What's Inside...
The c PERTH, WA: March 14, 1996
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St Mary's Kalgoorlie-Boulder to celebrate 100 years this weekend - Page 9 Perth charismatics take Jesus' call to preach the Gospel seriously - Page 6 Drug addict tells of how, in his misery, he found Christ - Page 8 Abortion survivor Gianna speaks - Page 3
Bishops condemn new I ttacks on Aborigines By Peter Rosengren Australia's Catholic Bishops, thmugh their Australian • Catholic Social Justice Council, have condemned as unjust and ill-informed anti-Aboriginal statements made during the Federal election campaign in Queensland. The Liberal candidate for the seat of Oxley, Ms Pauline Hanson. claim that Aboriginal people received too much money from the Government won her immediate disendorsement as a Coalition tl1 in an election candidate charged with tension over the race issue. She went on to win Chdey from the Australian Labor Party as a conservative independent with a massive 25 per cent swing in a seat that has been held by the
ALP since the 1960s. Federal Independent Kalgoorlie MHR. Graeme Campbell., backed Ms Hanson's opinions, saying he had been arguing her c.ase for years. Bishop Kevin Manning, chairman of the Australian Catholic Social Justice Coundl (ACSJC). said this week it was ill-informed and irresponsible to "assert resentfully in the public forum that Aborigines are a privileged gmup." "There is much more to be gained by encouraging people to be fair and just in their treatment of all Australians." he said. Bishop Manning's comments follow similar criticism by the Queensland Catholic bishops warning of racist attitudes in Queensland. The Queensland bishops' and the state's Leaders of Religious Institutes issued a joint statement condening m what they described as "a new wave of racism" which
had appeared in Queensland in recent weeks. Meeting at Pius XII provincial seminary in the Brisbane suburb of Banyo. the bishops and religious said they deplored the recent resurgence of racist attitudes. Speaking to The Record from Brisbane, Bishop Raymond Benjamin of Townsville in Queensland's Far North said racism appeared to have flourished around the Federal election in a number of forums. Refusing to mention Ms Hanson directly, he said that from the beginning of the federal election campaign in late January there seemed to be a growth of quite serious racist material on talkback radio and in letters to newspapers. He also said there had been "some pretty disgusting neoNazi" material distributed in letterboxes in Brisbane at the time
of the campaign, promoting white supremacist views. However, he said he thought the rash of racist sentiments was beginning to die down after the election. • The Queensland Catholic bishops and Religious leaders said they hoped the appmach of the Year 2000 would give all Australians a new sense of urgency about the need to examine attitudes "which could prevent us from being a people who are just and fair in our treatment of all Australians." Bishop Manning also said the II, bjective for Australian society be equality and harmony. "Each of us needs to be more awre a and to tak•e personal resIInsibility for confronting racism and building up the community in true equality and harmony." he said. Speaking after a weekend ACSIC meeting in Kensington.
NSW, Bishop Martning described racism as a blight on society and said it damaged those at whom it was directed as well as destroying goodwill and trust in the community. "It is particularly unjust," he said. "when racist comments are directed at indigenous peoples on the ill-informed gmund that they receive privileged treatment through goverrunent attention." He defended Government programs for Aboriginal people. saying that members of indigenous communities who were dispossessed of their land continued to suffer lower life expectancy. poorer health and higher rates of unemployment and imprisonment than the general communitY "Governments respond to these documented areas of disadvantage as they do to the needs of any group of citizens." he said.
Fight anti-religion forces Palmyra in Record•promotion together Archbishop
Archbishop Hkkey preaching at St George's Cathedral last Sunday morning
By Peter Rosengren Archbishop Barry Hickey called last Sunday in a sermon at Perth's Anglican St George's Cathedral for Christian churches and denominations to build solidarity among themselves, especially in the face of mounting hostility from anti-religious forces in Australian society. He also urged Christians to seriously
live their faith. He was speaking in the cathedral at the invitation of the Dean of St George's, the Rev Dr John Shepherd. "Christians have their backs to the wall in Australia at present, given the strength of the anti-religious and secular forces around us (which are) setting the agenda," Archbishop Hickey said. "It is time to call Christians of all denominations to band together to oppose these forces and to restore moral standards that are based on the teachings of Christ." The archbishop said this challenge had led him to accept the invitation to preach at St George's. Preaching twice in the Cathedral, at the 8am Eucharist and the 10am Eucharist. the archbishop also participated in a discussion group on prayer and liturgy. He said that anti- and non-religious forces had substantially changed the way people think about important issues. "So we see suc.h things as legislation and 1 for business, t 1 medidne social policy, ethics and other pmfessions decided with little, if any, reference to religion or any other belief," he said. "We cannot accept that position." He said that he was not calling for politic.al or financial power to be wielded by the Christian churches in Australia but was instead calling on Christians in general and the Churches to assert their moral authority and influence society for the better. Continued on Page 2.
Our Lady of Fatima parish councillor Moya Streek hands out The Record kist Sunday.
The parish council of Our Lady of Fatima parish, Palmyra. in Perth's south-eastern suburbs is showing the way in promoting The Record. With no prompting from The Record, parish councillor John Foley, impressed hy the content and new layout of The Record, suggested the parish council order 200 copies, up from the usual 50 copies weekly, and distribute them free at last weekend's three Masses in Palmyra. The parish council, showing exemplary Christian solidarity, offered to cover the cost of the distribution free to parishioners.
Parish priest Father Michael Ryan backed up the promotion with sermons urging a new look at The Record. John Foley said many people in recent years, for whatever reason, had stopped reading The Record and were not aware that the archdiocesan paper had been under new editorial and administrative management for the last 10 months. He said the one-off free distribution would enable parishioners to see for themselves the changes in The Record and, hopefully, inspire them to either take out a yearly $65 subscription to The Record or buy a copy each week at their local parish church.