Record
W E S T E R N A U S T R A L I A’ S A WA R D - W I N N I N G C AT H O L I C N E W S P A P E R S I N C E 1 8 7 4
the
We d n e s d a y, N o v e m b e r 1 4 , 2 0 1 2
the
Parish.
REMEMBERING
THE SHATTERED NIGHT
National pride was the face the Nazis wore. Kristallnacht was the night the mask dropped. – Pages 10-11
the
N at i o n .
the
World.
$2.00
therecord.com.au
A PRIEST’S HANDS OF
HEALING
Readers write in with their stories of healing via the ministry of Fr John Rea SM. – Pages 8-9
Archbishop welcomes Royal Commission announcement Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB issued a statement on Monday after Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced a Royal Commission into institutions run by church and state.
I
Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB addresses parish representatives in St Mary’s Cathedral last week. On Monday, Archbishop Costelloe welcomed the announcement by Prime Minister Julia Gillard of a Royal Commission into the abuse of children in church and state-run institutions over decades in Australia. PHOTO: LIFELINK
n response to media enquiries this afternoon, Archbishop Timothy Costelloe, the Catholic Archbishop of Perth, has indicated that he welcomes the statement by the Prime Minister announcing the establishment of a Royal Commission into child sexual abuse in religious and other institutions. “As I have said on other occasions”, he commented, “sexual abuse of minors is a terrible scourge in our community. It is both a crime and an attack on the innocence and vulnerability of children and young people. “As the Archbishop of Perth I intend to co-operate fully with the Royal Commission. I want the Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Perth to play its part in dealing as fully and as honestly as it can with this terrible problem. “I note the Prime Minister has determined that the Royal Commission will examine the question of the sexual abuse of minors across a wide spectrum of our society. “It is my view that this presents our society with a vitally important opportunity to come to grips with a problem that is unfortunately very widespread. “I also note that the Prime Minister has indicated that it will take some time to determine the terms of reference for the Royal Commission. I will be able to make a more detailed response once the terms of reference have been finalised. “I encourage all people of good will to fully support this inquiry and I reiterate my determination that the Catholic Church in Perth will do everything in its power to work with others to address this most urgent of issues.” Bishops respond - Page 7
‘Being Catholic in Australia takes great courage’ By Robert Hiini BEING Catholic in Australia requires great courage and great faith in a society that no longer believes in Christian values says Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB. Speaking at a gathering of Knights and Ladies of the Holy Sepulchre recently, the Archbishop of Perth said the challenge of being Catholic would become “ever stronger and ever more demanding” and would require “great faith”. The Archbishop made the
remarks when preaching on the New Evangelisation during an investiture ceremony at St Joseph’s parish in Subiaco earlier this month. “The New Evangelisation isn’t
would not be lost but would be saved,” Archbishop Costelloe said. “At its heart, even what we might call the strategies are the same; to gather as community to celebrate
The courage and faith we need will come from the Lord - but also from the love we show each other. new in terms of its message, the message is the same; it’s the same as it’s been for 2,000 years… that God loved the world so much that he sent his son so that the world
the sacraments, to be a community of prayer… of mutual support ... that reaches out to others in love and care. “What is new is the context in
which we are called to live our lives as Christians. No longer are the values that we hold dear as Catholics and the values that we see in our society around us closely aligned to each other. He said the challenge of being faithful to what it means to be a Catholic community was becoming ever more demanding and required great courage and faith. “That courage and faith will come, ultimately of course, from the Lord but it will also come from the support and the encour-
agement, the understanding, and the compassion, the forgiveness and the love that we show to each other and draw from each other as a Christian community,” Archbishop Costelloe said. Recently returning from the synod on the New Evangelisation in Rome, the Archbishop said there were two things central to the New Evangelisation; that Christ is at the centre of our lives and that those lives are shared and nurtured in community. Continued on Page 3