The Record Newspaper 14 July 2005

END OF AN ERA: Loss of cathedral was like being present at a death VISTA 1

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Perth, Western Australia ● $1 Western Australia’s Award-winning Catholic newspaper

HOW DID WE GET HERE? Big Brother’s success begs the question Page 7

CHINESE FAITH: A Corpus Christi procession to be proud of Page 5

Women help defeat law Perth women’s experiences of life on the streets helped convince Tasmanian Parliament not to legalise prostitution

■ By Jamie O’Brien

Two women residents of Linda’s House of Hope played a role in stopping the legalisation of prostitution in Tasmania last month.

Their testimonies helped convince the Tasmanian Government that sex legislation would not guarantee the safety of sex workers and would drive brothels underground, endangering sex workers.

Linda’s House of Hope is the archdiocesan-supported agency that helps women and girls to escape drugs and prostitution.

Both women went to Tasmania with the Australian Christian Lobby and put their views to the State’s Legislative Council, which was deciding whether to legalise the sex industry in Tasmania.

26-year-old Linda, whose story featured in The Record late last year, worked in the sex industry for almost nine years.

32-year-old Shannon worked in brothels and as an escort for about eight years.

“I am completely against this legislation,” said Shannon, who is from Western Australia.

Since leaving the life of prostitution Linda and Shannon have been supported by former brothel madam Linda Watson, who established Linda’s House of Hope in 1999 after leaving the sex industry two years earlier.

“By making it legal, you’re making it legal for men to abuse women,” Linda said.

Continued on page 5

Uniting the Catholic Church in China

Church strategy aims to help women of the streets

The Vatican is calling for clients of prostitutes to not only face legal action but to also receive counseling and other help to stem a form of “modern day slavery.”

The Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People has also called for greater protection of women through better enforced laws on prostitution and trafficking. It urged the Church and community at large to provide alternatives to women who are trafficked or otherwise forced into prostitution.

The recommendations are contained in a communique that stemmed from a two-day symposium on prostitution and human trafficking that the Vatican hosted last month.

“The ‘client’ needs more than social condemnation and having to face the full rigors of the law,” the communique said. “He must also be helped to face his deeper problems and to find other ways of dealing with his personal needs. Buying sex from a prostitute does not solve problems that arise from loneliness, frustration or a lack of true relationships,” the document said.

Women forced into prostitution must be protected by the law because they are victims of violence and exploitation and have had their human rights violated, it said.

The symposium document can be found on the web at: www.zenit.org/english/visualizza.

phtml?sid=74049

CEO seminars offer parents assistance in helping children grow

■ By Mary Retel

Mary Retel

Maximising the future development of your children, becoming a more confident parent, better understanding your children’s needs - these are the issues that the Catholic Education Office of Western Australia is inviting par-

WINTER READING

ents to explore and consider as part of the new, monthly Light on the Hill seminar series.

Recognising the vital role that parents play as the first educators of their children, the Light on the Hill seminars feature presenters who are recognised as experts in their specialised areas of child development.

The free seminars are presented on the third Monday of each month and are available to all prospective and existing parents, not just those whose children are enrolled in Catholic schools.

Stuck indoors? Sick of cold and miserable weather? Have a look at what’s on offer this week in books and videos from The Record - great for all the family! Page 12

In an attempt to make the seminars as accessible to parents as possible, an onsite crèche staffed by professional carers is also available at no cost.

The inaugural seminar focusing on the issue of resiliency in the early years of development saw the venue filled to capacity.

The positive attendance and ensuing feedback reflect the demand for practical information that parents are seeking.

Parents are hungry for any information or advice that offers an

INDEX

insight into some of the challenges facing our children today. The material presented in the Light on the Hill seminars will help parents identify and manage some of these developmental issues.

Our current and future generations are exposed to a plethora of influences and pressures that are driven by today’s fast paced, technological, media saturated society.

What our first seminar revealed was that, as parents, we are not alone.

Most if not all of our children are

Letters - Page 6

I say, I say - Page 7

The World - Pages 8-9

Review: The Fantastic Four - Page 10

Classifieds - Page 11

dealing with similar issues that are best worked through together.

The second of the Light on the Hill seminars will focus on building resiliency in older children (8 years and upwards).

It will be held on Monday July 18 from 7.30 – 9.30pm in the James Nestor Hall at the Catholic Education Centre located at 50 Ruislip Street in Leederville. Registration can be made by calling 9212 9201.

Mary Retel is the Deputy Director of the Catholic Education Office of WA

BACK TO WHERE IT BEGAN

A small group of American Benedictines have re-established themselves in the birthplace of Benedictine monasticism - Norcia - 200 years after the last monks left.

Bishop Aloysius Jin Luxian, the government-approved bishop of Shanghai, processes in St. Ignatius Cathedral in Shanghai during the ordination Mass for Bishop Xing Wenzhi on June 28. Bishop Xing, 42, will serve as an auxiliary bishop with the approval of the Vatican and the Chinese government. Bishop Xing is in line to succeed Bishop Jin and Bishop Joseph Fan Zhongliang, head of Shanghai’s underground Catholic community. Continued on page 2

The future of the Church

A42-year-old Chinese priest who has studied in the United States was ordained auxiliary bishop of Shanghai June 28.

A statement from the New York-based Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers, whose superior general attended the ordination, said Bishop Joseph Xing Wenzhi was ordained “with the approval of the Holy See and is duly recognised by the local government authorities responsible for religious affairs in China.”

It said Bishop Xing was in line to succeed Bishop Aloysius Jin Luxian of Shanghai, the government-approved bishop of Shanghai, and Bishop Joseph Fan Zhongliang, head of Shanghai’s underground Catholic community.

Bishop Jin, 89, presided at the liturgy until the episcopal ordination was over, then Bishop Xing carried on as presider, reported UCA News, an Asian church news agency based in Thailand.

After his ordination, Bishop Xing told the congregation, “To be a bishop is not an honour, but a ministry to manage, serve and be a

Newly-consecrated auxiliary Bishop in Shanghai will take over from official and underground bishops

model for all of you in the diocese.”

He referred to himself as “this little brother” as he asked for their prayers.

He takes charge of a diocese with an aging Catholic population and a fast-changing society in which materialism and urbanisation are shaping people’s lives.

At 9am about 2,500 Catholics and government officials packed St Ignatius Cathedral in downtown Shanghai to witness the first episcopal ordination there since 1985. Most of the Catholics were middleaged or elderly women, UCA News reported.

Among the 70 concelebrants were visiting priests from Beijing, Shaanxi province, Hong Kong and the US.

Sun Minfei, a laywoman, told UCA News she was excited that “a successor was now born” in her dio-

cese. “Bishop Xing is a good priest, and I believe he is able to achieve more than what he promised in the Mass,” she said.

The new bishop was elected on May 17 by a majority of Shanghai church representatives, who included almost 130 priests, nuns and lay representatives. He had been serving as vicar general of the diocese.

China’s religious affairs office said the Vatican had nothing to do with Bishop Xing’s ordination, reported AsiaNews, a Rome-based missionary news agency.

However, the agency quoted Bishop Joseph Zen Ze-kiun of Hong Kong as saying the Vatican had agreed to the bishop’s nomination and that the Vatican and China had agreed on past episcopal appointments, “but it’s typical that the (Chinese) government is push-

ing to keep everything quiet.”

The Vatican press office had no comment.

Since the 1950s, China has had a government-controlled Catholic Church that elects its own bishops with government approval and initially was forced to reject ties to the Vatican. An underground Church has always maintained loyalty to the Vatican.

Catholic officials familiar with the Chinese Church say that up to 85 percent of the governmentapproved bishops have reconciled with the Vatican, and that in many regions of China, Catholics from the two churches intermingle at the parish level.

China and the Vatican do not have diplomatic relations, and in the past Church officials have said the Vatican’s two main conditions for such relations were the free

appointment of bishops and freedom for Chinese Catholics to maintain religious links to Rome without government control.

An informed Vatican official said on June 23 that those remain the “minimum” requirements for diplomatic ties.

He said that while there have been recent signs of openness from China and increased contacts, no substantial progress has been made on these main points.

China repeatedly has said that for it to establish diplomatic relations with the Holy See, the Vatican must sever its relations with Taiwan. The Vatican considers that a secondary issue and has said for several years that it is willing to move its embassy from Taiwan to Beijing if diplomatic relations are established with China.

Bishop Xing accompanied Bishop Jin to Australia in 1990 and to Europe in 1999. In addition to his studies in the US, he did short-term training in Hong Kong in 1994 and in the Philippines in 1995. - CNS

Fr Geoff marks 40 years of priesthood, providence and growth

Prior to being ordained in 1965 by Bishop Myles McKeon, Fr Geoff Aldous grew up in a traditional Catholic family in the Wembley parish and was a keen altar-server.

“Our neighbourhood was known as ‘Holy Hill’ because so many of us at that time had a go at entering religious life,” he recalled.

It was only after he went to visit a friend to discuss a University bursary and was asked to think about the priesthood, that he realised it was a possibility.

This year the Northam Parish Priest marks his 40th anniversary of priesthood.

At the age of 18, Fr Aldous entered St Charles Seminary in Guildfod, where he completed three years before going to St Francis Xavier Seminary (now closed) in Adelaide for four years to complete his theological studies. He enjoyed the solidarity he shared with other students and said it was the encouragement of his parish priest Fr John Brosnan that gave

him the strength to carry on. “Also the support of committed parishioners, and their faith.”

Since then, he says, “I think each parish or appointment has been providential in my learning experience and growth as a priest.”

Fr Geoff Aldous

Starting at St Joachim’s in Victoria Park Fr Aldous says it was there that he learnt how to knock on doors, and the value of parish visitation.

“I also learnt how to keep the flourishing youth group out of trouble,” he says with a laugh. It was at this time that he became interested in the Young Christian Students Movement and after a few years was appointed Diocesan Chaplain. For the next six years,

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he was also involved in lay apostolate work, and says he developed a great appreciation of the vocation of lay people in the world.

“I hope I have still not forgotten the importance of reflecting on our daily life and the value of sharing in small groups,” he said.

At what he called the prime of his life, Fr Aldous was then sent to pioneer the pastoral area of Bullsbrook-Bindoon-GinginGuilderton-Lancelin.

“These were great years of building small Christian communities, reaching out to the broader community and spiritual revival.”

By his 25th anniversary in 1990, Fr Aldous was stationed at St Gerard’s Mirrabooka, a challenging and multi-cultural setting.

“Again it was a great time of experience in different renewal movements of the Church ranging from the Holy Spirit of Freedom community, Perpetual Adoration, the Neocatechumenal Way and an experimental

mission called the Exodus Community.”

To Innaloo and then to Whitfords, Fr Aldous says it was here that he learnt to build on the mission of the family.

And what does he do on his ‘sacred’ Monday day off? This includes playing golf, enjoying lunch with other priests, gardening, having a swim if possible, enjoying a roast dinner, quiet Mass at home and reading.

But he also enjoys his recreational activities such as jogging, swimming, bike riding and camping.

“We’re so blessed in a country like this to enjoy the gifts of life and creation.

“The priesthood is not always easy these days, but in our Catholic Community, we can enjoy the appreciation, friendship and support of so many people, as we journey and work together for the unfolding of the kingdom.”

- Jamie O’Brien

Archbishop calls students to choose true freedom

True freedom is knowing what is right and wrong and having the personal freedom to choose what is right, Archbishop Barry Hickey told about 150 Year 12 students at Prendiville College recently.

The Archbishop was celebrating Mass for them on their chosen theme “Celebrating Freedom”, and also presenting to them his booklet summarizing Pope John Paul II’s messages to young people.

He invited the young people to refer to the themes of the book as they moved through vital stages in their life, and told them to preserve the book because it would not be published again.

The Archbishop published it and presented it to all Year 12 students in the Archdiocese in 2003, 2004 and this year. It has not been on sale anywhere and will not be used in schools again.

Archbishop Hickey said that running through the book was the message “Be Not Afraid”, a motto Pope John Paul repeated over and over, and lived inspiringly.

“Be not afraid to stand up for your faith and to stand up for what is right, even when other influences are pushing you in other directions,” the Archbishop said.

Drawing on the Gospel for the day in which Jesus spoke about the value of building your house on rock rather than on sand, he told the students that Jesus was not offering advice to builders.

He was telling them to build their lives on His teaching and on Him. He emphasized the importance of the message later when he changed Simon’s name to Peter (rock) and declared, “on this rock I will build

my Church … and I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven”.

“Each of us must build our lives on his word, his values, his teaching, and his presence.

“We are one with Him and His Church through Baptism and Confirmation,” Archbishop Hickey said.

“It is not easy to be a Christian today when there is constant criticism that our teachings are too tough, but it was tough in Jesus’ day, too.

“When Jesus told people He would give them his flesh to eat and his blood to drink in the Eucharist, many found the words too hard to believe and they walked away from

him... When he asked the Apostles whether they, too, would go, they did not fully understand him, but Peter answered for them that they had nowhere else to go because He had the words of eternal life.

“As your Archbishop and successor of the Apostles, I expect you to live up to high standards of personal morality in all aspects of life.

“I ask you to acknowledge the supremacy of God by worshipping him at Sunday Mass.

“I urge you to be an influence in the world for good, both in your own environment and in standing up for laws and actions that support justice and expose injustice.”

- Hugh Ryan

The Heart of Catholic Faith

Acts 2 College of Mission and Evangelisation

67 Howe Street, Osborne Park

PH: Jane – 9202 6859 or 0401 692 690

Lecture Series

Term 3, 2005

Commencing Monday 18 July

The Bible and the Mass (Fr Tim Deeter)

Tues 9.30am to 11.30am (Mass at 9.00am)

Prayer Ministry and Healing (Maureen Egan, Tony Pullella)

Tues 12.30pm to 2.30pm

Living the Gospel of Life (Richard Egan)

Monday 2.00pm to 4.00pm

Cost for each series is $150.

Bookings essential.

International Speaker

Mary in the Mystery of the Church

Fr Leo M. Spicer, OSM

Two day short course Monday 15th and Monday 22th August

Morning and afternoon tea provided. BYO lunch.

Booking essential.

Entry by donation.

Public lectures

Each Tuesday commencing 19 July, 4 - 5pm. Two series: Prayer – various clergy (5 lectures); Catechism – Fr Hugh Thomas (5 lectures). Cost $5 per lecture.

RETIREMENT NEVER LOOKED SO GOOD.

OVER 75% SOLD

For over 155 years the Sisters of Mercy have provided wonderful aged care and community services from the Wembley site.

Now, as part of a program to expand and develop these important services, a substantial area of this historic site is being transformed into an over 55s village of world-class.

Mercy Village–Wembley will offer luxury apartments, villas and terraced villas in a safe, involving and superbly planned community, with its very own chapel.

To find out more about the limited opportunities available to become a part of this incomparably well located, premium–quality village, simply telephone Karen Bailey or Chris Gaggin now on 1800 144 313.

Or visit the Sales and Information Centre located at the Catherine McAuley Family Centre, at 18 Barrett Street, inWembley.

You’ll soon discover that we’ve taken care of absolutely everything.

Archbishop Barry Hickey hands out his papal booklet to Prendiville College students.

Federal Minister unveils new Library

The Hon Dr Brendan Nelson, Federal Minister for Education, Science and Training officially opened The University of Notre Dame Australia’s Broome Campus Library at the beginning of July.

The library has been in planning since 1998, when it was determined that the then library needed to be upgraded to better serve the needs of the students, staff and community.

Notre Dame’s Broome Campus Board of Management member Esther Bevan along with the Foundation Dean of the Campus Sister Pat Rhatigan, conceived and coordinated the plan for local Aboriginal artists to contribute to the construction of the library by producing artworks and donating the proceeds of their sale toward the construction cost. 27 artists participated in the

The new library at Notre Dame’s Broome campus will benefit the whole community

project, as for many it was a way of contributing to something they believed would benefit their children and grandchildren.

Dr Patricia Kailis, a Governor of the University and her late husband, philanthropic entrepreneur Michael Kailis, planned to auction the works in New York. Fearing that the works would be sold individually and the collection lost to the Kimberley, Dr Kailis purchased the collection and donated it back to the Broome Campus, and it is now exhibited in the new library.

The Federal Government contributed around $2 million toward the library building and the development of the communication and information technology

infrastructure. Vice Chancellor Dr Peter Tannock said the University is extremely grateful to all those who have contributed to such a worthy cause. “The library is a wonderful facility that will benefit our students, staff and the community immensely,” he said.

The Broome Campus also held its mid-year Graduation Ceremony last Friday with 28 Higher Education graduates and 21 VET graduates. Five of the Higher Education graduates were Indigenous.

The Higher Education Indigenous graduates were Kazue Akune, Bachelor of Education; Desiree Bissett, Bachelor of Counselling; Rose Kelly, Bachelor of Arts; Ethel McLennon, Bachelor of Business

and Amy Tang Wei, Bachelor of Nursing.

Three of the graduates, Ms Akune, Ms McLennon and Ms Kelly, completed a Vocational Education and Training (VET) Pathways course at the Broome Campus prior to commencing their degrees.

After finishing school, Ms Akune worked as an Aboriginal Teaching Assistant at Beagle Bay while completing the Diploma of Education and then moving on to a Bachelor of Education degree at the Broome Campus. Ms Akune comes from a multicultural background; her father is Japanese and her mother an Aboriginal woman from Beagle Bay.

Ms McLennon, formerly the CEO of Warmun Community, completed a Certificate IV in Management before articulating to a Bachelor of Business degree. She is a Gija woman who hails from the Warmun Community in the East Kimberley and is a mother of six children. She now works with Patrick Dodson (widely known as the ‘Father of Reconciliation’) and the Lingiari Foundation, an Indigenous nongovernment advocacy and research Foundation of which Mr Dodson

is Chairman. Ms McLennon is involved in establishing a tourism business partnership between the Lingiari Foundation and the Argyle Diamond Mine at the Argyle mine site.

Rose Kelly is a Nyul Nyul woman who lives and works in Beagle Bay where she is the Chief Executive Officer. Married with four children, Ms Kelly completed a Diploma of Education before articulating into the Bachelor of Arts (Aboriginal Studies).

Head of VET at Notre Dame’s Broome Campus Catherine Maughan said, “These graduates are truly amazing women. With so many family and community commitments they still managed to fit study into their busy lives. We are extremely proud of them and commend their determination and willingness to succeed”.

With 21 Indigenous students graduating from VET Pathways this year, the program is set to continue providing access for all Indigenous people to Higher Education degrees. The VET courses in Business and Education offered by the Broome Campus are nationally recognised qualifications.

Help Needed

Pregnancy Assistance has been supporting an overseas student who has courageously chosen to preserve the life of her unborn baby, despite extraordinary difficulties.

This young woman will need a caring home to provide support for her and her baby, for at least 3 months, after giving birth in midAugust.

For further information on how you can assist her, please phone:

Helen 9402 0349 or Pat 9381 3892 or leave your name and contact number with Lydia at Preganancy Assistance 9328 2926.

Some issues the mother faces:

● Father of the baby deserted her

● Her family have disowned her

● She has no income

● She has medical problems

● Pressure of study/exams

● Feeling very down because of circumstances

Baby is due to be born on 15th August

Notre Dame graduates Kazue Akune, Rose Kelly and Ethel McLennon

Dr Brendan Nelson unveils the plaque for Notre Dame’s Broome Campus Library

Blessed Sacrament draws crowd in China

Thousands celebrate Corpus Christi in China with processions, prayers

Thousands of Chinese Catholics lined up and knelt along a 1,300-foot stretch of road in Fuzhou Diocese for 30 minutes to welcome the Blessed Sacrament as it passed by in a procession.

The event on May 28, the eve of the feast of the Body and Blood of Christ, or Corpus Christi, took place at the entrance to Rosa Mystica Sanctuary, a Marian shrine in the diocese, reported UCA News, an Asian church news agency based in Thailand.

The procession in southeastern

China was part of the Eucharistic Congress at the shrine to celebrate Corpus Christi and the Year of the Eucharist that the late Pope John Paul II had set to run from last October to this October.

Elderly Catholics and their families held flowers and candles in their hands while kneeling on the ground awaiting the procession. Some recited the rosary.

Shi Ying, a parishioner of St Joseph Church in Longtian village, where the procession started, told UCA News, “I was touched to see so many elderly people kneel wholeheartedly on the ground for 30 minutes.” She and fellow parishioners held up large posters of Jesus, Mary, the Blessed Sacrament and Popes Benedict XVI and John Paul

at the head of the procession.

Behind them came a fourwheel cart, decorated with roses, aboard which Bishop Joseph Zheng Changcheng of Fuzhou held aloft the Eucharist in a monstrance. A 1,000-foot-long assemblage of musical bands, priests, nuns, choirs, Catholic youth and lay representatives of 18 parishes made up the bulk of the procession, trailing the 93-year-old bishop.

They marched uphill to the Marian shrine, where Bishop Zheng presided at a Mass in the open square in front of Our Lady of the Rosary Church. Afterward he blessed the crowd with the Eucharist.

Packing the square in front of him were 4,000 people from inside and outside the diocese.

Pharmacists say no to pill, condoms

■ By Jamie O’Brien

Catholic Pharmacists Simon and Kathleen Horsfall have refused to sell the contraceptive pill when it is prescribed for contraception because it is against the teachings of the Catholic Church.

Mr Horsfall, a father of nine, has also been known to counsel women against taking contraceptives, and in one case a lady decided not to use it and eventually had another

child because of his influence. The New South Wales couple have not been refusing to sell the pill when prescribed for medical purposes, but have asked customers to respect their beliefs about contraception.

They also don’t sell condoms or the morning after pill because it acts as an early abortifacient.

“We have been leaving the decision up to the individual,” Mr Horsfall said last week.

Mr and Mrs Horsfall of Thurgoona, near Albury, insert a

flyer in every prescription outlining the reasons why they conscientiously object to the sale and support of artificial contraception.

“We’ve been doing this since we opened three and a half years ago,” he said.

“If the customer is taking the pill primarily for contraceptive purposes, rather than medical problems such as painful periods or skin problems, the pharmacy asks women to have your prescriptions filled elsewhere.”

“Some Catholics from the underground church also joined the Mass,” said Sister Zheng Wenying of Fuzhou.

Bishop Zheng told UCA News on May 28 that although underground Catholics “did not receive Communion during Mass the event was already a sign of unity.”

Underground Catholics in Fuzhou normally refrain from receiving Communion at or even entering churches administered by the government-recognised church.

Meanwhile, churches in various parts of China also held processions to celebrate Corpus Christi.

In Shaanxi province in northwestern China, Bishop Tong Changping of Weinan presided over the largest eucharistic procession held there

since religious activity was revived in the late 1970s. Some 3,000 people joined the May 26 procession to Nanbai Church in a Catholic village. Each Catholic family set up a small altar in front of their house to welcome the Blessed Sacrament. The sounds of trumpets and firecrackers that accompanied the procession attracted curious non-Catholics.

In the Shanghai Diocese in eastern China, Father Wu Jianlin blessed some 500 Catholics with the Eucharist at the Marian shrine in Sheshan. Afterward, a eucharistic procession wound its way up a path past pavilions of the Stations of the Cross to the hilltop church for a Liturgy of the Word and eucharistic adoration. - CNS

Former sex-worker finds hope in Church

Continued from page 1

“Legalising it isn’t going to make it any less dangerous.”

In the past 12 months, ten women from around Australia have left their lives as sex workers, thanks to Linda’s House of Hope.

Unfortunately nearly 30 were turned away last month, said Ms Watson.

Ms Watson said more funding is urgently needed.

“People with criminal records won’t be allowed to run brothels, so they will have to go underground,” said Linda, who is from Canberra.

“And those using women from other countries and underage girls won’t be able to put them in a legal brothel either.”

Linda said the legislation only benefited brothel owners and provided no health and safety amendments.

“There is a severe lack of counseling services for women leaving the sex industry and many of them fear that registration details could be used against them should they try to get out of the industry.”

21-year-old Aimee, another former sex worker, told The Record how grateful she is to the Churchrun agency, Linda’s House of Hope. The 21-year-old has spent the past eight weeks being rehabilitated at Linda’s House of Hope, and knows she still has a long way to go.

After nearly fours years of life on the streets, Aimee says there came a point when she knew she didn’t want to live her life as a sex-worker anymore. She was referred to Linda’s House of Hope by the Ministry of Justice.

Because of a waiting list, she had to stay at a YMCA hostel for about four weeks.

Aimee said a lack of services for women wanting to leave the sex indus-

try almost encouraged her to stay. It was during this time that Aimee said she felt isolated and “disconnected myself from society.”

“There are many men’s hostel’s,” Aimee said.

After being sexually abused when she was 16, her life took a downward spiral.

Aimee says she turned to drugs because it seemed to make life more bearable.

She soon turned to working the streets up to three times a week, and would make up to $300 an hour.

“Many of the clients were married,” Aimee said.

Throughout her experiences, she always felt called to be closer to God, and used to pray regularly, particularly Psalm 25.

She grew up going to Church, and feels that she never abandoned God, but instead turned her back for a while.

“Many women are on the streets because of past abuse experiences.”

Aimee said that many of the women she met had turned to sex-work because it made them feel they had power over

men, or that they were in control of their life. “I did it because I knew I was in power,” Aimee said.

“Men were intimidated by me.”

Sexual abuse by clients was common for women who left working in brothels because of excessive substance abuse.

Aimee also says she remembers seeing mothers, usually homeless, sending their children out for prositution.

For Aimee recovering from her experiences is her first priority.

Ms Watson said part of the program to help Aimee recover includes helping her re-gain her self-esteem by going to etiquette and speech therapy classes.

Aimee says she is looking forward to learning to play the guitar again, something she used to enjoy before she became a sex-worker.

She is set to go back to school within the next couple of weeks and hopes to undertake a TAFE course in hospitality and tourism.

Anyone wanting to support the work of Linda’s House of Hope, can contact Linda on 043 940 1009 or send donations to PO Box Z5640 St Georges Tce, Perth 6831.

ROAD

21-year-old Aimee is recovering from her experiences as a sex worker. Photo: Jamie O’Brien

Simon Horsfall, centre with his wife Kathleen, and nine children.

Photo: Paul McCormack

letters to the editor

Around t he tabl e dnuorA t eh lbat e

Someone’s waiting

Over 70 parishioners of “Mt Carmel” Hilton Parish signed commitments to attend weekly Perpetual Adoration at Christ the King Church in Beaconsfield, in response to the preaching of Fr Doug Harris, at the invitation of Parish Priest Fr Gerald Beeson.

350 people have made weekly commitments and attend Perpetual Adoration at Christ the King Beaconsfield. Nearly 500 hours per week of Adoration are given to Jesus. Catholics come from all surrounding Parishs, now less then 50% actually come from Beaconsfield.

Access to the Church for Adoration is normally via a porch at the front of the Church, on its left hand side. All are welcome any time, Jesus is waiting for you.

Joe Migro Bicton

If faiths acted...

Two thousand years ago our Lord sacrificed his life to demonstrate that love is better then hate, but we still have much hate in our world in places such as Palestine and Iraq. Is there an answer to this violence?

If the world leaders of all faiths were to come together in the cause of peace, perhaps terrorism would become more isolated.

Is there a place in this world where all faiths could come together? I believe the cities of Hiroshima or Nagasaki are suitable.

After the terrible devastation of the atomic bombs the Japanese people have shown the world what the human spirit can achieve, and they would possibly be glad to host a gathering of peace.

The world needs peace, and most

Perspectives

Legislation aims at preventing manipulation of vulnerable

As you may no doubt already be aware, suicide in Australia takes more lives each year than the road toll and as a nation we lose our youth to suicide at one of the highest rates in the developed world.

Behind these stark statistics lie human tragedies and untold hurt for the families of the loved ones left behind.

Whilst there are many government and non-government initiatives in place which help to prevent suicide, in recent times we have witnessed the internet being used as a forum to incite the young and vulnerable to commit suicide.

Significant research exists which shows that sites advising on suicide may be discouraging people from seeking psychiatric help and

people would welcome real peace and harmony - but all faiths must come together to achieve a beginning.

A. Eastcott

Mt Nasura

Too little, too late

Five months after his startling and largely unexplained exit from national politics, Mark Latham, the former Leader of the Labor Party, launched a savage attack on the party he once led and on some of his former colleagues.

In the recently released book, Loner: Inside a Labor Tragedy by journalist Bernard Lagan, Mr Latham brutally criticises the Labor Party. He says that “It is not an organisation that I can be optimistic about,” and concludes it is “beyond repair, beyond reform”. Ignoring the vitriol and petty personal attacks, there is a great deal of truth in what he is saying.

Whether the Labor Party is beyond repair or reform is an issue that all genuine Labor leaders should confront. Firstly, they must accept that the party was wounded – even mortally - and rent assunder 50 years ago when it split over Communist domination of trade unions.

Year of the Eucharist

The Eucharist is the Sacrament of love.

It signifies love. It produces love.

– St Thomas Aquinas

examples overseas of sites such as “Suicide Chat Room for Young People”, and others inciting people to join ‘Suicide Pacts’, further underline the imminent destructive potential in this area. As such, we must recognise the potential lethal implications for our youth who are higher users of the Internet and, of course, the vulnerable.

As a Federal Government we could not stand by without responding to this concern and I am pleased to inform you that last week I took through the Senate new legislation which prohibits the use of the Internet to incite others to commit or attempt to commit suicide. Whilst it was pleasing that the Opposition supported this Bill, the Greens and the Democrats did not.

A great deal of misinformation

The decisions of the Hobart Conference in March 1955 and the resultant ‘Split’ created a deep wound in the Labor Party that has not healed. At the time the Party lost more than 50 experienced, dedicated Labor Members of Parliament, thousands of trade union members and officials and uncounted active Branch members. Its biggest loss was several generations of traditional Labor voters and their decendents, most of whom were Catholic.

The void that was created was filled firstly by the pro-communist left and then by mostly middle-class libertarians, feminists, environmentalist and secular humanists who changed the once-honourable ALP, which had admirable concerns for national development, the welfare of working class families and the underprivileged.

It is usual that governing parties lose power and oppositions rarely win. It took almost two decades in the political wilderness for the new Labor Party to occupy the treasury benches federally and in some states. But often it was because of the ineptness or complacency of the Liberal Party.

When it did, the secularists who were in control introduced legislative programs of social engineering, espousing policies that damaged families and undermined many of the moral values and standards of

has been generated about this legislation and it has created unnecessary anxiety in some quarters.

This legislation will not inhibit freedom of speech or debate about euthanasia.

What it will do is target those who prey upon the young and vulnerable and who intentionally incite them via the Internet to commit suicide.

The new Commonwealth offences complement existing State and Territory offences, which already make it an offence to counsel, aid or procure another person to commit suicide.

The Commonwealth offences will carry the same maximum penalty as existing Customs regulations prohibiting the physical importation and exportation of suicide kits

behaviour that were once generally accepted by the majority of Australians.

The real purpose of those in control of the Labor Party in seeking to change the law in relation to questions containing large moral dimension, like divorce, abortion, homosexuality, drugs, prostitution and pornography is primarily to change the community’s view on normality and morality.

The late Senator Murphy’s Family Law Act, passed during the Whitlam Government’s short reign in 1975 revolutionised the legal foundations of the institution of marriage. Its immediate practical result has been to facilitate a doubling in the number of divorces so that more than 40 per cent of marriages are now expected to break down, leaving hundreds of thousands of fatherless or motherless children.

There has been a discarding of the once sacrosanct rules of the party. A serious breech was done by Mr Latham himself when he parachuted Peter Garrett, who was not a member of the Party, into the safe seat of Kingston over the rank and file local membership who were deprived of constitutional rights. Before the Split the Labor Party was a mass-based party controlled by the rank and file. This is no longer the case.

The task of returning the party

and information related to those kits: a fine of $110,000 for an individual and $550,000 for a corporation.

I also believe that arguments that the Internet cannot or should not be policed totally miss the point.

Late last year I took through the Senate laws which prohibited child pornography on the Internet. They were roundly supported. These laws are being supported by the Australian Federal Police, through the Australian High-Tech Crime Centre, which now actively polices the Internet, destroying the hope of moral deviants that it remains an anonymous haven for abhorrent behaviour.

Chris Ellison Senator for Western Australia

to its pre-Split roots in the mould of Curtin and Chifley is exceedingly difficult if not impossible. It is made more difficult by the various factions locked in a bitter power struggle and public accusations of branch stacking.

Brian Peachey Woodlands

Garlic tears

In view of the tragedy in London, the French President surely must be regretting his recent untimely comment that Britain’s only contribution to European agriculture was mad cow disease.

I have no British forebears, however it annoyed me coming from him.

Another constant favourite target of his tongue is America.

Perhaps Chirac has been dining out on suspect British beef, because his ageing brain has forgotten that the French, who have not won a war in living memory, have an agriculture, thanks to their country being liberated by Allied forces, including British and Americans, whose many graves adorn his countryside.

Frank Bellet Petrie QLD

‘God on the farm’ offers farmers chance to meet, pray

■ By Jamie O’Brien Northam Parish Priest Fr Geoff Aldous says it is possible to find God on the farm.

Next month Fr Aldous is providing farmers from across Western Australia and those who are interested with an opportunity to take a break and meet together for prayer and reflection in the monastic town of New Norcia. New Norcia monks Abbott Placid Spearitt OSB and Abbott Bernard Rooney OSB, Fr David Barry OSB, and Terry Quinn from the Catholic Social Justice Council, will present the seminar series

on August 4 and 5. The keynote speaker will be Dr Michael Jackson from the Adult Faith Education Centre in the Bunbury Diocese.

Fr Aldous said that the occasion will help farmers to appreciate that God is present in the environment.

“There will be the opportunity for discussion and topical workshops, reflection and renewal and a time to think about the links between the country and the city, land and livelihood, faith and nature.”

For more information: David Antonio, (08) 9622 2370 or Fr Geoff Aldous on (08) 9622 5411.

When a Holy Mass is celebrated, the angels come down in myriads from Paradise and take their places about our altars in adoration, to intercede for us.

– St Leonard of Port Maurice

Join Pope Benedict XVI in prayer - July

“For all Christians: may they share the message of the Gospel with all its radical demands while showing respect for the beliefs and opinions of others.”

Mission intention: “For the baptised all over the world: whatever their state of life may they be committed to transforming the world with the light of the Gospel.”

Build us a new one, Bunbury says.

To watch the demolition of St Patrick’s Cathedral was like being present as someone is dying.

It brought to the climax seven remarkable weeks that have been moving because of people’s stories and because of the generous support offered from across the Bunbury community. It took a little time after the tornado to absorb what had actually happened. Clearly, a building that had seemed impregnable now was seriously damaged.

While initial media focus was on the damage to

As news of the damage to Bunbury’s St Patrick’s Cathedal by the recent tornado spread through town, Bishop Gerard Holohan was encouraged with the level of support from locals and parishioners alike who spoke about what the Cathedral meant for them. This was a Cathedral built with love.

the ABC radio studios, word quickly spread that the Cathedral had been severely damaged. As I went down town, people expressed shock at the damage, while some were emotional and fearful for the Cathedral’s future.

Then the stories began to come.

The parents of some had been the children who carried bricks up the hill, two at a time. There was no road then, just a sandy track. Others spoke of parents and grandparents who did the bricklaying and other tasks. One man’s father carved the pulpit and other church furnishings.

St Patrick’s clearly had been built with much love. It expressed the faith of a community who wanted the best they could offer God and future genera-

tions. Many spoke of the part of the Cathedral had played in their lives.

There were the religious celebrations of rites of passage – the Baptisms of the newly born, the Confirmations of those moving out of the childhood years, the Marriages, and the Funeral Masses for loved ones.

A bikie said: ‘I was confirmed and married there. I haven’t been in much since, but it will be a bugger if it has to be pulled down’.

The Cathedral has been a place where many sought and experienced God regularly.

People from the city of no religious background went there for quiet and contemplation.

■ By Bishop Gerard Holohan of Bunbury

New Cathedral, new era

Continued from Vista 1

The news that the Cathedral had to be demolished hit many people hard. It was not a surprise to those who saw the basic structural cracks widening as the building continued to move.

brother, Bishop David McCall, appeared with a personal gift towards costs.

The efforts of the Bunbury City Council to make sure that everything could be done to save at least part of the building demonstrated again the community’s affection for the icon that was so much a part of our city. The same affection was shown by those suggesting that European methods for preserving church buildings could be used. Things could have been very different if our Cathedral had been constructed of stone instead of bricks and lime mortar.

From the start, parishioners and non-parishioners came forward asking:

‘What can I do to help?’ People cleared up, secured, moved furnishings, organised meals, tea and coffee, and helped in many other ways. Church staff arrived at work after the tornado, then returned home to change into work clothes, and cleaned up the following days until sunset.

Bunbury City Council officers, along with members of the State Emergency Service and Fire and Emergency Services Authority went about their responsibilities in supportive and sympathetic ways. The Mayor, the Minister for the South West, our State parliamentary member and the South West Development

The Catholic community felt particularly supported by the message of sympathy from Pope Benedict. It was touching that the head of a Church spread across the world could take the time to think of us in far away Bunbury. It did not surprise me from my personal experience of the man, and it was a wonderful gesture from someone just settling into his new role.

Now the Cathedral has gone and the Catholic community has started to look ahead. The Pope encouraged hope.

Last Sunday, parishioners began a consultation process for developing an architect’s brief for a new cathedral.

Most seem to want a Cathedral with an exterior in the same style on the St Patrick’s site. A few have wondered whether the past should be honoured, but a new Cathedral reflect a new age. One or two have suggested that a new Cathedral should be built elsewhere. We will have to wait to hear parishioners’ views.

If a new Cathedral is to be built on the St Patrick’s site, it will affect the whole Bunbury community, not just Catholics. The widespread community support of the past seven remarkable weeks has shown this. Hence, it is important for interested people from the wider Bunbury community to have a chance to express their views.

Many members of the Catholic family in Bunbury have little involvement in the Cathedral’s community. Yet a new Cathedral will be theirs too. Hopefully they too will express their views.

Anyone wishing to express a view should feel welcome to do so. They should write to ‘Cathedral Consultation’, Catholic Church Office, PO Box 2005, Bunbury 6231. Whatever is decided will be affected by obvious limits, such as cost. A new Cathedral building will need to allow for the rapidly growing

Do not ask for whom the bell tolls...remember to answer its call. Photos courtesy Bunbury Diocese

ed for people who follow Jesus Christ. What has happened to St Patrick’s has given cause for reflection. Hopefully the rebuilding of a Cathedral will be secondary to the renewal of the Church. The decline in religious practice over recent decades has led to a cutting back of what the parish can do for the

by the Church. Building a Cathedral is a great responsibility. This is a historical task that will affect future generations. Modern building techniques mean we may be looking at a building that should last at least two hundred years. In our grieving, we need to take a long-term view.

To watch the demolition of St Patrick’s Cathedral was like being present as someone is dying.

Commission all asked how they could help.

Then there have been the many expressions of support from across the community, as well as from across the country. As soon as the gravity of the situation became really clear, my Anglican

Catholic community – but whether this requires a slightly larger building is an architectural question. If people want a new Cathedral that costs more than the insurance for St Patrick’s, some fundraising may be needed.

A Church first and foremost is need-

poor, the sick, single parents, young people and the elderly, for indigenous Australians and many others. It will be good if a rebuilt Cathedral can reflect a renewing Church. This will include seeking forgiveness from Catholics and others who have been hurt in the past

May our efforts bring a new Cathedral building that is faithful to the vision of our forbearers, one of which Bunbury can be proud. May it be a worthy inheritance to future generations, a new sign in our midst of the presence of the God who loves.

■ By Elizabeth Lev

OAn Ancient Order Returns to revitalise the birthplace of the Benedictine Order which has carried the love of God all around the world, even to our own New Norcia.

Benedict is honoured

n June 29, while pilgrims were thronging to Rome to join Benedict XVI as he celebrated the feast of St Peter and St Paul, another Benedictine ceremony was taking place in the little Italian village of Norcia, home of St Benedict and his sister, St Scholastica.

It was a single priestly ordination, that of a Benedictine, but to the several hundred present it seemed like the replanting of a foundation stone. It was the first Benedictine ordination to take place in the Basilica of Norcia in 200 years.

It may seem strange that the church built over the house of the man who founded Western monasticism would be devoid of Benedictines, but that was indeed the case.

When Napoleon conquered Italy in the first decade of the 19th century, he outlawed monasteries and expelled the Benedictines from Norcia. The church was given over to the diocese and the monastery remained empty.

Then, during the great Jubilee of 2000, the year of conversions and miracles, the tide turned. A tiny group of American Benedictines led by Father Cassian Folsom came to Rome looking to return to their monastic roots. Their paths crossed with the Archbishop of Spoleto and Norcia, Riccardo Fontana, who invited the little group to return to the home of their founder. Norcia is about an hour-and-a-half drive north of Rome. On December 2 2000, the Benedictines

were welcomed joyously back to Norcia by the whole town. The inhabitants, decked out in medieval costumes, arranged a great pageant culminating in fireworks. This same felicitous model of church-state harmony was present during the ordination itself. The mayor of Norcia, wearing his green, red and white sash of office, sat proudly in the front row. Shortly before the beginning of the ceremony, two local police officers brought in the town standard which stood in the left transept for the duration of the Mass. They also brought in a large reliquary containing a relic of St Benedict. Surprisingly for those of us who come from a society leaning toward strict separation, the relic is kept in the town hall and brought to the church for major celebrations.

Ancient walls can be restored by material means, but ancient spirituality can only be restored by supernatural means.

As the procession began, I was struck by the different faces walking by. The North American, South American, European and African visages testified to the universal fruitfulness of St Benedict’s “ora et labora.”

The priest being ordained, Father Anselmo Taborda from Colombia, made for an eloquent vision of the New World coming to revive the Old World.

The red robes of the Archbishop and 26 concelebrants brought color and vibrancy to the ancient stone walls of the church, mirroring the new life and energy the return of this order brought to this town.

As Archbishop Fontana said during the homily, “Ancient walls can be restored by material means, but ancient spirituality can only be restored by supernatural means.”

After the ordination, I went down to visit the crypt with Benedictine Father Andrew Koch and two friends from the United States, professor Russell Hittinger and Father Matthew Lamb. As we stood within the walls of the house where St Benedict was born in 480, we reflected on what the return of the Benedictines as well as the election of Pope Benedict XVI meant to the Church.

Father Andrew spoke about what drew these American Benedictines to this remote mountain village. “It was the place and the liturgy,” he answered, “and the desire for orthodoxy, liturgically and ecclesiastically.”

The use of Latin chant also draws followers.

Father Lamb, who is director of the graduate school of theology at Ave Maria University in Florida, mentioned that when the monks sang their prayers in the crypt, “it seems as if the stones are singing back.”

Father Andrew talked about renewal within the order “to rediscover the beauty of the liturgy and the Eucharist.”

At this point, the conversation ignited.

Professor Hittinger, who holds the Warren Chair of Catholic Studies at the University of Tulsa, Oklahoma noted that “St Benedict went back to the basics, he taught about get-

ting it right with the Father. Jesus allowed man to go back to the Father. It’s all about liturgy and the Eucharist.”

Father Lamb added, “The mendicant orders were founded during the flourishing city life of the 13th century. Benedict left the city for the countryside to be closer to God without distractions.”

“The Franciscans and the Dominicans call each other ‘brother’ because they are about getting it right with your fellow man,” observed Hittinger, “the Benedictines call everyone ‘son’ while the abbott is father.”

“To renew the Church we must start from the beginning again like the Benedictines,” Hittinger continued. “They took a vow of the reform of manners - a conversion of morals. It’s starting from scratch, with the building blocks of the Church.”

Father Lamb added that “the new evangelisation of Pope Benedict XVI will bring us back to the starting point as really informed by the Catholic faith.”

Hittinger interjected: “When I first heard that Cardinal Ratzinger had taken the name Benedict, I thought ‘Small is beautiful. That’s how it begins.’”

As we walked out of the crypt through the excavation of Benedict’s house, Father Lamb indicated the ancient walls laid bare around us. “This is what Pope Benedict will do -uncover the foundations on which to build.”

Standing on the ancient stones of Norcia on the feast day of the Rock upon which the Church was built, it felt like a new beginning.

- Zenit

Bishop Gerard Holohan of Bunbury

The town of Norcia, Italy has welcomed a small group of monks, who were looking to return to their monastic roots.

Physical affection not just for babies

■ By Derek Boylen

Karen and I recently finished reading “The Five Languages of Love” by Gary Chapman. One of the love languages that Chapman discusses is the language of physical touch. It reminded me of the importance of touch in the family.

The two most important things that children need in the early years of life are good nutrition and plenty of physical affection.

Research has shown that physical touch and affection are vitally important for the health and well-being of small children. Studies have shown that infants who are not frequently cuddled and touched develop a condition known as failure to thrive.

In 1999 the World Bank held an interna-

tional conference in Toronto on the wellbeing of our children. They found that the two most important things that children need in the early years of life are good nutrition and plenty of physical affection.

human contact and affection. I can only imagine what it must be like for someone to lose their husband or wife after a lifetime of touches, kisses and cuddles.

Physical affection is one of the ways

Physical affection is not only for babies. Everyone needs it. People who work with the elderly are well aware of the importance of physical affection.

When our elderly aren’t touched they can develop a condition known as skin starvation. The cause of this condition has been closely linked with a lack of physical

that we show those close to us that we love them. Holding hands or a quick cuddle are a sign of our love to the outside world too.

Not everyone is comfortable with overt physical affection. It is important to respect the comfort zone of others.

However, we should not use this as an excuse for not coming out of ours. I must

admit that sometimes I find little babies boring at best and annoying at worst (yes, even my own!). I remind myself each day that the best way I can let little Caleb know that I love him and care for him is simply by holding him, making eye contact and playing silly games or telling nursery rhymes. It’s the best way that we can bond as father and son.

When I am around my Nan or Karen’s grandparents I remind myself of the importance of giving them a kiss on the cheek and a gentle rub on the back or hug. Society often stigmatises the elderly in our community. It is important that we let the senior members of our families know that they are appreciated and loved.

Most importantly though physical affection is important between husband and wife. It is not surprising at the end of a busy weekday to find we are getting into bed not once having kissed or hugged. We need to attune ourselves to those small opportunities for physical contact each day. A brief hug while our spouse is doing the dishes to say thank you. A quick kiss when they get in the car before we take off. A back rub while watching television. These simple things tell our spouses that we love them and it tells our children that Mum and Dad love each other.

If you are anything like me, those sorts of actions do not come naturally. It takes a conscious and intentional effort.

But then real love is conscious and intentional. It is quite likely your spouse will recognise this and be all the more appreciative. Even if they are not, it is still a simple way of showing our love.

Parents not concerned about BB vulgarity

■ By Derek Boylen

Do parents care what gets broadcast on free-to-air television? My wife thinks that I am a little naïve, but it came as quite a shock to me to find out that many parents do not. I recently came across a posting on a discussion forum for parents of young children.

The original topic of the discus-

sion was how sex and sexuality are being presented to young people today.

It referred to the recent case of Ballajura Community College proposing to bring a brothel madam and active gay and lesbian people into the classroom to discuss safe sex practices and their personal experiences (respectively) as part of a health studies course (The West Australian, June 15).

The post also discussed the rise

“I take more issue with Disney than I do with Big Brother, because of the values that are taught to children. At least Uncut is honest.”

“I will be teaching my son ‘IT IS OK TO BE GAY.’ I think it is wonderful that there are schools teaching this - maybe it would cut down some of the cruel and humiliating bullying that goes on? Teenage suicides also…?”

“Quite frankly, I would be a LITTLE concerned if my son did not have sex while still a teen. Unless of course he made an educated decision ON HIS OWN (with no brainwashing from anyone else) to do so, which does happen, but VERY rarely these days.”

“I encourage an open-minded school system” [regarding education about gay and lesbian relationships].

“With all due respect, I think you’ll find [Big Brother Uncut] actually is normal young adult behaviour. Maybe distasteful, and not something I *personally* want to watch, but honestly, put a bunch of teens/20-somethings

of gay and lesbian literature for preschoolers (The West Australian, June 17).

More particularly though, it raised concern about the number of children watching Big Brother Uncut (47,000 under 12) and encouraged parents to write to Channel 10 regarding their concerns.

In fairness, the majority of parents in the forum said that they would not let their children under

together in that situation and it’s not unusual for this kind of thing to happen.”

“…these so-called morals really get my back up.”

“A brothel madam teaching sex ed isn’t such a bad idea... who else is more qualified? Students are more likely to listen to someone who knows what they are talking about, not just some teacher telling you the scientific basics, it is much easier to relate to real life experiences. I would put money on the students in the discussion actually thinking about the information after and remembering it not just dismissing it. As for 4 year olds learning about gays, for me it is a great idea. [Our son] is going to know about sexual lifestyles as soon as he can comprehend it, one of my best friends is gay and another committed suicide when he was 16 because he was gay and his “friends” at school made his life a living hell so it is a topic very close to my heart. If we taught our kids from a young age that whatever choice they make or their friends make, it doesn’t change who they are and there is nothing wrong with wanting to be homosexual then how many lives would

six watch Big Brother Uncut but the shock to me was that none of the parents saw anything wrong with what was being televised. Most said that it was up to individual parents to regulate what their children watch and that Channel 10 had no responsibility regarding what they broadcast.

Below is a sampling of the general responses of the parents in the forum.

So what are we to make of all

we save in later years? A great number of male teenage suicides are for this very reason, I have no idea of the correct figures as there has been no study that I know of to target this.”

“If Uncut was on at 7pm, my 4 year old would probably watch it. We have always been open with her about these things, and she understands that sex is natural… I do not believe in repression.”

“It comes from ignorance, plain and simple. And fear.” [in regard to those who are opposed to Channel 10’s coverage of Big Brother Uncut].

“I admit, some of the material shown on the Uncut show can be rather vulgar, but nothing that a fairly NORMAL bunch of young people would be discussing. My daughter attends a catholic kindergarten and I am pretty sure she won’t be visited by the likes of Mary Anne Kenworthy nor be swayed that its okay to be gay. BUT, these are things that we will discuss when she is older. It IS okay to be gay, it IS okay to have sex before marriage (big catholic no no), and she

this? If I were Channel 10, I would be feeling confident that relatively few people care if the material shown on free-to-air demonstrates little moral discernment. In the world of television, ratings are the ultimate consideration (I’m not sure morality even ranks).

As for society’s views on sex and sexuality, I’m beginning to think that the Catholic view isn’t the conservative perspective at all. Rather, it’s the new radical one.

will be put on the pill and it will be drummed into her head that she must practice safe sex. Don’t get me wrong, I am not knocking the catholic church in any way, but some of their beliefs and practices are so outdated, we are in the year 2005, what they are seeing on BB Uncut is normal behaviour, the catholic church needs to update a little and realise the world as it is today. Unlikely though, Pope John Paul was conservative and made sure the next pope would be too.”

“Hello.... EVERYONE HAS SEX EVENTUALLY. And, lo and behold, all of them bar about 1% are teenagers when they start.”

“Big Brother can be considered an education. Whilst I don’t watch the show as I choose to exercise my democratic right to switch off the television, I have watched it in the past and am aware of the content.”

(Some identifying names were removed. Comments in brackets have been added for ease of reading, capitals are their own emphasis.)

When cheap entertainment is the norm

■ By Paul Gray

Tonight on Big Brother Uncut: Gary and Christine discuss the teachings of the Dalai Lama.

Christine says the Dalai has a cute outlook on life. But Gary strenuously disagrees.

Gary says contemporary Buddhism is just a pale shadow of the classic traditions of Eastern Enlightenment – and he won’t compromise. In fact, he’s ready to punch any Big Brother housemate who disagrees.

Christine’s not ready to compromise either, even for the sake of inner harmony.

Things are set to get really ugly on Big Brother. Will Gary and Christine come to an understanding? Will there be spiritual peace in the Big Brother house?

If only reality TV was about that kind of scenario. If it showed real people arguing over things that matter, I might even watch it.

Unfortunately, reality TV – typified by this year’s Big Brother Uncut series – represents something entirely different from the reality of life. It’s about cheap entertainment. The cheapest.

A national debate has been stirred over the downmarket direction led by this year’s series. Broadcasting authorities have been called upon to curb its offensiveness.

I never watch Big Brother myself, but it’s clear from what’s been documented lately that the show deliberately pushes the boundaries of television entertainment.

The fact Big Brother is only entertainment makes this debate different from earlier debates over artistic and pictorial boundaries. The debate, for example, over the hanging in a public gallery of Andres Serrano’s painting Piss Christ.

Artists have been stretching the

limits of offensiveness for years – in fact, for generations. But they’ve usually claimed higher purposes for doing so.

Purposes like artistic freedom, the right to self-expression and the artist’s courageous desire to tackle the hypocrisies of an affluent society.

A lot of the excuses artists have used over the years for deliberately provoking public outrage have seemed highly convenient ways of attracting valuable publicity. But at least they’ve felt the need to make excuses.

With Big Brother, there’s not even a pretence of this. The show is based on lust for TV ratings and advertising revenue. There are no fig-leaves on Big Brother Uncut – literal or metaphorical.

That leaves us with two questions. How did we get here? And where do we go next?

I blame neglect for creating a culture where Big Brother Uncut can do whatever it does, today.

It’s true that most of us haven’t lobbied TV networks directly to ensure strong broadcasting standards are maintained in relation to depictions of sex. But neither have most of us complained over gross depictions of violence over the years. One commentator has pointed out the inconsistency here.

He said Channel Nine’s CSI series would be seen by many more kids than see Big Brother – and CSI shows horrific scenes from the morgue. Knives stabbed into eyes, burned faces of corpses, bodies cut open to reveal the organs. So long as no private parts are shown, it’s OK.

This is a trifle hypocritical, don’t you think? It’s also a sign of how we’ve neglected to insist on respect for the human body, in entertainment. I don’t think this disrespect was always there. Many great movies from earlier eras, from Hitchcock’s classics to David Lean’s Lawrence of Arabia, often dealt with the grisly and the ghastly.

But these movies conveyed their disturbing subject matter without depicting explicit on-screen violence, or even sexual activity. Were we culturally so much poorer for that?

No. In fact we were richer.

So where do we go from here?

Some say that if you don’t like

the world in brief Vatican-Jewish dialogue says religious values crucial to society

VATICAN CITY - Laws promoting religious values are legitimate if they protect the human rights and freedom of expression of all citizens, said members of a highlevel Vatican-Jewish dialogue commission. “Religious values are crucial for the wellbeing of the individual and society,” said representatives of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel and the Vatican’s Commission for Religious Relations with the Jews. The representatives met June 26-28 in Jerusalem for the fifth meeting in a dialogue that began in 2002. The meeting focused on “the relationship between religious and civil authority in the Jewish and Christian traditions.” According to a statement released July 12 at the Vatican, the meeting was opened

what’s on Big Brother, then turn off your TV. That’s what I’ve been doing – but I’m still concerned for our culture. I think if we want improvement, we’ve got to insist on accountability.

We should make TV networks accountable by lobbying them, and lobbying the advertisers. One way I’d like to see this happen is through Christians and Muslims working together to encourage family-oriented advertising – and to discourage the rubbish.

But we should also be accountable in our own lives. We should examine the attitudes we ourselves adopt towards the human body. Do we abhor depictions of violence, as well as porn? Are we consistent?

The Big Brother controversy may reveal even more about our culture than what it reveals of housemates’ personal anatomies. They’re just performers, after all.

But it’s the people who are looking on who really make the difference.

The question is, what difference are we making?

by Israel’s Chief Sephardic Rabbi Shlomo Amar, “who expressed his fervent support for the dialogue to emphasise profound shared values of the two traditions while not ignoring the distinctions that make us different faith communities.”

Benedict’s first encyclical

Benedict XVI has started to write his first encyclical, taking advantage of his peaceful surroundings in the Italian Alps, where he is vacationing.

The news, leaked by Vatican sources a few days ago, was confirmed today by Salvatore Mazza, a reporter for the newspaper Avvenire. Mazza discussed the news in his report, on Vatican Radio, on the Pope’s vacation, which began last Monday.

A pope’s first encyclical is usually of a programmatic character, as was the case with Paul VI’s “Ecclesiam Suam” (1964) and John Paul II’s “Redemptor Hominis” (1979).

According to the Vatican Radio report,

World View World View

the Holy Father began writing the text some weeks ago.

Mazza said: “The time available, the environmental conditions, the silence, the total tranquility of the area and the Pope’s capacity to concentrate on his work, lead to the belief that he will take advantage of these days to continue to work on his encyclical.”

During his stay in the village of Les Combes, near Introd, Benedict XVI also hopes to prepare some addresses he will deliver at World Youth Day in Germany next month and at the Synod of Bishops, in October.

The Pope, who is staying at a chalet, plans to be on vacation until July 28. He will then travel to Castel Gandolfo, the papal summer residence south of Rome.

600 From Holy Land to Attend World Youth Day

JERUSALEM - Some 600 youths from the Holy Land will join the hundreds of thousands expected at World Youth Day in

Germany from Aug. 16-21.

To pay their way, the youths have worked and served in local parishes, but they will also receive help from the Church and benefactors, said Father Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Franciscan Custodian of the Holy Land.

Among the pilgrims “is a group of 10 boys from the small Catholic Jewish communities,” although almost all of the youths are Palestinians, the Franciscan told the Italian bishops’ SIR news agency.

The priest said he expects the young people would take to Cologne “a testimony of peace, more enriched by these last years of violence.”

Moreover, it will be important for the youngsters “to meet with other contemporaries with whom they share a journey of faith,” he said. “We are a minority, and that is why we hope that WYD will not only be a celebration but an intense experience of faith and of the Church which will be useful to our parishes.

“I am certain that our young people will return from Cologne full of experiences to be translated into their life of faith, and to go beyond sorrow and suffering.”

The World

Mortal sin prevents communion

Vatican releases uncompromising working document on Eucharist

In a preparatory document released yesterday for October’s Synod on the Eucharist, the Vatican singled out divorcees who remarry and Catholic politicians who support abortion, in criticising the faithful who continue to receive Holy Communion while in a state of mortal sin.

Associated Press reports that the positions were set out in a new document on the Eucharist that details abuses of the sacrament and the need for better instruction to ensure it remains sacred.

The 85-page text is the working draft of a final document that will be developed during the October global synod of bishops in Rome.

The paper covers a range of issues related to the Eucharist: It suggests, for example, that Latin be used during international liturgical gatherings so all priests involved can understand the proceedings, and it suggests that parishes consider using more Gregorian chants to prevent more “profane” types of music from being played.

It calls for priests not to be “showmen” who draw attention to themselves and says lay people can have an important but “minimal” presence in Masses.

It says the tabernacle - which holds the bread and wine held by Catholics to be the body and blood of Christ - should have a prominent place in the church and not

be shunted off to a corner. Most significantly, though, the document laments the fact that fewer and fewer Catholics are going to Mass on Sundays - in some countries, only 5 percent of the faithful attend - and that fewer Catholics are going to confession.

As a result, many Catholics are living in a state of mortal sin when they receive Communion, it said. The Church defines sin as a free and deliberate violation of God’s law; a mortal sin is one that involves

a “grave violation of God’s law” and “deliberate consent.” Catholics can repent their sins by confessing them to a priest.

“The faithful frequently receive Holy Communion without even thinking that they might be in a state of mortal sin,” the document said.

“As a result, the receiving of Holy Communion by those who are divorced and civilly remarried is a common occurrence in various countries.”

It noted that confession isn’t always available to the faithful because of the acute shortage of priests in parts of the globe, but said the sacrament nevertheless was necessary.

It cited statistics showing there was one priest for every 1797 Catholics in 1978 compared to one priest for every 2,677 Catholics in 2003.

The document, “The Eucharist: source and summit of the life and mission of the Church,” was written from material provided by Bishops reporting on their own experiences.

“It stresses that it is not a theological treatise on the Eucharist and in fact it restates church teaching on most key issues. In one section, for example, the document criticised the faithful who support Catholic politicians who themselves back abortion and other policies contrary to church teaching.

“Some receive Communion while denying the teachings of the Church or publicly supporting immoral choices in life, such as abortion, without thinking that they are committing an act of grave personal dishonesty and causing scandal,” it said.

Meanwhile Catholic World News reports that the Synod will include a much larger representation from other Christian communities, and the plans for the bishops’ discussions have been modified to encourage broader discussion.

At a press conference in Rome yesterday, Archbishop Nikola Eterovic and Mgr Fortunato Frezza-

- the secretary general and undersecretary, respectively, of the Synod of Bishops-- briefed reporters on the plans for the Synod.

Although he did not identify which non-Catholic communities will be represented, Archbishop Eterovic said that they would include the Eastern and Oriental Orthodox as well as Reformation bodies, and particularly those religious groups with which the Vatican has had strong ecumenical contacts.

As observers, the non-Catholic delegates will not speak in plenary sessions, but can join in the discussions of the smaller working groups.

During general sessions, prelates will be limited to 6-minute presentations, rather than the 8-minute talks allowed in previous Synod meetings.

This change, the secretarygeneral explained, is intended to speed discussion, and to allow for another innovation: the introduction of open-discussion periods at the close of each day.

The Synod will meet for 3 weeks of discussion, rather than 4 as in the past. But these discussions will follow the usual pattern, being divided between plenary sessions and smaller working groups.

There will be 12 such working groups, split by linguistic groups.

The October session will be the 11th regular general assembly of the Synod of Bishops.

There have also been 2 extraordinary general assemblies and 8 special Synods for the bishops of particular region CNS

Religious intolerance continues Evolution just a theory

Scientific data supports design in evolution, says cardinal

Any evolutionary position that denies the “overwhelming evidence for design in biology is ideology, not science” and incompatible with Catholic teaching, said Austrian Cardinal Christoph Schonborn of Vienna.

Many scientists want “to avoid the overwhelming evidence for purpose and design found in modern science,” he said in an article in the July 7 New York Times

“Scientific theories that try to explain away the appearance of design as the result of ‘chance and necessity’ are not science at all, but, as John Paul put it, an abdication of human intelligence,” he said in the article which quoted the late Pope John Paul II.

Pope Benedict XVI holds the same position as his predecessor, said Cardinal Schonborn.

Cardinal Schonborn criticised unnamed “neo-Darwinian” scientists as claiming that “an unguided, unplanned process of random variation and natural selection” is acceptable in Catholic teaching.

“The Catholic Church, while leaving to science many details

about the history of life on earth, proclaims that by the light of reason the human intellect can readily and clearly discern purpose and design in the natural world, including the world of living things,” he said.

“Faced with scientific claims like neo-Darwinism and the multiverse hypothesis in cosmology invented to avoid the overwhelming evidence for purpose and design found in modern science, the Catholic Church will again defend human reason by proclaiming that the immanent design evident in nature is real,” he said.

“Evolution in the sense of common ancestry might be true,” said the cardinal. Cardinal Schonborn, who was one of the main editors of the “Catechism of the Catholic Church,” said that in the debates over evolution “the Catholic Church is in the odd position of standing in firm defence of reason.”

The cardinal said that “neoDarwinists” are claiming that Pope Benedict agrees with their views about an unguided and unplanned evolutionary process.

■ By Cindy Wooden

The arrest of Christians in North Korea, restrictions on the Church in Belarus, the imposition of Islamic law on Christians in several countries and the prohibition on Muslim girls wearing scarves to school in France demonstrate how often religious freedom is violated around the globe, a Catholic aid agency said.

Aid to the Church in Need, a Catholic organisation funding religious projects in 120 countries, released its annual report on religious freedom on June 30 at the Italian Parliament.

The report, while focusing on the persecution of Christians around the world, included concerns about the way Muslims are treated in France, the Netherlands and the United States.

priests sentenced to hard labour,” the report’s summary said.

The report also expressed concern for Christians living in predominantly Muslim areas of Nigeria.

“In the state of Bauchi, following clashes between Christians and Muslims, at least 10,000 Christians were forced to flee,” it said.

Colombia, a predominantly Catholic country, also was cited in the report because “violence and the violation of human and religious rights is alarming” in the South American nation.

“During 2004, more than 3,000 civilians were killed for political reasons, while at least 600 people vanished and 2,200 were kidnapped,” the summary said.

Aid to the Church in Need said the human rights situation in Cuba remains serious with a continuing repression of political dissent.

In refutation, he quoted from the Pope’s inaugural homily. “We are not some casual and meaningless product of evolution. Each of us is the result of a thought of God,” said the Pope at his installation.

Full religious freedom is the right of an individual to practice openly his or her faith without suspicion or discrimination and the right of religious groups to conduct their own affairs and minister to their faithful, Cardinal Renato Martino, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, said at the presentation.

CNS

The 2005 report praised improved conditions for Christians

in predominantly Muslim Qatar, but said, “the persecution of ‘infidels’ or ‘apostates’ (as Christians and converts to Christianity are referred to) reached emergency levels” in Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.

Aid to the Church in Need collected the information used for the report directly from the churches it assists, news articles, official government documents and human rights organisations.

“The situation in China is extremely serious, with 19 bishops kidnapped or prevented from performing their ministry and nine

As far as religious freedom is concerned, it said, the Cuban government does not persecute Catholics, but the government continues to exclude expression of faith from the public sphere, denying the Church access to the media, refusing permission to open Catholic schools and banning the teaching of religion in state schools.

Those in a state of mortal sin should not be receiving communion a new document says - to do so is a “grave violation of God’s law”.

PHOTO: CNS

China’s persecution of Christians continues to put it in the spotlight.

The World

Youth walk in the name of life

Blisters part of the drill for crosscountry pro-life walkers

■ By Kathrynne Skonicki

“I am a survivor of abortion,” Dave Bathon told the Catholic Explorer, newspaper of the Joliet Diocese, by telephone.

The 21-year-old former student of Naperville’s SS. Peter and Paul School called from the road - he is one of about 40 college students walking across the country this summer to promote the value of human life. The students, split into three groups, started in May in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Seattle. They are to meet in Washington at a pro-life rally on August 6 on the steps of the US Capital.

In describing the circumstances surrounding his birth, Bathon said that in 1984 his mother was advised by doctors to abort her unborn son because she was diagnosed with throat cancer.

“She said she chose to love me,” he said, noting that many women in the same situation would have opted to have an abortion.

Three years after his birth, cancer spread to the rest of his mother’s body and she died.

Her efforts to save his life were so powerful that he has become a pro-life activist, he said. Bathon started a pro-life group when he was a teenager at St Joseph High School in South Bend, Indiana. As a student at St Mary’s University of Minnesota in Winona, he is a member of St Joseph County Right to Life.

“I’m trying to share my mother’s hope with other people,” he said.

The experiences of Bathon and his fellow walkers are being followed on the Web site www.crossroadswalk.org. The cross-country treks are in their 11th year and are sponsored by Crossroads. There is a northern walk, a

central walk and a southern walk; the northern route was added this year.

The June 25-26 weekend marked the halfway point for participants. They try to walk 15 to 20 miles a day; when they are finished they will have covered more than 9,500 miles across 31 states.

Organisers said the idea for the walks was inspired by Pope John Paul II, who in 1993 at World Youth Day in Denver called for America’s youths to “preach the Gospel of life from the rooftops.”

Sporting white T-shirts with large, black letters spelling “pro-life,” the young people walk through big and small towns, and col-

leagues stop on weekends to pray at abortion clinics, offer sidewalk counselling and speak at parishes.

“It’s been about as real as it can get,” Bathon said of the experience. He rattled off the pains and strains that go with such a trek, including blisters, insect bites and minor injuries sustained by his fellow walkers. One walker’s blisters were as severe as a second-degree burn; another participant fractured toes on her right foot.

“We live on donations from week to week.

... God provides,” Bathon said.

The cross-country journey has “helped strengthen my prayer life,” he added. CNS

Memorial idea for Berlin Wall victims supported

A German Church spokesman said the church supports the construction of a permanent monument for those killed while trying to escape communism by crossing the Berlin Wall.

An unofficial memorial of crosses near where the wall once stood was removed to make way for development.

The Church believes communist-era victims deserve a “more fitting, permanent monument,” said Stefan Forner, spokesman for the Berlin Archdiocese.

“It’s clear to us that these victims deserve to be commemorated in a pure and simple way that can be understood by everyone,” he said.

On July 5 workers pulled down 1,065 crosses commemorating citizens of the former communist-ruled East Germany who were shot trying to escape across the wall during the nearly 30 years that it divided Berlin.

Forner told Catholic News Service that the crosses had been blessed by a Catholic priest before being removed, but were not “officially recognised” by Berlin Cardinal Georg Sterzinsky as a “Christian memorial.”

“Although the cross is always a Christian symbol, most of the victims weren’t killed for being Christians and weren’t church members,” Forner said.

“On the other hand, it’s important for the Church to remember the dead, whether they were Christians or not, so we would support a proper monument to those who lost their lives,” he said.

The Berlin Wall, erected in 1961 to seal the Soviet-administered zone of Germany, was torn down in late 1989 prior to the reunification of East and West Germany. -CNS

Pope Benedict makes trip to the Holy Land a priority

Ambassador says Pope Benedict calls Israeli trip ‘a priority’

Responding to a formal invitation by Israel’s prime minister to visit the Holy Land, Pope Benedict XVI said he “would love to go” and that a visit there would be “a priority,” said Israel’s ambassador to the Holy See. Ambassador Oded Ben-Hur was part of a small delega-

the world in brief

tion of Israeli officials that on July 6 presented the Pope with a letter from Prime Minister Ariel Sharon inviting the pontiff to Israel.

The ambassador told Catholic News Service that the Pope received the invitation “with joy.”

“The Pope said, ‘I would love to go. I would be delighted,’” Ben-Hur said on July 7.

Although the Pope told the group that his schedule was very tight, a visit to Israel was “a priority,” he also told them. Ben-Hur,

Negative not good enough

A Catholic bishop said Anglican clerics opposed to the ordination of women bishops should not be received into the Catholic Church for “negative reasons.” Bishop Declan Lang of Clifton, one of England’s leading Catholic ecumenists, spoke amid rising speculation that the vote taken by the Church of England on July 11 to remove legal obstacles to the episcopal ordination of women would lead to mass defections of traditionalist clergy. Bishop Lang, co-chairman of the English Anglican-Roman Catholic Committee, a group that meets twice a year to promote ecumenical projects and the joint study of theology, said mechanisms existed within the English Catholic Church

Dalia Itzik, Israel’s communications minister, and Israel Maimon, government secretary, visited Pope Benedict on July 6 shortly before the Pope’s weekly general audience in St. Peter’s Square.

The Israeli officials came to the Vatican to present Pope Benedict with a commemorative stamp, issued by the Jewish state, in honour of Pope John Paul II and his efforts to further Jewish-Catholic relations.

The stamp, issued on May 18, the

to receive married Anglican ministers and even to ordain them as Catholic priests. “When there was the ordination of women in the first place there were some Anglicans who applied to be received into the Catholic Church, and the same provision is there at the moment,” he told Catholic News Service on July 12. “But there is an understanding that you don’t come into the Catholic Church for a negative reason.”

Mother Teresa Centre

The Missionaries of Charity religious order has announced the creation of the Mother Teresa of Calcutta Centre. The centre is being established as a nonprofit organisation to promote devotion to Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta, India, and authentic knowledge about her life, work, spiritual-

late Pope’s birthday, pictures him at Jerusalem’s Western Wall during his visit in 2000. During that visit, Pope John Paul placed in the wall a written prayer asking God’s forgiveness for Christian sins against Jews.

Itzik explained to Pope Benedict that after Pope John Paul’s death the Israeli government voted unanimously to issue the stamp.

Ben-Hur said Pope Benedict was “pleased to hear that,” saying he knew “how hard it is to get a unanimous vote from the Knesset.”

ity and message. It was incorporated in New York in June and will have facilities in Calcutta, Rome, the United States and Tijuana, Mexico. The centre’s administrative and legal functions are currently based in Fairfield County, Connecticut. According to an announcement, the centre will function as a publisher and distributor of books and devotional materials; will collect, preserve and exhibit Mother Teresa’s genuine relics as well as articles of historical importance; and display creative works inspired by her life, words and works.

Sudan cursed by resources

To an outsider, there does not appear to be much in Nyala to fight over: a lot of desert, a few camels and, for a couple months of the year when it rains, some

Meanwhile, a Vatican official told reporters on July 6 “no decisions, no plans” have been made concerning a papal visit to Israel. Ben-Hur said he imagined such a trip would “not be in the very near future. We have to be patient.”

He added that a visit by the German pontiff “would have a tremendously positive impact” on the people in Israel. In 1964 Pope Paul VI was the first modern Pope to visit Israel, followed by Pope John Paul in 2000. CNS

green grass that provides a welcome respite from the otherwise omnipresent sand. Yet church workers providing aid to some of the more than 2 million people displaced by fighting in western Sudan’s Darfur region say that behind the violence lies a bitter struggle over diminishing supplies of water and arable land. “This is a war that’s first and foremost about resources,” said Bjorg Mide, director of the ACT/Caritas Darfur Emergency Response, a program that brings together the world’s Protestant and Catholic aid agencies in an effort to help people who have been chased from their homes by a scorched-earth campaign that many characterise as genocide. UN officials say more than 180,000 people have died in the last two years because of armed conflict in the Texas-sized region of Darfur. Other experts put the death toll as high as 400,000.

Youth are making thier opposition to abortion known through a pro-life walk across the US. They rely on donations in order to continue their walk.

PHOTO: CNS

Reviews

Fantasy, yes, Fantastic, no movie

Fantastic Four

■ By

David DiCerto

“Fantastic Four” (20th Century Fox) is anything but fantastic. At times it borders on schlock, though it’s not a complete failure as summer popcorn entertainment.

There have been far better comic-book adaptations such as “Spiderman” and “Batman Begins.” But, then again, this isn’t a flat-out turkey like “Daredevil” and “The Hulk.” Directed by Tim Story, the film involves a close-knit, if dysfunctional, clan of spandex-clad superheroes: One can stretch like rubber, one can disappear, another is superstrong and one can burst into flames at will.

Pixar’s “The Incredibles,” whose quartet of do-gooders had similar abilities, was clearly inspired by “The Fantastic Four,” the longestrunning Marvel comic-book series, created in 1961 by Stan Lee (who has a brief cameo) and Jack Kirby.

Like the comic book, the film centres on four scientists who become genetically endowed with superpowers while studying solar flares in outer space.

They include: Egghead and team leader Dr Reed Richards (Ioan Gruffudd), the elastic “Mr Fantastic”; brainy love interest Sue Storm (Jessica Alba), the “Invisible Woman,” who can also project impregnable force fields; her hotheaded young brother, Johnny (Chris Evans), the self-combustible “Human Torch”; and lovable lug Benjamin Grimm, aka “The Thing” (a heavily latexed Michael Chiklis), a walking wall of orange rock with superhuman strength.

When not bickering among

themselves, they battle archnemesis

Dr Doom (played with villainous glee by Julian McMahon), a billionaire industrialist - and former colleague of Reed - who finances and accompanies the foursome on their ill-fated expedition to outer space. He also gains super capabilities. His conversion to evil conjures Hayden Christensen’s descent to the dark side in “Revenge of the Sith” (he even ends up donning a Vaderesque iron mask to cover his scarred face).

Yet it isn’t world domination that fuels Doom’s megalomania - at least

not initially - but his unrequited love for Sue. (Ain’t it always about a girl?)

“Fantastic Four” isn’t helped out much by its ham-fisted dialogue, bad acting, chintzy sets and, at times, cheesy special effects.

But there is also a goofy campiness to the film that precludes it from taking itself too seriously (and cues viewers to do the same). It has what the superior films “X-Men” and “Batman Begins” lacked: precisely the sense of lighthearted fun that attracts kids to comic books.

The movie has some amusing

sight gags, as when Johnny uses his palm to heat-up popcorn. It also has moments of pathos, mostly involving Ben, who, like countless movie monsters, suffers rejection - even by those who supposedly love him - because of the way he looks. Themes include teamwork and accepting those who are different. There is quite a bit of consequence-free comic-book violence - lots of cars are tossed around, but no casualties - which some viewers may feel sends the wrong message. What makes “Fantastic Four” appealing is that it is about some-

thing most moviegoers can relate to: a squabbling family. As with all families, even though they argue, in the end their greatest “power” is the bond of love that holds them together.

The film contains intense comicbook action violence, some sexual innuendo and brief mildly crude language. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-II - adults and adolescents.

DiCerto is on the staff of the Office for Film & Broadcasting of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops.

PANORAMA a roundup of events in the archdiocese

Sunday July 17

MASS & HOLY HOUR

In honour of OUR LADY OF MT CARMEL At St John’s Pro-Cathedral, Victoria Ave, Perth. Mass 11.15 am, Holy Hour 2-3 pm (Rosary, Benediction and Enrolment in the Brown Scapular). Lunch in the Parish Centre between Mass and Holy Hour. Please bring a plate to share. Enq Fr Michael Rowe 9444 9604.

Sunday, July 17

1  2 PM ON ACCESS 31

ETERNAL WORD TELEVISION NETWORK

St Thomas Aquinas and the Holy Eucharist / Sr Joan Noreen with Mother Angelica and Raymond Arroyo (Best of Mother Angelica Live) Be part of the New Evangelisation by supporting these wonderful Catholic programs! We ask for your prayers and for your financial support to keep them on air. Please tell your family, friends and fellow parishioners. Postal address: The Rosary Christian Tutorial Association, PO Box 1270, Booragoon 6954. Enquiries: 93301170. Further information available on our web site: www.cathworld.org/worlds/org/media/

Tuesday and Wednesday July 19-20

DIVINE WILL DAYS OF REFLECTION AND PRAYER

From 10.30am-3pm at Casa di Luisa Piccarreta, 59 Newton St, Spearwood. All welcome. Enq Jenny/ Michelle 9494 2604. Please bring lunch to share.

Wednesday July 20

HILLS AND EASTERN SUBURBS MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT GROUP Lesmurdie meeting 7.30-9pm at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish Centre, 207 Lesmurdie Rd, Lesmurdie. Enq Marge or Tom 9291 6282 Natlie 9295 6282 or Barbara Harris of Emmanuel Centre 9328 8113.

Friday July 22

CATHOLIC FAITH RENEWAL PRAISE AND WORSHIP

At St Mary’s Church, Cnr Franklin and Shakespeare Sts, Leederville, there will be a praise and worship evening followed by Holy Mass. The main Celebrant is Fr Peter Meo. There will be light refreshments after Holy Mass. You are all welcome to attend and we encourage you to bring your family and friends to this evening of fellowship. We look forward to see you there. Enq Rita 9272 1764, Rose 0403 300 720, Gertrude 0433 231 305.

Saturday July 23

SHEDME N’S BREAKFAST

Neville Watson, pastor, barrister and author is Guest Speaker at the next Shedmen’s Breakfast (Shedmen is a group of interchurch men and their friends who meet monthly) starting at 8am at St Johns Centre, 16 Aberdeen St, Northbridge. Hot breakfast, small donation, great fellowship and sharing. All men welcome. (Bookings and info: Harry Mithen 9444 4626)

Sunday July 24

FIRST ANNIVERSARY MASS AND FEAST OF STS JOACHIM & ANNE

At St Anne’s church, Bindoon, 12 noon BYO lunch.

1.15 pm Rosary and Benediction. Holy Mass 2pm. Afternoon tea provided. For more details contact: Jean 9576 0006 or Susan 9576 0403 or Fr Paul 9571 1839. For all transport arrangements contact: Francis Williams Tel: 9459 3873 / Mobile: 0404 893 877. Cost $14.00 per person (Return).

Sunday July 24

BULLSBROOK SHRINE PILGRIMAGE

The next monthly pilgrimage in honour of the Virgin of Revelation will be held at the Shrine of ‘Virgin of the Revelation’, 36 Chittering Rd, Bullsbrook at 2pm. The Pilgrimage includes the Rosary, Pilgrimage Mass at 2.30pm, Procession to the Shrine, Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament and the Blessing of the sick. All are most welcome. Reconciliation is from 1.30pm prior to the Pilgrimage Mass celebrated at the Shrine. Bus transport for the Pilgrimage departs Barrack St at 12.30pm for Bullsbrook via Highgate, Guildford and Midland. For bookings Ph Mrs Haddon 9277 5378 or Enq SACRI 9447 3292

Sunday July 24

75TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE SECULAR FRANCISCAN ORDER

In 1930 the first WA fraternity of the Secular Franciscan Order, a world-wide body established by St Francis over 700 years ago, was estabished at St Mary’s Cathedral. The SFO comprises over 1,000,000 men and women from all walks of life. The 75th Anniversary will be celebrated by attending Mass in St Mary’s Cathedral at 10am followed by lunch at Miss Maud’s (Cnr Pier and Murray Sts) at noon. All SFO’s and their friends are invited.

Sunday July 24

MUSICIAN AFTERNOON

A very enjoyable afternoon of fine music and good company is promised If you come to a Soiree and afternoon tea at St Joseph’s Convent Chapel, York Street, South Perth on 24 July 2005 at 2.30pm. The Julian Singers and Mary Croft will provide entertainment. A donation on entry will go to the Mary MacKillop Foundation which helps promote the various works supported by the Mary MacKillop Foundation. Enq Laurie Mayne 9271 5649 and John McCormack 9383 2615

Thursday July 26-28

FREE SEMINAR

Medical Treatment for the Dying. Can I make my own decisions about dying? Can Catholics support the new law proposed for WA? You are invited to consider these important issues and play your part in shaping our future. Repeated on two nights: Tuesday 26 July in Floreat Parish Centre (Peebles Rd, Floreat) and Thursday 28 July in Applecross Parish Centre (Alness Street, Ardross). Both seminars begin at 7pm, and finish by 8.30pm. Sponsored by the L J Goody Bioethics Centre, Glendalough.

Friday July 29-31

CHARISMATIC RENEWAL  SCHOOL OF CHARISM

A weekend workshop to attain practical experience in the use of the Spiritual Gifts. Presented by the internationally acclaimed, Damian Stayne, from the UK. Gifts workshopped include Prophecy,

From left, Jessica Alba, Ioan Gruffudd, Michael Chiklis, and Chris Evans star in a scene from the movie “Fantastic Four.”

Photo: CNS

BOOK KEEPING

■ SMALL BUSINESS BOOKKEEPING MYOB

Bulk rates negotiable. Ph: Margaret 9459 5866/0403 778 426

BUILDING TRADES

■ BRICK REPOINTING

Phone Nigel 9242 2952

■ GUTTERS/DOWNPIPES

Need renewing, best work and cheapest

Free quote. Ph: Ad 9447 7475 or 0408 955 991 5008.

■ PERROTT PAINTING PTY LTD

For all your residential, commercial painting requirements. Phone Tom Perrott 9444 1200.

■ PICASSO PAINTING

Top service. Phone 9345 0557, fax 9345 0505.

CATHOLICS CORNER

■ RETAILER OF CATHOLIC PRODUCTS

Specialising in gifts, cards and apparel for baptism, communion and confirmation. Ph: 9456 1777. Shop 12, 64-66 Bannister Road, Canning Vale. Open Mon-Sat.

CHANGE YOUR LIFE FOREVER

■ WORK FROM HOME

Around your children & family commitments. My business is expanding and I need people to open new areas all over Australia. Training given. Highly lucrative. www.cyber-success-4u.org

FOR SALE

■ LUMEN CHRISTI HOMES, AUGUSTA

Lifetime lease (Unit 6). Enquiries: Phone Catholic Diocese of Bunbury 9721 0500

FURNITURE REMOVAL

■ AAA SLIPSTREAM

Piano removal, sales and hire. Special discount for schools. Contact Tony 0418 923 414

■ ALL AREAS

Mike Murphy 0416 226 434.

HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION

■ BUSSELTON

Geog Bay, Park Home sleeps UP TO 6 winter rates apply. Ph Elizabeth 0408 959 671

HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION

■ DENMARK

Holiday House 3bdr x 2bth, sleeps up to 8. BOOK NOW. Ph: Maria 0412 083 377

HEALTH

■ GLYCONUTRIENTS

Now here is a product that could change your life, a dietary supplement that surpasses all others. Glyconutrients are a technological breakthrough and a new area of science. Learn more about optimal health and Glyconutrients by calling: Mary Anne 9284 1662. Find out Glyconutrients can provide you with a healthy business and a healthier life.

IN MEMORIAM

■ NASH PETER

RIP Darl-Marge and Anthony xxx.

Golden Chain Prayer - O Holy Mother of God, with this Golden chain we tie our children and our Priest to Thy Immaculate Heart and to the Sacred Heart of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ burning with Love for us in the Blessed Eucharist. Amen

MUMS ON A MISSION

■ SUCCEED FROM HOME Call Christine on Tel: 9256 2895

RELIGIOUS PRODUCTS

■ RICH HARVEST  YOUR CHRISTIAN SHOP

Looking for Bibles, CDs, books, cards, gifts, statues, baptism/communion aparells, religious vestments, etc? Visit us at, 39 Hulme Court (off McCoy St), Myaree, 9329 9889 (after 10.30am, Mon-Sat). We are here to serve.

■

Healing, and Release from Bondage, Discernment and others. Held at Trinity College, Nelson Ave, E. Perth. Opening rally Fri, 29th at 7.30pm Cost $20 registration (by chq to Charism School, PO Box 485, Cloverdale 6985 ). Queries to Dan Hewitt 9360 7400 (w) or 9398 4973 (h).”

Sunday July 31

CHARISMATIC HEALING & MINISTRY SERVICE

Held at Gibney Hall, Trinity College, Nelson Ave, E. Perth, an opportunity to seek God’s healing in your life. Presented by the internationally acclaimed Damian Stayne, from the UK. Free entry, though a love offering will be taken up. The evening commences at 7pm with prayer. Come! Be amazed by God’s infinite and extraordinary love for you! Further info call Dan Hewitt 9360 7400 (w) or 9398 4973 (h).”

Wednesday August 3-4

FINDING GOD ON THE FARM

Catholic perspectives on the Environment. A live-in conference to be held at the Benedictine Monastery, New Norcia, for those who live on the land or care for creation, Keynote speaker Dr Michael Jackson. For info or registration contact Fr Geoff Aldous, Northam 9622 5411 or Dave Antonio 9622 2370.

Monday August 8

BLESSED MARY MACKIILOP’S FEAST DAY

At 6pm, you are invited to come and join the Sisters of St Joseph to celebrate Mary MacKillop’s life and the10th Anniversary of her Beatification in the Chapel, 16 York Street, South Perth. For more information contact Sister Maree Riddler 9334 0933, 9457 3371.

Tuesday August 9-13

THE DREAMER, A PLAY BY TOM PAVEY

There is nothing like the excitement of live theatre and we can look forward to a new Christian, historical fiction play, being staged at the Nexus Theatre, Murdoch University. The play attempts to convey the universal love and forgiveness of God. Tickets are now on sale through ticketmaster7 www.ticketmaster7.com Phone 1300 558 878. Full $20 Con. $15, Students $15, Student Groups $12 (Teachers Free) Religious/Clergy Free (Tickets from ticketmaster7 outlets - No phone bookings) A donation will be made to St Vicent de Paul Society and Linda’s House of Hope.

Friday August 19-21

HOW DO I KNOW THAT GOD IS CALLING ME TOO Join a group of other young people for a weekend of prayer, listening to other people’s stories and learning tools to help you determine where God is leading you in terms of your state of life, career or any other part of your journey which may be unclear. Run by the WA vocations network, the Retreat will be held at the St Joseph’s retreat house. Please contact Bronia for more information on 0407 430 478 or 9478 1263 or bkarnie@hotmail.com.

CROSS ROADS COMMUNITY TERM 3

JULY 19  SEPTEMBER 23

Family & Friends Support Groups of Substance Abusers are on Wednesdays 7-9pm, Substance Abusers Support Groups are on Tuesdays 5.307.30pm & Fridays All day Group for Substance Abusers is from 9.30am to 2pm including Healing Mass on Fridays at 12.30pm during term. Rosary is from Tuesday to Thursday at 12.30-1pm.

40 DAYS OF PURPOSE

An August-September all-Christian Evangelisation course being conducted in many Perth churches and communities. More info: Harry (9444-4626) and Website: www.purposedriven.com.au.

ASSISTANCE REQUIRED

The Catholic Parish of St Anne’s, Bindoon require help to assist tradesmen to complete work on the Parish centre. Ph John 9457 7771.

BLESSED SACRAMENT ADORATION

Holy Family Church, Alcock Street, Maddington. Every Friday 8.30 am Holy Mass followed by Blessed Sacrament Adoration till 12 noon. Every first Friday of the month, annointing of the sick during Mass. Enq. 9398 6350.

REFLECTION AFTERNOONS

Challenge of Living as a Eucharistic Community in the Modern World. For everyone involved in Eucharistic Ministries or Service. Speakers include Archbishop Hickey. Topics: Spirituality, 10 July; Evangelisation, 7 August; Challenge of Change, 21 August, Redemptorist Monastery, 2-4 pm. Phone 9422 7902.

SUNDAY CHINESE MASS

The Perth Chinese Catholic Community invite you to join in at St Brigid’s Church, 211 Aberdeen St (Cnr

of Aberdeen and Fitzgerald) Northbridge. Celebrant Rev Fr Dominic Su SDS. Mass starts 4.30pm every Sunday. Enq Augustine 9310 4532, Mr Lee 9310 9197, Peter 9310 1789.

LITURGY OFFICE OFFERING EXCELLENT WORKSHOPS

Leadership for Music Ministry, 28 July and 25 August. Cantors for the Country: To give people confidence and practical skills to lead the singing in country parishes 13 August and 22 October. Phone: 9422 7902.

CONFRATERNITY OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

The Confraternity of the Holy Spirit has been sanctioned in the Perth Archdiocese, our aim is to make the Holy Spirit known and loved, and to develop awareness of His presence in our lives. If you would like more information please call WA Coordinator Frank Pimm on 9304 5190.

SECULAR FRANCISCANS IN WA

You are invited to find out more about following Franciscan way of life as a layperson. Contact the group nearest you and come along. Midland fraternity meets on the second Friday of each month at 1pm, contact Mary 9377 7925. Balcatta fraternity meets on the third Sunday of each month at 3pm contact Dunstan 9276 9415. Perth fraternity meets on the fourth Sunday of each month at 2.30pm contact John 9385 5649. Dardunup fraternity meets on the third Sunday of each month at 1.30pm contact 9721 6815.

CATHOLICS EXPERIENCING THE BIBLE

An exciting opportunity to learn more about your faith. Enrolments are now open for study at Acts 2 College of Mission and Evangelisation in term 3, commencing Mon 18 July. Part-time courses: Healing and Ministry - Maureen Egan/ Tony Pullella, Monday 12.30-2pm; the Bible and the Mass - Fr Tim Deeter, Tues 9-30-11-30am; and the Gospel of Life - Richard Egan, Tues 2-4pm. Short Course: Mary in the Mystery of the Church - Fr Leo M Spicer, OSM on Mon 15th and Mon 22nd August commencing 9am. Public lectures commence 4-5pm, Tuesday 19 July: series 1 on prayer (5 lectures) by various clergy; series 2 on the Catechism by Fr Hugh Thomas. Registration and enquiries to Jane 9202 6859 or 0401 692 690.

ENTERTAINMENT BOOK

Valid through June 2006 available at ALL SAINTS’

CHAPEL, 77 Allendale Square, St. George’s Terrace, Perth. Featuring the best in dining, hotel accommodation, theatre, sports and much more all with 25% to 50% off or two for one offers. Place your order now. Available from May 30th. Enq 9325 2009, daytime hours 8am – 4pm, Monday through Friday. Thank you for supporting All Saints’ Chapel fund raising efforts.

First Sunday of each month

DEVOTIONS IN HONOUR OF THE DIVINE MERCY

Fr Douglas Hoare and the Santa Clara Parish Community welcome anyone from surrounding Parishes and beyond to the Santa Clara Church cnr of Coolgardie and Pollock Streets, Bentley. The afternoon commences with the 3 o’clock prayer, followed by the Divine Mercy Chaplet, Reflection, and concludes with Benediction.

THE DIVINE MERCY APOSTOLATE

St Mary’s Cathedral, Victoria Square, Perth –each first Sunday of the month from 1.30pm to 3.15pm with a different priest each month.

All Saints Chapel, Allendale Square, 77 St George’s Tce, Perth - each Monday and Friday at 1.35pm Main Celebrant Fr James Shelton.

St Francis Xavier Church, 25 Windsor Street, East Perth - each Saturday from 2.30pm to 3.30pm

celebrant Fr Marcellinus Meilak, OFM.

Saints John and Paul Church, Pinetree Gully Drive, Willeton - each Wednesday from 4pm to 5pm. All Enq John 9457 7771.

The Record WINTER Catalogue

Aside from bringing you up-to-date news about local, national and international events, The Record has a range of books, CD’s and videos available for purchase. We serve the Church not only by producing news but by making available materials to help strengthen people’s relationship with Christ and deepen their understanding and commitment to the Church, and helping Christians make sense of the world through the eyes of faith. We hope to do this by providing affordable high quality resources that are engaged with the contemporary world and faithful to the Church’s teachings. Below is a small selection of some of the resources we have in stock.

WITNESS TO HOPE Video

Based on the best-selling book Witness to Hope by George Weigel

$20.00

Shaped by the terrors of Nazi-occupied Poland and the subsequent brutalities of the Communist regime, John Paul II became one of the world’s greatest proponents of religious freedom and human rights. With rare historical stills and archival footage, along with new location footage taken in Rome and Poland, this richly textured film traces the personal life and struggles of the first non-Italian pope in over 450 years. Based on George Weigel’s book of the same title, Witness to Hope is a complete and intimate portrait of an extraordinary leader.

OPEN EMBRACE: A Protestant Couple rethinks Contraception

By Sam and Bethany Torode

$18.50

“Sex is joy and sex is trouble. Nothing highlights better than sex the age-old conflict between a love that is selfish and a love that is selfless. The Torodes are a modern couple who’ve rediscovered a failsafe path out of the trouble zone and into the real delight that marriage can offer.” - Paul Gray

RISE, LET US BE ON OUR WAY

By John Paul II

$27.95

Chronicling the years he spent as a bishop and later archbishop in Krakow, Poland through his election as the first Polish Pope in 1978, he recounts everything from communist efforts to suppress the Church in Poland to his efforts to adopt a new and more open style of pastoral ministry. With recollections on his life as well as his thoughts on the issues facing the world now, Pope John Paul II offers words of wisdom in this book that will appeal to people of any faith looking to strengthen their spirituality.

ARISE FROM DARKNESS

What to do when life doesn’t make sense

By Benedict J. Groeschel, C.F.R.

$25.00

This well-known priest and psychologist, Fr Benedict Groeschel, draws on his years of dealing with people’s problems and tragedies to provide practical and spiritual help to anyone burdened by life. He helps us find solutions in the Gospels and the lives of saints, heroes and very brave ordinary people. Wise guidance that is personal, compassionate and Christ-centred.

Books can be purchased from The Record or ordered by contacting Eugene Suares on (08) 9227 7080 or by emailing administration@therecord.com.au

Prices listed DO NOT include postage and handling.

THE TRUTH OF CATHOLICISM

Ten Controversies Explored

By George Weigel

$25.00

In The Truth of Catholicism, John Paul II’s biographer George Weigel tackles 10 of the most controversial and complex questions for which the Catholic Church provides answers. The subjects of these questions include the uniqueness of Christ, the meaning of freedom, the dignity of human life from conception until natural death, and the use and abuse of sex. Weigel explains how the Catholic stance on these isses is a celebration of human life and human love, even as they challenge us to imagine a daring future for humanity and for ourselves.

LETTERS TO A YOUNG CATHOLIC

By George Weigel

$25.00

Catholicism is a “habit of mind.” So Weigel takes us on an extraordinary journey to the building blocks of the Catholic faith: from Chartres Cathedral to G.K. Chesterton’s favourite pub, from the grave of a modern martyr in Warsaw to the Sistine Chapel. Letters to a Young Catholic will inspire not only this generation of Catholics but also the faithful, the doubtful and the searchers of every age.

3. Why Marriage Matters...

Reason Three

Growing up outside an intact marriage increases the likelihood that children will themselves divorce or become unwed parents.

Children whose parents divorce or fail to marry are more likely to become young unwed parents, to divorce themselves, and to have unhappy marriages and/or relationships. Daughters raised outside of intact marriage are approximately three times more likely to end up young, unwed mothers than are children whose parents married and stayed married. Parental divorce approximately doubles the odds that adult children will also divorce. Divorce is apparently most likely to be transmitted across the generations when parents in relatively low-conflict marriages divorced.

The Record is publishing all 21 reasons. However, if you can’t wait Twenty-One Reasons

Why Marriage Matters by the National Marriage Coalition is available from The Record for $5 plus postage and handling.

Contact Eugene on (08) 9227 7080 or e-mail administration@therecord.com.au