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Pastoral letter on poverty in pipeline By Peter Rosengren
The eradication of poverty is the theme of a major pastoral statement to be released by Australia's Catholic Bishops later this year to mark the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty Parishioners throughout the country will be able to gain access to the statement from Social Justice Sunday on September 29. And in a move which reflects how seriously the Bishops view the problem of poverty, a conference sponsored by church agencies and designed to develop a plan of action to address domestic and international poverty issues will follow the statement. Outlining major thrusts of the statement on behalf of the nation's bishops, Bishop Kevin Manning, chairman of the statement's drafting committee, said it would point out that poverty was a contradiction of God's desire for humanity "We will argue in this statement that poverty kills and hurts millions and that it contradicts God's desire that humankind be one, living in justice, peace and solidarity" he said. "The central message of the statement is that poverty is a structural problem requiring changes in social, economic and political arrangements, as well as personal conversion." Ills understood the statement identifies the "preferential option for the poor" as the basis for a renewed conunitment to the struggle against poverty The bishops will be seeking to place the eradication of poverty on the public agenda and to contribute to debate and action on the issue. The statement and follow-up conference will also seek to educate Catholics as to the causes of poverty in Australia and overseas and propose a new beginning for its eradication. It will also feature a questionnaire enabling feedback from readers to help Identify priority issues in tackling poverty
Reconciliation begins at home for the Churches
The responses will contribute to a draft plan of action for the Church to address the eradication of poverty. The follow-up conference, entitled People First!, at the Australian Catholic University in Sydney in November, aims to attract a broad range of participants from Church welfare, social justice and aid and development organisations. • Unemployment is a key factor in poverty and Catholic Church welfare representatives met last Friday to discuss potential cuts to be made by the Howard Government in the next Budget to incomesupport and labour market program. Bishop John Gerry, Vicar for Social Response in the Archdiocese of Brisbane. said the Federal Government had to realise professional employment programs were a cheap way of helping the jobless when jobs were hard to get. "Eighty per cent of long term unemployed people who get a job only do so with assistance from a labour market program," Bishop Gerry said. He warned the possible cuts were striking fear into the hearts of the jobless and their families. Australian Catholic Social Welfare Commission national director Toby O'Connor and Bishop Patrick Power, chairman of the Bishops' Committee for Social Welfare backed Bishop Geny's warnings. "We strongly urge [the Government's Expenditure Review] Committee to consider the impact of its decisions on individuals and families trapped by unemployment and to reassess the decision to cut labour market program funding by levels of up to eighty per cent prior to this Budget," Bishop Power said. Bishop Power was referring to the recent decision of Employment Minister Amanda Vanstone last month to cut funding to employment-related programs, some by as much as 80 per cent. The Skillshare programs run through Church welfare agencies have had their funding cut by 30 per cent for the three months before the Budget. Senator Vanstone said the final position for funding of next year's programs would be determined by the Budget process.
Top Turvey nun at New Norcia - Page 8
Perth: July 25, 1996
The President of the Australian Catholic Bishops' Conference, Cardinal Edward Clancy, above left, washes the feet of Uniting Church minister Wall Fejo as the Primate of the Anglican Church in Australia, Archbishop Keith Rayner, rear, washes the feet of Baptist pastor Graham Paulson. Below, Reverends Fejo and Paulson return the service. :Js Peter Pees ,,CCA
By Charles Sherlock of Church Scene Reconciliation between Aborigines and Europeans was dramatically symbolised at the second forum of the National Council of Churches in Australia last week when two Aborigines and the chief representatives of Australia's two largest Christian Churches washed each others feet as a sign of service and humility. During the closing worship service, arranged by Aboriginal members, the President of the Australian Catholic Bishops' Conference, Cardinal Edward Clancy of Sydney and the Primate of the Anglican Church in Australia, Archbishop Keith Rayner of Melbourne had their feet washed by Uniting Church minister Wall Fejo and Baptist pastor Graham Paulson - and then responded in turn. Aboriginal and Islander concerns took top place during the NCCA Forum, held between July 12 and July 16 in Brisbane.
Land mine fight not over yet - Pages
The NCCA formally accepted the concept of an indigenous conference of churches, standing on its own feet, as an equal partner with the NCCA. "This meeting makes me feel we have grown up," Anglican Bishop Arthur Malcom, an Aboriginal, said. "You are saying 'we will walk beside you because we can't do without you'." Aboriginal delegates celebrated with an party on the closing evening, inviting friends and other delegates to toast the embryonic organisation and the NCCA for its openness, and then the new body as its emerges. Aboriginal Marist brother Graeme Mundine said the NCCA logo of a boat reminded hlin that all non-indigenous Australians were "boat people". But Aboriginal Christians wanted to be in the boat, rowing as hard as they could, he said. Full report on ecumenism - Page 11 Catholic Church regret - Page 3
Kuhn leads rural Parish Portraits - Back page