The Record Newspaper 02 February 1995

Page 1

Tune in to big turnout...

A delegates at the Manila Youth Day celeW brations were undaunted by the crowds until the last day when the barricades began to

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sag under the weight of four million attending the Pope's Mass. They settled for the safer option of watching the Mass on television in the safety of a hotel room. On the night before the 29 WA delegates had weathered the million-plus turn out for the prayer vigil during which thousands sang and danced and prayed with and for the Holy Father. Over their five days they had experienced the local culture of a Barrion Fiesta but had also spent a day in Manila's slums. Some of their memories and impressions are on Pages 6 and 7.

It does not look like much of a crowd here but there was an estimated four to five million people at the pope's final Mass in Manila but the West Australians had a different story.

Unprecedented step too, as two Josephite Sisters wash pope's hand

T

HE priceless role of women in the Catholic Church was immediately apparent as the Pope declared Mary MacKillop blessed. In what is believed to be an unprecedented liturgical step for a pope, two women acolytes. both Josephites. Sister Therese McGarry and Sister Guiseppe Walsh went to the pope to wash his hands before the Beatification ceremony and Mass in Randwick Racecourse before more than 200,000 cheering Australians, the majority of whom were women. Nobody could remember a woman having washed a pope's hands before. The ceremony was largely a portrayal of women's role in the church as demonstrated by the heroic life of Mary MacKillop, the Aussie girl of Scottish descent who has been elevated to the holy altar of the church.

An enormous roar of approval went up from the multitude at 5.30pm on Thursday, January 19 as the pope accepted the petitions of Cardinal Clancy, the congregational leader of Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart, Sr Mary Cresp and leader of the Federations of the Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart, Sr Mary O'Dea and postulator Fr Paul Gardiner SJ and proclaimed her blessed. The crowd gasped as two enormous paintings of Mary were unveiled to look down on the people. There were many unique Australian features to the ceremony. An Aboriginal couple took an old iron bucket filled with burning eucalyptus leaves to the altar to incense the pope as he moved to the altar. Good old Aussie bush smoke was also used to reverence the altar.

mony of the Beatification of By Cliff Baxter Mother Mary MacKillop. In The Catholic Weekly "We pray that in the example Cardinal Clancy told the pope: of Blessed Mary, Catholics will We deeply appreciate the generosity and sacrifice of your deci- find new inspiration and new sion to perform the ceremony purpose, that the church will be here in Australia itself, where so strengthened in faith, hope and many of us can participate and love and that all Australians will all Australians be touched by the profit from the lessons of her significance of this event in a way remarkable life. The crowd loved it. that otherwise would not have There were many touches of been possible. We are very conscious of the rigours of the long papal humour from the pope who belied his 75 years and prejourney that this has involved. "The Church in Australia is carious health as he joked with strong and vigorous, with a the crowd after the beatification. "Cardinal Clancy desired the proud, if brief history by world standards. It has lacked, however, rain tomorrow," he said, looking the acknowledged saints and at the rain clouds overhead. "Viva II Papa!" shouted some of martyrs such as are the strength and the crown of our older sister the throng. "Papa today, Cardinal Clancy churches in other parts of the world. It is impossible to exagger- tomorrow," came the ironic ponate the importance, for the Aus- tifical response. Nobody seemed tralian church of today and to know what that meant, but it tomorrow, of this solemn cere- was amusing.

The pope always seemed to have a twinkle in the eye and a smile on his lips. Sydney Archdiocese spokesman Father Brian Lucas said the significance of the beatification will not become apparent for 10 or 15 years. The pope was totally enthused by the public response to his visit. He enjoyed his lunch with his brother bishops and was obviously cheered by the warmth and affection he had encountered. People were always the centre of what he says. "He always stressed the dignity of the human person," said Fr Lucas. On the huge structure built at the end of the straight, not far from the winning post where Australians win or lose millions of dollars the pope looked delighted. "Thank you very much," he kept saying. "Thank you very much."

Knights query skit advertisements S

YDNEY: Advertisers appearing alongside a skit lampooning Pope John Paul were not specifically aware of the fact and had little control over their appearance, NSW Knights oftheSouthern Cross have discovered. Following the November 21 episode the Knights decided to ask a lot of questions of Channel Ten and the owners of products advertised in a programme which included a pope-like figure opening a condom packet. In their replies most of the advertisers shunted the responsibility back to their agencies while groups receiving a free community service announcement said they had no control over when they might appear on a station's programme. Nissan, Colgate-Palmolive, the Australian Chamber Orchestra, and Quality Bakers Australia replied to the KSC on their policy and practice.

KSC chairman PaulTuckerman had told

the sponsors many people would have found the skit offensive. Channel Ten ducked the issue, telling Mr Tuckerman: "While appreciating your point of view, we do not consider that the brief segment which featured a pope lookalike amounted to a denigration of Catholic faith. "Furthermore, we are of the view that the program met the provisions of our industry code and was broadcast at an appropriate time." Mr Tuckerman told the advertisers: " Perhaps it was not the intent to cause offence, however, someone has to accept responsibility for the consequences. "It begins in the boardroom of the advertisers and the television industry. I f you do not agree with your products being associated with the offending programmes, we would urge you to lodge anobjection directly to Channel Ten. "Furthermore we suggest that you insist on standards of common decency to be

included in the negotiations for advertising contracts." Nissan told the Knights: "You have raised an interesting and valid point and we will raise it with the relevant people Internally and with our advertising agency." Colgate Palmolive replied that it had developed guidelines for purchasing timeduring a particular show. However, with regard to other spot advertising both regionally and nationally, Colgate said, "often these spot commercials are rotated by the stations on a random basis. Although we make every effort to avoid having commercials on shows that do not adhere to our advertising it is not always possible to avoid such placement. "We are very interested in the response of people who see or hear our advertising. "You can be sure that your comments will be shared with those in the company who help research, develop and review advertising."

The agency handling Quality Bakers said it is not their practice to advertise in a program where it is clear that some groups in the community will be grossly offended. "However, it is not commercially practical to view all specials or programs to ensure their suitability for thousands of commercials we put to air each year." Groups receiving free advertising space had an additional embarrassment. The Australian Chamber Orchestra said: "We do not have control over where the advertisements are placed and while we sympathise with your concern we would find it difficult to criticise the station which is providing us with a service at no cost." Garvan Research Foundation, attached to St Vincent's Hospital Darlinghurst, gave a similar reply: "The community announcements are a donation from the Ten network and we have no control over when the advertisements might appear." — Cliff Baxter, Catholic Weekly


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The Record Newspaper 02 February 1995 by The Record - Issuu