The Record Newspaper 02 October 2003

W W h h y not pr y not pr a ay with John P y with John P aul II? aul II?

OCTOBER

General: That young people may follow Christ,the Way,the Truth,and the Life with generous enthusiasm and be ready to bear witness to him in all the situations in which they live.

Missionary: That for the Church, God will not fail to provide Pastors who are rich in wisdom and holiness and ready to defend the light of the Gospel to the very ends of the earth.

WA’s only Catholic weekly newspaper

Perth: 2 October 2003 Price: $1

Cardinal Pell

B y D e b b i e W a r r i e r

Pope John Paul II named Sydney’s Archbishop George Pell as one of 30 new cardinals at the Vatican, during Sunday Mass on September 28.

Cardinal Pell said of the appointment: “It is a signal honour to be appointed a Cardinal of the Catholic Church. The ancient College of Cardinals reflects the unity and universality of the Catholic Church, both wonderful blessings.”

“As Archbishop of Sydney, my appointment also recognizes the contribution of the Catholic community to Australian life. I will continue working to maintain and deepen this tradition of service,” he added.

Cardinal Pell gave an inaugural press conference in Sydney on Monday September 29.

Asked if he thought he would get the chance to vote for a new Pope soon, Cardinal Pell replied: “… I only know about the Pope’s health from the press and I also know that occasionally when the press is talking about things religious, it’s a bit unreliable. So I’m no better informed than you are but he’s obviously not well.”

Cardinal Pell told reporters his work in Sydney was his main priority and that would continue. Dr Pell added he would make three or four brief visits to Rome annually, and that he had been doing so for some time.

On the issue of asylum seekers, Cardinal Pell said he would con-

Continued on Page 3

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a l i a ' s i n t e l l e c t u a l a n d c u l t u r a l t a s t e m a k e r s . A n d t h a t , I s u g g e s t , i s w h y t h e a t t a c k s o n h i m o v e r t h e y e a r s

Archbishop Hickey welcomes appointment

"Archbishop Pell has shown not only loyalty to the teachings of the Church, but strong leadership in the face of opposition from elements who want the Church to change radically."

"He has resisted the trend to make the Church conform to the values of secular society and has championed the view that God must be at the centre of both personal and civic life. We need Christian leaders such as Cardinal-elect George Pell.”

Is the Pope’s successor among the new Cardinals?

Talk inevitably turns to the Pope’s successor in naming new Cardinals.

But there may be more than the usual reasons to take note of the newly named Cardinals in light of something the Pope said early last year.

When a group of Argentine bishops met the Pope in February 2002, one of them

thanked the pontiff for naming as a cardinal the archbishop of Buenos Aires, Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio. "He would make a good successor to you, Your Holiness," the visiting bishop said. To which the pope deadpanned: "My successor has not been made a Cardinal yet." - CNS

Archbishop George Pell celebrates Mass on October 14 in St Mary's Cathedral in Sydney last year.

Photo:CNS/Reuters

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JOURNALISTS

Bronwen Clune

Debbie Warrier

CONTRIBUTORS

Hugh Ryan, Paul Gray, Fr Tim Deeter, Tony Evans, George Russo, Peter Dwan, Norma Woodcock, Guy Crouchback

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Message for the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary

My Dear Priests and People, On the occasion of the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary on Tuesday, October 7, I call on all our faithful Catholic people to strengthen or to take up afresh their devotion to the Rosary.

After the Holy Mass itself, the Rosary is the greatest prayer in the Church’s treasury of prayers. The immense importance of the Rosary in the spiritual formation of the Church, of families and of individuals is revealed in this the Year of the Rosary. We are accustomed to Eucharistic Years, to Holy Years, and to Jubilee Years as we had in 2000, but no prayer other than the Rosary could inspire a Pope to declare a Year for its special devotion.

Throughout the centuries, the Rosary has been greatly loved and promoted by numerous Popes, and none more so than our present Pope, the extraordi-

nary John Paul II. He has described it as his favourite prayer and a sure source of the graces he needs in his arduous task.

It has been loved by the saints, is an essential part of the life of Religious Orders, and has been described by missionaries and preachers as the surest way to gain the conversion of those who have neglected their faith and those who come to the faith for the first time.

On the initiative of lay people in many of our parishes, the Rosary is recited before or after daily Mass. This is a wonderful sign of Catholic devotion to the Rosary.

As well as being a great prayer in honour of Our Lady, the Rosary contains within it almost all the great truths of our Faith.

Especially now since Pope John Paul has given us the new Mysteries of Light, or Luminous Mysteries, people who recite the

Voices soar in St Joseph’s

Heavenly music kept a maximum capacity audience transfixed during a concert in St Joseph’s Church in Subiaco on Saturday evening September 20.

The Collegium Symphonic Chorus directed by Dr Margaret Pride, performed Mozart's Requiem, Eine Kleine Nachtmusick and other favourites to an audience of over 500 people. There were 80 voices in the chorus, 4 soloists and 28 in the orchestra.

It was a wonderful evening. Fortunately lots of praying appeared to help keep the rain clouds at bay. Later, many of those who attended told organisers they were delighted by the whole event.

St Joseph's is hoping to put on more music performances in coming months. The next classical musical evening is Saturday October 25 at 8pm and will feature romantic operatic treasures from Dvorak, Strauss & Wagner also music by Finzi, Handel, Purcell & Rachmaninoff. For more information contact the office on (08) 9381 0400 for tickets, which are $20.

MARANATHA INSTITUTE

f o r A d u l t F a i t h E d u c a t i

Catholic Education Centre, 50 Ruislip St, Leederville

T e r m 4 C o

7 weeks - cost $40.00

beginning Tuesday October 14 9.30am-12noon: Catholic Moral Teaching with Fr Joe Parkinson 1.00pm-3.00pm: Pastoral Ministry with Sr Margaret-Anne Beech C a F E C a

Follow-up session to form and help leaders in setting up and running a parish CaFE groupFriday November 7, 9.30am-1pm. Repeated Friday November 14 9.30am-1pm.

Rosary regularly will encounter all the great mysteries of Faith and they will grow in their understanding of them.

Each of the Rosary mysteries is founded in Scripture, and early tradition, beginning with God’s announcement that his only Son was to become human in the womb of the Virgin Mary and going through his teaching, his suffering, death and resurrection, all the way to Mary being given the singular honour of being crowned Queen of Heaven. As you recite the Rosary, the Word of God in Scripture will grow in your heart and mind, and you will be drawn ever closer to the love of Jesus and his mother Mary.

It is impossible to exaggerate the blessings that await those who take up the Rosary. I want you to have all those good things. That is why I encourage you to say the Rosary.

If you can get enough cooperation to say the Rosary in the family, your family will be blessed, but if this is not possible, say it yourself. Say it at home, say it on the way to and from work, say it in your lunch break, or say it before the Blessed Sacrament, but do say

it. Jesus and Mary are just waiting to pour out their blessings on you.

Yours in the love of Jesus and Mary Archbishop Barry Hickey

MARY AND THE POPE - PAGES 8&9

SHEEN’S ROSARY - PAGE 16

Clarification on Liturgy ruling

Following speculation in the secular media, Archbishop Hickey has moved to clarify the position regarding rules associated with the Liturgy.

“Over the last week or so many people have told me that the Pope has forbidden certain practices from the Mass, like female servers and liturgical movement,” the Archbishop said.

“This is not so. In the Holy Father’s recent encyclical letter Ecclesia de Eucharistia, a document was foreshadowed that would address some of the issues relating to the devout and correct celebration of the Mass.

“That document has not yet appeared. There is no way of knowing whether what is in the media is in the draft document or not. It may be pure speculation.

“However, when the document is published in due course it will be accepted and implemented.”

The Collegium Symphonic Chorus together with orchestra perform in St Joseph’s Church in Subiaco.

Pell appointed Cardinal

Continued from Page 1

tinue to speak out publicly and privately to Australian leaders.

In response to questions about his style, Cardinal Pell said “I preach the truths of the gospel without apology…I teach what the Second Vatican Council teaches. I don’t make up teachings. I stand with the Pope.

Dr Pell would not be drawn on speculating who he thought would be the new Pope.

Asked if he ever thought about how the Gospel can be made more relevant for the needs of contemporary people, Cardinal Pell replied it was something he constantly thought about.

“One great Protestant theologian last century, a man called Karl Barth, said that when you’re writing a sermon you should have the gospels in one hand and the newspaper in the other and I’m continually trying to present the age-old truths of Christianity in a way that modern people can understand them,” he said.

In response to a question on homosexuality, he said “ My compassion, my sympathy is extended to every group within the Catholic community and in the Australian community. I have to explain to all and try to follow myself the Christian moral teachings. Christ didn’t run around condemning people but he

did urge us to sin no more and he urged us to treat one another with respect and compassion.”

On the issue of married priests, he said the Catholic Church should not alter its stand.

He explained Anglican and Protestant faiths that permit their clergy to marry were often in a weaker pastoral situation then Catholicism.

Asked if he would use his promotion to reach out more to the people of other faiths including non-Christian faiths, Cardinal Pell said “I certainly am more than happy to continue to do that. I think mutual respect, tolerance, maintaining and building a cohesive Australian society, a multi-faith society, is a very important task for all leaders and for religious leaders too.”

Cardinal Pell said it had never been his ambition to be a cardinal, adding he was more than happy to be staying in Sydney.

Asked if there could ever be an Australian Pope, Cardinal Pell said “We could, but that’s highly unlikely.”

The Cardinal explained this was due to Australia’s small size, and our country’s proportionate number of Catholics. He added “We’ve got the Melbourne Cup in a month or so, and a little bit of form on a country course doesn’t signify that you should be a major challenger for the Melbourne Cup.”

The Cardinal said he would continue to preach every Sunday in the Cathedral, and to contribute his column in a Sunday newspaper.

He expressed concern at rising gambling rates in New South Wales, and the impact this had on families and individuals. Cardinal Pell also commented on the rising number of marriage breakdowns. He said it was a worry for spouses, children and decent people in general.

Cardinal Pell said “There are one hundred and nine cardinals who under eighty presently who would be able to vote in a conclave. There are thirty new cardinals and most of those are under the age of eighty.”

Cardinal Pell’s appointment means Australia could have three electors in the Papal Conclave if Pope John Paul II died before December (when Cardinal Edward Clancy turns 80), or next July (when Cardinal Edward Cassidy turns 80).

The College of Cardinals´ main role is to elect a new Pope following the death

or resignation of the incumbent. Only one Pope has ever resigned the papacy.

The Pope will formally elevate the group at a consistory on October 21. This will coincide with celebrations marking his 25th anniversary as Pope.

Archbishops from Nigeria, France, Sudan, Spain, Scotland, Brazil, Ghana, India, Croatia, Vietnam, Guatemala, Hungary, Canada, Italy, Switzerland, Belgium, Czech Republic, Poland, Mexico, Japan, Lagos and the United States were also elevated.

Australian Catholic Bishops Conference President, Archbishop Francis Carroll, welcomed the elevation of Archbishop George Pell to the College of Cardinals. Archbishop Carroll said it was an important day for the Church in Australia.

Archbishop Carroll said the announcement by Pope John Paul II of the new cardinal was not only a personal honour for the Archbishop, but one shared by the Archdiocese of Sydney and the whole Church in Australia.

“I have conveyed my congratulations and very best wishes to the cardinalelect on his appointment,” Archbishop Carroll said.

“The Church in Australia offers prayerful support to Cardinal Pell as he begins this new phase of his ministry.”

Archbishop Carroll said he looked forward to being in Rome next month for the Pope’s silver jubilee celebrations, at the conclusion of which the new cardinals would be installed.

More reports - Pages 12&13

Resisting trivialisation

St Brigid’s College

Lesmurdie, Western Australia

Applications are called for the position of

PRINCIPAL

Commencing 1st January 2004 (or by negotiation)

St Brigid’s College is owned by the Sisters of Mercy, West Perth and caters for over 1200 students, 150 of whom board at the College. The College is situated in the Darling Range 22 kilometres from Perth. It is a K-12 Campus; co-educational K-Year 7, girls only Years 8-12. At the heart of the College lies the heritage of the Sisters of Mercy – a celebration of the value and dignity of each person, a belief in the ability of all people to fulfill their potential and the gift of faith in facing the challenges of the future. St Brigid’s exists to provide for students a Christ-centred environment that:

● gives witness to the ethos of the Catholic faith and to the Spirit of Mercy

● encourages growth of the total person

● enables participation as positive, contributing members of the community. Due to the appointment of the current principal to the position of Deputy Director of Catholic Education in WA, committed and forward-thinking professionals are invited to apply for this position. The successful applicant will lead six others to form the Senior Leadership Team of this College in continuing to serve the needs of students.

- Cardinal George Pell speaking to media in Sydney, Monday 29 September

Applicants need to be actively involved in the Catholic Church and be experienced educators committed to the objectives and ethos of Catholic education. They will have the requisite theological, educational, pastoral and administrative competencies together with an appropriate four-year minimum tertiary qualification and will have completed Accreditation B or its equivalent. A current Police Clearance/100 Point Identification Check must also be included. A Police Clearance consent Form is available from the Department of Education and Training website (www.eddept.wa.edu.au/HRRRecruitment/Do wnloads/PoliceClearance.pdf)

The official Application Form and relevant information are available from the College Website www.stbrigids.wa.edu.au or from the Principal’s Secretary.

Archbishop George Pell

Photo:CNS/Reuters

national gold coin appeal

Women

The growing numbers of dead and wounded from bomb and sniper attacks is an alarming sign of the continuing instability in Iraq. It is one of the many dangerous realities for the people of Iraq who also face shortages of water, food, shelter and medicine. Women and children are most at risk. Decades of insecurity have denied civilians, particularly women, access to the most basic resources for life. Civil unrest and lawlessness threaten their personal safety. Iraqis belonging to the generation aged 35 and under know no other life than war, trauma, poverty and violence. Too often it falls upon women to look after the survival of their family and community.

by Marianne Crowe

Women In Solidarity is the title of an appeal initiated by the Catholic Women’s League of Victoria and Wagga Wagga Inc to respond to the human sufferings endured by the women of Iraq. In conjunction with other Catholic Women’s organisations around Australia including WA, they have launched a National Gold Coin Appeal to take place around Australia in November.

The proceeds of the Gold Coin Appeal, Women In Solidarity will go directly to Caritas Australia, the Catholic aid and development agency, which through the Caritas Internationalis network, has a strong and enduring involvement in humanitarian programs in Iraq.

The Appeal will support the work of Caritas in health and nutrition programs especially among vulnerable groups such as pregnant women, nursing mothers and children. Care for malnourished, disabled and orphan children are some of the daily problems facing the women of Iraq. Caritas Iraq operates centres and medical clinics throughout the country with outreach centres for those displaced by the conflict.

The Gold Coin Appeal is a strong and practical expression of the desire of

The

“Acts of solidarity are more than just unilateral humanitarian acts of good intent... true humanitarianism recognises and expresses God’s universal plan for humanity”

- Pope John Paul II

Australian women to build a culture of peace through active solidarity with women in Iraq.

Noting Pope John Paul II’s words encouraging Australia to become an important agent for peace, this Appeal reflects his challenge to us that: “Acts of solidarity are more than just unilateral humanitarian acts of good intent... true humanitarianism recognises and expresses God’s universal plan for humanity.”

It is the hope of many Australians that our country will play a strong role in the rebuilding of a peaceful and prosperous Iraq. Inspired by the Easter Sunday initiative of the Commission for Australian Catholic Women “Creating a Culture of Peace”, a number of women’s organisations found that they could work together

Phone:

and with others to help foster action on faith life and women’s contribution to living with dignity and eliminating violence. This idea sprang from a meeting with the members of the Catholic Women’s League (CWL), Women and the Australian Church (WATAC) and the Australian Conference of Religious Institutes (ACLRI).

The Catholic Women’s League knows that Australians are noted for their generosity and solidarity with those in need and are confident that women, and all Australians, will support this Appeal to rebuild the lives of the people of Iraq.

For further information about the Women

In Solidarity Appeal contact: Catholic Women’s League on (08) 9328 4767 or Caritas Australia on (08) 9223 1311.

Photo:CNS

Students welcome Jesus

By Debbie Warrier

Our Lady of Mercy Primary School teachers and students had their new school chapel blessed on September 24. The event coincided with the feast day of Our Lady of Mercy. The Girrawheen school celebrated with a Mass, street procession and then a blessing of the Chapel.

Parish Priest Father Oliver Ryan told the children during the homily “Today is special. We are about to bring the Blessed Sacrament, the presence of Jesus, to your school.”

Fr Oliver compared the student body to “foot soldiers” and asked them to guard their new place of prayer.

He said “You must be great protectors of your Blessed Sacrament as it is a great privilege to have it. I know you will and your teachers will help you.”

Fr Ryan asked the students to promise to make Jesus welcome, and ensure the undisrupted peace of the Chapel. He led the students in prayer sealing this commitment.

“We must treasure the presence of the Eucharist at all times,” Fr Ryan concluded. After Mass, Year 1 teachers and students led Fr Oliver through the streets to the school grounds.

The school grounds were strewn with fresh rose petals scattered by some of the school’s Communicants. Students then

lined either side of the path to make way for the Blessed Sacrament borne by Fr Oliver to the Chapel.

Fr Oliver blessed the new Chapel with holy water during the ceremony. A semicircle of students formed a prayer guard around the Blessed Sacrament.

The conversion of a schoolroom to a

Chapel took two years, said Principal Stan Grabski. He emphasised the contributions from the school community in completing the project.

Year 5 teacher Mr Damien Wong decorated the Chapel’s interior with bright paintings of different Bible stories.

School groundsman Colin Brien made its

rustic benches, as well as painting the rest of the Chapel. The Chapel’s red lamp indicating Christ’s presence proved particularly hard to find but perseverance paid off.

Dominic Corbitt, whose wife Cathy teaches at the school, managed to locate one.

Mr Grabski said he thought the efforts of the Chapel Committee deserved special mention. Members included schoolteachers Tonina Capriott, Cathy Corbitt, Beppie DeKuyer and Loretta Hayes.

Speaking on behalf of other Committee members, Mrs Corbitt called the project a team effort.

She believes the Chapel will give the children an understanding of what a sacred place is.

“We wanted a place of stillness and silence amongst the business of school life.

The key thing is that the presence of the Eucharist will allow the children to develop a relationship with Jesus,” she said.

Year 7 students Nhat Nguyen, Marvin Crisafio, and Brett Charlesworth agreed the Chapel would be a welcome addition to their school.

They looked forward to having a peaceful place to pray.

Mr Grabski said “I hope the children will be prayerful in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament.”

He added that he was particularly pleased with the reverence the students showed during the procession.

Email: norbert@iinet.net.au

“Duc in altum!” – “Put out into the deep”. Pope John Paul II has chosen these words of Jesus as the watchword of the Church as she advances with a firm and confident step into the third millennium. Now he has shed new light on the Holy Rosary for us too, and has entrusted it to us as a priceless means of help as we venture forth into the “vast ocean” of the new millennium. By adding the five Luminous Mysteries the Holy Father has enriched our prayer life. The Rosary booklet contains all 20 mysteries as well as excerpts from the Holy Father’s apostolic letter Rosarium Virginis Mariae, scripture readings, meditations and prayers.

This booklet is intended not only for those who have already enjoyed a Christian upbringing, but also for all those who were deprived of this and are therefore unfamiliar with the great treasure that is the Rosary. This beautifully illustrated little booklet is now available fora donation of $3.00 (includes postage). Also available are the Papal Rosary beads. To obtain the Rosary booklet and the Vatican Rosary beads we ask fora donation of $15.00 (includes postage). All proceeds will go towards the work of Aid to the Church in Need for the persecuted and threatened Church worldwide.

Fr Oliver Ryan places Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament into the new chapel.

Photo:Debbie Warrier

Now it's Red Pell. The most controversial Catholic churchman in Australia for generations has been given the Cardinal's hat - and with it, formal recognition from the worldwide Catholic Church for his significance as a leader.Though no surprise, the promotion of Archbishop Pell to the status of prince of the Church invites reflection on the meaning of the career of this much talked-about man.

Even a Martian visitor doing an eight-day Kontiki tour of Australia would know who Cardinal Pell is. His words and actions are that widely reported in the media.

And that in itself is significant. After many years of becoming used to bland, retiring church leaders whose policy, consciously or inadvertently, seems to have been to stay out of the public spotlight as much as possible, Cardinal Pell has broken the mould.

He is a public figure, par excellence. Recalling just some of the many controversies to which he has been party in recent years highlights the fact.

The new Cardinal has forcefully held up the Catholic Church's teachings on sexual morality, marriage and divorce and the authority of the Pope. He has fronted the media repeatedly on the scandal of clergy abuse.

Though personally I find this one more

OpinionReflection &

&

Catholic opinions from around Australia

I Say, I Say....

difficult to get excited about, Cardinal Pell has also been prominent in the debate over whether Australia should be a Republic. I've always thought the republic v. monarchy debate a complete waste of time when there are far more important issues in the world.

But at least I recognise that it has been of some interest to Australia's idle classes in recent years.

And for that reason, Cardinal Pell's involvement in the republican debate must be listed as another significant example of his ability to attract attention not only to his own views, but also to the public importance of the Catholic Church.

There are many other issues on which Cardinal Pell has spoken out as well: e.g. asylum-seekers, war, taxation policy, immigration.

Much of this is in keeping with the general practice of other bishops today, who, though generally quieter than Cardinal Pell on most issues, at least recognise the importance of communicating through the media today.

What separates Pell from the rest, however, is his ability to consistently garner page one headlines and prime-time TV news spots - not to mention massive numbers of letters to the editors of secular newspapers - because of the particular style of his communication.

60,316 WA rosaries for John Paul II

By Debbie Warrier

Archbishop Barry Hickey will personally deliver a Rosary Spiritual Bouquet to the Pope of 60,316 rosaries which Western Australians prayed for the Holy Father.

Pope John Paul II will celebrate his 25th Jubilee Mass in St Peter’s square on October 16. Archbishop Hickey will be on pilgrimage in Rome and plans to present the special gift when he visits the pontiff.

Participants in the Rosary Bouquet came from many walks of life, including priests, religious, parishioners, schools and individuals, said Family Prayer Crusade Group Secretary Mr Fred Preshaw.

Mr Preshaw presented the Archbishop with a certificate commemorating the Rosary Bouquet at the Catholic Church Offices in Victoria Square in Perth last Thursday, September 25. The chairman of the prayer group, Tony Pitchford, also attended the ceremony.

Thanking both for the gift, the Archbishop said “I will take it personally to him because I’ll be there on pilgrimage for the Beatification of Mother Teresa.”

The Archbishop will depart on October 14 to personally escort an 18-day pilgrimage which begins in Rome. Also included in the tour will be visits to: San Giovanni Rotundo, Lanciano, Loreto, Assisi, Florence, Padua, Venice and a optional side trip to Medjugorie.

Mr Preshaw said Rosary bouquets given to the Pope in previous years for his 75th birthday and 20th Anniversary as Pope had inspired him. In addition, it is the Year of the Rosary.

“The Pope is dedicated to Our Lady and

says the daily Rosary. Those who participated can be assured he will be thrilled with their gift,” Mr Pitchford said.

Mr Preshaw explained the difference between the two Rosary bouquets conducted in Perth this year. The one in September 8 was in honour of Our Lady’s birthday, and is an annual event. It also attracts international and interstate participants. However the Rosary Bouquet for the Pope this year was conducted only within WA and is the third one of its kind from Western Australia.

Much of this is to do with his willingness to openly confront what is culturally, still, something of a no-go area in public conversation: sexual morality.

Why are all these things significant?

Leaving the particular questions at issue in each of these controversies aside, Cardinal Pell's public interventions are significant in a larger, general sense.

That is because they keep all Australians - and even any visitors who might be passing through -- in touch with the universal Church. I'm talking about both Catholic and non-Catholics here.

Controversy, in a media sense, often focuses on the views critical of Cardinal Pell when they are voiced by Catholics and dissident Catholics: take for example the comments on his promotion by Bishop Pat Power and by Michael Kelly of the Rainbow sash movement.

To a certain extent, such remarks are simply irrelevant. They are a case of people who are on the losing side within the Roman Catholic Church seeking to strengthen their position by going outside it for support.

Far more significant, I believe, is the impact Cardinal Pell has on non-Catholics and non-Christians.

Through his highly reportable style, he brings people who would otherwise have no awareness of Catholic teaching face to

A Call to Prayer

Sometimes we imagine that, unless we are reciting endless prayers we are not praying.

This is erroneous and does us no good. Jesus told us “In your prayers do not babble as the pagans do, for they think that by using many wotds they will make themselves heard.

Do not be tike them; your Father knows what you need beforc you ask him.”

Think of a child - and we have been told by Our Lord to emulate a little child. lt hurts itself and goes to its mother.

It doesn’t say ‘mummy, please clean up this cut. Put ointment on it and cover it with a bandage.” It simply says “Mummy, look”. The child knows its Mother will do what needs to be done without giving her instructions.

Calling all men

Is there really a God? The Disiciples of Jesus community in Perth is inviting men to begin searching for the answer by escaping the noise and oftenhectic nature of day to day life which often obscures the real meaning of life and attending a weekend in order to focus on what is really important: God. The weekend will be held at the Sacred Heart College Retreat Centre in Sorrento from Friday evening 24 October until midday on Sunday 26 October.

Those who are looking for meaning and how to become better men will have the opportunity to hear from others who have also searched for the truth of life. Talks and reflections will

with Paul Gray

face with what it means.

They may not understand that teaching fully -- even after hearing a blunt Pell oneliner on a topic like homosexuality. They may feel they do not like the Catholic teaching, in the same context.

But without Cardinal Pell's trademark style of talking about it very publicly, there would be many people in Australia who'd simply never know there is anything distinctive about Catholic teaching at all.

The Catholic Church is a missionary church. It's primary mission is not to preach to the converted, but to proclaim the gospel to the world.

However, only a fool would expect the world to accept the gospel instantly. Did Jesus, after all?

Uncharitable remarks are a fact of life, in this real world to which the Church is instructed to convey its message. When Catholics speak on sexual morality, for example, people who do not understand Church teaching sometimes say you must be from another planet.

This is the sort of reaction that Cardinal Pell provokes frequently with his media comments. From a Catholic point of view, this is actually a highly desirable reaction. It is far better, anyway, than letting people sleep on in the illusion that Catholicism is from this one.

One way of allowing Christ’s Peace to permeate our hearts is the way of Meditation or Contemplation We are all called to holiness, to union with God. For many, meditation is the missing contemplative dimension of much Christian life to-day.

It does not exclude other types of prayer and deepens one’s reverence for the sacraments and one’s reading of scriptures.

The way of the Benedictine monk Dom John Main, whhich has spread so throughout the world over the past 30-40 years, is a way of silnplicity, silence, stillness and trust.

If you would like to learn more about this way of simple prayer or would like to join one of the three groups which meet weekly at the home of Rosemary Chandler she can be contacted on (08) 9319 9560.

Meditators attend from as far east us Kensington and west to North Fremantle. The venue is easily reached, being just off the Canning Highway.

focus on self, the people in men’s lives and what each individual really believes. Topics to be covered on the weekend include:

How can I lead a more balanced and fulfilled life?

How can I be healed of my hurts?

How can I discover true freedom?

How can I have more meaningful relationships?

Is there really a God, and is He relevant to my life?

Attendance is cheap, just $60.00 for the weekend which includes all meals and accommodation.

Those who want to attend should bring sheets, a pillow, blankets, a towel and toiletries.

Anyone wanting further information can contact Joe D’Alessandro on 0411 887 474

Destined for the Pope: Archbishop Hickey accepts the rosary bouquet from Fred Preshaw.

Photo:Debbie Warrier

Controversial or conservative? Or Catholic?

The welcome appointment of Sydney Archbishop George Pell to the rank of Cardinal has confirmed once again the extreme difficulty the secular media have when it comes to reporting anything Catholic.

Almost immediately, the media rushed to their two favourite adjectives, controversial and conservative, and none of them ever seems to notice that, when speaking about a Cardinal, it is almost impossible for a person to be both. A conservative Cardinal would believe, teach and practise the Faith as it has been known for ages. There is no likelihood of anything controversial about that, unless that Faith is threatened.

It should not come as a surprise to anyone that such a cleric (or, indeed, any other) would refuse Communion to people who arranged media coverage and came distinctively dressed to his cathedral to attempt to commit a very public sacrilege against the Eucharist. It would only be controversial (and scandalous) if he gave them Communion.

The core of the problem is that journalists in general have almost no idea what it means to be Catholic – as an individual or as a Church. They inevitably see the Church as a social institution, not as a divine institution, and consequently they cannot recognise that its primary function is to protect and spread the truth of God’s revelation of Himself in the person of Jesus Christ. This truth about God and the associated truth about humanity is our hope here on earth and in eternity.

Best articles in a while

The best articles to appear in the Record for a long time are back to back on pages 13-14 of the September 11 edition. One is by an American Archbishop on celibacy and the other by Peter Sweeney on ‘we’re the best.’ In a period of knockers – who get all the headlines – especially in the secular press when they knock the Catholic Church – it is a great comfort to be told they are indeed the minority.

We need to read these encouragements these days to keep us on the path to God. Those two articles are so good I have sent them on to Australian Catholics as examples of what we want to read about.

Well done to The Record – you have given us some great reading in the past few months. I just wish more people would submit their ideas to ‘Around the Table.’

Malcolm Pritchard

Bunbury

My approach not the only one

Dear Mr Egan and readers of the Record: It is almost 20 years ago that I first came to Perth and would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued interest in my work and my programs. It is always a joy for me to come back to your beautiful city to share, to learn and to help make our world a better place.

The Catholic Church has been my home since birth and the Franciscan Order my family since l954. Both have nurtured and shaped me into the person I am.

I feel God has blessed me abundantly and that the Holy Spirit has led me to where I am at the present moment. My

POBox 75, Leederville, WA 6902

Tel:(08) 9227 7080, Fax: (08) 9227 7087 cathrec@iinet.net.au

It is not truth that is open to the whims of fashion or the demands of the blatantly immoral.

The difficulty for the secular media is that to report the Church from the perspective of the truths she stands for is to open the door to the possibility that the Church and what she teaches might be true. Even in a boastfully pluralist society which demands that the Church consider everybody else’s views, this possibility is altogether too much to consider.

“ F o r e x a m p l e , 2 5 p e r c e n t o f a l l h e l p f o r p e o p l e s u f f e r i n g b e c a u s e o f H I V / A I D S c o m e s f r o m C a t h o l i c C h u r c h a g e n c i e s , b u t i n t h e s e cu l a r m e d i a o n e i s o n l y l i k e l y t o r e a d t h a t t h e C h u r c h d o e s n o t d i s t r i b u t e c o n d o m s ”

The Greek philosophers before and after the time of Jesus considered it a great achievement to arrive at some knowledge of God by the power of the mind, but they did not like to think an awareness of the reality of God should require anything of them in terms of faith and morals. The pluralist philosophy has the same blind spot.

Christianity, on the other hand, accepts the obedience needed to serve God and particularly to serve him through our fellow man. Yet even in observing this philosophy in action, the secular media cannot see what is happening. Because of the size and scope of the Catholic Church – more than a billion people worldwide engaged in a vast array of activities – it is beyond their comprehension, so they retreat to virtually monosyllabic stereotypes.

The Church’s commitment to people in need is colossal and is reportable using ordinary journalistic techniques, but it seldom is. For example, 25 per cent of all help for people suffering because of HIV/AIDS comes from Catholic Church agencies, but in the secular media one is only likely to read that the Church does not distribute condoms.

Church workers, religious and lay, are involved in almost every kind of welfare, educational, social, health, economic and cultural program imaginable, with help provided regardless of race, colour and creed.

This massive organisation, dedicated to truth and the service of others, is an extraordinary display of human energy and achievement motivated by love of God and love of neighbour. It is led, inspired and sustained by the Pope, the

journey. This is the essence of life and our very purpose for existence. When my father, a life-long Catholic, became a Jehovah’s Witness, I felt that it was my duty to call him back to the Church. In the process, I violated the law of love and paid dearly. I learned very quickly that my father’s way was not mine. When I finally became preoccupied with loving, I lost the need to be “right”. Now I know that what the Holy Spirit is calling me to do is to share my journey with others BUT to allow each individual to pick up the responsibility of his/her own journey. My job is only to love everyone as they find their way. How else can peace become a reality?

Cardinals and the Archbishops and Bishops of the world, men whose qualities of heart and mind have led them to devote their lives to the service of God and man and whose abilities have led to their being given heavy responsibilities.

Even an atheist might pause to think that, human frailty accepted, they are people of considerable intelligence, learning and practical talent, not to mention, moral and spiritual depth. However, the secular media. rushed to their clichés and their barren critics when Cardinal Pell’s appointment was announced.

The attempt to brand Cardinal-elect Pell negatively was blithely translated to the other 29 new Cardinals, to the current Pope and to his alleged desire to control who succeeds him. This is mind-numbing ignorance by journalists who almost certainly have never met any of the new Cardinals and have no idea of their achievements or why they have been appointed. The fact that they come from nine European countries, the US, Canada, Mexico, Guatemala, Brazil, Japan, India, Vietnam, Nigeria, Sudan, Ghana and Australia ought to be enough to lead any journalist to pause and think before branding them all as of the same kind. Men who have risen to positions of leadership and responsibility among so many diverse communities should give a thinking person at least a hint of the remarkable intellectual, moral and spiritual vitality to be found at the heart of the Catholic Church.

Our job is to pray for the conversion of all journalists, but in the meantime we could pray that they simply improve their journalism.

versa, but we are all mature enough to listen to what is said, then reject what does not appeal to us, accept what does, and forget the rest.

However, please allow us the courtesy of being able to reason enough to accept or reject according to our own conscience and faith maturity.

I am sure Fr Justin Belitz is only speaking from purity of heart in his endeavours to help people with their understanding of God and our individual development. I would also have thought that if there was a serious threat in hearing him speak, then higher authorities than Richard Egan would have spoken by now.

heart sings in the words of our Holy Father St. Francis: “Praise and bless my Lord, and give him thanks, and serve him with great humility.”

Francis came onto the world scene when things were much the same as now – great change in the world and in the Church. Not wishing more than to follow the crucified Christ and to help others through life’s challenges, Francis assisted the Church and his world to find their way back to God and to peace.

My work, in this day and age, is to do the same – simply help people to find their way to God and to inner peace (therefore the week-end retreat that I am giving at Peace Be Still and the Parish Retreat at St. Francis Xavier Church in Armadale).

I certainly do not believe that my Franciscan approach is the only way. For 2000 years the Church has supported many diverse approaches to spirituality, recognising that we are all individual and unique and that each of us must follow our personalised journey directed by the Holy Spirit.

All the years I have been teaching, I have told my students: “take what you can use and leave the rest.” The important thing is to know where YOU are going, but above all else generate love as you make your

It is enough for me to know that I am in good standing in the Order and in the Church and that I can, if I so choose, radiate God’s love wherever I go as Jesus and Francis did.

I thank all of you who have shared how my work has helped you and pray that together we can all BE God’s Presence in our troubled and war-torn world. God bless us all on our individual journeys!!!

Fr Justin Belitz Chittering

Judge not...

Regarding the claims by Richard Egan that The Record does Catholics a disservice in recommending people to go and hear Fr Justin Belitz speak at a mission in Armadale next week, I feel that Richard Egan does not only me, but others in our community, a great disservice in judging that we are not capable of sorting the chaff from the wheat.

Our Adult Faith Development group presents many speakers with a wide and varied spectrum on views of life. They all speak on how we can best obtain what is needed for our own particular lifestyle and the way we will serve our Lord and his people.

Obviously, what will touch and speak to one person will not do another and vice

In the 30 odd years we have been in Armadale, we have been blessed with priests who have taught us wisely and well. Perhaps I could finish with those classic words: “judge not, lest you yourself be judged.”

Margaret Landwehr

Armadale

Celibacy

F or some time I have been rather concerned with the two differing attitudes shown by the Church to the matter of celibacy and parish priests.

On one hand for those with the vocation to the priesthood and studying via the seminaries, celibacy is a definite pre-requisite.

On the other hand, if an Anglican priest with wife and family wishes to enter the Catholic Church, (and a number have over the years, and rendered valuable service), they are required to be involved in more study and then are ordained and accepted for parish work complete with wife and children.

There are examples of this in the Bunbury Diocese and the Perth Archdiocese, and I would have no problems at all in accepting one of these men as my parish priest. WA has lost many excellent priests over the years because they felt alone and needed someone in the

All generations shall call me blessed

The Pope's lifelong devotion to the Virgin Mary is fundamental to his ministry

By John Norton, Rome

Last year, as he began the 25th year of his papacy, Pope John Paul II publicly entrusted himself and the church to the Virgin Mary, again displaying a lifelong personal devotion that he sees as fundamental to his ministry.

"I place everything into her hands so that with the love of a mother she will present it to her son," the Pope said in St. Peter's Square in October 2002. "I also entrust my future to her."

He underscored his message by releasing an apostolic letter on the Marian devotion of the rosary, calling it his "favourite prayer." The letter proposed the addition of new contemplative themes to the centuries-old prayer and announced a "year of the rosary" to help Catholics rediscover its spiritual richness.

Throughout his pontificate, the Pope has shown a devotion to Mary that seamlessly integrates popular piety, theological scholarship and the expression of a personal, human relationship with the mother of God.

As a young boy in Poland, the future pontiff -- whose mother died when he was 9- prayed daily to Mary in his parish church and first donned the brown scapular, which he wears even today under his white pontifical robes. As a teenager he dedicated his life to her during a visit to the Marian shrine at Jasna Gora in Czestochowa, Poland.

As a theologian, he wrote about Mary as a mother figure who could unite all people. As a bishop and later as Pope, he chose as his motto "Totus Tuus," Latin for "completely yours," and addressed it to Mary.

When elected Pope in 1978, he spoke of Mary in his first speech, saying he had accepted the office of the papacy in a spirit of humility to Christ and in "complete trust in his most holy mother, the Madonna."

As Pope, he dedicated the world to Mary during a specially proclaimed Marian year, travelled to Marian shrines around the globe, and wrote an encyclical exalting Mary's place in the church. He began leading the rosary on the first Saturday of each month at the Vatican. During a jubilee year ceremony in 2000 with bishops from around the globe, he renewed his entrustment of the world to Mary's care.

After he was shot and seriously wounded on May 13, 1981 -- the feast of Our Lady of Fatima -- he thanked Mary for having guided the bullet and saved his life. His certainty that he owed his life to Mary became clearer when he ordered the third secret of Fatima published in 2000; it spoke of a "bishop in white" falling down in a hail of gunfire, which Vatican officials said could be interpreted as referring to the assassination attempt.

The Pope beatified two of the three Fatima children whose visions of Mary in 1917 included the three secrets. In 2002, he went to Mexico to canonise Juan Diego, the visionary of Our Lady of Guadalupe.

The Pope has called Marian shrines worldwide a "geography of the faith," and made an effort to visit them in each of his foreign travels. Rarely does a day of public activities go by in which the Pope does not mention Mary or her role in the church. In 1995, he began a series of weekly audience talks on the Virgin; it lasted more than two years. At that time, the Pope's high praise for Mary and his statement that "Mary's place is highest after Christ" prompted speculation that he might be preparing to name Mary "corredemptrix" (co-redeemer). At the Vatican's request, an international theological commission studied that question in 1996 and unanimously voted against such a move. The Pope accepted the recommendation.

Marianist Father Johann G. Roten, direc-

tor of the International Marian Research Institute at the University of Dayton, Ohio, said the Pope's personal devotion to Mary also has helped spark a church-wide grassroots revival of classical devotions that fell out of favour in the immediate aftermath of the Second Vatican Council.

"He somehow lends his authority as Pope, but also as a human being, to the value and importance of those devotional practices," said Father Roten, who said he receives hundreds of e-mails a month expressing interest in traditional Marian devotions.

"We see this Pope who has written books, has been a teacher of philosophy and theology, and at the same time has a very simple, straightforward, almost youthful piety," he said. Father Roten said the Pope's 1987

encyclical, "Redemptoris Mater" ("Mother of the Redeemer"), has had "quite an impact" on Marian theological studies, particularly because of its emphasis on the human and maternal presence of Mary in the church.

In contrast to some past interpretations of Mary as a more abstract "mirror image of Christ," the encyclical describes her as a ellow believer "who reacts to Jesus Christ in loving obedience" and thus is a "model of faith" for all believers, Father Roten said. He also noted that over the years the Pope has adopted the phrase "entrustment" to Mary rather than using the more traditional word "consecration." This is a conscious decision to use a word that has more personal overtones, Father Roten said. - CNS

Praying the Rosary

1. While holding the crucifix, make the Sign of the Cross and say the Apostles’ Creed.

2. On the first bead and all the single beads, say an Our Father.

3. Pray one Hail Mary on each of the next three beads for an increase in faith, hope, and charity.

4. On the next single bead, pray the Glory Be.

5. Before praying the next set of ten beads (called a decade), first meditate on the first mystery. Announce the mystery, imag-

ine the event, and begin to meditate on it by itself or in association with whatever matter the mystery brings to your heart.

6. Pray an Our Father.

7. Pray a Hail Mary on the first bead of the decade, and on each following bead.

8. After praying the decade, pray the Glory Be.

You may also want to add the Fatima invocation.

9. Reflect on the second mystery, then pray an Our Father on the next single bead.

10. Pray the Hail Mary on the next ten beads. Repeat the sequence around the rosary.

11. At the end of the last decade, pray the Hail Holy Queen.

Prayers to Our Lady Hail, Holy Queen

Hail, holy Queen, Mother of mercy, hail, our life, our sweetness and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve: to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious Advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us, and after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus, O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Amen.

O Virgin Immaculate, Mother of God and My Mother

O Virgin Immaculate, Mother of God and my Mother, from your sublime heights turn your eyes of pity on me.

Filled with confidence in your goodness and knowing full well your power, I beg you to ex end to me your assistance in the journey of life, which is so full of dangers for my soul. In order that I may never be a slave of the devil through sin, but may ever live with my heart humble and pure, I entrust myself wholly to you.

I consecrate my heart to you forever, my only desire being to love your divine Son, Jesus. Mary, none of your devout servants has ever perished; may I, too, be saved. Amen.

What Vatican II said about Mary

When the Vatican fathers gathered to write their dogmatic constitution of the Church, Lumen Gentium, they had some beautiful things to say about the Mother of God as the excerpts below from Chapter 8 of the document prove.

The Virgin Mary, who at the message of the angel received the Word of God in her heart and in her body and gave Life to the world, is acknowledged and honoured as being truly the Mother of God and of the redeemer. Redeemed, in a more exalted fashion, by reason of the merits of her Son and united to him by a close and indissoluble tie, she is endowed with the high office and dignity of the Mother of the Son of God, and therefore she is also the beloved daughter of the Father and the temple of the Holy Spirit. Because of this gift of sublime grace she far surpasses all creatures, both in heaven and on earth. But, being of the race of Adam, she is at the same time also united to all those who are to be saved; indeed, “she is clearly the mother of the members of Christ since she has by her charity joined in bringing about the birth of believers in the Church, who are members of its head.” Wherefore she is hailed as pre-eminent and as a wholly unique member of the Church, and as its type and outstanding model in faith and charity. The Catholic Church taught by the Holy Spirit, honours charity. The Catholic Church taught by the Holy Spirit, honours her with filial affection and devotion as a most beloved.

This union of the mother with the Son in the work of salvation is made manifest from the time of Christ’s virginal conception up to his death; first when Mary, arising in haste to go to visit Elizabeth, is greeted by her as blessed because of her belief in the promise of salvation and the precursor leaped with joy in the womb of his mother (cf. Lk. 1:41-45); then also at the birth of Our Lord, who did not diminish his mother’s virginal integrity but sanctified it, the Mother of God joyfully showed her first-born Son to the shepherds and the Magi: when she presented him to the Lord in the temple, making the offering of the poor, she heard Simeon foretelling at the same time that her Son would be a sign of contradiction and that a sword would pierce the

mother’s soul, that out of many hearts thoughts might be revealed (cf. Lk. 2:3435); when the child Jesus was lost and they had sought him sorrowing, his parents found him in the temple, engaged in the things that were his Father’s, and they did not understand the words of their Son. His mother, however, kept all these things to be pondered in her heart (cf. Lk. 2:41-S1).

W h e r e f o r e s h e i s h a e d a s p r e - e m i n e n t a n d a s a w h o l l y u n i q u e m e m b e r o f t h e C h u r c h a n d a s t s t y p e a n d o u t s t a n d i n g m o d e l i n f a t h a n d c h a r t y

In the public life of Jesus, Mary appears prominently; at the very beginning when at the marriage feast of Cana, moved with pity, she brought about by her intercession the beginning of miracles of Jesus the Messiah (cf. Jn. 2:1-11 ).

In the course of her Son’s preaching she received the words whereby, in extolling a kingdom beyond the concerns and ties of flesh and blood, he declared blessed those who heard and kept the word of God (cf. Mk. 3:35; par. Lk. 11:2727) as she was faithfully doing (cf. Lk. 2:19; S1). Thus the Blessed Virgin advanced in her pilgrimage of faith, and faithfully persevered in her union with her Son unto the cross, where she stood, in keeping with the divine plan, enduring with her only begotten Son the intensity of his suffering, associated herself with his sacrifice in her mother’s heart, and lovingly consenting to the immolation of this victim which was born of her. Finally, she was given by the same Christ Jesus dying on the cross as a mother to his disciple, with these words: “Woman, behold thy son” (Jn. 19:2~27.

T his motherhood of Mary in the order of grace continues uninterruptedly from the consent which she loyally gave at the Annunciation and

which she sustained without wavering beneath the cross, until the eternal fulfilment of all the elect. Taken up to heaven she did not lay aside this saving office but by her manifold intercession continues to bring us the gifts of eternal

salvation. By her maternal charity, she cares for the brethren of her Son, who still journey on earth surrounded by dangers and difficulties, until they are led into their blessed home. Therefore the Blessed Virgin is invoked in the Church under the titles of Advocate, Helper, Benefactress, and Mediatrix. This, however, is so understood that it neither takes away anything from nor adds anything to the dignity and efficacy of Christ the one Mediator. No creature could ever be counted along with the Incarnate Word and Redeemer; but just as the priesthood of Christ is shared in various ways both by his ministers and the faithful, and as the one goodness of God is radiated in different ways among his creatures, so also the unique mediation of the Redeemer does not exclude but rather gives rise to a manifold cooperation which is but a sharing in this one source. The Church does not hesitate to profess this subordinate role of Mary, which it constantly experiences and recommends to the heartfelt attention of the faithful, so that encouraged

by this maternal help they may the more closely adhere to the Mediator and Redeemer.

M

ary has by grace been exalted above all angels and men to a place second only to her Son, as the most holy mother of God who was involved in the mysteries of Christ: she is rightly honoured by a special cult in the Church. From the earliest times the Blessed Virgin is honoured under the title of Mother of God, whose protection the faithful take refuge together in prayer in all their perils and needs.

Accordingly, following the Council of Ephesus, there was a remarkable growth in the cult of the People of God towards Mary, in veneration and love, in invocation and imitation, according to her own prophetic words: “all generations shall call me blessed, because he that is mighty hath done great things to me” (Lk 1:48). This cult, as it has always existed in the Church, for all its uniqueness, differs essentially from the cult of adoration, which is offered equally to the Incarnate Word and to the Father and the Holy Spirit, and it is most favourable to it. The various forms of piety towards the Mother of God, which the Church has approved within the limits of sound and orthodox doctrine, according to the dispositions and understanding of the faithful, ensure that while the mother is honoured, the Son through whom all things have their being (cf. Col. 1:15-16) and in whom it has pleased the Father that all fullness should dwell (cf. Col. 1:19) is rightly known, loved and glorified and his commandments are observed.

I n the meantime the Mother of Jesus in the glory which she possesses in body and soul in heaven is the image and beginning of the Church as it is to be perfected in the world to come. Likewise she shines forth on earth, until the day of the Lord shall come (cf. 2 Pet. 3:10), a sign of certain hope and comfort to the Pilgrim People of God.

Enemy of the

In recent years Pope John Paul II has asked Vatican staff to look for examples of holinessespecially lay men and women - who the Church may one day officially declare to be saints.Here, Per th writer BARRY MORGAN, looks at Nikolaus Gross,beatified by the Pope in 2001.

In April 1945, deep in the bowels of their massive underground bunker, Hitler and the remnants of his regime committed suicide. Thwarted in their insane ambitions, Nazism’s creators, like a cornered scorpion, self-destructed. For them life had truly ended. What awaited them after death can only be speculated upon.

For one of their victims, a fellow German murdered by the Nazi machine less than three months earlier, life had just begun; an eternity of ecstasy, the unimaginable joy of possession by God.

There could not be a stronger contrast between the two fates.

On January 23, 1945 Nikolaus Gross, committed Catholic, loving husband, father and dedicated worker, was hanged by the Nazis in Berlin Plotzensee. His crime –believing that his Christian responsibility to do good often meant confronting evil, even at the risk of personal cost to himself.

On October 2, 2001, Pope John Paul 11 announced the beatification of Gross as a martyr of the Catholic Church.

Fifty-eight years after the Nazis attempted to annihilate his memory, cremating his corpse and scattering his ashes over sewage, he is remembered. God, through his Church, never forgets his own.

The Nazis may have destroyed Gross’s body but they could not erase the memory of his life; a life of humble service to God and his fellow man. Part of the reason Gross’s story lives on is because of the letter he wrote on January 21, two days before his execution, to his wife and family:

“Dearest mother! My dearest and good children, it is the day of St Agnes that I write this letter… Before me stand your pictures and I look into each well known face for a long time. How much I would have liked to do for you – the Lord has arranged it differently.”

Despite harassment over a period of years, eventual arrest, imprisonment and torture, a sham trial and the knowledge that he was about to be executed, nowhere in Gross’s letter is there a hint of self-pity or even what might be called understandable outrage at the injustice of his treatment.

“How good is the Lord and how rich has He made my life. He gave me His love and grace and He gave me a loving wife and good children. Do I not owe

Him lifelong thanks?”

Nikolaus Gross, the son of a colliery blacksmith, was born on the 30th September 1898 near the city of Essen. He attended the local Catholic school until the age of 14 when he began work, firstly in a plate-rolling mill and later as a grinder.

From there he moved underground to a coal mine where he worked for five years in the dirty and dangerous job as a face worker. Even today, underground mine work is hard and dangerous, where despite all the safety procedures injuries and fatalities still occur. In the early part of the 20th century it was even more so.

In 1917 Gross joined the Christian Miner’s Trade Union, and in 1918 the Centre Party, which was the Catholic political party. In 1919 he joined the St Anthony’s Miners Association (KAB), a major Catholic voice within the German trade union movement.

Despite the hours of hard work and pressures associated with his trade union activities, he continued part-time studies in higher education.

When he was 22 he became the union’s youth Secretary and a year later the assistant editor of the union newspaper The Miner

From what he has written it is obvious that very little of his advancement, if any of it, was centred in personal ambition. Rather it sprang from his desire to serve God, through daily contact with those he

met. In 1943 he wrote, “The majority of great achievements come into being through the daily performance of one’s duties in the little things of everyday routine. Our special love here is for the poor and the sick”. His union work involved considerable travel until finally he settled in Bottrop, in

“As Catholic workers we reject Nazism, not only for political and economic reasons, but decisively also, resolutely and clearly, on account of our religious and cultural attitude”

the Ruhr valley in the Diocese of Essen. Now married, he and his wife Elizabeth established themselves there to rear their seven children. His devotion to his wife and family comes through strongly in his final letter.

“Be thanked my dear ones for everything you have done for me. And forgive me if I hurt you or if I fulfilled my obligations badly to you. Especially you, dear mother, I have to give thanks. As we said our last goodbyes to each other a few days ago, I returned to my cell thanking God from the bottom of my heart for your Christian strength.”

In 1927 he was made Assistant Editor of the KAB’s newspaper, the West German Worker’s Newspaper, and shortly after its Editor in Chief. Through the paper’s editorials and columns he worked to give guidance to the workers on social and labour questions, always emphasisng that spiritual reform was an essential prerequisite to the solution of political and social problems. In this he was largely repeating the great German Bishop Ketteler (1811– 1877) who had insisted that social reform had to begin with internal regeneration of the soul.

At a time of great social upheaval, Ketteler had played a vital role in

Elisabeth and Nikolaus Gross early in their marriage.

The Gross children in 1942: Alexander, left, Marianne, Leni, Berny, Liesel, Klaus and Bernard.

Photos:www.bistum-essen.de

Photos:www.bistum-essen.de

State

Germany’s social development; resisting both state and capitalist monopoly.

He had often used his authority to speak out on social questions and, as a fierce opponent of both political and capitalist absolutism, had been a strong supporter of the rights of the workers.

By 1929 Nikolaus had moved to Cologne into Ketteler House.

From here he continued in the tradition of its namesake to educate the workers that spiritual reform was essential for true social reform.

It was a period of immense social and political upheaval. Germany’s humiliating defeat in the First World War and its subsequent declining industry and rising unemployment was fracturing German social cohesion. Feeding on this, Hitler and the Nazis had been steadily increasing their influence and power.

Seeing them in their true light Gross described them at the time as “mortal enemies of the present state”, and in a September 14 editorial in 1930 wrote “As Catholic workers we reject Nazism, not only for political and economic reasons, but decisively also, resolutely and clearly, on account of our religious and cultural attitude”.

Three years later Hitler came to power and the Nazis began stifling the German people’s freedom.

One of their first acts was to ban legitimate trade unions and replace them with their sham Labour Front, whose leader Robert Ley quickly condemned the KAB newspaper as “hostile to the state”.

The following years were a tense and difficult time for Gross as he struggled, against increasing Nazi repression, to keep the newspaper (renamed Ketteler’s Watch) going.

Finally in November 1938 during the infamous Kristallnacht uprising, when Hitler’s brownshirts smashed and looted their way through Berlin, the paper was banned.

Throughout all his trials as the situation worsened Nikolaus Gross’ faith never faltered. During 1940 he had to endure frequent house searches and numer-

ous harsh interrogations. With the paper closed down he simply turned to producing pamphlets to strengthen the faith of the workers. Two of his writings, The Great Tasks and Is Germany Lost? eventually fell into the hands of the Gestapo and were used in the evidence for his prosecution.

One of the worker’s chaplains Mgr Caspar Schulte recalled his admiration for Gross in his memoirs. After cautioning Gross that he was risking his life, Gross told the priest: “If we do not risk our life today, how do we then want one day to justify ourselves before God and our people”?

In 1943 Gross wrote, “If a generation must pay the highest price, death, for its short life, we look for the answer in ourselves in vain.”

“We find it only in Him, in whose hands we are safe in life and in death… If we know the best thing in us, the soul, is immortal, then we also know that we shall meet each other again”.

The abortive assassination attempt on Hitler, in July 1944 set the Nazis on a course of revenge and retribution.

Although not involved in the plot, Gross was arrested and imprisoned in Berlin-Tegel penitentiary. The presiding judge’s final remarks revealed the real reason for his execution: “He swam along in treason and consequently had to drown in it”.

The prison chaplain, Fr Peter Bucholz, who blessed him on his final walk, said, “His face seemed already illuminated by the glory into which he was getting ready to enter”.

The last lines of Nikolaus’s final letter to his family are poignant:

“In the love of Christ, which redeemed us and which is our hope I bless you: you, dearest mother, you Klaus, you Berni, you Marrianne and you Elizabeth, you Alexander, you Bernard and you Leni. God reward you for all the love you have shown me. In confidence of His love and goodness I hope for an eternal reunion in his kingdom.”

NIKOLAUS GROSS (1898- 1945)

TIME: LIFE EVENTS:

Sept 30 1898Gross born in Niederwenigern near the City of Essen

1905 – 1912Attends the local Catholic School

1912 – 1917Works as an underground coal miner, also completes higher education.

1917 Joins Christian Miners’ Trade Union.

1918 Joins Centre Party (the Catholic political party).

1919 Joins St Anthony’s Miners Association (union for Catholic miners and a major Catholic voice).

1920Becomes secretary for youth in the union.

1921 Becomes assistant editor of the union newspaper Bergknappe (“The Miner”). His work takes him around Germany, until he settles in Bottrop in the Rhur Valley, now the Diocese of Essen. He marries Elizabeth Koch from Niederwenigern and the couple have seven children.

1927Becomes assistant editor of the Westdeuteutsche Arbeiterzeitung or the West German Worker’s newspaper, and soon becomes its editor-inchief.

1940House searches by Nazis

1943Writes Doctrine of faith.

1944Although not connected, arrested August 12 over alleged involvement in assasination plot against Hitler

1945Hanged January 23

Adolf Hitler shakes hands with Bishop Ludwig Muller, appointed leader of the Reich Church in 1933.

CNS photo courtesy Journey Films

Cardinals date back to the early centuries

ROME, (Zenit) - The history of cardinals dates back to the early organisation of the Apostle Peter’s diocese.

The institution of the cardinalate dates back to the fourth century. At first they were counsellors and collaborators of the pope at the service of a church or deaconry. Later, they were at the service of titular churches of Rome and of the most important churches of the world.

The College of Cardinals was formed in 1150, with a cardinal dean, who is the bishop of Ostia and the Camerlengo, who on the death of the pontiff has the administration of the affairs of the Holy See, the Pontifical Yearbook explains.

Since 1059, the cardinals are the exclusive electors of the Pope. In the 12th century, cardinals began to be named who were prelates in residence outside of Rome.

From the 13th to the 15th centuries, the number of cardinals was usually not over 30. The number was fixed by Sixtus V at 70: six cardinalbishops, 50 cardinal-priests, and 14 cardinal-deacons.

In the private consistory of December 15, 1958, Pope John XXIII departed from the number of cardinals established by Sixtus V and confirmed by the 1917 Code of Canon Law.

In 1962 John XXIII established that henceforth all cardinals were to be bishops.

Pope Paul VI determined the place of the Eastern patriarch within the College of Cardinals with the document Ad Purpuratorum Patrum in 1965.

With Ingravescentem

Aetatem in 1970, the same Pope established that when cardinals reached the age of 80, they ceased to be members of the dicasteries of the Roman Curia and of all the permanent organisations of the Holy See and of Vatican City State. They also become ineligible to elect a pope and to enter the conclave.

In the secret consistory of 1973, Paul VI established that the maximum number of cardinals with the right to elect the Pontiff be set at 120.

Pope John Paul II reconfirmed this directive in the apostolic constitution Universi Dominici Gregis in 1996.

The cardinals belong to various Roman dicasteries.

Those who live in Rome, even if outside Vatican City, enjoy the same rights and privileges of citizenship as those who live inside the world’s smallest state.

International - The New Cardinals

Catholic news from around the world

Pope adds new perspectives, voices to group selecting his successor

By John Thavis

Pope John Paul II’s latest cardinal appointments added new perspectives and new voices to the international group that someday will elect his successor.

The Pope named 30 cardinals — plus announced one whose name was kept secret — and will induct them into the College of Cardinals during a consistory on October 21. Twenty-six of the new appointees are under age 80 and thus eligible to vote in a conclave.

One of the most striking things about the new batch of cardinals is their diversity of experience. They include 19 residential archbishops working on every continent, in social contexts that present huge challenges: poverty in Ghana, political tension in Guatemala, interreligious pressures in India, lingering church-state hostilities in Vietnam, civil war in Sudan and ethnic conflict in Nigeria.

Several of the appointees clearly reflect the Pope’s doctrinal and pastoral positions on controversial issues.

For example, Cardinal-designate George Pell of Sydney, Australia, has strongly defended priestly celibacy, has refused Communion to members of a gay rights group, has blamed the media in part for the “culture of death” in modern society, and has ordered a more prayer-focused program of formation in his seminaries.

But the new cardinals do not hold uniform opinions.

Cardinal-designate Keith O’Brien of St Andrews and Edinburgh, Scotland, said recently that while priestly celibacy is a gift to the church he would have “no problem with celibacy withering away.”

At a 1999 Synod of Bishops, he said the Roman Curia “lobby” had effectively blocked discussion about a married clergy.

Several of the new cardinals seem to have made an impression with the Pope and his aides during synods at the Vatican. Indian Cardinal-designate

Interesting mix

Telesphore Toppo of Ranchi, a relatively small archdiocese, stood up at a 1990 synod and said “hard work” was a fact of life for dedicated priests — and added that they should always wear clerical garb, even in predominantly non-Christian societies like India.

At a synod in 2001, he again caught people’s attention when he said bishops need to live with the poor in the style of Jesus. That would be a prophetic step that could start a revolution and attract many Asians to the Gospel, he said.

Sometimes the “red hat” helps bolster the standing of bishops thrust into difficult political roles. That’s the case in Guatemala, where Cardinaldesignate Rodolfo Quezada Toruno of Guatemala City has promoted a national unity dialogue and sharply challenged authorities to provide answers to the 1998 slaying of Auxiliary Bishop Juan Gerardi Conedera of Guatemala City.

One of the least-expected nominations was that of Cardinal-designate Peter Turkson of Cape Coast, Ghana. The young archbishop impressed people in Rome in 1994 when he said the church should pay more attention to the “signs and wonders” of the faith and not limit its teaching

to “books and catechisms.” He encouraged a rediscovery of the Christian ministry of healing.

Far from a monolithic lineup, then, the list of new cardinals is an interesting mix. As a whole, the College of Cardinals now represents 69 countries, a wide geographical spread.

The idea of national or regional “voting blocs” in a future conclave may be outmoded, given the realities of the modern church. But in any case, the latest appointments did little to change the internal balance among voting-age cardinals.

Europeans would still dominate a conclave, with 66 electors out of 135. Italians have the biggest single bloc, with 23 electors — 17 percent of the total, compared to 23 percent at the last conclave in 1978.

With 24 cardinal-electors, Latin America would have 17.8 percent of the total in a conclave. That percentage has slipped somewhat since the last consistory in 2001.

Asia and Africa have 13 cardinal-electors each, and North America now has 14. The U.S. contingent of 11 voting-age cardinals would remain the second-largest after Italy.

Although the Pope named seven Roman Curia officials as new cardinals, that group is losing numbers as a bloc in a

Vietnam refuses recognition

Vietnam refused to recognise John Paul II’s appointment of a new cardinal for Ho Chi Minh City, the Associated Press reported.

Archbishop Jean-Baptiste Pham Minh Man was chosen on Sunday as one of 31 cardinals.

Officials at the Vietnamese Government Committee for Religious Affairs, however, said today that the Vatican did not seek permission to elevate the Archbishop and they were unaware of the appointment, AP said.

An official, who spoke on condi-

tion of anonymity, said the government has asked the Vietnamese Embassy in Rome to investigate and that Prime Minister Phan Van Khai would be informed. The official added that the issue could create problems between Vietnam and the Vatican.

An official in Rome who spoke on condition of anonymity told the AP that the Vatican never seeks permission regarding appointments of cardinals and that nominations are entirely up to the Pope. Vietnam tightly controls religion, AP noted.

Archbishop Man

future conclave. The number of curial cardinals is now 34, about 25 percent of the total.

Over the next year, five of those cardinals will turn 80 and drop off the list of electors.

Once again, the Pope showed no hesitation in exceeding the technical limit of 120 voting-age cardinals. He’s done it before, prompting some canon lawyers to suggest that a change in church rules was overdue. But the Pope, as the church’s supreme legislator, seems content to “derogate” or suspend the rule each time around.

The timing of the October consistory raised questions inside and outside the Vatican.

Most officials had expected the Pope to name new cardinals next February, well after the whirlwind celebrations for the Pope’s 25th anniversary were over and after the pontiff could make a series of expected appointments to key Vatican offices.

Instead, the consistory will be tacked on to the anniversary celebrations, making it one of the most intense periods of activity in this pontificate.

It was evident even as he announced the new cardinals his voice was hesitant and he seemed short of breath; he misstated the month of the consistory before correcting himself.

Alarm downplayed

Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger has asked Catholics to pray for Pope John Paul II, not out of any new sense of alarm but because the Holy Father continues to struggle with infirmity, the cardinal's personal secretary has said.

Monsignor Georg Ganswein told CNS that Cardinal Ratzinger told representatives of two German beer companies early last week that the Pope could not grant them a private audience because he's "in a bad way". The Cardinal was only saying “that the Pope is not well and speaks only with difficulty," Mgr Ganswein said.

Newly appointed Cardinals: Archbishops Toppo, left, and O’Brien.

Photo:CNS/Reuters

International News - The New Cardinals

Catholic news from around the world

First for Ghana Recognition for two priests

Ghana’s 1st Cardinaldesignate marvels at God’s “Timetable.”

John Paul II’s list of new cardinals includes the first one ever for Ghana.

“God must have a faster timetable than mine,” said the 54-year-old Archbishop Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson of Cape Coast, when he heard that the Pope named him to be a cardinal.

He recalled that in 1992, when he was working on his doctorate, the Pope named him as the Archbishop of Cape Coast in the west African nation. He was consecrated on March 27, 1993.

Four years later, though one of the youngest prelates, he was elected by his colleagues as president of the Ghana bishops’ conference.

“Now this morning, here I am being given this news, and the only thing I can do is to say, ‘Lord, have your way with me. Give me the ear and heart to go the way you want,” he said.

Cardinal-designate Turkson said the elevation would be the “recognition of the sacrifices of the early missionaries, the evangelising zeal of the clergy and the laity of the Church, past and present, and what all Catholics and believers in Ghana are doing to make God’s Kingdom present in our land and in our world.”

“In recognition of these manifold reasons for this [elevation] which I must represent in my person and apostolate, I pray that I may be found a faithful servant in God’s household, like Moses,” he added.

Cardinal-designate Turkson is a member of several Vatican bodies: the Methodist Catholic Dialogue (since 1997), the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity (since 2002) and the Pontifical Commission for the Cultural Goods of the Church (since 2002).

He is the treasurer of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), which is the continental body of bishops’ conferences in Africa.

In Ghana, he is the chancellor of the Catholic University College of Ghana. He is also a member of the University Council of the University of Ghana, Legon; the National Sustainable Development Council of the Ministry of Environment; the board of directors of the Central Regional Development Committee; and the board of trustees of the K omenda-Edina-Eguafo-Abrem Educational Fund.

After studies at St Teresa’s Minor Seminary at Amisano and St Peter’s Regional Seminary at Pedu, he was ordained as priest in July 1975 by Archbishop John Kodwo Amissah, whom he succeeded.

He did a licentiate at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome from 1976 to 1980, and then from 1987 to 1992, he studied for a doctoral degree at the same institute.

In addition to English and his native Fante, he also speaks French, Italian, German and Hebrew fluently, and has written knowledge of Latin and Greek.

The Cape Coast Archdiocese, which he heads, is the oldest in Ghana.

The Catholic faith arrived at Elmina in 1482.

This initial mission died off, until 1880 when Father Auguste Moreau and Eugene Murat, both of the Society of African Missions, reintroduced the faith.

Surprises in new list

John Paul II has always surprised observers when choosing new cardinals. His latest announcement is no exception.

Among the least expected names in the announcement of 31 new cardinals today is that of Archbishop Gabriel Zubeir Wako of Khartoum. For years Christians in Sudan have been victims of the civil war and Islamisation campaigns.

Nineteen of the cardinals-to-be announced by Pope John Paul II on September 28 are archbishops of major episcopal sees. Four are priests whom the Pope is acknowledging for their service to the Church.

Among the new cardinals, there are archbishops in the United States (1), Canada (1), Australia (1), Scotland (1), Mexico (1), India (1), Brazil (1), Guatemala (1), Spain (2), Nigeria (1), France (3), Sudan (1), Ghana (1), Croatia (1), Vietnam (1), Hungary (1), Japan (1) and Italy (6).

“All together, with the multiplicity of their services, they reflect the universality of the Church,” the Pope explained when mak-

ing the announcement just weeks before the 25th anniversary of his pontificate.

“Let us entrust the newly elected to the Holy Virgin, invoking her maternal protection on them and their respective tasks in the vineyard of the Lord,” the Holy Father prayed when announcing the consistory, which will take place two days after the beatification of Mother Teresa.

The College of Cardinals currently has 164 members, including 109 who are under age 80 and thus eligible to vote in a conclave for a new pope.

With the consistory, the number of cardinals eligible to vote would surpass the current limit of 120. In preceding consistories, the Holy Father has already surpassed the limit.

The cardinals-to-be who work in the Roman Curia are:

■ Archbishop Jean-Louis Tauran , Vatican secretary for relations with states (home country: France);

■ Archbishop Renato Martino, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace (Italy);

■ Archbishop Francesco Marchisano , president of the Pontifical Commission for the Cultural Goods of the Church (Italy);

■ Archbishop Julián Herranz of the Prelature of Opus Dei, president of the Pontifical Council for the Interpretation of Legislative Texts (Spain);

■ Archbishop Javier Lozano Barragán , president of the Pontifical Council for Health Care Workers (Mexico);

■ Archbishop Stephen Fumio Hamao , president of the Pontifical Council for Migrants and Travelers (Japan);

■ Archbishop Attilio Nicora, president of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Holy See (Italy).

There are also 19 pastors of as many local Churches. Their names are:

■ Archbishop Angelo Scola, patriarch of Venice, Italy;

■ Archbishop Anthony Olubunmi Okogie of Lagos, Nigeria;

■ Archbishop Bernard Panafieu of Marseilles, France;

■ Archbishop Gabriel Zubeir

Polish theologian also to get a red hat

Among the 31 new cardinals announced last Sunday by John Paul II is Monsignor Gustaaf Joos, a longtime friend from Belgium. Also destined for a red hat is a Polish theologian who taught at the same university as Karol Wojtyla.

In the case of the Belgian monsignor, the Holy Father is recognising the priest’s faithfulness to the Church, which the Pontiff has observed personally for almost 60 years.

Monsignor Joos, who will now receive episcopal ordination, was born in 1923, and was a classmate of Karol Wojtyla at the Belgian College in Rome between 1946-48.

At that time, young Father Joos was studying canon law, while Father Wojtyla was writing his doctoral thesis under the direction of Dominican Father Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange.

Monsignor Joos, who had three brothers who were priests, one of whom was a missionary in Japan, maintained throughout the years his close friendship with his Polish friend.

When Karol Wojtyla was named archbishop of Krakow and later elected Pope, the two friends continued to see each other at least once a

year. After being professor at a centre for seminarians who were doing their military service, Father Joos became a professor of moral theology and canon law at Gand Seminary. He has also been judicial vicar of the diocese.

Despite his age, Monsignor Joos continues to work actively in the ecclesiastical court of Amberes court of appeal, and is parish priest of Landskouter, some 20 kilometres (12 miles) from Gand.

Canon Styts said Monsignor Joos enjoys good health and was more surprised than any one else by his appointment.

Another new cardinal-designate is Polish theologian Father Stanislas Nagy, whom John Paul II meets often, especially on holidays.

Father Nagy, 82, of Krakow, is a specialist in moral theology. He belongs to the Congregation of Priests of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

He has been a professor at Lublin University in Poland, where the future John Paul II taught moral theology.

The cardinal-designate told Polish television that the news of his appointment was unexpected and that he telephoned the Pope to thank him.

Because of his age, Father Nagy will not be able to participate in a possible conclave.

Wako Khartoum, Sudan;

■ Archbishop Carlos Amigo Vallejo Seville, Spain;

■ Archbishop Justin Francis Rigali of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania;

■ Archbishop Keith Michael Patrick O’Brien of St. Andrews and Edinburgh, Scotland;

■ Archbishop Eusebio Oscar Scheid, of Sao Sebastian of Rio de Janeiro; Brazil

■ Archbishop Ennio Antonelli of Florence, Italy;

■ Archbishop Tarcisio Bertone of Genoa, Italy;

■ Archbishop Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson of Cape Coast, Ghana;

■ Archbishop Telesphore Placidus Toppo of Ranchi, India;

■ Archbishop George Pell of Sydney, Australia;

■ Archbishop Josip Bozanic of Zagreb, Croatia;

■ Archbishop Jean Baptiste

Pham Minh Man of Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam;

■ Archbishop Rodolfo Quezada oruño of Guatemala City; Archbishop Philippe Barbarin of Lyon, France;

■ Archbishop Peter Erdö of Esztergom-Budapest, Hungary;

■ Archbishop Marc Ouellet, of Quebec.

The four priests named by the Pope were appointed for their outstanding service to the Church.

They are

■ Swiss-born Dominican Father Georges Cottier , Papal Household theologian;

■ Monsignor Gustaaf Joos , canon of the Diocese of Gand, Belgium;

■ Jesuit Father Thomas Spidlik of the Czech Republic; and

■ Father Stanislas Nagy, of the priests of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, of Poland.

The Vatican

Reviews

R E A D I N G

"The (Protestant) church in which I was raised had a curious attitude towards Mary, ... an odd mixture of hubris and bashfulness," explains Kathleen Norris (author of Dakota, The Cloister Walk and Meditations on Mary) in the foreword to Blessed One

Norris writes, "We dragged Mary out at Christmas ... and placed her at centre stage. (But) we effectively denied Mary her place in Christian tradition and were disdainful of the reverence displayed for her, public and emotional, by many millions of Catholics around the world. ... Mary was mysterious, and therefore for Catholics; our religion was more proper, more masculine. Anything we couldn't explain - or explain away - was either ignored or given short shrift."

The Catholic perspective on popular culture

Editors Beverly Roberts Gaventa and Cynthia Rigby, both of whom contribute to this collection of 11 essays, teach at Princeton and Austin Theological Seminaries, respectively. They present a revisionist perspective of Mary, a refreshing portrait that should inform and excite modern Catholic and non-Catholic readers alike.

Why the long-standing Protestant suspicion of Mary?

Rosemary Radford Ruether, herself a Catholic theologian who has taught at a Protestant seminary, believes that three things fed a decrease in Marian devotion: the Reformation idea of the Bible as fundamental source of God's Word; Martin Luther's radical definition of justification by faith alone; and the exaltation of Christian marriage along with the rejection of the sanctity of virginity in the Protestant tradition.

For Luther and his various followers, there was simply no biblical basis for the proliferation of stories and the development of Marian doctrine.

No saint, even the Mother of God, mediated grace. That role was for Christ alone. Luther praised marriage for lay and clergy persons alike and declared that procreation and sex did not defile women, but he also believed that abstinence from sex did not make Mary special.

The result was that Protestants no longer exalted Mary. They praised instead the virtues of submissive wives and selflessly loving mothers. The mod-

An easy-to-read book on the Rosary for children

children, their parents and their teachers.

ern feminist movement which has influenced people in all the churches, portrayed Mary as a holdover of medieval Catholic piety who fared no better in Protestant circles.

A number of these reflections clearly attempt to present a post-feminist model of Mary - respectful of heritage, but serving as a modern corrective to the excesses or negligence of the past.

The editors believe that the ecumenical climate is now such that the time has come to join together as Christians in the

Around

the Table

Continued from Page 7 presbytery with whom they could relax and relate to in times of stress and work overload.

blessing of Mary. The absence of Mary not only cuts Protestants off from Catholic and Orthodox Christians, they say; it cuts us off from our own tradition. We have neither blessed Mary nor allowed her to bless us.

A variety of Protestant theological and cultural streams are represented here. Understandably, many of the contributors start with biblical texts, while others use images of Mary drawn from tradition or contemporary life.

The book is divided into three parts. "Encountering Mary" begins the discussion.

"Living Mary" deals with ways in which Mary's story is encountered in Scripture and contemporary life.

"Bearing Mary," the third section, deals with what she teaches us about God.

Protestant readers will be enlightened by the Mary of Christian tradition. Catholic readers may grow newly aware of the Mary of the Scriptures.

Both Christian streams will be helped to stretch and grow in their understanding of Mary and her contemporary meaning.

Timeless Mary, the Theotokos (Godbearer), towers above and beyond us all. Her image and message can be ever-new and meaningful for those who seek to deepen and broaden their awareness and understanding of her.

Holst writes from Alberta where he taught religion and culture at the University of Calgary.

because they married, I feel the least they could have been offered was the position of a Permanent Deacon, as this level of the clergy do an excellent job in the parishes which are lucky enough to have them resident, and in Albany we are blessed with six of them.

BOSTON (CNS) -- Pauline Books and Media has published the Rosary Comic Book, a 56-page comic book adaptation of the mysteries of the rosary.

The comic book, which costs $5.95, contains instructions on how to pray the rosary, the full text of all the prayers of the rosary, and the luminous mysteries, which were recently introduced by Pope John Paul II.

Cartoonist Gene Yang, who wrote and illustrated the comic book, said he hopes the work will prove useful to Catholic

"As a child I didn't really understand that the rosary was meant to be a meditation on Christ's life -- it just seemed like a bunch of words I had to say over and over and over," Yang said. "I'm hoping that this comic book will help today's kids understand what I didn't."

The comic book can be read as a regular comic book or used in prayer, with the panels taking the place of the beads of a traditional rosary chain. It is part of a product line released in May by Pauline Books and Media to commemorate the Year of the Rosary and the month of Mary.

T h e

Whereas there are many priests who are quite happy with their own company and do not miss having a wife and family, this is where in my opinion, a choice should be given to seminarians.

With priests from missionary orders, it could be a different matter, as these dedicated men are quite often called to work in dangerous situations in Third world countries where civil war and disease are commonplace matters.

But there again, when one looks at it, the members of our armed forces do just that, and come back to families.

Regarding the priests whose valuable services have been lost to the Church

In a number of the Eastern Rites which are in communion with Rome, priests have a choice prior to ordination as to whether they wish to marry or not, and I understand that those who do, cannot be elevated to the Bishopric. At least they are given the choice of celibacy or family life to accompany their priesthood.

I know that many people, both young and old, male and female share my views on this matter and feel that it is something which will have to eventuate in due course, perhaps not in this decade, but at some future time.

Noel Inglis Albany

We’re off to see the Wizard ...

The Wizard of Oz is suitable for audiences of all ages and runs from October 17 - 25 at The Regal Theatre, Subiaco. Tickets range from $25 to $44 and are available from BOCS ticketing on (08) 9484 1133.

Onstage Productions will present the musical theatre event, The Wizard of OZ, at the Regal Theatre in October 2003.

Audiences can expect an unforgettable

performance as everybody’s favourite musical is brought to life on stage. With its unforgettable characters, beloved story, and wonderful songs, the whole family can enjoy The Wizard of Oz.

This fully staged production is directed by Gayna Donovan and the orchestra will be conducted by musical director Justin Freind. With Perth student Jaya Henderson playing the lead role of Dorothy, supported by a stunning cast of eighty, this production is a huge showcase of entirely West Australian talent.

The Wizard of Oz is a tale about Dorothy Gale, a Kansas farm girl, who is spirited off to the wonderful land of Oz. She meets three companions - the Scarecrow, Tin Woodsman and Cowardly Lion - and together they journey along the yellow brick road in search of The Emerald City. It is here that they must find the wonderful

Wizard of Oz, the only man who can help Dorothy return to her beloved Kansas.

“The Wizard of Oz has probably been seen by more people than any other movie over the past three decades” said director Ms Donovan. “I am delighted to be part of recreating this immortal tale”.

First performed on stage in 1902 The Wizard of Oz has become one of the world’s most popular family musicals, continuing to delight audiences of all ages. It is best remembered for the 1939 film that starred Judy Garland as the Kansas farm girl.

The Wizard of Oz marks the second season for Perth-based theatre company Onstage Productions. Formed in 2002, the focus of Onstage Productions is to provide amateur performers with an opportunity to work with industry professionals in largescale productions.

Some of the cast of the Wizard of Oz

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panorama a roundup of events in the archdiocese

Sunday,October 5

Eternal Word Television Network:There will be no EWTN broadcast for this week,but it will resume on October 12.For the following weeks a numer of interesting programs are planned,including an exclusive interview with Mel Gibson on the film,The Passion ; Scott Hahn tells of his conversion on The Journey Home,Catholic family living,and songs,featuring Marilla Ness,filmed in the Holy Land.To keep these inspiring programs on air,financial help is urgently needed.Please send donations to The Rosary Christian Tutorial Association,PO Box 1270, Booragoon 6954.Bring EWTN into your home,and keep your family Catholic! Enquiries:9330-1170.

Sunday October 5

RADIO FREMANTLE

Join us Sunday from 7.30 to 9pm at 107.9 FM (Radio Fremantle) for the last program recounting the lives of the North American Jesuit Martyrs,followed by Life on the Rock (EWTN).

Tuesday October 7

CaFE – CATHOLIC FAITH EXPLORATION

Infant Jesus Parish,Morley.Module One,Knowing God Better,is a seven week program introducing us to a better way of looking at our relationship with God. The module will begin Tuesday 7.30pm or Wednesday Oct 8 at 10am and continue weekly until November 18/19.A second module will commence early in 2004. Phone the parish office on 9276 8500 for further information.

Thursday October 9

HEALING MASS

A Healing Mass in honour of St Peregrine,patron of cancer sufferers and helper of all in need,will be held at the Church of SS John and Paul,Pinetree Gully Road,(off South St) Willetton at 7pm.There will be Veneration of the Relic and Anointing of the sick.For further information,please contact Noreen Monaghan on 9498 7727.

Saturday October 11

HOLY SPIRITY OF FREEDOM COMMUNITY – DAY RETREAT

The Holy Spirit of Freedom Community is holding a day retreat on Saturday at St Anne’s Parish hall,11 Hehir St,Belmont.Mass will be celebrated at 4pm and the day will begin at 9am.Please bring some lunch to share.All are most welcome.For further enquiries call Mark or Elena on 9228 1800.

Sunday October 12

ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION

Immaculate Heart of Mary Prayer Group invites all to the celebration of our seventh anniversary at Sts John & Paul Church,Pinetree Gully Rd,Willetton.The afternoon consists of Thanksgiving Mass,Crowning of Our Lady,Procession,Rosary Prayer and Benediction.The celebration concludes with a meal,please bring a plate.Rosary and prayer card will be given to each family attending.

Sunday October 12

SPRING IN THE VALLEY MASS

St Michael’s Church,Great Northern Highway,Herne Hill.Mass commences 9am,followed by morning tea. (St Michael’s Church is next to Swan Valley Sporting Club).

Tuesday October 14

ANNUAL MAJELLAN MASS

St Joseph’s Church,Subiaco 7.45pm.All past,present and non-Majellan members are invited to attend.The Retreat will be held at St Joseph’s Convent,Safety Bay and will be led by Sr Claire Sciesinski.The cost is $90 or a deposit of $20 should be forwarded to Mrs Pauline Kirwin,103 Birchwood Ave,Woodlands 6018.Phone 9446 6135.

Wednesday October 15

CARMELITE FEAST

A Solemn Concelebrated Mass for the Solemnity of Saint Teresa of Avila,will be offered at the Carmelite Monastery,Adelma Road,Nedlands,at 10am.Bishop Don Sproxton will be the Principal Celebrant.All are welcome to the Mass and to morning tea afterwards.

Friday October 17

ALAN AMES IN SHENTON PARK

Alan will be speaking of his conversion experiences at St Aloysius’Catholic Church,Cnr Keightly Road West and Henry St,Shenton Park after 7pm Mass.Healing prayers will follow.Enq:Loretti Crameri 9444 4409 or George 9275 6608.

Saturday October 18

DAY WITH MARY

St Simon Peter,Cnr Prendiville Ave & Constellation Drive.9am – 5pm.A video on Fatima will be shown at 9am.A day of prayer and instruction based upon the messages of Fatima.Includes Sacrament of Penance, Holy Mass,Eucharistic Adoration,talks,rosaries,procession and Stations of the Cross.Please BYO.Any enquiries – Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate 9574 5204.

Saturday October 18

ALBANY CARITAS WORKSHOP

Caritas Australia will present:Acting locally,thinking globally about water,as part of a day seminar on Water for life:tapping in globally and locally,sponsored by the Development Network of WA,9.30am to 3pm at the UWA Campus,Old Post Office Building.Cost:$15 waged,$10 unwaged ($3 early bird discount ends October 8).Tel:Perth Office (08) 92231311 or email <perth@caritas.org.au> for registration form.

Saturday October 18 – 19

GROUP FIFTY CHARISMATIC PRAYER GROUP RETREAT Redemptorist Retreat House,Camelia Street,North Perth.Retreat Leader:Fr Michael Brown OFM.For registration/details/costs phone 9279 1824.BYO Lunch on the Saturday.

Sunday October 19

CELEBRATION OF MARIST BROTHERS’90 YEARS IN WA. Mass will be celebrated at 10.30am in the Newman College gym,Churchlands campus,followed by lunch at 12.30pm at Newman College.Mass is open to all,but tickets ($20) must be bought in advance for the lunch. Tickets are available from Newman College’s Doubleview and Churchlands campuses.Newman Junior College,St Joseph’s School Northam 9622 1105 and Bunbury Catholic College 9721 0000.For information call Newman College 9204 9444 or John Monkhouse 9409 8529.

Wednesday October 22

OUR LADY OF THE MIRACULOUS MEDAL NOVENA Woodvale parish,St Luke’s Church is starting an Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal Novena.The nine week novena is held every Wednesday at 5.30pm from October 22 to December 17 (last Wednesday before Christmas).All are welcome.Enq:Parish office 9409 6291 or Jim Thomas on 9409 2908.

ARMADALE PARISH MISSION

A focus on prayer,meditation and its part in building faith and community.The Mission Director:Fr Justin Belitz OFM,an inspiring speaker and prolific writer. The venue:St Francis Xavier Church,Armadale, Monday Oct 6 to Thursday Oct 9.7.30pm.For more information,phone the Parish Office 9399 2143

GREENWOOD PARISH MISSION

You are invited to the important event of our Parish Mission from Oct 20 – 24,to meet a personal God and to celebrate with us at All Saints Catholic Church,7 Liwara Place,Greenwood.Each day there will be three opportunities to celebrate together:6.45am Mass,9am Mass and the 7.30pm Preached Word.The Mission will be led by Fr Gerard Neagle,CSSR,of the Redemptorist Congregation.Further information may be obtained by visiting our website: www.greenwood.perthcatholic.org.au

TALKS FOR IMMACULATE CONCEPTION PARISH HALL

154 Canning Highway,East Fremantle 7.15 To 9pm.Thursday Oct 2 Fr Paul Baczynski Healing Spirituality.Thursday Oct 9 Brett Regan Accountability, God’s Saving Grace.

CROSS ROADS COMMUNITY

Healing Masses:1st Monday of month 7pm Church of East Fremantle,2nd Monday of month 10am St Jerome’s Munster & 3rd Monday of Month 7pm St Dominic’s Innaloo.Term 4 Begins Tuesday October 14.

MEDJUGORJE MESSAGE

Dear children! Also today I call you to come closer to my heart.Only in this way,will you comprehend the gift of my presence here among you.I desire,little children,to lead you to the heart of my Son Jesus;but you resist and do not desire to open your hearts to prayer. Again,little children,I call you not to be deaf but to comprehend my call,which is salvation for you.Thank you for having responded to my call.

HOLY HOUR

Every Wednesday at St Mary’s Cathedral,we have a Holy hour from 11am to 12noon.For all sick people and especially for our young people including the drug addicted and street kids.Please come and join us in prayer.Those who wish may also bring along a list of names of all the sick people they would like to pray for.

Sheen’s Rosary

USactor Martin Sheen is famous for his roles in everything from Apocalypse Now to the ongoing TVseries The West Wing, where he plays the President of the United States of America. He has also returned to his faith, inspired by the example of American Catholics dedicated to social justice. A daily mainstay is his rosary...

By Sam Lucero

Catholic actor and social activist

Martin Sheen carries a rosary in his suit pocket.

While the prayer beads are used as a prop for his character, President Josiah Bartlet, on the NBC-produced television drama The West Wing, Sheen said his devotion to the rosary is not an act.

The popular series has been screened for the last two years late at night in Australia on Channel 9.

“I’ve come to love the rosary,” Sheen, a member of Our Lady of Malibu Parish in California said during a press conference on September 19 at Marquette University in the State of Milwaukee.

The actor was at Marquette to receive an honourary doctorate and to help dedicate the university’s new US $55 million library. Sheen was recognised by Marquette for his dedication to social justice.

Sheen said he prays the rosary while driving to the NBC studio in Burbank, which is about one hour from his home.

“I’ve gotten into the habit of trying to do the rosary,” he said.

“What I do is place a name on each bead, particularly people who are not too fond of me, or that I’m not too fond of. I try to include them in my prayer life.”

Sheen called the rosary “a very powerful prayer.”

“It’s repetitive, so it’s kind of a mantra. But it keeps you focused on a theme, and the theme is always deeply human and personal,” he said.

“So, yeah, I’ve come to love the rosary - and Bartlet keeps one in his pocket at all times.”

While he enjoys playing the president on television, Sheen has no political

aspirations. He is, however, outspoken on political issues.

Just as Sheen’s political views can draw strong reactions, so does his social activism. He regularly participates in nonviolent protests against nuclear weapons and human rights violations, including annual demonstrations at what used to be called the School of the Americas in Fort Benning, Georgia.

It is now known as the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation.

“The last 23 years of my life have been by far the most difficult, but equally the happiest and I don’t really make any separation of my faith and my life...”

A pacifist, Sheen credits the Catholic Worker Movement for instilling in him an active social conscience. He was exposed to the movement while working at the Living Theatre in New York in 1959.

“The director was Julian Beck. He told me he had a friend who had a soup kitchen nearby and if I wanted to go down there I had only to show up and they would feed me,” he said.

“It turned out to be the Catholic Worker. I started with them and our relationship goes back more than 40 years. It has become a very powerful spiritual nourishment now.”

Sheen’s association with the Catholic Worker Movement led to his return to the Catholic faith, which he said is “inextricably connected” to his social activism.“I came back to being a practising Catholic in 1981 and I chose to come

more to a radical practice of the faith,” he said.

“If you want to say activism, that would be correct.”

He credits “liberal, democratic forces in the church,” including Jesuit Father Daniel Berrigan, Dorothy Day and Pope John XXIII for inspiring and nourishing his faith.

Applying the church’s social teachings to everyday life has been rewarding as well as challenging, he added.

“The last 23 years of my life have been by far the most difficult, but equally the happiest and I don’t really make any separation of my faith and my life,” he said. “I think if you do then it becomes impersonal. You have to take it seriously, you have to take it personally, and you have to express that in your own chosen way.”

Sheen said Marquette had offered to present the degree to him during last spring’s commencement exercise, but he was in the midst of filming

The West Wing

“I asked if I could come later and so we put it together with the dedication of the library,” he said.

Because the library houses the archives of Dorothy Day and the Catholic Worker Movement, which she cofounded, he said that taking part in the dedication ceremony was an honour. Marquette also offers a course on the life of Dorothy Day.

Photo:CNS/NBC