renewal in parishes through Adoration and faith formation.

For the first time since forming they will be running a vocation discernment weekend, an opportunity for young women to pray, hear talks and testimonies about discernment, and receive an insight into the life and charism of the sisters.

Cradio spoke to newest professed Sister of the Immaculata, Sr Mary Michael, about the retreat.

SR MARY MICHAEL: I think it’s such a wonderful opportunity, no strings attached, no pressure, just to come and see. And it’s just a weekend. I would really encourage any young woman out there who has perhaps been thinking about religious life… and it will be an opportunity to find a bit more about our charism and our particular mission and gifts to the Church, but it will also be an opportunity to just really pray and give yourself that freedom, that time and space to be with the Lord to ask Him what He might be leading you to in your life.

BOBBIE: The Vocation Discernment retreat is running from 21-23 November at Marian Valley in Brisbane. For more information find the event on Facebook, or email sistersoftheimmaculata@gmail.com.

You can hear more from our interview with Sister Mary Michael about her faith journey and vocation on the Cradio website.

—

Music Credit: Waking Up by Dexter Britain.

The post 5 Headlines You May Have Missed (7 November) appeared first on Cradio.

News from around the Catholic world for the week ending 31 October.

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•  Pope Francis speaks of his admiration of Pope Emeritus Benedict

•  Disabled 12 year old killed by starvation following court ruling in UK

•  Cuba to build its first church in 55 years

•  Fee increases in Catholic schools to address disadvange in rural areas

•  Social justice to give Sydney youth an opportunity to put faith in action.

TRANSCRIPT

BOBBIE:  Pope Francis has spoken of his admiration for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI in an address to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences.

The Holy Father spoke of his predecessor at the unveiling of a bust of Benedict XVI at the Pontifical Academy on Tuesday, local time.

Pope Francis during his address said that Benedict XVI was, [quote]“a great Pope: great for the power and penetration of his intellect, great for his significant contribution to theology, great for his love for the Church and of human beings, great for his virtue and piety.”

The unveiling was part of a plenary meeting between members of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, which focused on the topic of evolving concepts of nature. Pope Francis discussed this topic during his address.

VATICAN RADIO: Pope Francis spoke to the theme of their gathering, noting that the Catholic intellectual tradition has always affirmed the fundamental compatibility of a natural order that unfolds and develops, with the idea that the universe has been made, and does not merely happen.

“Evolution in nature is not inconsistent with the notion of creation,” he said.

“The scientist,” he continued, “must [nevertheless]be moved by a trust in the idea that nature hides, within her evolutionary mechanisms, potentialities that it is the task of intellect and freedom to discover and actuate, in order to achieve the [kind of]development that is in the design of the Creator.”

SARAH: The plenary meeting concluded on Tuesday.

—

A 12-year-old has died of starvation after a UK court accepted her mother’s application to kill her.

In an unprecedented case, Justice Eleanor King determined that Charlotte Fitzmaurice Wise should be entitled to kill her daughter Nancy, who suffered from hydrocephalus, meningitis and septicaemia. None of the illnesses were terminal, but left Nancy unable to walk, talk, eat or drink.

Ms Wise said she believed 12-year-old Nancy was in too much pain to live, and that she should no longer be kept alive.

“She wasn’t my angelic child any more, she was a shell,” said Ms Wise.

“I wanted beautiful memories of Nancy, not soul-crushing ones,” she said.

Nancy took 14 days to die of starvation after the decision. This is the first time that a child breathing on her own, not on life support, not suffering a terminal illness, has been allowed to die in the United Kingdom.

The decision comes after a cancer patient in the United States gained worldwide coverage over her decision to be euthanised.

Tiffany Maynard was diagnosed with a brain tumour in January this year. She was told she had six months to live, and decided to end her own life and spend her final days campaigning for euthanasia.

Ms Maynard had originally set 1 November as her final day, but has this week announced that she will delay her decision as she is still feeling well enough.

Ms Maynard moved to Oregon with her family in order to be prescribed lethal medication, as euthanasia is not legal in her home State.

More on that story at news.com.au. 

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Over in Cuba, there have been positive signs of progress with the communist government sanctioning the construction of a Catholic church for the first time in 55 years.

The church is to be funded by an exiled community in Florida and will be built in Sandino, a town on Cuba’s western coast.

Christianity, though once strong in Cuba, was suppressed following the 1959 revolution. However, the Cuban Government’s decision to allow the building of the new church is apparently part of a gradual softening of its stance against religion.

Cuba has received two Popes since the revolution, the first being St John Paul in 1998. Fidel Castro marked the visit by declaring Christmas a national holiday.

Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI expressed his optimism about the future of the Church in Cuba following his tour of the island in 2012.

—

Back at home, Catholic schools will next year introduce differential fees to address disadvantages to students in rural and remote areas.

In a letter sent to parents last week, Sydney Catholic Schools Executive Director Dr Dan White said that due to policy changes by the Catholic Education Commission NSW and the Federal Government, schools across Australia would need to direct additional funding to areas with the greatest need.

In effect, parents in Sydney could expect to see fees rise by 4-9%, with an average increase of 5-7%, depending on the SES ranking of the area.

“The changes are based on [Sydney Archdiocesan Catholic Schools’] position that no Catholic Child should be denied a Catholic education due to genuine inability to pay fees,” Dr White said.

He also acknowledged the families that would be negatively impacted by the changes. Parents particularly affected by changes in fees for 2015 were encouraged to approach their respective principals for a confidential discussion on the matter.

Sibling discount policies on tuition fees are also being amended, with school fee relief being directed to families where there is a greater financial need.

Catholic education in Sydney is still significantly more affordable than in neighbouring Catholic dioceses and comparable non-government schools.

—

Sydney’s Justice of Peace Office will hold their second annual social justice expo Faith in Action next week at the University of Notre Dame.

The event will run from November 3rd to 5th, featuring three keynote presentations. It will conclude with the main social justice expo on Wednesday and an address by Sydney’s Apostolic Administrator Bishop Peter Comensoli.

Contemporary justice and peace issues will be addressed, with the first two talks covering environmentalism and youth homelessness. Cradio spoke to Event Coordinator Qwayne Guevara to find out more.

QWAYNE: It really came about through our work with schools and parishes, that there was a gap between youth and opportunities to be involved. The Faith in Action Expo really is an opportunity to encourage and empower young people to live out their faith in this world through action. There will be about 20 organisations there all representing the various arms and works of the Church, and we’re expecting young people to really connect and discover new ways that they can express their faith and be a witness to the world.

SARAH: Monday and Tuesday’s talks will commence at 1.30pm, with an opportunity for Mass afterward. The final day’s workshop will commence at 4pm, followed by Mass at 8.15pm.

Register for free for one, two or three days of participation at faithinactionsydney.eventbrite.com.au or for more information go to faithinactionsydney.com.

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Music Credit: Waking Up by Dexter Britain.

The post 5 Headlines You May Have Missed (31 October) appeared first on Cradio.

News from around the Catholic world for the week ending 24 October.

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•  Pope Francis urges bishops to keep up prayer and advocacy for Christians in the Middle East

•  Asia Bibi blasphemy case to go to Supreme Court

•  Idaho ministers to sue over laws forcing them to marry same-sex couples

•  Former Qantas employee to sue for faith discrimination

•  Sentencing of an Illawarra man sparks renewed debates over Zoe’s Law.

TRANSCRIPT

BOBBIE:   Pope Francis has once again expressed his deep concern for Christians being persecuted in the Middle East at a consistory of bishops earlier this week.

The consistory had been called to advance the causes for candidates for beatification, however Pope Francis seized the opportunity to reaffirm the need for bishops to be advocates for peace.

Mentioning Iraq and Syria specifically, Pope Francis urged bishops to renew their efforts in prayer and advocacy.

“We cannot resign ourselves to thinking about the Middle East without Christians, who for two thousand years have confessed the name of Jesus,” Pope Francis said.

“Recent events, especially in Iraq and Syria, are very worrying,” the Holy Father continued. “We are witnessing a phenomenon of terrorism of previously unimaginable dimensions. Many of our brothers and sisters are being persecuted and have [been constrained]leave their homes in a brutal way,” he said.

The Holy Father concluded by saying that the situation “requires and adequate response” from the international community, as well as constant prayer.

“I am sure that, with the help of the Lord, genuinely worthwhile reflection and suggestions will emerge, in order to help our brothers and sisters who are suffering, and also to face the drama of the reduction of the Christian presence in the land where He was born and from which Christianity spread,” Pope Francis said.

More on that story via news.va.

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Catholic leaders in Pakistan will appeal a death sentence decision in a long-running blasphemy case.

In the most recent decision over Asia Bibi’ blasphemy case, the Lahore High Court last week upheld a death sentence given to the Catholic mother-of-five. Catholic leaders, however, will continue to appeal the decision, taking the case to the Supreme Court, the highest court in Pakistan.

While disappointed, those who have been fighting the decision remain determined. Father Emmanuel Yousaf Mani of the Catholic National Commission for Justice and Peace told Catholic News Service that the next step is clear.

Fr Mani said, “The only option before us now is to appeal against the verdict. We will appeal against it in the Supreme Court.”

The case dates back to 2009, when Asia Noreen – also known as Asia Bibi – allegedly insulted Muhammad in an argument with her Muslim neighbour. The insult is considered blasphemous under the Pakistan Penal Code, and Noreen was sentenced to death in late 2010.

The case has also resulted in the assassinations of Punjab Governor Salmaan Taseer, a Muslim, and Minority Affairs Minister Shahbaz Bhatti, a Catholic, due to their criticism of the case.

More on that story via Catholic Herald

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Over in the United States, two Christian Minsters from Idaho are taking legal action as they face risk of being jailed and fined each time they decline to wed same-sex couples.

Donald and his wife Evelyn Knapp, pastors of the private Hitching Post Wedding Chapel in Coeur D’Alene, have filed a lawsuit against the city over anti-discrimination legislation that has them potentially facing up to six months in jail and receiving a $1,000 fine each time they refuse to perform weddings for same-sex couples.

The lawsuit reads that ”…each day the Knapps decline to perform a requested same-sex wedding ceremony, they commit a separate and distinct misdemeanor, subject to the same penalties. Thus, if the Knapps decline a same-sex wedding ceremony for just one week, they risk going to jail for over three years and being fined $7,000”.

The local legislation penalises businesses that refuse service based on sexual orientation. The laws became an issue for Mr and Mrs Knapp last week after gay marriage was legalised in Idaho.

According to the lawsuit, as a not-for-profit business the chapel is not exempt from the legislation, and must give same-sex couples the same rights as other couples.

City Attorney Warren Wilson has said that it is likely that the Hitching Post is bound by the ordinance.

“I would think that the Hitching Post would probably be considered a place of public accommodation that would be subject to the ordinance,” he said.

He also added that any wedding chapel that turns away a same-sex couple would in theory be violating the law, “and you’re looking at a potential misdemeanour citation,” he said.

Mr and Mrs Knapp’s attorney Mr Jeremy Tedesco has said the city’s legislation is ‘seriously flawed’.

“Our lawsuit intends to ensure that this couple’s freedom to adhere to their own faith as pastors is protected just as the First Amendment intended,” he said.

Same-sex marriages have begun in Idaho this month, despite the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals finding them to be unconstitutional.

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A former Qantas employee is suing the airline for discrimination based on her Christian faith.

Georgina Sarikoudis, a Greek Orthodox woman from Melbourne, has filed a claim against Qantas at the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal due to a uniform policy that forbids her from wearing a visible crucifix necklace.

Mrs Sarikoudis says that she wore the crucifix without issue in her work as a customer service agent for 19 years. However, she claims that she experienced bullying and questioning by the organisation after a uniform change last year, and that she and other Christians were ordered to remove their religious jewellery.

Mrs Sarikoudis said, “For Christians, this is our uniform. Everyone should be able to manifest their religion as they see fit.” She is seeking a change in Qantas uniform policy to allow for the wearing of “religious items of significance”, and an apology from her former employer.

A spokeswoman for Qantas stated that the airline’s dress standards remained unchanged with the new uniform, and that religious jewellery could be worn underneath the uniform.

The spokeswoman said, Many of our employees wear [religious]jewellery every day, it’s simply worn under their uniform. We give our employees plenty of options to wear religious jewellery that is in accordance with the requirement of their faith. We have also outsourced human resource services to help build a more positive work culture.

More on that story at Herald Sun.

– – –

An Illawarra man has been jailed for his role in a crash that killed an unborn child.

Mr Marco Silvestri has been sentenced to 8 years in jail after he hit an oncoming vehicle whilst under the influence of drugs. Ms Jacqueline Sparks, who was in the other vehicle, was seriously injured in the incident, and her unborn daughter, Mia, was killed.

The case has reignited debate over Zoe’s Law, a bill before the New South Wales Parliament that would recognise the death of unborn children occurring as the result of a criminal act. Under New South Wales law, the loss of an unborn child is not recognised as the loss of a separate person. Instead, Mr Silvestri was charged with ‘causing grevious bodily harm’ to Ms Sparks and her two brothers who were also in the car.

This week, during the sentencing, the judge acknowledged the loss of the child, and stated he wanted to impose a stronger sentence, but due to the law as it currently stands, he was unable to sentence for the loss of the child.

Zoe’s Law passed through the Lower House last year, but has not yet been successful in the Upper House owing to a strong campaign by pro-abortion lobbies.

More on that story via smh.com.au

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Music Credit: Waking Up by Dexter Britain.

The post 5 Headlines You May Have Missed (24 October) appeared first on Cradio.

News from around the Catholic world for the week ending 17 October.

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•  Backlash over inaccurate summary of proceedings at the Synod on the Family

•  Pope Paul VI to be beatified in Rome

•  French protest IVF and surrogacy

•  Melbourne’s March for the Babies goes off without a hitch

•  Artes Christi celebrate JPII’s feast day with a performance of his play

TRANSCRIPT

BOBBIE:  The publication of the Synod on the Family’s mid-term report has prompted controversy and clarifications.

The mid-term ‘relatio’ of the Extraordinary Synod on the Family was released earlier this week, summarising the first period of discussion at the Synod. The relatio, described as a working document, focused on the socio-cultural context of families today, a theological consideration of the family, and pastoral challenges.

Aspects of the document have prompted reactions by bishops, the faithful and global media, with its treatment of irregular unions being interpreted by secular media as a shift in Catholic teaching.

One of the more controversial aspects of the document, however, may have been caused by a mistranslation of the Italian document in to English. Paragraph 50 of the document, which speaks on the treatment of those in same-sex unions, refers to welcoming them while [quote]“accepting and valuing their orientation” [end quote]. Catholic News Agency reports that the Italian original renders the word “valuing” as “valutando”, which means to weigh, consider or assess something. The online translation of the document on the Vatican website acknowledges that this current English translation is an “unofficial translation”.

Nonetheless, the document has attracted criticism from some of the Synod Fathers. Cardinal Napier of Durban, South Africa, attacked the document, stating it did not accurately reflect the thoughts of the Synod Fathers or the intention of the Synod.

In a briefing with journalists, Cardinal Napier said, “the synod is not called to discuss contraception, abortion, same-sex marriages. It was convoked to speak about the family,” he said.

Catholic News Agency reports that other Synod Fathers have raised concerns that the document mentions little about the importance of women and grandparents, the role of the family in the Church, the Holy Family, that certain acts are sinful and contrary to the good, among other issues.

In reaction to the controversy, the Holy See press office released a statement, noting that “[t]he General Secretariat of the Synod … reiterates that it is a working document, which summarises the interventions and debate of the first week.”

The final document will be drafted by six bishops and will be made public at the discretion of the Holy Father.

More details on that story at Catholic News Agency.  

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Photos have surfaced this week showing the tomb of Pope Paul VI in St Peter’s Basilica already bearing the title ‘Blessed’.

The Italian pontiff who shepherded the Church through the turbulent 1960s and 70s will be beatified in a Mass in Rome on 19 October, as a fitting conclusion to the Synod on the Family.

Pope Paul VI is perhaps best known for his encyclical ‘Humanae Vitae’, a document released in the midst of the sexual revolution to define the Church’s teaching against artificial methods of birth control. The document has been hailed as ‘prophetic’ in recent times, making predictions about the consequences of widespread adoption of contraception including an increase in marital infidelity, loss of respect for women and the risk that public authorities may abuse contraceptives to enforce population control policies.

His beatification was announced earlier this year following the approval of a miracle in which an unborn child diagnosed with brain defects was born in full health. The child’s mother sought Pope Paul VI’s intercession after doctors advised her to abort the child.

The beatification will take place at Mass in St Peter’s Square on Sunday, and it has been reported that Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI may be present. The english language prayer of the faithful will be read by Dr Thomas W. Hilgers, Director of the Pope Paul VI Institute for the Study of Human Reproduction in the U.S.

Dr Hilgers said it was an honour to be asked to participate in the canonisation.

“I never imagined, when I first read his historic encyclical letter Humanae Vitae in 1968, that I would be someday be a part of this great man’s legacy,” Dr Hilgers said.

“He was such a staunch defender of the faith, and the courage he demonstrated continues to serve as a source of inspiration to both the Institute and to me personally.”

Dr Hilgers attributed his scientific achievements to Pope Paul’s encyclical.

“In the letter, he appealed directly to doctors and healthcare professionals to ‘pursue only those solutions that are in accord with faith and right reason,’” Dr Hilgers said.

“This compelled me initially to conduct research on reproductive health care solutions, which led to the development of our two breakthrough reproductive technologies of NaProTECHNOLOGY and the Creighton Model Fertility Care System, and later leading to the establishment of the Pope Paul VI Institute,” he said.

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An estimated 530,000 protesters took part in two pro-life rallies in the streets of Paris and Bordeaux earlier this month.

The social movement, organised by La Manif Pour Tous,  was conducted in protest against medically assisted procreation techniques and surrogacy for gay couples in Montparnasse. Both rallies started in the middle of the day, an hour apart, and participants in Paris marched from Porte Dauphine [Port dough fynn] to Montparnasse.

La Manif Pour Tous President Ludovine de la Rochere said that traditional family values must be fought for at all costs.

“The exploitation of women is intolerable, because the child is not an object; because all children need a father and a mother,” she said.

While homosexual couples in France are allowed to adopt, they are currently barred from using surrogacy and in vitro fertilisation. The Prime Minister, Manuel Valls, reiterated this on Friday saying that surrogacy “is and will remain banned in France”.

La Manif Pour Tous is a contemporary French movement that serves to promote traditional family values. They are best known for their marches against same-sex marriage, held in 2013, where 14 million protesters flooded the streets of Paris.

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Back in Australia, Saturday’s March for the Babies in Melbourne has been praised as a success with an estimated 7,000 pro-lifers taking part, more than doubling last year’s numbers.

March leader and pro-life Liberal party politician Bernie Finn has spent the last year working with Victoria Police to ensure the safety of those involved after last year’s march was affected by violent pro-abortion counter-protesters. Mr Finn reported that nearly 200 police officers patrolled the event this year.

Counter protestors still made their presence felt, holding placards with slogans such as “the only good baby is a dead baby”, shared around the world on social media.

The annual protest is to call on the Victorian State Government to reverse the 2008 Abortion Law Reform Act, a law that removes a doctor’s right to object to performing an abortion and allows abortion up to birth with the consent of two doctors.

Keeping with tradition, next year’s march will take place on Saturday 10 October, the anniversary of the passing of the controversial law.

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Artes Christi Australia is set to celebrate the October 22 feast of St John Paul the Great with three performances of his play ‘The Jeweler’s Shop’.

The then Karol Wojtyla wrote the play as a reflection on marriage; one of the themes that he would carry through to his pontificate.

The Artes Christi performance will stay true to the rhapsodic theatre style that the Polish underground communities adopted during Nazi occupation. Sarah spoke to the play’s director Emma O’Shea to find out more.

EMMA: it’s a three-act play and it’s really a meditation on the Sacrament of Marriage. The actors read the words on stage. So when you go into the play you go in for a meditative experience, not so much a theatrical experience. We’re really trying to stay true to the way John Paul probably wanted this play to be experienced. You have to listen to the words and what’s really being said by the characters.

BOBBIE: The play will be performed in Melbourne, Sydney and Parramatta over the weekend following St John Paul II’s feast day. Bookings are essential. For more information you can visit theword.org.au, or hear the full interview on the Cradio website.

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Music Credit: Waking Up by Dexter Britain.

The post 5 Headlines You May Have Missed (17 October) appeared first on Cradio.

News from around the Catholic world for the week ending 10 October.

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•  Extraordinary Synod on the Family begins in Rome

•  Much-loved Franciscan passes away aged 81

•  Australian couple abandons child born to a surrogate

•  Caritas Australia given Government support to fight Ebola outbreak

•  Police promise greater security at tomorrow’s March for the Babies in Melbourne.

TRANSCRIPT

BOBBIE:  The global meeting of Catholic Bishops known as the Extraordinary Synod began in Rome on Monday, with an opening by Pope Francis. The Synod has covered many issues surrounding marriage and family in a series of speeches, discussions and personal testimonies by bishops and laypeople.

As of yesterday, it was made clear that the bishops want a greater focus on preparation for marriage, and not just a check box for scheduling a wedding at the parish church. Marriage preparation, therefore, has to be “long, personalised and also severe,” even if that might reduce the number of weddings taking place, Synod participants have said.

Earlier this week, the focus was on the need for a change of Church language when making reference to family life, and the acknowledgement that people grow in faith slowly. It was claimed that terms used too frequently include: “living in sin” and “intrinsically disordered”, referring to cohabiting couples and same-sex attraction, respectively.

“These are not necessarily words that invite people to draw closer to the Church”, said spokesperson, Fr Thomas Rosica.

The theological concept of graduality was also discussed, where those present were reminded that Catholics may sometimes grow toward adherence or understanding of church teaching throughout their lives.

“It’s a law of pastoral moral theology which permits and encourages people…to take one step at a time in our search for holiness in our lives,” said English Archbishop, Cardinal Vincent Nichols.

Each meeting of the Synod begins with an announcement of the theme for that session, followed by a testimony of a married couple on the theme. Themes covered thus far are: the process of the Synod, the notion of “graduality,” the “virtue of hope,” “creative programs” for pastoral practice, and how marriage theology relates to Trinitarian theology.

It is expected that many more topics will arise in the next few days of discussion.

Cardinal Nichols said “there’s a lot of ideas being put forward — a lot of concerns.”

“I think we have to be patient and let this process mature,” he said.

A working document will be created at the end of the week that will be explored during the second week and then delivered to the Pope.

More information available via Hot Air and Vatican Insider.

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Father Benedict Groeschel, a Franciscan priest known and loved across the world passed away last week aged 81.

Fr Benedict was one of the founders of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, a community that was founded in 1987 by eight capuchin friars based in New York City.

Fr Benedict was also a psychologist and the director of the Trinity Retreat House in Larchmont, New York. He was a popular writer, preacher and evangelist on EWTN Catholic television network.

He is survived by biological sisters Marjule and Robin, brother Gary and nine nieces and nephews.

Fr. John Paul Ouellette, Community Servant, Franciscan Friars of the Renewal said “We are deeply saddened by the death of Fr Benedict. He was an example to us all. His fidelity and service to the Church and commitment to our Franciscan way of life will have a tremendous impact for generations to come”.

A funeral Mass for Father Benedict will take place today at the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark, New Jersey.

Further information about Fr Benedict can be found at franciscanfriars.com.

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Reports have surfaced that an Australian couple have abandoned a child born to a surrogate mother in India.

According to the reports by the ABC, the child was a twin born to a surrogate mother in New Delhi in 2012. The Australian couple allegedly took only one of the twins back to Australia due to the sex of the abandoned child.

Diana Bryant, Chief Justice of the Family Court in Australia, said that consular officials at Australia’s High Commission in India were pressured by the couple to grant only one visa, thus allowing only one child to leave the country. Although consular officials delayed the visa process in an attempt to convince the couple to take both children, only one visa was granted after the abandoned child was given to a family friend in exchange for money.

Chief Justice Bryant said that consular officials were distressed by the situation. She said, “These women [at the High Commission]were extremely concerned about what was happening. They were doing the best they could, they told me, to persuade the parents to take both children, to negotiate with them.”

The ABC has alleged that some pressure to grant a single visa may have come from a senior politician in the Australian Federal Government, although this politician is unknown. Former foreign minister Bob Carr has said that he is unable to recall the case.

The sex of the abandoned child remains unknown at the time of reporting.

The Catholic Church holds that surrogacy is gravely immoral due to the infringement of a child’s right to be born to a father and mother bound by marriage and known to the child, as well as the severing of the procreative and unitive acts in marriage.

More on that story via ABC.

– – –

Catholic aid agency Caritas Australia has been given Government support to combat the Ebola outbreak in west Africa.

Caritas Australia, along with World Vision, Save the Children and Plan, has been granted $2.5 million by the Australian Federal Government to provide emergency assistance in the African Ebola crisis. The crisis is the largest known Ebola outbreak in history, with 3,400 deaths to date.

Caritas has stated that they plan to use the funding to assist their existing humanitarian work in Sierra Leone, where 230,000 people are currently at risk of Ebola infection. Healthcare systems in the region have been severely damaged by the outbreak, which had been recovering from conflict and civil war in previous years. Caritas are set to work in Sierra Leone with Catholic Relief Services and World Vision to provide community-based prevention activities.

Melville Fernandez, Manager of Humanitarian Emergencies at Caritas Australia, described the troubling situation in Sierra Leone.

Mr Fernandez said, “The situation is grave and the spread of Ebola transmission continues to double every three to four weeks.

“Some parts of Sierra Leone are now becoming hot spots. So there’s an urgent need to scale up community awareness in the country to change behavior, stop the transmission of the disease and strengthen the health system,” he said.

Details via the Caritas Australia website.

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The sixth annual March for the Babies will take place in Melbourne tomorrow, protesting the 2008 Victorian Abortion Law Reform Act.

Police have reassured organisers that this year should be a more peaceful event, after last year’s March was disrupted by pro-abortion counter-protesters. Following some violent incidents at the event, Victoria Police received nearly 200 complaints from attendees who were concerned about the lack of officers present.

Victoria Police Superintendent Tony de Ridder sent a letter to complainants acknowledging the failure of Victoria Police and promising additional police resources at this year’s event.

In his lengthy letter, Mr de Ridder stated that he has been investigating last year’s event and has been working with Victorian pro-life MP Bernie Finn and Victoria Police to ensure that this year’s event runs smoothly.

“There were certainly failings in intelligence, planning and responding to the 2013 event. For these failings I offer my most sincere apologies,” Mr de Ridder wrote.

He also wrote that on the same day as last year’s March for the Babies, there were at least five other known events in Melbourne. He noted most events had involved Victoria Police in their planning, although the pro-abortion counter-protests did not.

Mr de Ridder also acknowledged how violent the pro-abortion group were and affirmed the pro-lifers as “well-meaning people who have a heartfelt desire to express a view and have the right to do so peacefully and safely”.

March for the Babies organiser Bernie Finn told Cradio “Everyone can attend this year’s March for the Babies with the knowledge it will be the safest yet.

“Victoria Police has given us a firm commitment it will do everything in its power to protect those who gather peacefully to protest against the violence of abortion,” he said.

This years March will begin at Treasury Gardens in Melbourne at 1pm tomorrow. Details via marchforthebabies.org.au.

—

Music Credit: Waking Up by Dexter Britain.

The post 5 Headlines You May Have Missed (10 October) appeared first on Cradio.

News from around the Catholic world for the week ending 3 October.

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•  Emeritus Pope Benedict makes an appearance at a meeting with the elderly

•  Two new Blesseds for the Church

•  Chaldean Patriarch of Bagdad calls on Muslims to support persecuted Christians

•  Australian Catholic University announces new academy for religious education

•  Ignite Conference turns 10, drawing record numbers to this year’s event.

TRANSCRIPT

BOBBIE: Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI has made a rare public appearance, attending a meeting with the elderly held by Pope Francis at St Peter’s Square last Sunday morning.

At the meeting Pope Francis gave a speech on the importance of honouring the contribution of grandparents in society, appropriate to the chosen theme of the meeting: The Blessing of a Long Life. Tens of thousands of people were present, many of them elderly couples with their grandchildren.

Describing Benedict’s presence at the Vatican as ‘like having a wise grandparent’ at home, Pope Francis hailed the value of the elderly.

“The elderly transmit wisdom and faith,” he said.

He also made mention of nursing homes, saying they should be homes and not ‘prisons’, where the elderly are often ‘forgotten, hidden [and]neglected’.

Some of the elderly present gave their own testimonies and had a chance to speak to the Holy Father.

The meeting was followed by a Mass that Pope Francis offered up for all grandparents and the elderly. The Mass, in which 40,000 seniors from more than 20 countries participated, was concelebrated by fifty elderly priests as well as Emeritus Pope Benedict.

This is not the first time Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI has been present at a gathering honouring the elderly. His visit to the Sant Egidio Community’s elderly home in Rome in 2012 was to honour the European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity between Generations.

Benedict XVI’s address at the 2012 event, and Pope Francis’ recent speech from September 28th can be found in full at Vatican.va

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A priest and a religious sister join the ranks of the Blesseds this week, offering the world two new examples of contemporary holiness.

Opus Dei prelate Alvaro del Portillo, the first successor to Opus Dei founder St Josemaria Escriva, was beatified at a Mass in Madrid last Saturday. The Mass was celebrated by Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, and featured an official message from Pope Francis.

In the message, the Holy Father reflected on a short prayer frequently recited by Blessed Alvaro: “Thank you, I’m sorry, help me more!” Pope Francis highlighted that this prayer not only gives an insight to the newly beatified, but can help us in our own relationship with God.

Pope Francis said, “Blessed Alvaro del Portillo sends us a very clear message; he tells us to trust in the Lord, who is our brother, our friend who never disappoints us and who is always at our side.”

Blessed Alvaro succeeded St Josemaria Escriva as prelate of Opus Dei in 1975, and was ordained bishop by St John Paul II in 1991.

Another beatification will be taking place this Saturday, with United States Sister Miriam Teresa Demjanovich to be beatified in New Jersey. This will be the first beatification to take place in the United States.

More on Blessed Alvaro del Portillo

More on Sister Miriam Teresa Demjanovich

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The Chaldean Patriarch of Baghdad has called on Muslims in Iraq to support Christians against the evil of terrorist extremists.

His Beatitude Mar Louis Raphael I Sako addressed the Iraqi Muslim community to mark Eid al-Adha, a holiday that commemorates the total submission of man to God.

“I want to send my best wishes to our Muslim brothers, asking God to protect and preserve our country from every form of evil,” said Mar Sako.

As part of his message, the Chaldean Patriarch repeated his invitation for Muslims to reject “violent, sectarian, extremism” because it distorts religion.

“There is no freedom and no dignity without a real honest relationship [which]recognises and accepts the other as a brother and a partner in the land and home,” Mar Sako said.

“Our citizens have suffered greatly from a variety of conflicts and wars, there must be genuine reconciliation, a brave dialogue, and an effective political approach to restore peace, security and stability,” he said.

He also called for education and awareness, saying: “by awareness and education that incubates the religious, cultural, and national diversity and spread the culture of peace, tolerance respect, justice and dialogue we will maintain our national identity and unity, and raise barriers and promote trust and co-existence and eliminate all extremist ideology and everyone who urges to hatred and violence. This is the road map for the salvation of the disturbing situation.”

He also acknowledged that most Muslims do not support groups like IS, mentioning Dr Mohammad Al-Asali who was killed by the terrorist group for supporting Christians.

See the full story at news.va.

– – –

Back at home, Australian Catholic University (ACU) has announced it will establish an academy dedicated to the formation of religious educators for Catholic schools in Australia.

The La Salle Academy for Religious Education will be responsible for the development, delivery and quality assurance of teaching and research programs in Religious Education.

It will include programs which focus on the development and formation of teachers and leaders of religious education in Catholic schools.

In a statement, the University said the foundation of the new academy is a response to the “needs of a new generation of teachers and leaders who are deeply committed to the goals of Catholic education.”

The new Academy will be headed by Brother David Hall, a Marist Brother currently serving as headmaster at Marcellin College, Randwick.

Br David said he looked forward to the new role as an opportunity to contribute to the development of religious education.

“I am delighted to have the opportunity to help refine and improve the preparation of teachers and leaders for Catholic schools,” Brother David said.

“New research into the area of religious education and faith formation can be created and shaped to support school practitioners to make our Catholic faith relevant in an ever-changing global society,” he said.

Brother David will take up his appointment at the start of the new year.

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And finally, Ignite Conference has celebrated its 10th anniversary in Brisbane, drawing more than 1300 participants to this year’s event.

The Conference ran from Thursday 25 to Sunday 28 September and included morning and evening rallies, Mass, opportunities for adoration, reconciliation and prayer teams, and dozens of keynotes and workshops.

Speakers at this year’s conference included Sr Miriam James from Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity in the U.S, Fr Rob Galea and many more.

Cradio was there and spoke to some of the young people in attendance about their highlights.

YOUNG PERSON 1: “My highlight of Ignite was probably Reconciliation: helped me open up myself and just have another chance at life, and dump everything I need to dump out and have another go.”

YOUNG PERSON 2: “My highlight of Ignite was prayer teams… it really gave me an opportunity to connect on another level with God.”

YOUNG PERSON 3: “…The second night rally when we did the Adoration, that was just an incredible experience, like it was honestly life changing for me.”

YOUNG PERSON 4: “My highlight was definitely Reconciliation. There was a sense of freedom that came with it, after I came out I felt physically lighter, and there was a certain peace I felt in my mind and also deep in my heart. It sounds cheesy, but it’s really, really true.”

BOBBIE: Revival, one of the original Emmanuel Worship songs from the Conference was this week released, making it to number two on iTunes Australia’s ‘inspirational’ chart.

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Music Credit: Waking Up by Dexter Britain.

The post 5 Headlines You May Have Missed (3 October) appeared first on Cradio.

News from around the Catholic world for the week ending 19 September.

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•  Bishop Anthony Fisher named new Archbishop of Sydney

•  Pope Francis presides over the marriage of 20 Roman couples

•  Nigerian Bishop reports 2500 Catholics have died at the hands of Boko Haram

•  International Caritas gathering formulates ongoing response to crisis in the Middle East

•  Australian Bishops launch social justice statement focusing on sport

•  Australian pilgrims set to celebrate Schoenstatt’s centenary in Germany.

TRANSCRIPT

BOBBIE: Most Reverend Anthony Fisher OP was yesterday named as the new Archbishop of Sydney by Pope Francis.

Archbishop Fisher was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney by St John Paul II in 2003, and has served as Bishop of Parramatta since 2010.

Apostolic Administrator Bishop Peter Comensoli has released a statement saying the Catholic community in Sydney is “delighted” with the appointment.

“Archbishop Anthony brings with him a deep knowledge of the Archdiocese and is well-known to our priests, people, parishes and agencies,” Bishop Comensoli said.

“He will be a “good shepherd”, a bishop devoted to the people and communities which have been entrusted to him, who will lead the Church in Sydney into a new evangelical and missionary era,” he said.

A date for Archbishop Fisher’s installation at St Mary’s Cathedral will be announced in the coming days.

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Pope Francis presided over the marriage of 20 couples from the Diocese of Rome at St. Peter’s Basilica last Sunday during Mass for the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.

During his homily the Holy Father reflected on the First Reading from the Book of Numbers, imagining families led by Moses on the journey through the desert.

He noted that families “are the first place in which we are formed as persons and, at the same time, the bricks for the building up of society.” But just like the Israelites in the desert, families and indeed spouses, the Pope said, can become “impatient on their journey of conjugal and family life.” “The hardship of the journey”, he added, “causes them to experience interior weariness; they lose the flavour of matrimony and they cease to draw water from the well of the Sacrament. Daily life becomes burdensome, even nauseating.”

To counter that, he called on couples to seek the love of Christ. It is that love, the Holy Father stressed, “which has blessed and sanctified the union of husband and wife, and is able to sustain their love and to renew it when, humanly speaking, it becomes lost, wounded or worn out.”

He concluded his homily with some advice to the couples, reiterating that if a couple argues they should never end the day without making peace with each other.

Read the full homily at news.va

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A Nigerian bishop has reported that at least 2500 Catholics from his diocese have been killed as militant group Boko Haram continue to gain ground.

Bishop Oliver Dashe Doemee of the Diocese of Maiduguri told local newspaper This Day that he has taken refuge with thousands of Catholics in a parish in a neighbouring state after narrowly escaping death. The group was displaced as Boko Haram rampaged through their villages. He said that many parents were still searching for their children after being separated.

A list of 25 towns under the control of Boko Haram has since been released, covering the three Northeastern states of Borno, Yobe and Adamawa.

According to a statement from Caritas Nigeria, the Diocese of Maiduguri’s secretary Fr. John Bakeni has contacted them asking for help.

“The last two weeks have been terrible for innocent civilians, Christians and Muslims alike,” Fr Bakeni said.

“Many people have been forced out of their ancestral homes, towns and villages by the Boko Haram insurgents.

Most of our 10,000 parishioners and other Christians are taking refuge in Kolofata in the Cameroon”, he said.

Fr Bakeni also reported that a number of churches had been burnt down, along with the Diocese’s new hospital.

“What we are faced with now in Maiduguri is a huge humanitarian crisis,” Fr Bakeni said.

“The urgent needs now are food, medication, shelter and clothing. Many children are out of school and their future undetermined. Trauma is real and our people are dying,” he said.

Caritas Nigeria has since responded with financial assistance for the Diocese.

More on that story via news.va. 

– – –

80 representatives from the Middle East and around the world have gathered in Rome to formulate an International humanitarian response to the ongoing crises in the Middle East.

In a three day conference, which concluded on Wednesday, Caritas Internationalis delegates including Caritas Australia CEO Paul O’Callaghan, heard from representatives from Iraq, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey about the difficulties faced in their own regions.

Presenters predicted that the current humanitarian crisis in Iraq and Syria will only get worse, with millennia old pluralist communities collapsing and foreign weapons fuelling further violence.

Interfaith reconciliation was highlighted as a key aspect of ensuring the freedom and safety of minorities in the region.

In a media statement, Caritas Internationalis said delegates agreed on a long-term work plan that will focus on inter-religious cooperation, community peacebuilding, strengthening national Caritas organisations and working more closely with Church and other faith-based groups.

Archbishop Youssef Soueif, President of Caritas Cyprus and board member of Caritas Internationalis said, “This forum will help us to strengthen our humanitarian aid, to do more to advocate for the dignity of all human beings and to promote peace and reconciliation based on the Christian message of love for your neighbour.”

For more information on the work of Caritas Internationalis visit caritas.org.

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The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference has launched this year’s Social Justice Statement, focusing on the transformative power of sport.

The statement, entitled “A Crown for Australia”, was officially released at the St Mary’s Cathedral Crypt in Sydney on Wednesday by AFL player and coach Kevin Sheedy and ABC journalist and commentator Geraldine Doogue.

The statement explores the role which sport can play in improving individuals, communities and society as a whole.

In commenting on the statement, Australian Catholic Social Justice Council chairman Bishop Christopher Saunders said, “Sport brings us together, builds communities and lets us celebrate the joy of movement and skill.”

“Good sport makes everyone a winner,” he said.

Bishop Saunders also highlighted that sport can allow society to examine itself and its values, whether good or bad.

He said, “[s]port also holds a mirror up to society. It reflects the best in us as individuals and as a nation – but it can also reflect the worst in us.”

“Discrimination and exclusion undermine a key attribute of sport to build bridges across social divides and show a special concern for people who are marginalised,” Bishop Saunders said.

The statement can be found in full at www.socialjustice.catholic.org.au.

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Australian pilgrims are set to travel to Germany for the Schoenstatt Movement’s centenary celebrations.

The Schoenstatt movement was founded in Germany by Fr Joseph Kentenich in 1914, with a focus on living the different paths of Gospel through different vocations and various stages of life. The movement currently has several shrines in Australia, including one in Mulgoa, west of Sydney.

Celebrations are set to take place in the founding location of the Schoenstatt movement in Germany on the 18th and 19th of October. Pilgrims from Australia will be making the trip to the original Schoenstatt shrine, including 33 people from New South Wales. A Mass will be taking place for these pilgrims this Sunday at the Schoenstatt shrine in Mulgoa.

Sr Julie Brcar, a sister of the Schoenstatt movement and leader of the pilgrimage, spoke to Cradio about the pilgrimage and centenary celebrations:

SR JULIE BRCAR:  So in October there will be about 50 people from Australia who will be making their way to original Schoenstatt to celebrate the centenary of Schoenstatt – of its founding – which is also celebrating 100 years of the Covenant of Love, which is the foundation of our spirituality. It is important that we, along with representatives around the world, will gather at the place of origin, which is the source of the grace, to celebrate as an international family. The international Schoenstatt movement comprises of many different communities for all states in life, so we would have: Schoenstatt Fathers, diocesan priests, sisters, brothers of Mary, families, mothers, women, men, boys’ youth, girls’ youth, professional, apostolate of the sick, so there’s a lot out there and unfortunately many of those communities aren’t represented yet in Australia. So what will be a wonderful experience for the Australians is to see the diversity of Schoenstatt, and just to see – just to experience it on that very global, international level.

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Music Credit: Waking Up by Dexter Britain.

The post 6 Headlines You May Have Missed (19 September) appeared first on Cradio.

News from around the Catholic world for the week ending 12 September.

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•  Six Australians to attend the Extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the family

•  Italian missionary sisters murdered in Burundi

•  US escalate intervention against Islamic State

•  Pro-life activist challenges Tasmania’s buffer zone laws

•  Preparations continue for one of Australia’s largest Catholic youth conferences

TRANSCRIPT

BOBBIE: Six Australians will join more than 250 representatives from around the world next month at the Extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the family” from 5th – 19th October.

On Tuesday the Vatican announced that, included among 250 participants will be 14 married couples from Asia, Africa, Oceania and Europe.

Representing Australia will be George Cardinal Pell, Melbourne’s Archbishop Denis Hart, chairs of the Australian bishops’ Catholic Marriage and Family Council Professor Ron and Mavis Pirola, co-director of the World Organisation of Ovulation Method Billings in Australia Joan Clements, and Sydney Life, Marriage and Family Centre Director Chris Meney.

The Synod will be themed “The pastoral challenges of the family in the context of evangelisation” and members will be asked to find ways to improve the pastoral application of Church teachings and the best ways to explain it and help Catholics to live it.

38 observers and 16 experts will be in attendance, most of whom are lay men and women invited because of their activities in family ministries and pastoral care, canon law and moral theology.

The Lutheran, Anglican and Baptist communities will be represented at the conference also.

More on that story via Catholic Weekly

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Three Italian missionary sisters were brutally killed in the African state of Burundi last weekend.

Two Xavarian Missionary Sisters of Mary were found dead on Sunday in Kamenge, Burundi, where they have lived for seven years. A third sister who had raised the alarm was killed the following morning.

It is believed the sisters were sexually assaulted and beaten, and two were partially decapitated.

In a statement earlier this week, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin said Pope Francis was “greatly saddened” by the killings, and offered condolences to the families, local parishioners and the religious order the sisters belonged to.

“Pope Francis has learned with great sadness of the murder of three nuns,” said Vatican secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

Though the motive remains unclear, three suspects have been found and an arrest has been made. The man arrested has now confessed to the killings.

“It is very difficult to know the reason behind the killing, but nothing can justify it,” parish priest of Kamenge, Father Mario, said.

Further updates are available via Reuters.com or Vatican.va.

– – –

US President Barrack Obama has this week announced the U.S. Government’s strategy to counter the Islamic State militant group in Iraq and Syria.

In a speech delivered 9pm Wednesday local time President Obama revealed that the U.S. would undertake further airstrikes in Iraq and Syria, commit 475 additional troops to Iraq, redouble efforts to counter terrorism and continue provide humanitarian aid in the region.

PRESIDENT OBAMA: “First, we will conduct a systematic campaign of airstrikes against these terrorists. Working with the Iraqi government, we will expand our efforts beyond protecting our own people and humanitarian missions, so that we’re hitting Isil targets as Iraqi forces go on offense.

BOBBIE: President Obama also reinforced that his commitment of additional troops does not signal the beginning of a ground war.

PRESIDENT OBAMA: “As I have said before, these American forces will not have a combat mission. We will not get dragged into another ground war in Iraq. But they are needed to support Iraqi and Kurdish forces with training, intelligence and equipment. We will also support Iraq’s efforts to stand up national guard units to help Sunni communities secure their own freedom from Isil control.”

BOBBIE: President Obama said that the US intervention was dependent on Iraq forming an ‘inclusive government’ which, he said, they have done in recent days.

He added that the U.S. will not be alone in this effort, but would be working with Kurdish and Iraqi forces and have the support of a ‘broad coalition of partners’.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has since confirmed that Australia will contribute to the increased effort, although no formal request had been received from the U.S. Australia is currently contributing through humanitarian aid and weapons air drops.

See the full speech via the White House website.

– – –

A pro-life activist has challenged Tasmania’s recent abortion legislation by protesting within 150m of an abortion provider in Hobart’s CBD.

Graham Preston, who resides in Brisbane, Queensland, has completed a week of demonstrations outside a Hobart gynaecology centre.

Mr Preston has spent the week outside of the centre holding a sign quoting the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and another displaying a picture of an 8-week old child in gestation.

Mr Preston was approached by police several times throughout the week, however was not arrested.

Counter-protests have also been staged in response to demonstration, with counter-protesters reportedly obscuring and stealing the activist’s signs, and shouting at Mr Preston until police intervened.

While Mr Preston was previously arrested in relation to the buffer-zone law, prosecutors dropped charges this week pending a review of the law by police.

In commenting on the review, Tasmanian Police Commissioner Darren Hine said, “We’re reviewing the prosecution first, we’ll wait until that review concludes to see if there’s any issues with the legislation.”

At the time of reporting, specific issues with the legislation have not been confirmed.

More on that story via LifeSite News and ABC.

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Finally, preparations for one of Australia’s largest Catholic conferences are well underway in Brisbane.

Ignite Conference is just two weeks away, and is set to attract close to 1500 people from around Australia. This year’s conference is themed ‘Illuminate’, drawn from Ephesians 5:13.

Keynote speakers include Brisbane’s Archbishop Mark Coleridge, Sister Miriam James from Society of Our Lady of the Most Holy Trinity (SOLT), singer-songwriter Fr Rob Galea and many more.

Ignite Youth Director Pat Keady spoke to Cradio this week about what to expect from Ignite.

PAT KEADY: If you were to come to the Conference this year I believe that what you would experience is the same thing which is always offered, and that’s a ‘wave of grace’. Someone coined a phrase one year it was like, as you’re there at Ignite Conference, there’s a wave of grace that God is just pouring out and it comes crashing in and washes over everyone present. And that’s what I’ve experienced year after year. It’s a different experience for everyone, but it’s still an experience of grace that’s being poured out and transforming lives. That’s what I believe you definitely can expect.

BOBBIE: To find out more or to register for Ignite Conference head to igniteconference.com.au. Get in quick as registrations close today.

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Music Credit: Waking Up by Dexter Britain.

The post 5 Headlines You May Have Missed (12 September) appeared first on Cradio.

News from around the Catholic world for the week ending 5 September.

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•  The Holy See’s UN representative calls for international intervention in Iraq and Nigeria

•  Soccer superstars join Pope’s interreligious “match for peace”

•  Ukrainian Archbishop urges Global community not to remain silent on the plight of his people

•  Cause for the Canonisation of Fulton Sheen suspended

•  Bishops commend Australia’s humanitarian action in Iraq

•  Youth gather for Sydney’s Gracefest.

TRANSCRIPT

BOBBIE:  The Pontifical Council for Culture has hosted a three-day seminar on sports as an opportunity for encounter between peoples.

The seminar, entitled “Sports at the Service of Humanity: From the ‘Results-Oriented Culture’ to a ‘Culture of Encounter'”, was held on Monday through to Wednesday. Speakers at the seminar included Msgr. Mario Lusek from the Italian Episcopal Conference and Ray McKenna of Catholic Athletes for Christ.

The theme of the seminar comes from Pope Francis’ message for this year’s FIFA World Cup in Brazil, where he noted that football ought to promote a “culture of encounter” which can lead to peace. Organisers of the seminar aimed to affirm sport as a way of bringing out a dialogue between groups of people who would otherwise view each other as foreigners or even enemies.

An inter-religious football match at Rome’s Olympic Stadium was held on Monday night to open the Conference. The match featured stars from different religions, including Robert Baggio, Javier Zanetti and Diego Maradona.

The 50 players were received by Pope Francis earlier in the day. The Holy Father told the athletes that the event was [quote], “a highly symbolic gesture to show that it is possible to build a culture of encounter and a world of peace, where believers of different identities – preserving their identities […] can live together in harmony and reciprocal respect.”

The seminar comes one year out from the Vatican Global Conference on Sport and Faith to be held next September.

Further details on the Conference and Match at news.va.

—

The Head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk has this week released an open letter calling on the global Christian community’s support for Ukraine.

In the letter, addressed to the Catholic episcopal conferences and the world’s religious and political leaders, Archbishop Shevchuk speaks out on the hardships the Ukrainian people have faced over the past nine months, highlighting the mistreatment of religious groups at the hands of pro-Russian separatists.

The Archbishop cites three Catholic priests who were kidnapped and a cathedral and chancery in Donetsk that were ransacked.

“The cathedral yard was hit by ‘separatist’ rocket fire, damaging the building and windows with shrapnel,” Archbishop Shevchuk said.

“The bishop and almost all Ukrainian Greek Catholic priests were forced to leave the environs of Donetsk. Armed representatives of the separatist regime entered the church and desecrated the sanctuary,” he said.

Archbishop Shevchuk also offered a recent case where a monastery of religious sisters were “seized and violated”.

However, he says the violence has not only been aimed at Catholics.

“Protestants are targeted by the pro-Russian terrorist groups and have suffered the gravest violence,” Archbishop Shevchuk said. He added that two sons of the pastor of an evangelical church and two deacons from the same church were tortured and killed by terrorists, and their bodies later exhumed from a mass grave.

Archbishop Shevchuk said that the attack on Ukrainian Greek and Roman Catholics, Ukrainian Orthodox and Protestants was being aggravated by the rhetoric coming from the leadership of the Russian Orthodox Church, which he said is becoming “increasingly similar to the propaganda of the Russian political authorities and media”.

The Archbishop concluded his letter by calling on Christians and all people of good will not to remain silent.

“The tragedy that Ukraine is experiencing today, due to the military aggression, is a tragedy for all peoples, believers of all faiths and all social groups,” he said.

“In a media context rife with propaganda, we ask you to evaluate information critically. We need your prayers, your discernment, your good words and effective deeds. Silence and inaction will lead to further tragedy,” Archbishop Shevchuk said.

Read the full letter at NC Register

– – –

The Catholic Diocese of Peoria in the U.S. has issued a statement saying the Cause for the Canonisation of Archbishop Fulton Sheen has been suspended.

Venerable Fulton Sheen’s beatification was expected to be approved by Cardinals and the Holy Father in the coming months following the approval of a miracle attributed to his intercession by both doctors and theologians.

The cause has been spearheaded by the Sheen Foundation, which is run out of Fulton Sheen’s home diocese of Peoria. However, Peoria’s Bishop Daniel Jenky has announced that Sheen’s beatification and canonisation will be suspended for the forseeable future due to a conflict over his relics.

A statement from the Diocese of Peoria released on Wednesday said “there was every indication that a possible date for beatification in Peoria would have been scheduled for as early as the coming year.”

“The Holy See expected that the remains of Venerable Sheen would be moved to Peoria where official inspection would be made and first class relics be taken,” it read.

However, the Cause has come to a halt because the Archdiocese of New York has denied Bishop Jenky’s request to move the body to Peoria from St Patrick’s Cathedral in New York. According to the statement the Cause will now be relegated to the historic archive of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.

The Archdiocese of New York has since released a statement clarifying the matter, claiming that no explicit directions have been received from the Holy See to date.

The New York Archdiocese’ Director of Communications Joseph Zwilling said that Venerable Fulton Sheen had expressly stated that he be buried in New York and that the Archdiocese would like to respect those wishes.

“To date, the only official instruction that the Archdiocese of New York has received from the Holy See regarding this matter was, from a decade ago, that his body not be moved to Peoria,” Mr Zwilling said.

“To date, we have not received any further direction or request from the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. In addition, Archbishop Sheen’s closest surviving family members have also expressed their desire that their uncle’s wishes be respected and that his body remain in New York,” he said.

Mr Zwilling went on to say that Cardinal Dolan did express his hesitance to exhume the body without explicit direction from the Congregation for the Causes of Saints and unless the family approved.

“Regarding first-class relics,” Mr Zwilling said, “Cardinal Dolan does object to the dismemberment of the Archbishop’s body. However, if the body is exhumed, there is the strong likelihood that some relics would be present in the coffin, which could be reverently collected without disturbing the body, and then shared generously with the Diocese of Peoria. The family is at peace with this; and we will await directions from Rome,” he said.

View statements from the Diocese of Peoria and the Archdiocese of New York.

– – –

The Australian Government has increased its involvement in the resistance against Islamic State Militants in Iraq this week.

In a statement released on Tuesday night the Australian Defence Force said that following successful airdrops of food and water supplies over the last two weeks with the US and Britian, Australia has now provided ammunition to the Kurdish Peshmerga forces that are currently in battle with IS in Northern Iraq.

On Sunday Prime Minister Tony Abbott announced that Australia would deliver another humanitarian aid drop of vital supplies, as well as supplying weapons to the Kurds. It is understood that there are currently no plans to have Australian troops involved in the battle with IS. Minister for Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop has said it is unlikely that Australia will send ground troops, but that airstrikes are a possibility.

Iraq’s Ambassador to Australia Mouayed Saleh told the ABC that there was no chance of military equipment sent to Iraq falling into IS control.

“First of all, we need weapons to fight the terrorists and we’re making very sure it gets delivered to Peshmerga, or to the Iraqi army, so there is no chance it would fall into the wrong hands,” Mr Saleh said.

Meanwhile the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference released a statement last week praising the Australian Government for its action.

“We support and thank the Australian Government for its decision to offer humanitarian relief to the tens of thousands of displaced people,” the statement said.

“Australia has an important role to play as a member of the United Nations Security Council in securing the future of the people of Iraq.”

In an exclusive interview with Cradio Apostolic Nuncio to Australia Archbishop Paul Gallagher offered his thoughts on the question of foreign intervention.

ARCHBISHOP GALLAGHER: We see that this is a delicate time when everybody should be seeking to consolidate with the democratic institutions in Iraq to support the whole process of bringing peace and solidity and prosperity back to Iraq after many, many difficult years. We’re also concerned about the fate of Christians and other religious minorities in Iraq and we feel that this is something in which the International community needs to give its attention. Obviously one would like to think that it would be possible to engage the Islamic State of Iraq in dialogue in negotiated peace. Well we’ll have to see if that is possible. At the moment obviously it is necessary to offer resistance. But I think as Christians and as Catholics we always see violence, and ultimately war, as a failure.

You can access the full interview on the Cradio website.

More details via ACBC Media Blog, the Department of Defence and ABC.

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Hundreds of Sydney Catholics gathered to celebrate their Catholic faith in Sydney last Saturday night at Gracefest, an annual event hosted by Sydney’s Catholic Youth Services.

The night, led by members of Sydney’s NET team, consisted of praise and worship, adoration, catechesis, a testimony, a free dinner and opportunities for confession.

Praise and worship was lead by contemporary Catholic singer songwriter Stephen Kirk, who had run a music workshop earlier that day for aspiring Catholic church musicians.

Father Dave Callaghan of the Missionaries of God’s Love gave catechesis on the meaning of Grace, explaining the need for compassion toward those within our community who may not adhere to Church teaching. He also touched upon the message that Christ looks at what is on the heart, rather than just one’s sinful actions, thereby addressing the ‘disease’ rather than the ‘symptom’.

The festive spirit of the evening quickly transitioned to a more reverent and solemn atmosphere, as the Blessed Sacrament was processed down the center of the hall for adoration.

For more information on Catholic Youth Services’ upcoming events you can find them on Facebook.

Music Credit: Waking Up by Dexter Britain.

The post 5 Headlines You May Have Missed (5 September) appeared first on Cradio.

News from around the Catholic world for the week ending 29 August.

UPDATE: 29/8 12.15pm: Bernie Finn will no longer appear at World Congress of Families due to his family’s fear for his safety.

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•  The Holy See’s UN representative calls for international intervention in Iraq and Nigeria

•  A U.S. Archdiocese raises ethical issues with ALS ice bucket challenge

•  Cardinal Pell appears before the Royal Commission

•  Wagga Wagga farewells one of its longest serving priests

•  The World Congress of Families set to kick off in Melbourne amidst protests

•  Ignite Conference 2014 set to attract 1500.

TRANSCRIPT

BOBBIE: The Holy See’s Permanent Observer to the United Nations in Geneva Archbishop Silvano Tomasi has once again called for foreign intervention to stop the Islamic State from wiping out Christians an other minorities in Iraq and its surrounding areas. Archbishop Tomasi told Vatican Radio that Pope Francis’ stance on the matter is clear.

“He continues to appeal to the international community and to all of us believers,” Archbishop Tomasi said.

“To pray that the path to peace will be found, inviting everyone to negotiate and inviting the countries that are capable of stopping the aggressor – through the mechanisms of the United Nations – (to take action).”

Archbishop Tomasi commented on a recent meeting between leaders of orthodox churches and various Catholic rites where a plan of action was formed. He said that the leaders would ask for help from the international community to end the killing of minorities, and then to maintain an international presence that would allow Christians to return to their homes.

“It is not right that the international community accepts that automatically, the Christians are condemned to exile,” Archbishop Tomas said.

“They have the right to live at home, where they’ve lived for 1,700 years, since before the arrival of Islam, so that they can continue (to live there) not only because it is their natural right, but also because they are a presence that is a benefit to the Islamic community, and which helps diversify the social context which can slowly favor a democracy that respects the identity of every person and each group,” he said.

Archbishop Tomasi also commented on recent events in Nigeria where Islamic militant group Boko Haram have proclaimed a caliphate.

“The violence used by Boko Haram is worrying,” he said. “The fact that the systematic use of violence against innocent civilians – particularly Christians – is a form of power-grabbing poses the question to the international community: how will it react?”

“…the international community needs to condemn (Boko Haram) and make it clear that the methods used by these people are completely unacceptable. In whatever manner deemed useful, it must also support the Nigerian government to fulfill its efforts to reject this group,” Archbishop Tomasi said.

Details on that story via Vatican Radio.

—

The Cincinnati Archdiocese in Ohio, U.S. has warned against the ALS Ice bucket challenge, calling on Catholic schools to cease donations to the ALS Association.

In an article posted on the Archdiocesan newspaper’s website, the Archdiocese noted that the ALS Association, while doing good work toward the goal of treating the disease, supports embryonic stem cell research.

The article reads, “the Archdiocese is not dissuading individual Catholics from making donations, but they are encouraged to be fully informed and make their own prudential judgments.”

“The Archdiocese of Cincinnati has determined that its Catholic schools will not, as organisations, donate to that particular charity.”

The article also quotes St John Paul II saying : “Any treatment which claims to save human lives, yet is based upon the destruction of human life in its embryonic state, is logically and morally contradictory, as is any production of human embryos for the direct or indirect purpose of experimentation or eventual destruction.”

The Archdiocese commended those who wish to contribute to the cause of ending ALS, but suggested finding a more ethical alternative to the ALS Association. It offered the John Paul II Medical Research Institute as a suitable alternative, a secular non-profit, which uses only adult stem cells and is committed to building a culture of life.

The Archdiocese’ Superintendent of Catholic Schools Jim Rigg later filmed himself taking the ice bucket challenge, announcing that he would also make a donation to the John Paul II Medical Research Institute.

The ALS ice bucket challenge campaign to raise awareness and funds for research into Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, a motor neuron disease, has taken social media by storm in recent months, raising close to $100 million for the ALS Association since July. Celebrities who have taken part by filming themselves having ice water dumped over their heads include President George W Bush, Matt Damon, David and Victoria Beckham and dozens more.

More on that story via Catholic Telegraph

– – –

Cardinal George Pell and Archbishop Dennis Hart have appeared at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Melbourne this week.

In its latest case study the Commission is investigating the Archdiocese of Melbourne’s sexual abuse victim assistance program, known as the “Melbourne Response”, which was introduced by Cardinal Pell as Archbishop of Melbourne, and is currently overseen by Archbishop Hart.

During examination Archbishop Hart was challenged on the practicality of priestly celibacy and its role in sexual abuse.

In response to the suggestion that celibacy is not a good thing for certain priests, Archbishop Hart said, “I do believe wholeheartedly in the value of celibacy for the priesthood because it is [about]being available for people, a broader kind of love. It’s a very high ideal. Not everyone attains to it. But it’s very, very worthwhile.”

Archbishop Hart was also questioned about the Seal of Confession, and asked to clarify why conversations within the Sacrament of Confession are to be excluded from mandatory reporting laws. Archbishop Hart stated that the Sacrament of Confession is an encounter with God, and thus cannot be infringed upon by civil laws.

The Archbishop also noted, “if [the Seal of Confession]were to be swept away the possibility of offenders confessing is completely gone… In the present situation it may be the last opportunity that an offender has to face the reality of his or her offences, to be led by the priest either to give themselves up or to report and confront the enormity of their crimes.”

During Cardinal Pell’s appearance at the Commission via web-link from Rome, the Cardinal was questioned on technical aspects of the Melbourne Response and the Church’s liability for cases involving its priests.

Cardinal Pell also maintained his earlier stance that while legal tactics employed by Australian dioceses in some cases were a failure from a Christian standpoint, and thus regrettable, these tactics were appropriate from a general legal perspective.

The Royal Commission investigation in to the Melbourne Response concluded on Wednesday.

Catholic Talk summary of day four: (Cardinal Pell)

Catholic Talk summary of day seven  (Archbishop Hart)

—

The Diocese of Wagga Wagga has lost one of its longest serving priests, Monsignor William Fulton, who died at Mercy Hospital in Albury last Friday night aged 83.

In his 54 year priesthood Monsignor Fulton has served in the Leeton, Wagga, Howlong and The Rock parishes before spending his last 16 years in Albury.

Fr Joel Wallace, the current Parish Priest in Albury and Mons. Fulton’s successor, spoke of his gentle, humble and hardworking nature.

“He would have undertaken thousands of baptisms, funerals and weddings aside from all the Sunday services,” Fr Wallace told Fairfax press.

“He put himself at the service of people over a period of more than 50 years. I’d like to pay tribute to him for his dedication and service.

“He is fondly remembered by all those who knew him, and he is honoured in our memory,” Fr Wallace added.

Monsignor Fulton suffered from dementia in recent years and was cared for by St Patrick’s staff in his retirement before being placed in the Lutheran Nursing Home two months ago. His funeral was held on Tuesday at St Patricks Catholic Church, Albury.

—

The World Congress of Families in Melbourne begins tomorrow amid planned protests and venue changes.

The Congress, which was moved to Melbourne from Moscow due to diplomatic tensions in the region, is set to feature both international and local speakers, including Cardinal Raymond Burke of the United States, Louise Kirk of the United Kingdom and Australian politicians Bernie Finn and Fred Nile.

Topics to be discussed at the Congress will include natural law, euthanasia and the importance of fatherhood.

Protests have been planned to disrupt the Congress due to its views on the family, marriage and human life.

Debbie Brennan, head of socialist feminist organisation “Radical Women”, said, “We will exercise our free speech right to make it as hard as we can for people to get into the congress. Certainly, we will be out there in force and having loud things to say.”

Ms Brennan added that the protests will be peaceful. Congress organisers have also had to face venue changes over the past week due to police warnings. Conflicting reports of the reason for venue changes have been given, with Victorian Police Senior Constable Andrew McDowell citing concerns over congestion by attendees. However one organiser, Margaret Butts, has stated that police advised a venue change based on concerns over potential protests.

No new venue has yet been publicly released.

Babette Francis, one of the Congress organisers, spoke to Cradio about the planned event.

BABETTE: Well it’s been quite an interesting experience, I’ve never experienced anything like this before. Endeavour forum has been running meetings every quarter with very similar speakers, with some of the same speakers, and it didn’t cause anything of this furore. For some reason we seem to have touched a raw nerve here.

—

Brisbane Catholics are in their final month of preparation for September’s Ignite Conference, a contemporary Catholic conference set to attract close to 1500 people from around Australia.

This year’s conference, themed ‘illuminate’, will run from September 25th-28th and includes three streams: Ignite Central for adults, Ignite High for students up to year 12, and Ignite Kids for those of either pre-primary or primary school age.

Ignite Kids, run by early childhood teachers, primary educators and volunteers features fun activities that teach participants of God’s purpose for their lives. Ignite High will feature regular rallies and workshops, where teens will be encouraged to explore their faith through music, drama, activities and hearing testimonies.

The Conference is also aimed at ministry leaders, priests, religious, parents and teachers, and seeks to aid and equip attendees for ministry work and to live the Christian life. Ignite Central is set to feature rallies twice daily, keynotes from leading Catholic speakers and a choice of over 80 practical workshops.

Youth Coordinator for Ignite Youth Scotty McDonald caught up with Cradio recently to tell us more.

SCOTTY: We want it to be a conference for young people, people working with young people and people wanting that experience of the Church no matter their age. And we want to meet them wherever they’re at… There’s nothing more beautiful than the Friday night of Ignite Conference where we will lead adoration with the entire conference – during our night rally there’ll be adoration. And to have 1000 young people on their knees before the presence of Christ is just transformative and life-changing…

BOBBIE: Ignite Conference runs from 25-28 September at Mueller Performing Arts Centre in Rothwell, Brisbane. To found out more or to register visit igniteconference.com.au.

—

Music Credit: Waking Up by Dexter Britain.

The post 6 Headlines You May Have Missed (29 August) appeared first on Cradio.

News from around the Catholic world for the week ending 15 August.

DOWNLOAD (Right click to save) (8:50 mins)

•  Papal envoy joins persecuted Christians in Iraq as the crisis continues

•  Pope Francis arrives in South Korea

•  Tennessee upholds ban on same-sex marriage

•  Advocacy group uses the case of baby Gammy to push for commercial surrogacy in Australia

•  Caritas Australia celebrates its 50th birthday.

TRANSCRIPT

BOBBIE: Pope Francis has sent a Papal Envoy to Iraq to help support persecuted Christians in the region.

The Holy Father has named Cardinal Fernando Filoni, Prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples, as his personal envoy to work with local authorities to ensure safety for Iraqi Christians. Cardinal Filoni was previously Apostolic Nuncio to Iraq from 2001 to 2006.

In a statement, Cardinal Filoni shared Pope Francis’ desire to be in solidarity with the people of Iraq. Cardinal Filoni said that the Holy Father [quote]“would have liked to have been himself [in Iraq]amongst these poor people.”

Also in the region, current Papal Nuncio to Iraq, Archbishop Giorgio Lingua, spoke to Vatican Radio about the suffering of Christians on the ground. In the interview, Archbishop Lingua highlighted the witness of the persecuted Christians to their faith.

ARCHBISHOP LINGUA: What can we hope for? I pray that the Christians who have left the villages in these circumstances do not lose their faith… They are giving us a very great testimony of their faith that they did not accept to convert to Islam – this would have saved their lives immediately. So they are giving us a great testimony of faith.

BOBBIE: Christians are currently fleeing their homes in droves as the Islamic State sweep through the region brutally killing those who refuse to convert and join them.

International leaders have acknowledged that we may be facing genocide, with Prime Minister Tony Abbott this week suggesting that military intervention is being considered.

Earlier this week Mr Abbott also announced that Australia will take in 4000 refugees fleeing Iraq and Syria, although this number will be taken from Australia’s existing humanitarian intake of 13,700 refugees nationally.

More on that story at Vatican Radio

– – –

Pope Francis touched down in the South Korean capital of Seoul yesterday to commence his five-day visit to country.

The Holy Father arrived at 10:30am Thursday local time and was greeted by South Korean president Park Geun-hye with a delegation of South Korean Catholics and two North Korean defectors. Also present were families of victims of last April’s ferry disaster, which claimed over 300 lives.

Pope Francis has made the trip to the Asian nation to celebrate the 6th Asian Youth Day, to beatify 124 18th and 19th Century Korean martyrs, and to call for peace between North and South Korea, which has been officially split since 1953.

It was reported that North Korea fired three short-range rockets into the Sea of Japan shortly before Pope Francis’ landing. The North had been invited to send a delegation to attend the event, but the invitation was declined.

Pope Francis is expected to speak about reconciliation between the two nations throughout the visit, and especially at his Mass at Myeongdong Cathedral in Seoul on August 18. He is also expected to meet with a group of Korean women forced in to sexual slavery during the Second World War.

This current trip marks the third papal visit to South Korea, with St John Paul II visiting the nation in 1984 and 1989.

More on that story via news.va

—

The US State of Tennessee has had its ban on same-sex marriage upheld following a constitutional challenge in court early last week.

US Judge Russell Simmons of Roane County Circuit Court, Tennessee, ruled in favour of the ban on same sex marriage in a court case involving two men married in Iowa four years ago. The men, who are now seeking a divorce in Tennessee, require a brief recognition of their marriage in order to begin proceedings.

The argument used to support Judge Simmons’ decision was that “marriage and procreation are fundamental to the very existence and survival for the race … the promotion of family continuity and stability is certainly a legitimate state interest.”

The decision centers on the State not recognising pre-existing same-sex marriages that have been legalised in other states.

The details of this ruling were sent to lawyers defending gay marriage in Louisiana, where district judge Martin Feldman is yet to make a decision on a similar case.

This ruling in favour of the ban follows the success of thirty-six court challenges against the ban. It is the first ban to withstand a challenge since June last year and will have an impact on similar challenges in future.

More on that story via Scotus Blog

—

Australian advocacy group Surrogacy Australia has called for commercial surrogacy to be legalised in Western Australia following backlash over Gammy, the baby boy born to a Thai surrogate and abandoned by his Australian parents.

The WA 2008 Surrogacy Act is currently under its four-yearly review by the state Department of Health, with findings delayed to allow a late submission from Surrogacy Australia.

In its submission the organisation have recommended that services be established to match people with surrogates, that Australian surrogates be allowed to receive compensation, and that surrogacy is opened to same sex couples. WA’s current state laws allow for International commercial surrogacy, and altruistic surrogacy within Australia.

Mr Stephen Page, the lawyer who drafted the submission, claims that Australia’s current laws are forcing people offshore.

“Unless politicians in Perth do something, then we are going to continue to repeat the failure of our mistakes to date. We’re going to have more baby Gammy-type cases,” he said.

Liberal MPs Nick Goiran, Graham Jacobs, Peter Abetz and Frank Alban have refuted the argument in another submission, stating that commercial surrogacy exploits mother and child and should be completely banned.

“I believe that commercial surrogacy is in principle wrong,” Mr Abetz told the ABC.

“I think that is going down the wrong path as a society if children become a commodity that you can buy,” he said.

The review is expected to be completed by the end of September.

More on that story via WA Today and ABC.

—

Australia’s Catholic international aid & development agency Caritas Australia is celebrating its 50th anniversary.

Caritas Australia was founded in the early 1960’s by a group of lay Catholics who wanted to assist those in need overseas.

It began in 1964 as the Catholic Overseas Relief Committee, collecting funds from parishes to assist a priest working in Peru. In the same year the Newman Institute ran a Lenten appeal in Adelaide raising nearly 1000 pounds to support Indigenous communities off Bathurst Island.

Now, in 2014, Caritas Australia is part of one of the largest humanitarian networks in the world, Caritas Internationalis, which boasts 165 national organisations around the world and over a million volunteers and staff.

Caritas Australia has assisted communities in over 120 countries across Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Pacific.

Caritas Australia CEO Paul O’Callaghan said that Catholic schools and parishes across Australia have been instrumental in achieving significant change with partner organisations.

“For over 50 years, our volunteers, supporters, partners and staff have worked alongside some of the world’s poorest communities,” Mr O’Callaghan said.

“All human beings are part of God’s family and each of them are worthy of respect and dignity,” he said.

The story of Caritas Australia will be celebrated in a special Mass at Mary Mackillop Chapel in North Sydney on 26 November.

More information is available at www.caritas.org.au/50years.

—

Music Credit: Waking Up by Dexter Britain.

The post 5 Headlines You May Have Missed (15 August) appeared first on Cradio.

News from around the Catholic world for the week ending 1 August.

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•  Congregation for Divine Worship confirms the sign of peace will remain where it is in the Mass

•  A child born of a surrogate mother in Thailand abandoned for having Down Syndrome

•  Sydney Christians unite against persecution in Iraq

•  Sydney farewells its late Archbishop

•  Sydney to host the 2014 Catholic Digital Media Conference.

TRANSCRIPT

BOBBIE: Pope Francis has approved a letter issued by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments confirming that the sign of peace will remain where it currently is in the Mass. The decision follows discussions among theologians on whether the sign of peace would be more appropriate before the presentation of the gifts.

The letter says it will not be moved so as “not to introduce structural changes in the Roman Missal”.

The letter also clarified the correct use of the gesture, stating the need to ensure there is never a song for peace, people should not move from their place to exchange the sign of peace, and the priest should not depart from the altar to offer peace to members of the congregation.

The letter emphasised the time should not be used to offer holiday greetings, congratulations or condolences. According to the letter, the sign of peace should be done with dignity and awareness, as “a witness to the Christian belief that true peace is a gift of Christ’s death and resurrection”.

It reads that “If the faithful do not understand and do not show, in their ritual gestures, the true significance of the right of peace, they are weakened in the Christian concept of peace, and their fruitful participation in the Eucharist is negatively affected”.

– – –

Questions have been raised about regulation of international surrogacy after an Australian couple allegedly abandoned a Down Syndrome child born of a surrogate mother in Thailand.

Australian media have reported that a West Australian couple contracted a 21 year-old Thai woman named Pattaramon Janbua in a surrogacy agreement, resulting in twin children. Reports indicate that Ms Janbue was urged to abort one of the twins, named Gammy, after he was diagnosed with Down Syndrome in-utero.

After the children were born in December last year it is alleged that the Australian couple took the healthy female twin back to Australia and abandoned Gammy to Ms Janbua.

Gammy has since been in hospital due to a congenital heart condition, and Ms Janbua is now demanding that the Australian parents return the female twin. The Australian couple dispute the claim that they urged Ms Janbua to abort Gammy and that the child was abandoned, stating that they were forced to leave Thailand without Gammy due to political unrest in the region.

In response to the case the Thai Government, which previously had no laws concerning surrogacy, has outlawed surrogacy except in non-commercial cases between blood relatives.

The case has also prompted response by the Australian Federal Government. Foreign Affairs Minister Julie Bishop announced that an interdepartmental committee would hold several meetings to discuss issues related to international surrogacy arrangements.

While commercial surrogacy is currently illegal in Australia, Australians are able to enter commercial surrogacy agreements overseas, with the resulting children subject to Australian immigration checks.

The Catholic Church teaches that surrogate motherhood is morally illicit. Donum Vitae, from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, states that surrogate motherhood fails to live up to the responsibility of marriage and the conjugal act, offends the dignity of the child, and creates a detrimental division between the physical, psychological and moral elements which make up a family.

More on that story via ABC and Sydney  Morning Herald.

Read Donum Vitae on the Vatican website.

—

Australia’s Coptic, Assyrian, Chaldean and Syriac communities have hosted a demonstration through the streets of Sydney, calling on the United Nations to assist Iraqi Christians persecuted by Islamic State militants.

The peaceful protest in the Sydney CBD last Saturday attracted over 5,000 people, marching from Central Station to Martin Place.

Addressing the crowds, former Fairfield City Council mayor Samir Yousif pleaded for Australian and international governments to stand up for Iraqi Christians and fight against militant Islam.

Mr Yousif said, “The only way we can stop this persecution is for the international community to step in and encourage and help the Iraqi Government to be a government for all people, regardless of their religious, sect or belief.”

Kiara Pirola, who was at the protest, spoke to Cradio about the demonstration.

KIARA: There were really great vibes from the crowd, everybody was really energetic and enthusiastic and positive about the whole situation. I felt really, really at home in the crowd. It was really important to me that I was there cause there was not a lot I could actually do for my brothers and sisters in Iraq who are suffering right now, but one thing I could do, one small thing I could do was make sure that the world knew, and that we knew that they were there and that they were in pain, and hopefully maybe we’ll get some action on that point. But the march certainly achieved what it set out to achieve, which was to get some attention, and it was a real joy and a pleasure to be a part of.   

BOBBIE: A worldwide day of prayer for Iraq also took place on Wednesday in response to the call for prayer from Iraq’s Church leaders.

Chaldean Patriarch Louis Raphael I Sako announced the world day of prayer in a statement, which called on all people to [quote]“combine our voices and our hearts before the Lord in order to ask for peace.”

Aid to the Church in Need International president Johannes von Heereman echoed Patriarch Sako’s request to the international Church, saying, “[i]n view of such suffering as we are forced to watch in Iraq today, it is time to join together with our suffering brothers and sisters and to show the world that we have not abandoned them.”

—

Cardinal Edward Bede Clancy, former Archbishop of Sydney passed away on Sunday at 90 years of age.

Cardinal Clancy was born in Lithgow, New South Wales on 13 December 1923 to school teacher John Bede Clancy and Ellen Lucy Edwards.

After completing his studies at the Parramatta Marist Brothers College, he was ordained a Priest in 1949. In 1965 he earned his Doctorate in Theology and started teaching at the University of Sydney.

Cardinal Clancy was made Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney on 19 January 1974 and four years later was appointed Archbishop of Canberra & Goulbourn. On 12 February 1983 he was appointed Archbishop of Sydney and elevated to Cardinal-Priest of Santa Maria in Vallicella on 28 June 1988.

He remained Archbishop of Sydney until his retirement in 2001 when he was succeeded by Cardinal George Pell.

In 1992 Cardinal Clancy became the Foundation Chancellor of Australian Catholic University. During the episcopacy of Cardinal Clancy, Parramatta’s seminary was closed and the Seminary of the Good Shepard was opened in Homebush, the current Seminary for Sydney.

Sydney’s Apostolic Administrator Bishop Peter Comensoli said the news caused great sadness.

“He was a great churchman and a true leader with total dedication to his vocation” Bishop Comensoli said.

Pope Francis sent a message to Bishop Comensoli offering his condolences on the news of Cardinal Clancy’s passing.

“I join you in commending the late cardinal’s soul to God the Father of mercies, with gratitude for his years of episcopal ministry and his wise pastoral leadership in the Archdiocese of Sydney,” Pope Francis said.

A Vigil Mass will be held for the late Cardinal at St Mary’s Cathedral, 7.30pm tonight. His body was received at the Cathedral yesterday afternoon and will lie in state until the funeral at 10am Saturday.

—

Australia and New Zealand’s Catholic digital media enthusiasts will get a chance to learn from two of the world’s foremost Catholic media figures this month for the first staging of the Catholic Digital Media Conference (CDMC).

Popular U.S. speakers and podcasters Greg and Jennifer Willits will speak on the benefits of digital media for the work of evangelisation, and how to create quality Catholic media.

Greg who, along with his wife Jennifer, was instrumental in beginning the Catholic New Media Conference in the U.S. spoke to us about the importance of these sorts of gatherings for the Church and her mission.

GREG WILLITS: This stuff is vitally, vitally important because the world is looking at media for their daily consumption of what’s happening in the world, and they’re finding out about the faith from places that don’t necessarily support the faith. And so looking to things like the Catholic Digital Media Conference is so vital for the growth of the Church because this is where people are looking for content, and if we’re there representing the Church, if we’re there pointing people to Jesus Christ it’s going to make a massive difference in the world.

BOBBIE: The follow-up to the successful CNMC Melbourne in September 2013, CDMC Sydney will offer insights into how Catholics can – and should – use the Internet to share the message of the Gospel, with useful tips on how platforms like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Instagram can be tools for evangelisation.

Other speakers at the conference include Australians and New Zealanders who are involved, either professionally or in their personal lives, in using online media as a tool to share the message of Christ.

CDMC Sydney is being held at the Isabel Menton Theatre at Mary MacKillop Place, North Sydney, on August 19 and 20. For more details or to register visit www.cdmcaustralia.com. Registrations close Monday.

Music Credit: Waking Up by Dexter Britain.

The post 5 Headlines You May Have Missed (8 August) appeared first on Cradio.

News from around the Catholic world for the week ending 1 August.

DOWNLOAD (Right click to save) (10:40 mins)

•  The Vatican marks first World Day Against Trafficking in Persons

•  Chinese Christians injured in protests against demolition of churches

•  Dominican theologians release report on pastoral-care of divorced and remarried Catholics in lead up to Synod

•  Catholic Prison Ministry scrapped in Brisbane

•  Worldwide protests show support for the plight of Christians in Iraq.

TRANSCRIPT

BOBBIE: The Vatican has this week marked the first World Day against Trafficking in Persons by hosting a videoconference with America’s top official on monitoring human trafficking.

The Vatican’s Pontifical Academy of Sciences hosted the Conference, along with the U.S embassy to the Holy See and the ecumenical Global Freedom Network. Ambassador Luis CdeBaca, attending the conference from Washington, spoke on the findings of the recent U.S. report on trafficking in persons. Vatican radio has that report.

VATICAN RADIO: Tracking progress being made in 188 countries around the world, the report focuses on a triple paradigm of ‘prevention, protection and prosecution’. It’s filled with personal stories about men, women and children who’ve escaped from slavery and are now helping in the fight against the traffickers. Talking to journalists about the millions of people still falling victim to this crime, Ambassador CdeBaca said there has been an important shift in the way trafficking is being defined:

AMBASSADOR CDEBACA: “Trafficking was defined as moving people across international borders, so that allowed the exemption from their calculations of people for instance who are working in debt bondage in the same village that their parents had been in debt bondage and their grandparents had been in debt bondage. It defined out hereditary slavery in Mauritania, Mali and other parts of West Africa. And so I think what we’ve seen is, yes the problem is probably increasing because of globalisation, but our ability to recognise it and to identify it is increasing at a much greater pace.

PHILIPPA HITCHENS: But does that mean we’re making progress against the trafficking gangs? Certainly the Ambassador listed numerous countries – from the UK to Chile, Sudan to Haiti – that have introduced new anti-trafficking legislation. But he said there is still not enough political will to tackle the more hidden forms of this widespread phenomenon.

AMBASSADOR CDEBACA: What we’ve seen around the world is that governments will always try to reclassify things so they are not defined as human trafficking, to protect their fishing industry, to protect their palm oil industry, to protect their charcoal industry, to protect their ability to bring in nannies or people to come and build their stadiums for upcoming sporting events.

PHILIPPA HITCHENS: Ambassador CdeBaca stressed the important role the Church has played in defining trafficking as a crime against humanity, pushing it higher up the public agenda. But he said it’s vital to work closer together with all those dealing with the problem to find effective prevention strategies.

BOBBIE: Pope Francis demonstrated his commitment to end human trafficking earlier this year when he launched The Global Freedom Network in partnership with Anglican and Muslim Leaders.

World Day against Trafficking is an initiative of the United Nations aiming to raise awareness of the millions of people trafficked each year and sold into sex slavery or forced labour.

More on that story via news.va

—

Dozens of Christians have been beaten during a rally to protect Kau Yan Church, in Zhejiang, China, early last week.

The Kau Yan Church building was to be demolished that day under orders by the Chinese Government. Another 130 churches have been marked for the same fate.

Police and urban management attempted to control the situation by inflicting violence upon the crowd of 1000 Christians, causing dozens to be hospitalised. Images of the incident from social media sites show victims suffering heavy blood loss and injuries to the head.

The incident follows that of April 4th, where Sanjiang Church, Wenzhou, was defended by thousands of Chinese Christians after the Chinese Communist party threatened to demolish it. This church has since been destroyed.

More than sixty churches in Wenzhou alone have received a demolition notice within the past three months. The city has had more churches demolished than anywhere else across Mainland China.

These incidents are part of the Government’s wider effort to suppress the practice of religion and follows China’s campaign to outlaw private church gatherings, which took place in May this year. Under Chinese law, Christians are also restricted to worshipping one day a week, and preachers are required to avoid mention of politically sensitive topics.

More on that story at Wall Street Journal and Telegraph UK

– – –

A group of Dominican theologians have released an article on the pastoral care of divorced-and-remarried Catholics in the lead-up to October’s extraordinary Synod of Bishops.

The 30-page article published in Swiss journal Nova et Vetera is largely a response to proposals outlined by Cardinal Walter Kasper at the extraordinary Consistory of Cardinals in February this year.

Cardinal Kasper had suggested taking a less judicial path to the marriage annulment process and the admission of divorced-and-remarried Catholics to the reception of Holy Communion.

The article outlines the theological issues with Cardinal Kasper’s proposals, namely their direct contradiction of the teachings of popes, councils and Christ Himself. The article references Scripture, Church Fathers and various other texts to demonstrate Cardinal Kasper’s problematic approach to marriage, annulment, Holy Communion and the call to chastity.

The article states, “The Church’s teaching on marriage, divorce, human sexuality, and chastity can be hard to receive. Christ himself saw this when he proclaimed it. However, this truth brings with it an authentic message of freedom and hope: there is a way out of vice and sin. There is a way forward that leads to happiness and love.”

Download the full article (PDF)

—

The Queensland Department of Corrective Services has scrapped the Catholic Prison Ministry and the Prisoner’s Legal Service, claiming it found “no demonstrated need” for the services, Fairfax Media reported on Wednesday.

For about 20 years the advocacy groups have been visiting Queensland prisons speaking to prisoners about issues within the prisons which impact on the prisoners. The Catholic Prison Ministry has used the information gathered as part of its annual report to correction facilities.

A spokeswoman for Queensland Corrective Services said the State has a robust oversight framework to ensure appropriate levels of accountability and transparency across the correctional system.

“QCS understands the legitimate and long-standing interest that both the Catholic Prison Ministry and other similar organisations have with the corrections system,” the spokeswoman said.

“As such, the organisations have been advised that visiting arrangements with individual prisoners can continue,” she said.

Catholic Prison Ministry coordinator Dave Martin told community radio station 4ZZZ that the information gained informed their reports and the systematic issues raised.

—

International condemnation continues in response to the expulsion and persecution of Christians in Mosul, Iraq by Islamic State militants.

In the United Kingdom, National Director of Aid to the Church in Need Neville Kyrke-Smith has said that the British Government is partially responsible for the current situation in Iraq and the Middle East.

Mr Kyrke-Smith said, “The UK’s balanced approach to uprisings in the Middle East – supporting rebels as long as they are not too extreme – has blown up in our face.”

Meanwhile, Aid to the Church in Need Australia’s National Director Phillip Collignon has stated that the Catholic Church in the Iraq region is currently responding to the needs of the newly displaced Christians. Mr Collignon detailed the response in a recent interview with Cradio:

PHILLIP COLLIGNON: Now there’s also something like five to ten thousand… Christians who are fleeing to Kurdistan for refuge. And the Catholic Church there is setting up centres for these displaced Christians, and it’s been quite remarkable really.

Here we have the situation in Erbil where the Catholic Church is just scrambling to cater for the Christian population there building churches and also now catering for the Christians who have been evacuated there – and it’s going to be a headache for Archbishop Warda of Erbil as he tries to cater for those displaced Christians.

In Baghdad, protests have been held by both Christians and Muslims condemning the Islamic State expulsion. Protestors reportedly prayed in solidarity for peace in the region, holding signs, which stated “I am Iraqi, I am Christian.”

Similar protests were also seen in Western nations through the week, with demonstrations held by Christians and Muslims in London, Paris, Washington D.C. and The Hague.

Protests have also been planned in Sydney by Australia’s Coptic Community, to take place on Saturday in the Sydney CBD. The protest will demand a peacekeeping intervention in the Islamic State-controlled territory and humanitarian aid to the displaced.

More information on the protest can be found on the Australian Coptic Community website. 

Music Credit: Waking Up by Dexter Britain.

The post 5 Headlines You May Have Missed (1 August) appeared first on Cradio.

News from around the Catholic world for the week ending 25 July.

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•  Pope Francis calls for peace and reconciliation in the Middle East

•  Iraqi Christians face ultimatum: leave or die

•  The world remembers those lost on flight MH17

•  Another attempt in the Senate to redefine marriage

•  International AIDS Conference wraps up in Melbourne.

TRANSCRIPT

BOBBIE: Pope Francis has once again called for peace in the Middle East in Sunday’s Angeles Address, expressing a particular concern for Christians who are being persecuted in places they have lived since the beginning of Christianity.

Vatican Radio has that report.

VATICAN RADIO: With a special reference to the Iraqi town of Mosul from where all Christians have fled and the episcopal residence burnt to the ground by Islamic extremists, Pope Francis said “Today our brothers are persecuted. They are banished from their homes and forced to flee without even being able to take their belongings!”

Assuring them of his closeness and constant prayer, the Pope said: “My dear brothers and sisters who are persecuted, I know how much you suffer; I know that you are deprived of all. I am with you in faith in He who conquered evil”.

And with a special mention of the Middle East and Ukraine, the Pope appealed to all – to those present in the Square and far beyond – to persevere in praying for peace in all situations of tension and conflict in the world.

“May the God of peace” – Francis said – “arouse in all an authentic desire for dialogue and reconciliation. Violence cannot be overcome with violence. Violence is overcome with peace!”

Hear the full story at news.va

—

600,000 people have been forced from their homes, and thousands killed, as Iraqi Christians face an ultimatum set by Islamic extremist group, ISIS.

On July 14th two Chaldean Sisters released from ISIS captivity were given the following message for the Christians of Mosul:

“You have three choices: To be converted into Islam, to pay “Aljizya” (a tax) to ISIS, or to flee Mosul without any possessions.”

The tax required from those wishing to stay is double the average monthly income for a typical resident.

Last Friday Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the self-appointed head of the Islamic State, released a formal statement, saying that those who refuse and do not abide by these conditions by Saturday September 23rd have only the ‘edge of the sword’ to answer to.

Despite the already existing refugee crisis in the region, the majority of Christians began evacuation two days after being advised to leave as soon as possible. Possessions were confiscated by ISIS as they left, including passports and cars; some, including children and the elderly, were forced to continue their journey by foot.

The properties of both Christians and Muslims have been taken over and marked with a symbol that identifies inhabitants as being either a Christian or one who rejects ISIS rule.

Many places of worship have been burnt to the ground, including the tomb of the prophet Jonah in Nineveh and more recently, an 1,800 year old church.

On Sunday Pope Francis called the Patriarch of the Syriac Catholic Church Ignatius Youssef III Younan to assure him that he has been following the news closely and is praying for peace and security for Iraqi Christians.

—

Memorial services have taken place across the world to remember those lost in last Friday’s Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 tragedy, which left 298 people dead. Among the deceased were 37 Australian citizens and residents including a Sydney nun, Sister Philomene Tiernan, who taught at Kincoppal-Rose Bay School in Sydney.

Sister Philomene, who was on her way home from a retreat in France, has been remembered by her school community as a caring, much-loved friend.

On Sunday Sydney’s Apostolic Administrator Bishop Peter Comensoli offered a special Mass at St Mary’s Cathedral to pray for the deceased. Prime Minister Tony Abbott and his wife Margie joined Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove and Lady Cosgrove at the Mass.

A special Mass has also been held in Melbourne for the International AIDS conference delegates who perished, as well as in Hobart.

Prime Minister Abbott and Leader of the Opposition Bill Shorten both offered moving speeches in Parliament on Friday, and Labor offered bipartisan support for the government to deal with the disaster.

Mr Abbott issued a statement on Wednesday confirming the victims were on a train on Tuesday night en-route to the Netherlands for identification and repatriation. He also announced that Sir Peter Cosgrove left for the Netherlands on Tuesday night to represent Australia.

“It is important for the families and for our nation, that our people be received by one of our own,” Mr Abbott said.

Mr Abbott also noted that once identification is complete, the Government will transport families to the Netherlands if they wish to accompany their loved ones home.

—

The Australian Federal Senate is accepting submissions from the public on a bill which seeks to redefine marriage in Australia through the recognition of overseas same-sex marriages.

The Bill, titled “Recognition of Foreign Marriages Bill 2014”, was introduced by Greens Senator Sarah Hanson-Young in May earlier this year. If passed it will amend the existing Federal Marriage Act to remove the prohibition of the recognition of same-sex unions solemnised as marriages in other nations.

Currently the Bill is being considered by the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee, which is taking submissions from the public. The contents of the Bill remain unchanged from an earlier bill rejected by the Senate last year, titled “Marriage Act Amendment (Recognition of Foreign Marriages for Same-Sex Couples) Bill 2013”.

The 2013 bill was described by one supporting senator as a backdoor approach to introducing same-sex marriage laws in Australia.

In the Senate in June last year, Liberal Senator Sue Boyce said concerning the bill, “I’m not normally in favour of backdoor ways of doing things, which is what this bill is – it is a backdoor way to try to increase pressure for same-sex marriage in Australia.”

The Australian Christian Lobby have called upon Australian voters to oppose the bill through submissions to the Senate Inquiry, through their website entitled “Preserving Marriage”.

ACL Managing Director Lyle Shelton said, “Senate inquiries take notice of what the public say.”

“They are very democratic,” he said.

Submissions close on July 31st and can be made through preservingmarriage.acl.org.au.

Details via Australian Christian Lobby

—

Catholics have gathered from around the world for the 20th International AIDS Conference in Melbourne, Australia.

The annual conference, which has taken the theme “Stepping up the pace”, has attracted 14,000 international delegates, including former U.S. president Bill Clinton and UNAIDS Executive Director Michel Sidibé.

Catholics at the conference have raised concerns about decreases to funding by developed nations to combat the disease.

Speaking to Catholic News Service, international Catholic HIV & AIDS Network head Fr Rick Bauer said that a lack of recognition of HIV/AIDS by the public has hurt recent efforts.

Fr Bauer said, “People in the airport ask me what my red ribbon means. Fifteen years ago, everyone knew what it symbolised. Now it’s different. The media has dropped us.”

Caritas Internationalis special HIV & AIDS advisor Msgr Robert J. Vitillo said that many, including doctors, mistakenly believe that AIDS is no longer a fatal disease.

Msgr Vitillo also said that a misguided economic approach to AIDS by Western governments has hurt the ability to treat AIDS in developing nations.

Msgr Vitillo said, “Donor governments want to consolidate their funding and only give big grants and want to give those to government programs.”

“In Asia, for example, more and more governments are being recognized as middle-income economies… It’s true that a small number of people are getting richer and richer, and the country’s GNP may have risen into the middle-income category, but the situation of the poor is often worse,” he said.

The conference concludes today.

Music Credit: Waking Up by Dexter Britain.

The post 5 Headlines You May Have Missed (25 July) appeared first on Cradio.

News from around the Catholic world for the week ending 18 July.

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•  Vatican Spokesman casts doubt on latest Pope Francis interview

•  Catholic nuns brutally attacked at mission in Bangladesh

•  Church of England allows ordination of female bishops

•  Australian Senator to introduce new same-sex marriage bill

•  Caritas thanks Australians for their $11 million contribution to Project Compassion.

TRANSCRIPT

BOBBIE: Vatican spokesperson Fr Federico Lombardi has cast doubt on the accuracy of an interview with Pope Francis published in the Italian La Repubblica newspaper last Sunday.

In a statement issued on Monday, Fr Lombardi called into question the reliability of an interview between Eugenio Scalfari and Pope Francis. Among more controversial quotes attributed to Pope Francis in the article include an estimate that 2% of Catholic priests worldwide are involved in sexual abuse, and that some cardinals may have committed acts of pedophilia.

While acknowledging that the publication captured the general themes of the conversation, Fr Lombardi cautioned readers against attributing alleged quotes within the article to Pope Francis.

Fr Lombardi said, “[the]words that Mr. Scalfari attributes to the Pope in quotations come from the expert journalist Scalfari’s own memory of what the Pope said and is not an exact transcription of a recording…”

Fr Lombardi continued, “We should not or must not speak in any way, shape or form of an interview in the normal use of the word, as if there had been a series of questions and answers that faithfully and exactly reflect the precise thoughts of the one being interviewed.”

Australia’s Truth, Justice & Healing Council Director Francis Sullivan has said, however, that the Council’s research has shown Australia’s historical rate of priests involved in child sexual abuse to be higher than the 2% reportedly estimated by Pope Francis.

In an interview with ABC’s Lateline television program, Mr Sullivan said that “four per cent of men who have been a priest in the Catholic Church at some point in Australia have been child sex abusers.”

However, Mr Sullivan noted that this number is not applicable to currently serving priests, saying “[Priests involved in child sexual abuse] wouldn’t be serving and they wouldn’t be anywhere near any ministry to do with children.”

More information on Fr Lombardi’s statement

Mr Sullivan on Lateline Transcript and Video

—

A Catholic presbytery, convent and hospital have been brutally attacked in Bangladesh, according to a report released by Aid to the Church in Need earlier this week.

It was reported that at 2am on the 7th of July, up to 60 armed men forcefully entered the Boldipukur village mission located nearly 50 miles east of Dinajpur.

In an attack that lasted nearly an hour and a half, the convent of the Pontifical Institute of Foregin Missions nuns was broken into and the nuns inside were subjected to brutal beatings and attempted sexual assault.

Dinajpur’s Bishop Tudu said that this kind of attack was unprecedented due to the level of respect for nuns in the predominately Muslim country.

“The attack is obviously a targeted and planned attempt at intimidation,” Bishop Tudu said.

“Nuns and priests are being attacked because they stand up for the disadvantaged and minorities,” he said. Bishop Tudu added that there had been a previous attack on a seminary, and that Catholics in his diocese now lived in fear.

“The most recent attack is clearly a targeted response to Catholics’ commitment to the country’s poorest people,” he explained.

At present there are 45 priests and more than 100 nuns working in the diocese.

—

The Anglican Church’s General Synod has approved legislation to allow women bishops on Monday after five hours of debate.

Monsignor Keith Newton of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of Walsingham has said that the decision makes it harder for those in the Church of England who “still long for corporate unity with the Catholic and Orthodox Churches.”

It is reported that members of the Anglican Communion who see merit in the Catholic Church’s upholding of tradition remain divided and are expected to leave the Church.

The Catholic Bishops of England have issued a statement responding to the decision earlier this week, saying: “The Catholic Church remains fully committed to its dialogue with the Church of England and the Anglican Communion…

“The decision of the Church of England to [do this]sadly places a further obstacle on the path to this unity between us,” it said.

The decision follows other recent changes within the Church, including a decision to omit references to the Devil and sin from baptismal promises. Use of the amended wording, which is attributed to a need for greater ‘accessibility’, will be left to the discretion of priests.

—

New South Wales Senator David Leyonhjelm announced on Monday that he will seek to introduce a new ‘same sex marriage’ bill into the Senate.

The Liberal Democrat, who is thought to have been voted in by those actually intending to vote for the Liberal Party, told media on Monday that he would be asking the Coalition to allow a conscience vote on the issue in return for his support in passing key budget measures. Senator Leyonhjelm claims his decision stems from his belief that the Government should not define or regulate marriage.

The Coalition currently has a party view that the Commonwealth’s definition of marriage should remain “a union between one man and one woman”. However, Prime Minister Tony Abbott said that, along with other issues, the Coalition view on marriage would be reviewed in the party room after the 2013 election.

South Australian Liberal Senator Simon Birmingham told Sky News that he believes the issue will be considered after the budget has been dealt with, and that he personally would seek a conscience vote on the issue and vote in favour.

Senator Leyonhjelm has said that he plans to introduce the bill, provided the Coalition allow a conscience vote, or that he can secure enough votes from Labor and the cross benches.

“Today, I challenge Mr Shorten and Labor party members to look Senator Wong in the eye and tell her she does not deserve equal rights,” Senator Leyonhjelm said.

“Today I challenge Mr Abbott and Liberal party members to do the same with Mr Abbott’s sister” he said.

Both Senator Wong and Mr Abbott’s sister are actively homosexual.

Mr Leyonhjelm is one of eight senators holding power over whether the Government can pass legislation – including controversial budget measures.

—

Caritas Australia has announced that almost $11 million was raised in this year’s Project Compassion campaign.

In a statement released on Tuesday, Caritas announced that their 2014 Project Compassion campaign has raised at final tally almost $11 million, only 5 months after raising $6.2 million for their Typhoon Haiyan appeal.

Helen Forde, Head of Community Engagement for Caritas Australia, expressed her thanks for the continuing generosity of Australians.

Ms Forde said, “This amazing achievement will allow us to bring a brighter tomorrow to the world’s poor, and for that they – and we – are very grateful.”

São Paulo’s Maristely [Ma-ris-telly] – who was the face of this year’s Project Compassion campaign – thanked Australians for supporting her and her fellow youth in Brazil’s favelas.

Maristely said, “I would like to thank all [Australian supporters] most sincerely for their kindness and generosity. Their contribution is very important not only in money terms but also in their belief in all the young people of the favelas,” she said.

The Project Compassion campaign is held during Lent annually to support Caritas Australia’s long-term projects in Australia and over 30 countries around the world.

See Caritas Australia’s media release.

View statements from three of this year’s featured people

Music Credit: Waking Up by Dexter Britain.

The post 5 Headlines You May Have Missed (18 July) appeared first on Cradio.

News from around the Catholic world for the week ending 11 July.

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•  Pope Francis meets with victims of clergy sexual abuse

•  Cardinal Pell announces first stages of financial and administrative reform at the Vatican

•  Murder of PNG priest suspected to have triggered further payback killings

•  Retired bishop of Broome passes away at 94

•  NAIDOC week celebrations wrap up across the country.

TRANSCRIPT

BOBBIE: Pope Francis has on Monday of this week met with six victims of clergy sexual abuse.

The gathering began with morning Mass, in which the Holy Father’s homily expressed the deep sadness he feels that men of the cloth betrayed so many children.

The Pope said that for some time now he has felt deep pain and suffering in his heart.

“Those few who began to weep have touched our conscience for this crime and grave sin,” Pope Francis said.

“This is what causes me distress and pain at the fact that some priests and bishops, by sexually abusing minors, violated their innocence and their own priestly vocation,” he said.

Pope Francis described the fact of clerical abuse of children as a “sacrilegious cult”, saying “these boys and girls had been entrusted to the priestly charism in order to be brought to God. And those people sacrificed them to the idol of their own concupiscence. They profane the very image of God in whose likeness we were created.”

Pope Francis closed by saying “I am grateful for this meeting. And please pray for me, so that the eyes of my heart will always clearly see the path of merciful love, and that God will grant me the courage to persevere on this path for the good of all children and young people”.

The Mass was followed by 30-minute private meetings between Pope Francis and each of the victims. Marie Collins, a member of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors and herself a victim of child sexual abuse, spoke to Vatican Radio about her impressions of the meeting.

MARIE COLLINS: what I was most impressed about the meeting was the fact the Pope gave so much time, there was no hurry, there was no clock-watching. Each survivor got the time they needed to tell their story, and whatever they wanted to say to the Pope, they got the opportunity. I spoke to most of the survivors as they came out from their meetings and the general feeling was they felt they had said what they wanted to say and had been heard…. I feel the Pope was giving an example to other bishops and archbishops around the world as to what they should be doing… not just (hearing) a group of survivors, but sitting down and listening to personal stories, one-to-one…..it’s a win-win situation, for survivors it can be very healing but also from the point of view of the clerical side, they learn more about the effects and that can help in dealing with it too…”

You can hear that interview via Vatican Radio.

—

Cardinal George Pell has this week announced the first stages of administrative and financial reform at the Vatican.

On Wednesday local time, Secritariat of the Economy Cardinal Pell appeared at a press conference where he announced changes throughout the Vatican and Holy See’s economic and administrative management.

Cardinal Pell stated that it was his aim for all levels of financial administration to be brought up to a world standard.

CARDINAL PELL: “What are we trying to do? First of all we are working so that international financial standards will be followed in all the dicasteries and sections of the Holy See and Governatorato”

BOBBIE: Cardinal Pell’s key financial reforms include the implementation of stronger reporting and auditing measures, and changes to the Vatican’s banking, property and pension organisations.

Cardinal Pell said, “…our ambition is to become something of a model of financial management rather than a cause for occasional scandal.”

An overhaul of Vatican Media was also announced with an 11-member committee formed to guide the Vatican’s future communication efforts, headed by former Hong Kong Governor and chairman of the BBC Trust Lord Christopher Patten. The committee will look at how the Vatican can adapt to contemporary media trends and reduce communication costs.

More information on the press conference and announced reforms can be found on the Vatican Press Office website. The full story is also available via Vatican Radio.

—

The Bereina Diocese of Papua New Guinea are still awaiting a report on the murder of a Catholic priest more than four weeks ago, with rumours circulating of more payback killings following his death.

Father Jerry Inao was shot in May this year in Goilala, Papua New Guinea. While the death has widely been attributed to tribal feuds, little can be confirmed without a police report.

Bereina’s Bishop Rochus Tatamai said police have run out of funds and have consequently left the area without completing investigations.

“We only know what people say and it’s not good news,” Bishop Tatamai said.

“The rumors are that seven murders have followed, including that of the young culprit,” he said.

Fr Rey Caigo, a frend of Father Jerry’s, said the late priest had himself spoken out about the revenge killings that so often take place in Goilala.

“Fr Jerry was particularly concerned about the youth and the way he could bring about the end of the killings and stable peace in his home place,” Fr Rey said.

Before he was murdered Fr Jerry had reportedly recommended to his family that his death not be avenged. However, when a person is killed in Goilala, retaliation is often inevitable.

This event is not new for the people of Goilala where violence, murder and drug addictions are a frequent occurance. Despite these difficulties, the Church today continues to help where she can by providing education and health services to the people of the mountains of Goilala.

—

Bishop Emeritus John Jobst of Broome has passed away at 94 years of age.

The German-born Pallottine served as Bishop of the Diocese of Broome in northwestern Australia for 36 years from 1959 to 1995.

Bishop Jobst was known for flying his own plane around his vast outback diocese, a practice that earned him the nickname “the flying bishop”.

Bishop Jobst was instrumental in establishing education in his diocese, founding eight schools in remote Aboriginal communities, as well as the University of Notre Dame’s Broome campus.

In a statement, Australian Catholic Bishops Conference President Archbishop Dennis Hart offered condolences.

Archbishop Hart said, “The Australian Bishops remember Bishop John Jobst with affection and gratitude as a man of integrity and priestly goodness, and a true missionary. His care for the diocese of Broome and its aboriginal people was highly esteemed from 1959 – 1995 when he retired. May the Lord grant him the reward of his labours.”

The current Bishop of Broome, Most Reverend Christopher Saunders, highlighted Bishop Jobst’s strength and courage in the face of trial, stating “[h]e turned determination into an art form and failure was something that he didn’t live with very well”.

Bishop Saunders also noted that Bishop Jobst’s final words were about his former diocese.

Bishop Saunders said, “I was told by his carers that is last words were about the Kimberley and wanting to return there. ‘I must go back to the Kimberley. I want to see them. I want to see they are cared for.'”

Vice Chancellor of The University of Notre Dame Australia, Professor Celia Hammond credited Bishop Jobst as being a ‘pioneer of remote education’. “It was Bishop Jobst who led the initiative that saw the establishment of Notre Dame’s Broome Campus in 1994, a brave endeavour given the fragile resource base and extreme challenges associated with establishing Australia’s most remote university campus,” Professor Hammond said.

“Bishop Jobst’s fierce determination, intelligence, integrity and care helped shape the Kimberley community and, in particular, the work of Notre Dame Broome,” she said.

Bishop Jobst’s funeral will be held in Frauenzell, Germany next Friday.

—

NAIDOC week celebrations are wrapping up around Australia, with dozens of events taking place in Catholic schools and the broader community.

NAIDOC, which originally stood for National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee, presents a particular opportunity to recognise the achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

For Catholics, the week begins with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Sunday, which this year carried the theme ‘Praise to You, Lord of Heaven and Earth’. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Sunday is an initiative of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, and is a chance to ‘celebrate and acknowledge the gifts that Indigenous people bring to the Catholic Church in Australia.’ The way in which the day is celebrated is left to the discretion of each community.

In the Archdiocese of Sydney, Aboriginal elders Dr Elsie Heiss, Sue Bryant and Gloria Martin were honoured for their service to the Church and to their people through Sydney’s Aboriginal Catholic Ministry. They will be the founding members of the Hall of Fame at the Church of Reconciliation in La Parouse.

At Sunday’s Mass in the small, crowded church, Jesuit priest Fr Frank Brennan quoted St John Paul II’s address to the Aboriginal community on his 1986 visit to Alice Springs.

“The Church herself in Australia will not be fully the Church that Jesus wants her to be until you have made your contribution to her life and until that contribution has been joyfully received for others,” he said.

You can access St John Paul II’s 1986 address via the Diocese of Lismore website.

Music Credit: Waking Up by Dexter Britain.

The post 5 Headlines You May Have Missed (11 July) appeared first on Cradio.

News from around the Catholic world for the week ending 4 July.

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•  Pope Francis’ latest interview

•  Iraqi Archbishop calls for a new government to stop ISIS

•  A Supreme Court win for U.S. companies who oppose contraception

•  The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse asks for two more years

•  Catholic school set to open to Asylum seekers on Christmas Island

•  600 youth to gather in Sydney for CFC’s Youth Conference

TRANSCRIPT

BOBBIE: Pope Francis has featured in another wide-ranging media interview, this time for Roman daily Il Messaggero.

The topics covered ranged from the sensitive issues of feminism and declining birthrates across Europe; to more practical issues, such as how the Church should cater for the widening divide between the rich and poor, and the missionary role of politicians in today’s changing world.

Discussing the declining trend in church participation among young people Pope Francis said,”The Church must go out into the streets, seek the people, go to homes, visit families, go to the fringes…”

Demonstrating his compassion for the plight of working class families, and with regard to the declining birthrate, Pope Francis said, “…sometimes the salary isn’t enough to make it to the end of the month….much depends on the economic crisis.”

He was quick to denounce the label of ‘communist’ slapped onto him through social media, as well as the idea that women do not play an important role in the Church. “Women are the most beautiful thing God has made,” he said.

“Theology can’t be made without this feminine dimension. You are right about this, we don’t speak enough about it. I agree that more work must be done on the theology of woman,” he said.

You can view more excerpts from the interview on Vatican Radio’s website.

—

The Iraqi parliament has met amidst International pressure to choose a new Prime Minister who will confront the ISIS terrorist group, following the murder of 2,400 civilians in June.

ISIS, meaning “Islamic State of Iraq & Syria” have been attacking parts of Syria and Iraq, and are currently threatening Iraq’s capital.

The Chaldean Archdiocese of Erbil’s Archbishop Bashar Warda spoke to Vatican Radio:

ARCHBISHOP BASHAR WARDA: What we are asking is to have the international community to put pressure on the Iraqi politicians, because basically there is no government now, to speed the process of getting a community together and forming a government as soon as possible. It’s chaotic, really chaotic. People are not just worried and afraid but they are really depressed about what will be the future, if there is a future”.

BOBBIE: He also told Vatican Radio many members of the Christian community are seriously thinking about leaving Iraq.

ARCHBISHOP BASHAR WARDA: They are fed up, just fed up. Afraid. Terrified. It’s not just about being a Christian; it is about being a minority. You know we have so many minorities inside Iraq, so that is why I am saying do something! Do something!

You can hear the full interview at Vatican Radio.

—

BOBBIE: The Supreme Court of the United States has ruled that corporations cannot be forced by the Government to purchase contraception for its employees.

Under the United States’ Affordable Health Care Act, employers were compelled to provide contraception for employees in the company healthcare plan- a move , which has been dubbed the “contraception mandate”. The mandate was challenged by craft retail chain Hobby Lobby and cabinet makers Conestoga Wood Specialties in their respective district courts, and had since advanced to the Supreme Court.

The Court ruled that such a mandate is unconstitutional and illegal, as the US Government could not prove that the mandate was the “least restrictive means” in providing free access to contraception. The decision has been cited as a victory for religious freedom in the United States.

Eric Scheidler, Executive Director of the Pro-Life Action League, said “This ruling in favor of Hobby Lobby is a victory for all who cherish religious freedom… The movement that began with hundreds of protest rallies outside federal court buildings has just won a great victory inside the nation’s highest court.”

A further 100 cases related to the contraception mandate are pending decision around the United States, including cases involving EWTN, the Little Sisters of the Poor, and 12 Catholic dioceses.

More information on ruling: Via CNN

More information on reaction: Via Standup for Religious Freedom

More information on pending cases: Via Becket Fund

—

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has this week released its interim report, requesting a two-year extension worth $104 million.

The Commission has been funded until the end of 2015, but claims this is not enough time to complete its work.

The report reads: “When the Royal Commission began, no one knew how long may be required to carry out the tasks in the Letters Patent. We did not know how many people might come forward to tell their personal story. No one was aware of the number of institutions about which there may be allegations of abuse.”

Since the Inquiry began at the start of 2013, it has conducted 1677 private sessions and 13 public hearings around Australia, investigating cases of child sexual abuse in non-religious and religious institutions. Over 160 cases have been referred to the police for investigation.

Some organisations that have been examined at public hearings so far include Scouts Australia, the New South Wales Department of Community Services, YMCA NSW, an Anglican diocese and a number of Catholic dioceses and agencies. The Commission is today concluding its public hearing for a case study concerning the Diocese of Wollongong.

You can access the full report on the Commission’s website.

—

The Catholic Education Office of Western Australia will open a school for children of asylum seekers on Christmas Island later this month.

The school, known as the Christmas Island Learning Centre, will be a partnership between the Catholic Education Office and the Australian Federal Department of Immigration. The Centre is set to provide early-childhood to secondary-level education for the 56 school-age children in the Christmas Island Immigration Detention Centre.

Dr Tim McDonald, Executive Director of the Catholic Education Office of Western Australia, said that the school provided an excellent opportunity for Catholics to put their values into action.

Dr McDonald said, “The Church has a long tradition of supporting the poor and marginalised and a history of supporting those in detention.

“In the WA context we have previously provided education services to children in detention in Port Hedland, so our involvement on Christmas Island is not unique.”

Bishop Christopher Saunders of Broome in the north of Western Australia said that the initiative would help alleviate some of the difficulties facing children in detention.

Bishop Saunders said, “There’s not much we can do to help children get out from behind the bars of detention, but we can make their time a little more pleasant and a little bit more useful.”

The Christmas Island Learning Centre will open on July 21.

Full story via Sydney Archdiocese website.

—

CFC-Youth For Christ will be staging their annual national conference, also known as ‘YCON’, this coming weekend, from Friday 4 July through to Sunday.

This year the conference will be hosted at Meroo Christian Conference Centre in Sydney. The community is celebrating a milestone of 20 years in Australia, and has named the conference ‘Revival’ to express a renewal of their mission to bring Christ to others.

The Revival Conference is set to attract around 600 participants, which event organisers say “makes a powerful statement that the Catholic Youth in Australia is very much alive, vibrant and mission-ready”.

YFC leader and event organiser Ron Ao spoke to Cradio about what’s in store.

RON: I’m really excited for the conference because close to 600 youth are going to attend. They’re about to be graced by Our Lord Jesus Christ. They’re going to learn about the faith, and basically the fire of the Holy Spirit is going to empower them to really evangelise. It’s not everyday that you get close to 600 youth together to learn more about the faith and to worship our God together and to learn about the different aspects of our good, true and beautiful faith.

BOBBIE: The event is for all Youth for Christ members and is open to all young people between 16-21. Over the course of the weekend attendees will hear sessions on faith, mission and interior life, and will participate in workshops including a vocations panel, music ministry and Catholic social teaching. They will also have praise & worship, Mass, and Eucharistic Adoration throughout the weekend, with Apostolic Administrator Bishop Peter Comensoli celebrating Mass on Sunday.

Music Credit: Waking Up by Dexter Britain.

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News from around the Catholic world for the week ending 27 June.

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•  Pope Francis to visit South Korea;

•  Sudanese Christian mother released from death row, then arrested while attempting to flee Sudan

•  Archbishop of Canterbury meets Vatican’s cricket team ahead of September clash

•  Ethics classes set to roll out to kindergarteners

•  24-hour prayer campaign to stop the decriminalisation of abortion in NSW

TRANSCRIPT

BOBBIE: Pope Francis has announced plans to visit South Korea in August for the beatification of 124 Korean martyrs.

The beatification is scheduled for August 16, and will honour Korean Christians killed during the 17th and 18th Centuries.

The Holy Father’s schedule includes attendance at the Asian Catholic Youth Festival in Seoul, Mass in Haemi’s Castle and in Daejeon’s World Cup Stadium for World Asian Youth Day and a final Mass in Seoul’s Cathedral, which will be offered for peace and reconciliation.

The Pope is set to meet relatives of the Seoul ferry disaster victims, the South Korean President and Korean Bishops. He is also planning to pay a visit to the House of Hope, a residence for disabled people, the School of Love religious communities and the Sanctuary of the Martyrs of Sae So Mun.

This will mark Korea’s first papal visit since St John Paul II was there for the second time in 1989.

Pope Francis has also announced plans to visit to Sri Lanka and the Philippines in January, 2015.

—

Meriam Ibrahim, the Christian woman who was last month sentenced to death in Sudan, was been acquitted of her charges and released, but is now facing seven years in prison for allegedly falsifying travel documents.

Ms Ibrahim was released with her two small children on Monday. She had been accused by her brother of abandoning her Muslim faith, and was sentenced to hang for refusing to renounce Christianity.

Ms Ibrahim, whose father was a Muslim, was raised as a Christian by her Ethiopian Orthodox mother and married a Christian man in 2011. However, the law states that children must follow their father’s religion, and that Muslim women are prohibited from marrying non-Muslims.

International pressure had been mounting on Sudan since the sentence gained widespread media attention last month. Ms Ibrahim was 8 months pregnant at the time and delivered her baby in prison.

Following a court appeal earlier this week Ms Ibrahim was released and attempted to leave the country with her husband, who is a U.S. citizen. She was detained at Khartoum airport, with authorities claiming she was travelling on falsified documents.

The US State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf said Sudan’s Government had given assurances the family is safe, but they are now facing seven years in prison.

—

Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury Reverend Justin Welby had his first encounter with the Vatican’s cricket team recently, ahead of September’s clash between Anglicans and Catholics.

For the first time in history The Vatican and the Church of England will face off for a cricket match at England’s famous Lord’s Cricket Ground.

The Vatican has recently recruited an Indian batsman and a Sri Lankan bowler to its St Peters XI cricket team. Reverend Justin Welby, who is the Anglican Communion’s highest cleric, said he was unperturbed by the new recruits and joked that “we all know God is English”.

“This is the first cricket match between the two since the Reformation,” he said with a grin. “There will be no intervention on the other side,” he added.

The Vatican, the word’s smallest state, has recruited cricketers from five countries. St Peter’s Cricket Club, an initiative of Australia’s Ambassador to the Holy See John McCarthy, was founded last year and includes 300 seminarians and priests from Catholic colleges and seminaries around Rome. The best players were selected for St Peter’s XI and will tour England in September.

More on that story via Vatican Radio.

—

From next month, children in Kindergarten will join their older peers across Australia in undertaking “philosophical ethics” classes.

The classes are being coordinated by a company called ‘Primary Ethics Limited’ formed by the St James Ethics Centre, an independent organisation seeking to promote secular ethics.

Supporters claim the purpose is to “encourage children to progress their ethical reasoning skills”.

A video on the Primary Ethics website [primaryethics.com.au] says the topics covered include common capacities for suffering, the interests of others, the common good, where moral duty lies, what makes for moral character, and so on.

While the company claims it seeks to highlight some of the issues with moral relativism, Parent Ethics Class Facilitator Angela Robertson says that she aims to make students see “there [is]no right or wrong answer”, that whatever opinion they form through their reasoning is “valid”.

In a 2011 submission Dr Bernadette Tobin of the Plunkett Centre for Ethics highlighted some key issues with the curriculum, including its failure to form children in virtue before asking them to engage in ethical reasoning.

“On my view (which I take from Aristotle) ethical development comes in stages,” the submission reads.

“The framework itself is not sufficiently attentive to the structure of moral development. It focuses too much on ethical or moral ‘dilemmas’, on ‘exceptions’ to ethical ‘rules’ and not enough on an appreciation of the great ethical truths,” it says.

“So it is likely to encourage either scepticism about ethics (the idea that truth is not at stake when you are doing ethics) or utilitarianism in ethics (the idea that truth is at stake but that there is only one ethical truth: you should always do whatever will ‘maximise good consequences’).”

View the full submission to parliament (PDF)

—

The Greens Party have sought to introduce a bill in the NSW Parliament to decriminalise abortion.

Abortion is currently a crime in New South Wales, but is allowed if a doctor deems the pregnancy to be a serious threat to the mother’s physical or mental health during or after the pregnancy.

Since 1971, one medical practitioner has been charged in relation to an abortion in New South Wales.

Greens Member for the NSW Legislative Council Dr Mehreen Faruqi announced last Thursday that she would be placing a bill on notice to remove abortion from the criminal code.

Dr Faruqi said, “Today, I will give notice for what I believe to be the first abortion decriminalisation bill in NSW history.”

Dr Faruqi cited “Zoe’s Law”, an amendment that seeks to acknowledge harm done to unborn children, as inspiration for the bill.

She said, “Over the last year, and particularly since the debate on foetal personhood laws, I have been talking to women around Sydney and regional NSW who have told me that the time has come for an end to the criminalisation of a woman’s rights over her own body.”

Hansard parliamentary records indicate that the motion was not put forward as planned on the date of Dr Faruqi’s announcement.

In a response, Australian pro-life group “Light Up the Darkness” has launched a national prayer campaign to combat the new developments. The campaign will call on participants to contribute a Holy Hour at their local parish towards filling up a 24 hour prayer schedule nation-wide.

If you would like to sign up to the roster, or for more information, visit the Light Up the Darkness website at lightupthedarkness.net.

View SMH’s coverage of this story.

Music Credit: Waking Up by Dexter Britain.

The post 5 Headlines You May Have Missed (27 June) appeared first on Cradio.

News from around the Catholic world for the week ending 20 June.

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•  Pope Francis meets with the Archbishop of Canterbury

•  Venerable Fulton Sheen one step closer to being declared a saint

•  Christians flee Iraq following ISIS take-over

•  Caritas Australia recognised by UN for work in the Solomon Islands

•  Australian Churches Refugee Task Force calls on government to move offshore detention centers to Tasmania.

TRANSCRIPT

BOBBIE:  Pope Francis has met with the Anglican Communion’s Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby in Rome on Monday, with discussions focusing on the topics of Christian unity and human suffering.

Vatican Radio spoke to Archbishop Welby before the audience.

ARCHBISHOP WELBY: This is essentially a fraternal visit, and it’s developing on the progress we have made over the last year. The key aspect to what we’re sharing is the commitment to work together on issues of human suffering. We’ve seen that in the Global Freedom Network and the Declaration on Trafficking – and I’m expecting and hoping that we will continue to see further joint work in areas of human suffering and great poverty and struggle.

In an address to Archbishop Welby, Pope Francis lamented the disunity of the followers of Christ, highlighting our poor response to God’s call for us to be one.

Pope Francis said, “Beneath [The Lord’s] merciful gaze, we cannot claim that our division is anything less than a scandal and an obstacle to our proclaiming the Gospel of salvation to the world.”

Pope Francis and Archbishop Welby also spoke about their joint efforts in combatting human trafficking. Pope Francis thanked Archbishop Welby for his leadership in the area, and voiced his desire to maintain the fight against slavery.

The Holy Father said, “Let us persevere in our commitment to combat new forms of enslavement, in the hope that we can help provide relief to victims and oppose this deplorable trade.”

“I thank God that, as disciples sent to heal a wounded world, we stand together, with perseverance and determination, in opposing this grave evil,” he said.

See Pope Francis’ full address via news.va.

See Archbishop Welby’s address on his website.

Hear the full story on Vatican Radio’s website. 

—

Venerable Archbishop Fulton Sheen is one step closer to being declared a saint, with a Vatican panel of theologians this week unanimously recommending that the well-known stillborn miracle of 2010 be attributed to his intercession.

Bonnie Engstrom sought the intercession of Venerable Fulton Sheen in September 2010, when her son was born limp and blue with a knot in his umbilical cord. As they waited for an ambulance the child was baptised James Fulton by his father.

For 60 minutes baby James Fulton had no pulse, and fearing he was dead, the parents prayed fervently to Venerable Fulton Sheen while the doctors attempted to restart his heart. Soon after, the child was declared dead. After 61 minutes, the baby was restored to life and is still medication free and functioning normally.

In March of this year, Vatican medical experts declared no natural explanation for the restarting of the heart so long after the still-birth, and in light of this evidence, the investigation conducted by the theological commission found the miracle to be sound evidence for the beatification of Venerable Fulton Sheen.

The committee of experts would have had to determine its miraculous nature by investigating whether it could be attributed to medical documents and witness testimonies, while taking into consideration the seriousness of the condition, whether or not health was actually restored, and if the condition has resurfaced since the event.

The Congregation for the Causes of Saints will now review the case before the Pope makes a final decision as to whether Sheen will be beatified.

More information is available via the website for the cause of the Venerable Fulton Sheen.

—

Islamic terrorist group ISIS, an offshoot of Al-Qaeda, has taken over a large part of Iraq over the last week, causing civilians to flee the area.

The BBC reports that ISIS, which stands for Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, wants to create an Islamist state spreading from Northern Iraq to North-West Syria.

In addition to attacks on the general population, there has been direct violence targeted at Christians. Before this week’s attacks 300,000 Christians were estimated to live in Iraq, down from more than 1.2 million in the early 1990s. Since then, large numbers have fled to Jordan, Lebanon and Syria, or to the northern Kurdish region as a result of Islamic violence.

Mosul’s Archbishop Amel Nona said that in the 11 years following the 2003 US-led overthrow of Saddam Hussein, the number of Christians in his Archdiocese had declined from 35,000 to 3,000. This week Mosul’s last remaining Christians left their homes due to church attacks, killings, robberies, rapes and kidnappings.

Discussing the attacks to four churches and a monastery in Mosul, the Archbishop said: “We received threats… [and]now all the faithful have fled the city. I wonder if they will ever return there.”

Julie Bishop, Australia’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, has pledged to provide assistance if requested by Iraq.

—

Caritas Australia’s efforts in the Solomon Islands have been recognised with an award from the United Nations.

The Pacific Innovation and Leadership Award for Resilience was awarded to Caritas Australia on Wednesday for their contribution to natural disaster risk reduction in the region.

Caritas Australia have assisted in natural disaster preparation by creating programs with local residents in the Solomon Islands, particularly in vulnerable communities. One such program, known as the Nursery Rhyme Program, uses songs and rhymes to teach children about how they can respond to disaster.

Speaking on the Nursery Rhyme Program, Solomon Islands program officer Mary Malagela said “[i]t is really important to teach young kids simple and effective [Disaster Risk Reduction] messages, ones they will be able to share with their friends and family.”

“It is something that is easy to remember, even during a stressful situation like a disaster event, and it can help kids feel safe, knowing what to do to protect themselves in a disaster,” she said.

The Nursery Rhyme Program has been implemented in the Solomon Islands, Tonga and Vanuatu, helping 4000 children thus far. The Solomon Islands is frequently struck by natural disasters, typically through floods, earthquakes and tsunamis.

In February last year at least nine people were killed and a number of villages were destroyed after a tsunami in the region.

More on that story via The Catholic Leader.

—

The Australian Churches Refugee Task Force has called on the Abbott Government to consider moving offshore detention centers to Tasmania as a more cost-effective and humane alternative to Manus Island and Nauru.

Anglican Bishop John Harrower and CEO of the Taskforce Ms Misha Coleman raised their concerns with offshore processing at a meeting with state and federal politicians in Tasmania ahead of this week’s Refugee Week events.

Ms Coleman cited estimates that the offshore facilities are costing taxpayers $3,744 per person per day, with offshore processing being the fastest growing area of expenditure in the Australian budget.

“We’re the only country in the world that wastes money in this way,” Ms Coleman said.

“The Taskforce has estimated that thousands of jobs could be created by processing asylum seekers in Tasmania – without the inhumane conditions that have led to suicide attempts and violence in the offshore centres,“ she said.

Bishop Harrower, who is patron of the Taskforce said that caring for refugees in Tasmania would be better stewardship of taxpayer money.

“Based on Tasmania’s record of caring for asylum seekers and refugees, we’d get a more ethical, humane and legal approach to the care of asylum seekers,” Bishop Harrower said, “as opposed to the cruelty that is being inflicted in the offshore camps”.

Australia commemorates Refugee Week to coincide with World Refugee Day on the 20th of June each year.

Music Credit: Waking Up by Dexter Britain.

The post 5 Headlines You May Have Missed (20 June) appeared first on Cradio.

News from around the Catholic world for the week ending 13 June.

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•  Israeli and Palestinian presidents join Pope Francis in praying for peace

•  Karachi Catholics turn to St Anthony of Padua’s intercession for peace following Taliban attacks

•  UK court orders mentally disabled minor to undergo an abortion

•  Pro-life MP suspended from Victorian parliament

•  Capuchin Friars to host first national Capuchin youth conference: registrations close this Sunday.

TRANSCRIPT

BOBBIE:  ‘Peacemaking calls for courage, much more so than warfare’. These were the words spoken by Pope Francis to Israeli and Palestinian Presidents Shimon Peres and Mahmoud Abbas on their visit to Rome on Pentecost Sunday.

Peres and Abbas journeyed to the Vatican at Pope Francis’ invitation to join him in praying for peace in the Holy Land. The encounter took place in the Vatican Gardens just two weeks after Pope Francis had announced it, and incorporated prayer in the Jewish, Christian and Islamic traditions.

Vatican Radio’s Emer McCarthy has that report:

EMER MCARTHY: There were rabbis from diverse traditions, Muslim and Druze imams and muftis, cardinals, bishops, the custodian of the Holy Land, Fr. Pizzaballa. Theophilos III, Greek-orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem was also present as were Rabbi Abram Skorka and Muslim leader Omar Abboud both from Buenos Aires, longtime friends of the Holy Father.

We “call upon God in an act of supreme responsibility before our consciences and before our peoples” said Pope Francis.

“We cannot bring about peace on our own”, he said, and that is why we are here “because we know and we believe that we need the help of God”.

“We have heard a summons, and we must respond. It is the summons to break the spiral of hatred and violence, and to break it by one word alone: the word “brother”. But to be able to utter this word we have to lift our eyes to heaven and acknowledge one another as children of one Father”.

The Israeli president Shimon Peres said: “It is within our power to bring peace to our children. This is our duty, the holy mission of parents.”

The Palestinian President Mahoumoud Abbas called on God to bring a “comprehensive and just peace” to the region. He also quoted St. John Paul II “if peace is realized in Jerusalem, peace will be witnessed in the whole world”.

BOBBIE: At the conclusion of the prayer ceremony, the two presidents joined Pope Francis and Patriarch Bartholomew in planting an olive tree in the Vatican Gardens: a symbol of their shared desire for peace.

Hear the full story via Vatican Radio.

—

Catholics of Karachi have turned to prayer in response to a double attack on their international airport by the Pakistan Taliban earlier this week. People of all ages came together to venerate the saint of their city: St Anthony of Padua, whose feast day the Church celebrates today.

According to Fr Mario Rodrigues from St. Anthony’s parish Karachi, the three days preceding the Padua saint’s feast day were set aside to pray for peace, with the Church open from 6am to 6pm for adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

Fr Rodrigues said, “In moments of tension and violence, while a symbolic attack is taking place at the heart of the state, as Catholics we turn to St. Anthony”.

“To the saint of miracles we ask for the gift of peace and harmony for our beloved nation,” he said.

The Catholic community has also asked Pope Francis to pray for peace in Pakistan.

The attack on Sunday evening was sudden, with groups of uniformed terrorists, now identified as the Pakistan Taliban, marching into the airport and firing rocket propelled grenades. Thirty six were killed, and twenty were wounded during the gun battle which continued until Monday morning.

The second attack took place less than thirty-six hours later and interrupted prayers for the victims of Sunday evening’s attack. Three terrorists on motorbikes fired near the airport security force training facility before running away.

Flights were cancelled and two arrests have been made.

See that story via Fides News Agency.

—

A mentally disabled 13-year-old has undergone an abortion at the ruling of England and Wales’ most senior family judge. As a result of her mental condition, the girl, who cannot be identified, is described as having the comprehension of a seven-year-old.

Sir James Munby, president of the Family Division of the High Court, stated that the girl would be unable to keep her child, citing the many difficulties in the girl’s life and her lack of “capacity to decide for herself”.

Sir Munby said, “Leaving to one side her own wishes and feelings, the preponderance of all the evidence is clear that it would be in her best interests to have a termination.”

The girl was initially against the abortion prior to the court proceedings, with the Huffington Post UK quoting one expert in the case as saying “continuing the pregnancy… may have a less detrimental effect”. However Sir Munby said that the girl began changing her position at the beginning of the hearing.

Sir Munby said, “it was clearly appropriate for me to supply the necessary consent to enable the termination to proceed.”

Although Sir Munby’s written ruling was only published this week, the abortion has already taken place.

That story is at Daily Mail UK

—

Pro-life Victorian State MP Geoff Shaw was suspended from Parliament on Wednesday night following findings he misused his taxpayer-funded car.

The Parliamentary Privileges Committee found that Mr Shaw misused his taxpayer funded car for his hardware business, costing taxpayers nearly seven thousand dollars.

Following a heated debate in parliament, Victorian Premier Denis Napthine announced Mr Shaw will be suspended for the 11 sitting days between now and 2 September without receiving his salary. Mr Shaw is required to pay back $6,838, is not allowed to use any entitlements overseas or interstate, and must formally apologise for the abuse. If he fails to meet these requirements, he will be formally expelled after 2 September, just under 3 months before the 29 November election.

Mr Shaw, who is Member for Frankston and a former Liberal MP, currently holds the balance of power in the Victorian Parliament. He recently withdrew his support for the state Premier after Mr Napthine’s refusal to allow debate on proposed amendments to Labor’s 2008 Abortion Law Reform Act.

Mr Shaw has been a vocal opponent of the laws, which are among the most liberal in the world and refuse the right of conscientious objection to doctors. Earlier this week he told Fairfax Media that he believes both parties are attempting to silence him over this issue.

—

The Capuchin Franciscans will be holding a national youth fest in Sydney later this month, featuring local and international speakers focusing on the theme “Rebuild my Church”.

Capuchin Friar and event organiser Fr Thomas McFadden said the event is a great opportunity for young people to be inspired, learn about their faith and get to know one another.

FR THOMAS: There’s a terrific programme: we’ve got great talks, daily Mass, adoration, live music and games; we’ve got two international Capuchin speakers. So come along to rediscover our identity in Christ, to be renewed in faith, hope and charity, and to be empowered to go and rebuild The Church just as St Francis did – and to have a little bit of fun as well.

BOBBIE: The Capuchin Franciscan Youth Fest will be held Ratahane Conference Centre in New South Wales’ Royal National Park, south of Sydney.

Registrations close this Sunday, and are available via the Capuchin Friars website and Facebook page.

For more information or to register visit capuchinfriars.org.au.

The post 5 Headlines You May Have Missed (13 June) appeared first on Cradio.

News from around the Catholic world for the week ending 6 June.

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• Pope Francis urges Catholics to rediscover the beauty of family

•  Kidnapped missionaries freed in Cameroon

• Nurses and Midwives to conduct UK abortions

• Catholic Social Services Australia and the Australian Catholic Social Justice Council release their criticisms of the Federal Budget

• Walk with Christ Corpus Christi Procession to hit the streets of Sydney for another year.

TRANSCRIPT

BOBBIE:  Pope Francis has defended the family in an address to 52,000 Catholics, warning that the devil seeks to destroy it. The comments came in the Holy Father’s opening address to the 37th National Convocation of the “Renewal in the Spirit”, held at Rome’s Olympic Stadium on Sunday.

Pope Francis spoke to the crowd of Catholic Charismatics from around the world on the theme of renewal, addressing specifically priests, youth, the disabled, and families. He stated that renewal in our world “means rediscovering the beauty of creating a family”.

Pope Francis said, “Families are the home Church where Jesus grows. He grows in the spouses’ love and in the children’s lives.”

“For this reason, the enemy attacks the family so much,” he said.

Pope Francis’ took these comments further at his Mass on Monday, encouraging the attending couples to strengthen their marriages through perseverance.

The Holy Father said, “Married life must be persevering, because otherwise love cannot go forward.”

He also urged couples not to put off having children, which is the key of Christian marriage.

“You can go explore the world, go on holiday, you can have a villa in the countryside, you can be carefree. [I]n the end this marriage comes to old age in solitude, with the bitterness of loneliness,” he said.

More on that story at asianews.it and dailymail.co.uk.

—

Two Italian priests and a Canadian nun have been freed in Cameroon after being kidnapped in early April this year.

The release marks the end of the nearly two-month ordeal, which began after the trio were taken at gunpoint from a parish in the northern district of Maroua.

The release had been reportedly secured in a joint operation by Italian, Canadian and Cameroonian governments.

In a statement, Fr Federico Lombardi of the Holy See Press Office said, “We thank God that this incident has come to a successful conclusion.”

“At the same time we continue to pray and to work, that every form of violence, hatred, and conflict in the various regions of Africa and in other parts of the world might be overcome,” Fr Lombardi said.

The Italian priests had reportedly been working in Cameroon as missionaries, performing pastoral duties as well as assisting in improving water supplies and combating HIV/AIDS in the region.

More on that story at Vatican Radio.

—

New abortion guidelines in the UK allowing nurses and midwives to play a major role in the termination of unborn children has sparked outrage from all sides of Parliament, Zenit has reported.

Until now midwives and nurses were only permitted to take ‘certain actions’ during the abortion, but the revised rules state that a “nurse or midwife may administer the drugs used for medical abortions”. Under the new guidelines a doctor is only needed to approve and begin the abortion process.

Crossbench peer and Catholic Lord Alton of Liverpool said he felt it was “particularly perverse that midwives who do the beautiful work of helping babies into the world, will now be called upon to end the lives of children they might otherwise work to save.”

Conservative MP Fiona Bruce also criticised the development, calling it a clear liberalisation of abortion law”.

“I do not believe that it is what Parliament intended,” Ms Bruce said.

Labour MP and co-chairman of the all-party parliamentary pro-life group Jim Dobbin commented that the Department of Health seizes “every opportunity to make life easier for the abortion industry”.

“The Abortion Act is crystal clear that a qualified doctor is the only person able to perform an abortion,” he said.

The move follows pressure from the Royal College of Nursing and abortion providers, who believe the law should be changed to allow nurses full control of abortion induced by drugs or some other techniques.

See that story at zenit.org.

—

Catholic Social Services Australia and the Australian Catholic Social Justice Council have this week issued a joint statement criticising the Federal Budget for deepening the divide between rich and poor.

Chairman of the Australian Catholic Social Justice Council Bishop Christopher Saunders said the budget drives division and alienation in our Australian community.

“I am particularly concerned about the Budget’s impact on Indigenous families and young people,” Bishop Saunders said.

“Many of whom already face deprivation and marginalisation and confront enormous barriers in finding work,” he said.

Acting Executive Director of Catholic Social Services Australia Ms Jackie Brady expressed particular concern with the time-limits on welfare payments for young people.

“Without an adequate safety net, young people up to 30 years of age are being set up to fail,” Ms Brady said.

“That is especially so when the Government is pulling back on programs such as Youth Connections, which we know are successful in helping young people make the move from school to work or further education,” she said.

Ms Brady added, “If the government really wants us all to make a contribution, then it should be empowering those who are struggling – not punishing them”.

The Federal Budget, which was released last month, has received mixed responses, with cuts to family benefits, more stringent conditions tied to welfare payments and other measures which the Government says are necessary to address Australia’s increasing deficit.

—

Thousands are expected to flood the streets of Sydney in procession this month for the for an event celebrating the feast of Corpus Christi.

Walk With Christ is an annual event organised by the Archdiocese’ CREDO office.

All are welcome to participate, with the Eucharistic procession (accompanied with prayers and hymns) commencing at St Pat’s Churchhill and concluding at St Mary’s Cathedral with prayer and benediction.

The procession has in the past provided opportunity for the Church to reach out to Sydney-siders through public witness, with crowds reaching over 5,000. People will also have a chance to pray for their needs and those of the city as they bear witness to Christ.

Catholic Renewal and Evangelisation Diocesan Office Director Cathy Kennedy spoke to Cradio about the event.

CATHY KENNEDY: Anyone who comes for the first time are really quite blown away by the beauty of it, but also the corporate power of it. Having so many Catholics together from all around the Archdiocese gives you a real sense of pride to be Catholic: that you’re in something that’s bigger than just your little part of the world and your experience. I guess that’s a little bit like the WYD experience that young people get, so this is like a little taste of that.

BOBBIE: This year’s Walk with Christ will kick of at 2:30pm on 22 June.

The post 5 Catholic Headlines You May Have Missed (6 June) appeared first on Cradio.

News from around the Catholic world for the week ending 30 May.

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• Pope Francis talks marriage, pedophilia and Christian unity in his latest interview

•  Over 20,000 Easter Baptisms in mainland China

•  At least 11 killed in an attack on a Catholic church in the Central African Republic

• Rockhampton’s new bishop is ordained

• The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference announce a National Office for Youth.

TRANSCRIPT

SARAH: Pope Francis has concluded his trip to the Holy Land with a wide-ranging interview aboard his Rome-bound flight. The interview with Vatican journalists covered issues concerning his Holy Land trip and current controversies facing The Church.

The Pope discussed his meetings with Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, stating that “Bartholomew and I speak as brothers, we love each other and we talk about the difficulties we face as leaders.”

On the topic of unity between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, Pope Francis said “[unity]comes along the path, during a journey, we could never create unity at a theological congress.”

The Holy Father expressed his frustration that discussions about the upcoming Synod on the Family have an inordinate focus on the issue of remarried-divorcees receiving Holy Communion. Pope Francis spoke instead about the broader breakdown of the family throughout the world, saying “We know that today the family is facing a crisis, a global crisis, young people don’t want to marry or they live together… The pastoral problem regarding the family is vast.”

The Pope also used strong words against clerical sexual abuse, comparing such a sin to a black mass. Pope Francis also confirmed that he would be holding a Mass and meeting next week for abuse victims at Casa Santa Marta, the pope’s current residence.

Pope Francis’ trip to the Holy Land was highlighted by meetings with Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, a prayerful visit to Yad Vashem Holocaust museum, and an invitation to Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli president Shimon Peres to join him in Rome to pray for peace. Both presidents accepted the invitation, with the prayer meeting to take place next month.

Highlights from Pope Francis’ interview is available via Vatican Insider. 

—

In Mainland China, Fides News Agency has reported that over 20,000 baptisms took place this year over the Easter period, with some Catholic dioceses reporting they have doubled since last year. Seventy per cent of the newly baptised Christians were adults, all of whom received the sacraments of Confirmation and Eucharist as well.

The numbers are a sign of the continuing growth of the Catholic community in China, with the Rite of baptism not only administered at Easter, but also at Christmas and Chinese new year. Unfortunately the statistics only include government approved parishes, due difficulty obtaining the relevant statistical information from China’s underground Catholic communities.

The data was gathered by Faith of He Bei and Faith institute for Cultural Studies despite the government’s recent efforts to suppress Church influence, which have hindered communication for dioceses and parishes.

Today, Christianity is still not freely practiced in some parts of China with strict regulations around the growth and formation of Christian communities. Late last month it was reported that an iconic Christian church was destroyed under government orders.

Details via news.va.

—

At least 11 people have been killed in an attack on a Catholic church in the Central African Republic this week, with some sources putting the death toll as high as 30.

Muslim rebels stormed the Church of Fatima in the nation’s capital of Bangui, where Christians had sought refuge from violent clashes in the city’s streets. Witnesses said members of the Seleka militia group began throwing grenades at the church before opening gunfire on the hundreds of civilians inside.

Fr Freddy Mboula who was in the church at the time of the shooting estimated at least 30 were dead, including one priest. Fr Mboula told The Associated Press:

“We were in the church when were heard the shooting outside. There were screams and after 30 minutes of gunfire there were bodies everywhere.”

This recent attack is part of a spate of sectarian clashes since Muslim rebels were forced from power in January. However, attacks on places of worship are considered rare.

—

The Most Reverend Michael McCarthy was yesterday ordained as the tenth bishop of the Diocese of Rockhampton in a Mass streamed live on YouTube.

The Episcopal Ordination at St Joseph’s Cathedral was concelebrated by dozens of priests and over 20 bishops, with Brisbane’s Archbishop Mark Coleridge as main celebrant. It was preceded by an evening vigil where the faithful of the diocese gathered in prayer for the bishop-elect.

After the Gospel was proclaimed, the Apostolic Mandate from Pope Francis was read in Latin and English:

“In fulfilling your episcopal role, beloved son, do follow in the footsteps of Christ the supreme pastor; whose celebration of the Last Supper filled with love, which is the fullness of the law, was his priceless legacy to us.

“May the peace and light of Christ and the patronage of the Blessed Virgin Mary be always with you and this much loved church community in lovely and loveable Australia.”

The rural Queensland diocese has been awaiting a bishop since October last year when Bishop Brian Heenan retired.

Prior to his episcopal ordination, Bishop McCarthy told the Catholic Leader his priority was to travel and meet with key leaders across the diocese, which stretches from the coast to the Northern Territory border.

More news via The Catholic Leader.

—

The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference has announced that it will be establishing an Office for Youth. The office will be appointed with the task of evangelising specifically to the youth of Australia, and providing support to youth ministers.

Australian Bishops’ Delegate for Youth, Bishop Anthony Fisher, said “This new Office builds upon the graces of World Youth Day 2008 and the efforts of the Church in Australia since.”

“The Office will provide inspiration and formation for the Church in its mission to share the message of Jesus Christ with young people,” he said.

Initial tasks for the Office include updating the Australian Bishops framework for youth ministry entitled “Anointed and Sent”, developing online and digital resources, and hosting the upcoming Australian Catholic Youth Ministry Convention in Adelaide.

More information on the Office for Youth can be found at the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference website.

The post 5 Catholic Headlines You May Have Missed (30 May) appeared first on Cradio.

News from around the Catholic world for the week ending 23 May.

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• Holy Land prepares to receive Pope Francis

• Sudanese Christian woman waiting on death row

• International Religious join fight to stop trafficking at FIFA World Cup

• Pilgrims gather for Mt Schoenstatt Annual May Pilgrimage

• JPII Institute to run Theology of the Body marriage and family intensives over winter

TRANSCRIPT

LUKE: The Holy Land is preparing to receive Pope Francis this weekend. The trip will commemorate 50 years since the meeting between Pope Paul VI and Patriarch Athenagoras of Constantinople, where the excommunications of 1054 which caused the Great Schism were rescinded. The trip seeks continue the reconciliation between the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, taking the theme “Ut Unum Sint” – That they may be one.

During his trip, Pope Francis will travel to Amman in Jordan, Bethlehem in the West Bank and Jerusalem in Israel, where he will meet current Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew. The Holy Father said at his Wednesday Audience that the main purpose of his trip is “”is to meet [his]brother, Bartholomew”. “Peter and Andrew will meet once again, and this is very beautiful,” the pope said.

While the visit will officially be focused on ecumenism and diplomatic relations between the Holy See and countries in the Holy Land, commentators have speculated that Pope Francis may also have an influence in inter-religious healing and the Israel-Palestine conflict. Vatican journalist John L. Allen Jr. noted in the Boston Globe this week that “[b]y themselves, papal trips rarely change the world. If Francis accomplishes even a fraction of his ambitious agenda, however, this one could go down as among the most memorable chapters of his papacy.” The pope however noted in his Wednesday Audience that his trip will be “strictly religious”.

Pope Francis begin his journey to the Holy Land on Saturday, May 24.

For more information on this story, visit Catholic News Service.

—

LUKE: A pregnant Sudanese woman has been sentenced to death for refusing to renounce her Christian faith.

The 26 year old, Meriam Ibrahim, was given the sentence last Thursday in a Sudanese court after being found guilty of apostasy.

Her husband, Daniel Wani, arrived in Sudan on Monday after leaving the U.S., finding his 8 and a-half month pregnant wife being kept shackled in chains as she awaits hanging. The couple’s 18 month old son is also with her in prison.

Wani had been trying to get a U.S. visa for his wife, but has been unsuccessful, said Tina Ramirez, executive director of Hardwired, a U.S.-based advocacy group against religious persecution.

Wani, who is disabled in a wheelchair and depends on Ms Ibrahim for all details of his life, is appealing his wife’s execution.
The sentence won’t be carried out until Ibrahim gives birth, but Sudanese officials will not allow Mr Wani to take custody of his toddler son because a Christian man, by law, cannot raise a Muslim child.

Under Sudan’s criminal code, Muslim women are only allowed to marry Muslim men, and converting to another faith is punishable by death.

Several government opposition groups have said they will protest on Ibrahim’s behalf, with the UN also offering to help.

For more information on this story, visit The Telegraph.

—

LUKE: International consecrated religious have joined a campaign against human trafficking to be run during the FIFA World Cup in Brazil next month. The Talitha Kum International Network of Consecrated Life against Trafficking in Persons launched the campaign in Vatican City on Tuesday. The campaign is titled “Play for Life, against trafficking”.

The initiative is aimed at raising awareness of human trafficking at the high profile event which is expected to attract around 1.9 million people. At the launch, Sister Carmen Sammut, president of the International Union of Superior Generals, said “this crime is present everywhere, for the profits from it are enormous. Prevention of this type of human trafficking entails reducing the demands for sexual services. In order for this to happen, public opinion needs to be alerted”.

US Ambassador to the Holy See Kenneth Hackett also took part in the launch, and he spoke to Vatican Radio on Tuesday:

KENNETH HACKETT: Those major events which gather thousands of people, very often young men with too much beer to drink and too much time on their hands are kind of a breeding ground for problems, and we want to raise that awareness and support the nuns as they raise awareness on this particular issue.” (1:40)

For more information on this story, visit News.va.

—

LUKE Pilgrims have gathered with Bishop Anthony Fisher of the Parramatta Diocese at the Mt Schoenstatt Shrine in Mulgoa, west of Sydney for the Annual Marian Pilgrimage.

This year marks the 100 year anniversary of the Schoenstatt Movement, founded in Germany by Fr Joseph Kentenich in 1914.

In his homily, Bishop Anthony Fisher noted the remarkable expansion of the Schoenstatt movement in its first 100 years. The Bishop said “Who could have guessed that the movement would survive the imprisonment of the Founder, Joseph Kentenich, in Dachau concentration camp, his long ecclesiastical exile in America, and various other tensions. Yet it is by a life of prayer, prayer, prayer, of sound Christian formation and a Marian trust in providence, that such trials are turned to triumphs and saints are made!”

For a copy of Bishop Fisher’s homily, visit the Diocese of Parramatta website.
—

Luke: The John Paul II Institute for Marriage and Family in Melbourne is providing a unique opportunity for Catholics to prepare for October’s synod on the family.
 
The Institute has released its three winter intensive unit offerings, focusing on the Theology of the Body, the Nuptial Mystery and love, freedom and identity in thought of St John Paul II.
 
The intensives each run over a two-week period in July, which JPII Institute Senior Lecturer Dr Adam Cooper says provides the perfect opportunity for full-time workers or those living interstate to participate.
 
Dr Cooper: Every year we run the Theology of the Body in winter in this mode, two-week intensive mode, everyday, three hours a day, for two weeks. But we’re also running two other subjects this winter, which are sort of related. One of them is on, if you like, the background to the Theology of the Body in the actual thought of John Paul II before he was a Pope… and that’s a very interesting subject and dovetails beautifully with the Theology of the Body, which is, if you like, the culmination of his lifelong pastoral and theological reflections on human love and human freedom.
 
The other subject which we’re running also this winter is called the Nuptial Mystery in Contemporary Theological Anthropology. That’s a real mouthful to speak of, but it’s related because this whole Theology of the Body stuff is related to what theologians call the Nuptial Mystery. What’s the Nuptial Mystery? Well ‘nuptial’ comes from the word related to ‘marriage’, and we’re talking about the marriage ultimately between Christ and the Church… it’s a mystery that really defines the whole meaning of creation and the whole meaning of God’s purposes for human beings.
 
We’d be glad to speak further and make this rich heritage which we rejoice in more widely accessible to people, whatever their walk in life.
 
More information on the winter intensive offerings and the full interview on Theology of the Body with Dr Cooper is available on the Cradio website.

That’s it for this week’s headlines, thanks for listening. For more interviews, talks and programs visit cradio.org.au

The post 5 Catholic Headlines You May Have Missed (23 May) appeared first on Cradio.

News from around the Catholic world for the week ending 16 May.

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•  Christian groups express disappointment with budget’s impact on families and foreign aid

•  Pope Paul VI to be beatified

•  Harvard Catholics respond to black Mass with Eucharistic procession and adoration

•  Catholic priest murdered in PNG

•  Bishops of Oceania gather in New Zealand.

TRANSCRIPT

BOBBIE:  The Abbott Government has released this year’s Australian Federal budget to mixed reactions from Christian groups.

Under particular scrutiny has been the reduction of foreign assistance spending by 8 billion dollars, with aid capped at 5 billion dollars over the next two years.

Caritas Australia CEO Paul O’Callaghan has expressed disappointment, noting that while the governing Coalition parties have a historically proud record of foreign assistance, he is “disappointed to see this Coalition Government now back away from its leadership role amongst G20 countries and as a member of the UN Security Council.”

“The decision to once more place the burden of Australia’s budget savings on the world’s poor, is out of step with national values, and our Catholic community’s strong support for international aid and development,” Mr O’Callaghan said.

The Australian Christian Lobby has said that the foreign aid cut was a broken promise to the Christian constituency before last year’s Federal Election.

Managing Director Lyle Shelton said “While balancing the books is important, the government painted itself into an untenable position by saying it could reduce expenditure without raising taxes and without cutting key areas.

“It would have been better if these promises had not been made in the first place,” he said.

Questions have also been raised about the budget’s approach to the family, with a government-funded maternity leave package introduced while benefits for single-income families are wound back.

Family Tax Benefit B – a government payout to reduce tax-inequality for families with a stay-at-home parent – will have its income and age limits reduced, removing up to $3,000 of payments from single-parent families each year.

Roslyn Phillips of FamilyVoice has said that this budget is punishing stay-at-home mothers.

“A mother’s choice to remain in the paid workforce while sending the kids to childcare institutions will be supported by up to $67,500, paid by the taxpayer and big business…” Ms Phillips said.

“Mums who do this nation a service by providing optimal childcare at home receive almost nothing,” she said.

There were some positives in the budget for Christians, with the National School Chaplaincy Program, the NGO Cooperation Program and Australian Charities and Not for Profit Commission maintaining funding in the year ahead.

—

Pope Francis has recently announced that Pope Paul VI will be beatified on 19 October this year. The announcement comes following the approval of the late pontiff’s first miracle, in which an unborn child was healed from severe brain damage and delivered safely through a caesarean section.

Paul VI was the successor to John XXIII who was canonised just three weeks ago along with St John Paul II. He was Pope from 1963 until his death in 1978.

Paul VI is honoured for expressing the Church’s position in protecting life and rejecting abortion and contraception in his Papal Letter Humane Vitae. St John Paul II reaffirmed this teaching in his 1995 encyclical Evangelium Vitae (The Gospel of Life) after some dissention within the Church.

The Cause for Canonisation of Paul VI was opened in 1993. In December 2012 Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI recognised the heroic virtue of Paul VI and gave him the title “Venerable”. From here, another miracle needs to be attributed to Paul VI that occurred after the date of his beatification. However, the Holy Father can waive this requirement, as he did with John XXIII.

—

Expressions of outrage flooded Catholic social media early this week as a black mass was scheduled to be celebrated at Harvard University on Monday evening. This was soon transformed into awe as petitions and prayer arose in response to the news, resulting in the cancellation of the event’s primary sponsorship.

42,000 emails were sent to the University’s President, school newspapers and others in Harvard’s leadership team. The Archdiocese of Boston responded by having Harvard’s senior Catholic chaplain, Fr Michael Drea hold a procession from a nearby Chapel to St Paul’s Catholic Church in Cambridge, the parish of Harvard’s Catholic community.

The procession was followed by a holy hour and benediction, on the night the black mass was supposed to have occurred. It was attended my more than 2000 people, with standing room only. Many from the Harvard Catholic student association were present, as well as Harvard president Drew Faust, who reportedly described the black mass as being ‘abhorrent’, while still allowing it to continue on the basis of free speech.

The black mass, initially to be sponsored by the Harvard Extension Cultural Studies Club, was to be held in the Satanic Temple of New York. It has been postponed indefinitely.

—

A Catholic priest has been murdered in what was reported to be part of a pay-back killing spree in the Goilala mountains of Papua New Guinea last week.

Fr Gerry Inao, who was ordained only 9 months ago, was shot through the heart at close range on Sunday 4 May. He was a native of the area and a member of the Kunimeipa tribe.

Missionary priest Fr Brian Cahill MSC issued a statement saying the cycle of payback killings in the area has been going on for more than four years.

“The police and government have been slow to address this law and order problem,” Fr Cahill said.

“However this last lot of killings prompted them to act, and a police contingent was mobilised to move to Kamulai by helicopter as soon as possible,” he said.

Fr Casey Kit, who had been a minor seminarian with Fr Inao said he was a very committed believer with a particular devotion to Our Lady.

“He never formally graduated in his studies as a priest, but he also never left his rosary beads, “ said Fr Kit.

“He believed that Mary his mother was on his side and in fact he adopted the name of Mary before his surname. The Bishop ordained him on that basis,” he said.

Fr Kit also said he hoped the impact of this killing would be a catalyst for peace in the area.

“Let us pray that we may be converted from our old ways and start to believe in the Gospel and allow it to transform our lives,” Fr Kit said.

—

The Federation of Catholic Bishops Conferences of Oceania met in New Zealand this week for their four-yearly meeting.

The Bishops were treated to a traditional Maori welcome before their opening Mass at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Wellington.

They have been discussing a number of issues including refugees, pastoral planning and earthquakes, and have also had the opportunity to attend workshops on various aspects of pastoral life.

On his blog Parramatta’s Bishop Anthony Fisher said the bishops had engaged in a ‘moving discussion’ of Australian refugee policy.

“There was a strong sense that Australia’s present policy is cruel and that we could do much better,” Bishop Fisher said.

Bishop Fisher’s photos, videos and reflections on the Conference can be found at anthonyfisherop.wordpress.com.

The post 5 Headlines You May Have Missed (16 May) appeared first on Cradio.

News from around the Catholic world for the week ending 9 May.

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•  The UN attacks Church over teachings on abortion

•  Islamist militant group claims responsibility for kidnapping of school girls in Nigeria

•  Australian bishops gather for their plenary meeting

•  English-born Archbishop awarded Australian Catholic University’s highest honour

•  Sydney conference to explore the impact of pop culture

TRANSCRIPT

SARAH: The Vatican has come under fire this week by members of the UN Committee against Torture (CAT) at a hearing in Geneva.

The Committee has been questioning representatives of the Holy See on its handling of the sex abuse scandal to examine whether there have been violations of the UN charter against torture. During the questioning one of the UN committee members began targeting the Catholic Church’s stance on abortion, asking whether it might be responsible for nine-year-old rape victims giving birth.  The committee member claimed that stopping abortion in all circumstances violates the UN charter against torture.

Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, responded by saying that “The Holy See’s goal is to prevent children from being tortured or killed before birth, as is stipulated in the Convention”.

Archbishop Tomasi also cited instances where babies have been born alive after failed abortion attempts, as well as late term abortion methods which involve the dismembering of the living child and its extraction from the womb in pieces.

This is not the first time the UN has publicly criticised the Church’s stance on abortion. Earlier this year, they openly claimed that the Church’s teachings on abortion and contraception harm young women. In a report by a UN committee, they stated that the Church must allow access to abortion services in certain circumstances. Earlier this year the UN widened its definition of torture, concluding in a report that refusing to allow legalised abortion, not allowing women to test their children for foetal abnormalities and not allowing transgender people to change their gender on official documents, all constitute as torture.

See this story at LifeSiteNews

—

An Islamist militant group has claimed responsibility for the abduction of 300 school-age girls in Northern Nigeria.

The Boko Haram group, translated to “Western Education is sinful” in English, kidnapped the girls on April 14 in Nigeria’s Borno state. The militants claim divine instruction for the kidnappings, and have allegedly transported the girls to the countries of Chad or Cameroon.

Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan has pledged to find the kidnapped girls, however the government are yet to establish their location. Mr Jonathan assured the girls parents on national television that his government would “get their daughters out.”

Nigerian Archbishop of Abuja Cardinal John Onaiyekan spoke to Vatican Radio on Wednesday, criticising both the barbarity of the militants and the failure of the government response:

CARDINAL ONAIYEKAN: “We know that Boko Haram have no sense of humanity. We know that they are killing innocent people. But that they should be able to cart away almost 300 children in the Northeast of Nigeria without any trace of where these children are really baffles us.”

SARAH: The kidnappings have also recently attracted international attention. The United States and Britain are offering assistance, with details yet to be released. According to US State Department spokeswoman Marie Harf, the US have thus far worked with Nigeria in intelligence sharing, and are ready to assist in an appropriate manner. Australia’s foreign minister Julie Bishop responded to the kidnapping by stating that “[t]hreats against the welfare of these girls by Boko Haram are appalling.”

The latest attacks come in the fifth year of the Islamist insurgency in the north of Nigeria which has claimed thousands of lives.

Details via news.va and ABC

—

Archbishop of Melbourne Denis Hart has been re-elected as the President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference (ACBC) this week at the Plenary meeting of Australian Bishops.

During the meeting Archbishop Hart said: “I thank my fellow bishops and diocesan administrators for their dedication and commitment in governing the Australian Catholic Church at a time when we are facing many challenges.”

Adelaide’s Archbishop Phillip Wilson was also re-elected as the Vice-President of the ACBC.

Perth’s Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB and Port Pirie’s Bishop Gregory O’Kelly SJ were both elected to the ACBC Permanent Committee.

Brisbane Archbishop Mark Coleridge and Canberra-Goulburn Archbishop Christopher Prowse along with Bishop of Darwin Eugene Hurley and Bishop of Wollongong Peter Ingham all were re-elected to the ACBC Permanent Committee.

Over the course of the week, the Bishops have discussed the treatment of refugees, the Royal Commission and evangelisation.

“With prayer and planning we trust that our discussions and decision-making may be guided by the Holy Spirit,” Archbishop Hart said.

Following their meeting in North Sydney, the Australian Catholic Bishops will attend the weeklong meeting of the Federation of Catholic Bishops Conferences of Oceania in New Zealand.

That story via ACBC Media Blog

—

Australian Catholic University (ACU) has conferred its highest honor, Doctor of the University, on English-born Archbishop Michael Louis Fitzgerald at a ceremony in Sydney this week.

The ceremony recognised Archbishop Fitzgerald for his contribution to fostering better understanding and relations between Christians and other faiths, and with Islam in particular.

Archbishop Fitzgerald is considered one of the Holy See’s leading experts on Islam. He has served as a lecturer at the Pontifical Institute for Arabic and Islamic Studies (PISAI) in Rome and in Uganda, as a General Council of the Missionaries of Africa in Rome, as Secretary of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue then as President, and finally as Apostolic Nuncio to the Arab Republic of Egypt, and Delegate to the Cairo-based Arab League. Archbishop Fitzgerald retired from diplomatic service in 2012 and now lives and works at the White Fathers’ institution in Jerusalem.

The ceremony, which took place at ACU’s North Sydney Campus, was attended by several bishops including Melbourne’s Archbishop Dennis Hart and Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Paul Gallagher.

—

Eminent Cambridge and Oxford scholar Dr Roger Scruton will be in Australia next week for Campion College’s National Core Conference.

The conference will address how entertainment culture shapes people and society, and will also feature Dr Andrew Mullins and Dr Ryan Messmore as speakers.We caught up with Campion College’s Michael Mendieta to find out more:

MICHAEL MENDIETA:“We’ve organised some leading speakers – internationally renowned speakers – to come in to equip young people with the language they’ll need today and into the future to defend the values (particularly) of […] Judeo-Christian values and the more conservative traditional values in Western civilisation.”

SARAH: The conference will take place next Tuesday, 13th of May, at Novotel Parramatta, beginning at 12:30pm. Entry is free.

See the full interview with Michael for more information.

—

That’s it from us for this week’s headlines, thanks for listening. For more details of those stories or for more Catholic talks, interviews and programs, visit cradio.org.au.

The post 5 Headlines You May Have Missed (9 May) appeared first on Cradio.

We caught up with Michael Mendieta to find out about this year’s Core Conference and how it seeks to equip young people going out into the world.

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Campion College’s National Core Conference will be held at the Novotel in Parramatta on Tuesday 13th of May from 1pm. This year’s conference will feature eminent philosopher Dr Roger Scruton, Andrew Mullins and Dr Ryan Messmore. To find out more about the conference, visit the Facebook page or the Campion College website.

The post Conference Taking Youth to the Core Issues appeared first on Cradio.

News from around the Catholic world for the week ending 4 April.

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•  Queen Elizabeth II visits Pope Francis

•  Jesuit priest killed in Syria

•  French Catholic churches under threat of destruction

•  Catholic schools offer free education to refugees

• Australian Catholic speaker releases resource for women

TRANSCRIPT

LUKE: Queen Elizabeth II has visited Pope Francis at the Vatican last Thursday.

It marked Her Majesty’s first international visit since she visited Australia in back 2011, and the fifth pope she has met, with her first being Pope Pius XII when she was Princess Elizabeth in 1951.

Queen Elizabeth gave Pope France gifts from the Royal Estates, including a dozen eggs and a bottle of whiskey. The Queen also gave Pope Frances a silver-framed signed photograph, jokingly commenting “I’m afraid you will have to have a photograph – it’s inevitable!”

The Pope gave Prince Phillip and the Queen an orb decorated with a silver Cross as a personal gift for their Great-Grandchild Prince George.

They spent 25 minutes talking in private as the heads of the Catholic Church and Anglican Communion, respectively.

The visit was dubbed as a push to improve Catholic and Church of England relations. The Church and The United Kingdom have had mixed historical relations due to a de facto split by King Henry VIII in 1536. Diplomatic relations have been more favourable in more recent times, with visits becoming a regular occurrence, including a visit to the United Kingdom by Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI in 2010.

For more information, see the News.va story.

—

A 75-year-old Dutch Jesuit priest has been killed by unidentified gunmen in the besieged city of Homs in Syria. Fr Frans van der Lugt was a trained psychotherapist and ministered in Syria since 1966. Fr Van der Lugt refused to leave Syria during the civil war, which began in March 2011, choosing instead to help the poor and homeless in the war torn region.

At his general audience on Wednesday, Pope Francis issued a statement of condolence for his fellow Jesuit, and a plea for peace in Syria. The Holy Father said “From all my heart, I ask you all to join my prayer for peace in Syria and in the region, and I launch my heartfelt appeal to Syrian leaders and to the international community: silence the weapons! Put an end to violence! No more war! No more destruction!”

Jesuit Superior General Fr Adolfo Nicolas also expressed sorrow for the death in a statement, saying “[Fr Van der Lugt] always spoke of peace and reconciliation, and he opened his doors to all those asking help without distinction of race or religion.”

Fr Van der Lugt received international media attention in January this year after he was featured in a video posted to Youtube asking the international community to assist the city of Homs.

For more information, see the Catholic News Service story

—

7500 Catholic church buildings across France are still being threatened as local cities do not see reason to keep them.

Currently churches built before 1905 in France, when Churches and State Seperation legislation was passed, are maintained by the local civil authorities. As French dioceses are unable to purchase these churches, some cities are undertaking plans to destroying the historical buildings in favour of smaller ones, or to replace them with other buildings such as mosques. Of the 100,000 Catholic buildings in France, only 5,000 were built after 1905 and belong to the dioceses. These however, are not exempt from the problem either, as it is expected that 25-50% of them will be sold – also due to expenses faced by their respective owners.

—

Catholic schools in Sydney have announced that they will be offering free education to refugee children in the Archdiocese. Dr Dan White, executive director of Sydney Catholic Schools, announced the plan last Friday, stating the Catholic schools “stand ready to provide [refugee]children with an education.”

The plan will provide around $4000 to each refugee child, and will be available for any school in the Archdiocese with a vacancy. The money is expected to cover the cost of school fees and equipment for each child.

Dr White stated that he was inspired to make the offer due to his concern for the nation’s controversial treatment of asylum seekers. Dr White said “For some time now, I have been uncomfortable with our national approach to the treatment of refugees and asylum seekers… The measure of a civilised society is how we treat the most vulnerable. It should never be our aim to punish people for seeking asylum.”

“I believe that we all should share the responsibility for supporting those most in need. Anything less than that diminishes us as a nation,” he said.

For more, see the The Australian story and the Sydney Archdiocesan press release.

—

Australian speaker Karen Doyle has released a resource for Catholic women entitled “The Genius Project”. The four-part DVD series seeks to explore Bl. John Paul II teachings on femininity, and what it means to say a woman in made in the image and likeness of God.

Cradio recently caught up with Karen to discuss femininity and The Genius Project.

KAREN: It’s been a project that’s probably been ten years in the making, and it’s very much about unpacking Mulerius Dignitatum… and my heart is that all women would be able to access the incredible richness of John Paul II’s teachings on women, because more than any of his predecessors he spoke very publicly – and it was very pastoral toward women.

LUKE: That interview will be steamed next Thursday night at 6:30pm on Cradio. You can also find a link to preview and purchase The Genius Project on the Being Catholic website.

—

That’s it from us for this week’s headlines, thanks for listening. For more details of those stories or for more Catholic talks, interviews and programs, visit cradio.org.au.

The post 5 Headlines You May Have Missed (11 April) appeared first on Cradio.

News from around the Catholic world for the week ending 4 April.

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•  Preparations continue for the canonisations of two beloved Popes

•  Catholic churches burned down in Nigeria

•  Religious sister faces backlash from Catholic school parents after teaching on sexuality in the U.S

•  Archbishop Hart’s Vatican Council appointment

• Life Week at the University of New South Wales

TRANSCRIPT

SARAH: Preparations are underway for the canonisations of Blessed John Paul II and Blessed John XXIII, with a number of events and initiatives planned to mark the momentous occasion in Rome and around the world.

In a press conference held on Monday, representatives of the Holy See outlined the events surrounding the canonisations, which they described as a “festival of holiness”. These are set to include a youth gathering at Saint John Lateran Basilica on April 22, and all-night prayer vigils in every parish in Rome on the eve of the canonisations. The world of social media will also be taking part in the celebrations, as Vatican Radio reports:

VATICAN RADIO: Several media project projects have also been set up, namely a website: 2papisanti.org, and a Twitter account: @2popesaints. A Facebook and YouTube account will be set up in the near future, and an app: Santo Subito, will also be up and running in the coming days.

The canonisation Mass at St Peter’s Square is expected to attract a very large number of faithful, but Fr Federico Lombardi told reporters that Vatican officials are unsure of the estimated audience. Around 1000 clergy will concelebrate, 700 of which are expected to distribute Communion, and tickets will not be necessary for attendees.

The presence of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI at the Mass could not be confirmed, as it would depend on his health on the day.

Details via Vatican Radio.

—

Two Catholic Churches and part of a school in Nigeria were burned down recently by a group of Muslim youth.

AllAfrica has reported that the rampage was sparked by a school examination where the names of the Prophet Muhammed and his mother were mentioned in a way that was ‘inciting to Islam’.

Along with the churches and school the youths also burned tyres in the middle of major roads, causing traffic to be diverted. It was reported that one of the young people was shot and injured by police in their effort to stop the attacks.

The State Police Commissioner Muhammed Hurdi confirmed the incident and said security has been restored in the area.

Read the full story via AllAfrica. 

—

A Dominican Sister of Nashville has faced backlash from students and parents of a U.S. Catholic high school after a presentation on human sexuality.

Sister Jane Dominic Laurel, associate professor of Aquinas College Nashville, gave the presentation last month at Charlotte Catholic High School, entitled “Masculinity and Femininity: Difference and Gift”.

The talk reportedly addressed areas of Catholic teaching on sexual complimentarily, the family, and homosexuality. According to a petition by students who opposed the talk, the point of contention was Sr Jane Dominic’s comments on homosexuality.

The petition states in part: “We found some of [the]ideas expressed to be both offensive and unnecessarily derogatory.”

According to the petition, Sister Jane Dominic spoke on issues surrounding homosexual lifestyle, including difficulty with monogamy and child abuse by same-sex partners; and stated that the prevalence of homosexuality may be connected to issues within the family, masturbation and pornography.

In a telephone interview with the Diocese of Charlotte’s Catholic Herald, Sister Jane Dominic said that her talk was intended to present the Catholic viewpoint of homosexuality and persons with same-sex attraction. She said “homosexual persons do not need our judgement, they need our compassion.”

In a statement on the Aquinas College website, College President Sister Mary Sarah said that “…Sister [Jane Dominic] was attempting to bring the Church’s teaching to a group of young students with the intention of delivering a message that would bring life, peace and a deep sense of purpose. It appears that this message was not universally accepted. The hope of Aquinas College is that no one was left feeling that they are not loved by God,” she said.

Sister Jane Dominic was scheduled to speak at a Charlotte Diocesean Youth Conference in May, however a decision was made on Wednesday for her to cancel her appearance at the request of her superior.

Full story via Catholic News Hearald.

—

It was this week announced that Melbourne Archbishop and President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference Archbishop Dennis Hart has been appointed to the Pontifical Council for Culture.

The Council was established by Blessed John Paul II in 1982 to address secularism through dialogue between the Gospel and modern culture. Its work encompasses science, the arts, economy, media and communication and the artistic and historic patrimony of the Church.

Archbishop Hart said he was happy to be able to contribute to the work of the Council.

“I am honoured by this appointment as a further experience of how we can all engage with the modern world, bringing to it the fruit and attractiveness of the Gospel,” Archbishop Hart said.

View the media release at ACBC Media Blog.

– – –

Life Week is set to kick of on Sydney campuses once again, with the first event beginning at the University of New South Wales this Monday.

The annual event aims to help University students discover a deeper sense of purpose and appreciation of life through talks, faith discussions and the opportunity to connect with other Catholics on campus.

This year’s UNSW event, themed ‘Live, Hope, Love’, will run over five days. The schedule will begin with a talk, followed by the St Paul Society’s usual daily mass, with confession available. Topics covered will include depression and hope, human trafficking and more.

There will also be a stall for the Society members to welcome other students, and to provide an opportunity for students to meet the University chaplains.

Life Week is run once a year, along with as similar initiative, Christ Week, by the chaplaincies of UNSW, USYD and UTS All are welcome, no matter what faith background or university.

For more information visit UNSW Catholics

Music Credit: Waking Up Instrumental – Dexter Britain

The post 5 Headlines You May Have Missed (4 April) appeared first on Cradio.

News from around the Catholic world for the week ending 28 March.

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•  Cardinal Pell appears before the Royal Commission

•  Pope Francis meets Barrack Obama

•  Townsville mourns the loss of Bishop Michael Putney

•  Polygamy is legalised in Kenya

•  UK hospitals criticised for incinerating unborn children

•  The Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office launches pamphlet to clarify Church’s teaching on asylum seekers.

TRANSCRIPT

SARAH: Cardinal George Pell has appeared the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sex Abuse this week to provide evidence concerning the case of Mr John Ellis, who was abused by a Sydney priest during the 1970s.

The Cardinal was questioned on his involvement in the failed negotiations prior to Mr Ellis’ legal action against the Archdiocese, the aggressive tactics of the Archdiocesan legal team, and whether the Church’s handling of the case was appropriate.

Cardinal Pell denied that he knew about the Archdiocese’s offer of $25,000 and $30,000 to Mr Ellis, amounts which the Cardinal described as “mean” and “grotesque” in light of the suffering afflicted upon Mr Ellis.

Cardinal Pell admitted that he was involved in approving the vigorous tactics used by the defense lawyers and criminal defence lawyers, stating that he was of the impression that such tactics would encourage plaintiffs to “think clearly” about pursuing matters through court. However, he noted that the actual tactics used by the defense – although not legally improper – were wrong from a personal and Christian standpoint.

The Cardinal also stated that the priorities of the victims are ahead of the financial or other interests of the Church.

Cardinal Pell said “We, however imperfectly, always recognised the priority of the needs of the victim.” At the end of questioning, Cardinal Pell publicly apologised to Mr Ellis, who was present at the proceedings.

CARDINAL PELL: As former Archbishop and speaking personally, I would want to say to Mr Ellis that we failed in may ways, some ways inadvertently, in our moral and pastoral responsibilities to him. I want to acknowledge his suffering and the impact of this terrible affair on his life. As the then Archbishop, I have to take ultimate responsibility, and this I do. At the end of this gruelling appearance for both of us at this Royal Commission, I want to publicly say sorry to him for the hurt caused him by the mistakes made, admitted by me, and some of my archdiocesan personnel during the course of the Towards Healing process and litigation. In speaking to the ABC, John Ellis said that he was “taken aback” by the apology, and that he hopes that the proceedings would result in a “gentle and more compassionate process that still delivers justice to all parties”.

Cardinal Pell leaves Australia to take up his new position in Rome on Monday.

—

Pope Francis has met with U.S. President Barrack Obama in Rome as part of the President’s tour of Europe. The nearly hour-long meeting touched upon issues of both international and domestic importance to the Holy See and the United States.

In a statement by the Vatican Press Office, it was highlighted that The Pope and President agreed on the eradication of human trafficking, as well a need for immigration reform – a divisive issue within the United States. However, the two also discussed points of contention, including life issues and religious freedom in light of the Obama Administration’s “Contraception Mandate”, which will force Catholic organisations to pay for contraceptives. Although the President noted that Pope Francis “did not touch in detail” on the mandate, it was discussed in a meeting with Vatican secretary of state Pietro Parolin later that day. President Obama said that at the meeting he “pledged to continue to dialogue with the U.S. conference of bishops to make sure we can strike the right balance”.

The meeting concluded with an exchange of gifts, which included a bound copy of Pope Francis’ Evangelii Gaudium. The President said “You know, I actually will probably read this in the Oval Office when I am deeply frustrated, and I am sure it will give me strength and will calm me.”

—

Townsville’s Bishop Michael Putney has lost his battle with cancer, passing away in the early hours of this morning. Click here for Sorensen Funeral Home services who will take care for the funeral professionally.

In a statement on its Facebook page the Diocese of Townsville said Bishop Putney has been ‘an inspiration of faith’ over the course of his battle with the disease. ‘Many prayers have been made during this time and in his words “last year was my miracle,”’ the statement read.

Bishop Putney was diagnosed with inoperable stomach and liver cancer in December 2012. In spite of his failing health, the Bishop continued in his ministry throughout 2013, calling it one of the ‘most amazing’ years of his life.

Earlier this year Bishop Putney addressed the priests of his diocese saying, “I am happy once more to leave my life and work in the diocese, completely in the hands of God… I am looking forward to what lies ahead, whatever it may be.”

Bishop Putney was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Brisbane in June, 1969. He was ordained as an Auxiliary Bishop in 1995, and yesterday celebrated his 13th anniversary of installation as Bishop of Townsville.

May he rest in peace.

Read a recent story on Bishop Putney in the Catholic Leader.

—

Polygamy is now legal in Kenya, following a Parliamentary decision last Thursday allowing men to marry as many women as they like.

The decision prompted a furious backlash from female lawmakers who stormed out of parliament.

The original proposal gave the wife a veto power as to whether her husband could marry another woman – however, male lawmakers across all political parties banded together to drop that clause.

“When you marry an African woman, she must know the second one is on the way, and a third wife … this is Africa,” MP Junet Mohammed told the house, according to Nairobi’s Capital FM.

In many parts of Africa polygamy is common among traditional communities as well as the Muslim community, which accounts for up to a fifth of the population.

“Anytime a man comes home with a woman, that would be assumed to be a second or third wife,” said Samuel Chepkong’a, chairman of the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee, the Daily Nation newspaper reported.

A clause in which a partner who had promised marriage but then backed out of the wedding could face financial damages was also dropped, as male MPs argued it could have been used to extort cash.

Parliamentary majority leader and Muslim Aden Duale said that men marrying more than one woman was part of the Islamic faith, but also suggested the practice could be justified for Christians.

“I want my Christian brothers to read the Old Testament – King David and King Solomon never consulted anybody to marry a second wife,” Duale told the house.

—

UK hospitals have recently come under fire for the incineration of aborted and miscarried babies, with up to 15,500 being burned over the past two years.

During the investigation it was admitted by ten NHS trusts that these remains were burned as hospital waste and incinerated in furnaces to generate energy to power and heat hospitals.

The confession was in response to a documentary shown on UK television and has resulted in an immediate ban on the practice by health minister Dr Dan Poulter.

One of the UK’s hospitals, Addenbrooke’s, was found to have incinerated 797 babies at up to 13 weeks of life in the womb after having told the mothers they would be cremated.

Addenbrooke’s defended the practice, saying that the remains were never incinerated in conjunction with other waste. The findings show that Ipswich Hospital’s energy plant has incinerated over 1000 babies from other hospitals over the past 3 years.

Medical professionals such as Sir Bruce Keogh and NHS Medical director and Chief inspector of hospitals Professor Mike Richards, have taken action by writing to the NHS trusts and speaking out against what has happened.

Labour MP Jim Dobbin condemned the practice as a result of dehumanisation of unborn life.

“Words cannot describe the revulsion I felt when I heard about this,” said Mr Dobbin.

“This callous disregard for young humans is the fruit of fifty years of legal abortion in the UK,” he said.

—

The Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office (ACMRO) launched a pamphlet yesterday reemphasising Church teaching on the pastoral care and rights of asylum seekers and migrants.

The pamphlet is titled: ‘I was a stranger and you welcomed me’ (Matthew 25:35). It represents a summary of 100 years of Catholic social teaching on the issue of migration.

Speaking ahead of the launch, Fr Maurizio Pettenà, National Director of the Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office (ACMRO), said the Catholic Church has a well-defined teaching on asylum and migration, which the pamphlet summarises.

“We want to make the Catholic Church teaching on the issue widely accessible, through the pamphlet, to Australian Catholics and those interested in what the church is saying on this particularly controversial issue,” Fr Pettenà said.

“Sadly the treatment of people arriving on our shores seeking protection and safety has drifted far from the ideals proclaimed by the Church in its teaching and based on the dignity and rights of the human being.

“For too long in Australia, the debate around asylum seekers has focused narrowly on policy and political concern. For the Catholic Church, this is a human issue. The focus should be on the respect deserved by every human being,” he said.

Guest speakers at the launch included Najeeba Wazefadost; Winner of the 2011 Young Woman of the West Award, Aloysious Mowe; Director of the Jesuit Refugee Service, and Bishop Gerald Hanna; Australian Catholic Bishops Delegate for Migrants and Refugees. The pamphlet will be distributed to Catholic parishes and agencies, educational institutions and politicians across Australia.

You can also download a copy on the ACBC Media Blog.

—

That’s it for this week’s headlines, thanks for listening. For more details of those stories or for more Catholic talks, interviews and programs visit cradio.org.au.

Music Credit: Waking Up Instrumental – Dexter Britain

The post 6 Headlines You May Have Missed (28 March) appeared first on Cradio.

News from around the Catholic world for the week ending 21 March.

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•  Pope Francis speaks on St Joseph as a model to fathers and educators

•  The Vatican joins global network to combat human trafficking and slavery

•  Caritas Australia calls for support for South Sudan

•  The Royal Commission’s examination of the Sydney Archdiocese continues

•  Sydney prepares for International Day of the Unborn

TRANSCRIPT

BOBBIE: Pope Francis marked Wednesday’s Feast of St Joseph with a catechesis on the great saint’s example as father and educator.

In a special greeting to all fathers gathered in the square on what is also Italy’s Father’s day, the Holy Father urged fathers to always be close to their children.

“They need you, your presence, to be there, your love”, Pope Francis said”.

“Be like St Joseph for them, guardian of their growth in age, wisdom and grace,” he said.

The Holy Father went on to reflect on the important role of St Joseph in the human development of our Lord.

“We think of how Joseph, as the carpenter of Nazareth, taught the young Jesus his trade and the value of work,” he said.

“Joseph also quietly imparted to Jesus that wisdom which consists above all in reverence for the Lord, prayer and fidelity to his word, and obedience to his will.”

“By his example and prayers, may Saint Joseph be a sure guide to all parents, priests and teachers charged with the education of our young,” Pope Francis said.

Details via news.va.

—

A global anti-slavery network has been launched in Rome after one year of talks initiated by Australian mining magnate Andrew Forrest. Partners to the network included Pope Francis, Archbishop of Canterbury David Moxon and Cairo Grand Imam Ahmad el-Tayeb.

The four parties signed off on the agreement on Monday, creating the Global Freedom Network, which seeks to end slavery and human trafficking by 2020.

The Network is focused on “slavery-proofing” the supply chains of businesses and institutions, convincing governments to fight slavery, and educating people around the world to detect and report human trafficking.

Archbishop David Moxon explained that with over 30 million trapped in the trafficking industry internationally, slavery can only be destroyed through religions and institutions working together on a global level.

He said, “the project needs us joined together; none of us is as strong as all of us and it needs a combined approach.”

The idea for the Global Freedom Network was initiated by former Fortescue Metals chief executive Andrew Forrest last year at a meeting of mining executives and charities at the Vatican. Mr Forrest was inspired to fight human trafficking after experiencing first-hand the plight of trafficked girls in an orphanage in Nepal. The difficulty he encountered in eliminating slavery from Fortescue Metals’ business partners led him to resign as chief executive of the company in 2011.

In the Sydney Morning Herald, Andrew Forrest said that the network “is set up like a high-achieving, measurement-driven, totally target-oriented company.”

“It’s like a hard-edged business. We are out to defeat slavery, we are not out to feel good. This is our mission,” he said.

—

Caritas Australia have this week issued a statement highlighting the dire need for assistance in South Sudan amidst intensifying conflict.

It has been reported that large secitions of Unity, Upper Nile and Jonglei States have been abandoned as thousands flee to avoid violence, despite a so-called ceasefire.

Caritas Australia’s South Sudan Program Officer Mary Wachira said the situation is devastating.

“Women, men and children are forced to run for their lives,” Ms Wachira said.

“The people now in most dire need are those in the camps. They’re tired, hungry and longing for a peaceful resolution to this crisis,” she said.

Caritas Australia works through its international network to alleviate suffering in the war-torn region. It has called on Australians to give generously to Project Compassion to ensure its aid programs can reach as many families as possible.

For more information visit caritas.org.au.

—

Dr Michael Casey, Private Secretary to Cardinal George Pell, is among those who have appeared before the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse this week.

Since Monday 10 March the Royal Commission has been examining the case of Mr John Ellis, who was reportedly abused by a Sydney priest between the years 1974 and 1979. Mr Ellis first filed a complaint through the Church’s Towards Healing program in 2002 and took legal action in 2004.

Dr Casey is the ninth of eleven witnesses called before the Commission to testify on the case of Mr John Ellis. In his appearance on Thursday afternoon he admitted the Archdiocese had been wrong to dispute Mr Ellis’ claims in court.

Mr Ellis lost in his attempt to sue the Archdiocese over the abuse, but has since received substantial support from the Archdiocese to cover medical and other costs.

Dr Casey will continue to give evidence today. Still to appear before the Commission is the Archdiocese’s Chancellor Monsignor John Usher, Business Manager Mr Danny Casey, and Cardinal Pell, who is currently scheduled to appear on Monday.

Summaries of the proceedings are available via catholictalk.com.au.

– – –

Next Tuesday, the 25th of March marks the International Day of the Unborn Child, an annual celebration of the sanctity of life from the moment of conception.

The International celebration will be marked in Sydney this Sunday with a Mass at St Mary’s Cathedral followed by a procession to Parliament House and back to the Cathedral for Benediction.

It is expected that thousands of Catholics will congregate to witness to the sanctity of human life, to pray for both mothers and children, and to “change hearts and save lives”.

The International Day of the Unborn was first initiated by Pope John Paul II, to coincide with the feast of the Annunciation, in celebration of the sacred dignity of human life in the womb.

The first official celebration took place in El Salvador in 1993, followed by Argentina, Chile and the Philippines. It has since moved to many countries worldwide and has incorporated secular and religious groups of all faiths.

For more information on the Sydney celebrations visit fli.org.au. To find out about the International events visit dayoftheunbornchild.com.

Music Credit: Waking Up Instrumental – Dexter Britain

The post 5 Headlines You May Have Missed (21 March) appeared first on Cradio.

News from around the Catholic world for the week ending 14 March.

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•  Kidnapped nuns freed in Syria

•  The Church’s Towards Healing Process in the spotlight at the Royal Commission

•  The Internet celebrates Pope Francis’s first anniversary

•  A new bishop for Rockhampton, and;

•   NSW & ACT celebrate Catholic Schools Week.

TRANSCRIPT

BOBBIE: A group of nuns kidnapped in Syria by rebels last December have been released.

The 13 Greek Orthodox nuns and three maids were released on Monday, following to negotiations with the Syrian government, mediated by Lebanese and Qatari officials.

Their release marks the end of a three-month ordeal, which began when the nuns were kidnapped amidst heavy fighting in the ancient Christian town of Ma’loula.

“We want to thank God, who made it possible for us to be here now,” one of the nuns said in speaking to reporters on her release.

Although early rumours circulated that the nuns were mistreated and forced to remove their crosses by the al-Qaeda affiliated kidnappers, Abbess Mother Pelagia Sayyaf reported that they were treated well during their captivity.

“The [kidnappers were]good to us… but we took off our crosses because we were in the wrong place to wear them,” she said.

The nuns are now reportedly in the care of the Damascus-based Greek Orthodox Patriarchate for Antioch and All The East. They will remain there until it is safe to return to their Monastery, currently at the centre of battle between Syrian government and rebel forces.

The reasons for the abduction are unclear, with rebels insisting that they were kidnapped to protect them from government shelling, while Syrian government officials are accusing the rebels of attempting to intimidate the minority Christian groups.

While the nuns are now safe, the situation for Christians remains dangerous in the increasingly sectarian Syrian civil war.

—

The eighth case study of the Royal Commission into institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse began on Monday this week, focusing on the Catholic Church’s Towards Healing Process.

The case study is examining the Church’s response to a complaint made by John Ellis against Sydney priest Father Aidan Duggan in 2002. Mr Ellis was reportedly abused as a teenager between the years 1974 and 1979.

The Commission has heard that Mr Ellis first issued his complaint through the Professional Standards Office, as part of the Towards Healing protocol. When the Office reportedly found Mr Ellis’ case to be ‘lacking evidence’, he subsequently took legal action in 2004.

Formal and recent assessment by the Royal Commission found that the abuse ‘more likely than not’ occurred.

Since its implementation the Royal Commission has unearthed thousands of complaints in a number of institutions across the country.

Case study eight continues over the course of next week. For daily summaries of the proceedings visit catholictalk.com.au.

—

The World Wide Web has marked the first anniversary of Pope Francis’s election to the papacy with a barrage of posts and tweets carrying the hash tag #ThankYouFrancis.

The website graziefrancesco.com has been launched by Argentinian youth group Lindo Lio to collect the messages, promising that they will be personally delivered to the Holy Father himself.

Thousands of messages have already been sent expressing sentiments of gratitude and admiration for the moments that have inspired Catholics young and old over the past year.

Vatican Radio’s Susan Hodges spoke to Vatican Commentator John Allen Jnr to find out why Pope Francis has made such an impact.

JOHN ALLEN: “He (Pope Francis) has accomplished far more than most of us could have reasonably expected … both in terms of style and in terms of substance. I mean at the level of style, he has completely changed the global narrative about the Catholic Church. One year ago the dominant storylines about the Church were largely negative; I mean they had to do about child sexual abuse scandals, and various sorts of breakdowns in the Vatican, and bruising political controversies around the world. While none of those things have gone away, today the dominant narrative is ‘wildly charismatic pope takes the world by storm’… that has invigorated the Church at the grass roots level and given it a sense of a new lease on life. At the same time, he is hardly all sizzle and no steak – there have also been very significant deep structural reforms during Francis’ first year, perhaps his most obvious being his recent decision to create a new secretariat for the economy in the Vatican to impose fiscal discipline…”

You can hear the full interview via the Vatican Radio website.

Listen to a talk by John Allen Jr entitled ‘The Francis Effect’, presented in Sydney last year.

—

BOBBIE: It was this week announced that Brisbane-based priest Fr Michael McCarthy has been appointed Bishop of the Diocese of Rockhampton.

The Queensland diocese has been vacant since the retirement of Emeritus Bishop Brian Heenan in October last year.

Australian Catholic Bishop’s Conference President Archbishop Denis Hart welcomed the appointment of Fr Michael McCarthy, Bishop Elect, as the 10th Bishop of Diocese of Rockhampton.

“Father McCarthy has already shown distinctive leadership in the care of clergy and people in Brisbane,” said Archbishop Hart.

“I know he will receive a gracious and enthusiastic welcome in his new diocese,” he said.

Fr McCarthy was born on 13 September 1950. He was educated at Greenmount State School and Downland College in Toowoomba. Fr McCarthy received a Bachelor of Applied Science at the University of Southern Queensland and studied for the Priesthood at St Paul’s National Seminary in Sydney. He also obtained a Master of Arts in Theology from the University of Queensland.

On 19 August 1978, Fr McCarthy was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Brisbane and commenced his priesthood as Associate Pastor in Gympie in 1979. Until now, he has been the Episcopal Vicar for Clergy of the Archdiocese of Brisbane and Parish Priest of Hendra and Northgate.

The Bishop-Elect said he was humbled by the appointment.

“I look forward to many years of service as Bishop to the priests, religious Sisters and Brothers and the Catholic people of the Diocese,” he said.

– – –

Catholic Schools week has been celebrated across New South Wales and the ACT this week.

A variety of events have taken place in Catholic primary and secondary school across the region promoting the message that Catholic Schools are “more than a great education”.

St Mary’s Catholic Primary in Erskinville began the week with a focus on community outreach, inviting Lucy Morgan from the Australian Council for Refugees and African refugee Moisema to speak about the experience of asylum seekers in Australia.

St Mary’s Catholic Primary principal Frank Wasseff said that helping those in need was key to the ethos of Catholic schools.

“[W]e have a responsibility to proactively reach out to all sections of society, especially the disadvantaged and the marginalised, and allow them the opportunity of experiencing the richness and values of a Catholic education,” he said.

On the other side of the state in the Diocese of Wilcannia-Forbes, Director of Schools Anthony Morgan has visited some of the most remote schools in the country for their respective open days.

Speaking on this year’s theme, Mr Morgan said “I am proud to say that our schools do offer ‘more than just a great education’. We offer children life changing opportunities… [these open days]highlight to those within the school, as well as the wider community, all the opportunities available to students.”

Music Credit: Waking Up Instrumental – Dexter Britain

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News from around the Catholic world for the week ending 7 March.

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•  Pope Francis’ Ash Wednesday Mass

•  Belgian King signs off on child euthanasia

• NSW MLC Greg Donnelly urges voters to speak up for Zoe’s Law

• 200 cities around the world commence 40 Days for Life

• Caritas Australia launches Project Compassion for 2014.

TRANSCRIPT

SARAH: Pope Francis has celebrated Ash Wednesday Mass at the Basilica of St Sabina to mark the beginning of the season of Lent. His homily focused on the theme “Rend your hearts and not your garments” from the liturgy’s first reading by the prophet Joel.

The Holy Father reminded the faithful that the practices of prayer, fasting and almsgiving are not “reducible to outward forms or vague intentions”, but intended to “[transform]one’s entire existence from the centre of the person”.

Pope Francis said, “…we live in an increasingly artificial world, in a culture of ‘doing’, [a culture]of the ‘useful’, in which we exclude God from our horizon without even realising it.

Lent calls us to ‘give ourselves a ‘shake-up”, to remember that we are creatures, that we are not God.”

On the same day Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera published an interview with the Holy Father.

The interview covered a variety of topics including the role of women, Church governance, his friendship with Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, and the Church’s stance on artificial contraception.

Vatican Radio reports: “Some of the strongest remarks concerned the role of women in the Church. ‘It is true that women can and ought to be more present in the places where the Church’s decisions are made. This, however, I would call a promotion of the ‘functional’ type. Only, in this way, we do not get very far: We need to consider that the Church takes the feminine article,” he said, “She is feminine in her very origins…”

Find the full story on the Vatican Radio website.

—

It’s been a dire week for Belgium, as after weeks of speculation, King Philippe has signed a bill that will make it the first nation to allow euthanasia for chronically ill children of all ages.

The signing of the bill was the final step in removing the minimum age limit for euthanasia in Belgium, with the Senate and Chamber of Representatives having already voted in favour late last year.

The legislation gives children the right to request euthanasia if they are suffering great pain and there is no available treatment. The child must receive parental, doctoral and psychiatric consent.

There has been strong opposition to the bill throughout Europe, particularly from the Catholic Church. The Church has strongly opposed the law, and has made a considerable effort to stop it from being passed.

Various other formal requests and large-scale petitions to have the King veto the bill now rest null as the country attempts to come to terms with the new legislation.

This new step has also ignited worldwide uproar with professionals across the globe describing it as an “absolute travesty”, a “step too far” and a law that renders children “expendable”. (American Academy of Pediatrics)

—

This week saw the launch of the 40 Days for Life Lenten campaign in Australian cities; the first of over 200 cities to take part in the prayer vigils worldwide.

In Australia, seven cities are taking part in the 40-day prayer vigil outside of local abortion clinics. Other countries taking part include the US, Canada, the UK, Ireland, Denmark, Germany and Nigeria.

It is believed that since the first campaign in 2004, over 8,000 lives have been saved, over 80 abortion workers have left the industry and at least 45 abortion clinics have shut down.

Most recently, the BPAS abortion business in Bedford Square, London has closed its doors after five 40 Days for Life campaigns at the clinic. The clinic is the first outside of the US to close following a 40 Days for Life campaign, and has seen more than 50 women choose life for their babies at that centre alone.

Some counter protests for the International event are already being planned. A feminist group based in Quebec has set up a Facebook event for a counter-protest in Montreal this Saturday, claiming the pro-lifers are acting “against the individual choice of women… for the purpose of saving “future humans” while limiting the choice of women.”

To find out about a 40 Days for Life event near you visit 40daysforlife.com.

—

NSW Labor MP Greg Donnelly has this week issued a statement urging voters to contact members of the legislative council to voice their support for Zoe’s Law.

The proposed amendment to the Crimes Act 1900 would extend certain offences of grievous bodily harm to protect unborn children at over 20 weeks gestation. The bill passed the NSW Lower House in November 2013 and is currently before the Upper House.

While the law would not apply to acts committed by a medical practitioner and with consent of the mother, there has been a campaign launched claiming the legislation would impact ‘women’s reproductive rights’.

In his email Mr Donnelly dismissed attempts to link the proposed legislation to the abortion debate as both “dishonest” and “misleading”.

Mr Donnelly said “It is vitally important that those in the community who support this legislation communicate that view to MLCs.”

“To date MLCs have received virtually no emails or letters encouraging them to speak and vote for the Bill. At this stage they are only hearing the voices of the opponents,” he said.

A complete list of NSW MLCs can be found on the NSW Parliament website.

—

Caritas Australia’s annual Project Compassion appeal has been launched at the New South Wales Parliament House in Sydney on Monday.

Guest speakers at the launch included New South Wales Premier Barry O’Farrell, Filipino priest Fr Dennis Espejo [Es-pe-ho], and Caritas Australia CEO Paul O’Callaghan.The campaign launch especially focused on The Philippines, which was devastated by Typhoon Haiyan in November last year.

Recalling his trip to the affected regions, Paul O’Callaghan said “It was numbing to enter a place where more than 8000 died, 26,000 were seriously injured and where 4 million lost their homes…the entire population of Sydney”.

“Just hearing the stories [of the Filipinos]was a harrowing and humbling experience. But even in the worst affected communities, there was a very real sense of hope,” he said.

This year’s Project Compassion campaign marks 50 years since the establishment of Caritas Australia. Last year’s campaign marked the most successful campaign to date, raising almost $11 million nationally.

To donate to Project Compassion, pick up a box at your local parish or visit caritas.org.au.

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The post 5 Headlines You May Have Missed (7 March) appeared first on Cradio.

News from around the Catholic world for the week ending 28 February.

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•  Cardinal George Pell’s new Rome appointment

•  Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI makes an appearance for the creation of nineteen Cardinals

•  Pope Francis issues a letter to families

•  Ukrainian Archbishop pleads for support from European nations

•  Annual 40 Days for Life campaign set to kick off around the world.

TRANSCRIPT

BOBBIE: The news of Archbishop of Sydney Cardinal George Pell’s appointment as the Vatican’s Prefect of the Secretariat of the Economy has been warmly welcomed around the world this week by bishops and commentators.

The announcement was made in Rome on Tuesday local time. Cardinal Pell is expected to relocate to Rome in late March, with Bishop Peter Comensoli serving as Apostolic Administrator in the Archdiocese of Sydney.

As Prefect, Cardinal Pell will have the most senior position ever held by an Australian in the Church.

The Secretariat of the Economy is a new high-level department which is tasked with managing the economic and administrative affairs of the Holy See in Rome.Key tasks for the new Secretariat include the implementation of new approaches to management, financial planning and auditing in the Vatican. It represents part of the major reform of the Roman Curia initiated by Pope Francis and the Council of Eight Cardinals.

In a statement, Cardinal Pell said that he is “deeply honoured” to take on the role, which will provide the opportunity to “enhance the Holy See’s capacity to support the good works of the Church, especially those which help the poor and disadvantaged”.

Positive reactions to the appointment have come from around the globe, with veteran correspondent John Allen Jr commenting that Pope Francis’ decision shows “a new day is dawning” in “transparency and accountability” at the Vatican. Allen said of Cardinal Pell, “he’s like a linebacker in a cassock – a tough, no-nonsense guy not likely to be cowed by Vatican mandarins who resent the intrusion on their prerogatives.”

Statements of support have also come from Cardinal Pell’s brother bishops, including Bishop Anthony Fisher of Parramatta who said “he is a man with great ideas who also knows how to get them to happen…”, and Archbishop Denis Hart of Melbourne who said “[he]has for twelve years been a true leader for the people of the Archdiocese of Sydney and he will be missed by [his fellow bishops].”

Hobart’s Archbishop Julian Porteous has also released a statement saying that this appointment by the Holy Father is a great honour for the Church in Australia and the Australian community in general.

“The appointment by Pope Francis is a recognition of the high esteem in which the Holy Father holds the Cardinal and a recognition of how highly he values his contribution to the universal Church,” he said.

Cardinal Pell leaves the Archdiocese of Sydney after 13 years as Archbishop. Highlights of his leadership in Sydney have included an elevation to the College of Cardinals in 2003, hosting World Youth Day in 2008, and a longstanding defence of orthodoxy in the Archdiocese.

—

Pope Francis has created nineteen new cardinals in a consistory on the Feast of the Chair of St Peter, urging them to understand what the office of cardinal means in service for the Church. Vatican Radio reports:

VATICAN RADIO: In his allocution, Pope Francis encouraged the whole College of Cardinals to recognize their office as one of service and readiness for sacrifice. “The Church needs your courage, to proclaim the Gospel at all times,” said Pope Francis, “both in season and out of season, and to bear witness to the truth.” The Holy Father went on to say, “The Church needs your prayer for the progress of Christ’s flock,” reminding the Cardinals that prayer, along with the proclamation of the Word, is the primary task of the Bishop.

In attendance at the consistory was Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, who surprised the new cardinals in one of few public appearances since resigning as pope one year ago. The pope emeritus declined a special seat alongside Pope Francis to sit with the new cardinals, and warmly embraced the current pope both before and after the ceremony.

The youngest of the newly created cardinals was 55-year-old Cardinal Chibly Langlois, Archbishop of Les Ceyes in Haiti. In an interview with Fides News Agency, Cardinal Langlois expressed his gratitude to the Holy Father for appointing a representative from the poorest country in Latin America.

Cardinal Langlois said “Our local Church is grateful to the Pope for appointing a Cardinal for Haiti, a most significant act: it gives our small country a presence in the eyes of the world .

“The Church in Haiti lives in a constant spirit of evangelisation… [this]include[s]living and sharing the concerns of the poorest of our people, as Pope Francis has so often said,” Cardinal Langlois said.

Details via news.va 

—

Pope Francis has this week issued a letter to families, asking for their prayers in the lead up to the Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops in October this year.

The Synod has been called to discuss the theme of “pastoral challenges to the family in the context of evangelisation” and will involve bishops, priests, consecrated men and women and the lay faithful.

In his letter, the Holy Father stresses the significance of the Synod, and exhorts families to contribute through their prayers, saying: “Such support on your part, dear families, is especially significant and more necessary than ever.

“This Synodal Assembly is dedicated in a special way to you, to your vocation and mission in the Church and in society; to the challenges of marriage, of family life, of the education of children; and the role of the family in the life of the Church. I ask you, therefore, to pray intensely to the Holy Spirit, so that the Spirit may illumine the Synodal Fathers and guide them in their important task.”

The Holy Father also wrote that the Extraordinary Synodal Assembly is to be followed by an Ordinary Assembly and the World Meeting of Families in September 2015.

“May we all, then, pray together so that through these events the Church will undertake a true journey of discernment and adopt the necessary pastoral means to help families face their present challenges with the light and strength that comes from the Gospel,” the Holy Father said.

You can read the full letter on the Vatican News website.  

—

The Major Archbishop of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church has this week held a press conference appealing for support for Ukraine from the European Nations. Vatican Radio has that report.

VATICAN RADIO: Speaking at a press conference held on Tuesday at Vatican Radio, His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk denounced the fact that the cry of the Maidan protesters went largely unheard and ignored until the explosion of violence last week that left some 100 people dead, and thousands more injured.

He said that Ukraine is now living through a dark time because nobody knows how the situation is going to evolve… But he also said it also a moment of great hope because Maidan has become a yeast that has caused the whole Ukrainian population to ferment.

After recounting at length and in detail the chain of events set off on November 29th when the President refused to sign a pact with the EU, Archbishop Shevchuk made an appeal for solidarity.

“I would like to ask Europeans to wake up because what is happening in Ukraine, sooner or later, will touch all of you. Because Ukraine is part of Europe. And if people continue to pretend that nothing is happening, not only will things worsen in Eastern Europe, but this will cause great lack of faith in European values in the Western nations”.

Shevchuk also appealed for solidarity and help for the many thousands who have been wounded during the Maidan uprising. He says many countries including Poland, Lithuania, the Czech republic and Slovakia have already offered to receive the wounded. And he makes an appeal to Italy to do the same.

Shevchuk expresses his gratitude to Germany, Poland and France for having sent their foreign ministers to Ukraine to act as peace mediators in the most difficult moment of the standoff. But he warns “this kind of solidarity must continue because the danger that one of our neighbours will provoke a civil war has not blown over”.

The full story via news.va

– – –

BOBBIE: The International 40 Days for Life Campaign of prayer and fasting for an end to abortion kicks off around the world next Wednesday, 5th March.

Sydney will be one of hundreds of cities worldwide to take part in the 2014 campaign, with vigilers gathering outside of abortion clinics around the clock to give peaceful witness and pray for all those affected by abortion.

Sydney’s event, coordinated by Family Life International Australia, will launch on Tuesday night at St Peter’s Surry Hills. In a 2013 interview with Cradio FLI Australia Executive Director Paul Hanrahan encouraged those who have never attended before to consider going along.

PAUL HANRAHAN: I understand that people have a lot of trepidation about it, and there may be some fears about it because of what they’ve heard or what they might perceive goes on. Once they’ve been there once they’re quite relaxed and they feel it was a very prayerful and spiritual event and they feel, rightly, that they’ve done something that’s effective; they’ve come along and they’ve prayed while people die. That’s what goes on across the road, we can’t ever forget that, it’s a place where people die, unborn children, in that place. As Cardinal George some years ago said about praying in the streets outside abortion clinics, he said the Church has always accompanied the dying with prayer. That we do, and we pray for the conversion of all those involved in that business, and of course there’s also significantly quite often a lot of turnarounds, a lot of people who change their minds when they see people prepared to come and commit to that level of prayer, and they’ve decided to keep their children. I’ve been blessed enough to have held a lot of those babies in my arms.

BOBBIE: The Sydney launch will begin with Mass at 6pm celebrated by Bishop Terrance Brady and will be followed by a candlelit procession to the local abortion clinic and back to the church for exposition.

The night concludes at 10pm with the traditional Shrove Tuesday pancake supper. Other cities taking part in the campaign include Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Perth and Tweed Heads.

The prayer vigil will run throughout Lent, concluding on 17th April. For more details visit 40daysforlife.com or fli.org.au.

Music Credit: Waking Up Instrumental – Dexter Britain

The post 5 Headlines You May Have Missed (28 February) appeared first on Cradio.

News from around the Catholic world for the week ending 21 February.

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• Council of Cardinals gather in the Vatican

• Australian missionary detained in North Korea

• Bus carrying Christian pilgrims is bombed in Egypt

• a Catholic pharmacist has been criticised for opposing use of the Contraceptive Pill, and;

• Attempts to prevent pro-life groups in Albury from praying outside of abortion clinics.

TRANSCRIPT

BOBBIE: The Council of 8 Cardinals, including Sydney’s Cardinal George Pell, met with Pope Francis in the Vatican this week to review reports from the Holy See’s two major commissions into the Roman Curia and the Vatican Bank.

The Council gathered Monday through Wednesday ahead of the two-day Synod of Bishops, which began on Thursday. Vatican Radio has that report.

PHILIPPA HITCHENS:  Thursday morning marks the beginning of a two day Extraordinary Consistory in the New Synod Hall during which the entire College of Cardinals will discuss the theme of the family. Following the celebration of Mid-Morning Prayer, the deacon of the College, Cardinal Angelo Sodano will open the meeting and Pope Francis is expected to greet participants. German Cardinal Walter Kasper, former president of the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity, will then offer some reflections on the theme which will be discussed by all the cardinals during the following sessions.

Details available at news.va.

—

BOBBIE: An Australian man was arrested in North Korea on Sunday for his missionary work in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang.

John Short, a Christian evangelical missionary of the Gospel Hall Brethren, was found by government officials to be in possession of Korean pamphlets promoting Christianity. He now faces the threat of up to fifteen years of jail, hard labour or deportation.

The Swedish embassy in Pyongyang is handling the case on behalf of Australia, who has no diplomatic relations with North Korea.

Mr Short’s wife Karen has managed to maintain her composure, stating that she is not upset and that as Christian missionaries they both “have tremendous support for what [they]do”. Short has already been arrested several times before in China for speaking out about the harsh treatment of Chinese Christians.

North Korea’s lack of religious freedom has recently come under fire with the United Nations’, which has likened the Country’s oppressive stance on religion to the harsh nature of the Nazi regime.

North Korea continues to face pressure to release an American missionary who has been detained for over a year.

—

A bomb has been detonated on a bus carrying South Korean Christian pilgrims in Egypt, leaving four dead and 14 injured.

The bombing occurred on the Egyptian-Israeli border in South Sinai, marking the first terrorist attack on tourists in Egypt in nearly a decade.

The bombing doesn’t appear to have been a deliberate attack on Christians, but a result of internal struggles. An Islamic militant group has claimed responsibility for the bombing, citing an “economic war” against the Egyptian authorities and their economic interests.

In response to the attacks, the South Korean foreign ministry said in a statement, “We are shocked and enraged at the terrorist bombing on the bus… and strongly condemn the act… We believe that terrorism can never be justified under any circumstances and such inhumane and unethical acts should be weeded out by all means.”

The Christian pilgrims were reportedly attacked on route from St Catherine’s Monastery near Mt Sinai, as part of a 12-day pilgrimage through Turkey, Egypt and Israel.

Details available via BBC News

—

A Catholic pharmacist in the Albury-Wodonga region has received wide criticism for objecting to the use of the pill as a contraceptive.

Simon Horsfall, owner of the Soul Pattinson Pharmacy in Thurgoona, has for the past twelve years sold the oral contraceptive pill with a note encouraging those using the pill as a contraceptive to purchase the product from another pharmacy. Recently a customer posted an image of the note on Facebook, prompting a social media backlash, which has resulted in Mr Horsfall’s pharmacy being disassociated with the Soul-Pattinson brand.

Mr Horsfall’s note explains that he has no objection to selling the Oral Contraceptive Pill for the treatment of medical conditions such as hormonal or skin problems, but that he also adheres to Catholic Church teaching that the use of artificial contraception is immoral. “For this reason,” the note explains, “[the pharmacist]contentiously object[s]to the sale and support of artificial contraception.”

In a report by News Limited, Mr Horsfall explained that “It’s a polite note asking people to respect our views. We never refuse [our customers]things, we never hassle them in the store.” “If I was selling the pill and taking the money that would be hypocrisy,” Mr Horsfall said.

“People despise hypocrites with good reason. This is something that I can make a stand on in a gentle way.”

Mr Horsfall has said that he is currently looking for a different branding company after being disassociated with Soul-Pattinson, but that he is not planning on changing his views or practices.

See the story on news.com.au

—

Also in Albury, local abortion advocates are rallying to stop pro-lifers from praying outside of the city’s abortion clinic.

Retired abortionist Dr Pieter Mourik and Women’s Health Goulburn North East chief Susie Reid have rallied supporters, claiming the pro-life group Helpers of God’s Precious Infants are intimidating and harassing women who enter the clinic seeking abortion.

The pro-abortion group are lobbying Albury City Council to change its laws to stop the peaceful protests by the pro-life activists. The Council has refused, and deferred the issue to the State Government.

Bishop of Wagga Wagga Gerard Hanna has said that he supports the pro-life protestors, provided they don’t break any laws.

BISHOP HANNA: The people in the prayer group firmly believe that every woman who turns up at that clinic seeking an abortion may not know of options that are open to her. A number of studies have been carried out to show that some women who go through the abortion process do so under pressure, either from the family or from the person who has fathered the child within them.

The purpose of the people who keep vigil both in prayer and in physical presence outside the clinic is simply to say ‘if you wish to talk to us about your decision or about your ambivalence in being here then we can talk to you about other options and about pregnancy help.’ The record would show that a number of people do respond to the presence of the prayer group who keep vigil and change their minds.

I stress that the Council approves, at least it doesn’t give their disapproval, it allows them to be there as long as they keep the rules, stick to the bi-laws, they do not harass people and if evidence of harassment occurs then we take that very seriously and the person who does that has to be reeducated on what is required when you keep a vigil outside a place such as this, the laws and bi-laws of the council must be adhered to.

Bishop Hanna’s full comment on the issue will be available on the Cradio website.

Music Credit: Waking Up Instrumental – Dexter Britain

The post 5 Headlines You May Have Missed (21 February) appeared first on Cradio.

News from around the Catholic world for the week ending 14 February.

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• Thousands of engaged couples to celebrate St Valentines day with Pope Francis

• Spain takes a step towards making abortion illegal

• Belgium legalises euthanasia for children of all ages

• Russian Cathedral shooting leaves two dead

• Education the focus of this year’s closing the gap report

• Rapping priest from the Bronx Fr Stan Fortuna set to visit Melbourne.

TRANSCRIPT

SARAH:  Thousands of engaged couples are expected to flock to St Peter’s Square today to celebrate St Valentines Day with Pope Francis.

The meeting, which is themed “the joy of ‘yes’ forever’ has been organised by the Pontifical Council for the Family and is set to attract at least 17,000 young couples who are preparing for marriage.

The event will begin at 11am local time with a period of prayer, reflection and testimonials, before the Holy Father’s arrival at noon.

It is one of the many events that have been planned in the lead up to the General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the theme of pastoral challenges of the family in the context of evangelisation.

The tradition of St Valentines Day is said to have Christian roots, marking the feast of St Valentine who was believed to be a third century Roman priest. According to legend, St Valentine was martyred for solemnising marriages illegally, when the Roman Emperor had outlawed them to prevent young men from avoiding the draft.

—

Spanish MPs have this week voted to proceed with proposed abortion law reforms put forward by the governing Peoples party late last year.

The proposed laws would be the most restrictive laws in Europe, making abortion illegal, except in the case of rape, and requiring two doctors to verify circumstances for any woman seeking an abortion.

The secret vote was initiated by the opposing socialist party in an effort to block the bill before it goes to a general vote, when MPs are likely to vote on party lines. However, MPs voted 183 to 151 against abandoning the proposed legislation, in spite of heated demonstrations across the country.

In a protest outside of a Catholic Church last week, Madrid’s Cardinal Antionio Rouco Varela was attacked by topless Femen activists blaming the Catholic Church for the proposed reforms.The women, who had inverted crosses painted on their bodies, chanted ‘abortion is sacred’.

Parliamentary debate on the bill will continue before it is written into law.

—

The Belgian Parliament have this week passed legislation allowing euthanasia for children.

The Chamber of Representatives voted 86 to 44 in favour of the law, which enables terminally ill children to be killed, provided they are conscious, understand what euthanasia means and have asked to die.

In an interview with the National Catholic Register late last year, Chancellor of the Pontifical Academy for Life Msgr Renzo Pegoraro warned of the dangers of the legislation.

Msgr Pegoraro said “A child is a child and so is not at full maturity and with the capacity to understand and handle such a crucial decision.

“There is a general universal acknowledgement that children are more vulnerable and fragile and need a supplement of support, help and care. So we don’t understand why there is this willingness to manage a person’s capacity and liberty by losing this idea of the protection, defense, respect and intrinsic value of life, particularly of children,” he said.

The law will now go to Belgium’s King to be signed before being enacted.

See the full NC Register interview 

—

A shooting at a Russian Orthodox Cathedral last Sunday has left a nun and a church-goer dead and six people wounded.

The attack took place after a Sunday service at the Orthodox Cathedral of the Resurrection on Sakhalin Island off the far-east coast of Russia.

The gunman has been identified by Russian authorities as a 25 year old cash-in-transit security guard. No motive has been given for the shooting, though in a statement on the Sakhalin Orthodox diocesan website, Archbishop Tikhon said that the gunman “started shooting not just at people, but also at icons, in what I would say was a very demonstrative execution”.

Russian investigators have also said that the gunman was drunk at the time of the shooting.

Prayer vigils for the victims have been held around Russia, including a service by Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill, and at Black Sea Resort in Sochi, where the Winter Olympics are currently being held.

—

Australian Prime Minister Tony Abbott has this week released the annual Closing the Gap report on reducing the disadvantages faced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples around Australia.

The report tracks the progress made on Indigenous health, education and employment outcomes created by Australia’s Federal and State governments in 2008.

According to the 2014 report, good outcomes have been attained in child mortality and Year 12 attainment rates. However, efforts are failing in other areas such as literacy & numeracy, employment and life expectancy – with Indigenous Australians having a life expectancy of 10-11 years less than other Australians.

As part of his release speech, the Prime Minister announced a new target for the report: 90% school attendance across all Australian schools within the next five years. Mr Abbott said, “We may be doomed to fail, I fear, until we achieve the most basic target of all: the expectation that every child will attend school every day.”

“One of the worst forms of neglect is failing to give children the education they need for a decent life,” he said.

The release of the report coincides with yesterday’s 6th anniversary of then Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s formal apology to Indigenous Australians for the Stolen Generation.

—

Fr Stan Fortuna, the rapping Franciscan from the Bronx will be performing in Melbourne next month at Flame Fest, an annual event held at St Mary MacKillop parish, Keilor Downs.

The event, which is organised each year by the parish’s Flame youth group, is set to attract hundreds of young people for an evening of music and fellowship.

Flame Youth Group member Sharon Calleja spoke to Cradio about how the hugely popular all-ages event came to be.

SHARON: So, Flame Fest started with a jamming with Jesus session with 20 youth from our parish. We had invited Fr Rob Galea and some how it just completely exploded. The following year we had 800 people packed in St Mary MacKillop’s church and it was completely out of our hands. As we were greatly inspired by the total success of the first flamefest we decided to make it into an annual event in which we would be able to use the talents of our Church in order to glorify God as one united. This year’s flamefest is definitely going to be a Spirit-filled night with lots of music, dancing, evangelization and lots of fun. And it’s going to be a great opportunity to see and meet Fr Stan Fortuna in person, along with many other talented youth who are on fire for the Lord, and it’s definitely a night not to be missed.

SARAH: Fr Stan is a Franciscan Friar of the Renewal and is known for his unique style of evangelisation through jazz and hip-hop music.

The event will take place at 6.30pm on Saturday 1 March. Tickets are $25 and all proceeds will go to assist in Fr Stan’s ministry.

For more details you can find the Flame Fest event on Facebook, email flametrain7@hotmail.com , or phone: 0415 957 123.

Music Credit: Waking Up Instrumental – Dexter Britain

The post 6 Headlines You May Have Missed (14 February) appeared first on Cradio.

News from around the Catholic world for the week ending 7 February.

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• Pope Francis’ Lenten message,

• UN issues report on the Holy See’s protection of children

• U.S. abortion rate on the decline

• Annual Red Mass kicks off the legal term in Sydney

•  Australian congregation of priests and brothers to be recognised by the Vatican

TRANSCRIPT

SARAH:  Pope Francis has released his message for the upcoming Lenten season, speaking on the poverty of Christ and our duty to be witnesses to the poor.

In the message Pope Francis explores Christ’s Incarnation: that although He became poor in taking flesh, He remains rich because of His love and confidence in the Father. The Holy Father explains that Jesus wants us to be rich also, by sharing in this same love.

“It has been said that the only real regret lies in not being a saint;” the Holy Father said, “we could also say there is only one real kind of poverty: not living as children of God and brothers and sisters of Christ.”

The Holy Father also encourages the faithful to address three kinds of destitution: the material destitution of those who lack basic rights and needs, the moral destitution of those trapped within sin, and the spiritual destitution of those who do not know the Gospel.

The antidote to this destitution is not simply through using “the right kind of human resources” according to the pope, but through living the Gospel message and imitating Christ’s poverty in the practice of self-denial.

“Let us not forget that real poverty hurts: no self-denial is real without this dimension of penance,” Pope Francis said. “I distrust a charity that costs nothing and does not hurt.”

The full message can be found at the Vatican Radio website

—

The United Nations Committee on the Convention of the Rights of the Child has sharply criticised the Holy See’s progress in protecting children in a report release earlier this week.

Faults put forward by the UN include a failure to protect children from abuse due to the mobility of offenders, substandard reporting and a lack of transparency.

The Holy See’s permanent observer to the United Nations, Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, stated in an interview with Vatican Radio that while the Holy See intends to “faithfully [carry]out all elements of this Convention for the protection of children”, the observations failed to take in to account what has already been achieved in the area of child protection.

ARCHBISHOP TOMASI: …the report in some ways is not up to date, not taking into account some of the clear and precise explanations that were given to the committee in the encounter that the delegation of the Holy See had with the committee three or four weeks ago.

SARAH: Other recommendations in the report were that the Church reassess its teaching on homosexuality, marriage, contraception and abortion. The recommendations were denounced by Archbishop Tomasi, who said that they were an “an attempt to interfere with Catholic Church teaching on the dignity of the human person and in the exercise of religious freedom.”

ARCHBISHOP TOMASI: I would say that there is a difficulty apparent in understanding the position of the Holy See that cannot certainly give up certain teachings that are part of their deep convictions and also an expression of freedom of religion and these are the values that in the tradition of the Catholic Church sustain the common good of society and therefore cannot be renounced, for example the committee asked for acceptance of abortion and this is a contradiction with the principle of life that the convention itself should support recommending that children be protected before and after birth.

Hear the full interview at Vatican Radio.

—

The US abortion rate has dropped to its lowest since the Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision in 1973, a national survey has found.

A report issued earlier this week by the Guttmacher Institute in New York has shown the 2011 abortion rate to be at 16.9 in every 1000 women, a large decline from 29.3 in 1980.

The survey also found that the total number of abortions in the United States fell from 1.21 million in 2008 to 1.06 million in 2011.

Varying explanations from commentators have been provided for the decline, with the report attributing it to contraception usage, while others ascribe the new numbers to increased abstinence, abortion laws, abortion education and the U.S. recession.

Stand True President Bryan Kemper spoke to Cradio on how the report reflects a culture change that’s taking place in the U.S.

BRIAN KEMPER: I do believe that it’s more of a culture of life, that we are educating this culture, that the pro-life message is getting out there, that we’re talking about it, [and]we’re forcing it to be talked about, and that more and more young people are realising what abortion is and when life really starts…

—

SARAH: Sydney’s Catholic legal professionals gathered in St Mary’s Cathedral this week for the traditional ‘Red Mass’ to signal the beginning of the law term.

The annual Mass, organised by the St Thomas More Society, is a centuries old tradition that gathers judges, solicitors, law professors and students to pray for the Holy Spirit’s guidance for all who seek justice.

The Mass was offered by Cardinal George Pell, patron of the St Thomas More Society, and attended by Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of NSW Justice Tom Bathurst QC and NSW Attorney-General Greg Smith.

In his homily Cardinal Pell asked God to bless all those involved in this work of justice and to continue to endow them with wisdom and insight.

Cardinal Pell said “It is also beneficial to remember that each of us will eventually report to the Highest Judge on our life-time performance, and a sobering thought to remember Christ’s other injunction that from those to whom much has been given much is expected.”

—

The Missionaries of God’s Love will be formally inaugurated as a Religious Institute of Diocesan Rite in Canberra this weekend at a Mass celebrated by Archbishop Christopher Prowse.

The community, founded by Fr Ken Barker, is among only a handful of Australian congregations to be recognised by the Vatican.

The priests and brothers began in 1986 and today have over 50 members, with an International mission in the Philippines, and one planned to begin in Indonesia next month.

Cradio caught up with Fr Ken Barker about how the congregation came to be.

FR KEN BARKER: It came about in a surprising way for me because I had always thought that the Lord simply had called me to be a diocesan priest, which I was quite happy as. I loved being a priest, I loved working with the young people and I loved being part of the Renewal and all that God was doing in the renewal and with the community, Disciples of Jesus, I was quite happy with all of that.

But then what happened was that at the beginning of 1985, three young men who belonged to the community came to me independently and said they wanted to be a priest, but they still wanted to stay part of this grace of the Renewal. So we met in a Pizza shop and we talked about it all, I drew them together, you see, and said ‘look each one of you is talking about being a priest, you want to stay under this grace, what do we do?’ And we decided that we’d pray for a year about it because we sensed there could be something God wanted us to do. That’s what we did; we spent a whole year in 1985… And every time we gathered around the Blessed Sacrament and prayed, we just did it once a week for a couple of hours, there’d be a new thing the Lord would say to us.

At the end of that year we sort of sensed that there was enough in this for me to go to the bishop and to ask him whether he would release me to begin this, whatever it was He was doing with us.”

SARAH: The inauguration will take place in St Christopher’s Cathedral Canberra at 11am on Saturday 8 February. All are welcome.

Music Credit: Waking Up Instrumental – Dexter Britain

The post 5 Catholic Headlines You May Have Missed (7 February) appeared first on Cradio.

News from around the Catholic world for the week ending 31 January.

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• Pope Francis on the cover of Rolling Stone

• Week of Prayer for Christian Unity closes in Rome

• Churches attacked in South Sudan

• John Paul II relic stolen from Italian church

• Army Major dismissed for voicing Christian beliefs

• General Peter Cosgrove to be Australia’s new Governor General.

TRANSCRIPT

BOBBIE: Pope Francis is once again in mainstream headlines, this time gracing the February cover of renowned rock magazine Rolling Stone.

In a 7,700 word feature story entitled ‘Pope Francis: The Times they Are a-Changing’ Rolling Stone journalist Mark Binelli praises Pope Francis for his charisma, gentleness and love for the poor, while attempting to draw contrasts with Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI.

The article, which begins and ends with the Angelus in St Peter’s square, features commentary from priests and lay journalists in Rome and an analysis of issues surrounding Pope Francis’ pontificate.

The full article is available on the Rolling Stone website.

—

Pope Francis concluded the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity with an ecumenical celebration of Vespers on the Feast of the Conversion of St Paul in Rome.

Representatives of various Christian denominations gathered at St Paul’s Outside the the Walls for the event. Among those present were Orthodox Archbishop Gennadios Zervos and the Archbishop of Canterbury’s representative David Moxon, who prayed with Pope Francis at the tomb of St Paul.

Addressing those gathered Pope Francis said, “Unity will not come about as a miracle at the very end. Rather, unity comes about in journeying; the Holy Spirit does this on the journey.”

“If we do not walk together, if we do not pray for one another, if we do not collaborate in the many ways that we can in this world for the People of God, then unity will not come about! But it will happen on this journey, in each step we take. And it is not we who are doing this, but rather the Holy Spirit, who sees our goodwill,” Pope Francis said.

—

Bishops have this week called on the South Sudanese Government to offer protection of church premises and personnel following rebel attacks on churches in the South Sudanese diocese of Malakal.

Fr. Ferdinand Lugonzo, secretary general of the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa spole to Vatican Radio about the statement released by the bishops.

FR FERDINAND LUGONZO: This statement we delivered to all the members of the Episcopal Conference on the 24th, and we had a team of bishops who visited South Sudan. And what we heard from the Apostolic Administrator of Malakal, which is the area which is most effected, was really disheartening. He was personally attacked in his residence, and he was ordered to leave the residence without much of his property, and he ran to the Cathedral of the Diocese of Malakal, and the whole house was looted. In his narration, a number of priests in the diocese of Malakal had actually been attacked and had run away from their stations. Quoting the Apostolic Administrator, up to 24th, he didn’t know where some of the priests were – so that is what we were addressing. The rebels are now attacking church premises where even some of the victims are running to – and even the church personnel themselves are not safe.

Details on that story via news.va.

—

BOBBIE: A reliquary containing the blood of Blessed Pope John Paul II has been stolen from a church in Italy.

Local woman Franca Corrieri said she discovered a broken window early on Sunday morning and called the police, who discovered the relic and a crucifix were missing.

The relic had been given to the small church in the Abruzzo by Blessed John Paul II’s former private secretary as a token of the love the late Holy Father had for the mountain area. It has been reported that Blessed John Paul II, who died in 2005 and was beatified in 2011, used to secretly leave the Vatican to hike or ski there and pray in the local stone church.

Ms Corrieri said the incident felt more like a kidnapping than a theft. “In a sense, a person has been stolen” she said.

Apart from the relic and a crucifix, nothing else was taken.

—

Army Reserve Major Bernard Gaynor has this week issued a statement claiming he is being dismissed from the Australian Defence Force for expressing his Christian beliefs.

In April last year Major Gaynor had seven charges brought against him by the Defence Force, including three counts of failure to comply with an order, three counts of prejudicial conduct and one count of disobeying a lawful command.

The charges, which Major Gaynor said were for drawing links between Islam and Terrorism and vocally objecting to the presence of military uniforms in the Sydney Mardi Gras, were later dropped following internal Defence investigations. In spite of this, Major Gaynor is now facing termination.

Major Gaynor said that he found it ironic that the Chief of Defence Force was pursuing termination, while his termination notice praised his military record.

MAJOR GAYNOR: I’ve proudly served in the Australian Army since 1997, and it’s bitterly disappointing to be told by the Chief of Defence Force that public displays of my faith undermine the values of the Australian Army. I’ve served this nation to defend its freedom – I never thought that the Defence Force itself would sack me for practicing my Catholic faith.

BOBBIE: Major Gaynor has been given until 5 February to respond to his termination notice.

—

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has this week announced that Catholic and former Defence Force chief General Peter Cosgrove will be the 26th Governor-General of Australia.

General Cosgrove, who takes up his appointment in March, said that he was humbled and honoured to be given this role.

“There is no greater privilege than to serve your country, and no greater country to serve than Australia,” General Cosgrove said.

“My approach to this job will be of course as I’ve approached all those times when I’ve been asked to serve Australia. It will get my total commitment, all the energy I’ve got, good humour, and with an unfailing optimism that this is a great nation which will only get better,” he said.

General Cosgrove has served as Chancellor of Australian Catholic University for the past three years. In congratulating him on the appointment, ACU Vice Chancellor Professor Greg Craven noted General Cosgrove’s dedication to public service.

“General Cosgrove’s sound advice, his commitment to serving the common good, and his immense experience have proven invaluable in helping the University build on its reputation of quality teaching and research, and I thank him for all his work,” Professor Craven said.

General Cosgrove served in the Australian Army from 1965, lead the multinational peacekeeping force in East Timor during the country’s troubled transition to independence from Indonesia, and was Chief of the Australian Defence Force from 2002-2005.

General Cosgrove has previously been recognised as Companion of the Order of Australia in 2000, Australian of the Year in 2001, and Knight of the Grand Cross of the Order of St Gregory the Great by Pope Benedict XVI in February last year.

Music Credit: Waking Up Instrumental – Dexter Britain

The post 6 Catholic Headlines You May Have Missed (31 January) appeared first on Cradio.

News from around the Catholic world for the week ending 24 January.

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• Pope Francis requests prayers for world leaders gathered at Geneva II Conference

• Ukrainian-Greek Archbishop calls for peace in Kiev

• Federal Government announces an initiative to curb divorce rates

• Caritas Australia responds to foreign aid funding cuts

•  Thousands rally in Washington for an end to abortion.

TRANSCRIPT

BOBBIE:  Pope Francis has once again made an appeal for peace in Syria this week, with the Geneva II international conference for peace in Syria commencing in Switzerland. The Holy Father called on those gathered at his Wednesday audience to pray for world leaders who were beginning negotiations to resolve the Syrian civil war, which has left more than 100,000 dead and millions displaced.

VATICAN RADIO: Speaking at the end of his weekly General Audience, Pope Francis said, “I ask the Lord to touch the hearts of all [parties and participants], that, looking only to the greater good of the so sorely tried Syrian people, they might spare no effort to reach as quickly as possible the cessation of violence and the end of the conflict, which has already caused too much suffering.” The Holy Father went on to say, “I hope for dear nation of Syria [that it undertake]with conviction the path of reconciliation, concord and reconstruction with the participation of all citizens, in which everyone can find in the other, not an enemy, not a rival, but a brother to welcome and embrace.”

Details via Vatican Radio. 

—

BOBBIE: The head of the Ukrainian Greek-Catholic Church, Major Sviatoslav (Shevchuk), called on his countrymen to join in prayer for peace and unity on Wednesday – the 96th anniversary of Ukrainian independence.

The call came in response to this week’s violent anti-government protests in Kiev, where at least three protestors have been killed. Police and protesters have been clashing since Sunday night as the government forces attempt to end the protests.

Major Archbishop Sviatoslav called on the government to listen to the Ukrainian people, and for protesters to use non-violent means of protesting.

“With great dismay and sadness we witness the events taking place at the moment in Kyiv,” he said.

“In view of these exceptional circumstances I would like to appeal to all the faithful of the church, the Ukrainian people, and to all people of good will. In the name of God, stop the bloodshed! Violence was never the way to build a free and independent state! Bloodshed will never reconcile hearts or bring a positive outcome.”

The Archbishop ended his address saying “I call everyone to prayer for peace in our country. May the Lord of peace, the Lord who has given us his peace be with you all.”

Details via news.va

—

The Federal Government has this week confirmed a $20 million scheme to help reduce marriage breakdown in Australia.

With one in three Australian marriages ending in divorce, the Social Services Minister Kevin Andrews told the Courier Mail that the Government plans to implement a one year trial offering newly wed couples a $200 voucher for marriage counselling.

Mr Andrews said that the initiative aims to strengthen relationships, create more stability and a better environment for children.

“The evidence shows that strong relationships between parents make a substantial difference to a child,” Mr Andrews said.

“Australian research also consistently finds that marriage and relationship education assists committed, married, engaged or cohabiting couples to move through the phases of their relationship with improved relationship skills, strengthening relationships for up to five years,” he said.

The subsidy can be used for marriage and relationship education and counselling – similar to marriage preparation programs currently compulsory for those wishing to marry within the Catholic Church.

The 12-month trial will be available to 100,000 couples starting on July 1.

More details via the Courier Mail website

—

Caritas Australia has expressed its disappointment with the Federal Government’s decision to cut $650 million from the foreign aid budget for the remainder of the financial year.

In a statement released this week, Caritas Australia CEO Paul O’Callaghan said the funding cuts will put a strain on efforts in Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and Asia.

“For half a century, Caritas Australia has walked in solidarity with the world’s most vulnerable women, men and children,” Mr O’Callaghan said.

“We are resolute in our mission to honour the dignity of the people we serve.

“Despite this unforeseen, mid-year change to our Partnership Agreement with the Government, we remain committed to promote peace, justice and dignity for the poorest of the poor,” he said.

Mr O’Callaghan also highlighted the successes in Caritas Australia’s aid efforts – including food and security gains – in Bangladesh and East Timor over the past year.

Mr O’Callaghan urged the Federal Government to “re-establish a sound basis for effective long-term partnership through its budget planning for the next four years.”

—

Over in the U.S., thousands braved sub-zero temperatures on Wednesday to show their opposition to abortion at the 41st annual March for Life in Washington D.C.

The rally included speeches from politicians, guest speakers from a number of evangelical Christian communities, a concert by Catholic artist Matt Maher and a focus on helping women experiencing unplanned pregnancy.

Pope Francis tweeted his support of the March for Life, stating: “I join the March for Life in Washington with my prayers. May God help us respect all life, especially the most vulnerable.”

Madeleine Vella, an Australian missionary in the US for Generation Life, was present at the March:

MADELEINE: It was absolutely freezing: the temperature was -12 degrees Celsius, and there were hundreds of thousands of people marching in the nation’s capital, both in protest against abortion rights and in celebration of life. The March for Life is relevant to Australia because at the heart of the reason for marching is the dignity of the human person. This is a universal message written on the heart of every single human being, because we are all created in the image and likeness of God. Abortion must end allover the world, and the March for Life in DC really witnesses to the importance of standing up for the right to life. This includes and especially needs to be focused on our unborn brothers and sisters.

BOBBIE: The annual march takes place on the anniversary of the US Supreme Court’s Roe vs. Wade decision, which disallowed most legal restrictions on abortion in the United States.

US President Barrack Obama released a statement on Wednesday reaffirming his commitment to abortion access.

President Obama also recently announced plans to meet with Pope Francis on March 27 in Rome.

The discussion is planned to focus on poverty and wealth inequality around the world.

Music Credit: Waking Up Instrumental – Dexter Britain

The post 5 Catholic Headlines You May Have Missed (24 January) appeared first on Cradio.

News from around the Catholic world for the week ending 17 January.

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• Pope Francis names 19 new Cardinals;
• Holy See Ambassadors gather for New Year meeting with Pope Francis
•  6 Catholic priests are ordained in China
•  a new diocese for Australia, and;
•  the Australian Christian Lobby responds to calls to remove the Our Father from Parliament.

TRANSCRIPT

BOBBIE: Pope Francis has this week named 19 new Cardinals from 12 countries across the globe including Philippines, Haiti and the Ivory Coast.

Following his Sunday Angelus, the Holy Father announced that he would create 16 new Cardinals on 22 February, the Feast of the Chair of Peter. An additional three Archbishops Emeriti will join the College of Cardinals in recognition of their service to the Holy See and the Church.

Pope Francis said the diverse group of men “represent the deep ecclesial relationship between the Church of Rome and the other Churches throughout the world.”

In a letter addressed to the 19 new Cardinals, Pope Francis emphasised that their elevation was not to be considered a promotion or an honour.

Pope Francis said “it is simply a service” that calls us to “widen our gaze and enlarge the heart.”

“This ability to see farther into the distance and love more universally with greater intensity can only be achieved by following the same way of the Lord: the way of bowing down and of humility, in the manner of a servant,” he said.

More details via news.va

—

International Ambassadors to the Holy See gathered in the Vatican this week for a New Year’s greeting from Pope Francis.

Religious freedom, human trafficking and care of the environment were three key issues, which were the focus of Pope Francis’ address.

Australia’s Ambassador to the Holy See John McCarthy shared his impressions with Vatican Radio.

JOHN MCCARTHY: The overall message is one of hope and of rededication to the fundamentls of Christian civilisation, with references to the family, references to refugees, the environment, to religious freedom and peace. I talk about rededication as being rededication to peaceful solutions to almost intractable world problems such as Syria and Palestine. That’s a part of what the Pope sees and puts, not in an optimistic sense, but in the sense of providing a basis on which there can be a way forward.

BOBBIE: And you can hear the full interview on the Vatican Radio website.

—

Six new priests have been ordained in China recently, sparking hope at the beginning of the year in mission territories that have lacked priestly vocations.

According to a report from Fides News Agency, four men were ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Kai Feng by Bishop Lian Jian Sen. Fifty priests, forty seminarians and 1000 faithful were in attendance, making it the diocese’ largest ordination in recent years.

It was also reported that on the Solemnity of Mary the Mother of God, the neighbouring Diocese of Zhu Ma Dian saw two men ordained – the first ordinations in that diocese since 1933.

Both dioceses are located in the Henan province of China, 700km south of the capital, Beijing.

Details at Fides News Agency

—

Pope Francis has announced the formation of a new diocese in Australia. The Syro-Malabar Catholic Eparchy of Melbourne is being established to serve the growing number of Syro-Malabar Catholics in Australia.

The Eparchy of Melbourne is only the second Syro-Malabar diocese outside of India – where the Church was founded by St Thomas the Apostle in the first century.

Bishop Bosco Puthur has been appointed as bishop of the new Eparchy. Bishop Puthur was previously a lecturer, seminary rector and vicar general in India.

President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference Archbishop Denis Hart has warmly received the new bishop, stating: “I welcome Bishop Bosco Puthur as the first Bishop of the St Thomas Catholics in Australia, and I look forward to working with him as a colleague in Melbourne, while he has care of his brothers and sisters through the whole country.”

The Syro-Malabar Church is one of the 22 Eastern Churches in communion with Rome. There are currently 4.2 million Syro-Malabar Catholics throughout the world, with several thousand residing in Australia.

That story via ACBC Media Blog

—

Greens senator and acting leader Richard Di Natale is calling for the Federal Parliament to stop reciting the Lord’s Prayer at the opening of Parliament each day.

Senator Di Natale said he will move to end the reading of prayers at the start of each sitting day as Australia is made up of different religions and parliament should represent all faith traditions.

The Australian Christian Lobby has said that they believe the move will fail, as the Coalition and Labor have consistently told ACL through it’s election questionnaires that they support retaining the recitation of the Lord’s Prayer.

ACL Managing Director Lyle Shelton said “It is disappointing the acting Greens leader wants to take away something of Australia’s cultural heritage.”

“The Christian ethos underpinning western civilisation has fostered free and prosperous societies, including our liberal democracy,” he said.

Music Credit: Waking Up Instrumental – Dexter Britain

The post 5 Catholic Headlines You May Have Missed (17 January) appeared first on Cradio.

News from around the Catholic world for the week ending 20 December

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• A new Jesuit saint for the Church, Pope Francis’ latest interview

• Tony Abbott announces plans to make adoption easier

• Australian Catholic University and University of Notre Dame Australia sign a historic agreement

• iWitness youth conference wraps up for 2013.

TRANSCRIPT

BOBBIE: In a private audience on Tuesday, Pope Francis bypassed usual canonisation procedures and instantly declared the 16th-century Jesuit Pierre Favre a saint.

St. Pierre Favre was recruited by St Ignatius when the two were roommates while studying at the Sorbonne in Paris along with St. Francis Xavier. He was ordained to the priesthood in July 1534 and, one month later, celebrated the mass on 15 August, during which Ignatius’ first seven companions took vows.

The speedy process with Pope Francis used to canonise his well-loved fellow Jesuit is called equivalent canonisation. It can be used by a pope when a blessed has enjoyed widespread reverence for a long period of time. Pope Benedict used the same process with Hildegard of Bingen, and St John Paul II used it three times, for among others, St Kinga of Poland.

St Pierre Favre spent his ministry preaching all around Europe and died while on his way to the Council of Trent.

He is a favourite of Pope Francis, who recently discussed his message of dialogue with anyone, “even the most remote and even with his opponents”.

In the same decree, Francis also approved a miracle attributed to an American candidate for sainthood, Sr. Maria Teresa Demjanovich of the Sisters of Charity.

Born in New Jersey in 1901, as a member of the Greek Catholic rite, Demjanovich died in 1927 after a serious illness. She enjoyed a reputation for deep holiness because of her spiritual writings and her dedication to religious life.

More details via news.va

—

BOBBIE: Pope Francis has given an interview to Italian-based newspaper La Stampa on Saturday, covering the meaning of Christmas, reactions to Evangelii Gaudium, and relations with other Christian Churches and communities.

The Holy Father stated that for him, Christmas is about “the encounter with Jesus”.

He said that in Christmas we see that “God walks with us; he takes us by the hand like a father does with his child. This is a beautiful thing.”

In speaking on building relationships with Christians outside the Catholic Church, Pope Francis outlined his desire for unity, and the unity that Christians already experience today as victims of persecution.

“For me ecumenism is a priority. Today there is an ecumenism of blood”, the Holy Father said.

“We are united in blood, even though we have not yet managed to take necessary steps towards unity between us and perhaps the time has not yet come. Unity is a gift that we need to ask for.”

Pope Francis also responded sharply to rumours that he was considering admitting women to the College of Cardinals, stating “I don’t know where this idea sprang from. Women in the Church must be valued not clericalised.”

Read the full interview on the La Stampa website. 

—

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has this week announced that his Government plans to change adoption laws within 12 months.

Mr Abbott made the announcement at an event in Sydney attended by NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell and other dignitaries.

“I’ve always said to be born in Australia is to win the lottery of life and we would like to see more children given this opportunity,” Mr Abbott said.

The decision follows last Friday’s Council of Australian Governments meeting where Mr O’Farrell raised the issue.

NSW Family and Community Services Minister Pru Goward said “For too long open adoption has been a dirty word, when we know that open adoption can provide better outcomes for vulnerable children rather than foster care until the child is 18.”

“How can we hope to break the cycle of intergenerational disadvantage if we do not begin by giving each of these children a safe and loving home for life?” Ms Goward added.

Australian actor Hugh Jackman and his wife Deborra-Lee Furness who have two adopted children were among those present.

Ms Furness said, “I just want to savour this moment. This has been years we have been talking about this issue and now things are going to change.”

The adoption system has long been criticised for its complexity, with statistics from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare showing that last financial year there were 339 children adopted in Australia; 129 from overseas and just 210 locally.

—

Two Australian Catholic Universities signed an historic agreement in Sydney this week.

Australian Catholic University and the University of Notre Dame Australia signed a Memorandum of Understanding in order to increase collaboration between the two universities.

The agreement was signed by Vice-Chancellors Professor Celia Hammond of Notre Dame and Professor Greg Craven of ACU at Cathedral House in Sydney in the presence of His Eminence George Cardinal Pell.

The universities committed not only to furthering their Catholic mission and Identity, but on a practical level offering courses, exchange programs for staff, conducting research, and sharing facilities.

Teacher education in Sydney will be a particular priority.

Universities first arose during the Middle Ages under the aegis of the Church.

Details via the ACU website

—

In other news, the 2013 iWitness youth conference wrapped up in Stanwell Tops, NSW last weekend.

The conference, which is held annually, was attended by more than 200 young people who explored the legacy of Pope Benedict over the course of four days.

The event was attended by a number of religious and included talks by Archbishop of Sydney Cardinal George Pell, Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Paul Gallagher and Hobart’s Archbishop Julian Porteous.

In his Saturday evening talk Cardinal Pell reflected on the papacies of Blessed John Paul II, Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI and Pope Francis.

His Eminence noted that on a recent trip to Rome he paid a visit to Castel Gandolfo where Emeritus Pope Benedict has retired.

CARDINAL PELL: A wonderful man – many of you would have seen him here when he came for World Youth Day. I popped in to see him about 8 or 9 days ago and he was telling me what wonderful memories he has of the World Youth Day here in Sydney.

BOBBIE: Talks from iWitness 2013 will be available on the Cradio website in the coming weeks.

Music Credit: Waking Up Instrumental – Dexter Britain

The post 5 Catholic Headlines You May Have Missed (20 December) appeared first on Cradio.

News from around the Catholic world for the week ending 13 December

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• Pope Francis is named Time Magazine’s person of the year

• South African Cardinal reflects on the legacy of Nelson Mandela

• High Court rules to shut down ACT marriage laws

• Royal Commission puts spotlight on the Towards Healing program in Queensland

• Newcastle couple is awarded Church’s highest honour

• Australian Catholic Youth Festival wraps up in Melbourne.

TRANSCRIPT

BOBBIE: Pope Francis has this week been named Time Magazine’s person of the year.
The Holy Father joins his predecessors Blessed John Paul II and Blessed John XXIII among those who the Magazine considers history’s most influential figures.
Among this year’s runners up were Edward Snowden and Miley Cyrus, but, according to the magazine, the speed at which Pope Francis has captured the world’s imagination was a decisive factor.
Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said although Pope Francis does not seek accolades, he is happy that the Gospel message, which he tries to embody, is in the spotlight.
Fr Lombardi said, “the fact that one of the most prestigious awards to be attributed by the international press should go to someone who promotes spiritual, religious and moral values as well as call for peace and greater justice in an incisive manner is a positive sign.”
“It is pleasing to the Pope that this service should appeal and give hope to women and men. And if this choice of ‘Person of the Year’ should mean that many people have understood this message – at least implicitly – the Pope is really happy about this,” Fr Lombardi said.

More information via news.va and Time Magazine.

—
Church leaders have joined the millions of mourners who turned out for Tuesday’s memorial service to honour former South African President Nelson Mandela, who passed away last Thursday at age 95.
Mandela has been remembered for his efforts in ending the apartheid, an official system of racial segregation in South Africa, and his commitment to democracy and reconciliation.
Among those who attended the service at Soweto Stadium in Johannesburg were Cardinal Peter Turkson, President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, and Cardinal Wilfrid Fox Napier of the Durban Archdiocese.
Cardinal Napier spoke to Vatican Radio about what Nelson Mandela has done for the people of South Africa.
CARDINAL NAPIER: I think one of the great feelings of South Africa is a sense of gratitude for what Mandela – fondly known as Madiba – stood for in himself; but especially what he did for his country and his people and their future. Namely, breaking ranks with his own party in order to begin the negotiations, then entering those negotiations with a very clear vision of the kind of South Africa that he wanted to emerge after those negotiations. Namely, a country where everyone would be respected, accepted, and even loved as a brother or sister.
BOBBIE: A state funeral will be held for Mr Mandela this coming Sunday.

Details via news.va
—
Here in Australia, The High Court has unanimously voted to overturn the ACT’s “Marriage Equality Act this week, ruling that the legislation is inconsistent with Federal laws.
The judgement was announced just after 12pm on Thursday after a week of deliberation.
A statement from the High Court reads “Today the High Court decided unanimously that the Marriage Equality (Same Sex) Act 2013, enacted by the Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory, cannot operate concurrently with the federal Marriage Act 1961. The Court held that the federal Parliament has power under the Australian Constitution to legislate with respect to same sex marriage, and that under the Constitution and federal law as it now stands, whether same sex marriage should be provided for by law is a matter for the federal Parliament.”
Pro-marriage groups have welcomed the decision, including NSW Upper House MP Rev. Fred Nile, who praised the decision on Twitter.
Many pro-marriage groups have blasted the ACT Assembly for their decision to permit same-sex “marriages” last weekend, given that it was highly likely the High Court would overturn the law. Australian Christian Lobby Managing Director Lyle Sheldon expressed concern for those whose marriages will now be deemed invalid.
“Understandably they will be disappointed at the decision handed down today and it is unfortunate they were put in this position,” Mr Shelton said.
Mr Shelton added that the debate about changing the definition of marriage has had a fair go with nine parliamentary attempts to change it.
“Like the republican debate, the public and parliamentarians have had plenty of time to evaluate it and it is now time to move on,” he said.
—
The Catholic Church’s Towards Healing process for handling cases of child sex abuse has been under the spotlight this week in the year’s fourth and final public hearing for the Royal Commission Into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
The hearing, which began on Monday, will focus on the experiences of four Queensland residents who were abused by priests in the Archdiocese of Brisbane and the Diocese of Lismore and by Marist Brothers in two Queensland schools in the late 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s.
Mr Peter Gray SC, appearing on behalf of the Church, opened Monday’s proceedings with a lengthy statement in which he apologised for the past failures of the Church in handling cases of abuse.
“Today is a necessary day of reckoning for the Catholic Church,” he said.
“This is a time for truth. The Church is committed to the pursuit of that truth.
“The Council and, through it, the Church are here today, and for as long as it may take, to hear the voices of victims from whom the Church has much to learn and to whom it has not listened as well as it should in the past; to make known and to explain the role of the Church in the history of these events but not to excuse it; to search for and help reveal the truth and not to hide it; to admit what has happened in the past and to commit to do everything possible in the future to protect and ensure the safety of children,” Mr Gray said.
The hearing will continue throughout next week, calling on a number of witnesses from the Marist Brothers and Catholic Church Insurances.
For more information visit the Royal Commission and Truth Justice and Healing Council website.

—

A Newcastle couple has this week been awarded the highest honour that can be awarded to lay people by the Holy Father.
Carl and Judy Nolan of Corpus Christi parish, Waratah have been recognised by Pope Francis with the “Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice” Cross of Honour in recognition of their many years of dedication to serving God through their parish community.
The couple, who have been married 60 years, have served in music ministry, Special Religious Education, the St Vincent De Paul Society and wherever else needed for most of their lives.
Carl described himself and his wife as “two cogs in a wheel that keeps the Church going”.
Carl said, “we’re up to our use-by date now but we’d love younger people to step forward to offer their gifts”.
During the Year of Faith, Bishop Bill Wright, Bishop of the Newcastle-Maitland Diocese, petitioned the Holy See to bestow the award upon Carl and Judy in recognition of their devoted, effective and distinguished service to the Church.
The award was presented to them at Mass on Tuesday evening by Cardinal Cassidy, President Emeritus of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.

Details via the Diocese of Maitland and Newcastle website.

—
In other news, The Australian Catholic Youth Festival in Melbourne has come to a close with a final Mass celebrated by Archbishop Dennis Hart last Saturday evening.
The festival marked the first event of its kind by the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, hosting over 3000 attendees and nearly 50 speakers including Hobart Archbishop Julian Porteous, American musician Steve Angrisano, and Collective Shout founder Melinda Tankard Reist.
ACBC Communications Officer Beth Doherty spoke to us in Melbourne about one of her favourite moments at the festival.
BETH: I was very touched when Archbishop Prowse got up, and started talking about those three points of St Ignatius of Loyola which were: what have I done for Christ; what am I doing for Christ; and what will I do for Christ? It really just put the impetus on the young people to think “OK… maybe I haven’t done much in the past, maybe I’m not doing much now, but there’s always the future and there’s always that hope.” So I think it’s a real sending forth.

Music Credit: Waking Up Instrumental – Dexter Britain

The post 6 Catholic Headlines You May Have Missed (13 December) appeared first on Cradio.

News from around the Catholic world for the week ending 6 December

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• Pope Francis urges faithful to pray for nuns kidnapped in Syria

• Caritas Internationalis launces global wave of prayer to end hunger

• Australian bishops reaffirm their commitment to ending child sex abuse

• ACT prepares for High Court ruling on same-sex marriage

• Australian Catholic Youth Festival kicks off in Melbourne

• Lights of Christmas will once again draw thousands to St Mary’s Cathedral. The Year of Faith comes to a close in Rome

TRANSCRIPT

BOBBIE: Pope Francis has this week called on the faithful to pray for Greek Orthodox nuns who have been kidnapped in Syria. Christopher Wells from Vatican Radio reports:

POPE FRANCIS: Now I would like to invite everyone to pray for the religious sisters of the Greek Orthodox Monastery of Saint Tecla in Ma’lula, in Syria…

CHRISTOPHER WELLS: Pope Francis on Wednesday called for everyone to pray for a group of nuns taken by force from the Greek Orthodox Monastery of Saint Tecla in the ancient Christian town of Ma’lula in Syria. The town was overrun on Monday by Muslim rebels after three days of fighting.

The nuns and three other women were taken to the nearby rebel-held town of Yabroud, which also has a large Christian population.

In his appeal Pope Francis said “Let us pray for these sisters, and for all those who have been kidnapped on account of the on-going conflict. Let us continue to pray and to work for peace.”

He concluded his appeal with a call to have confidence in the Blessed Mother before leading the faithful in the prayer of the Hail Mary

POPE FRANCIS: Mary, Queen of Peace (pray for us)

See this story at news.va

—
BOBBIE: Caritas Internationalis has announced it will launch a global “wave of prayer” on the 10th of December for an end to world hunger.

Starting in Samoa, the wave will involve Caritas staff, volunteers and other participants from every continent. It marks the beginning of the Caritas anti-hunger campaign, One Human Family, Food For All.

In a video message, Cardinal Oscar Rodríguez Maradiaga, president of Caritas Internationalis, spoke about the torment experienced by many parents of hearing their children crying of hunger.

Cardinal Maradiaga said “There is enough food to feed the planet. We believe that with your help, we can end hunger by 2025.”

Pope Francis has also offered his support for the campaign and has recorded a five-minute video message which will be released on the day of the launch.

One Human Family, Food For All is the first ever global campaign which involves the 164 national organisations that make up the Caritas Internationalis confederation.

Details via the Caritas website.

—

Australian Bishops have released a statement acknowledging past mistakes in the handling of cases of sexual abuse and committing to repairing these wrongs in the future.

The statement, which was released on Tuesday, forms part of its submissions to the Royal Commission into Institutional Sexual Abuse. It lists nine points emphasising the indefensible nature of such acts, acknowledging the deep suffering caused and the failure of those in positions of authority to respond.

“For all these things the Church is deeply sorry,” the statement reads.

“It apologises to all who have been harmed and betrayed. It humbly asks for forgiveness.

“The leaders of the Church in Australia commit themselves to endeavour to repair the wrongs of the past, listen to victims, to put their needs first and to do everything possible to ensure a safer future for children.”

The Statement comes ahead of next week’s public hearing, which will focus on the Catholic Church’s Towards Healing protocol in dealing with cases of child sexual abuse.

View the full statement

—

The ACT is preparing to conduct its first same-sex weddings this weekend, despite a pending High Court challenge by the Federal Government, which could deem such marriages invalid.

The ACT Labor Government, with support from the Greens, passed legislation in October to allow same-sex couples to marry. The Bill was passed in spite of the Commonwealth Marriage Act, which says “marriage means the union of a man and a woman to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life,” and specifies that same-sex unions solemnised overseas may not be recognised in Australia.

The High Court heard arguments from both sides on Tuesday and decided to reserve its decision until next Thursday, 12th December. A number of weddings scheduled for this weekend will proceed, although they may soon be rendered invalid under Australian law.

—
Down in Melbourne, over 3000 young people from around the country have gathered for the inaugural Australian Catholic Youth Festival.

The Festival, which is an initiative of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, was opened on Thursday with a talk by Archbishop Christopher Prowse and will feature some 120 workshops and plenary sessions.

Festival Park will open throughout the day, featuring a large variety of amusements, activities and workshops in the grounds of Australian Catholic University.

The Festival wraps up on Saturday 7 December. A live broadcast of the plenary sessions and final Mass is being broadcasted via XT3.com.

—

In other news, St Mary’s Cathedral Sydney is set to attract as many as half-a-million spectators as it is once again lit up with dazzling laser projections of religious art.

Now in it’s fourth year, Lights of Christmas has become one of Sydney’s fastest growing traditions, last year drawing more than 350,000 people to view the laser show from the Cathedral forecourt.

The event, organised by AGB Events and hosted by the Archdiocese of Sydney, encourages Sydneysiders to reflect on the true meaning of Christmas through visual storytelling.

AGB Events Creative Director Anthony Bastic said this year’s focus is on light as a symbol of eternal life, hope and warmth.

Anthony said “In the first sequence this year we see the story of the nativity unfold as the entire facade of the Cathedral is transformed into an animated stained-glass window.

“In the second sequence we celebrate the hope and excitement of the night before Christmas, as we enter the world of the spirit of Christmas.

“In closing we celebrate the Madonna and Child with beautiful images from the Renaissance to modern day.”

Lights of Christmas will be launched on the 12th of December by Sydney’s Archbishop Cardinal George Pell and will run until the Christmas day. The event will be streamed live via XT3.com.

Details via the Australian Catholic University website.

Music Credit: Waking Up Instrumental – Dexter Britain

The post 6 Catholic Headlines You May Have Missed (6 December) appeared first on Cradio.

News from around the Catholic world for the week ending 29 November.

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• The Year of Faith comes to a close in Rome

• Pope Francis challenges the faithful in their approach to evangelisation

• The National Catholic Education Commission calls for Government’s assurance on future funding

• Melbourne gears up for the Australian Catholic Youth Festival

• Sydney’s inaugural social justice expo to help young people put their faith in action.

TRANSCRIPT

BOBBIE: The Year of Faith came to a close last Sunday with a Mass at St Peter’s Basilica for Solemnity of Christ the King.

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI inaugurated the Year of Faith on October 11 2012 to coincide with the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council and the 20th anniversary of the promulgation of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

Pope Francis thanked the Emeritus Pope in his homily, stating that “[Benedict XVI] gave us an opportunity to rediscover the beauty of the journey of faith begun on the day of our Baptism, which made us children of God and brothers and sisters in the Church.”

The Holy Father also reflected on the Year of Faith as a “journey which has as its ultimate end our full encounter with God, and throughout which the Holy Spirit purifies us, lifts us up and sanctifies us, so that we may enter into the happiness for which our hearts long.”

The Mass also provided an opportunity for pilgrims to venerate the relics of St Peter – marking the first public display of the apostle’s relics in history.

Fr Geno Sylva from the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelisation spoke to Vatican Radio about the significance of the event.

FR SYLVA: And the whole purpose of the year of faith was to awaken the faith of the first Christians in the hearts of present day and contemporary Christians. And so this final culminating sign confirms once again that the door for the encounter with Christ is always open and awaits to be crossed with that very same passion and enthusiasm and the very same conviction of the first believers.

You can access Pope Francis’ homily via news.va

—

BOBBIE: Pope Francis has this week published his Apostolic Exhortation on the new evangelisation entitled “Evangelii Gaudium” – The Joy of the Gospel.

The 50,000 word exhortation covers a wide range of topics, including the missionary outreach and evangelising activity of the Church, problems within contemporary society, and the spiritual motivations for mission.

Throughout the document, Pope Francis emphasises a need for Christian joy and a missionary focus at all levels and activities of the Church in order to effectively evangelise the world today.

“I dream of a ‘missionary option'” Pope Francis said, “that is, a missionary impulse capable of transforming everything, so that the Church’s customs, ways of doing things, times and schedules, language and structures can be suitably channeled for the evangelisation of today’s world rather than for her self-preservation”.

In concluding the exhortation, the Pope called upon Christians to be “spirit-filled evangelisers”, taking the example of Mary as the “Mother of Evangelisation”.

“There is a Marian ‘style’ to the Church’s work of evangelisation” the Pope said.

“Whenever we look to Mary, we come to believe once again in the revolutionary nature of love and tenderness.”

The full document is available for download at Vatican.va.

—

The National Catholic Education Commission (NCEC) has urged the Federal Government to confirm that Catholic schools will not be negatively impacted by its plans for school funding reforms.

Federal Education Minister Christopher Pyne this week announced the Government will guarantee school funding arrangements made by the former Labor government for the 2014 school year only. In 2015 a new funding model will be implemented based on that of the Howard Government.

NCEC Executive Director Ross Fox has asked that some sort of assurance be made for future funding of Catholic schools.

Mr Fox said, “Funding certainty is essential so that Catholic schools and systems can plan to support the current and future needs of students and staff.”

“Catholic education systems need certainty that overall funding levels for Catholic education will at least remain at currently projected levels under any new funding model,” he said.

With 1 in 5 Australian children being educated in Catholic schools, Mr Fox emphasized that any proposals to change funding must be carefully considered.

“Catholic education includes students from all backgrounds, including from some of the most disadvantaged communities, and operates a system of needs-based funding for its schools,” he said.

More information is available via the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne website.

—

The Archdiocese of Melbourne is preparing to host over 3000 young people from around the country next week for the inaugural Australian Catholic Youth Festival.

The three-day Festival, which is an initiative of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, will center around the theme “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me” from Luke 4:18 and will feature daily plenary sessions and some 120 workshops.

Presenters include US-based musician Steve Angrisano, Paramatta’s Bishop Anthony Fisher, star of the Abbey TV series Sister Hilda Scott, Collective Shout Founder Melinda Tankard Reist and many more.

Festival Park will open throughout the day, featuring a large variety of amusements, activities and workshops in the grounds of Australian Catholic University.

The Festival will run from Thursday 5 to Saturday 7 December. A live broadcast of the plenary sessions and final Mass will be broadcast via XT3.com.

—

Over in Sydney, the Archdiocesan Justice and Peace Office will this Saturday host its inaugural Faith in Action Social Justice Expo.

The Expo will feature four talks from speakers including The Catholic Institute of Sydney’s Dr Robert Tilley and the Edmund Rice Centre’s Phil Glendenning, plus a range of exhibitors from various volunteer organisations.

Qwayne Guevara from the Justice and Peace Office said the event has been organised as an opportunity for young people to find new ways of serving the Church and the broader community.

QWAYNE: We heard that there was a lack of knowledge among the youth of just exactly where they can go, in terms of how they can get involved… because they have all this passion but they don’t really know where to go, so I hope that the youth get out there and they sign up and they put their faith into action, really.

BOBBIE: Among the exhibitors will be overseas volunteering organisation Palms Australia who will have volunteers available to share about their experiences abroad. Palms Director Roger O’Halloran spoke to Cradio earlier this week about the opportunities available.

ROGER: One fellow spent his 2 years in Bougenville almost never seeing another white person while he was there and really being integrated into the community while he assisted them with accounts and administration, and taught people there the processes for keeping their figures and being transparent in that way. His story’s great – he also went of to East Timor and did it again… you know to get the opportunity to talk to volunteers like that, people who’ve done it is something that I hope would inspire others to follow.

BOBBIE: Faith in Action will run from 10am to 4pm on Saturday the 30th of April at the University of Notre Dame’s Sydney Campus.

Hear the full interview with Roger O’Halloran or find out more about the event via the Faith in Action website.  

Music Credit: Waking Up Instrumental – Dexter Britain

The post 5 Catholic Headlines You May Have Missed (29 Nov) appeared first on Cradio.

News from around the Catholic world for the week ending 22 November.

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• Disfigured man embraced by Pope Francis shares his story

• Melkite Patriarch urges Christians to remain in Syria

• Tasmanian Upper House votes to decriminalize abortion while Zoe’s law passes in NSW

• Archbishop Prowse is installed in Canberra

• Anna Krohn to speak on the role of women in the Church at the next edition of the Order of Malta’s lecture series.

TRANSCRIPT

BOBBIE: Vinicio Riva, the disfigured man embraced by Pope Francis in St Peter’s Square earlier this month, has shared his experience in an interview with news magazine Panorama, saying that he “felt only love” from the Pope.

An image of the embrace between Pope Francis and Riva, who has a disfigured appearance due to a rare genetic condition, has garnered thousands of reactions on the Internet and in mainstream media since the encounter on 6 November.

“It lasted just over a minute, but to me it seemed like an eternity,” said Riva.

Mr Riva, aged 52, developed the growths at 15, and was not expected to live past 30 years of age. He usually goes on an annual pilgrimage to Lourdes, France, but was this year taken to Rome instead, where he encountered the Pope at a general audience.

“…What most astonished me is that he didn’t think twice about embracing me,” he said. “He just did it, he caressed all of my face, and while he was doing that, I felt only love.”

—

Syrian Patriarch of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church Gregorius Lahham has called on fellow Christians to remain in the country despite ongoing conflict, which has killed more than 1,000 Christians.

Patriarch Gregorius said “I say to my children, stay in your country, the future will be difficult, but it will be better, God willing”.

The Patriarch, who is heading to the Vatican for meetings with Pope Francis, has called on European countries to not encourage Syrian Christians to emigrate.

“I say to the European countries that want to help, help people in difficulty, humanitarian cases, but don’t encourage people to emigrate” he said.

Over 450,000 Christians have been displaced in Syria and at least 57 Christian sites have been damaged since the conflict began in 2011.

—

The Tasmanian Upper House has this week voted in favour of removing abortion from its criminal code.

The bill was passed 9 votes to 5 on Thursday afternoon, and will allow women access to on-demand abortions for up to 16 weeks. Women who are more than 16 weeks pregnant will be able to have the abortion with approval from two doctors. Doctors and counselors who oppose abortion will be required to refer their clients to another practitioner.

The Bill also establishes a 150 metre buffer zone around abortion clinics, where protests, footpath interference and “any other prescribed behaviour” will be prohibited. Infringement of the buffer zone under the legislation will carry a maximum of 12 months imprisonment.

The Bill will now return to the Lower House for amendments to be voted on.

Tasmania joins the ACT and Victoria in decriminalising abortion in their legislatures.

Meanwhile, the New South Wales Lower House passed the Crimes Amendment (Zoe’s Law) Bill 2013 63 votes to 26.

The Bill was introduced by Liberal MP Chris Spence on behalf of his constituent Brodie Donegan who lost her unborn child after being hit by a drunk driver. It seeks to give legal protection to unborn children over 20 weeks gestation or 400 grams, but exempts children who are lost through a “medical procedure” – allowing for abortions.

Among the supporters of the bill were New South Wales Premier Barry O’Farrell; Minister for Primary Industries Katrina Hodgkinson and Treasurer Mike Baird. Among those who voted against it were Health Minister Jillian Skinner; Transport Minister Gladys Berejiklian; Community Services Minister Pru Goward and Opposition Leader John Robertson.

It is expected the bill will go before the Upper House early next year.

—

Archbishop of Canberra and Goulburn Christopher Prowse has been installed in a solemn Mass at St Christopher’s Cathedral on Tuesday.

The mass, which was attended by 700 people including 30 Catholic bishops, marks the moment when Archbishop Prowse took canonical possession of the Archdiocese.

In his homily the Archbishop spoke of his enthusiasm in becoming a Christ-bearer and burden-bearer, a deliberate reference to the legend of St Christopher carrying the Christ-child across a river.

“I want to be ‘Christopher’ to you” Archbishop Prowse said, “I want to carry you and your burdens to Jesus, the great burden-bearer, across the dangerous river of life.”

Archbishop Prowse also called on the people of his Diocese to be ‘Christophers’ in the world, carrying the burden of clerical abuse scandals, yet also bringing Christ to the world through the New Evangelisation.

The Archbishop reminded his new flock that it is their mission to be disciples in spite of great challenges facing the Church.

“It is at Calvary that we are truly commissioned to become ‘Christophers’ in our world, aching and searching for God,” said Archbishop Prowse.

“Here we will find our hope for salvation,” he said.

Archbishop Christopher Prowse is the seventh Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Canberra & Goulburn, located in southeastern New South Wales.

Details available via the Archdiocese of Canberra & Goulburn website

—

In other news, Archdiocese of Melbourne’s Women’s Liason Officer and Anima Women’s Network Convener Anna Krohn will address the role of women in the Church at an upcoming lecture hosted by the Order of Malta.

The talk, entitled “The Hour of Woman is Approaching… ”: Is the Church Ahead or Behind that Moment? will take place in St Mary’s Cathedral Crypt at 6.30pm on the 27th of November.

Anna spoke to Cradio this week about the importance of exploring the unique contribution of women in the life of the Church.

ANNA: Pope John Paul II 25 years ago released a very important apostolic letter called Mulieris Dignitatem on the vocation and dignity of women, and in this he really wanted to speak to Christian women and say ‘look there is so much about your contribution to the Church and to the world that we [have]failed’ – and I think it’s important not to say everything was always dreamy in the Church – women have suffered enormously, even in the hand of the Church; for instance some of those poor nuns who worked endless hours without resources, women who have been at home without much support.

There were times when, I think, in the Church people were blind to the needs of women, and that’s something that’s a result of ignorance and sin – let’s face it, that happens. I think it’s important to acknowledge that, but I think it’s also to say that despite those obstacles there are so many great women that John Paul wants us to take as starting points in our exploration of possible vocation of women in the 21st Century. And that’s a little bit of what I want to look at – ‘how well are we doing?’

BOBBIE: Anna’s talk is the second installment to the Order of Malta lecture series. You can hear the first talk presented by Professor Tracey Rowland as well as the full interview with Anna Krohn on the Cradio website.

Music Credit: Waking Up Instrumental – Dexter Britain

The post 5 Catholic Headlines You May Have Missed (22 Nov) appeared first on Cradio.

News from around the Catholic world for the week ending 15 November.

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•  The relics of St Peter to be displayed for the first time in history

• Pope Francis leads 60,000 in prayer for the Philippines

• Archbishop Hart responds to Victorian Inquiry’s report

• NSW Legislative Council votes against same-sex marriage bill

• Aussie adventurer launches a book on his journey across the world for Christian Unity.

TRANSCRIPT

BOBBIE: It has this week been announced that the relics of St Peter will be publicly displayed and venerated for the first time in history.

In a column published in L’Osservatore Romano, President of the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of the New Evangelisation Archbishop Rino Fisichella announced the exposition of the relics would be part of the closing events of the Year of Faith.

Archbishop Fisichella said many people have travelled to the tomb of St Peter over the course of the year and exposing the relics would be a fitting way to conclude it.

The Archbishop said “Peter’s faith, therefore, will confirm once again that the door to meeting Christ is always open and waiting to be passed through with the same enthusiasm and conviction of the early believers”

“It is a journey that Christians today know they must follow tirelessly, strengthened and reassured by the contemplation of the face of Christ,” he said.

The relics were discovered in the Scavi under the main altar of St Peter’s Basilica in the 1940s. In 1968 after detailed testing Pope Paul VI stated that they had “identified in a way which we can hold to be convincing.”

Details have not yet been announced for the exposition of the relics, however they will be displayed before the conclusion of the Year of Faith on the Feast of Christ the King later this month.

Pope Francis has lead 60 000 people in prayer for the victims of Typhoon Haiyan, which devastated the Philippines and parts of South East Asia last week.

In a telegram to the people of the Philippines Vatican Secretary of State Archbishop Pietro Parolin said “His Holiness Pope Francis expresses his heartfelt solidarity with all those affected by this storm and its aftermath”.

“He invokes divine blessings of strength and conciliation for the Nation” he said.

An initial donation of 160,000 Australian dollars was made by the Holy Father on Tuesday – along with a one million dollar donation from Caritas Internationalis – which will be use to support those displaced by the typhoon.

Archbishop of Manila Cardinal Luis Tagle tearfully expressed his gratitude for the response of the Holy Father and the Church in an interview with Vatican Radio earlier this week.

CARDINAL TAGLE: We see rubble, we see ruins everywhere – but we see also faith, love arising from the ruins and making us stronger people.

I want to thank everyone – the Holy Father, our brothers and sisters outside of the country, for remembering us and trying their best to reach out, in the name of the victims and the poor, we really thank you. We really thank you.

BOBBIE: Super Typhoon Haiyan hit the Philippines on 7 November, leaving at least 2,500 people dead and over 9 million in need of emergency help. Among those who have died is Kevin Lee, former priest of the Diocese of Parramatta in Western Sydney.

Caritas Australia has launched an emergency aid appeal for the disaster. Those who are able to make a donation can do so by visiting caritas.org.au or calling 1800 024 413.

More details via Vatican Radio. 

The Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry into institutional sexual abuse has this week released 15 recommendations including criminalisation of failure to report cases of child abuse.

In a statement released on Wednesday, Melbourne’s Archbishop Denis Hart welcomed the report and acknowledged ‘inexcusable’ failures in the Church’s response to abuse which occurred over a 25-year period from 1960 to 1985.

“It is the worst betrayal of trust in my lifetime in the Catholic Church.” Archbishop Hart said.

“As the Inquiry heard, we were far too slow to address the abuse, or even to accept that it was taking place. I fully acknowledge that leaders in the Church made terrible mistakes. These are indefensible,” he said.

Archbishop Hart also acknowledged the bravery of victims who came forward to give their accounts for the inquiry.

He said, “It is our hope that the Inquiry, and its recommendations, will assist the healing of those who have been abused.

“We also hope they will enhance the care of victims and their families, and strengthen the preventative measures now in place.

Anthony Foster, whose two daughters committed suicide after suffering abuse at the hands of a priest, said the twelve months of submissions was worth it. “I think we have the basis for everything we wanted,” Mr Foster said.

Archbishop Hart’s full statement and the recommendations of the Inquiry are available via the Melbourne Archdiocese and Parliament of Victoria website.

The New South Wales Upper House has this week rejected a bill to redefine marriage following its second debate on Thursday.

The bill was narrowly defeated 19 votes to 21, with Liberal MPs Catherine Cusack and Greg Pearce voting in favour, along with Nationals Sarah Mitchell and Trevor Kahn.

Reverend Fred Nile of the Christian Democratic Party praised the defeat as being “a great victory for marriage in NSW”. He also took to Twitter saying “children are the winners today.”

Reverend Nile said that he believed a decisive factor in the bill’s defeat was Premier Barry O’Farrell’s announcement that he would vote against the bill if it made it to the Lower House.

Mr O’Farrell, who declared his support for same-sex marriage after New Zealand introduced their laws in April, said he believed it to be an issue for the Federal Government.

The NSW Australian Christian Lobby Director David Hutt thanked marriage supporters for emailing, phoning and sending letters to MP’s expressing their opposition to the bill.

“The result was close, without your support we wouldn’t have won this vote,” he said.

The defeat of the NSW same-sex marriage bill comes less than a month after the ACT legislature passed a similar bill, which is now subject to a challenge by the High Court.

In other news, Tasmania-born adventurer and Harvest INROADS Managing Director Sam Clear has published a book retelling his journey around the world on foot promoting and praying for Christian Unity.

The book, entitled Walk 4 One, details his 15,600km walk through South America, Central America & North America, and across Europe, along with the trials, providence and grace he experienced along the way.

Sam visited the Cradio studio earlier this week and shared about what triggered his passion for the cause of Christian Unity.

SAM: The clinch moment was I read a book by Patrick Madrid called ‘Surprised by Truth Volume 2’, and that was the straw that broke the camel’s back.. reading some of those stories and seeing the hardships that some people went through when they made a conscious decision to become a Catholic- I think in that moment I caught a glimpse of the Body of Christ, being the Church, being broken again- only it wasn’t the Romans that crucified Him, it was us. And even if we were apathetic towards it we were allowing it to happen, and I just couldn’t let go of it…

BOBBIE: Sam’s book is being released by Garratt Publishing this month along with an accompanying educator’s guide.

Listen to the full interview with Sam Clear.

Music Credit: Waking Up Instrumental – Dexter Britain

The post 5 Catholic Headlines You May Have Missed (15 Nov) appeared first on Cradio.

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• International experts gather in the Vatican to address the issue of human trafficking

•  The world’s bishops to survey their dioceses ahead of next year’s extraordinary synod

•  Catholic organisations protest the Government’s branding of asylum seekers

•  Two new priests for the Hobart Archdiocese

•  Mission school for young people to kick of 2014

TRANSCRIPT

BOBBIE:  An International Conference held in the Vatican this week has put a spotlight back on the issue of human trafficking as the modern day slavery.

The two-day event was requested by Pope Francis and called together the world’s leading experts to share their findings on the issues of sex-trafficking, forced labour and organ harvesting. Each delegate was invited to present from a particular perspective and propose ways to combat the problem on a global scale.

Among those in attendance was human rights lawyer and UN Adviser Dr Anne Gallagher who has received several awards for her anti-trafficking work. Vatican Radio’s Susy Hodges spoke to Dr Gallagher about her hopes for the conference.

DR GALLAGHER: My great hope, and I’m also hoping that I’m not being truly too ambitious, is that this is the chance for some real moral leadership on an issue that unfortunately to date has lacked that kind of leadership. So, Pope Francis has come out very clearly and said that what’s happening around human trafficking, the exploitation of human beings for private profit is wrong and is in fact a shame on all of us, and these are the kinds of things that I think we all know but really have not been said so clearly before.

BOBBIE: Human trafficking is today a worldwide industry estimated at $30 billion. There are close to 27 million trafficked people in the world, a vast majority of whom are women and children.

Details on this story are available via Vatican Radio.

The Vatican has asked the world’s bishops to survey their dioceses on marriage and family issues in the lead up to next year’s Extraordinary Synod.

The request came with this week’s release of preparatory documents for the Extraordinary Synod, which is to be themed around the pastoral challenges to the family in the context of evangelisation. Pope Francis has asked for bishops to collect input from as many people as possible as they consider the challenges that are to be addressed at the Synod.

The Diocese of Parramatta’s Bishop Anthony Fisher has been among the first to respond by launching an online survey on Diocese’s website. The survey addresses issues including the Church’s teaching on marriage and family, pastoral care of those in difficult marital situations, same sex unions, education, openness to children and the relationship between the family and the person.

Bishop Fisher invited his diocese to consider their answers to the questionnaire prayerfully and purposefully.

“It is important that we respond to these questions after a suitable time in prayer so that our responses may be guided by the Holy Spirit and will properly inform me, the Holy See, the Synod and, ultimately, His Holiness,” Bishop Fisher said.

The Vatican has requested that submissions be collated by January ahead of the October Extraordinary Synod.

Details and a copy of the preparatory documents are available via the Diocese of Parramatta website.

Several Australian organisations, including Catholic dioceses and agencies, have voiced their objection to the Federal Government’s terminology concerning asylum seekers this week.

In a joint letter addressed to Prime Minister Tony Abbott, 138 organisations have called on the Government to stop using the term “illegal maritime arrivals” to refer to asylum seekers who arrive by boat.

“It is deeply disturbing that people of good conscience should be required, for political purposes, to use such dehumanising language,” the letter read.

“We ask you, for the sake of highly vulnerable people and for the good of our nation, to take the better path.”

‘Illegal maritime arrivals’ was introduced as official terminology to refer to boat arrivals by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship last month, and it has been reported that immigration staff and contractors have been required to adopt it.

Over 30 Catholic dioceses, religious orders and charitable organisations signed the letter, including the Archdioceses of Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.

Immigration Minister Scott Morrison clarified last month that the term “illegal maritime arrivals” refers to the illegal mode of arrival, rather than the claim for asylum – which is protected under international law.

The letter is available to download via the Refugee Council of Australia website.

The Archdiocese of Hobart has this week announced the appointment of two Sydney-based priests to parishes in Tasmania.

Frs Jaison Joseph Kuzhiyil and Fr Martin Aye Ngwe have accepted the invitation to fill the administrator positions in Central Tasmania Parish and West Tamar Parish respectively. The parishes have been left vacant due to a shortage of priests in the Hobart Archdiocese and the departure of the Marist and Franciscan Orders.

Archbishop Julian Porteous has been working to address Tasmania’s priest shortage since his appointment to the Archdiocese earlier this year. Following the announcement of his appointment in July Archbishop said his focus for the Archdiocese would be on vocations, the new evangelisation and youth ministry.

Details on that story via the Archdiocese of Hobart website. 

In other news, Australia’s Immaculata Community are inviting 15-35 year olds to kick off the New Year with two weeks of prayer, formation and fun at their annual Immaculata Mission School.

The School, which is now in its 7th year, will be held at the Sacred Heart Retreat Centre in Croydon, Victoria from 1-13 January.

Last year’s mission school attracted more than 80 young people and featured a range of speakers including Professor Drake McCalister from Franciscan University of Steubenville. The school is run by the Immaculata Community, which incorporates both the Sisters of the Immaculata and the lay community.

We caught up with the Community’s founder Mother Mary Therese at last year’s mission school to talk about how the school came to be.

MOTHER MARY THERESE: The reason we have the mission school is really… our theme is to know God, to love God and to make Him known. Our aim is to get young people that really aren’t catechised, don’t know much about the faith. We go into parishes and it’s often, you know, they get to 16, 17 or they go to university and then they leave; so we want to get them before that so that, number one, they can learn about the faith because they can’t love what they don’t know.

And also we really want them to know that they are loved and what a gift they are, so that they will really know the purpose of life, the meaning of life, and to know how necessary they are in bringing renewal in the parish… sometimes they don’t even know they’re wanted, so we want them to know that they are wanted and they are loved.

BOBBIE: You can hear the full interview and details for the upcoming Immaculata Mission School via the Cradio website.

Music Credit: Waking Up Instrumental – Dexter Britain

The post 5 Catholic Headlines You May Have Missed (8 Nov) appeared first on Cradio.

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•  Thousands of families gather for World Family Day in Rome

•  Pope Francis meets with Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi

•  NSW parliament debates same-sex marriage

•  Survey shows Australians are against redefinition of marriage

•  Another Melbourne doctor is investigated for conscientious objection to abortion

•   Young Catholics prepare for iWitness 2013.

TRANSCRIPT

BOBBIE: Thousands of families gathered in St Peter’s Square last weekend to mark World Family Day at the close of the 21st Plenary Assembly of the Pontifical Council for the Family.

At an address on Saturday evening the Holy Father acknowledged the various difficulties facing families, but stressed that with trust in God’s faithfulness any trials can be faced without fear.

“Christian spouses are not naïve; they know life’s problems and temptations,” Pope Francis said.

“But they are not afraid to be responsible before God and before society. They do not run away, they do not hide, they do not shirk the mission of forming a family and bringing children into the world.”

The gathering concluded with Mass on Sunday morning where Pope Francis preached on how faith can be lived within family life, Vatican Radio reports:

VATICAN RADIO: Over 100,000 people were in St Peter’s square on Sunday morning under a late October sky that was at first overcast and threatening before giving way during the course of the Mass to brilliant sunshine.

In his homily Pope Francis challenged families to pray together.

“It is,” he said, “a matter of humility – of realising that we need God.”

The Holy Father went on to call families to lives of Christian witness, asking them to model their lives on the model of St Paul who kept the faith by sharing it.

“Christian families are missionary families” said Pope Francis, “in their everyday life, in their doing everyday things, as they bring to everything the salt and the leaven of faith”.

Pope Francis concluded his homily with a reflection on the joy of living as a Christian family. He said the family which experiences the joy of faith communicates it naturally.

He went on to say that “family is the salt of the earth and the light of the world; it is the leaven of society”.

More details on that story at news.va  

BOBBIE: Pope Francis has met with Myanmar Opposition Leader and Nobel peace laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in Rome this week. Suu Kyi has been an outspoken democracy advocate during Myanmar’s former military rule, which resulted in her imprisonment under house arrest for 15 years until 2011.

In the meeting, Pope Francis and Suu Kyi discussed the importance of peace, healthy democracy and inter-religious dialogue in Myanmar amidst growing sectarian violence between elements of the country’s large Buddhist and Muslim populations.

Following the meeting, Suu Kyi said “The Holy Father told me that emotions such as hatred and fear diminish life and the value of the person”.

Pope Francis pledged his prayerful support for Myanmar and the minority Catholic Church present there, stating that the Church would be at the service of all without discrimination.

More details on that story at news.va

A bill to allow same-sex couples to marry in NSW has this week been introduced in the state’s Upper House. The proposed legislation follows the recent success of a similar law in the ACT, which is currently faces a challenge by the Federal Government in the High Court.

Labor MP Penny Sharpe introduced the bill supported by members of the Labor, Liberal, National and Green parties. In what came as a surprise to many, Premier Barry O’Farrell opposed the bill stating that although personally he supports same-sex marriage, he believes it is a Federal issue and opposes it on those grounds.

Christian Democrat MP Reverend Fred Nile called for a prayer rally for marriage outside of Parliament between 10am and 2:30pm while the bill was being debated.

In Parliament Reverend Nile said “I have many oppositions to the bill and one that is very fundamental, I do believe in a creator, in an almighty God, I believe God as a creator made us male and female.

“Traditional marriage between male and female is God’s creative purpose for earth,” he said.

The bill will be debated on a conscience vote when parliament resumes later this month.

Earlier this week Tasmania’s Upper House voted to leave the same-sex marriage debate for the Federal Government. It was the state’s second failed attempt to introduce a same-sex marriage bill in two years.

Meanwhile, a survey of MPs in Australia has shown Australians still widely support of marriage as being between a man and a woman.

A motion from Greens MP Adam Bandt passed in November 2012 required all local members to gauge support in their electorates. The results were tabled in parliament on Thursday revealing only 6 of 30 electorates held by Labor or Coalition MPs were in favour of a redefinition of marriage.

It was noted that the survey response rate was considerably low across the board.

A Melbourne GP is being investigated for comments he made on Facebook declaring that he would not refer women for abortions.

The doctor, who does not want to be identified, told Australian Doctor that after making the comments on his private profile he was hauled before the medical board and put under “intense and intrusive questioning”.

“I admitted that I do not refer patients who are seeking abortion,” he said.

“On the basis of this admission, the board said my conduct was ‘unprofessional’, even though they could not point to any specific patient who was harmed by me, and even though they acknowledged that my practice is compliant with their very own code of conduct.

“I am dismayed that I could be treated like this on account of remarks made in private online conversations, and when no patient has ever complained to AHPRA about the way I have treated them,” he said.

Another Melbourne GP, Dr Hobart, is also undergoing investigation for his refusal to refer for a sex-selective abortion.

Under Victorian abortion law doctors are refused the right to conscientiously object, but must either perform the abortion or refer to a doctor who will. The Tasmanian Parliament is currently considering similar laws.

In other news, young Sydney Catholics are gearing up for the 6th Annual iWitness Conference in December this year.

The 4-day event is held in Stanwell Tops and last year attracted close to 300 young people. This year’s conference will focus on the theme of ‘Benedict and Beyond’, looking at the contribution and legacy of Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI and the transition to Pope Francis.

iWitness is the initiative of a group of young people who after World Youth Day in Sydney decided there needed to be more happening for young Catholic adults. We spoke to one of the organisers Dr Jovina James about how it all got started.

JOVINA: It was really, really hard the first year. We struggled to get registrations, we struggled to – we didn’t know what we were doing, we were a bunch of kids, you know? It was just a bunch of young people running it for our friends, basically-and for us – we wanted to learn more and to have this kind of experience… look that first year was for me a more overpowering of the Holy Spirit outpouring grace than WYD itself, and that’s a huge statement cause I love WYD. But just to see the effects of what just 10 clueless young people – like we really didn’t do that, there was so much that was not done and not done properly, and yet even though we hadn’t done it, it just worked and people loved it and people grew to love the Lord more and there were massive conversions. To be honest 5 days before the start of the conference, I think we only had 50 registrations and we needed like 120 to break even and we though ‘this is going to be an absolute disaster’ but when the time came, you know, we had 140 people come and it blew us all away and for me that was such a powerful experience of grace.

BOBBIE: iWitness is open to 18-35 year olds and will run from 12-15 December. To find out more or to register visit lifetothefull.com.au

You can also hear the full interview with Jovina and last year’s iWitness talks on the Cradio website.

Music Credit: Waking Up Instrumental – Dexter Britain

The post 6 Catholic Headlines You May Have Missed (1 Nov) appeared first on Cradio.

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• Prefect of CDF publishes article on marriage

• German Bishop suspended

• Federal Government challenges ACT same-sex marriage law

• St Vinnies reaches out to bushfire victims

• Jonathan Doyle in Sydney to address the problem of pornography.

TRANSCRIPT

SARAH: Prefect for the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith Archbishop Gerhard Müller has this week published an article in L’Osservatore Romano defending the Church’s teaching on the indissolubility of marriage.

The article, entitled ‘The Power of Grace’, follows the recent announcement that Pope Francis has called an Extraordinary Synod for the Pastoral Care of Families next October. News of the Synod has sparked widespread speculation that the Church’s current stance on reception of Holy Communion for those who have divorced and remarried outside of the Church may change.

In his extensive article Archbishop Müller reaffirms Church teaching on the indissolubility of sacramental marriage and inability of the illicitly remarried to receive Holy Communion, drawing from the teachings of Christ, Church Fathers and magisterial documents. Archbishop Müller acknowledged that while the understanding of marriage as a Sacrament has become difficult due to popular cultural distortions, the Church must hold fast to God’s plan for marriage.

“The Church cannot respond to the growing incomprehension of the sanctity of marriage by pragmatically accommodating the supposedly inevitable,” Archbishop Müller said.

“But only by trusting in the Spirit which is from God, that we might understand the gifts bestowed on us by God,” he said.

You can read the full article on the L’Osservatore Romano website.

Pope Francis has this week suspended a German bishop over a scandal involving renovations to his residence and Diocesan Centre.

A statement from the Vatican Press Office on Wednesday said, “A situation has been created in which Bishop Franz-Peter Tebartz-van Elst currently cannot exercise his episcopal ministry.”

Pope Francis announced that he would remove the Bishop of Limberg from his position for the time being. The decision came two days after the Pope held a private audience with the bishop.

Vicar General Wolfgang Rösch has been appointed the temporary caretaker of the Diocese.A German newspaper has reported it is expected the suspension would last two to three months.

Bishop Tebartz-van Elst reportedly spent 31 million euros or about 44 million Australian Dollars on the renovations, far beyond the estimate of 5.5 million euros, about 7.8 million Dollars. The issue is of widespread concern in Germany where parish funds are not only collected through donations, but also through a “church tax” paid by registered parishioners to their denominations. Bishop Tebartz-van Elst has defended the costs, citing the breadth of the project as the main reason for the exorbitant bill.

The ACT Legislative Assembly passed its same-sex marriage law on Tuesday 9 votes to 8, with Labor MPs and one Greens member voting in favor.

The Federal Government has already issued a challenge in the High Court and has urged same-sex couples to put off their wedding plans until a decision has been made.

Opposition Leader Jeremy Hanson said it was wrong for Australia’s smallest government to change the meaning of marriage for all Australians.

“We do not see the ACT Legislature as a vehicle to drive national and social agendas,” Mr Hanson said.

No date for the hearing has been set, but a spokesman for the High Court said a directions hearing could be held next week. The Federal government hopes the case will start by late November.

The writ documents state that the ACT Marriage Equality Act 2013 is inconsistent with the Commonwealth Marriage Act 1961, which states that marriage is the union of one man and one woman entered into voluntarily for life.

If the challenge fails in the High Court, there is one further avenue the Commonwealth can follow if it chooses to, which is to overturn the law. Because the ACT is a territory and not a state, the Commonwealth has the power to overturn any law passed by the Assembly as in the case of the Northern Territory’s 1997 euthanasia law. The Abbott Government may face challenges, however, with Labor and the Greens maintaining control the Federal Senate until July next year.

The St Vincent de Paul Society of New South Wales has launched an appeal to assist those affected by continuing bushfires in the state’s Blue Mountains, Central Coast and Newcastle-Maitland regions.

The fires have claimed one life and hundreds of properties so far, including the historic Elmhurst House at the former St Columba’s College seminary, now St Columba’s High School in Springwood.

Last weekend Pope Francis offered his blessing for bushfire victims in a message from the Holy See’s Secretary of State Archbishop Pietro Parolin.

“[The Holy Father] prays especially for those who have died and for those who have lost their homes and workplaces,” Archbishop Parolin said,”as well as for the numerous personnel working to combat the fires and to provide comfort and care for those who are suffering.”

Donations to the St Vincent de Paul Bushfire Appeal can be made by visiting vinnies.org.au or calling 13 18 12.

In other news, popular author and speaker Jonathan Doyle is visiting Sydney on Saturday to present two free seminars on the problem of pornography.

The seminars are open to all and will provide the latest statistics and information on the detrimental impact of pornography, as well as some pastoral solutions.

With pornography addiction becoming increasingly widespread and boys now being exposed at an average age of 11, Jonathan Doyle says it is not an issue we can afford to ignore.

JONATHAN: “I think it’s a culture that’s deeply conflicted… the sexual revolution, peaking in 1968, opened a huge pandoras box around how we understand and experience sexuality as a culture. And culturally we don’t know what to do with it because we’ve sort of created a culture where we say “everything goes, anything goes”, the relativist mantras of “as long as it doesn’t hurt anyone else”. So for people to begin to say “look this is causing harm”, part of what the culture has to do is shut that discussion down really fast. If you look at masculinity studies, men can’t even really come out and say “hey this is destructive, this is damaging me”, because men are supposed, if they’re red-blooded males, they’re supposed to be happy to use it.  

SARAH: The seminars will take place this Saturday the 26th of October at 9am in Parramatta and 2pm in Chatswood. 

Music Credit: Waking Up Instrumental – Dexter Britain

The post 5 Catholic Headlines You May Have Missed (25 Oct) appeared first on Cradio.

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• Pope Francis thanks Vatican’s outgoing Secretary of State
• Archbishop describes the devastation following earthquakes in the Philippines
• Federal Government vows to fight ACT same-sex marriage legislation
• Hobart’s euthanasia bill is defeated
• Wagga Wagga holds its 13th annual youth expo
• Melbourne’s March for the Babies disrupted by counter-protest

TRANSCRIPT

BOBBIE: Pope Francis has thanked the Vatican’s outgoing Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone at a farewell ceremony this week.

The Holy Father acknowledged the 73-year-old Cardinal for his seven years of service, paying tribute to his Salesian background.

“I would like to thank you also for the courage and patience with which you have faced adversities – and there have been many”, said Pope Francis.

“In this moment I like to think that, even though there have been thorns, Mary Help of Christians has certainly not failed to lend a hand, and will not fail to do so in the future.

“We all hope that you may continue to enjoy the treasures that have characterised your vocation: the presence of Jesus [in the]Eucharist, the help of Our Lady, and the friendship of the Pope. Don Bosco’s three great loves…” he said.

Cardinal Bertone will be replaced by Archbishop Pietro Parolin, formerly apostolic nuncio to Venezuela. Archbishop Parolin was unable to attend the ceremony as he had been admitted to hospital to undergo emergency surgery.

Details on that story at news.va

At least 144 people are confirmed dead and hundreds more injured after the earthquake that shook Cebu and Bohol in the Philippines this week.

The earthquake hit at 8.12am Tuesday local time and measured 7.1 on the Richter Scale. Three aftershocks quickly followed measuring up to 5.9 magnitude. Bridges, roads and buildings have been destroyed in the disaster, among them are several historical churches.

Bishop Leonardo Medroso of Tagbilaran in Bohol toured some of the worst effected areas and described the devastation to Vatican Radio:

BISHOP MEDROSO: It’s very, very bad the damage. The damage is enormous. I just went around this afternoon: you can cry seeing your churches, big churches just turned into rubble. There are some houses destroyed and there are also some people who got killed because of the earthquake, some were buried by a landslide, others were caught up by falling debris.

BOBBIE: The rescue effort continues, although authorities say they are not sure how many people are missing. According to The Global Disaster Alert and Coordination System website, over 5.6 million people live within a 100km radius of the earthquake’s epicenter.

More details on that story at Vatican Radio  

The Federal Government has said that it plans to challenge ACT same-sex marriage laws in the high court if they are passed in state parliament this month.

The proposed legislation has been introduced by the Labor Government and is expected to pass with support from Greens MP Shane Rattenbury.

Federal Attorney-General George Brandis says he has advice that the ACT’s Marriage Equality Bill is inconsistent with the Commonwealth Marriage Act, and would therefore be invalid.

Senator Brandis issued a statement saying “Irrespective of anyone’s views on the desirability or otherwise of same-sex marriage, it is clearly in Australia’s interests that there be nationally consistent marriage laws.”

“At the moment, the Commonwealth Marriage Act provides that consistency. The ACT’s proposed law is a threat to that well established position,” he added.

The Commonwealth Marriage Act was amended in 2004 by the Howard Government to stipulate that “Marriage means the union of a man and a woman to the exclusion of all others, voluntarily entered into for life.” The ACT Government claims the bill has been designed so as not to be inconsistent with the Federal law.

This comes after the NSW State Government’s inquiry into whether states can legislate on the issue. A series of Liberal, National and Independent MP’s in NSW plan to introduce a bill to Parliament to legalise same-sex marriage before the end of this year.

Hobart’s Archbishop Julian Porteous has welcomed the defeat of proposed euthanasia legislation in Tasmania this week.

The Voluntary Assisted Dying private member’s bill was backed by Labor premier Lara Giddings and Greens leader Nick McKim. It was opposed by all Liberal MPs and three Labor members, and was voted down 13-11.

Archbishop Porteous welcomed the defeat with relief and reaffirmed the sanctity of human life.

“Life is a precious gift and every society should do all it can to protect and preserve life from its very beginning at conception to its natural end,” said Archbishop Porteous.

“People in this situation deserve the best compassionate care that can be provided by family, friends, the Church, and relevant professional delivery of palliative care,” he said.

Over in Wagga Wagga, dozens of youth gathered for the diocese’s 13th annual Youth Expo last weekend.

The three-day event kicked off at St Patricks Parish, Albury last Friday and attracted over 60 young people from around the Diocese. It featured talks by Wagga Wagga’s Bishop Gerard Hanna, Albury Parish Priest Fr Joel Wallace, long-time Chaplain Fr Brendan Lee and recently ordained Fr Bradley Rafter.

The Expo had a special focus on Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, coinciding with the recent reopening of St Joseph’s perpetual adoration chapel.

Diocesan Youth Ministry Worker Andrew Flores told Cradio the adoration chapel added a special dimension to the Expo.

“The Chapel has undergone great restoration and is now the region’s first Chapel of Perpetual Adoration,” Andrew said.

“With a strong representation from around and beyond the Diocese, Youth Expo continues to be a highlight on the Diocesan calendar,” he added.

Simon, a young person from Griffith who attended the event told Cradio “it was an inspiring weekend filled with fun, wise words, powerful testimonies and a great atmosphere for young people to engage in friendships and to encounter Jesus”.

The Wagga Wagga Diocese Youth Expo has been running since 2000.

In other news… Melbourne’s annual March for the Babies attracted over 3000 peaceful protestors last Saturday, but was disrupted by a group of counter-protestors.

The March, which is held each year to protest the 2008 Victorian Abortion Law Reform Act, travels through the streets of Melbourne to Parliament House. When a group of aggressive counter-protestors arrived, however, the pro-life group was forced to take a different route.

First time attendee Theresa Chamoun describes the scene.

THERESA: I think there have been counter-protests in the past, but this one was fairly confrontational. There were people popping the balloons, blue and pink balloons of the pro-lifers, destroying signs, burning signs, tearing signs, yelling and swearing, so it was I think more confrontational this time around and it wasn’t sort of anticipated.

BOBBIE: Victoria’s abortion laws are some of the most liberal in the world, allowing for abortions up to full term, although after 24 weeks at least two doctors must agree. If a doctor objects to abortion they must refer the patient to another practitioner or face prosecution.

The reforms have once again been in the spotlight recently with a Melbourne doctor undergoing investigation after refusing to refer for a sex-selective abortion.

With more than 80,000 abortions taking place in Australia each year, the impact on women is something that is often overlooked. Real Choices Australia Executive Director Debbie Garratt shared her insights earlier this week.

DEBBIE: I think it’s kind of a collective grieving. One of the problems, for lack of another word, with abortion is that there is very little recognition of the grief that a woman experiences with that kind of loss.

Often women who’ve had an abortion experience that loss just as they would the loss of any other child, whether through miscarriage or stillbirth; and yet they feel that they perhaps have nowhere to turn. They can’t turn to the pro-life community for fear of being judged, this is their perception, and they can’t turn to the abortion advocate community because they’re not actually supposed to grieve. It’s kind of a loss that sits in no-mans land that goes unacknowledged and there’s no ability to process it.

BOBBIE: And you can hear the full interview with Theresa and Debbie on the Cradio website. That’s it for this week’s headlines, thanks for listening. For more details of those stories or for more Catholic talks, interviews and programs visit cradio.org.au.

Music Credit: Waking Up Instrumental – Dexter Britain

The post 6 Catholic Headlines You May Have Missed (18 Oct) appeared first on Cradio.

News from around the Catholic world for the week ending 11 October.

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• Pope Francis calls Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops

• Order of Malta opens new refugee camp on Turkish-Syrian border

• Melbourne doctor may lose license for refusing to refer sex-selective abortion

• 40 Hours for Vocations starts in Sydney

• Archbishop responds to Tasmanian euthanasia bill

TRANSCRIPT

BOBBIE: This is Bobbie with your Catholic news headlines for the week ending 11th of October.

Pope Francis has this week announced that an Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops will be held in October next year to address “the pastoral challenges of the family in the context of evangelisation”.

This will be only the third Extraordinary Synod to be held since Pope Paul VI established the Synod of Bishops in 1965. Canon Law stipulates that the Synod of Bishops meets in an extraordinary general assembly when the matter under consideration, while related to the good of the universal Church, requires rapid definition.

There has been speculation as to whether the Synod has been called to address the question of reception of Holy Communion for people who have divorced and remarried outside of the Church. However, Vatican Spokesman Fr Federico Lombardi has stressed the importance of maintaining unity and allowing the Synod to run its course.

Fr Lombardi said “It is right that the Church should move as a community in reflection and prayer, and that she takes common pastoral directions in relation to the most important points – such as the pastoral [care]of the family – under the guidance of the Pope and the bishops. The convocation of the extraordinary Synod clearly indicates this path.

“In this context, the proposal of particular pastoral solutions by local persons or offices carries the risk of engendering confusion. It is opportune to emphasise the importance of following a path in full communion with the ecclesial community,” he said.

The Synod will be held in the Vatican from 5 to 19 October 2014.

More details on that story at news.va

Malteser International, the Order of the Knights of Malta’s humanitarian arm, has opened a new refugee camp for Syrian refugees on the Turkish-Syrian border.

The new camp opened on Wednesday and has already taken in 4000 refugees, with thousands more expected. The flow of refugees has paralised camps on the Turkish border, with the UN estimating that there are nearly 2 million refugees fleeing from Syria, at least 1 million of whom are children.

Malteser International have three doctors and three nurses providing healthcare at the new camp and treated more than 80 patients on the camp’s opening day. Health advisor Sandra Harlass says that the arduous escape from Syria has taken its toll on many of the refugees.

“The people coming into the camp have spent many days and nights on the run, sleeping in the open with nightly temperatures down to six degrees, in poor hygiene conditions,” said Ms. Harlass.

“This causes diarrhea, respiratory infections and skin diseases. Some have injuries such as broken bones or wounds,” she said.

Malteser International has been active in Syria, Turkey and Lebanon since August 2012, providing emergency aid for more than 30,000 people.

More details of that story on the Order of Malta website.

A Melbourne doctor may lose his medical license after refusing to refer a couple for an abortion based on the sex of the child.

Sunshine-based GP Dr Mark Hobart has been under investigation by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency and the Medical Board of Australia since April, when he admitted in a News Corp Australia newspaper that he refused to refer the couple to another doctor.The couple had requested the abortion at 19 weeks after discovering that their unborn child was a girl.

Dr Hobart told the Herald Sun that referring the couple would have gone against his moral conscience.

“The pregnancy was well advanced and I refused to refer the patient because there was no medical reason to do it,” he said.

He also said that he wasn’t aware of any doctor who would do the abortion on sex selective grounds, however the couple obtained the abortion without Dr Hobart’s referral a few days later.

Dr Hobart has been a GP for 27 years, but may never practice again under the Abortion Law Reform Act, which was passed by the Victorian Parliament 5 years ago on Thursday. The Act states that a doctor who conscientiously objects to performing an abortion must refer the patient to another doctor.

Vocal pro-life advocate and Victorian state MP Bernie Finn told Cradio that the sooner the law is repealed, the better.

“This is another unjust provision of legislation which is the most extreme abortion law in the western world,” he said.

Over in Sydney, more than 500 people are expected to participate in 40 Hours for Vocations at the Seminary of the Good Shepherd in Homebush this weekend.

Now in its third year, the annual campaign calls on Catholics to take an hour or two out of their weekend to pray for all men and women discerning vocations to marriage, the priesthood or religious life.

Seminary Rector Fr Anthony Percy said that he believes with more and more people participating in the weekend each year, the Archdiocese of Sydney and the Seminary have tapped into a real need.

Fr Percy said “More than 100 signed up in our first year but many times that number came to pray for a few hours or to spend longer in our chapel in reflection and prayer.

“Last year we had an even larger turnout with several men and women, including the mother of one of our seminarians staying all night in prayer in the chapel,” he said.

40 Hours for Vocations begins this evening, Friday 11th October with Evening Prayer in the Seminary Chapel. It continues throughout the night until Sunday, 13th October when it concludes with Mass at 11am.

Details on that story are available via the Sydney Archdiocese’ website

In other news Archbishop Julian Porteous has responded to Tasmania’s proposed Euthanasia legislation in a homily delivered at St Mary’s Cathedral, Hobart on Sunday.

Archbishop Porteous reflected on Blessed John Paul II’s encyclical Evangelium Vitae, stressing the importance of protecting and upholding the unique dignity and destiny of every human being.

ARCHBISHOP PORTEOUS: But it’s our understanding of what shapes our response; that we recognise that any legislation for the taking of life, even if a person wishes to do so, is inherently wrong. It seems incongruous, really, here in Tasmania, that as there is an effort to stem the growing number of suicides among the young; because Tasmania sadly has one of the highest suicide rates in the country; that there are members of government now who are introducing legislation to permit old people to choose suicide. And I’ve been very gratified to see the number of voices that have been raised in the local media condemning this proposed legislation.

BOBBIE: Archbishop Porteous’ response comes as Tasmanian MPs prepare to debate the voluntary assisted dying legislation in Parliament next week.

You can hear the full homily on the Cradio website.

That’s it for this week’s headlines, thanks for listening. For more details of those stories or for more Catholic talks, interviews and programs visit cradio.org.au.

Music Credit: Waking Up Instrumental – Dexter Britain

The post 5 Catholic Headlines You May Have Missed (11 Oct) appeared first on Cradio.

News from around the Catholic world for the week ending 4 October.

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• Council of Cardinals meets in Rome

• Assassination attempt on Coptic bishop

• Reform agenda for the handling of clerical sexual abuse in Australia

• Rockhampton’s Bishop Heenan to retire

• Launch of new series on the life and legacy of Blessed John Paul II

TRANSCRIPT

SARAH: This is Sarah with your Catholic news headlines for the week ending 4th of October.

The newly formed Council of Cardinals gathered in Rome this week for their first meeting with Pope Francis since the creation of the Council on 13 April this year.

The Council is made up of 8 Cardinals from around the world, including Australia’s own Cardinal George Pell. It was established by Pope Francis as a new method of consultation on the governance of the Church.

Vatican spokesman Fr Federico Lombardi offered a press briefing ahead of the opening session of the Council earlier this week, Vatican Radio reports:

Vatican Radio: Fr Lombardi noted that, ahead of this week’s meeting, all the cardinals have already been hard at working, seeking input from bishops conferences in their particular parts of the globe and they’ve already had a couple of informal get-togethers to share ideas and suggestions ahead of the opening session on Tuesday morning. Fr Lombardi also read out the part of the papal letter which spells out the main tasks facing the newly instituted Council:

Fr Lombardi: “ …a Council of Cardinals with the task of assisting me in the governance of the Universal church and drawing up a project for the revision of the Apostolic Constitution Pastor Bonus on the Roman Curia”

Sarah: The Council’s discussions concluded on Thursday, and it has been reported that a new apostolic constitution to replace ‘Pastor Bonus’ was on the agenda, along with the recognition of the role of the laity in the Church. The 8 prelates are expected to join Pope Francis for a pilgrimage to Assisi on Friday local time.

More details on that story at Vatican Radio

Coptic Bishop Makarios has survived an assassination attempt in the troubled Abu Qerqas district of Egypt this week.

According to a statement issued by the Minya diocese, Bishop Makarios was visiting a grieving family in a local village when his vehicle came under fire. The attack lasted for an hour and a half before the bishop and his companions were able to find refuge.

The Minya diocese has seen some of the worst sectarian violence in recent months. A statement released by the diocese reported that the local church of the Abu Qerqas district where the attempted assassination occurred has been closed for 10 years due to attacks and a lack of security in the area.

Security forces have identified Bishop Makarios’ attackers and are currently on the look out.

More details on this story are available at Daily News Egypt

The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference has this week announced its endorsement of a reform agenda which could see the most significant overhaul of the Church’s approach to clerical sexual abuse in its more than 200-year history in Australia.

The reform agenda is being developed by the The Truth, Justice and Healing Council and includes a number of proposals such as broader involvement of independent bodies in dealing with cases of clerical sexual abuse, more rigorous assessment, monitoring, auditing and enforcement of Towards Healing practices, and greater transparency through public reporting.

Francis Sullivan, CEO of the Truth, Justice and Healing Council said that while the Church would support recommendations for a national scheme that may come from the Royal Commission, this might still be years away.

Mr Sullivan said “This is why the Church is going ahead with developing its own reform proposals which could be put in place as soon as late next year and could work alongside any future national scheme.

“These proposals recognise that we must do better when we are dealing with victims of sexual abuse and as we work to make sure our institutions are as safe as possible for children.”

The reform proposals are outlined in the Truth Justice and Healing Council’s Towards Healing submission to the Royal Commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse. They are now being fully developed and will be presented to the Bishops Conference in the first half of 2014.

More details on this story are available via the ACBC media blog.

It was this week announced that Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Rockhampton Bishop Brian Heenan.

Bishop Heenan, who turned 75 last year, was ordained a priest on 29 June 1962 and was appointed bishop by Pope John Paul II in 1991.

In his 21 years as Bishop he served on a number of Commissions of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference and presided over a $6 million restoration of St Joseph’s Cathedral. In 2008 his diocese was rocked by floods and received a $50,000 donation from Pope Benedict XVI, which Bishop Heenan passed on to the St Vincent De Paul Society to assist those who had been displaced.

Bishop Heenan said he has learned a lot from his time with the people of the Rockhampton diocese.

“Getting to know the different aspects of the Diocese was extremely interesting. From the rural areas of agriculture, the cattle and sheep industries, across to the coastal belt with its focus on the sugarcane industry, and with the mining industry touching many parts of the Diocese, I have learned so much”, he said.

Rockhampton is now the fourth Australian diocese awaiting the appointment of a bishop; four other dioceses are awaiting auxiliaries, with an additional four diocesan bishops close to reaching retirement age.

Bishop Heenan will retire to Brisbane to be closer to his family.

More on that story via the ACBC Media Blog

In other news… a brand new series exploring the life and legacy of Blessed John Paul II will launch on Cradio this month.

Living the Legacy is a series of 10 talks presented by Sister Bernadette Pike, founding member of the Missionaries of the Gospel, a new community inspired by the spirituality of Blessed John Paul II.

Sr Bernadette said that the series will explore aspects of Blessed John Paul II’s life, teachings and spirituality, which constitute a unique charism given by the Holy Spirit to meet the needs of the Church at this time.

Sr Bernadette: The idea of this series is to explore, ‘what is this way of being? What was it like for John Paul II to be with people? What was the Holy Spirit doing through him, and how can we learn from that? How can the whole Church learn from that?'”

The launch of the Living the Legacy series coincides with Blessed John Paul II’s feast day on the 22nd of October, and comes after this week’s announcement that the much-loved Polish Pope will be canonized alongside Bl. John XXIII in April next year.

To stay in the loop, make sure you like Cradio’s Facebook page, follow us on Twitter or subscribe to our emails via the Cradio homepage.

That’s it for this week’s headlines, thanks for listening. For more details of those stories or for more Catholic talks, interviews and programs visit cradio.org.au.

Music Credit: Waking Up Instrumental – Dexter Britain

The post 5 Catholic Headlines You May Have Missed (4 Oct) appeared first on Cradio.

News from around the Catholic world for the week ending 27 September.

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• Melbourne priest excommunicated

• Incoming Archbishop calls for moratorium on ACT bill to redefine marriage

• Tasmanian MPs to have conscience vote on euthanasia

• Archbishop calls for government to protect Christians in Pakistan

• John Allen Jr on ‘The Francis Effect’

TRANSCRIPT

SARAH: A Melbourne priest has been laicised and excommunicated by Pope Francis for teaching against Church doctrine and offering public Masses despite having his faculties removed.

Fr Greg Reynolds received notification of the Holy Father’s decision in a letter dated 31 May 2013. Fr Reynolds signed the decree, which effectively indicates that he is forbidden to have a ministerial role in the celebration of any sacraments or acts of public worship, receive any sacrament, exercise any Church ministry or hold any office in the Church.

Fr Reynolds resigned as Parish Priest of Westernport Parish in 2011 and was asked to step down from public ministry by Melbourne’s Archbishop Denis Hart following his persistent preaching against Church doctrine on issues such as the ordination of women. He later formed a community of dissident Catholics and continued to celebrate the Eucharist publicly, despite not having the faculties to do so.

Archbishop Hart stressed that the decision to excommunicate a cleric is never taken lightly and without attempts resolve the issue first through other means. In a statement sent to Cradio the Archbishop said “on this occasion I sought in a spirit of pastoral and fraternal concern to encourage Greg Reynolds to cease his activities contrary to the teachings of the Church but without success.” (View statement from Archbishop Hart)

In 2012 it was reported that at an illicit liturgy where Fr Reynolds was present, the Holy Eucharist was given to the pet dog of one of the attendees. It is not clear whether the host had actually been consecrated, owing to questions around the validity of the liturgy, which was led mainly by a lay woman.

The incoming Archbishop of Canberra & Goulburn, Most Reverend Christopher Prowse has called for a moratorium on a bill seeking to redefine marriage in the ACT. The Archbishop has asked that no new marriage legislation be passed until Australians have had more time to debate the matter in a calm and reasoned manner.

Archbishop Prowse said “I’m a person who is open to listening to people but I’ve also got plenty of opinions of my own and I think the Catholic Church’s opinion on such matters – we represent a reflection on humanity going over 2000 years … I think that gives us a certain confidence to have our opinions heard and, in a reasoned way, debate with people,”

The ACT Marriage Equality Bill 2013 was introduced to the Legislative Assembly last week with debate expected to resume on 22 October.

Meanwhile in Tasmania, all three political parties have granted MPs a conscience vote on Euthanasia legislation tabled in parliament this week. Under the proposed bill patients would have to wait one week between making a written request and ending their own life using a lethal medication administered by the patient or their medical practitioner.

In a statement released yesterday, Hobart’s Archbishop Julian Porteous referred to the ineffectiveness of safeguards implemented in places such as the Netherlands where 300 people die each year without giving explicit consent. He reiterated the risk of making the elderly and infirm feel as though they are a burden on an under-resourced hospital system.

The Archbishop said “A good society will be identified by its preparedness to show respect for its vulnerable citizens: the elderly, the sick and those living with disabilities”. (View Archbishop Porteous’ Statement) 

The debate on the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill is expected to take place in October. A similar bill was voted down in Tasmania in 2009.

The Archbishop of Karachi has called on the Pakastani government to address the alarming growth in religious and sectarian violence.

In a note sent to Fides News Agency, Archbishop Joseph Coutts condemned the violent attacks on places of prayer as a “shameful act of cowardice” and asked the government to “take immediate steps to arrest those responsible for this attack and to protect places of worship of all religious minorities in the country.”

The Archbishop’s comments come after last week’s double suicide bombing at a Christian church in Peshawar. The attack, which took place during a Sunday Mass, left at least 8- dead and 120 wounded.

In other news, acclaimed Vatican journalist John Allen Jr made a whirlwind visit to Sydney recently to offer his reflections on the Pontificate of Pope Francis.

At an event hosted by Catholic Youth Services Sydney at Australian Catholic University, the NCR correspondent spoke about the significance of the election of a Pope from the developing world at this point in history.

JOHN L ALLEN JR: “… it tends to be Christians in the developing world… who bear the brunt of this rising wave of violations of religious freedom, this rising wave of persecutions and assault on the basis of one’s faith. I submit to you that the first pope from the developing world is going to feel a special historical and providential obligation to be a voice and a face for the concerns and the suffering of this Christian population. And again I think it is no accident that he’s fastened upon Egypt and Syria as being his core issues of diplomatic interest because those are the places on the global map today where Christians are most at risk.”

SARAH: You can listen to the whole talk on the Cradio website. That’s it for this week’s headlines, thanks for listening. 

Music Credit: Waking Up Instrumental – Dexter Britain

The post 5 Catholic Headlines You May Have Missed (27 Sep) appeared first on Cradio.

This week’s news from around the Catholic world:

• Pope Francis’ exclusive interview with Jesuit magazine
• Twin storms hit Mexico, Holy Father offers condolences
• Archbishop Porteous installed in Hobart
• Adelaide Archdiocese bans promotion of 40 Days for Life
• Word on Fire launches new instalment in Catholicism series.

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For more information on this week’s headlines:

• Pope Francis’ full interview
• Pope’s telegram to victims of Mexican natural disaster
• Installation of Most Rev Julian Porteous as Archbishop of Hobart
• 40 Days for Life verboten in Adelaide Archdiocese
• Fr Robert Barron’s interview on ‘Catholicism: the New Evangelisation’ 

Music Credit: Waking Up Instrumental – Dexter Britain

The post 5 Catholic Headlines You May Have Missed appeared first on Cradio.

A summary of the week’s most important Catholic headlines from Australia, Rome and the World. 

The post Catholic Headlines appeared first on Cradio.

Last Sunday on the Feast of Corpus Christi, on a cold and very wet Winter’s day in Sydney, the streets were filled with Catholics singing in procession behind the Blessed Sacrament for the annual Walk With Christ. But what is the Feast of Corpus Christi about, and what drove over 5000 people to brave the elements in the Sydney CBD?

Cradio was on the ground at the Walk With Christ to find out. We also sat down for a chat with Sydney’s Auxiliary Bishop Julian Porteous and CREDO Director Catherine Kennedy to find out more about this feast, the centuries old tradition of Eucharistic procession, and the fruits that come from Sydney’s Walk With Christ.

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The post Walk With Christ 2012 appeared first on Cradio.

• Filipino Bishops: Please don’t crucify yourselves!
• Passion plays expand across Britain.
• Irish broadcast executives step down over inaccurate charge against priest.
• Rio Di Janiero WYD Via Crucis to travel through slums.
• Pope’s prayer intentions for April.

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The post Catholic News Update – April 4 appeared first on Cradio.

• Cardinal Pell vs Richard Dawkins on Q&A.
• Irish bishops ‘stalling over shake-up’.
• Churches condemn Saudi fatwa.

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The post Catholic News Update – April 3 appeared first on Cradio.

• Church marks World Autism Day
• Italian Bishop’s Conference updates funeral guidelines
• Cuba adopts Pope’s suggestion to make Good Friday a public holiday

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The post Catholic News Update – April 2 appeared first on Cradio.

• Church engineers gangland truce
• Vatican gets ready for Palm Sunday
• Japanese Church fights against legal executions
• Fidel Castro questions Pope on changes in liturgy

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The post Catholic News Update – March 30 appeared first on Cradio.

• Pope Benedict concludes his visit to Cuba.

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The post Catholic News Update – March 29 appeared first on Cradio.

• Further coverage of the Pope’s visit to Cuba.

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The post Catholic News Update – March 28 appeared first on Cradio.

• Pope Benedict XVI arrives in Cuba.
• Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre.

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The post Catholic News Update – March 27 appeared first on Cradio.

• A wrap of the Pope’s visit to Mexico and Cuba.

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The post Catholic News Update – March 26 appeared first on Cradio.

• Five highlights of Pope’s trip to Mexico
• Cause moves forward for beatification of Vietnamese prelate
• Pope’s image ‘distorted by media’
• Papal blessing for Dome of Home

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The post Catholic News Update – March 23 appeared first on Cradio.

• Sainthood cause advances for US Jesuit and Soviet prisoner
• Vatican report gives blunt assessment of Church crisis in Ireland
• Romero tomb out of bounds
• Australian warning on conscience

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The post Catholic News Update – March 22 appeared first on Cradio.

• Pope Benedict asks for prayers
• Archdiocese grant supports adult stem cell research
• Benedict XVI sets up ‘Vatileaks’ probe
• Low attendance may force Mass cancellations in Canberra
• Interview with married couple who will write Good Friday meditations

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The post Catholic News Update – March 20 appeared first on Cradio.

• Pope Shenouda III dies at age 89
• Syria violence ‘threatens Christian presence in Middle East’
• Vatican says SSPX response to basic doctrinal principles ‘insufficient’
• One Fifth of French Tourists are pilgrims
• John Paul II’s Cuba visit remembered

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The post Catholic News Update – March 19 appeared first on Cradio.

• Elderly Lay couple to lead this year’s Via Crucis
• Parramatta Diocese blogs through South America
• Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz accused of being a communist informer
• Giuseppe Toniolo heading towards beatification

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The post Catholic News Update – March 16 appeared first on Cradio.

• A minute with the Pope
• Another Pakistani Christian woman charged with blasphemy
• Fear for South Sudanese exodus
• Pope welcomes ‘Benedictine torch’
• Childhood dream of ordination fulfilled at age 80

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The post Catholic News Update – March 15 appeared first on Cradio.

• 19 die in attack on Catholic church in Nigerian city of Jos
• British government will argue against right to wear crucifix at work
• Anglican leader pays tribute to English Benedictines
• Cuban Papal Visit Website Launched

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The post Catholic News Update – March 14 appeared first on Cradio.

• Cardinals approve heroic virtues of Father Felix Varela
• Archbishop of Canterbury, Pope pray Vespers together
• Holy Father warns on cohabitation
• Sunday Angelus: “Violence is an instrument of the Antichrist…”

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The post Catholic News Update – March 13 appeared first on Cradio.

• Church calls for increase in minimum wage in Australia.
• New Vatican document explores role of theology
• ‘Man Up’, says Fr Dom
• Migration an opportunity, not a problem

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The post Catholic News Update – March 9 appeared first on Cradio.

• Noisy world is enemy of prayer, says Pope Benedict
• Vatican website hacked
• Bible & Calendar approved for Ordinariate
• Pop Song written for the memory of Shahbaz Bhatti

You can listen to the song dedicated to Shahbaz Bhatti via the following right here.

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The post Catholic News Update – March 08 appeared first on Cradio.

• Caritas Lebanon helping freezing Syrian refugees
• Maronite Patriarch: ‘Arab Spring’ is turning into winter
• Catholics form human chains around endangered churches in Augsburg
• Cardinal Cañizares calls for ‘moderation’ of concelebration in Latin Rite
• Plus More.

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The post Catholic News Update – March 7 appeared first on Cradio.

• Pope tells his parishioners of the urgency of evangelisation
• Transfiguration shows Christ as the light from God
• O’Brien reiterates condemnation of Government’s gay marriage plan
• Vietnamese bishop plans to defy ‘No Religion Zone’
• European demonstrations call for preservation of Sunday rest

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The post Catholic News Update – March 6 appeared first on Cradio.

• Cardinal Preaching Pope’s Retreat Loses Nephew to Violence
• Slain Pakistani Catholic Praised on Anniversary of his Death
• Bishop Tomlinson Installed as Seventh Bishop of Sandhurst
• The Pope’s favourite TV show

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The post Catholic News Update – March 5 appeared first on Cradio.

• Future Spanish saint’s intercession cured 3-year-old
• Scottish Nurses treated “worse than terrorists”
• London Uni forces Pro-life groups to invite pro-abort speakers
• Pope’s prayer intentions for March

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The post Catholic News Update – March 2 appeared first on Cradio.

• Conti praises courage of nurses who lost abortion objection case
• Papal foundation funds 200 projects to spur agriculture in Africa
• Ultimatum for pontifical university
• A look at the Pope’s schedule for next World Meeting of Families

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The post Catholic News Update – March 1 appeared first on Cradio.

• Pope Benedict becomes the sixth oldest in history
• CHA apologies for role in forced adoptions
• Vatican and Vietnam conclude talks in Hanoi
• Bishop: Polish faith too weak to survive “pagan culture” of UK

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The post Catholic News Update – Feb 29 appeared first on Cradio.

• Young people are the world’s treasure, says 92-year-old bishop
• Boys Town founder to be named Servant of God as cause for beatification to be opened in March.
• ‘Westminster more favourable to Catholicism than Irish government’
• Canada rules against religious freedom in schools

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The post Catholic News Update – Feb 28 appeared first on Cradio.

• Pope Benedict sums up the meaning of Lent before beginning his Lenten retreat.
• Number of Homeless in Sydney down 25%.
• UK study finds religious people donate twice as much as non-religious.
• Dawkins admits he’s a little bit Agnostic!

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The post Catholic News Update – Feb 27 appeared first on Cradio.

• LA Times writes about the Total Consecration of St. Louis-Marie de Montfort!
• Pope Benedict urges the priests of his diocese to fight “religious illiteracy”.
• Iranian Pastor facing imminent execution.
• Court rules against religious freedom in Canada’s schools
• Process of beatification begins for Luigi Giussani, founder of Communion and Liberation

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The post Catholic News Updates – Feb 24 appeared first on Cradio.

• Pope’s Ash Wednesday general audience.
• Euthanasia in the French election campaign.
• Christians suffering in Syria.
• Pontifical council endorses Doonby.

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The post Catholic News Update – Feb 23 appeared first on Cradio.

• Pope Benedict’s Plans for Lent.
• Cuban Bishop protects female dissidents.
• Violence raids on churches in Congo.
• Pakistan bestows honours on Australian and Irish missionaries.

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The post Catholic News Update – Feb 22 appeared first on Cradio.

• Perth gets a new Archbishop!
• Plans to abolish the terms “husband” and “wife” from UK law.
• Number of seminarians in England and Wales doubles since 2001.
• Religious persecution in Tibet.

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The post Catholic News Update – Feb 21 appeared first on Cradio.

• Pope reserves serious words for 22 new Cardinals.
• Obama administration to Court: “Please look other way”.
• Augsburg to close most parishes.
• Bigger bathing site for Lourdes.
• Spain’s youngest bishop slashes his stipend.

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The post Catholic News Update – Feb 20 appeared first on Cradio.

• Lawsuit seeking to hold Vatican responsible for cases of abuse withdrawn.
• Same-sex marriage bills introduced to Federal Parliament.
• St Valentine; a third century defender of Christian marriage.

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The post Catholic News Update – 14 Feb appeared first on Cradio.

• U.S. Dioceses gear up for lenten evangelisation.
• EWTN files lawsuit agains U.S. Government for infringing on religious freedom.
• Next 40 Days for Life set to be biggest in history.

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The post Catholic News Update – 10 Feb appeared first on Cradio.

• Pope Benedict’s Lenten Message urges Christians to avoid ‘spiritual anesthesia’ and look to the needs of others.
• Sydney’s Cardinal Pell addresses politicians and church leaders to mark Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee.

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The post Catholic News Update – 9 Feb appeared first on Cradio.