PERTH, WA: November 1, 1990
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TELEPHONE: (09) 328 1388 Samuel Jackman (right) is looking pleased with himself because he will go down in history as carrying the cross for the blessing by Archbishop Foley of his Year One MacKillop school classroorI Full story pages 2 and 3. The foundation 60 pupils this year will burst into 42 year ones and full pre-primary next year when t wo more classrooms (and four the
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year after) are added to the $800,000 first stage opened this year. Principal Mike Smith says the school is a tribute to the pioneer 50 families who have carried the burden of getting things going, planting lawns, landscaping, and making learning materials for classrooms. Photo: Margaret Haydon CEO
Brittle faith
The commitment of priests argues to a brittle faith however who have left the ministry robust it might seem from the obviously was flawed, an outside. Australian cardinal has told "We live in an age that is the Synod of Bishops in notable for a certain kind of Roma. individualism that encourages
"A flawed commitment egoism and an exaggerated argues, surely, to a flawed sense of self-sufficiency and faith," Cardinal Edward Clancy independence . . . of Sydney told the bishops. • See Cardinal Clancy's full "A ,brittle commitment address pages 6 8, 7.
Celibacy! VATICAN CITY: Pope John includes almost 90 per Pail used the last session cent of the 906 million of the synod to back the Catholics worldwide. vote of coofidence in The ordination of marLatin-rite celibacy he had ried men "is not to be just heard from the taken into consideratiassembled bishops. on"to solve the vocations He branded calls for shortage, the pope said at ordaining married men the last synod working as "systematic propa- session. ganda hostile to priestly Shortly before his talk, celibacy." more than two-thirds of During the month long the delegates voted to synod, a minority of the reaffirm celibacy. 235 delegates asked that The support was conqualified married men tained in a list of 41 be ordained. proposals approved by The pope, however, said delegates. he had no plans to The proposals are for change mandatory celi- .the pope's use in preparbacy for the Latin ing a document on church, the rite that priestly formation. The
synod has no policymaking powers. Some have asked the church -to think about the ordination of (mature
married men) Viri pro. possibility of calling bath" the pope said. "This upon the Viri probati' is solution is not to be taken often evoked within the into consideration." framework of a syste"As is well-known, the matic propaganda hostile
The other 40 proposals! Under Synod rules, the proposals submitted to the pope are not made public. H owever, a summary was issued. The proposals, according to the summary include: • Participation of qualified women in seminary formation. • A special spiritual or academic prepartory period for seminarians.
• Development of a directory of programs available for priestly ongoing formation. • Support of the minor seminary "as a valid instrument of formation". • Programs tailored "for the demands and necessities of a particular culture". • Insuring that the major seminary is a "true and proper
house of formation". • Better training of spiritual trainers. • Responsibility of the laity to promote vocations. The proposals offer no formulas, leaving flexibility for adaption to local situations, said the synod officials. The proposals also c ontained strong support for psychological testing of seminarians.
to priestly celibacy," the pope said. "Such propaganda finds support and complicity in some of the mass media," he added. The pope asked bishops to find other solutions so that Catholics denied the Mass every Sunday because of the shortage of priests can have their faith reinforced through prayer services and holy to "access Communion". "They Synod has confirmed, unambiguously, the choice of priestly celibacy, proper to the Latin rite," he said.
Prior to the start of the synod, the pope had reaffirmed obligatory celibacy and asked that synod delegates discuss it only in the light of how to improve its commitment among seminarians and priests. In the final speece, the pope blamed an "erroneous understanding at times even deliberately biased," of the Second Vatican Council's teachings as responsible for the vocations crisis in the years post-conciliar because it produced a "priestly identity crisis." This drop "was a grave blow to pastoral service," he said.
Work for social justice, pilgrims told By Dom Francis Byrne OSB Three thousand pilgrims were urged last Sunday to work for social justice in their daily lives and to try to live by the law of love. And Our Lady was the Christian's model in this regard, Fr Joachim Dirks, of the Blessed Sacrament Fathers in Perth added. He was addressing the annual pilgrimage in honour of Our Lady of Good Counsel at New Norcia which took place in mild, Spring weather. Many different cultures were represented as a prayerful atmosphere pervaded the scene outside the Abbey Church where Mass was celebrated. "Those who follow the way of love in
action may find themselves either alleviating or working to eliminate the pain and suffering of persons," said Fr Dirks. "For the disciples of Jesus are those who live in hope based on the love of Him who gave his life for us. "And so the ordinary, the small everyday events of life are seen in a new light, in the spirit of the Risen Lord." Fr Dirks went on to point out that Mary reminded us that nothing and no-one was too trivial, weak or powerless for God. "What she said to the servants at the wedding feast of Cana she says to us quite simply, 'Do whatever he tells you.' This is the voice of love. "This is the woman of faith who had pondered on God's word, who had treasured
it in her heart, who had consented to God in her heart and so brought Christ into a hungry, needy, broken world.
replica of the painting of Our Lady of Good Counsel in the procession through the township afterwards.
"This is the Lord who in the Eucharist gives himself again to us all without reservation or distinction when we receive him in Holy Communion."
The impressive choir, made up of students from the same college, was under the baton of Sister Therese-Marie Fleming, the principal.
Fr Dirks offered the pilgrims a new definition of social justice in everyday life by re-naming it as "the challenge to live by love, not fear".
Many parishes and groups and societies in the Perth archdiocese were represented at New Norcia in what was also a very colourful display of banners and national costumes.
We could achieve this by respecting others, recognising our inter-dependence and supporting the weak, poor and the outcast. A Year 10 student at the New Norcia Catholic College, Russell Trainor, carried a
Later in the afternoon as I walked between the picnic areas I noticed a group of Italians dancing on the newly-trimmed lawns to the sounds of an accordion. It made my day!