The Record Newspaper 25 January 1990

Page 1

Challenges to world peace

• Page 6 PERTH, WA: January' 25, 1990

Registered by Australia Post Publication No. WAR 0202

Number 2672

POST ADDRESS: PO Box 50, Northbridge, 6000 W.A. LOCATION: 26 John St, Northbridge (east off Fitzgerald St). TELEPHONE: (09) 328 1388

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PRICE 600

Tax bite hurts

LEFT IN THE COLD ARE SINGLE INCOME FAMILIES, SAYS THE NATIONAL CATHOLIC COMMISSION

Tax rebates for children and the promise the single income family, says the A similar one income family of the same to repay the effects of bracket creep are commission, and are supporting the view income paid 1.86% of income in tax and desirable proposals in the Liberal-National that two incomes are necessary to maintain now pays 18.56% — a rise of 16.7 Family Action Plan says a top Catholic a standard of living. percentage points. commission. The taxation burden of the two income As a result the Family Action Plan targets But the Australian Catholic Social more assistance to two income families than family has only increased one half as much Welfare Commission wants additional to the single income family which has the as the tax liability of the single income family. rebates for child care extended to all greater tax burden and is most in need. families caring for children, including Currently, 39% of married couples with Since 1957/58 a two income family with single income families providing their own two children paid 4.2% of its income in tax. a dependent child (or student under 24 child care. It now pays 12.55% — a rise of 8.35 years) are supported by the earnings of one partner. All politicians are ignoring the plight of percentage points.

Eastern block heroes praised • Page 4

Jesuit killings: Top officer held • Page 5

Caring Albany heads for first • Page 7

Singapore raps priests THEY ARE FORMENTING INTER-RELIGIOUS TENSIONS CLAIM SINGAPORE (CNS): A Singapore government a gency has blamed Catholic priests, among others, for fomenting interreligious tensions in the country.

The report, Religious Trends — A Security Perspective, was released as a supplement to a government white paper proposing new laws to keep religion out of politics..

The Internal Security Department said in a report released on December 30 that the priests are among several individuals and religious groups responsible for strained relations among Singaporean religious communities it recent years.

The report says that after the May 1987 arrest of individuals the government considers Marxist conspirators, Archbishop Gregory Yong of Singapore "specifically ordered his priests not to mix religion and politics in their sermons."

Casaroli hope over latest ethnic violence

ROME (CNS): Cardinal Agostino Casaroli, Vatican secretary of State, said he hoped Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev has the "wisdom and energy" to resolve ethnic violence in the southern Soviet republic of Azerbaijan "in the least traumatic way possible". The cardinal spoke on January 21, the day after Soviet troops entered Baku, the Azerbaijan capital. Cardinal Casaroli, speaking to reporters at a Rome church, said Gorbachev deserved encouragement both "as a person" and "for what he represents and is doing".

Despite this, several priests continue to make political statements from their pulpits, the report says, mentioning three by name. • Father Patrick Goh, assistant parish priest of St Bernadette's Church, who it alleges has "continued to deliver sermons portraying the ISA (Internal Security Act) detainees as victims of injustice, and the political climate of Singapore as repressive," the report says. "At a Mass on May 12,

1988, he told the congregation to pray for all the victims of injustice, lies and untruths," it says, adding that the priest said many people live in fear and helplessness and urged Christians to stand up and fight against injustice. • Father Adrian Anthony, former rector of the minor seminary, now pastor at St Vincent de Paul Parish, who at several Masses, the report says, suggested that the ISA detainees were innocent and had

C zechoslovakia's new government has decided to restore diplomatic relations with the Vatican after a break of more than 40 years. Czechoslovakia broke off diplomatic relations with the Vatican after the communist takeover in Prague in 1948. Its Catholics were subject to some of the harshest restrictions in Eastern Europe. Hundreds of priests were arrested or barred from carrying out their clerical duties, and many parishes remained vacant. Negotiations between Prague and the Vatican in the past two years have led to the appointment of some new bishops. As part of the loosening of restrictions, priests now are being allowed to publicly minister to people in prisons and .hospitals. Czechoslovakian radio broadcast Pope John Paul II's 1989 Christmas Day message live for the first time. On New Year's Day, President Vaclav Havel said he hoped Pope John Paul would visit the country before elections, planned for June,

been "At an evening \ Liss on wrongfully detained. April 30, 1988, the eve of On May 21, 1989, he Labor Day, he told his celebrated a Mass com- congregation that there memorating the second had been no wage anniversary of the ISA increase since 1985 and arrests where, the report urged workers to stand says, he said "the minis- up for their rights," it ter of home affairs, says. Jayakummar, all judges "At a Sunday Mass on and ISD officers would August 28, 1988, he face God's punishment" referred to the coming for detaining them. general elections and • Father Andre Victor exhorted his congregaChristophe who belongs tion to vote 'with their to the Paris Foreign eyes open' as the tightenMission Society and is a ing government policies permanent resident of would inevitably affect Singapore. their children."

The security department report also accused proselytising Christians. Hindu and Sikh political rivals, and Muslim extremists of creating tensions. Unless all religious groups exercise moderation and tolerance in their efforts to win converts, and maintain "a rigorous separation between religion and politics, there will be religious friction, community strife and political instability. • See Pages 10 and 11

Pope for Prague PRAGUE: Things are not only moving fast politically in Czechoslovakia, they are moving just as fast for Pope John Paul. He is expected to visit the Czechs in April and that means the visit will have to be squeezed in between his Easter commitments and a listed visit to Mexico in May. It normally takes two

years for a papal visit to be planned but this one is being fasttracked into three months after a decision last week with Czech officials. Poland was the pope's first breakthrough into Soviet controlled Iron Curtain countries and C zechoslovakia becomes the second such visit, with many more hoped for.

The Vatican wants the pope to be there ahead of planning for national elections in June. Normally the pope avoids visiting countries at election times so that partisan views cannot be exploited at the time. Welcoming the pope will be non communist leader Vaclav Havel, a playwright often imprisoned for his dissenting views.


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