sommullie
Evolution? Try leaving GOD out of it
Evolutionists weaken their case by bringing God into the discussion, says molecular biologist Vista 1
"Be indefatigable in your purpose and with undaunted spirit resist iniquity and try to conquer evil with good, having before your eyes the reward of those who combat for Christ." -BISHOP MATTHEW GIBNEY 1874
THE PARISH. THE NATION. THE WORLD. Western Australia's award-winning Catholic newspaper since 1874 - Wednesday, October 7 2009
Perth, Western Australia $2
All set for Jeanne Jugan canonisation Little Sisters of the Poor here in Perth and around the world are looking forward to the October 11 canonisation of their founder
Cardinal John Foley, Grand Master of the Order of the Holy Sepulchre, greets newly invested Ecclesiastical Knights, Fr Don Kettle (left) and Fr Charle -. Waddell (right). The priests were two of five men who were made Knights in a ceremony that included the investing of two new Ladies of the Holy PHOTO antitirt Hu. Sepulchre. Fr Joseph Walsh (second right), Parish Priest of St Joseph's Subiaco where the investiture Mass took place, looks on.
Blessed Jeanne Jugan is depicted with an elderly man and woman in this icon by George Pinecross. Blessed Jeanne, the French founder of the Little Sisters of the Poor, will be proclaimed a saint on October 1 1 at the Vatican. The ministry of the Little Sisters centres on caring for the elderly poor in homes in 32 countries.
More knights for the 'I. I An ancient Order to help the Church in the Holy Land welcomes new Knights and Ladies in Perth
PHOTO CNS/COURT LITTLE SISTERS OF THE POOR
BY NANCY WIECHEC Catholic News Service BLESSED Jeanne Jugan isn't exactly a household name. Yet those who live on Harewood Road in northeast Washington know well the story of the soon-to-be saint. "She took one lady, put her on her shoulder, took her home and gave her her own bed," said Mary Nathan, 77, who has lived for nine years at the Jeanne Jugan Residence Please turn to page10
A
n Order that traces its origins to the leader of the first crusade received new Knights and Ladies on September 27 at St Joseph's Parish in Subiaco, committing themselves to supporting the ongoing presence of Christianity and Christians in the Holy
tan". The Order of the Holy *pulchre, so named after the church in Jerusalem built over the Tomb of Christ, welcomed their Grand Master, American Cardinal John Foley, to Perth to preside over the Mass of investiture into the order. The Cardinal was hosted by the local Knight Grand Officer Lieutenant, Robert Peters and his wife, Lady Grand Officer, Dr Molly Peters in what was his first visit to Australia as Grand Master of the Order, having been formally invited to the Archdiocese by Archbishop Barry Hickey, a Grand Prior of the Order. Pauline Egan and Dolores Williamson were welcomed as Ladies of the Holy Sepulchre with Peter Foale, Charles Johnston and Hugh Clement being dubbed Please turn to page 6
Caritas deals with three crises at once A child sits in the mud in Montalban Rizal, west of Manila, Philippines, on October 2. The Philippines declared a nationwide state of calamity following Typhoon Ketsana and its heavy rains. PHOTO CNS PHOTO/101-4N ' AVFL, ANa PFL —Fc',
Aid organisation launches Crisis Asia Pacific Appeal, pledging $250,000 but calling for more donations
CARITAS Australia has pledged $250,000 in its initial response to communities in crisis throughout the tsunami ravaged islands of Samoa, American Samoa and Tonga, the typhoon stricken countries of the Philippines, Cambodia
and Vietnam and the earthquake damaged island of Sumatra. "People across our region are in desperate need and they need your help," said Caritas Chief Executive Officer Jack de Groot. "This initial commitment will
enable our partners to continue delivering immediate life saving assistance but we need public funds so we can really make a big difference. The needs are tremendous and further contributions to the appeal will enable Please turn to page 2
Page 2
October 7 2009, The Record
THE PARISH
FIRECAST—Ftill wfvls, F IR (CA
SAINT OF THE WEEK
Fr Ken's new marching orders Fr Kenneth Asaba says goodbye by welcoming new converts to the fold BY ROBERT HIINI Parish Reporter
Gall died circa 640 Oct.ber It, Gall was one of 12 Irish monks accompanying St. Columban to continental Europe. A scholar, he helped found the French monastery at Luxeuil. One story said Colutnban suspected Gall of malingering when he went on to Italy and imposed on him the penance of not celebrating Mass for the rest of Columban's life. Gall settled in what is now Switzerland. living initially as a hermit, then with a group of disciples. He is known as the apostle of Switzerland, but did not found the famous abbey that bears his name. Gall is pictured in art with a bear, from the legend that he bargained with a bear in the forest.
C CNS Saints St. tta's Catholic Books The epic 8-hour Spanish mini-series Teresa of Jesus based on St Teresa of Avila's autobiography ($20, English subtitles) is now available. Many other Catholic movies for $ 10. To order, contact Paul or Janice on (08) Oa 9446 5069 or browse the 3,4 catalogue online at www.stritabooks.com
,/,. ,q(
111•11111011111=11111111111111111110=1 Editor Peter Rosengren
cathrec@iinet.netau
Local News Robert Hiini Mark Reidy
rthiiniagmailcom reidyrec diinet.net.au
National News Anthony Barich
abarich therecord.com.au
Advertising/Production Justine Stevens
recaccounts,alinet.net.au
Classifieds/Panoramas/Subscriptions Bibiana Kwa ram ba
administration@therecord.com.au
Record Bookshop Caroline Radelic
bookshop@therecord.com.au
Proofreaders Christine Jaques Eugene Mattes CONTRIBUTORS Debbie Warner Karen and Derek Boylen Anthony Paganoni CS Catherine Parish Fr Flader
Fr Kenneth Asaba says goodbye to Holy Communicants at the Holy Spirit Chapel, above. Below left, Chinese student, Mei Aodong is confirmed after being baptised into the Church. Below right, Mark and Joanna Johnston celebrate after renewing their vows. PHOTOS: R T KIlN
student, Mel Aodong, receiving both sacraments after first being baptised. Prior to his posting to ECU Joondalup, Fr Asaba was stationed at Wanneroo Parish where he established an ongoing youth group to go to World Youth Day in Sydney last year, accompanying a group of ECU students following his subsequent posting.
Fr Asaba began a PhD at Murdoch University on the Church's social teaching earlier this year and expects to be making frequent trips to Perth. He encouraged Joondalup Catholics to visit him at his new posting and wished successor, Fr Erasmus, all the best. "I am confident he will find great support, as I always did."
Caritas answers torrents of need continued from page 1
production dtherecord.com.au
Accounts June Cowley
FR KENNETH Asaba and the fledgeling community he helped create at the chaplaincy of ECU Joondalup said goodbye to one another on September 27, as Fr Asaba prepared to take up a post in Southern Cross, welcoming five RCIA candidates into the Church in the process. "Fr Ken" as he is affectionately known to attendees of the chaplaincy's Holy Spirit Chapel, had been asked by Archbishop Barry Hickey to take up the position of Parish Priest of Our Lady of Montserrat Parish in Southern Cross, 3711un east of Perth. The priest had been stationed at the Joondalup chapel for three and a half years and is responsible for introducing the community's full-to-capacity 5.45pm Mass on Sunday nights, their Mass choir and a monthly devotion to the Sacred Heart. "I sincerely appreciate and thank you very much for your patience and tolerance towards me, my weaknesses and my faults," Fr Asaba told congregants. "It has been a great pleasure working with you all and I humbly hope that my presence has meant something to you, especially for the students, *whom I love dearly." Five Rite of Christian Initiation candidates who had been receiving formation from Eileen Paget and Sr Margaret Ann received the sacraments of Holy Communion, Baptism and Confirmation, including married couple Mark and Joanne Johnson who restated their vows of marriage. Their daughter Hannah received first Holy Communion as well as Confirmation as did Dilumie De Silva, with Chinese
John Heard Christopher West Bronia Karniewicz Guy Crouchback
The Record PO Box 75, Leederville WA 6902 587 Newcastle Street, West Perth Tel: (08) 9227 7080, Fax: (08) 9227 7087
Website: www.therecord.com.au
The Record is a weekly publication
distributed throughout the parishes of the dioceses of Western Australia and by subscription. The Record is printed by Rural Press Printing
Mandurah and distributed via Australia Post and CTI Couriers.
local partners in the affected countries to channel assistance in the next phases of the recovery effort and into the longer term". Samoa In Samoa, Caritas Australia is the lead agency for the global aid network Caritas Internationalis, directing an initial $125,000 from Caritas members in Germany, the US and Australia for its first stage efforts of food distribution, water, clothes and the building of housing for 50 of the most severely affected families in Samoa. Philippines/Cambodia/Vietnam Caritas is working with some of the worst affected communities in the Philippines with the appalling devastation in Manila and throughout central Vietnam and Cambodia due to Typhoon Ketsana. This response is particularly urgent in the Philippines where another typhoon is forecast to hit. Indonesia In Sumatra, the rising death toll and aftershocks means that a massive recovery and rehabilitation program will be required. Caritas is urgently trying
A woman protects her son after Typhoon Ketsana in San Pedro Laguna, Philippines
to assist the population of 900,000 in Pandang affected by Wednesday night's earthquake. Caritas is supporting assessment teams specialising in disaster response working in Sumatra. "Caritas Australia is accepting donations to the Communities in Crisis - Asia Pacific Appeal and, once immediate needs
are met, will focus on the long term rehabilitation of the affected populations to build back stronger and better," said Mr De Groot. You can support the Caritas Australia Communities in Crisis - Asia Pacific Appeal by calling 1800 024 413 or on the Internet at: www.caritas.org.au/source/donation.
OFFICIAL ENGAGEMENTS October 2009 8
Council of Priests Meeting Archbishop Hickey, Bishop Sproxton
11
Confirmation, Dianella - Archbishop Hickey Fundraising Concert, Morley - Archbishop Hickey
16
Visit Confirmation Candidates, Matthew Gibney School Archbishop Hickey
16-18
Parish Visitation, Bencubbin - Bishop Sproxton
17 & 18 Confirmation, Maida Vale - Archbishop Hickey 21
Catholic Mission Annual Mass, Ocean Reef Archbishop Hickey Liturgical Launch for Lifelink Archbishop Hickey, Bishop Sproxton
October 7 2009, The Record
Page 3
THE PARISH
There's something about Mary A ripping yarn priests
New calendar c ommemorates saintly life BY GLYNN'S GRAINGER Record Contributor AN ideal Christmas or birthday ptesent, the Josephite Calendar 2010 is sold and distributed all over WA, the NT and around the world by the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart, based in South Perth. They are also sent from the South Perth convent to New Zealand, Ireland, England, Scotland, Canada, Brazil and Peru. The calendars cost $5 each plus postage. Josephite Sr Maree Riddler and Associate Maureen Lanigan are busy packaging the calendars to post to their various destinations, and have packed 2,000 so far. There were a total of 2,500 sent to WA from NSW, where 25,000 are printed and shipped to the different Mary MacKillop Centres and Sisters of St Joseph Province Centres. Sr Maree told The Record: "They are inspirational calendars with Mary MacKillop's inspirational sayings, with beautiful photography by Associates and Sisters. The Associates are trying to emulate Mary MacKillop in everyday life through prayer, friendship and service. There are hundreds of Associates, both men and women, who strive to live out Mary MacKillop's vision 'about never seeing a need without doing
Maureen Lanigan, left, and Sr Maree Riddler show off the 2010 Josephite Calender beneath a portrait of Blessed Mary MacKillop.
something about it.— Sr Maree said she has been packaging the calendars for six years. A Sr Mary MacKillop in Canada, from a different Order, gets a copy of the calendar, Mrs Lanigan said. Parishes, schools, individual people, Associates, Catholic bookshops and Christian bookshops place orders with the convent. "People are sent out order forms by email, fax or phone," Sr Maree said. "They are suitable for homes, offices, staffrooms, waiting rooms and classrooms. The Mary MacKillop quotes for each month are an inspiration for daily life," she said. "More people are buying it this year as it's towards canonisation
ERP Systems mplementation Manager planning for, or having .
BY ROBERT HIINI
Parish Reporter
and more people are getting to know about Mary MacKillop's life and what a difference she made to Australia," Sr Maree said. The Josephite website for orders is: www.sosj org.au and Sr Maree's mobile phone number for orders is: 0414 683 926
• CRUISING • FLIGHTS • TOURS •
Thinking of that
HOLIDAY?
'ng your ERP,'FIMS syt,'
8 software ncteRendent set', Implementatx)n Manager:tee Data Conversion. ano Stevens to work lor
your
an active member of Whitfor
• Flights • Cruises • Harvest Pilgrimages • Holiday Tours • Car Hire • Travel Insurance
wait t v,
Flightwoprld.II
Call 041991 04 1991 5116
• dv.,
o cPansh.
Fr Finbar Walsh
, +PN 2,, •
9T• 'Pe
200 St. George's Terrace. Perth WA 6000 Tel: 9322 2914 Fax: 9322 2915 michael(ir flightworid com.au www flightworld.com.au
Michael Deering 9322 2914
Fr Finbar Walsh delights in telling a ripping yarn and from his 56 years of priesthood, he has many to tell. He is a living tome to the toings and froings of the Church in Perth and some of the most interesting, characters who have animated its history over the past half century, of which he is most certainly one. Retired for 18 months, he was Parish Priest of Our Lady of Lourdes, Rockingham for a little over 33 years, a post he took up by request in 1976. He tells an entertaining tale about an unlucky priest back in the days when Rockingham was a sleepy holiday town for Perth's secular and religious alike. Rockingham parish was begun in 1946 with a house in Rockingham's historic Parkin St in which Archbishop Redmond Prendiville had two rooms for himself. He kept a boat in the backyard which ran down to the beach which he would take out on Mondays to go fishing in Cockburn. One day, the parish priest took the boat out without permission and got stranded on a sandbar and had to be rescued. "Two days later he was appointed Parish Priest of Denmark," Fr Walsh said. He remembers the challenges and accomplishments in Rockingham over his time
there - building a new church to replace the converted army hut the parish had been using, overseeing the establishment of Kolbe Catholic College in 1989, and welcoming newcomers to a city that grew from 16,000 people when he got there, to 120,000 last year. A native of Cork, Ireland, Fr Walsh was ordained as a 24 year old on June 21, 1953 at All Hallows College in Dublin for the Archdiocese of Perth - a place he had never heard of. In those days Fr Walsh said, it was a case of going wherever you were sent. He arrived on November 19, 1953 and was made assistant priest at St Mary Star of the Sea Church in Cottesloe in 1954 where he served alongside World War I hero, Fr John Fahey, who had been awarded a Distinguished Service Order for gallantry under fire at Gallipoli and in France, a man whom Fr Walsh admired greatly. From 1957 to 1976, Fr Walsh was stationed in or around St Mary's Cathedral serving in the roles of assistant priest, Secretary of the Church Office and, from 1972, Cathedral Dean. Fr Walsh was the first priest in the Archdiocese to celebrate a Novus Ordo Mass when then Archbishop of Perth, Launcelot Goody, called all priests to the Cathedral where Fr Walsh demonstrated the new form of the Mass for all to watch and learn.
John Hughes
I'm John Hughes, WA's most trusted car dealer • Is it true our Company philosophy is "We are a friendly and efficient company
trading with integrity and determined to give our customers the very best of service?"
JOHN HUGHES
• Is it true I regularly publish testimonial letters from satisfied customers praising us for our outstanding level of customer service? • Is it true that although I spend a lot on advertising, most of my sales are from a
combination of personal recommendation, repeat business and reputation? • Is it true I believe that before anyone buys a new or pre-owned vehicle they should choose their dealer before they choose their car and that dealer should be me?
Choose your dealer • Is it true I am Australia's top selling Mitsubishi, Hyundai and Kia dealer? • before you choose • Is it true I sell on average over 1400 vehicles every month, which is the highest your car in Australia from one location.
Absolutely!
K SC EDUCATION FOUNDATION
SCHOLARSHIPS TO THE UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME AUSTRALIA The Trustee of the KSC Education Foundation Inc (a project of the Knights of the Southern Cross) takes pleasure in again inviting applications from teachers of Religious Education in Catholic Schools in Western Australia to undertake further study for units in religious education and theology at the University of Notre Dame Australia in 2010. Application forms and further information are available from:
The Trustee KSC Education Foundation Inc. 2008
fr4A8O20
Just over the Causeway on Shepperton Road, Victoria Park. Phone 9415 0011 PARK FORD 1089, Albany Hwy, Bentley. Phone 9415 0502 r.
PO Box 136 BURSWOOD WA 6100 Telephone (08) 9470 4922 Applications close on 6th November 2009
Page 4
October 7 2009, The Record
THE PARISH
Students learn direct from the originals Gaining awareness and appreciation of Aboriginal culture was the aim of a program offered to Year 11 and 12 students from Newman College in collaboration with The University of Notre Dame Australia's Broome Campus in September. As an important part of their two week program, students and staff spent time in and around the Kimberley town of Broome. Notre Dame's Indigenous staff members provided them with an introduction to Aboriginal culture and Aboriginal Australian historical and contemporary issues; including Aboriginal Spirituality and Dreaming, kinship systems, language, the importance of country and numerous policies and government legislation that have impacted on Aboriginal people over the last 120 years. Students visited two Aboriginal organisations in Broome, the Nirrumbuk Skills Centre and Goolarri Media Enterprise, where they gained an insight into how Aboriginal organisations are governed and the way they co-exist with non-Indigenous organisations.
Broome Campus lecturer, Joe Edgar, accompanied by his brother Jim, both members of the Yawaru community, hosted the group on an excursion to Mungala-gun (Crab Creek) where they learnt about Yawaru seasons and heard the Dreaming stories of the area. Joe and Jim introduced them to bush tucker and bush medicine, showed them how to recognise animal tracks and helped them find dinosaur footprints! A valuable opportunity for the students was to meet Leonie Kelly, a local Aboriginal woman, who grew up on the Beagle Bay Mission which was established by the Sisters of St John of God who had travelled from Ireland to work with the Aboriginal people of the Kimberley. Leonie shared her memories of life on the Mission at Beagle Bay. "This gave the students an excellent idea of the history of Beagle Bay and prepared them for the time which they were to spend with the Beagle Bay community; said teacher, Josephine Hutcheson. During their time with the community, they had three days' work experience at the school where
Students who participated in a joint initiative between Newman College and Notre Dame, Broome, to learn about local Indigenous culture in Broome
they were assigned to a classroom to work with the children. On their last day they were joined by a group of Indigenous students from One Arm Point. Ms Hutcheson explained that they were shown how to do bark painting and to
fish in the traditional way with a handcrafted spear. "They managed to spear a few fish and a stingray and also catch some crabs which they cooked and ate while listening to stories told by some of the Bardi Elders; she said.
The students' feedback about the Aboriginal Cultural Awareness program was overwhelmingly positive and, for some, life-changing. Newman College student Maddi Pugsley shared, "Until now I only knew of the stereotypical Aboriginal who you hear about in the media. My time at Broome has given me a greater understanding and appreciation of Aborigipal people and their culture." Deputy Vice Chancellor and Director of the Nulungu Centre, Professor Lyn Henderson-Yates, said that she was delighted with the success of the Newman College visit. "It has been a pleasure hosting the students and staff of Newman College. It is very important for the Broome Campus to have the opportunity to share the story of Aboriginal people; said Professor Henderson-Yates. "Not only were these students provided with a classroom learning experience about policies and legislation, but they were also immersed in Aboriginal culture. It is our hope that they will take away with them a little of what it means to be Aboriginal today."
Grand final victory for Saints in the making
The Fr Dan Foley-inspired Good Shepherd Saints of Lockridge have claimed the Under 15 East Perth District Basketball Association Championship. The Saints, who proudly represent their parish of Lockridge, won the Grand Final (in the State association) 34-31 against the Beechboro Bullets after qualifying for the Grand Final via the semi-final stage. They had lost the preliminary final against the same team only two weeks earlier. Fr Dan Foley, who was instrumental in setting up the parish community basketball program in 1998, has remained a keen and enthusiastic supporter. Now retired, Fr Dan, along with parish priest Fr Francis Ly and newly ordained assistant Fr Jean-Noel
Marie, have thrown their support and energies behind the youth parish basketball team. After having finished the regular season in second position with 13 wins and only 2 losses, the Saints, were disappointingly defeated in their preliminary final by 17 points, however this was not to be repeated as the Saints started the Grand Final strongly, keen to make amends for their earlier defeat. Despite the margin being close at times, the Saints, through great determination, passion and endeavour, held on to secure the Championship for the Parish of Lockridge. With the ongoing support of Fr Dan, Fr Francis and Fr Jean-Noel and their parish, the Saints hope to march on for many years to come.
A LIFE OF PRAYER
... are you called to the Benedictine ofdivinepraise andEucharistic prayer/or the Church?
Tpt.i'S CRANES mva) $
Contact the: Rev Mother Cyril, OSB, Tyburn Priory, 325 Garfield Road, Riverstone, NSW 2765 www.tyburnconvent.org.uk
VIVO.
Two generations of Tom's Cranes, a company that worked on St Mary's Cathedral, were on hand to present a donation of S20,000 to Archbishop Barry Hickey (second from right) and the St Mary's Appeal Chairman, Mgr Michael Keating (right). Tom's Cranes founder Tom Martinazzo (second from left) and Operations Manager John Martinazzo (centre), his son, were approached by Don Cousens, Director of EMCO (left), the Cathedral's builders, and his colleague John Buckman who have made the same invitation to donate to other companies who have worked on the refurbished building. Tom's acquaintance with Archbishop Hickey is a long one, having served as an altar boy at St Brigid's, Northbridge, while Fr Barry Hickey was engaged there in his first priestly appointment. Plans for a commemoration of an as yet undetermined kind and a thanksgiving Mass to be held in July next year are under way. Archbishop Hickey told The Record that preparations for the December 8 opening were going well and that the Papal Nuncio to Australia, Archbishop Giuseppe Lazzarotto, would be a special guest. PHOTO COURTESY OF ST MARY'S APPEAL
t
radition stained glass & leadlights
SINCE 1908 & 3 GENERATIONS OF STAINED GLASS ARTISTS
TYBURN NUNS
tr)
•
NEW COMMISSIONS & COMPLETE DESIGN CONSULTATION SERVICE SPECIALISTS IN HISTORIC RESTORATION WORKS PROTECTIVE GLAZING SUPPLIED & INSTALLED
October 7 2009, The Record
Page 5
THE PARISH
The Catholic Guy comes to Spearwood Comment BY EUGEN MATTES The Record MAYBE it was a bit of curiosity that made me attend the three evening sessions of The Catholic Guy in Spearwood. It was not the best time to hold something like this since it happened during the holidays and the Royal Show as well. But it was certainly worth attending. In the back of the Church there was a high-tech setup to coordinate the giant video screen, show different videos and display words to the songs the band was singing. Different cameras had also been set up to record the various talks given mainly by Bruce Downes. On the first evening, one of the Spearwood parishioners, Carmel, was shown on the screen talking about her Faith journey. Bruce Downes talked about Mary and her total openness to God's plan for her. And, of course, the question: are we open to what God wants of us? Some glass jars filled with water were placed on a table and participants were asked to drop a dissolvable tablet into one of the jars, asking God to help them to get rid of some problem that was bothering them. While the band played some music, two female artists began painting on a huge white canvas. It took me a long time to realise
that it was actually the face of the suffering Christ. One of the most impressive talks for me was given on the third night about Abraham and his acceptance of God's will when he took his son Isaac to offer him as a sacrifice to God. What was going on in Abraham's mind, walking towards the place where he would sacrifice his only son? How could God keep His promise that he would be father of a great nation? And the question followed: what would we have done if we were in Abraham's position? Would we have said: "Lord you are asking me too much? While Bruce gave his talk he was holding a paint brush in his hand, occasionally painting on a canvas hidden from the audience. Then the lights in the church were lowered and we were asked to light a little candle and place it on a table in front of the picture of the suffering Christ. With the candle we were to place one of our problems before God, asking for help. While this was happening, Bruce painted wildly on his canvas. After the lights were turned on again, Bruce showed his creation to the people present. Everybody started to laugh at his wonderful piece of art. A cup of tea or coffee in the parish hall finished the presentation of The Catholic Guy in Spearwood.
Bruce Downes, aka The Catholic Guy; paints while he addresses the audience at Spearwood Parish Church during one of the three evening sessions held in the parish recently by his ministry, City Impact. The sessions aimed to lead people to reconsider how serious their commitment to their Faith really is by bringing it alive in new and unusual ways. An artist, pi-ioTes ,,r•-•Et.4 MATTES below, slowly forms a picture of the face of the suffering Christ throughout one of the sessions.
The stand out industry super fund for all Australian Catholics Visit www.catholicsuper.com.au or cal11300 658 776 today.
gLii)01he good life.
SCS Super Pty Limited is the trustee of the Catholic Superannuation and Retirement Fund (CSRF). ABN 74 064 712 607. AFS Licence 230544. RSE 10002264 and RSE R1o55436.
Catholic Super di Retirement Fund
Page 6
THE NATION
October 7 2009, The Record
Knights,Dames, continue ancient ways Continued from page 1 Knights in a ceremony replete with the Order's own distinct regalia and ritual. City Beach Priest Fr Don Kettle and Claremont Priest Fr Charles Waddell were made Ecclesiastical Knights while their colleague, Fr Timothy Deeter, was promoted in a ceremony on the previous night to Ecclesiastical Knight Commander along with John Gardner (Knight Commander) and Helen Medina, Daphne Molly Peters and Carmel Stefanoff (Lady Commander with star). Speaking with The Record, the WA coordinator of the Cardinal's visit and investiture proceedings, Robert Peters, said that the Order had a three-fold purpose: to sustain the Latin Patriarchate in the Holy Land, to propagate the Faith there and to combat the pressures on Christians to migrate away from the Holy Land. Apart from being the head of the WA lieutenancy, Mr Peters has the added honour of being the only person with his entire family in the Order. His sons Michael, Cathedral organist and Director of the Cathedral Singers, and Derek Roberts, St Joseph Subiaco's Acolyte Coordinator, are Knights and his daughter Mara Roberts, a cantor with the Cathedral Singers, is a Lady of the Holy Sepulchre. Locally, the Order is aiming to send $90,000 in funds raised to the Latin Patriarchate by year's end having hosted film and dinner fundraisers throughout the year to date. Globally, Mr Peters said, the Order gives 11 million Euro to the Church in the Holy Land each year with Knights and Ladies throughout the world given a set amount to fundraise by their organisation in Rome. The problem of migration of Christians away from the Holy Land is becoming acute; Christians now only make up an estimated 1.2 percent of the population there in the midst of an extraordinarily complex and often hostile environment. More information about the Order can be found at: wwweohsjwa.orig.au.
Knights and Ladies of the Holy Sepulchre walk into St Joseph's Church in Subiaco last Sunday in preparation for the investiture of several new members by Cardinal John Foley, who was visiting WA from the Vatican for that purpose PHOTOS ROBERT HIINI AND TONY STEFANOFF
Accompanied by fellow Knights, Cardinal John Foley walks into the Church. The Cardinal is the international head of the Order which is devoted to helping preserve the holy places of the Holy Land, and assisting Christians there in the midst of an extraordinarily difficult political and religious environment. Other photos show Knights and Ladies being invested (as at above right). Newly-invested member Fr Don Kettle of City Beach (below centre) reflects on the moment.
The work of the Knights and Ladies stretches back to the time of the crusades and still survives: they are devoted to the upkeep of the sites associated with the life and ministry of the Incarnation and to assisting the increasingly-marginalised Christian community there. With the Christian proportion of the population having shrunk to less than 2 percent, there is now a real danger that Christians will disappear from the place where their Faith was born. Throughout the year the Knights and Ladies run fundraising events for the upkeep of the holy places and to aid Christianity's survival in the Holy Land.
October 7 2009, The Record
Page 7
THE NATION
Tell the whole truth, Cardinal tells Record Catholic newspapers must always tell the truth, even if it is bad news as in the clerical sex abuse cases of 2002, visiting Cardinal tells Record staff BY ANTHONY BARICH National Reporter PROVIDING national and international news is an essential part of a Catholic newspaper's mission of providing information, formation, continued religious education and inspiration, the former President of the Vatican's Pontifical Council for Social Communications said. Cardinal John Foley, the former Editor of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia's The Catholic Standard and Times, said that a diocesan newspaper is "very important" for continuing evangelisation and maintaining a spirit of diocesan unity. An essential part of this is the "honest coverage" of national and global news, in the interests of being "truly Catholic; said Cardinal Foley, who was in Perth last week for a local investiture ceremony as the Pro-Grand Master of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem. "Our interests should not only be parochial and diocesan but worldwide to be truly Catholic; said Cardinal Foley, who commentated the Vatican's major liturgical feasts on US TV channel NBC for 25 years. Cardinal Foley, who Pope Benedict XVI elevated to the College of Cardinals in 2007, also said that a public relations department was crucial for the Church to make known the Good News in a professional way to be used by secular media, adding that it is "essential for the Church to be involved in all media". "I always thought that the Catholic newspaper existed for information, formation, continued religious education and inspiration - to inform people completely and honestly in a manner in which they
often are not informed by the secular media: Cardinal Foley said. "Continuing religious formation is the formation of a proper attitude, proper views about what is happening in the world; inspiration is reflections on Scripture and virtues; and continuing religious education is necessary because our religious education should not end with school, but continues throughout our lives." He said that priests should also be obligated to promote the diocesan newspaper as an instru ment that complements their own efforts of evangelisation, but that the paper should not be the subject of homilies. He said pointers to major stories and special features of the diocesan newspaper could be included in parish newletters and websites. When asked whether priests should promote the diocesan paper as a form of evangelisation, he said: "I would hope that they would." "If we really believe in what we do, we need to promote it ourselves and ask others to do so. "We have so much good news to tell, which is why, when I was Editor of the Philadelphia diocesan paper,I put a personality profile on the back page, as I figured people were more interested in ordinary people than abstract ideas," he said. "It's important to highlight somebody who personifies a movement or way of serving in the Church. "It proved one of our most pop ular features. The trouble is that often these people are the most humble, but if we can help them understand that they are assisting in evangelisation by telling their story, they may inspire others to do the same." Referring also to the clerical sex abuse scandals in the US and elsewhere in 2002, he said that Catholic newspapers should not fear publishing sensitive news, especially of scandals both in the Church and the world. "Jesus said 'I am the way, the truth and the life', so we have nothing to fear in the truth, even though it might be bad news, but that should open our eyes to problems in the world and the Church that need to be addressed," he said.
MARANATHA INSTITUTE FOR ADULT FAITH EDUCATION Archdiocese of Perth
Catholic Education Centre, 50 Ruislip Street, Leederville
DAYTIME COURSES
Fourth term: Tuesday 13th Oct - Friday 4th December, 2009 ALL COURSES RUN FOR 8 WEEKS - COST $50 The Spirituality of Thomas Merton. Tuesdays: A Church for the 21st Century. Beginning Theology.
Thursdays:
Morality and Catholic Faith. The History of the Early Church. The Prophets.
Fridays:
Good Communication in Pastoral Care
EVENING CLASSES 6 WEEKS COST $35
Introduction to the Old Testament [Hebrew Scriptures] Monday Evenings Oct 12th - Nov.16th 7.00 pm - 9.00 pm Celebrating Christian Ritual [Understanding the Sacraments] Wednesday Evenings Oct 14th - Nov 18th 7.00 pm - 9.00 pm Phone: 6380 5160 Fax 6380 5162 Email: maranatha@ceo.wa.edu.au Course Handbook available on request
Cardinal John Foley, the former head of the Vatican's Pontifical Council for Social Communications, scans The Record with some of the newspaper's staff, Mark Reidy, at left, Anthony Barich and Editor Peter Rosengren during a visit to the paper's PHOTOS ROBERT Huy offices in late September
THERECORD CATHOLiC
NEWSPAPER
9 227 7080 "Me tNe.,:0,1
III Cardinal Foley meets staff and Management Committee members of The Record, above at left. The Cardinal, who headed the Vatican's top media body for decades, emphasised during his talk the role of Catholic newspapers as builders of unity and informers of the Church, even when the news they must convey can be unpleasant. They also need to take advantage of the opportunities offered by the Internet and stay abreast of the technology of communications, he said. Cardinal Foley was accompanied by his secretary, Mgr Bouwers, above right, who also met staff of The Record. PHOTOS. ROBERT Hu N
Sister rescues 320 children as Tsunami hits Catholic missionary in Samoa rescues 320 children as earthquake, tsunami strikes AN Australian Sister working in Samoa has evacuated 320 children in the wake of the tsunami and earthquakes that struck the coast this week. Salesian Sr Doris Barbero says the disaster struck as the children were walking to St Joseph's School, Leauva'a, in coastal Samoa. She and the Sisters at the neighbouring convent hastily gathered the children together and moved them to higher ground. Sr Doris says the children are "terrified but unharmed." Some are still to learn the fate of their families and friends in some of the worst hit areas. "We're beginning the task of moving the 320 children from the high ground back to the school and many of them, especially the little ones, have been absolutely terrified by what's happened. Only a few have been reunited with their families at this stage. Others
are asking us `Where's mummy and daddy?' Most were walking to school alone when the earthquake hit." St Joseph's School has been cut off from the outside world as roads are closed and there is widespread infrastructure damage. Unidentified bodies continue to be found and identified on the roadside. Sr Doris says international relief in terms of food and medical supplies are getting through although there is concern that more aftershocks will hit the area. Catholic Mission internationally supports Sr Doris and her work with the children at St Joseph's. Significant damage has occurred and needs to be assessed. It is not unusual for earthquake affected buildings to be completely rebuilt for safety reasons. Sr Doris has also stressed the need to build an earthquake shelter at the school as well as emergency facilities on the overlooking hill. Catholic Mission National Director, Martin Teulan, praised the bravery of St Joseph's Sisters in rescuing the children but stressed the hardest task lay ahead. "As well as putting their own lives at risk to rescue the children,
Sr Doris Barbero
the Salesian Sisters also provided them with love and care in the absence of their parents, who were in their villages when this disaster struck," Mr Teulan said. "Catholic Mission urges all Australians to help us provide care to the many families who have suffered hurt and heartbreak through the loss of relatives and destruction to their homes, and also to repair the many damaged buildings such as St Joseph's School." Tax deductible donations can be made by phoning Catholic Mission on 1800 257 296. Media Enquiries - Martin Teulan on 02 9919 7800
Page 8
October 7 2009, The Record
LETTERS
It's October. Say the Rosary.
•c‘
,ethe CD
9
,4LETTERS TO
0
ur Mother Mary's constant advice to those of her children to whom she has appeared, and through them to all k )f us, has been "Say the Rosary". For many, the advice has been the beginning of a new phase of life during which they and their affairs became re-ordered, a time in which they almost unconsciously grew in their awareness of Jesus and the meaning of His Gospel, a time when help was always at hand when needed. In others, it has produced the same effect as their earthly mother's constant advice to teenagers, "Tidy your room". It has produced exasperation, resentment, anger or guilt, and none of those states is of any value. We hasten to add that saying or not saying the Rosary and being tidy or untidy have no correlation in human beings. Being tidy is not a virtue, although being tidy as an act of obedience to your mother is a great spiritual exercise for which you will be richly rewarded. However, if you find yourself having the same reaction to saying the Rosary as to tidying your room, be aware that you have a problem distinguishing between things that are sublimely beautiful (the Rosary) and things that hardly matter at all (untidiness, at least until it gets to the point of being unhygienic). This mistake arises from thinking that the benefits of saying the Rosary arise from your effort in saying the Rosary. They don't. The benefits of saying the Rosary arise from your trusting Mary and her Son Jesus. Saying the Rosary is the process of opening the door of your life and letting them come in to reorganise it according to God's PO Box 75 will. Then it will all come right. Leederville WA 6902 A former Presbyterian cathrec@iinet.net.au Pastor tells the story that as he was approaching closer and Tel: (08) 9227 7080 closer to becoming a Catholic, Fax: (08) 9227 7087 he grew more and more concerned over what he would do about this Catholic business of praying to Mary, and the pressure mounted when a friend gave him some Rosary beads and advised him to pray for something he had little or no hope of achieving. Finally, he shut his office door, apologised to God if he was offending Him, and said the Rosary, and kept saying it each day. After about three weeks, he suddenly realised that the insoluble problem about which he was praying was already resolved, although he had done nothing about it and had not noticed when it happened. Mary is like that. She is working unceasingly to achieve the "thy will be done" we say to God in the Our Father. Mary herself is the means God used to bring about the Incarnation of His Son Jesus in order that Jesus might bring about our salvation. It seems almost certain that Mary also is the means Jesus is using to bring about the unity of Christendom and of mankind He so desires. It is a couple of years now since Time magazine wrote a cover story about the way Protestants were beginning to realise how important and valuable Mary is. This awareness that their forebears had gone overboard in abandoning Mary is growing steadily in the Protestant world. As the door opens to Mary, so it will to the Church because Mary is the Mother of the Church, and as the door opens to the Church, so it will to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. In the Muslim world, Mary is regarded as the foremost among all women and appears to be admired more than Jesus. Without presuming to know what God is doing, there has to be a real hope that Mary will be the means through which Muslims come to realise that there is much more to Jesus than Mohammed told them about. We may not see it coming until it has happened, but that is the way Mary works. Nobody saw the impending collapse of communism in Russia until it was too late for anyone to stop it, but Mary had promised it, and she achieved it, bloodlessly and through people who did not know for whom they were working. Saying the Rosary, therefore, is not a tiresome burden like tidying your room. It is attaching yourself to the most wonderful woman in all of history and sharing with her the wonderful tapestries of human history she is weaving. It is opening one more door through which Jesus and Mary can enter to achieve God's will. October is the month of the Rosary and the month of the great miracle of Fatima which occurred on October 13, 1917. It was foretold by Mary in July, August and September during her apparitions to the three children, and it was witnessed by more than 70,000 people, including the editor of the biggest newspaper in Portugal, 0 Seculo, which was totally secular, anti-clerical and anti-God. The editor had published an article in which he condemned the 'rumours' of a miracle and said he would go there himself to describe for his readers the utter failure of all that nonsense. True to his word, and to the great chagrin of his secular colleagues and friends, he described the miracle in detail. If you want to be part of history alongside the loving Mother of all mankind, "Say the Rosary."
TI-IE RECORD
Got a story from your Parish? Send it to parishes@therecord.com.au
Got a story from your Catholic school? cathschools@therecord.com.au
49`);\
Letters to the editor
The possibilities of other energies
N
o-one could disagree with Prof Wills as reported in local media that we should embrace renewable energy sources. However, we must also consider more oil exploration, ethanol from sugar cane and liquid fuel from coal. Geoscience Australia told the Senate Enquiry into Australia's future oil supply, which reported
in 2007, that by world standards, Australia's sedimentary basins have been only lightly explored. It said that fewer than 9,000 exploration and development wells had been drilled here, compared to 3 million in the United States, which has a comparable area. In the 30 year period between 1979 and 2008, Brazil reduced the number of petrol-only vehicles by 12.5 million, replacing them with 6.8 million flex-fuel vehicles and 5.7 million vehicles using pure ethanol. Currently, nearly 90 percent of vehicles sold in Brazil run on flex fuel, and, currently, the most common fuel in Brazil is E25: 25 percent ethanol and 75 percent hydrocarbons. In 2008, Brazil produced nearly 25 billion litres of ethanol, which represented nearly 40 percent of global ethanol used in motor vehicles. It is the world's largest exporter of ethanol, exporting 20 percent of production, and the second largest manufacturer. A fter the United States Queensland and the Ord River have much surplus sugar cane which could easily be turned into
fuel. There are two ways of obtaining liquid fuels from coal: coal liquefaction and the Fischer-Trospch process. The latter method was adopted on a large scale by South Africa in response to apartheid-era trade sanctions. Archibald, who has 25 years' experience as a coal and oil geologist, says that with the FischerTropsch process coal is burned in pure oxygen to create a synthesis gas that is catalysed by an iron or cobalt catalyst to long-chain liquid hydrocarbons. This process is very robust. In the mid 1990s the South African energy and chemicals company, Sasol, managed to run a plant on coal with 70 percent ash content and an operating cost of US$7 per barrel. A urea plant proposed for Collie, 300km south of Perth, was similar in that it would use coal as a feedback to produce synthesis gas, but a different catalyst for a different product such as liquid fuel. Graham Phillips Perth
Writers suggest ways to reframe media's perception of Catholics Part of the problem: coverage decisions are being made by 24 year olds BY MARK PATTISON Catholic News Service WASHINGTON (CNS) - In a world filled with sound-bite journalism, three Catholic writers suggested how to reframe the media's perception of Catholics. Joe Feuerherd, publisher and editor in chief of the National Catholic Reporter, an independent US Catholic weekly newspaper, suggested offering the voices of more lay Catholic leaders. But he acknowledged the task would be difficult. "Even here in this room I'm drawn to the two guys who are wearing all black and collars," Feuerherd said at a September
30 symposium sponsored by Catholics for Alliance with the Common Good. Of the 30 or so people in attendance at the symposium at the National Press Club in Washington, he was referring to the two priests in the audience. Feuerherd added that, in his view, there were no more than half a dozen print journalism outlets that cover religion seriously. Actions or statements by Bishops that would have received far more media coverage in years past now get less attention as newspapers' staff shrink, the religion beat gets eliminated and more experienced reporters have left the profession. James Carroll, an author and columnist for the Boston Globe daily newspaper, echoed one of Feuerherd's points. "We Catholics have to change the narrative," he said, pointing to the Second Vatican Council's
Winners drawn for Dialogues of Carmelites Competition
Proofreaders for The Record Christine Jaques and Hugh Ryan were called upon to draw the winners for The Record's competition to win tickets to the forthcoming production of Dialogues of the Carmelites by the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts. The winners were: E Kempton of Morley, Mrs D Barrie of Wembley Downs, Christiane Le Clezio of Cottesloe, Mrs E Foley of Scarborough and Mrs Julie Sharp of Dianella. Each has won a double pass to the opera which tells the tale of a convent of cloistered Carmelite Sisters martyred during the French Revolution. PHOTO. JUSTINE STEVENS
declaration that "the Church is the people of God, not the hierarchy. ... The Eucharist is an act of the people, not the clergy" Carroll added, "The narrative is a shift that has gone on in our community - and it is not finished." Michael Sean Winters, Washington correspondent for The Tablet, a Catholic newspaper in En§,land, said "progressives in the Church had to find ways to match their "rightwing" counterparts. During the papacy of Pope John Paul II, Winters said, "the right wing beat us to the punch:' Winters added that commentators who had institutional backing, using George Weigel of the Ethics and Public Policy Centre as an example, were viewed by media outlets as "experts, not as partisans:' To illustrate his point, Winters asked, "What year was the Heritage Foundation (founded)? What year was the Centre for American Progress started?" The former, which bills itself as "a conservative think tank," was established in 1973; the latter, which says it is set up to "expose the hollowness of conservative governing philosophy:' was started in 2003. Symposium moderator Andrea Roane, a Washington television anchor, noted the growing utility of blogs. While she found plenty of Web sites that spoke about the late Senator Ted Kenney's letter to Pope Benedict XVI, it was only from bloggers that she was able to glean the Pope's response to the dying US senator. Roane cautioned that getting the preferred message out is constrained by the demands of television journalism. "You almost literally have to give us the story on a silver platter," she said. "And you have to do it in 1:25 (one minute, 25 seconds) or less and that includes 'This is Andrea Roane, 9 News Now,'" the required tag for her TV reports. Feuerherd said a further complication is that coverage decisions are being made by "24 year olds working in cable news."
October 7 2009, The Record
Evolution?
THE RECORD VISTA
Try leaving GOD out of it Evolutionists weaken their case by bringing God's existence into the discussion BY PATRICK GILLIGAN
I
t was not exactly unexpected: a review in The Economist of Richard Dawkins' latest book, The Evidence .for Evolution, in which the reviewer praises the lucidity and extent of the evidence marshalled in support of evolution, and sighs at the wrong-headedness of unbelievers. The reviewer, like Dawkins, had completely missed the point: the evidence has become almost irrelevant in this debate. I sighed loudly but my wife, a veteran of my frustrations with the public discussion of this topic, ignored the bait, leaving me with no choice but to go on silently provoking myself by reading the rest of the review. Despite prolific work by Dawkins until recently Professor for the Public Understanding of Science at Oxford - and others, the public understanding of evolution has not exactly increased in the past few years. Only a minority of Americans, for instance, accept evolution, a fact which causes much hand-wringing in the scientific journals. The alternative is generally creationism, the idea based on a literal interpretation of Genesis, that God created the world in 6 days of 24 hours each. This is sometimes taken as evidence of the threat that religion supposedly poses to reason and science. It is true that Evangelical Protestants often see Genesis as a literal account (probably part of a wider tendency to tacitly deny that Scripture contains allegory, parable or symbol), and this is an important factor in their rejecting evolution. But there is no necessary reason to interpret Genesis as they do; Scripture contains plenty of allegory and metaphor (such
as Jesus' parables), and it is not obvious that the author of Genesis intended it as a literal natural history. Indeed, given that the evidence for evolution is beyond reasonable doubt, the obvious thing should have been to conclude that interpreting Genesis as literal was a mistake and that it was rather intended to convey religious, not biological, ideas. So why have Evangelicals ended up espousing creationism? To write off a whole great chunk of the populace as stupid is hasty and prejudiced, to say the least. The Evangelicals I know (not an altogether tiny number) are not stupidly, dogmatically incapable of reasoning this out. So why have the majority not? It seems quite plausible that an important promoter of creationism is Dawkins himself. When he is addressing a likeminded audience, Dawkins is charming, scholarly, clear and articulate. On the other hand, when he gets on to his pet topics of acceptance of evolution, atheism and religion, he is often shrill, nasty, and ludicrously intolerant. Worse, he often talks as if evolution proves atheism. If you are trying to sell a difficult message, it is not generally a good idea to bundle it with a pet dogma like this - you tend to alienate people who don't share your dogmas, such as, in Dawkins' case, Evangelicals. Besides, bundling evolution and atheism is gratuitous and irrational. In his calmer moments Dawkins explicitly acknowledges that evolution cannot prove that God does not exist. This is an important point and can be seen in a number of ways. For instance, since God is, ex hypothesi, not material (composed of matter) he cannot be weighed or otherwise measured, and it is therefore impossible
for science to gain any knowledge of him - for example, whether he exists. Since biology is a science, and evolution belongs to biology, evolution cannot prove that God does not exist. Alternatively, many evolutionists talk as if evolution is a sufficient explanation for the existence of life, and that science in general sufficiently explains all natural phenomena; consequently there is no need to invoke God to explain anything, and no reason to suppose that God exists. However, the only way to show this empirically - by experiment - would be to remove God, and see if evolution can still produce life in his absence. And yet, this can only be done by first assuming that God does not exist - in other words, by making the argument circular: "We know that evolution proves that there is no reason to suppose God exists, because evolution can explain life in the absence of God, and we know it can do this, because it works, so God does not exist, and we know God does not exist, because evolution proves it." The trouble is that the proposition, "God does not exist; is a Please turn to Vista 2
Through Benedict's eyes Are Catholics allowed to doubt or, if they do, are they hypocrites and heretics? The strange thing about Christians seems to be that they distinguish between religious and scientific truth. They study Darwin and go to Church. Is such a division possible in the first place? There can, after all, be only one truth: either the world was really created in six days, or it developed over millions of years.
p
art of Faith is also the patience of time. The theme you have just mentioned - Darwin, creation, the theory of evolution - is the subject of a dialogue that is not yet finished and, with our present means, is probably also impossible to settle at the moment. Not that the problem of the six days is a particularly urgent issue between faith and modern scientific research into the origin of the world. For it is obvious even in the Bible that this is a theological framework and is not intended simply to recount the history of creation. In the Old Testament itself there are other accounts of creation. In the Book of Job and in the Wisdom literature, we have creation narratives that make it clear that even then believers themselves did not think that the creation account was, so to speak, a photographic depiction of the process of creation. It only seeks to convey a glimpse of the essential truth, namely, that the world comes from the power of God and is His creation. How the process actually occurred is a wholly different question, which even the Bible itself leaves wide open. Conversely, I think that in great measure the theory of evolution has not gone beyond hypotheses and is often mixed with almost mythical philosophies that have yet to be critically discussed:. CC
- From Salt of the Earth, by Peter Seewald and Joseph Cardional Ratzinger, Ignatius Press, 1995
Creationists - many of them - must deny this fossilised trilobite estimated to be 250 million-plus years old is what it plainly is. Evolutionists often assume it is proof God does not exist. Both miss the point, says Molecular Biologist Patrick Gilligan.
le
•
a
VISTA 2
October 7 2009, The Record
Eastern rites renew a priests priesthood for the ages
VISTA 3
Antagonists of evolution obscure the issues
Eastern Catholics embrace Pope Benedict XVI's special year to 'grow in perfection' BY MARK PATTISON Catholic News Service
M
uch of the focus of commemorations and celebrations for the Year for Priests has been on Latin rite priests, but priests in the Eastern Catholic Church also are marking the year - many by renewing their priesthood with retreats or days of recollection and also by promoting vocations. The geographic expanses of US Eastern Catholic dioceses, which often encompass several states, can make it difficult for the priests to gather together, so their observances of the special year which began on June 19 may be different than those of their Latin rite counterparts. "We're spread out, so we take advantage of the times we can get together as a presbyterate - and do common things in our parishes to let people know about vocations," said Chorbishop Richard Saad, who has served 36 of his 37 years in the priesthood at St Elias Maronite Parish in Birmingham, Alabama. Chorbishop Saad said that he was treating the Year for Priests as "kind of like an anniversary - (to) renew my priesthood, renew my vows". "It's an occasion to pass on the torch, hopefully en-
courage somebody else to work for vocations and to influence somebody else," he said. A chorbishop - similar, but not entirely analogous, to a Latin auxiliary bishop - can confer minor orders but not the diaconate or priesthood. Fr William Loya, pastor of Annunciation Parish in Homer Glen, Illinois, part of the Byzantine Eparchy of Parma, Ohio, said he would use the Year for Priests to "make a little more time for myself to do things that are intrinsic to the priestly life, basically the spiritual help," including reading books on the priesthood. He added that he wanted to spend "a little more time for a retreat or a day of recollection" so he could be more "conscious of the ... magnitude of this vocation". "In other words,I would like to spend this year on a personal spiritual journey - a sort of journey into the depth of the priesthood," he said. "It can be done by doing some of the things that feed the priesthood, and my priesthood:' Fr Loya, whose 180 households are spread across four states, said priests, regardless of rite, "don't get enough of some or all of those things. This year, it's kind of time to step back. It's my time to step back a bit and take an appreciative look ... doing what is good for my priest-
Byzantine Fr Chrysostom Frank gives Communion by intinction - dipping the bread into wine, common in Eastern Rite liturgies - at Holy Protection of the Mother of God Byzantine Catholic Church in Denver.
hood". Benedictine Fr Cuthbert Jack, administrator for the past seven years at St Mary's Holy Protection Parish in Homer City, Pennsylvania, a Byzantine parish in the Russo-Carpathian jurisdiction, said he was happy just to keep serving his people. Fr Jack, who was born a Presbyterian but became a Catholic in 1968, is biritual, meaning he was ordained for the Latin rite but is permitted to celebrate Byzantine liturgies as well. As he is serving at St Mary's Holy Protection, though, he doesn't celebrate many Latin rite liturgies. "I did a wedding once; he recalled. "I was all thumbs at that:' Fr Jack, ordained in 1990, said that ever since
he went to an Orthodox church at the bottom of the hill from his seminary, he has had an affinity for Eastern liturgy. The Eastern Catholic Churches and the Orthodox Church have similar devotional and liturgical traditions, but the Eastern Churches are in full communion with the Pope. He said his favourite thing about the priesthood is "celebrating the liturgy - the Byzantine liturgy, of course. The whole rhythm of it, the whole constant interplay between the priest and the deacon and the people, it is a constant dialogue between the three of them. The deacon has a major role in our liturgy andI have a deacon here, so it's really quite nice. "I love facing east for liturgical prayer," he said.
Chorbishop Saad said the St Louis-based Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon would use the observance to "emphasise the ordination of all the orders this year (including minor orders and the diaconate), making sure everybody knows about them and mentions it as a way of tying it in with the Year for Priests and work for vocations. ... These are the most teachable times for me." Fr Loya, a priest for 27 years and pastor of his parish for ten, said he was very happy" about the Year for Priests. "It was timely and much needed and a great followup to the year of St Paul," he said, referring to the year-long observance to commemorate the 2,000th anniversary of the birth of the apostle that ended on June 28. When he announced the special year for priests, Pope Benedict said he hoped it would help priests grow toward the spiritual perfection" they need to be effective ministers and would help the faithful "appreciate more fully the great gift of grace which the priesthood is" "In light of the challenges that have faced the priesthood in recent years on all kinds of levels, to call the Church to pause and focus in on a very appropriate way on the mystery of the priesthood is very
Above, Lebanese Bishops Elias Nassar of Saida; Francois Eid of Cairo, Egypt; Georges Bou-Jaoude of Tripoli; and Simon Atallah of Baalbeck-Deir el-Ahmar lead a procession at their ordination ceremony in Bkerke, Lebanon, in 2006. Right, Cardinal Lubomyr Husar of Kiev-Halych, Ukraine, leaves the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Philadelphia in 2007 after celebrating a Divine Liturgy to mark the 100th anniversary of the arrival of the first Byzantine Bishop in the US. Below, Cardinal Nasrallah Sfeir, Maronite patriarch, centre, blesses four Bishops during their ordination ceremony in Bkerke. Far left, two altar servers hold the crosier and miter of Lebanese Cardinal Sfeir during a Mass for peace in the Middle East at Our Lady of Lebanon Church in Washington in 2006. PHOTOS: CNS
This fossilised fish from northern Italy known as an Old Wife is estimated at 50 million years of age. Today it is found alive only in Australia.
continuedfrom Vista 1 metaphysical proposition, not a scientific one, and does not belong in a scientific argument - any more than the opposite proposition, "God exists", does. Talking as if evolution proves atheism also makes Dawkins look careless and irrational to many people. And this is not wildly unreasonable: atheists have always been in a minority and God has most of the more rigorous philosophy on his side. Also, assuming that God does not exist seems to lead to odd conclusions. For instance, if God does not exist, then there cannot be sins, which is pretty much the same as saying that people cannot do evil, which is absurd. Faced with
There be Dragons is expected to be released in 2010 and will be directed by Roland Joffe, Director of The Mission and The Killing Fields
Filming starts on biography of
OPUS DEI founder St Josemaria Escriva has sometimes been labelled the 'Saint of the Ordinary'. Escriva was divinely inspired to communicate the very Catholic belief that the path to holiness is found in the ordinary circumstances of our everyday lives. He also popularised the idea of holiness as something not lofty or unobtainable but as simple as a close personal friendship with God, and for everyone. Such beliefs earned him many enemies outside - and within - the Church. PHOTO CNS
BY MARK PATTISON Catholic News Service ilming has begun in Argentina on a biography of St Josemaria Escriva de Balaguer, the founder of Opus Dei. The movie There Be Dragons is expected to be released in the summer or fall of 2010. Directing the film is Roland Joffe, whose past films include The Mission and The Killing Fields. Joffe, who also wrote the screenplay, said he was not told what to write or how to present either the saint or the group, a personal prelature within the Church, after earlier rejecting an offer to film a script provided by Opus Dei. The film is set at the time of the Spanish Civil War which tore apart the European nation during the second half of the 1930s.
And, likening it to his own creative freedom, Joffe said St Josemaria "made no attempt to influence the people he worked with in terms of their politics." The Director spoke at an
August 23 press conference in Argentina that was conducted in English, Spanish and Portuguese; US reporters were allowed to listen in. "At that time, that's pretty heroic. That's a time when almost all human beings were faced with making extraordinary choices," he said. Charlie Cox, whose past Director Roland Joffe talks about film credits include Stardust There be Dragons CNS and Casanova, plays the priest. Wes Bentley, who had parts in Ghost Rider and American betrayal and mistakes," Joffe Beauty, plays Manolo, a friend said. Further, "I don't know if of Josemaria's who goes in and there's anybody who wants to out of his life. live his life without meaning. Ukrainian actress Olga So it's also a story about people Kurylenko, who has acted in trying to find meaning about Quantum of Solace, Hitman their lives, and that's a powerful and Max Payne, plays Ildiko, a kind of story." Hungarian woman who casts Responding to a question her lot with the Republican about source material for the movement, which falls to the script, Joffe said, "I researched Francisco Franco-led rightist as much as any writer can. rebels. History is not available to us:, Other actors in There Be attempts at history are available Dragons include Dougray Scott, to us. As an artist, one takes Geraldine Chaplin, Derek a difficult step that fiction is Jacobi and Charles Dance. a way of understanding the "We found ourselves making truth. a film about love - human love "There were certain liberties and divine love. About hate Icould take if those liberties whichIguess is human - about could take us to the personal
He said he asked Fr John Opus Dei members (in doing Wauck, an Opus Dei priest who research for the movie). And is a professor of literature and I've yet to encounter anything communication of the Faith at odd-seeming," said Cox. the Pontifical University of the "I've been brought up a Holy Cross in Rome, "whether Catholic. I'm not a great he'd serve the same purpose as practising Christian. I've been Daniel Berrigan - explain to to church infrequently, but I've Charlie (Cox) what he knew never stopped going" about Josemaria ... in as open Cox added there is "an and honest way as he could, inner journey I've been going what it means to be a priest. on during this film.I don't That's what he gave up his know where it will lead. My rather precious time to do, and relationship with the Catholic I'm grateful for it." Church and with God has When one questioner certainly been profoundly asked whether he thought affected for the better There Be Dragons was some throughout this process:' he kind of response to the movie added. The Da Vinci Code, which Asked whether he thought characterised Opus Dei as St Josemaria was really a a bizarre cult, Joffe replied, saint, Cox answered, "It's an "Well, it'd be a very expensive impossible question to answer. response." The price tag of ...Ihave to leave that up to the There Be Dragons is estimated Catholic Church and not to at US$30 million. myself:' Anarchist militia pose for the camera during the Spanish Civil War. The " The Da Vinci Code stands Joffe recalled that when he conflict divided a generation, and provides the background for Joffe's Mission, which dealt on its own legs, whatever they The made movie, currently being filmed in Argentina. may be," he added. "I think with Jesuit missionary activity they took a rather cliched view in South America at the time issues that people felt," Joffe also found through the Spanish of the slave trade, he used two and created a character and continued, saying he was taken Civil War. That is still felt by Jesuits as advisers: a "very, very said he came from Opus Dei, with St Josemaria's idea that "a Spaniards very much today." right-wing Jesuit - those things and that is a bit much. But it's a way to God is found through "I've been to many Opus do exist - and a left-wing Jesuit, fine movie everyday life. And that life is Dei centres, and met many Fr Daniel Berrigan."
" I think The Da Vinci Code took a rather cliched view and created a character and said he came from Opus Dei and that is a bit much. But it's a fine movie." - Roland Joffe
an absurd conclusion, it is natural to suppose that there is a flaw somewhere in the reasoning. And, unfortunately for many people, it appears that evolution is the most doubtful part, and the most likely to be wrong. This is why the strength of the evidence for evolution is almost irrelevant. Evolution is perhaps not the simplest bit of science to explain. To really critically assess the evidence often requires grasping quite a bit of data and having a fairly deep knowledge of some branch of biology; in other words, years of study. A large part of the public probably has to take the word of the scientists. Therefore, scientists who wish to promote public understanding of evolution should be plausible and not encumbered with doubtful metaphysics and dogmas - disciplines in which they are seldom experts, while Evangelicals often are. Dawkins is often feted, as in the review mentioned above, as a communicator of science. The terrible shame is that he has not only missed out on the wide and beneficial impact his fine mind and hard work deserves, but he has probably harmed the communication of the wonderful science he loves so dearly and has worked so hard to explain. - Merotomet. Patrick Gilligan works as a molecular biologist in Singapore.
DeliveryAddress GPOBox3631 SYDNEY NSW 2001
Iii 11 111"11111 1 111111 1 1 11 111 ii iu ii"11111111111111 AustraliaNeedsFatima ReplyPaid3631 SYDNEY NSW 2001
No stamp required if posted in Australia
III
7
Make 2010 a year with our Heavenly Mother!
4
OUR LADY OF FATIMA PRAY FOR US
You will be uplifted by this unique calendar, as well as by each invocation to Our Lady of Fatima. Included is every Church holiday and feast day, along with public holidays and school terms.
* 32 pages full colour images, double A4 * Space for writing your appointments * Additional illustrations and aeditations * $12.75 (incl. P&P) plus a free gift posted to your home
Cl4 15reat ir/sumac gift! "
October 411111
MI=
OMENS
101.
=INN
) CALL: 1800 AU FATIMA (1800 283 284) HOW TO ORDER > or fill out this coupon, tear it off and drop it in any post box. YOUR CALENDAR: > or fax it to (02) 9705 2425 > or email us at infcii@Fatima.org.au Tear off along doffed line-I .
.
•
,
' ,
0' 4'
.
----'•
•
---
--""
-
•
—.-
-----
This lovely poster is yours FREE with each calendar! :1 1 Yes! Send me this beautiful limited edition of the 2010 Marian Calendar!
V.
;
11
Iwant
copies at $12.75 each (including P&P) Do not send any money until you receive your calendar and Our Lady of Fatima poster
PLEASE PRINT CLEARLY IN BLOCK CAPITALS
Mr, Mrs, Miss, Ms, Fr, other: Australia Needs Fatima is a campaign of the Australian TFP Bureau Inc.
First name:_
Family name:
Address: Suburb: Phone: Email:
State: Mobile:
Postcode:
'WI, •
F ;' t
nspired by 441 beautiful 365 days with MARY!
Calendar! Limited Edition
Vista 4
October 7 2009, The Record
THE WORLD
Sister's heart yearned for the outback cf7":4
Youth street clean wins gratitude Zimbabwean youths put faith into action in neglected suburb of capital BY BRONVVEN DACHS
Sr M Bernadette Punch, OP ON Wednesday, September 9, Sr M Bernadette's long life of 95 years came to a close at St John of God Villa, Subiaco, where she had been lovingly cared for during her final years. She was born at Leonora in 1914, the third of a family of four, and was preceded into the Dominican Novitiate at Dongara by her older sister, Sr M Philomena. The best years of Sr Bernadette's life as a Dominican were spent in the teaching apostolate at many small outback schools in the mining towns of WA, including Dongara, Meekatharra, Reedy, Morawa, Mingenew, Leonora and Three Springs. Her love of the outback never diminished and when, for practical reasons, the Sisters were obliged to withdraw from those schools she was greatly saddened; her heart was among the people of the remote areas of the Geraldton Diocese. She had a special concern for the welfare of the priests who ministered to the people of the parishes where she too was assigned and her support was greatly appreciated. When her years in the mining towns came to a close, Sr Bernadette put all her energies into the Motor Mission which was founded at Morawa in 1972 to serve the mid-west towns where no Catholic schools existed. Recalling the vast distances travelled, she later wrote an account of the Sisters' weekly itinerary which included classes at Yalgoo, Mullewa, Buntine, Perenjori, Coorow, Carnamah, Eneabba and Walkaway. They knew the roads well, having covered almost 1,000km every week, and, in addition, spent hours at weekends preparing home programs to distribute while on tour. Sr Bernadette had a special love for the Aboriginal people. She appreciated their children's ability and accomplishments, always encouraged their creativity and took pride in their special skills. She was the longest lived of her immediate family, but she enjoyed the great happiness of being lovingly supported by the next and the succeeding generations who were greatly attached to their "Aunty Joan". They were present at her deathbed along with some of her Dominican Sisters and again at her Requiem followed by burial at Karrakatta. It was fitting that Fr Michael Morrissey of Geraldton was the chief celebrant at the Requiem and later presided at her interment in the grave where her sister, Sr M Philomena, was buried. Her long life as a Dominican brought many blessings and her faith in God's unfailing love never wavered. Her Dominican Sisters and her family thank God for her life and for all the good she did for others throughout her days. May she rest in peace. - GLYNNIS GRAINGER
CAPE TOWN, South Africa (CNS) - Young Catholic parishioners in a neglected suburb of Zimbabwe's capital, Harare, have formed a "faith in action'' group that sweeps the trash-filled streets and tills potholes in the roads, among other tasks that the city council rarely undertakes, their parish priest said. There is "enormous gratitude" from Mbare residents for the work done by the approximately 70 young people who clean up the area, wearing t-shirts with "Catholic Youth in Action" on the front and "Community Service: A Priority" on the back, said Jesuit Fr Konrad Landsberg, pastor of St Peter's Church in Mbare. In a September 25 telephone interview with Catholic News Service, Fr Landsberg said he started the group early in August with lessons on the Church's social teaching. The youths, aged 16 to 22, "learned that Christianity needs to show in actions. It's not OK to go to Mass on Sunday and then commit murder on Monday," he said. Another priest at St Peter's, 'Jesuit Fr Oskar Wermter, said Mbare is "severely neglected" by the city council, which "does not provide sufficient refuse removal." With trash only collected "occasionally" by the council, "there is a lot of dirt everywhere and sewage runs in the streets," with burst pipes left unfixed, Fr Wermter said. In late 2008 and early 2009 the high-density suburb was badly affected by the nationwide cholera outbreak that killed thousands of people and infected tens of thousands more. As well as ridding the streets of trash and fill-
Members of Catholic Youth in Action clean debris and trash from a street in Mbare, Zimbabwe, in August. The youths took on several tasks to clean up the streets, which had been neglected by the city. The area suffered a lot from a nationwide cholera outbreak that began in late 2008. CNS PHOTO/COURTESY OF JESUIT FATHER OSKAR WERNITER
ing up potholes, the youth group has cleaned the infectious diseases hospital in the suburb, Fr Landsberg said. This work "is a way to show our commitment to serving the community and the Church," Fr Landsberg said, noting that it "has given the youngsters a sense of meaning." They "have a new sense of belonging to the community and to the Church," he said. The group plans to start a soup kitchen in the parish centre, which is next to Mbare's bus station, a hub that links Harare to other parts of Zimbabwe and neighbouring countries, Fr Landsberg said. More than 3 mil-
lion Zimbabweans are estimated to have left the country for neighbouring states to escape political and economic turmoil at home. Mbare's bus station "is a place of vulnerability," Fr Landsberg said. "People find themselves stranded there" and many are robbed, he said, noting that the Church "is looking for ways to protect and help" the commuters. Despite Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai's calls for Zimbabweans who have left the country to return, "there is no sign of people coming back" and "anybody with the slightest hope of getting out of Zimbabwe is going," Fr Landsberg said. Tsvangirai's opposition Move-
ment for Democratic Change formed a coalition government with President Robert Mugabe's Zanu-PF party in February. The new government has brought "no improvement" to the lives of his parishioners, Fr Landsberg said. While some of the members of the Catholic Youth in Action group are college students, many have not been able to find jobs after completing their studies and others abandoned their studies when their parents could no longer afford the fees, Fr Landsberg said. "They want to improve their own lives as well as their community and have plans to start income-generating projects," he said. In another part of the city, students and teachers at a Catholic school are providing warm clothing for 1,200 prisoners in Harare Central Prison. Earlier this year, when Fr Landsberg and Theresa Wilson, a teacher from St George's College, visited the prison to assess its needs, they found prisoners starvin and almost naked. 'The conditions were appalling; it was horrifying," Fr Landsberg said, noting that "prisoners were dying of starvation." A Jesuit newsletter reported that corpses were often left among the prisoners for days until they were collected. "For a few weeks," before the International Red Cross took over the feeding scheme in mid-May, St George's College teachers and students took porridge and 2,400 peanut butter sandwiches, as well as eggs or oranges, to the prisoners every day, Fr Landsberg said. With the handing over of the feeding scheme, the church group turned its attention to the tattered clothing of the inmates and donated blankets, trousers and shoes. St George's has organised locally made clothing for the prisoners, Fr Landsberg said, noting that they aim to have enough to give some to each prisoner.
Pope calls Czechs to reject West's poison Czechs should resist relativism, consumerism, Pope says at audience BY SARAH DELANEY
VATICAN CITY (CNS) - Pope Benedict XVI said he hoped that his recent trip to the Czech Republic would help the largely secular country rediscover its Christian roots and resist the evils of relativism and consumerism. At his general audience in St Peter's Square on September 30, the Pope had warm words for his religious, political and cultural hosts during the three day trip that took him to Prague, Brno and Stara Boleslay. Pope Benedict told the faithful gathered in the sunny piazza that his trip had been "both a pilgrimage and a mission." It was a pilgrimage to honour the country's many saints, he said, and a mission "because at the present time Europe needs to rediscover the joy and hope that come from following the Lord Jesus." During his September 26 to 28
Cardinal Miloslav Vlk of Prague carries the relics of St Wenceslas during celebrations for his feast in Stara Boleslav, Czech Republic, in 2008. Pope Benedict XVI was present for the celebration of the Saint's feast on September 28 and concelebrated an outdoor Mass in Stara Boleslav, where Wenceslas was killed in 935 by his brother. PHOTO: CNS/COURTESY OF THE CZECH BISHOPS CONFERENCE
visit to the Czech nation, the Pope said he met with leaders from all areas of life in the country. In an encounter with university rectors and cultural figures, he said, "I spoke with them of the
need for scholarship to be rooted in truth, an integral truth that shuns relativism and determinism." The Pope also said that political and intellectual leaders had
a responsibility toward future generations and urged a serious commitment to "intellectual and moral rectitude." There exists an "indissoluble tie between liberty and truth," he said. "We must not be afraid of truth because it is the friend of mankind and of liberty." Only by searching for truth, he said, "can we construct a future for young people and future generations." Speaking about his meeting with leaders of other Christian faiths, the Pope said he found a shared commitment to continue toward greater unity, which "strengthens our common efforts toward the rediscovery of Christian roots in Europe." The Czech people are undergoing a difficult moment, he said, like the rest of Western Europe. The "long winter" of atheism under 40 years of communist rule has produced "the poisonous effects of a certain secularism and Western consumerism." To resist these tendencies, he said, young people should be encouraged to invest their time in charitable and educational activities and to imitate Christ. The text of the Pope's audience remarks in English can be found online at: mvw.vatican.va
October 7 2009, The Record
Kids bitz
Page 9
CHILDREN
COLOURING
CHILDREN'S STORY
ARTISTS WEEK
JESUS TELLS THE PARABLE OF THE WEDDING FEAST By Joe Sarnicola JESUS often liked to tell stories that illustrated an important idea he wanted the people to understand. "The Kingdom of Heaven," he said, "may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast, but they refused to come. A second time he sent other servants, saying, 'Tell those invited: "Behold, I have prepared my banquet, my calves and fattened cattle are killed, and everything is ready; come to the feast."
Eliza Bamford, 5, Good Shepherd Catholic Primary School
"I am imagining a giraffe looking at lovely things."
Jesus observed the faces of the people, to see who was listening and who was not. He knew that they would understand that being invited to the wedding of the son of a king was an important event. What would they do if they had been invited?
Ines Kelly, 5, Good Shepherd Catholic Primary School
"This is a dinosaur saying sorry to a little boy he is standing on, in my imagination."
"Jesus told of His disciples about the signs of His comings and the end of the age." Matthew 24:3-28
BIBLE ACCENT: The Bible is divided into two main sections called testaments. Each testament is a collection of books that has been numbered by chapters and verses to make studying easier.
ova
The Old Testament includes books of law and history, poetry and prophecy.
In the New Testament, the four Gospels tell us about the life and ministry of Jesus, while the Book of Acts tells us about the early Christians. Revelation is a book of prophecy, and the remaining books help us to understand God's commandments. The Bible is God's Word. We should spend time reading it every day.
FREE WEEKLY GIFT KIDS BITZ ARTIST OF THE WEEK will receive a free gift from The Record Bookshop. All you need to do is post or email in a drawing, poem or colouring picture. Please post to: Justine Stevens, The Record, PO Box 75 Leederville WA 6902 or email: production@therecord.com.au
SPOTLIGHT ON SAINTS St Ignatius of Antioch Ignatius Theophorus (35-107) is believed to have been a disciple of John the Evangelist. Little is known about most of his life, but around the year 69 he was appointed Bishop of Antioch. He was later arrested and sentenced to death during a time of Christian persecution. He willingly accepted the chains of his imprisonment as he was taken to Rome by the soldiers. Along the way he wrote letters to some of the early Christian churches. He was a much loved man and many people came out to see him. They rejoiced that they were able to see him, but they mourned that he would soon be put to death. Before he was killed he prayed for peace and for the strength of faithful Christians. We honour him on October 17.
226. SIGNS, END OF THE AGE, & THE TRIBULATION (MATTHEW 24:3-28)
V
0 0
A
V A
N R Y V C Q V A M M R L C I B N C H E l 0 A F C V E V B H O s V Q J X V
0 V FIND THE WORDS OF THE SCRIPTURE BELOW IN THE PUZZLE ABOVE "But he who endures to the end shall be saved." MATTHEW 24:13
"Some ignored the invitation," Jesus continued, "and went away, one to his farm, another to his business. The rest laid hold of his servants, mistreated them and killed them. The king was enraged and sent his troops, destroyed those murderers and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, 'The feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy to come." To emphasise his next point, Jesus extended his hands toward the roads that led to where the people were sitting. "Go out, therefore, into the main roads and invite to the feast whomever you find.' The servants went out into the streets and gathered all they found, bad and good alike, and the hall was filled with guests." Jesus stood up, as if He were playing the role of the king at the wedding. "But when the king came in to meet the guests he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment. He said to him, 'My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding garment?' But he was reduced to silence. Then the king said to his attendants, 'Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.' Many are invited, but few are chosen."READ MORE ABOUT: Matthew 22Q&A How did the first invited guests treat the king's servants?What people eventually came to the wedding?
Page 10
October 7 2009, The Record
THE WORLD
Retired Nova Scotia Bishop faces child porn charges
Miracle woman thanks Damien Life has changed for woman whose cancer cure led to canonisation BY ANNA WFAVER
Catholic News Service
Retired Bishop Raymond Lahey of the Diocese of Antigonish, Nova Scotia, arrives at a police station in Ottawa on October 1. Bishop Lahey, 69, turned himself in to face charges of possession and importation of child pornography. PHOTO CNS/CHRIS WAT TIE. REUTERS
BY DEBORAH GYAPONG
Catholic News Service
RETIRED Bishop Raymond J Lahey of Antigonish, Nova Scotia, turned himself in to Ottawa police on October 1 to face charges of possession and importation of child pornography. He appeared in court later that day and was released on CA$9,000 ($8,317) bail with strict conditions that include staying away from the Internet. His next court date for a plea of guilty or not guilty is November 4. Bishop Lahey, 69, who abruptly resigned as Bishop for "personal reasons" on September 26, was detained on September 15 at the Ottawa airport by the Canada Border Services Agency, after officers conducted a preliminary search of his computer and discovered "images of concern." Border agents seized the Bishop's computer and other "media devices" for forensic investigation, then released the Bishop. On September 25, Ottawa police formalised the charges and issued an arrest warrant. Pope Benedict XVI accepted Bishop Lahey's resignation on September 26 and appointed Halifax Archbishop Anthony Mancini as Antigonish's apostolic administrator. In August, Bishop Lahey had announced a more than $13 million settlement agreement for a class action lawsuit for clergy sexual abuse dating back to the 1950s. He had been widely praised for his pastoral concern and pursuit of justice in the agreement. The pornography charges became public on September 30. In a statement issued that day, Archbishop Mancini said that "for the priests and people of the Antigonish Diocese, this is a terrible moment." The Archbishop told the Halifax Chronicle Herald newspaper on September 30 that he had spoken to Bishop Lahey on his mobile phone for a few minutes earlier that day, after learning about the charges. "He certainly indicated to me that he was not feeling very good at this point," the Archbishop told the newspaper. He said he did not know where the Bishop was, although he thought he was still in Canada. In a television interview on September 30, Archbishop Mancini said Pope Benedict must have known the grave reasons behind Bishop Lahey's resignation, but that he and the others in the Antigonish Diocese were unaware of them. Bishop Lahey became Bishop of Antigonish in 2003 after 17 years as a Bishop in Newfoundland.
IN her 44 years as a teacher, Audrey Toguchi, now retired, doled out a lot of advice to her students. Since she was publicly identified in April 2008 as the woman whose cancer cure the Vatican declared as the second miracle needed to make Blessed Damien de Veuster of Molokai a saint, she finds herself in the role of adviser again. This time she is counselling people who find her unlisted telephone number, who approach her in stores, who write her letters or who contact her through others. They want her guidance and her prayers for them and their loved ones. Toguchi listens and responds. You have people who have problems and they just need to be reassured that God is there for them," she told the Hawaii Catholic Herald, newspaper of the Honolulu Diocese. She spoke to the newspaper about a month before the October 11 canonisation of Blessed Damien, a missionary priest famed for his work with patients with Hansen's dis-
ease, or leprosy. And although
Toguchi, a friendly 81 year old who converses easily with a warm, peaceful smile, is happy to help in any way she can, it can be overwhelming to be suddenly at the centre of so much attention. Besides those seeking counsel and prayers, there are also requests from TV stations, publications and documentary crews seeking interviews, or others who want her to speak at an event. While she's going on the official Diocese of Honolulu pilgrimage to Belgium and Italy from October 3-13, Toguchi will also have to deal with added attention on the trip. For instance, while in Rome she's been asked to give a five minute talk to an estimated 3,000 people the night before Blessed Damien's canonisation and also be interviewed for a future documentary. "I looked at (St) Bernadette and I looked at the Blessed Mother. They didn't go out tooting their horns. They just took a very quiet back seat," Toguchi said. "I thought just like Bernadette you climb in a hole and hide and just say thank you," she said halfjoking. "But it's not happening like that." Toguchi said she gets a range of reactions from people now who know about her miracle, and she certainly wouldn't want to call what she's experiencing "fame." "You know you're just a common person. Just like Abraham Lincoln said, 'God loves the corn-
Father Damien de Veuster who will be canonised on October 11 cns
mon man,- she said. That's one reason she has always been devoted to Blessed Damien. "You look at what he had nothing," she said. Toguchi planned to make the simple life of the priest the focus of her October 10 Rome talk. She shared the "kicker" she planned for concluding her speech, a quote from an anecdotal story called "Hot Chocolate": "Live simply, love generously, care deeply, speak kindly. Leave the rest to God. Remember, the richest person is not the one that has the most, but the one who needs the least." "I think that's so appropriate for Father Damien," she said. Toguchi's devotion to Blessed
Damien started when she was a Catholic schoolgirl at St Augustine and Sacred Hearts Academy. It continued through her teaching years and in raising her two sons, Eric and Ivan, with her husband, Yukio. When she was diagnosed in 1998 with pleomorphic liposarcoma, an aggressive form of fat tissue cancer that spread to her lungs, Toguchi went to Blessed Damien's grave in kalawao, on the Hawaiian island Molokai, and prayed. The tumors in her lungs disappeared without treatment by 1999, and in 2004 she and Yukio made a pilgrimage of thanksgiving back to Father Damien's grave to thank him and God for her healing. It was the prompting of her non-Catholic doctor, Walter YM Chang, that led her to first approach the Church about her case. After a Diocese of Honolulu tribunal investigated Toguchi's cure in 2003 and again in 2005, it was passed alo4 to the Congregation for Saints Causes at the Vatican. In October 2007 a medical commission of the congregation approved the "extranatural" cure. In April 2008, the congregation's theological commission also approved it, and Toguchi, who had previously remained anonymous, was publicly named for the first time. On February 21, Pope Benedict announced that he would canonise Blessed Damien along with four others.
Lathe Sisters look forward to Jeanne's day Continuedfrom page 1 home. "She reached out to the elderly poor and took care of them in her own home." It was in 1839 when Blessed Jeanne, 47, took in her first resident, Anne Chauvin, a blind and ill widow. She gave Chauvin her own bed and went to sleep in the attic. Soon Blessed Jeanne and two companions were attending to several other women who could not care for themselves. Today, the Sisters - 2,700 worldwide - look after more than 13,000 people aged 65 or older at homes in 32 countries, including Perth and Kalgoorlie here in WA. Their residences emulate their founder's ministry and her spirituality. The Sisters rely on the generosity of others in the same way Blessed Jeanne went door to door with a "begging basket" to support her home. As she sat in the cafe of the Washington home, Sr Diane reflected on how Blessed Jeanne saw the elderly. "She believed that old age is a stage of life deserving of respect and love:' The bright and charming cafe is a gathering place for celebrations, singalongs, impromptu card games and even a frozen daiquiri happy hour every now and then. "Loneliness is one of the biggest poverties for the elderly," Sr Diane said. "But here, there is much love:' And there's also serious work. The Sisters provide for 100 residents, providing professional nursing care for the very ill, planned activities and full service dining for those less active, and meals and aid to those in assistedliving apartments. Spiritual care, including daily Mass, is an integral part of the home's routine. Paid staff plus volunteers help with the day-to-day workload. "An important part of our ministry is to accompany those who are dying:' Sr Diane said.
Residents and staff sing "Happy Birthday" to Maria Ruhland following lunch at the Little Sisters of the Poor Jeanne Jugan Residence in Washington on September 22. Pope Benedict XVI will proclaim the Little Sisters' founder Blessed Jeanne a saint in a ceremony at the Vatican on October 11. PHOTO. CNS/NANCY WIECHEC
When a resident is near death, a Sister is always with that person, holding his or her hand, talking and praying. "We make a point of being there with them, maki4 them as comfortable as we can,' she said. There are many challenges in working with the aged. But Blessed Jeanne gave her Sisters this advice: "Never forget that the poor are Our Lord. In caring for the poor, say to yourself: 'This is for my Jesus." Srs Diane and Nathan will be part of the Little Sisters of the Poor delegation on hand for the canonisation. Neither has been to Rome. When asked if they would be staying at the Vatican, Sister Diane let out a little chuckle and said, "Oh, no. We're staying at a campground:' - CNS
Little Sisters of the Poor MISSION Welcoming the needy elderly into homes, forming a family with them, enabling them to enjoy life and caring for them with love and respect until the moment God calls them home. SISTERS 2,700 HOMES 202 LOCATIONS 32 countries CARING FOR 13,232 people LAY MEMBERS 2,065 ESTABLISHED 1842 FOUNDRESS Jeanne Jugan VOWS Chastity, poverty, obedience and hospitality
Snurre www tittlesistercofthemororq 02009 CNS
October 7 2009, The Record
Page 11
- THE WORLD
Pope urges Africa to be free Benedict says African Church must oppose the 'toxic waste' of materialism
Benedict XVI is pleased with greater debate on ethics in the economy following on from his encyclical
BY CINDY WOODEN Catholic News Service A fricans must tap into the strengths of their cultural and religious values to promote reconciliation on the continent and resist the "spiritual toxic waste" spread by the West, Pope Benedict XVI said. Presiding on October 4 over the opening Mass for the special Synod of Bishops for Africa, Pope Benedict said the vocation of the Catholic Church on the continent is to work for peace and to promote the holiness that will lead to justice, strong families and care for the weakest members of A frican societies. Although there was a sprinkling of the languages spoken most in Africa, the major part of the Mass in St Peter's Basilica was in Latin or Italian, including the Pope's homily. The Mass booklets used by the congregation and concelebrants were illustrated with sacred art from Congo, Togo, Burundi and Ethiopia. Accompanied by guitars and drums, a choir from Congo sang traditional African hymns while the Sistine Choir and an Italian choir led the singing in Latin. The theme of the October 4-25 Synod is "The Church in Africa at the Service of Reconciliation, Justice and Peace." Reciting the Angelus prayer after Mass, Pope Benedict said that, while a synod involves a lot of speeches and work in small groups to draft proposals, it is not a study meeting, but a special time dedicated to listening to the Holy Spirit and to discerning what God wants the Church to do. The Pope said, "Africa is a continent with an extraordinary human richness" provided by almost one billion inhabitants and the highest birthrate in the world. "Africa is a fruitful land for human life, but this life is unfortunately marked by much poverty and still is suffering from serious injustices. "The Church is committed to overcoming them with the force of the Gospel and with concrete solidarity," he said. Pope Benedict offered special prayers for Guinea less than a week after the country's military
Catholic News Service
Choir members from Africa sing after Pope Benedict XVI celebrated the opening Mass of the Synod of Bishops for PHOTO. CNS/PAUL HARING Africa in St Peter's Basilica at the Vatican on October 4.
junta killed dozens of opposition members; the government said 56 protesters were killed, while the United Nations said more than 150 were dead. At the end of the Angelus, the Pope prayed that the Synod for Africa would "help turn the eyes of the world to that great continent and inspire renewed solidarity with our African brothers and sisters." In his homily during the Mass, Pope Benedict said Africa's spiritual and cultural values, which recognise God as creator and the value of life over possessions, are resources that can benefit all humanity. But those values are being attacked, "first of all by an illness that is already widespread in the West, that is, practical materialism" combined with moral relativism, he said. "Without entering into the merit of the origins of such sicknesses of the spirit, there is absolutely no doubt that the so-called 'First' World has exported ... and continues to export its spiritual toxic waste," contaminating the people of Africa, Pope Benedict said. The Pope said the "second virus" that threatens Africa is religious fundamentalism, par-
ticularly when religion is used to promote political or economic interests. Some religious groups, he said, are "teaching and practising, not love and respect for freedom, but intolerance and violence." Focusing on the Sunday Mass readings, especially the Gospel about marriage being part of God's plan for creation, Pope Benedict said the permanence of marriage between one man and one woman is not primarily a moral precept, but a result of how God designed human beings. The Pope did not specifically mention the practice of polygamy and other forms of relationships the Church considers irregular, but he urged Catholics in Africa to find ways to deepen people's Faith and their understanding of what God wants for humanity, which, he said, would lead to stronger families built on matrimony. Pope Benedict also emphasised the Gospel affirmation that children generally have an easier time recognising the authority of God. The Gospel reading, he said, invites the Synod to give special attention to the children of Africa and to the fact that they are "a large and, unfortunately, suffering part of the African population." "Like the Lord Jesus Christ, the
Church does not view them primarily as the recipients of assistance, nor of pity and exploitation, but as full people in their own right," he said. Pope Benedict noted the "great dynamism" of the Catholic Church in Africa which, according to Vatican statistics, has grown from 55 million members in 1978 to almost 165 million by the end of 2007. The Synod, he said, is an occasion to thank the Lord for the growth of the Church and to "rethink pastoral activity and renew the impulse of evangelisation" so that every Catholic will contribute to reconciliation, justice and solidarity. "The vocation of the Church - the community of persons reconciled with God and with each other - is that of being the prophecy and leaven of reconciliation among the various ethnic, linguistic and even religious groups within each individual nation and throughout the continent," he said. Ethiopian Orthodox Patriarch Abuna Paulos and representatives of the Greek Orthodox, Coptic Orthodox, Anglican, Lutheran and Methodist Churches participating in the Synod attended the Mass.
'Muslims seeking Baptism can risk life' German Bishops booklet sets guidelines for Muslims who convert BY JONATHAN LUXMOORE Catholic News Service OXFORD, England (CNS) A new booklet by the German Catholic Bishops' Conference defends the religious freedom of Muslims and sets guidelines for Muslims wishing to convert to the Catholic faith. Christ Proclaimed With Love: Caring for Baptism Candidates From a Muslim Background, was drawn up by a commission of
Economy and ethics go together - it's obvious
the Bonn-based German Bishops' Conference. In the 71 page booklet, which includes documents and a bibliography on conversion, the Bishops said it could be dangerous to convert to Christianity from Islam, because the Koran, the sacred book of Islam, and Shariah, or Islamic law, impose a death sentence for apostasy. The booklet said Muslims making a decision to convert often "put their life at risk even in Germany." It added that the wish to change religious faiths should be genuinely motivated and not "linked to social or material advantages." It also said priests preparing Muslims for Baptism should emphasise the esteem accorded
Islam by the Catholic Church and point out how "their previous religious life can enrich their new faith." "Any such decision expresses a free choice in conscience which must be respected," states the booklet. People charged with their pastoral care should adopt a sensible approach to Muslim catechumens and provide them with adequate preparation. Guiding such persons on the path to Baptism presents a particular challenge." Jesuit Fr Hans Langendorfer, Secretary of the German Bishops' Conference, said: "Mutual dialogue demands we accept differences and contradictions and respect free personal decisions. This also applies to Muslims who
would like to become Christians through the Sacrament of Baptism." In a telephone interview with Catholic News Service, he said about 150 Muslims - representing 5 percent of adult baptisms - were baptised annually in Germany's 27 Catholic dioceses. "We live in a country which respects religious freedom, and where dialogue is thus relatively simple. "But there are other countries where that isn't the case," Fr Langendorfer said. "This is why we are making an offer in this latest document for Muslims here in Germany, althoughIcan't as yet say whether this will be a model for other parts of the world."
(CNS) - Pope Benedict XVI said he is pleased that his recent encyclical has prompted increased debate over the role of the profit motive in world economies. During a two hour flight on September 26 from Rome's Ciampino airport to the Czech Republic, the Pope answered questions on subjects journalists had submitted to the Vatican press office a few days before the flight. One of the questions, read by the Vatican spokesman, Jesuit Fr Federico Lombardi, sought the Pope's reaction to the large amount of media attention given to his recent encyclical, Caritas in Veritate (Charity in Truth). "I am very happy with this great discussion and "the debate under way seems encouraging," he said. "That was exactly my aim: to initiate and motivate a discussion about these problems, to not let things be as they are, but to find new models of a responsible economy both in individual countries and for the whole of humanity," he said. It seems glaringly evident today, he said, that ethics should not be excluded from the economy. He said economic systems "do not work if they do not take into account the human values of solidarity and mutual responsibility." Integrating an ethical framework into an economic system is the challenge today, and he said he hoped his encyclical in some way helped. He said the Church will continue to make its voice heard so that people's moral "sense of responsibility may be stronger than their desire for profit and that their sense of responsibility toward others may be stronger than selfishness." The Pope was also asked how his wrist injury was healing and whether he was able to get much work done on his second volume of a book on Jesus of Nazareth. Pope Benedict said his right wrist has still not fully recovered from being broken on July 1Z after he fell, but that it has healed enough so that he can write again. "You can see my right hand does work and I can do the essentials. I can eat and, above all, I can write." He told reporters aboard his Alitalia charter jet that the five weeks his hand was in a cast and the subsequent days of recovery were very difficult for him. "My thoughts mostly develop through writing, so for me it was truly a test of patience to not be able to write for six weeks," he said. "All in all, I was able to work, read, do other things and I did make a little progress on the book, but there is still a lot to do," including the bibliography, he said. But, he said, God willing, the book "could be finished by the spring. But this is a hope." The book is expected to Lo‘ ci Christ's childhood, passion, death and resurrection. The first volume, the best-selling Jesus of Nazareth, was published in 2007.
•
Page 12
la
PERSPECTIVES
Swapping a false religion for the Faith of nonna
Should funeral have been denied? Catholic Funeral for Senator Kennedy? Recently there was considerable controversy over whether the Church should have celebrated a Catholic funeral for Senator Edward Kennedy, some of whose views and whose voting record on life issues were not consistent with the teachings of the Church. What is the Church's teaching on such funerals?
By Fr John Flader
Daniel Reed I have always been brought up to believe Catholicism is the one true Christian Faith. Although I never received the Sacraments growing up I was baptised early on. It was like if you weren't baptised by a certain time nonna would give you a smack over the wrist! It was just expected. I think my family thinks of Faith as a kind of insurance. My nonna and pop were a strong influence on me and my beliefs. They have both passed away but I still feel that I can connect with them because they are alive. Part of my Faith is communicating with them. There is still that closeness and I feel like they are watching over me and my family. A lthough I attended a Catholic high school I didn't learn much about the Faith while I was there. I was trying to hold up an elite career in competitive sport at the time. I did want to participate but felt I couldn't do it fully, especially when it came to the Eucharistic part. I wanted to receive the Sacraments but for some reason it didn't eventuate. Sport became like a religion to me. I was interested in sport psychology and improving myself to be the best I could be. I used to do this daily affirmation through a website that embodied a lot of the Catholic ethos like treating others with respect and making the most of your abilities. Michael Anthony is a golfing expert. In an email, I told him that I was struggling with being humble. I asked him how to be confident without being arrogant about my athleticism. He said the arrogant person doesn't see God working in his life and thinks that everything he's achieved is because of himself. The humble person thanks God and acknowledges His presence.Iknew that I didn't know God and perhaps I should get to know Him more because that's what it takes to be humble. I wasn't expecting that and it was quite profound for me. My life changed whenIchose to become Catholic. When I was still making the decision I got sweaty palms about it and was really frightened. There were definitely butterflies going on. A lot of converts have that experience before they can go about attending Mass regularly and deepening their Faith. Something inside me said "Yes" to the Lord. I have to be grateful that my parents support me in my involvement with my parish even though they don't understand it. They might not go to Mass regularly but they don't stop me doing what I want to do like reading at Mass, being a special minister, attending the parish council and being our youth group representative. Following a call to "serve" always provides me with the most rewarding experiences. We are God's chosen people. No matter what we do we can always come back to Him. When you're privileged to read the truths like the Theology of the Body text or listen to what Pope Benedict XVI and previous Popes have said over time, you just fall in love with the Faith. It is life giving. Being Catholic is the most beautiful and freeing thing you can do.
Howl Pray Now
If you have a story to tell please contact Debbie via debwarrier@hotmail.com
October 7 2009, The Record
When a Catholic dies, in principle they are entitled to a Catholic funeral, although there are circumstances in which the funeral must be denied. Canon 1184 of the Code of Canon Law specifies in paragraph I: "Church funeral rites are to be denied to the following, unless they give some signs of repentance before death: 1. notorious apostates, heretics and schismatics; 2. those who for anti-Christian motives chose that their bodies be cremated; 3. other manifest sinners to whom a Church funeral could not be granted without public scandal to the faithful." Paragraph 2 of the Canon adds: "If any doubt occurs, the local Ordinary is to be consulted and his judgement followed." In the case of Senator Kennedy, the Archbishop of Boston, Cardinal O'Malley, conducted the funeral Mass
and the retired Cardinal Archbishop of Washington presided over the burial in the Arlington Cemetery. What would have been their reasoning? They must have considered that while the Senator certainly expressed views contrary to those of the Church, he could not be considered a "notorious heretic". Heresy is defined as "the obstinate denial or doubt, after baptism, of a truth which must be believed by divine and Catholic faith" (Can 751) and is punishable by excommunication (cf Can 1364 41). In any case, no Bishop had declared the Senator excommunicated for heresy. Nor did they consider him a "manifest sinner" to whom a Church funeral could not be granted without public scandal to the faithful. While critics considered that offering a Church funeral was indeed a public scandal, it was up to the Bishops concerned to make a prudential judgement in the circumstances, and they opted to celebrate the funeral and burial. They may have been privy to more information than others regarding the matter. It should be remembered too that the persons mentioned in paragraph 1 of the Canon are to be denied a Church funeral "unless they gave some signs of repentance before death." Although he made no public retraction, Senator Kennedy was visited by a priest and received the last rites of the Church before he died. He had also written a letter to the Holy Father, saying in part: "I know that I have been an imperfect human being, but with the help of my Faith I have tried to right my past. I've always tried to be a faithful Catholic, your Holiness. And though I have fallen short through human failings I've never failed to believe and respect the fundamental teachings of my Faith:' Pope Benedict replied, concluding: "Commending you and the members
of your family to the loving intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Holy Father cordially imparts his Apostolic Blessing as a pledge of wisdom, comfort and strength in the Lord." In view of all these circumstances, Cardinal O'Malley decided to conduct the funeral. Whether that was the right choice is a matter of opinion. He later defended his decision in a blog: "We will stop the practice of abortion by changing the law, and we will be successful in changing the law if we change people's hearts. We will not change hearts by turning away from people in their time of need and when they are experiencing grief and loss." All in all, this is a very sensitive and difficult pastoral matter. Everyone can have their own view, but they should respect the views of others in a spirit of Christian charity.
Open our hearts through prayer Body
f!"A,
Language 8 Christo her West
Commentary on the Intersection of Faith, Sex, & Culture: Spousal Prayer Part II In my last column,I told you about Mother Tessa Bielecki's marvellous tape series called Passion for God an introduction to "spousal prayer" in the tradition of St Teresa of Avila. Spousal prayer invites us to enter more deeply into union with Christ the Bridegroom as a member of the Church, his bride. But for this to become a lived experience, we must learn how to let go of all of our "God substitutes" and open our deepest desires for love to the One who alone can fulfill them. The Greeks called that deep yearning for love eros. As Pope Benedict wrote, "Eros tends to rise 'in ecstasy' towards the Divine . . .; yet for this very reason it calls for a path of ascent, renunciation, purification and healing. Concretely, what does this path of ascent and purification entail? . . . Here we can find a first, important indication in the Song of Songs, an Old Testament book well known to the mystics" (Deus Caritas Est 5, 6). The great mystics of the Church love the Song of Songs because it speaks of an experience that's near and dear to
them the experience of eros lived as "prayer." For prayer, as Pope Benedict put it, "is nothing other than becoming a longing for God" (Mary: The Church at the Source, p. 15). When eros is lived as a longing for God, we have "spousal prayer." In laying out his great pastoral "program" for the new millennium, Pope John Paul II stressed the importance of such deep, intimate prayer: "Yes, dear brothers and sisters, our Christian communities must become genuine 'schools' of prayer where the meeting with Christ is expressed . . . [in] ardent devotion until the heart truly 'falls in love."' Indeed, we "have a duty," John Paul said, "to show to what depths the relationship with Christ can lead." And to show these depths, he turned to mystics: "The great mystical tradition of the Church ... shows how prayer can progress, as a genuine dialogue of love, to the point of rendering the person wholly possessed by the divine Beloved; As an aside, I'd bet that the word "possessed" reminds you of demonic possession. But possession by evil spirits is simply a diabolic mockery of what we are all called to: possession by the Holy Spirit, which means "vibrating at the Spirit's touch," as John Paul wrote. Learning how to surrender to the divine in this way means learning how to enter into "spousal prayer:' This is "a journey totally sustained by grace," John Paul insisted. At the same time it "demands an intense spiritual commitment and is no stranger to painful purifications (the 'dark night'). But it leads, in various possible ways, to the ineffable joy experienced by the mystics as 'nuptial union: How can we forget here, among the many shining
examples, the teachings of St John of the Cross and St Teresa of Avila?" (Novo Millenio Ineunte 33). Such deep, intimate prayer is not only reserved for those in a convent or a monastery. It "would be wrong; John Paul said, "to think that ordinary Christians can be content with a shallow prayer that is unable to fill their whole life In fact, when we fail to enter into the depths of prayer, we are "not only mediocre Christians but 'Christians at risk' . . . [of] succumbing to the allure of 'substitutes" (Novo Millenio Ineunte 34). Mother Tessa observes that one of the biggest "substitutes" on the market for intimacy with God is sex. Sex is meant to be an icon - an earthly sign that points us to the heavenly reality of union with God. But we so often treat it as an idol. That is, we go to sex as if it were our ultimate fulfillment, as if it were God. Don't we see this kind of idolatry everywhere in our media culture? The way out of this trap for all of us - whether single, married or consecrated celibate - is precisely the intimacy of spousal prayer. If we lived spousal prayer to its depths, Mother Tessa observes, consecrated celibates would have their longings for love beautifully fulfilled in God rather than being prone to sexual frustration and bitterness; single people would be freed from a terribly destructive promiscuity; and married people would stop expecting their spouse to be God. We have two choices as a culture, Mother Tessa believes: mysticism or neurosis; sublimation of erotic desire or sexual chaos; spousal prayer or social upheaval. In the end, she's absolutely right. Oh, Lord, teach us to pray!
October 7 2009, The Record
PERSPECTIVES
Love in face of annihilation Being Heard By John Heard Addressing a bipartisan fundraiser for the John F Kennedy Presidential Library, Ronald Reagan, in his inimitable manner, spoke eloquently about the mystery and promise of culture: "And sometimes I want to say to those who are still in school, and who sometimes think that history is a dry thing that lives in a book, that nothing is ever lost in that house. Some music plays on". It was the summer of 1985. In the United States and Australia, as in Western Europe, a peculiar cultural nihilism held sway. Since the 1960s, indeed, and confronted with the threat of nuclear war, much of the English-speaking world, and parts of French, Italian, and German culture, had been infiltrated by, and converted to, the notion of "live today". The bleak corollary was, of course, "because everything might be obliterated tomorrow. Civilisation, culture, history itself - these things were attenuated by the geopolitical horrors of the Cold War. For the first time in human history, vast numbers of people came to believe in annihilation. They became slaves to nihilism. It played on their minds. It influenced their music. It degraded their visual art, and distorted most of the other forms of human expression. Even the centuries-old rules, the hard-earned lessons in sacrality and silence that had helped Catholics to faithfully offer the holy sacrifice of the Mass, even these were thrown out in some places. At the same time, huge numbers lost interest in virtue. Why bother cultivating the good life if the bomb might interrupt your efforts? Why persevere in one's
search for the truth? Who can say that any one thing is beautiful when all things are covered with the shadow of death? Modernity reigned, and desire became a gender-neutral tyrant. Man's best efforts were useless, the dominant cultural narrative held. All one could do was celebrate now, because tomorrow is uncertain, and likely hellish. For the first time, human endeavour was everywhere marked with the sign of despair. It was in that context that Reagan spoke about the value of history, and about the power of culture. His words, audacious if not a bit naive-sounding, opened up a new space in the minds of his listeners. Certainly, they touched the hearts of the Kennedy family. As Peggy Noonan, who worked on the speech, has observed, that clan marked by its own personal hell, a mirror of, and participation in the era that it helped to shape - took great solace from Reagan's speech. The family knew, at last, something of the peace and tranquility that is the promise of enduring culture. The composer hidden away in some dump, working hard on an unfashionable masterpiece; the artist who paints for the ages, rather than churning out whatever he cynically thinks will sell; the doctor who takes the best of his craft and weaves it with his practical experience, a consummate professional who still offers loving, cheerful service to the patients he sees: I think of these models when contemplating the enduring power of culture. Such as these, serve the ideal. With Reagan, I cannot think they go unrewarded. In the context of the Church, too, we receive an insight into what happens to the best of human striving. We come to understand how it might be transformed, and said to be truly deathless. Catholics learn, indeed, how Faith is the cure for nihilism. Certainly, in this context, the accu-
By Guy Crouchback
To ridicule "Creationism" is not difficult. It is, in fact, about as easy as killing goldfish by sticking the barrels of a 12-gauge shotgun into a goldfish bowl and pulling the triggers. Mostly, their refusal to use common sense puts literalist Creationists in the same area as 9/11 "Truthers" or those who believe that hundreds of thousands of engineers, scientists and others are party to maintaining a hoax about the Moon landings, though some of them are not paranoid as such but simply the very unfortunate products of a bad or simplistic education. In a glutinously admiring review of professional atheist Richard Dawkins' latest book, The Greatest Show on Earth, the Evidence for Evolution, in the British Daily Telegraph (not long ago a considerably better paper than it is now), we are told: "Richard Dawkins' new book (which he describes as his 'missing link; presenting as it does the complete Darwinian case rather than - as in his earlier works - exploring parts in detail) gives the factrejecters their just deserts. He sets out to polish off their flummery. Dawkins compares creationists to Holocaust deniers and spoons, with relish, an acid sauce of mockery onto that absurd confection of half-baked ideas." Yet one detects in Professor Dawkins' writings a certain selectivity: he is ready
THERE IS GOD How the world's most notorious atheist c hanged his mind
•k \ TONY FLEN‘, enough to take on those who believe that the Garden of Eden literally contained a walking, talking snake, for example, or that the Earth is about 6,000 years old. For a few moments one wonders why he bothers. Then the answer becomes obvious: easy targets. However, when it comes to the theology of Aquinas or Augustine, or any other sophisticated theologian, or even of a Catholic scientist like Max Planck, discoverer of the quantum theory, discretion, or rather avoidance, appears to become very much the better part of valour. There seems a notable reluctance in Mr Dawkins' books to mention their work, and indeed little evidence that he has read it. When ridiculing literalist Creationists who hold the Earth is only about 6,000 years old, he seems strangely reluctant to mention that fact that evidence for the
Finding the key to true meaning in the Eucharist S acramen of charity priest! Fr Erasto Fernandez SSS
mulated graces of the ages, sustained and vivified by the Holy Spirit, work to make the Church the model par excellence of enduring value. She keeps what we might call the culture of heaven, and she models the rule by which man can set his strivings. The Church is also the measure of his success. It was the feast of St Jerome the other day, for instance. His life straddled the 4th and 5th Centuries AD, and his memory would have been lost except that he set himself a task, a job, indeed, for the ages. St Jerome translated the Bible into Latin. His "Vulgate" has, without interruption, been in constant use ever since. Nothing is ever lost in the Church. Some music, the best of our efforts for truth, all our hopes for goodness and our strivings after beauty, these are gathered up into the one, universal culture and saved. What is more, because of the cosmic dimension peculiar to the Christian context, the Church presents the best of us as the glory of God. She offers it back to Him for His eternal praise. Our individual efforts, our otherwise selfish preening, these are transformed into a great hymn of love. In the Mass, heaven on earth comes down. Nothing is ever lost in that house. No. Some music plays on. John Heard is an Australian writer.
Dawkins points out the obvious 110111101111 In clear view
Page 13
Big Bang, showing the Universe was created probably more than 13 billion years ago, was discovered by a Catholic Priest, Fr Georges Lemaitre (who was, however, anxious that it not be used as empirical evidence for the existence of a Creator God, which he, like other conventional theologians, held could not be proved by empirical means), or that the science of geology originated with a medieval Doctor of the Church, Albert the Great. Professor Dawkins' own previous specialty, genetics, was originally discovered as a science by an Abbott, Gregor Mendel in the 19th Century, though such early applications of genetics as cattle, horse and wheat breeding can be traced back without difficulty to medieval monasteries. As for evolution, at the very beginning of the 20th Century, G K Chesterton said it posed no threat to Christian belief: God transcended time and therefore it was simply meaningless to argue over whether or not the Creation came into being, from the Divine point of view, over days or over billions of years. It made about as much sense as asking: "Why is the colour yellow 24 hours wide and in the shape of a square triangle?" Nor do we find Dawkins exactly ... er ... dwelling on the work of Professor Anthony Flew, the leading British philosopher who, after a lifetime career as a standard-bearer for Atheism, published There is a God: How the World's Most Notorious Atheist Changed His Mind. Indeed, much of Dawkins' arguments seem predicated on a syllogism something like this: "Some Amazonian tribes are religious and worship tree spirits. Vatican Cardinals and astonomers are religious. Therefore, Vatican Cardinals and astronomers worship tree spirits:'
We continue with our reflections on the second section of the Eucharist, taking up from the previous article At the Last Supper Jesus did two sets of actions - one using bread and the other with the cup, but with the same meaning for both. This duplication represents the Semitic way of emphasis. We today underline, use capitals, different coloured ink and so on, but Semites emphasise by repeating what is said or done. Jesus wanted his disciples to take special note of what he did during the Last Supper: It was a farewell meal in which he handed over to them his 'last will' and 'testament: We recall that every action has two aspects: an external form and its internal meaning. Now, the right inner meaning must be joined to the proper outer action, else we would be referring to a different action altogether. In every culture, the kiss is a gesture of goodwill, love, friendship. But when Judas came forward and kissed Jesus, he was rather giving his associates .a sign concerning who was to be arrested - no love and friendship here at all. We also recall what was said earlier that to do the Memorial means to 'make present again' the original action of Jesus. At the Last Supper Jesus did some actions with bread and then commanded his disciples to 'do this as a memorial of me: So, gathering as one body united in faith and love, the disciples were to make present again the very same actions of Jesus! Restricting ourselves only to the action with the bread, we see that what Jesus did was: he TOOK the bread, SAID the blessing, BROKE the bread, and GAVE it to his disciples saying: Take and eat; this is my body which is given for you: four specific actions which he asked us to make present, and so at Eucharist we do just that as indicated in tabular form below. Jesus: at Last Supper We: at Eucharist Took the Bread Present ourselves through gifts: bread... Said the Blessing Eucharistic prayer of praise and thanks Broke the bread Fraction rite: breaking of bread Gave it ... body given for you Communion rite: eating, drinking These four actions form the basic 'content' of every Eucharist. If we leave out the Liturgy of the Word and the Dismissal Rite, the very heart of the Eucharist is simply these four actions of Jesus which we make present again. Now it would appear to most that by merely being present at each Eucharist, we would 'participate' in making these four actions of Jesus present. And yet, if we do not put the right 'meaning' into these actions, there is no 'memorial' because then our actions become totally different - although externally similar to those of Jesus. What is the meaning that we usually give to these gestures at our Eucharist? We need to hawsome meaning in mind, otherwise our action, would not even be human, but purely mechanical! We reflect on this question and shall take up the answer in the following issue as it is of paramount importance. Without this meaning, all we have is the outer, empty shell with no content or substance - like having a lock without the key to open it! We certainly do have 'some' meaning for our actions, but if this is not what Jesus himself had when He did the four actions, then there is no Memorial of Jesus. It is not surprising, therefore, that our Eucharist has so little power to change our lives: we have the wrong key!
Page 14
PANORAMA
October 7 2009, The Record
A roundup of events in the Archdiocese
Panorama entries must be in by 12pm Monday. Contributions may be emailed to administration@therecord.com.au, faxed to 9227 7087, or mailed to PO Box 75, Leederville WA 6902. Submissions over 55 words will be edited. Inclusion is limited to 4 weeks. Events charging over $10 will be put into classifieds and charged accordingly. The Record reserves the right to decline or modify any advertisement. Thursday October 8 ST PEREGRINE HEALING MASS 7pm at SS John and Paul Church, Pinetree Gully Road, Willetton. A Healing Mass in honour of St Peregrine, Patron of Cancer sufferers and helper of all in need. The celebration will include Veneration of the Relic, and Anointing of the Sick. Eng: Noreen 9498 7727. Thursday October 8 KELMSCOTT MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT GROUP 12 noon at Good Shepherd Parish Hall, 42 Streich Avenue, Kelmscott. Everyone welcome. Eng: Clive 9495 1919 or Barbara 9328 8113. Friday October 9 to Saturday October 10 RETREAT 7.30 to 9pm, October 9 and 10 from 9am to Sprn at L J Goody Bioethics Hall, 39 Jugan Street, Glendalough. Mass, followed by talks with Fr Paul Glynn, an outstanding retreat master and writer. Fr Paul's books are on sale. All proceeds go to HIV children in India. BYO lunch. Eng: Bessie 0433 795 539, Annie 0422 083 716. Saturday October 10 ST PADRE PIO DAY OF PRAYER 8.30am at All Saints Chapel, Allendale Square, Perth. St Padre Pio DVD followed by 10am Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, Rosary, Divine Mercy, Silent Adoration and Benediction. 1 lam Holy Mass, celebrant Fr Tiziano Bogoni, St Padre Pio Liturgy. Confessions available. BYO lunch to share. Tea and coffee provided. Eng: ,Des 6278 1540. Sunday October 11 THE WORLD APOSTOLATE OF FATIMA AUSTRALIA 3pm at St Thomas More Church, Dean and Marsengo Roads. Bateman. Eng: 9339 2614.
Saturday October 17 SEMINAR ON CATHOLIC SOCIAL TEACHING 2pm to 4pm at the Catholic Pastoral Centre, 40A Mary Street, Highgate. Presenter Ms Sandie Cornish, Loyola Institute Sydney. Catholic social teaching is the basis of a committed Catholic life. This seminar provides a range of skills and resources to address social justice issues. Cost $5, unwaged gold coin. RSVP: 16 October to Miriam 9422 7900. Saturday October 17 to Sunday October 18 GROUP 50 CHARISMATIC PRAYER GROUP R ETREAT 2009 10am at the Redemptorist Retreat House, North Puth. Booking Mena 9279 1824. Sunday October 18 TAIZE PRAYER SERVICE 7 to 8pm at Sisters of St Joseph Chapel, 16 York Street, South Perth. Special prayer service for victims and survivors of the Pacific and South East Asian countries disasters. Come and join in the prayer around the Cross, lighting candles, chanting the songs from Taize, time for intercessory and silent prayer. Everyone welcome. Chapel opens at 6.30pm. Eng: Sr Maree Riddler 0414 683 926. Sunday October 18 WOMEN AND THE AUSTRALIAN CHURCH 1 to 4pm at Catholic Pastoral Centre, 40A Mary Street, Highgate. Presenter Ms Sandie Cornish, Loyola Institute Sydney. It is ten years since the release of the report Woman and Man; One in Christ Jesus. Join us to celebrate and assess the implications of the report. Cost $5, unwaged gold coin. RSVP: 16 October to Miriam, 9422 7900.
Sunday October 11 A FUNDRAISING CONCERT 2pm at Infant Jesus Parish Hall, 47 Wellington Road, Morley. Concert to be held in the presence of His Grace Archbishop Hickey featuring local talent, The Julian Singers, and instrumentalists. Tickets $10, door sales or bookings. All money raised being directed to the Archbishop to provide assistance to the homeless. Eng: Mary 9443 3963.
Friday October 16 HEALING MASS FOR CANCER SUFFERERS 7pm at St Denis' Church, Joondanna. Reconciliation followed at 7.30pm by Mass. You are invited to a Healing Mass with the Sacrament of Anointing and Veneration of the Relic of St Peregrine, Servite Friar and Patron Saint of those suffering from cancer. Eng: Fr Michael, Lumen Christi Centre, 0417 956 573. Saturday October 17 REUNION FOR LA SALLE COLLEGE Class of 1974/76 Eng: Sue Wester (Sweeney) sue.wester@iinet.net.au or 0407 985 935 or Liz Bradley (Butcher) Ibradley@iinet. net.au.
Wednesday October 21 LESMURDIE MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT GROUP SPECIAL MEETING 7.30 to 9pm at Our Lady of Lourdes Church Hall, 207 Lesmurdie Road, Lesmurdie. Guest speakers Fr Kevin and Mrs Rula Cummins will talk on the role of a Chaplain in a hospital with in-patients who have mental health issues. Come along and learn all about this very special ministry. Eng: Barbara on 9328 8113. Saturday October 24 IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY PRAYER GROUP 3pm at 55 John and Paul Church, Pinetree Gully Road, Willetton. All are invited to the 13th Anniversary Celebration with Procession of Our Lady, Rosary and Benediction celebrated by Rev Elver Delicano. Eng: Anna 0412 545 292 or Linda 9364 6195 or 0402 421 526. Friday October 30 MEDJUGORJE EVENING OF PRAYER 7pm at St Pius X Parish, 23 Paterson Street, Manning. Prayer in thanksgiving for Our Blessed Mother's reported apparitions in Medjugorje commemorated with Adoration, Rosary, Benediction followed by Holy Mass by Fr Bogoni. Concluding at approximately 9pm. All welcome. Eng: 9402 2480. Sunday November 1 DIVINE MERCY 1.30pm at St Joachim Church, Shepperton Road and Harper Street, Victoria Park. Holy Rosary and Reconciliation followed with Sermon on All Saints by Fr Joseph Asnaban. Later Divine Mercy prayers and Benediction, refreshments will follow in the parish hall. Eng: John 9457 7771 or Linda 9275 6608. Saturday October 31 CELEBRATION MASS - CANONISATION OF JEANNE JUGAN 2pm at Infant Jesus Church, Morley. Little Sisters of the Poor Foundress, Jeanne Jugan, will be canonised to sainthood on 11 October in Rome. Celebrant Archbishop Hickey.
Wednesday October 14 CHAPLETS OF THE DIVINE MERCY 7.30pm at St Thomas More Catholic Church, Dean Road, Bateman. A beautiful, prayerful, sung devotion. All are welcome. Eng: George 9310 9493 home or 9325 2010 work. Thursday October 15 MOTHERS' PRAYER MASS 10am at Our Lady Queen of Apostles Catholic Church, Tribute Street, Riverton. This is a wonderful opportunity for all mothers, fathers, grandfathers and grandmothers for God to hear and act upon the hearts and minds of parents and grandparents joining together as one here on earth. BYO plate, tea and coffee provided.
Wednesday October 21 TAIZE MEDITATION PRAYER 7.30 to 8.30pm at St Thomas More Catholic Church, Bateman. All are welcome to spend an hour in group prayer and relax after a busy workday in a candlelight atmosphere of prayer, song and meditation. Eng: Daisy 9310 4781.
Sunday October 18 ANNUAL MASS AND AGM CATHOLIC DOCTORS' ASSOCIATION OF WA 10am at Mercy Hospital Chapel, Thirlmere Road, Mt Lawley. Mass will be celebrated by Rev Mgr Kevin Long PhD. All health care workers and families are welcome. Parking marked C and K. AGM to be held during brunch from 11.15am to 12.30pm in the Mercy Conference Centre. RSVP: 9 October to Suzanne 9242 4066. Sunday October 18 DOMINICAN LAITY OF OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY PARISH 2pm at St Catherine's Convent, 31 Williamtown Road, Doubleview. Visitors are welcome. Eng: Jeff 9446 3655. Tuesday October 20 FAITH ENRICHMENT SERIES 7.30 to 9pm at St Benedict Parish Centre, 115 Ardross Street, Ardross. Norma Woodcock will give a talk on Peace at any cost and discuss why many do not experience peace, what may affect our notions of peace and strategies of gaining and maintaining our peace. Tea and coffee provided later. Eng: Orlando 0419 929 896.
Temple David Congregation Inc. All welcome. Eng: ccjwa@aol.com. First Friday of the Month COMMUNION OF REPARATION ALL NIGHT VIGIL 7pm to lam at Corpus Christi Church, Lochee Street, Mosman Park. Mass, Rosary, Confession and Adoration with Father Bogoni and also books for sale. Eng: 0400 282 357. First Friday of the Month HOLY HOUR FOR VOCATIONS TO THE PRIESTHOOD A ND RELIGIOUS LIFE 7pm at the Little Sisters of the Poor Chapel, 2 Rawlins Street, Glendalough. Mass celebrated by Fr Saminedi followed by Adoration with Fr Don Kettle. All welcome. Third Sunday of the Month OBLATES OF ST BENEDICT 2pm at St Joseph's Convent, York Street, South Perth. Oblates affiliated with the Benedictine Abbey, New Norcia welcome all who are interested in studying the rule of St Benedict and its relevance to the everyday life of today for lay people. Vespers and tea conclude the meeting. Eng: Secretary 9457 5758. A RT EXHIBITION FOR COMPLETION OF ST MARY'S C ATHEDRAL Every weekend, after all Masses until October 18 at Holy Spirit Church, 2 Kearney Place, City Beach. See weekend Mass times at www.holyspiritcitybeach.com. Saturday following the First Sunday of the Month DIVINE MERCY HEALING MASS 2.30 to 3.30pm at St Francis Xavier Church, Windsor Street, East Perth. Reconciliation available with Fr Marcellinus Meilak OFM. Refreshments will follow afterwards. Eng: John 9457 7771. AL-ANON/ALATEEN FAMILY GROUPS If your home is unhappy because someone drinks too much, we can help you. For understanding and support to families and friends of problem drinkers. Eng: 9325 7 528. SACRED HEART OF JESUS - PIONEERS Any Pioneers to the Sacred Heart of Jesus out there in society, we invite you if you would like to meet other members in prayer and reflection. Eng: 9457 7771.
Friday November 6 EUCHARISTIC HEALING MASS 7pm at St Peter's Church, 93 Wood Street, Inglewood. Praise and Worship, and Reconciliation followed by Healing Mass, celebrants Fr Roy Pereira and Fr Sam. Fellowship later.
STATUE OF MOTHER AND CHILD OR HOLY FAMILY If any parish or person has one extra to their needs, please ring Mrs Gay Morey 9091 8403 or Fr Joseph 9021 2100 or email stmarys@emerge.net.au.
Saturday November 7 DAY WITH MARY 9am to 5pm at St Bernadette Church, Grand Ocean Boulevarde and Strasbourg Ramble, Port Kennedy. Day of prayer and instruction based on the Fatima message. 9am Video, 10.10am Holy Mass, Reconciliation, Procession of the Blessed Sacrament, Eucharistic Adoration, Sermons on Eucharist and Our Lady, Rosaries and Stations of the Cross. BYO lunch. For transport, Nita 9367 1366. Eng: Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate 9250 8286.
Every Sunday PILGRIM MASS - SHRINE OF VIRGIN OF THE REVELATION 2pm at 36 Chittering Road, Bullsbrook. Commencing with Rosary followed by Benediction. Reconciliation in Italian and English is available before every celebration. On the second Sunday of the month anointing of the sick is administered during Mass. The side entrance to the church and the shrine is open daily between 9am and 5pm Eng: SACRI 9447 3292.
Friday November 6 to Sunday November 8 CREATION SPIRITUALITY RETREAT Friday November 6 to Thursday November 12 option also available. St John of God Retreat Centre, Shoalwater. Eng: Sr Shelley Barlow 9271 3873. Sunday November 8 THE COUNCIL OF CHRISTIANS AND JEWS WA INC 5.30 to 6.30pm at the Sylvia and Harry Hoffman Hall, Carmel School, Cresswell Road, Dianella. Will commemorate Kristallnacht with musk, drama and reflection. Guest speaker will be Rabbi Sheryl Nosan-Blank, of
Every 2nd Wednesday YEAR OF THE PRIEST HOLY HOUR 7 to 8pm at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, 2 Keaney Place, City Beach. Reflections on St John Vianney, Patron Saint of Priests. Light refreshments later in the Parish Centre. Every Sunday LATIN MASS 2pm at the Good Shepherd Parish, 40-42 Streich Avenue, Kelmscott, according to the 1962 missal, with Rosary preceding. All welcome.
October 7 2009, The Record
Page 15
CLASSIFIEDS
db.
Condoms don't work: Bishop
C LASSIFIEDS Deadline: 1 1am Monday ACCOMMODATION
COUNSELLING
HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION ESPERANCE 3 bedroom house f/furnished Phone 08 9076 5083. A CCOMMODATION AVAILABLE Separate living area, accommodate up to 4; south of river, 2 minutes to rail/bus, shops 5 min away; for particulars contact 9450 1392 or 0417 744224.
PSYCHOLOGY & PSYCHOTHERAPY www.peterwatt.com.au, Tel. 9203 5278
HEALTH LOSE WEIGHT STAY HEALTHY. Herbalife. Free support. 02 9807 5 337.
BOOKS REPAIR YOUR LITURGICAL BOOKS General book repairs. Leather restorations. New bindings. Tydewi Bindery (08) 9293 3092.
BUILDING TRADES Cardinal Peter Turkson of Cape Coast, Ghana
VATICAN CITY (CNS) - Condoms are not always effective in preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS in Africa, said Cardinal Peter Turkson of Cape Coast, Ghana. Abstinence, fidelity in marriage and universal access to antiretroviral drugs are the strategies the Church continues to promote in the fight against AIDS, he said. The Cardinal, who will turn 61 on October 11, made the comments during a Vatican press conference on October 5, presenting some of the issues to be discussed during the second special Synod of Bishops for Africa. Cardinal Turkson was asked about the AIDS epidemic in Africa and what position the Synod will take, specifically concerning the use of condoms in HIV prevention. He said when "people propose the use of condoms it becomes effective only in families where they are going to be faithful:' However, condoms give "people a false sense of security, which rather facilitates the spread of HIV/AIDS," he said. Condoms cannot be relied upon to provide 100 percent protection against HIV transmission because "there are condoms which arrive in Ghana, which in the heat and whatever burst during sex: he said. Because there is always a chance condoms might break during sexual intimacy, he is reluctant to recommend condom use even to married couples where one partner is affected with HIV.
PHOTO: CNS PHOTO/JOSHUA ROBERTS
The priorities for African Bishops at the Synod will remain "abstinence and loyalty and fidelity" within marriage, he said. During pastoral counselling, he said he presents the issues and discusses them with the person seeking advice, which "allows the person to decide, to (make) his own decision:' He said he does not "undervalue the possibility that somebody who has AIDS recognises his own Christian commitment (and) would simply just decide to refrain from sex," even if he or she were in a faithful marriage, in order to prevent the spread of HIV. "Some would in such a situation have advised the use of condoms by a partner who has HIV so that it doesn't spread, but again, in our part of the world, even the use of condoms is sometimes risky; he said. "If we have proper, top quality condoms, then one can probably with certainty speak about" the effectiveness of an infected partner usirl condoms, "but that is also not the case in Ghana, he said. Cardinal Turkson said he would rather see the resources currently being spent on manufacturing and providing prophylactics to Africa being earmarked for subsidising antiretroviral drugs for the people there. "Let us use those resources to support the production of antiretroviral drugs so (they) would be more available to people. That's probably the big favour that we can do for people suffering from HIV/AIDS."
US Bishops see mixed results on health care reform WASHINGTON (CNS) - The Senate Finance Committee made some progress toward a more affordable health care reform plan but failed to address concerns about abortion, conscience rights and the health of immigrants, officials of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops said after the committee finished its work on its proposal on October 2. The Committee rejected amendments that would have written into the bill the longstanding ban on federal subsidies for benefits packages that cover abortions, with rare exceptions, and would have forbidden federal agencies, and state and local governments receiving federal funds under
BRICK RE-POINTING Nigel 9242 2952.
Phone
PERROTT PAINTING Pty Ltd For all your residential, commercial painting requirements. Phone Tom Perrott 9444 1200. PICASSO PAINTING Top service. Phone 0419 915 836, fax 9345 0505.
PERSONAL CHRISTIAN SINGLES Change your life now. Join up and join in. Social activities. Drinks and games nights. Dating. Ph: 9472 8218 www.figtrees.com.au.
Classified ad.
POSITIONS VACANT PART-TIME COORDINATOR, COMMUNITY VISITORS SCHEME (A Commonwealth Government initiative) This position involves recruiting, coordinating and liaising with volunteers to visit isolated elderly residents in Aged Care Facilities. Must have experience in aged care, a love of the elderly and some computer skills. For more information ring Nuhra Life Enrichment Centre, Mt Lawley 9328 6272.
VOLUNTEER The Ruah Centre is seeking a volunteer to pick up a bread donation each Thursday evening from Mount Lawley and deliver the following morning to the Centre in Northbridge. Please contact Margaret Nelson 93287682 or email margaretnelson@ruah. com.au.
RELIGIOUS PRODUCTS C ATHOLICS CORNER Retailer of Catholic products specialising in gifts, cards and apparel for Baptism, Communion and Confirmation. Ph: 9456 1777. Shop 12, 64-66 Bannister Road, Canning Vale. Open Mon-Sat.
FINANCE
RICH HARVEST YOUR CHRIS- " TIAN SHOP Looking for Bibles, CDs, books, cards, gifts, statues, Baptism/Communion apparel, religious vestments, etc? Visit us at 39 Hulme Court (off McCoy St), Myaree, 9329 9889 (after 10.30am Mon to Sat). We are here to serve.
SOLUTIONS MORTGAGE buyer? Moving 1 st time Refinancing? Save house? yourself the stress and let a finance expert do the running around at no cost to you. www.goalfinancialservices.com. au. Declan 0422 487563 FBL 4712.
OTTIMO Shop 108, TRINITY ARCADE (Terrace Level) Hay St, Perth. Ph 9322 4520. Convenient city location for a good selection of Christian products/gifts. We also have handbags, fashion accessories. Opening hours Monday-Friday 9am-6pm.
$4.40 FOR FIRST 2 LINES
CLASSIFICATION
I
Number of weeks
Please write one word per space/if you need more space attach paper
$4.40 $5.50 $ 6.60 $ 7.70 $8.80 $9.90 $10.10
I This advertisement to be included in the next issue of The Record. I DEADLINE: Monday, 1 lam. I Post to Attention Record Classifieds, 587 Newcastle St, West Perth WA 6005 Fax to Attention Record Classifieds, 9227 7087 Phone Bibiana 9227 7080 I COST: $4.40 for the first 8 words plus $1.10 per 4 words thereafter. GST inc. I .
Walking with Him Daily Mass Readings for the week the bill, to discriminate against health care providers that decline to perform, refer for or pay for abortions. "The bill remains deeply flawed on these issues and must be corrected:' said Richard Doerflinger, associate director of the USCCB Secretariat of Pro-Life Activities. "These problems must be corrected on the House and Senate floor:' On the inclusion of immigrants, the Committee defeated amendments opposed by the USCCB that would have placed additional restrictions on legal immigrants and their families in accessing health care, but failed to improve the access immigrants currently have.
115 28TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Gr Wis 7:7-11 Wisdom praised Ps 89:12-17 Shortness of life Heb 4:12-13 God's word alive Mk 1O:17-30T Treasure in heaven
14 W St Callistus I, Pope, Martyr (0) Gr Rom 2:1-11 No favourites Ps 61:2-3.6-7.9 My soul at rest Lk 11:42-46 Unmarked tombs 15 Th St Teresa of Avila, Virgin, Doctor of the Church (M) Wh Rom 3:21-30 Justice through faith Count on God's Word Ps 129:1-6 A furious attack Lk 11:47-54
12M Gr Rom 1:1-7 Ps 97:1-4 Lk 11:29-32
Specially chosen Lord worked wonders The sign of Jonah
16 F St Hedwig, religious (0), St Margaret Mary Alacoque, Virgin (0) Faith in God who justifies Gr Rom 4:1-8 Ps 31:1-2.5.11 Ring out your joy Lk 12:1-7 You are worth more
131 Gr Rom 1:16-25 Ps 18:2-5 Lk 11:37-41
Truth for a lie Work of God's hands Give alms
17 5 St Ignatius of Antioch, Bishop, Martyr (M) RedRom 4:13.16-18 Abraham believed Ps 104:6-9.42-43 Covenant with Abraham Lk 12:9-12 Spirit will teach you
MI
The Record
111/1h4.5e/nas ideas THE LIFE OF JESUS Colouring Book By Sr Karen Cavanagh CSJ RRP $2.95 +p/h
THE BIBLE Colouring Book By Sr Karen Cavanagh CSJ RRP $2.95 +p/h
MY FIRST PRAYER BOOK Colouring Book By Sr Karen Cavanagh CSJ RRP $2.95 +p/h
THE SAINTS VOL 2 Colouring Book By Sr Karen Cavanagh CSJ RRP $2.95 +p/h
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS Colouring Book By Sr Karen Cavanagh CSJ RRP $2.95 +p/h
THE SAINTS VOL 1 Colouring Book By Sr Karen Cavanagh CSJ RRP $2.95 +p/h
Page 16
ADVENT AND CHRISTMAS WITH FULTON SHEEN By Judy Bauer RRP $19.95 +p/h
veld —
Jo.
Meditations I 1,
F
91 Saint oil RIO
v‘,IVery First
BIBLE STORIES A I L STICKER ROOK
111Pir
ADVENT MEDITATIONS WITH SAINT PIO By Anthony Chiffolo RRP $2.95 +p/h
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday 9am - 2.30pm on (08) 9227 7080 or via bookshopkotherecord.com.au 587 Newcastle St, West Perth
or
3 1
• Z.* t z`: ftll i
THE VERY FIRST CHRISTMAS Sticker Activity Book By Juliet David RRP $7.95 +p/h
Subscribe!!!
For $78 + P&H of $2 you can receive a year of The Record
Name:
MY VERY FIRST BIBLE STORIES Sticker Book By Diana Mayo RRP $6.95 + p/h
WOMEN OF THE BIBLE Colouring Book By John Green RRP $9.95 +p/h
LIMITED OFFER! New subscribers will receive a signed copy of the Archbishop's book Please debit my
Bankcard
Mastercard Li Visa Card
Address: Suburb:
No
Postcode: Telephone: I enclose cheque/money order for $80
Expiry Date: Signature: / Name on Card: Send to: The Record, PO Box 75, Leederville WA 6902