CARDINAL PELL: LION OF THE CHURCH IN AUSTRALIA LAID TO REST
By Adam Wesselinoff, Debbie Cramsie and Marilyn Rodrigues
The Catholic Church of Australia has last week Thursday 2 February farewelled Cardinal George Pell, in a funeral at times solemn, reverent, defiant and sorrowful, shot through with wry Australian humour, and attended by mourners from all walks of life.
The Cardinal remained a sign of contradiction until the very end, with protesters’ shouts of “George Pell, go to Hell” clearly audible inside St Mary’s Cathedral at several points, and the congregation bursting into spontaneous applause and shouts of “hear, hear” during the homily and eulogies.
After the 2 February Pontifical Mass of Christian Burial at Australia’s mother church, the Cardinal’s remains were interred in the cathedral crypt alongside his predecessors. In his homily for the occasion, Sydney
Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP described the cardinal as a “lion of the Church”, a “giant of a man with a big vision” who proclaimed the Gospel “shamelessly, vehemently, courageously to the end”.
“He had a big heart, too, strong enough to fight for the faith and endure persecution, but soft enough to care for priests, youth, the homeless, prisoners and imperfect Christians,” Archbishop Fisher said. “Ultimately that heart gave out, but only after more than 80 years of being gradually conformed to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.”
Cardinal Pell’s brother, David Pell, gave the principal eulogy, describing him as “a prince of the Church, a good and holy man, and a proud Australian”.
Mr Pell told mourners about the toll “the relentless campaign to smear George’s life” had taken on his family, and spoke for a final time in his brother’s defence, saying his
“regularly reported lack of sympathy for victims is simply untrue”.
“We sympathise with the legitimate victims and are in complete abhorrence at the criminals. Our own family has not been immune to this evil,” he said.
Mr Pell also spoke at length about his brother’s 404 days of solitary confinement and eventual acquittal, praising both the guards and prisoners at Barwon Remand Centre for the humane and dignified way they treated his brother.
“By the time George and his team found 1.2 billion Euro that was not accounted for, his fate was sealed,”
Mr Pell said.
He insisted his brother was a “friend of Pope Francis” who had been given a warm welcome and an entourage of Swiss Guards by the Pope upon his return to Rome.
A blur of white robes demonstrates priests and bishops processing into Sydney’s St Mary’s Cathedral for the funeral and burial Mass of Cardinal George Pell. PHOTO:GIOVANNI PORTELLI.
2022 CATHOLIC EDUCATION HIGHER ACHIEVERS
Sixty-six Year 12 graduates from Catholic schools have last week been recognised as Catholic Education WA’s (CEWA) highest achievers for 2022 at a special ceremony celebrating academic excellence. Students who received a pinnacle award from the School Curriculum and Standards Authority in ATAR and VET pathways, as well as those who achieved an ATAR of 99 and above, and their families, were invited to join members of CEWA’s Executive team and Catholic Education WA Commissioners to mark their success and wish them well for their next chapter.
Approximately 30 per cent of eligible Year 12 students in Catholic schools achieved an ATAR above 90, with thirty-eight students obtaining an ATAR of 99+. Five students received Exhibitions.
• Myles Brown from Trinity College received a General Exhibition
• Patrick Jong from Chisholm Catholic College received a Subject Exhibition in Applied Information Technology
• Saskia Wigley from Newman College received a Subject Exhibition
in Outdoor Education
• Amy Mance from Iona Presentation College received a Subject Exhibition in Religion and Life
• Benton Miller from Corpus Christi College received a VET Exhibition for Automotive, Engineering and Logistics.
Catholic Education WA Acting Executive Director Wayne Bull said he is proud to say that Catholic schools across the state continue to be schools of choice for families.
“Year after year we hear this is because of their commitment to accompanying students as they learn
and grow, and because our schools have a culture of excellence,” Mr Bull said.
“But importantly, when we hear from former students, the resounding message is that Catholic schools provide students with a sense of belonging and instil in them a spirit of service; a commitment to make a meaningful contribution to the communities we serve.”
Mr Bull also acknowledged the students’ parents, family, teachers and principals for their support and encouragement throughout their learning journey.
Catholic Education WA Acting Executive Director Wayne Bull with Year 12 graduates of 2022 from Catholic schools who were recognised as Catholic Education WA’s highest achievers for 2022 at a special ceremony celebrating academic excellence. PHOTO: SUPPLIED / CEWA.
FMI CONGRESS CALLS ON ATTENDEES TO HAVE A HEART READY TO WORSHIP
Bringing participants into a deeper and more intimate relationship with God was the aim at the recent Flame Ministries 33rd Annual Congress.
The Congress, held 26 to 29 January at Mater Christi Community Centre, Yangebup, focused on the theme “Heart of Worship”, and included in-depth day teachings and workshops, evening rallies, and was this year directed towards the younger generation.
FMI Senior Director Cyrus D’Souza told The Record the Holy Spirit knows no boundaries, with people of all ages being present for the occasion, with everyone being encouraged to experience worship as ‘abiding in Christ.’
“All speakers made extensive use of scripture and catechism to explain how God calls us to seek, know and love him, and how our hearts can be transformed by a deeper and more intimate relationship with Him,” Mr D’Souza said.
Keynote speakers for the occasion, alongside FMI’s Senior Directors Kaye Rollings and Cyrus D’Souza included Catholic Youth Ministry Chaplain Fr Joseph Laundy and 24/7 Youth Ministry Director, Mario Borg. Fr Joseph opened the Congress on Friday night by speaking about the
heart as the centre of worship and the way God desires us to present ourselves to Him as an indication of true worship.
The first step, explained Fr Joseph, is having a heart that’s ready to worship God.
Drawing on scripture, particularly the verse of Romans 12:1, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship,” Fr Josph explained we must be prepared to worship God with our body, mind, soul and spirit.
In his talk, Mr D’Souza explained that according to scripture, the heart is placed at the core of a human person, noting the connection to the biblical understanding of the ‘heart’ in modern terms, particularly in relation to our will, the intellect, and emotions, as described by modern psychologists to the ‘mind’.
Using scripture, Mr D’Souza described the heart as a place of Covenant where God has placed his Spirit as a pledge, he pointed out that it is in our choices that makes the heart a place of worship or desecration.
Referring to the mind as a battlefield, Mr D’Souza continued explaining passages of Ephesians 6, highlighting the Armour of God as the guard for the heart, the need to stand firm against the tactics of the devil, worshipping God in spirit and in truth.
Mrs Rollings spoke of how worship gives us the ability to move beyond ourselves into God’s real presence, where we are stripped back to basics and nothing matters except Him.
When Jesus died, Mrs Rolling said, the temple curtain was torn from top to bottom, symbolising that Jesus had opened a way through the veil that had separated God and us.
“Through His death and resurrection, we have immediate access to the Holy of Holies, the place of deepest worship, where the Holy Spirit allows us to connect with God personally,” Mrs Rollings said.
She quoted Church leaders, particularly Pope Francis, who said, ‘The Holy Spirit makes of the disciples a new people and creates in disciples a new heart.’
The Congress, held 26 to 29 January at Mater Christi Community Centre, Yangebup, focused on the theme “Heart of Worship”, and included in-depth day teachings and workshops, evening rallies, and was this year directed towards the younger generation. PHOTO: SUPPLIED/FMI.
THOUSANDS OF FAMILIES AT RISK AS DEATH TOLL CONTINUES TO RISE FROM TÜRKIYE- SYRIA EARTHQUAKE
Thousands of families are at risk after the catastrophic Türkiye-Syria earthquake on Monday.
More than 12,000 people have been killed, with thousands more injured or trapped in the rubble.
The death toll continues to mount.
“This disaster has hit people who were already displaced, in a region that has been devastated by more than a decade of civil war. Yet again, we’re seeing people fleeing for their lives and desperate for shelter in freezing winter conditions,” said Sally Thomas, Caritas Australia’s Humanitarian Lead for the Middle East.
“People are huddled in cars or around open fires, unsure if their loved ones are safe or if the rescue teams will reach them in time. Electricity is
down so hospitals can't run, and this means that newborn babies, women about to give birth and people with serious injuries are out on the streets. The situation is extremely dire.”
Northwest Syria is already cut off from the international community, and much of its key infrastructure, including hospitals, has been destroyed by the civil war.
In this region, nearly three million internally displaced people live in poor conditions, which have been made unbearable by the quakes. The logistics of getting vital humanitarian supplies to northern Syria are now further complicated by the destruction of a key road in the Syrian-Turkish humanitarian corridor during the earthquake.
“Despite the serious logistical challenges in reaching people, Caritas agencies are there on the ground already. They know the region well and they are well placed to respond. They just need our help in raising funds.”
“With the help of our supporters, we want to show Türkiye and Syria our generosity, to help the most vulnerable to survive this crisis and rebuild their lives again. We want to help provide that light in the deepest darkness, so that our Turkish and Syrian sisters and brothers have hot meals, blankets and clean water to get through this initial devastating period.”
Earthquake destruction in Syria. Caritas Syria and other Caritas agencies on the ground are coordinating with local authorities and other organisations to see how they can best assist. PHOTO: CARITAS AUSTRALIA.