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therecord.com.au
The plan was to be a diplomat ...
Minus the gossip and the guilt
Archbishop Mark Coleridge on why he became a priest - Pages 10-11
A new magazine for women isn’t for the shallow types or dizzy teens ... - Page 15
First Communion in St Mary’s spans a century of life’s richness By Robert Hiini FIRST Holy Communicants at St Mary’s Cathedral last Sunday received a concrete witness that a life of faith is possible and worthwhile. Cathedral Dean Monsignor Michael Keating invited 99-yearold Sheila Rudman onto the sancturay during his homily, telling the children that the St Mary’s parishioner had made her first Holy Communion in 1924 at St Joseph’s Church in Northam. “She’s been a good Catholic ever since; isn’t that a good example?” Mgr Keating asked the children. Mrs Rudman added her own words of wisdom for the children’s benefit, saying, “there is nothing like the Catholic religion”, as she returned to her seat. In her working life, Mrs Rudman had been secretary to Michael Kavanagh, builder of the gothic section of St Mary’s Cathedral in the late 1920s. Mgr Keating also asked Kath Jaques, grandmother of first Holy Communicant Rosie Jaques, to stand up before the congregation. Mrs Jaques and Mgr Keating both received their first Holy Communion together “in 1948 or 1949” at St Joseph’s Church, Subiaco. “That is the main part of my sermon today,” Mgr Keating told the children, “to see two good ladies who are good people”. Family, friends and regular St Mary’s parishioners applauded loudly after the children, while Mrs Rudman and Mgr Keating took a moment to pose for a photo.
Sheila Rudman, centre, who made her first Holy Communion in 1924, joins children at St Mary’s Cathedral for their big day last Sunday.
PHOTO: PETER ROSENGREN
A Melbourne doctor has risked his profession and broken Victoria’s abortion laws for
Refusing to terminate a girl
CATHOLIC Doctor Mark Hobart said he had been overwhelmed by support after his refusal to refer a Melbourne couple for a gender selective abortion made national headlines late last week. Dr Hobart refused to refer the couple after they told him they did not want a girl child; his refusal breaches Victoria’s 2008 abortion laws requiring doctors who oppose abortion to refer to another doctor. “Even a few of my patients who say ‘I’m not against abortion’ said ‘but this is just wrong. Good on you for standing up for this’,” Dr Hobart told The Record on Tuesday. Dr Hobart said the threat of legal action was a “crazy consequence” of Victoria’s abortion law reforms in
2008: “Back then, I never thought they’d ever do it. I can’t believe they brought in such a crazy law, but they did.” Dr Hobart told national media on Monday that the destruction of unborn human life was contrary to his Catholic faith, and that he had not made any abortion referrals since the current laws had been adopted. Reproductive Choice Australia President Dr Leslie Cannold told News Ltd publications on Monday: “[Dr Hobart] made it sound like he wouldn’t refer because of what he alleged were the couple’s reasons for the abortion but now we know he wouldn’t have referred no matter what”. Dr Hobart rejected that char-
acterisation, saying his first reason for not referring in the widelypublicised instance was the couple’s desire to terminate on the basis of the unborn child being female. While national media have highlighted Dr Hobart’s Catholicism, the Melbourne GP said he didn’t
“Secondly, I think abortion is harmful to women, and that is not discussed with women.” Dr Hobart said he had been disappointed by the lack of official support from the Catholic Church. “I have had absolutely no support from the Catholic Church. It
Even patients who aren’t opposed to abortion see gender selective termination as wrong. regard his first impetus to protect life as being a function of his religious faith. “The first reason is: human life starts at conception and it is sacred. That stands apart from Catholicism; that is a basic thing.
would be great to have a statement … that it is a terrible thing that Catholic doctors are forced into a situation where their livelihoods could be threatened, he said.” His parish priest, however, had commended him for his stance.
Lay group Catholic Voices spokesperson Dr Michelle Rodrigues told The Record she was disturbed to hear couples were seeking sex-selective abortions. “It was disturbing, but not entirely surprising. It is an inevitable consequence of a culture in which life is not valued, where the vulnerable and voiceless are killed and the often emotionally fragile woman is not adequately counselled about all the options,” Dr Rodrigues said. “Precisely how we have come to a point whereby “practising lawfully” as a doctor involves facilitating the ending of a life simply because of gender remains a great tragedy to me.” ROBERT HIINI Editorial - Page 16