PERTH. WA: June 19, 1986
Number 2484
LOCATION: 26 John St, Perth, (off Fitzgerald St) POST ADDRESS: PO Box 50, Perth Aberdeen St, WA, 6000
TELEPHONE: (09) 328 1388
PRICE 50 cents
V
Catechists have to give special concern and attention to children who will resist the call to faith, Archbishop Foley said in the instruction that preceded last Friday's ceremony of commission in St Mary's Cathedral.
Presentation at cathedral
"Strive to open the hearts of these children, and give them the
experience of someone who -like God -loves and takes an interest in them," he sa d
"Bear in mind always that you may be the only person they will hear speak of the things of God Give to them generously of your
time, your understanding, your interest, and even your willing
forgiveness."
The archbishop pointed out that
the children they would be unable to catechise would not have made the initial act of faith called conversion.
These children had to be led to conversion through the example of catechists, through class prayer and other explanations
"Remember always that it is only Christ himself who can lead these children to Faith, as he calls them through you "As you strive to co-operate in lading their hearts to the choice of conversion, always remember that your own hearts must be open to Christ, so that you can bring him to your students effectively. "Be willing always to share your faith with those you teach in non-Catholic schools by: explaining the teachings of the Gospel, as proclaimed by the Church,
°
• answering the children's questions; leading them in prayer; • initiating them into the Sacraments; and sharing with them your insights into the questions about God, and the meaning of life, that lie within the depths of cach person's heart."
Nearly 400 of the 500 metropolitan catechists commissioned last week were in St Mary's Cathedral last Friday for Archbishop Foley's presentation of certificates
for parish distribution.
Among them were 100 new catechists who had completed the 14 week course on faith development and catechetical teaching skills. Parishes with significant numbers of catechists in this year's program were Dianella, East Victoria Park, Fremantle, Girrawheen, Greenmount, Highgate (Vietnamese), Kwinana, Maddington, Morley, Riverton, Spearwood and Willetton. Most attended the Wembley Religious Education Centre and were taught by 10 volunteer tutors. Those who could not attend the central course were
catered for at Kwinana and Willetton where courses were conducted by Sister Margaret Mary Gannon SJ4A and Sister Emilie Cattalini SIA.
§ Special Reporter
Archbishop Foley pointed out that while every baptised person had a responsibility to share their faith with others, some are called to proclaim the gospel officially in the Church's name. A Catechist is one who catechises - who shares his or her own faith with others -in the name of the Church 'Look then to your own faith! Nourish it by: • regular and prayerful reflection on the Word of
At the commissioning of catechists, Mrs Pearn-owe receives certificates for Melville parish from Archbishop Foley flanked by Fathers Holohan and Cardin OFM of the Religious Eduction Centre.
Warning to Botha government DURBAN: f the South African government refuses to negotiate with the nations's anti-apartheid forces, it will face "economic collapse" and possibly foreign intervention, Archbishop Denis Hurley of Durban, South Africa, said.
Archbishop Murley, president of the Southern African bishops' conference and an outspoken critic of apartheid, said the South African government and the antiapartheid African National Congress, were "ligtrt-years apart." He said "it would take a miracle for them to find common ground for negotiation," but added that the realisation of the alternative to negotiation could bring about this
miracle.
God;
• frequent participation in the Sacraments -- especially the Eucharist; • listening to and reflect ing on the teachings of the Church's Magisterium; • and earnestly seeking to respond to Christ's love through your daily efforts to apply his teachings to your lives."
Archbishop Hurley said the alternative is "a truly terrible scene" of "years of violence
and bloodshed and increasing economic sanctions by foreign nations ending in the economic callapse of South Africa with all
The Archbishop of Durhan, Archbishop Murley.
the consequent miseries." He added, "at a certain point in this horrible scene, foreign powers could intervene to drop the curtain on this tragedy."
[
foci@s
]
Perhaps this picture can inspire the miracle of negotiations," he added.
Archbishop Murley also said the African National Congress seeks a "united, democratic, non-racial state with a constitrtion which guarantees individual rights, but which expects special dispositions for the
rights of groups or minorities." "On this objective," he added, "there can be no negotiation." Negotiations "can only be on the way of organising the elections to bring about a new South African state," he added.
"A preliminary condition for these negotiations," he said, "is the liberation of
all political prisoners." The government policy after liberation, he added, must include "redistribution of the land and the nationalisation of industny." However, Archbishop Murley said the white South African regime sees such a situation as "humanly impossible." The government wants an end to violence and exclusion of communists from the talks as conditions for negotiation, he said.