The Record Newspaper 16 February 2011

Bucks parties?

In the ‘burbs of secular Australia, they’re regarded as only a little bit naughty and fairly normal. Not so, says BERNARD TOUTOUNJI. It’s time for real men to step up to the plate - Page 17

Archbishop warns of police corruption

BY ANTHONY BARICH ARCHBISHOP Barry Hickey

(pictured) has warned that the WA Government’s plan to legalise prostitution in restricted zones will normalise the industry, increase the proliferation of illegal brothels and expose police to corruption.

While admitting that eliminating prostitution is impossible, the Archbishop said legalising brothels is not the solution as it “sends the wrong message that going to a prostitute is socially and morally acceptable” and “creates a belief that women especially are only

sex objects for personal gratification”. The resultant increase in demand from partial legalisation will mean illegal brothels will proliferate, which has happened in other Australian States, he said. “Illegal brothels will occupy police resources extensively and will offer the same dangers of exposure to corruption that legalisation hopes to avoid,” he said. “Legalisation does not eliminate those dangers.”

His comments come less than a month after The Record revealed that the ‘Swedish model’ of criminalising buying sex and educating law enforcement in areas such as

the inherent dignity of women has been vindicated by an assessment of the country’s law over 10 years.

Under the WA Government’s proposed model, all forms of prostitution will be banned from residential areas and police will be given expanded powers to shut down illegal brothels.

But Archbishop Hickey said that with a system of legal and illegal brothels, police will have even more work than before legalisation as they will need to additionally monitor legal brothels for compliance with the law. WA Attorney General Christian Porter has already admit-

ted that present laws criminalising brothels have not worked as law enforcement cannot police them.

Though Mr Porter told a June 2010 Belmont community forum that police have told him that trafficking does not exist in WA, Archbishop Hickey warned that close attention should be paid to the spread of trafficking of young girls against their will.

“Horrifying stories are emerging across the world of children being sold to brothels, girls being drugged and abused, made ready for prosti-

Please turn to Page 2

Not even fire stopped teachers and school community

BY PETER ROSENGREN

TEACHERS at Good Shepherd Catholic Primary School forced to evacuate in the face of a raging bushfire in Kelmscott and Roleystone still turned up to work on Monday morning wearing the same clothes in which they fled the conflagration.

This was just part of the dedication displayed by staff out of commitment to their students and the families of the school, Principal Gabrielle Doyle told The Record

From 7 February, the second

day of the devastating fires, students from the school were temporarily relocated from their picturesque campus in Arbuthnot Street, Kelmscott to Lumen Christi College, a large Catholic secondary school nestled at the foot of Perth’s hills in Gosnells several kilometres to the north.

Remarkably, teachers who had been contacted by Mrs Doyle on the day of the fire to be informed of the assessment of the school’s situation, including those who had evacuated their own homes with nothPlease turn to Page 2

Students from Good Shepherd Primary School in Kelmscott attend class in their temporary school on Wednesday 9 February at Lumen Christi College in Gosnells after their campus was threatened by fire in the devastating Kelmscott and Roleystone fires of 7 and 8 February. They returned to classes on Thursday 10 February.

OFFICIAL ENGAGEMENTS 2011

FEBRUARY

17 ACCC Prayer Meeting, City Beach –Archbishop Hickey

Opening and Blessing of school build ings, St Gerard’s Catholic Primary School – Bishop Sproxton

18 Opening and Blessing, Servite College –Bishop Sproxton

Opening and Blessing, Aquinas College – Mgr Brian O’Loughlin VG

20 Re-opening and blessing of St Kieran’s Church, Osborne Park – Archbishop Hickey

21 Dedication Service for Aged Care Chaplains and Pastoral Carers – Bishop Sproxton

22 Mass and Final Profession for Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate, Midland – Bishop Sproxton

23 Blessing of new offices of Catholic Marriage and Fertility Services, Doubleview – Archbishop Hickey Implementation of the New Translation of the Roman Missal – Bishop Sproxton

24 Ordination to Diaconate of Thomas Zureich, Whitford – Archbishop Hickey

25 Mass at St Columba’s, South Perth –Archbishop Hickey

27 Personal Advocacy Missioning Celebration – Bishop Sproxton

MARCH

1 Civic Reception for Ambassador of Italy – Archbishop Hickey Mass for Newman College – Bishop Sproxton

2 Premier’s Launch of Project Compassion – Mgr Brian O’Loughlin VG

School community pulls together in wake of devastating fires

Continued from Page 1 -ing except what they were wearing, turned up the next day with lessons already planned, she said.

From Monday, 7 February to Wednesday, 9 February students sat at tables and chairs set up for them by Lumen Christi in the college’s large gymnasium as teachers carried on with business as usual.

Lumen Christi school captains had also visited Good Shepherd’s students to encourage them and demonstrate their support. Staff from Good Shepherd were given access to photocopiers and any other school equipment they needed for teaching in the new temporary premises.

Fortunately, none of the families with children enrolled at the school lost their homes in the conflagration, she said.

However, the fire did come to within approximately 100 metres of the school on one side but was held back by firefighters.

Early unconfirmed reports on ABC local radio on the first day of the fire indicated that Good Shepherd Primary had burnt down. One home at an intersection opposite the school had been lost in the fire, she said.

Students had handled their school’s situation very well and had been mainly concerned or distressed at the likely fate of animals including chickens and goats kept as pets on the school’s grounds. However, all had survived.

On Wednesday, after the fire had been put out by fire and emergency services, staff had checked Good Shepherd and found that while no buildings had been damaged, radiant heat from the close call had damaged gardens and trees within school grounds.

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A large amount of ash and grit had also needed to be cleared away.

Police corruption a clear danger, Archbishop warns

Continued from Page 1 -tution and even sold to individuals, exactly like slaves, to be taken home for the use of the buyer,” he said.

“Prostitution is a form of slavery, not a job. They have little freedom to come and go as they please.”

Women prostitutes often drift into the industry due to poverty, low self-esteem or the need for quick money, especially for drugs; while many only manage to continue in the trade with the help of drugs, he said.

Funds should also be available to assist women to escape prostitution and re-build their lives, he said, and agencies set up to help prostitutes should be able to apply for assistance.

The Archbishop established such an agency - Linda’s House of Hope - in 1999 with former madam Linda Watson.

posed model, all advertisements for prostitution would be restricted to classified sections of publications and must include current licence numbers. Any operator, manager or prostitute found to be engaged in unlawful advertising would fined up to $50,000 and their property could be confiscated under the Criminal Property Confiscation Act 2000.

The Archbishop also called for health checks, regardless of what system of prostitution reform is set up.

Mr Porter said that, “unlike Labor’s Bill which would have seen micro brothels spread into WA communities and hold local governments accountable for their regulation, our proposed model will limit brothels to a small number of appropriate locations and ensure regulation and licensing is controlled by the State Government”.

and Liquor. To combat organised crime, applicants would be required to undergo background checks, including palm printing and finger printing at the discretion of the director.

The Attorney General said persons with “substantial” criminal histories would be prevented from obtaining a licence and there would be expansive provisions to prevent the involvement of juveniles.

Operators and managers of brothels will face up to five years in jail if they are found guilty of employing a child. If a child is found present at a brothel, the operators and managers could face fines up to $24,000 for the first offence or imprisonment for up to three years for subsequent offences.

Legislation should also clamp down on advertising in the media for prostitution, he said. Under the WA Government’s pro-

Under the proposed model, the operator, manager and prostitutes within a brothel would be licensed by the Director of the Department of Racing, Gaming

The penalty for operating or managing an unlicensed brothel would be up to three years in jail, and for clients caught entering or leaving an unlicensed brothel the penalty would be a fine of up to $6,000 or up to one year in jail.

A Good Shepherd Primary School Year Two student looks out over the Brookton Valley from Canning Mills Road near her school, one of the areas devastated by fire on 7 and 8 February.

Senior Good Shepherd students, below left, enjoy classes in a new temporary setting. During the three days the school community evacuated from their campus, dedicated staff, below, encouraged students and kept their attention focused on lessons and class activities.

PHOTOS: BELOW: COURTESY GOOD SHEPHERD PRIMARY SCHOOL; ABOVE: PETER ROSENGREN

Three off on honeymoon, and one of them’s a priest Father ‘Zee’ retires

Gravedigging girl gets her man

BY BRIDGET SPINKS

An historian and an archaeologist, who met while digging up the body of Perth’s second Bishop in St Mary’s Cathedral four years ago, will be part of the excavation team to dig up Perth’s first Bishop in France next month.

Only this time they’ll be married and the priest marrying them will be on their honeymoon.

Historian Odhran O’Brien met his fiancée and archaeologist Jade Doering while exhuming Bishops Griver and Goody from the 1865 Cathedral crypt in July 2006.

Twelve months later, Odhran was successful in receiving the Archdiocesan Research Fund Scholarship, a grant to fund the research and writing of Bishop Griver’s biography and took on the project for his Masters thesis at the University of Notre Dame.

At about the same time he asked Jade out, he said.

Their relationship began as friendship and pretty soon they were spending time together on archaeological digs.

“It’s good, our relationship has been formed on a solid basis of this common interest in history,” Odhran said.

For the last three years during their courtship and then engagement, Odhran has been delving back into the 1800s, reading hundreds of Bishop Griver’s thousands of letters that he wrote during his time as Bishop.

When the relationship got more serious, so did Odhran’s research project and they started to joke that there was a third person in the relationship: Bishop Griver.

This biography of Griver (as yet unpublished) will be a big contribution to Perth’s Catholic Church history as all that existed prior to this was a brief biographical booklet written by Archbishop Goody who served as Perth’s prelate from 1968-83.

“I’ve traced Griver through from his early life in Spain to his death in WA,” Odhran said.

“Under the previous two Bishops there had been great division and turmoil within the Catholic Church,” he said referring to the dispute between Bishop John Brady and Benedictine Fr (later Bishop) Joseph Serra. Apparently, a papal letter was sent to Perth transferring the Bishop’s role to Fr Serra, but it was lost in transit and had been sent to Port Essington, near Darwin.

Bishop Serra subsequently served as Apostolic Administrator in Perth until Bishop Brady later died in France in 1871.

The Church in Perth today is a result of Griver’s administration during his prelature from 1873 to 1886, Odhran said.

“Griver’s administration funda-

mentally changed Perth Diocese, setting it on a new course which helped it become what it is today; through building churches, schools and healing disputes within the hierarchy and by being a minister to the people,” he said.

Bishop Griver was known for his holiness by the way he carried out his mission and when he died, those preparing his body for burial found a wooden cross and nails in his chest and back, Odhran said. Use of such objects in this fashion was not unknown as a penitential practice in 19th century Catholicism.

This personal sacrifice is indicative of the way Bishop Griver took the concerns of his congregation to heart, Odhran said.

“Bishop Griver took responsibility and tried to make sure that people had the resources they needed to practise their faith,” he said.

“He physically travelled to the outback throughout his time as a missionary priest in Perth, even up to Geraldton.

“He developed a closeness with his congregation because he had administered the sacraments to a large amount of people personally,” he said.

Odhran said that Griver’s witness to the faith has inspired him.

“He shows what can be achieved through strong faith. There were so many times when he struggled to find the funds he needed and he was physically sick but often he continued on because he felt his mission was more important than his own health,” he said.

After their wedding on 26

February, the newlyweds will fly to Barcelona on 14 March.

They will visit Griver’s birthplace in Granollers, Spain where his descendants still live before continuing on to Amélie-Les-Bains to help exhume the remains of Bishop Brady.

“We both feel so privileged,” he said, of the role Bishops Griver, and now Brady, have played in their relationship.“You don’t expect to meet the love of your life in the Cathedral crypt,” Odhran said.

“We’re both ‘blown away’ by how it’s happened. Our married life will begin the way our relationship began. I would say it’s God’s timing. Even Jade, who’s not a Catholic, would say there’s something unexplainable at work,” he said.

Fra Robert Zivkovic osm retired as chaplain of Servite College at the end of 2010 for health reasons.

Fr Bob from Denver Colorado, or “Fr Zee” as he has been affectionately known, came to Australia in 1967.

Leaving behind a parish ministry in Colorado, Fr Zee began a lifetime of service at Servite College from the first year he arrived.

A three-year appointment at Aranmore College and a trip to the USA when his mother was in her final illness were the only interruptions he had to his ministry at Servite College.

In his early years, he taught mostly Religious Education and History but by the mid ‘70s he was named Chaplain and has remained in that capacity ever since.

Servite Fra Chris Ross osm said that Fr Zee is what he would describe as ‘loveable’.

“His gentleness, soft-spoken voice, quiet solicitousness have been appreciated,” he said.

Servite College Principal Dr Philip Cox added that Fra Zee would be particularly remembered for ending each Mass and

liturgy with the words “live justly, love tenderly and walk humbly with your God”.

“This was so loved by the student body that it became an unofficial motto at Servite College,” he said.

The graduating class of 2010 asked that this quote be added to a commissioned plaque listing the names of their graduating class.

It has also become a tradition for the student body to select a staff member to honour for their services to the College Community.

The 2010 student leaders chose their beloved Fra Zee to be awarded the Seven Holy Founders Medallion for 2010.

Public meeting for changes to liturgy

Perth’s Centre for Liturgy is hosting an evening on 23 February for parish priests, Archdiocesan liturgy teams, interested parishioners, organisations and agency personnel to explain the implementation process for the new translation of the Mass.

The event, at the Vietnamese Catholic Community Centre at 3

Victoria Road, Westminster from 7.30-9.30pm, is important as it will outline for all the process for the changes that will take place in 2011.

Perth Auxiliary Bishop Donald Sproxton will address the forum; there will also be a presentation of One Body, One Spirit in Christ Call 9207 3350 to register by 22 February.

celebrate their engagement with Fr Robert Cross, who will marry the couple on 26 February at St Mary’s Cathedral. Left, Jade excavates under the Cathedral.

Trinity boys teach faith through art

Trinity old boys record music that transcends time to evangelise Catholics of the richness of Catholic faith

BY ANTHONY BARICH

FOUR Trinity College old boys who have each attracted international attention for their musical prowess have produced a CD of Tenebrae reflections that draw the listener into Christ’s Passion as if they were actually there.

Oxford Music student Andrew Cichy (bass), WA Opera’s Roberto Francesco (tenor), World Project Music Festival stars Greg LeCoultre (counter tenor) and Cameron van Reyk (baritone) formed in 2002 when the latter roped the other three in to sing with him at his brother’s wedding.

Having formed with a view to singing liturgical music, within two years the quartet were known in Perth as one of the highest quality ‘self-directed’ male vocal quartets.

Their CD, Tenebrae Reflections, is their first under their group name Q and will be launched at a performance at St Joseph’s Church in Subiaco on 19 March at 7.30pm, and is available from The Record Bookshop.

The music of Q – which stands for Quartessence - is not just for concertgoers, Cichy said.

“We try to engage, to show the music in all its beauty for what it is. It’s also an evangelising act – faith

Martyrs honoured at ecumenical prayer service

BY T HEO ISSA

OVER 300 attended an Ecumenical Prayer Service for the Christian Martyrs of the Middle East which was held on 12 February at St Mary’s Cathedral, Victoria Square, organised by the Coptic and Syrian Orthodox Churches in WA.

through art,” Cichy said. “The most eloquent arguments or apologetics for our faith are made through art, as Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict XVI) said, it’s in these brief encounters that we have a depth of experience that we wouldn’t gain from reading a whole library of books. “The function of music in church, apart from worship of God, is to make the Word flesh.

“Christ came in the Incarnation;

music draws us into the mystery –it’s our way of seeking the face of God in this life before we’re perfectly united with Him in the next.”

LeCoultre, Francesco and van Reyk have been singing responses since they were in primary school at Trinity College under the expert guidance of Annette Goerke, famed Cathedral organist for 40 years and director of music for some 25 years who first took organ lessons from Fr Albert Lynch, who revo-

Archbishop Barry Hickey welcomed the congregation to this prayer event and spoke about the events that took place in Alexandria on 31 December when a Coptic church was bombed. A procession of 24 photos of the martyrs and 24 candles representing each of these lost lives followed a picture representing the martyrs of the Middle East and a bay leaf wreath.

The prayer of the commemoration of the departed in English and Coptic was followed by the service of the departed faithful in Syriac for the repose of the soul of the martyrs.

The service included speakers from Federal Opposition and the State Government in addition to some heads of Churches in Perth. Both V Rev Fr Boutros Touma Issa and Rev Fr Abram Abdelmalek concluded the speeches and thanked the Archbishop and the Dean of St Mary for their hospitality.

lutionised the music culture in the Archdiocese.

She is also one of the few people in the Archdiocese to have been awarded the Holy Cross Pro Ecclesia Et Pontifice (“For Church and Pope”), the award given to lay people and clergy for distinguished service to the Church.

The trio was also part of the Cathedral choir as Trinity also supplied choirboys for the Cathedral since 1938 when Fr Lynch, who established the choir, approached the Christian Brothers for assistance.

The quartet’s repertoire has evolved according to each other’s strengths and interests which converged when they returned to the works of 16th century Spanish composer Tomas Luis de Victoria, plus many items that LeCoultre, Francesco and van Reyk sang in the Cathedral choir and realised with sadness that none of them were sung anywhere in the Archdiocese.

The quartet’s professional nous is being used to not only entertain but to evangelise, Cichy told The Record, as music is the Church’s highest form of art.

“We, as Catholics, are very quick to recognise artistic accomplishments in other media like Michelangelo who is so well known for his frescos in the Sistine Chapel in St Peter’s Basilica; his depiction of the hand of God reaching out to Adam is seen as iconic of the story of creation,” Cichy said.

“So it’s sad that there is such an un-awareness that these musical masterpieces are part of our incredibly rich heritage and patrimony.”

For 400 years after Victoria,

these responses have continued to have an emotional immediacy that allows them to communicate with audiences in a way that transcends time, he said.

“They are incredibly dense and rich texts, infused with the supernatural – the battle between life and death in the suffering of Christ in His humanity, His betrayal and ultimately the unfathomable extent of His love,” Cichy said regarding the texts on Q’s CD.

This is highlighted in track five, Una hora (One hour), emphasising where Christ said ‘could you not watch with me for one hour, you who said you’d die for me. See how Judas has betrayed me’.

“Even in the opening motet you can, in a way, enter into it – the image is so vivid of Christ’s personal anguish – you can almost feel His heart breaking as He looked down and saw His disciples sleeping,” Cichy said. “In the hour when He would love them to be there when He most needs them, you can feel the encroaching darkness, feel that Judas isn’t far away; (and feel) His loneliness, His dejectedness.”

Track eight - Tenebrae factae sunt (There was a darkness over the earth) – powerfully recalls Christ’s cry from the Cross, ‘Oh my God why have You abandoned me?’ when He ‘gave up the ghost’.

Even singing this piece, Cichy said, “we reached that point we could feel what had happened, you’re right in the thick of it”. The quartet has born other fruit – St Joseph’s Chamber Choir emerged as a result of this quartet, with young Catholics drawing on this “incredibly rich heritage of music”.

Accountant to be ordained

Work life balance opens door to priesthood

BY BRIDGET SPINKS

DEACON Daniel Boyd from Bassendean, once a successful and dedicated accountant, will be among the five deacons to be ordained for the Perth Archdiocese in St Mary’s Cathedral on 4 March. He had aspirations to the priesthood as a 10 year old altar server but when other opportunities arose, these faded into the background, he said. He soon built a very successful career working for two major accounting firms and invested most of his time and effort into his job.

“Career success is directly attributable to effort and working in a very competitive industry, work becomes the be all and end all. But there’s a point when you realise that you need life balance,” he said.

He started reappraising his priorities in his late 20s. He said he realised that there was time for career, friends and Church.

“Not that I didn’t devote significant effort to my career but other things came into my life, such as that reconnection with the Church,” he said.

Daniel had struggled with his faith and ‘organised religion’ in his late teens and for ten years afterward he lapsed into the practice of coming to Mass at Christmas and

Easter. During this time he said he saw God but not the Church as part of his life. “Now I don’t think there’s a difference: faith and Church are synonymous,” he said. “The Church really does foster and nurture that faith that’s within and helps to express faith in the community in which we live,” he said.

The loss of his father when he was 21, and later the loss of his mother when he was 35, as well as the friendship of Fr Alex Morahan were pivotal in leading him back to the Church, he said.

“There was that wonderful sense of coming home,” he said of his return to the parish he attended as a child, St Joseph’s in Bassendean.

“Fr Alex was a constant in my early faith journey. Even in my 30s he was still our parish priest and he was such a calming, reassuring influence.”

When he returned to Church, Daniel said he was worried about how his departure and return would be perceived.

“But the welcome was great. It really gave me a deep sense of peace and calm. I don’t feel as though I ever lost my faith in God. I think I lost faith in the Church, which seems strange for someone about to be ordained,” he said.

Since his return to the Church, he has found his faith restored, renewed and reinvigorated. “My faith has gone from strength to strength. The Church is the place that fosters and nurtures us in those difficult moments. I don’t Please turn to Page

Veritas Records’ promotion for Q, a quartet of four Trinity College old boys who have each gained international renown and have now recorded a CD to be launched at St Joseph’s Church in Subiaco on 19 March. IMAGE: COURTESY VERITAS

Fr Boutros Touma Issa gives the benediction at St Mary’s Cathedral.

Christ speaks through priests

BY DAVID C HUA

OVER 100 Catholics flocked to Advent Park in Maida Vale for a weekend of adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, a torchlight Eucharistic procession, spiritual talks and an open-forum panel discussion of diocesan and Religious priests.

Ten priests, seven Religious Sisters and two friars joined over 80 lay Catholics at the re-booted Catholic Prayer Festival from 11-13 February that started at 9pm on Friday night in the venue’s chapel with exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and perpetual adoration, which continued to the end of the festival.

Talks during the festival focused on the importance of prayer and Eucharist, given by Catholic Youth Ministry chaplain Fr Roman Wroblewski SDS, Australian Vocations Director for the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculata Fr Joseph Mary Michael McShane and parish priests Frs Timothy Deeter (Mt Lawley), Peter Bianchini (Highgate) and Don Kettle (City Beach).

The talks culminated in a two and a half-hour panel discussion in which the six priests shared their personal journeys to the priesthood and discussed a range of unplanned audience-chosen topics. Many discussions continued over meals as the priests joined the attendees for dinner and breakfast the next morning.

Fr Roman told The Record that being given the opportunity to share and connect with the young attendees was a rewarding moment in his priestly vocation.

“Showing young people that the priesthood is a beautiful journey of life, blessed by God – and that Christ gives us celibacy as part of that love – shows how we are so fulfilled as priests, and how we serve young people,” Fr Roman said.

“We need more events like this, to encourage more priests to come along and open up themselves to other people.”

John Keogh, 23, a teacher at Mazenod College, told The Record that the clergy’s presence and witness to their priestly vocation inspired him and distinguished the festival from many of the ‘youthbased’ Catholic events he had frequented in the past.

“Usually when you come to Catholic conferences, priests are few and far between … it becomes more of a ‘laity affair’,” he said. “It’s great to be able to have free interaction with Religious and with people likeminded about our faith.”

The festival provided constant opportunity for prayer via a perpetual adoration roster, together with the Liturgy of the Hours which commenced at 5am each morning. One of the organisers, Kelvin Lobo, said he had initial reservations about holding perpetual adora-

tion after the festival.“I wasn’t sure whether young people would want to do such a thing, especially during night hours,” he said. However, both adoration and daily prayers were well attended, especially by younger attendees. “To be able to go in at 3am on Saturday night and find six or seven young people worshipping the Blessed Sacrament – it was amazing,” he said.

Eucharistic prayer culminated in a torchlit procession of the Blessed Sacrament around the camp grounds at 8pm on Saturday night.

On Sunday, the final Mass was celebrated at 8am by Perth Auxiliary Bishop Donald Sproxton who was joined by All Saints chaplain Fr Tiziano Bogoni and Frs Joseph and Roman.

For Bronia Karniewicz, director of Respect Life Office, Perth, the highlight of the festival was the beauty of the Mass which included Gregorian chant and polyphony sung by a schola (choir) comprised of youth. “I think beauty leads us to prayer … prayer leads to God. And a really important part of beauty is that it shows us how wonderful and beautiful God is,” Bronia said.

The Festival, which sprang out of a weekly discernment group in 1997 led by Fr Deeter, initially drew about 30 youth, but stopped in 2006. It was re-started this year by the initiative of several lay individuals, for which the turnout of 100 more than doubled the original expectations of 40. After the final Mass they said the Festival will run annually, following this one’s success.

Clockwise from top left: Fr Don Kettle addresses participants; he joins Frs Tim Deeter and Peter Bianchini on a discussion panel; an altar server carries the Crucifix during a ceremony; Fr Roman Wroblewski SDS speaks; Fr Joseph Mary Michael McShane FI with the Blessed Sacrament.

UNDA takes to Fremantle’s streets

Notre Dame declares its Catholic identity to harbour city

IN what has become the annual tradition to mark the commencement of academic life for The University of Notre Dame Australia, staff in full regalia, students, families and members of the Fremantle community will join the annual Commencement Parade through the streets of Fremantle on 24 February.

Since 2000, the parade has provided an important opportunity to celebrate Notre Dame’s identity as an integral part of Fremantle’s unique, multicultural and vibrant community. This year, Fremantle parish priest Fr Tony Maher will bless the Commencement Books signed by new students before the WASAMBA drumming company will lead the parade from Mouat Street to walk down Marine Terrace, up Essex Street, along South Terrace and Market Street, down High Street, arriving back at Notre Dame. The parade, which starts at 9.30am, will kick off the University’s inaugural ‘O Day Fiesta’ which signifies the beginning of a weeklong orientation programme for new students. Mouat Street will be closed to traffic as the campus comes alive with a variety of food stalls and entertainment.

For more information, please contact the Student Life Office on 9433 0658 or visit the website www.nd.edu.au/current-students/o_day.

brief...

Peace Vigil at Monastery

THE Redemptorist Monastery’s Social Justice Group will host its 11th Peace Vigil at the North Perth church on 19 March – the eighth anniversary of the allied invasion of Iraq. The 6-9pm vigil is to pray for peace in communities, families, war-torn countries and hearts,

with 20 minute sessions of reflections followed by 10 minutes of silence and lighting of votive candles for peace. While the Vigil is run by lay people, a Redemptorist priest will expose the Blessed Sacrament for adoration during the Vigil and will bless the people with it. The event, in its eighth year, uaully draws up to 150 people to the Monastery. Organisers are also opening the event to the wider public and other Christian denominations, with Greek Orthodox and Anglicans invited.

COUNCIL OF CHURCHES OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA INC.

Ecumenical Ministry Officer (Part time 0.8)

Based in Subiaco, The Council is seeking an enthusiastic person to support ongoing dialogue an co-operation amongst churches in Western Australia. The person appointed to this ministry position will implement the Council's mission objectives.

Responsibilities: Implementation of the Council's mission objectives, including:

Promoting active and broad participation in the ecumenical movement;

Supporting and resourcing commissions, committees and projects;

Cultivating and communicating information;

Relating to other bodies.

Tasks: Include, but are not limited to:

Providing active support to Commissions of the Council through research, document preparatio communication, resource development and other means;

Drafting the fortnightly e-newsletter

Essential

University of Notre Dame Australia staff, students, friends and supporters parade through Fremantle’s streets last year.

PHOTO: UNDA

Notre Dame lecturers sign up in droves

A RECORD number of lecturers from across the University of Notre Dame Australia hve signed up to share their knowledge as part of a diverse programme of over 60 topics this year.

The Success Now! programme, a new initiative being offered to current students in 2011, was developed after extensive research and overwhelming generosity of staff in giving their time.

The programme offers workshops and lectures on a range of topics, designed to help students achieve their best while studying.

UNDA lecturers will share their knowledge and expertise delivering a diverse programme of over 60 topics which cover potential challenges such as juggling work, study and family commitments; steps in writing a good essay, finding the right research references for postgraduate students; researching for assignments and the skills for speaking in public.

This new programme also is offered by University’s Academic Enabling and Support Centre (AESC) whose director, Associate Professor Keith McNaught, said has been able to expand programmes rapidly, based simply on the sheer kindness and goodwill of both academic and administrative staff as there is a deep shared commitment to helping students be successful and achieve their potential.

“Notre Dame’s new courses have attracted a great deal of interest from outside the University too, with students from other universities seeking places,” Prof McNaught said.

“Many future mature age students are keen to take up short

courses and workshops to develop their skills before starting their university studies.”

The West End of Fremantle was again full of activity when the University’s Fremantle Campus opened its doors for the 2011 Enrolment Days on 1 February.

Over 1,200 new students will begin Semester One including, for the first time, students enrolling into the University’s new alternative entry pathway – Foundation Year.

“The Foundation Year’s focus is on success and skills development,” explained Prof McNaught.

“It is designed to introduce stu-

dents to the demands of academic study such as research and critical thinking, language, academic writing and learning skills. “We want to help them to achieve their goals as they move to undergraduate study.” Students who successfully complete the Foundation Year receive a Record of Achievement and a Certificate of Attainment at the end of the course.”

To be admitted into the first year of undergraduate studies at Notre Dame, students must achieve a mark of 65 per cent in each unit within the first semester and a pass grade in all second semester units.

YCS new leaders blessed

BY ANTHONY BARICH

WARWICK Senior High School graduate Merida Cook was installed as the Young Christian Students’ national coordinator for 2011 during a week-long conference from 10-16 January at Fairbridge Village in Pinjarra.

Merida, former YCS National Development Officer, joined the international movement through its Drama group as a student at Mercy College before being named chairperson of Perth YCS in Year 12 while attending Warwick Senior High School.

Brisbane’s St James Catholic College graduate Morgan O’Brien, who has been involved in YCS since Year 8, was appointed as National Development Officer. He will be based in Melbourne.

South Australian Elise Ganley will continue on the National Worker team as National Extension Officer. The National Exec members for 2011 - Sophie Stewart (Perth), Liam McGuire (Townsville), Alida Konyn, (Port Pirie), Hannah Stavrou (Port Pirie), Rebecca Gay (Parramatta) - were also acknowledged and blessed.

Ten student representatives ranging from 14-17 years of age from Melbourne, Townsville, Port Pirie, Canberra/Goulburn, Parramatta, Sandhurst and Perth reviewed the national movement in the past year, planned for the year ahead, held National Worker job interviews and reflected on the movement’s Catholic identity.

At a Mass on the Saturday where

Morgan and Merida were commissioned, Geraldton Bishop Justin Bianchini said he admired the YCS’ work in brining youth back to the Church, and said the movement’s ‘life method’ of ‘see, judge, act’ as developed by the Young Christian Workers founder Cardinal Joseph Cardijn was an effective formation tool to reach young people. YCS is a completely student-run international movement, with 2.5 million members worldwide.

“Our goal is to put our faith into action, and take a stand on issues prevalent in young people’s lives today. We use a See, Judge, Act method to reflect on our lives in light of our beliefs and then to take action on both social justice

Catholic university counters negative secular culture

Here

is the homily that University of Notre Dame Australia theologian Fr Peter Black gave at the staff Mass on 9 February

WE have just read the tail end of a reprimand that Jesus gave to the religious leaders of his day. He is annoyed that certain religious people are so preoccupied with the ritual cleanliness of plates, cups, pots, hands and food, all the external things, that purity of hearts, minds and desires, the internal realities, does not seem to appear on their moral radar.

Goodness and badness, protests Jesus, come essentially from within and so it is a mistake to place all the attention and at times the blame on the externals.

Beginning another academic year at Notre Dame, we are prompted by the Gospel to reaffirm that it is the internal goodness of people that really keeps our university alive and unique.

Hard work and professionalism are certainly important but goodness is foundational.

Obviously, we have our moments or days, as do all institutions, when the external forces and circumstances can take over and get the better of us.

Envy, pride and even foolishness can be tempting responses or ways of coping at times.

While we may not get fixated on the externals such as cups, plates and pots, perhaps certain staffrooms come to mind; we can allow the externals to cloud the truth that despite our shortcomings and the failures of others, we do in fact work with good people, men and women with generous hearts and honourable intentions. Such people help to keep us happy in our employment but also promote the harmony and positive climate of our university community.

Pope Benedict XVI expresses what I am trying to say far more poetically: “Life is like a voyage on the sea of history, sometimes dark and stormy, a voyage in which we watch for the stars to indicate the way. The true stars of our life are people who live good

Fr Peter Black

lives. They are lights of hope. Certainly Jesus is the true Light, the sun, but to reach Him we also need lights close by, people who shine with His light and so guide us along the way.”

What has our inner goodness, you may ask, got to do with teaching and learning in a university?

The newly elected President of Catholic University of America in his inaugural address explored the topic of Catholic universities integrating virtue and the intellect.

He argued that the example and cultivation of goodness, through such virtues as honesty, fairness, kindness and compassion, enables a student to learn on a different level, a deeper level.

He quotes the philosopher Aristotle: “If you want to listen intelligently to lectures on ethics, you need to have been brought up in good habits and virtues.”

So if our ET100 lectures do not go so well this semester, perhaps our philosophers can blame us, the university community, for not giving the example and creating the culture of goodness on our campus.

A Catholic university such as Notre Dame can provide such an example, something of a counterweight to certain negative aspects of our broader culture.

This counterweight comes from within us, who we are as individuals and a university community.

So, looking at it from another perspective, if our students do well in any of their units or courses, we can remind the lecturers that we have obviously done our part for deeper education.

Of course, the deeper education is not just for the students but for us as well.

Youth alive in Christ

and personal issues in our world, said a statement from conference participants Alida Konyn (Port Pirie), Luke Dundon (Melbourne), Hannah Stavrou (Port Pirie), Liam McGuire (Townsville), Phillip Wakefield (Canberra-Goulburn) and Sophie Stewart (Perth).

“We are very enthused about the positive growth we are hoping to experience as a movement in the next year, with new national exec members, new workers, three delegates being sent to the International YCS World Council in India this June, plans well and truly under way for our National Conference next January, and exciting developments in our current national campaign, ‘100% Respect: Fair Trade’.”

Youth focus on Ephesians

BY DAVID C HUA

UP to 50 teenagers participated in the Perth-based youth organisation Youth Impact’s Impacters Summer Festival on 20–22 January at Camp Leschenaultia in the Darling Ranges.

The camp featured youthoriented games including team adventure competitions and a ‘jelly fight’, as well as contemporary praise and worship music.

The camp’s theme, drawn from Ephesians 2:4-6, emphasised the saving nature of God’s grace and being ‘dead in transgressions, but alive in Christ.’

Mark Ng, a participant at the festival and regular attendee of Youth Impact events, described the festival’s atmosphere as open and friendly, allowing him to share freely with others. “There was a great presence – you could talk to anyone and have fun with them. It was very welcoming.” Julian Sieber, an attendee and youth leader with Youth Impact, described the camp’s highlights as being the spiritual message of the camp, coupled with the social environment. “Personal prayer is important but doing it with other people is so much better. It definitely increased my relationship with God.”

Youth Impact is the youth arm of The Catholic Guy Perth community. For information about their ministry, visit http://thecatholicguy.com.

UNDA Associate Professor Keith McNaught with students at Notre Dame. PHOTO: UNDA

Liam McGuire, Hannah Stavrou, Luke Dundon, Phillip Wakefield and Bec Gay.

On the sale of property A

rchbishop Barry Hickey’s submission to the State Government on the issue of the legalisation of prostitution is a timely and valuable contribution to the assessment and debate that is going on in some sections of the community on this issue. None of the principles outlined in his submission were religious or specifically Catholic. Instead, they expressed natural law truths open to comprehension and assent by anyone of any faith or of none at all.

Archbishop Hickey has long taken an interest in this issue and related matters such as exploitation, homelessness, suicide and drug dependency - to name a few - which so often seem to go together in the tragedy of some people’s lives. Prostitution is naturally related to issues such as those listed above because it is, over and above everything, the marginalisation of those who are its victims. It is in many cases a root cause and a symptom. Those trapped in prostitution seek escape from its degradation and slavery in drugs. Those who have already been abused seek what seems like escape from the money it offers. Prostitution is marginalisation; firstly, because it directly and intrinsically denies the inherent dignity of girls, women and the smaller number of boys and men caught up in its clutches. In case anyone doubts Archbishop Hickey’s right to contribute to debate or the formulation of policy regarding an undeniable social evil, it might be worth recalling that it was the Archbishop, not the State Government, who opened and continues to fund a refuge for women and girls trying to escape prostitution’s black daily reality. This fact alone really speaks volumes about the two mentalities that exist on this issue. One is a bureaucratic mentality that seems to be obstinantly unaware or indifferent to the reality of prostitution. In any other circumstances, and with any other social problem, the State Government and the Attorney General would not dare contemplate legalising something that so intrinsically degrades and harms its immediate victim and does so much collateral damage in the lives of those around them - children, family, clients, the families of clients and so on. The approach of the Attorney General, Christian Porter, and Premier Colin Barnett to the issue of prostitution is, for the intellectual weakness it displays, quite revealing.

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The other mentality is, paradoxically, both Christian and non-Christian at one and the same time. It is not only enunciated by what would seem to some as an apparently irrelevant figure (in a largely secular and morally relativist society) as a Catholic Bishop; it is also powerfully expressed by feminist thinkers and writers who would regard themselves on many issues as having little or nothing in common with the Catholic Church. This synchronicity in analysis and conclusions about prostiution and its legalisation is not because of some dark Da Vinci Code master conspiracy cooked up in a secret department of the Vatican.

Rather, it is because facts speak for themselves and individuals from different backgrounds and perspectives all see the same reality. It should be obvious to the Attorney General, and should have been obvious to his predecessor, that to legalise something so vicious in its harm to everyone involved or connected to it is an admission of weakness and failure.

Prostitution offers women and girls for sale. Everyone who knows anything about its reality, apart from the madams, criminal elements and others who seek so quickly to control it - legal or illegal - sees what is so fatally flawed with the proposals to legalise its practice. No human being should ever be for sale. No society should tolerate for an instant the proposition that some of us should be for sale as long as the sale is managed by the appropriate government departments. That Mr Porter should ignore the best-practice examples and long-term reviews conducted by other nations such as Sweden shows how little thought he has really put into the issue. It shows how little serious attention the Premier has put into the issue. It shows how bereft the Barnett Government has become when it analyses every issue through the prisms of expenditure and profit and loss statements. They treat people as real estate.

Let them be

Bringing Bishop Brady home struck two negative aspects with me.

Let’s be honest - he was a difficult man who was being rejected by most of the Catholics in WA. He also recruited priests, brothers and nuns with false statistics and other untruths.

And why do we write RIP or Rest in Peace in Latin or English on tombstones if we don’t mean it. I heard in the 1950s that Archbishop Prendiville, like the Redemptorist Archbishop Clune, wanted to be buried with his priests.

Moving dead men’s bones was not the message that Jesus of Nazareth brought to this world. On one occasion he said: “Let the dead bury the dead.”

John C Massam Greenwood

The Concert Church

Following the editorial in The Record on 12 January which criticised the modern architecture of most churches built in the last 60 or so years, several readers in the 25 January edition have expressed similar concerns.

It seems possible to divide all churches into one of two groupings.

First, we had churches with the interior shaped like a Holy Cross which encouraged the laity to not only attend Sunday Mass but also other religious ceremonies.

The second group can best be described as the “concert hall” layout, where everyone is supposed to be close to the priest but sit in the back rows.

People attending Holy Mass in concert hall churches do what people do at concerts before and after the service. They talk, loudly.

Do people on committees who approve this layout ever attend Mass in these churches and hear the noise generated?

While concert hall churches are supposed to bring the people closer to the priest, is this really necessary when TV cameras and PA systems

make it unnecessary. Modern designers should also realise that some people go into a church for quiet prayer, which is not possible when others have neither the good manners nor courtesy to keep quiet.

Elsewhere in the 25 January edition is a plan of yet another concert hall layout being proposed.

Perhaps the designers of modern churches should survey people attending old and new churches to determine whether the Holy Cross or “concert hall’ is more practical?

Fred Preshaw

Warwick

Ed: The Record is currently working on a user-friendly Mass etiquette brochure to help Catholics become more inclusive and tolerant of reverence in a church setting.

Silent I am, but alive

Two recent cases reported in The West Australian, where a man punched his pregnant girl friend in the abdomen, shouting “I’ll kill the …..baby” and causing a miscarriage could not be charged with killing the baby. The same man was charged with dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm to another girlfriend who was eight months pregnant. The girl also lost her baby. The officer in charge of major crash investigations said that the man could not be charged with killing the baby because it had to be born alive to be considered a “human being” for criminal purposes.

The law in WA has not always condoned the killing of an unborn child. The Criminal Code Act 1902, section 290, which is headed ‘Killing of unborn child’ stated: ‘Any person who … prevents the child from being born alive by any act or omission … would be deemed to have unlawfully killed the child, and is liable to imprisonment with hard labour for life.’

In the appalling WA cases that journalist Colleen Egan reported, the perpetrators would have been prosecuted under the old Criminal Code Act. When the Western Australian Parliament passed The Acts Amendment (Abortion) Act 1998 (WA) on 21 May 1998, it then proceeded to drastically amend the Criminal Code, including the deletion of section 290, which meant there was no protection in WA of the unborn child, no matter how brutal the assault.

It is gravely wrong and illogical to ignore the rights of the unborn child. This child is a unique human being who, from its beginning, has all the genetic structure it will ever have.

Western Australian law is not in accord with the United Nations Geneva Declaration of the Rights of the Child, 1924 and the Declaration

of the Rights of the Child adopted by UN General Assembly on 20 November 1959 which state “the child, by reason of his physical and mental immaturity, needs special safeguards and care, including appropriate legal protection, before as well as after birth”.

Since the deletion of section 290, there has been a need for a new Act to protect the unborn child from malicious acts causing death.

Readers should contact their State Member of Parliament and request them to have the law changed to protect pregnant women and their unborn child from harm.

Brian Peachey Woodlands

Thanks. Let me say that again ...

Ibegin this letter with words of thanks. I would like to thank you for publishing the articles written by Fr Sean Fernandez on the Trinity (The Record, 5 and 12 January) because these articles offer an approach to a complex matter of theology that is accessible to nontheologians.

Making great Truths about our faith (‘capital T-Truths,’ since they are objective and unchanging) accessible to those on the pews, as it were, is a great step in the New Evangelisation. The New Evangelisation is something that is oft mentioned and rarely acted on; thank you for acting.

As Pope Paul VI wrote in Evangelii Nuntiandi, “Our century is characterised by the mass media … [and] the further deepening of faith cannot do without these means.”(45)

At The Record you have a great opportunity to reach out to those in the pews, Catholics who want to know more about their faith but find academic writings too difficult to peruse.

This form of outreach is of such immense value that it cannot fail to assist revitalising the Church and give meaning to the words heard from the ambo.

Here we see our Archdiocesan newspaper with the potential to become a catalyst in the ongoing conversion of Christ’s faithful; a tool that accelerates or strengthens the process without being used up.

To this end, I lend my prayerful support to the publishing of more articles that clearly and succinctly explain vital teachings and insights (including dogmas) of the faith.

I look forward to seeing more of Fr Sean Fernandez’ writing. I wish to thank The Record again for its openness to being a catechetical tool and to thank our amazing God for providing this Archdiocese with such a gift.

Kelly Clark, Mt Hawthorn

Former accountant to be ordained a priest

Continued from Page 5

think the spark goes out. I never lost my faith; I always believed in God,” he said, adding that his calling returned when he had restored his work/life balance. “But Our Lord’s very patient, he just keeps inviting us to get closer and closer. In the years after my mother died, I was very actively involved in St Joseph’s, Bassendean. The more I got involved, the stronger the calling got,” he said. Daniel resigned from work at the end of 2003. In 2004, he started helping to run the parish. As well as attending daily Mass and contributing to parish life as an acolyte and reader, Daniel would spend at least half of every day around the parish doing lots of

different things. He was on the parish council, wrote the rosters and helped Glendalough parish priest Fr Doug Harris establish Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration at Bassendean.

In 2005, he entered St Charles’ Seminary. “That year before I went into the seminary crystallised in my mind and heart that this was a call from God,” he said. When a good friend’s brother passed away in early 2004, Daniel was able to help the family prepare for their brother’s funeral but was dissatisfied with his efforts. “I felt that if I was ordained I could have done more to help them,” he said.

“It was a really clear sign that Our Lord was calling me to come follow Him. From that point, I put

all my trust in God. I surrendered my will at that stage.”

Even thought he hadn’t as yet been accepted into the seminary, Daniel knew that that’s what he wanted to do. “Everything from my life made sense. Everything had been pointing towards this,” he said.

The only thing in the back of his mind was an anxiety he had about the time he had left the Church.

Then he read an article in The Record about three priests, two of whom had stopped practising their faith as teens. They had returned to the Church and had gone on to be ordained as priests.

“That last anxiety just evaporated,” he said. At this point, Daniel didn’t have any doubts about his

vocation. “I’d stepped out into the deep: sold my house, left my career behind and I had told all the people I’d worked with that my plan was to go to the seminary. 2004 was really to test the vocation for myself,” he said. Once in the seminary, Daniel has never questioned his desire to follow God: that desire always felt strong, he said. At the end of every year he would housesit interstate, gain experience working in a parish and use the time to reflect on whether he was responding as God was calling him. “I always made the choice to come back. But I think we should always be asking ourselves, ‘Am I doing what I think God is calling me to do?

And secondly, ‘Is this how I want to respond to that call?’”

Novus Ordo Mark II

Once you realise the Truth,

you’ll never be

the same...

With a freshly re-translated Missal of the Novus Ordo (“New Order”) Mass to hit Australian parishes by Pentecost, a US Cardinal has written a book to help deepen Catholics’ understanding of what’s happening on the altar. His hope is that, once you realise this,

- and

you’ll never be the same

you’ll actually want to

go to Mass

...

BY MARK ZIMMERMANN Catholic News Service

WASHINGTON - Washington Cardinal Donald W Wuerl and author Mike Aquilina have teamed together to write a new book on the Mass, and they hope that their labour of love will enkindle a deeper love and devotion for the Mass among Catholics, and inspire them to share that love with others.

Titled The Mass: The Glory, the Mystery, the Tradition, and published by Doubleday, it was launched at a 1 February book signing that Cardinal Wuerl held at the bookstore of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington.

The signing, which drew more than 100 people, “was for me a very joyful experience,” said Cardinal Wuerl in an interview the next day with the Catholic Standard, the Archdiocesan newspaper.

“I did not anticipate there would be that many people, a whole range of Catholics from a university professor to a mother and her children, from a college student to a manual labourer,” he said. “The one thing they all shared in common was their desire to learn more about the Mass.”

Cardinal Wuerl said he senses a hunger among people to understand what is taking place in the Mass, and to experience the beauty of the Mass in a more profound way.

Helping Catholics have a deeper appreciation for the Mass is the “starting point of the book,’ he said, noting that the introduction begins, “The Mass is what Catholics do. It’s the heart of Catholic life, for individuals and for the community.”

In the interview, the Cardinal said, “The primary purpose for the book is to re-propose, to reintroduce people to the beauty and mystery of the Mass.”

Cardinal Wuerl noted that the effort is part of Pope Benedict XVI’s call for the new evangelisation, encouraging Catholics to deepen their faith and to share their love for Christ with others. “There are so many people who simply don’t know what the Mass is, what the Church understands the Mass to be, what this great gift of Jesus is,” he said.

Last fall, the Cardinal issued a pastoral letter on the new evangelisation, Disciples of the Lord: Sharing the Vision, and programmes promoting that effort are under way at parishes and schools throughout the Archdiocese.

Speaking about his new book, the Cardinal said, “I would hope that in the overall context of the new evangelisation, this book might reawaken in the hearts of our Catholic people a love for the Mass that would be so intense that they would tell other people who drifted away or who never heard what the Mass is all about.”

Cardinal Wuerl believes that the reason so many Catholics do not attend Mass each Sunday is “they were never sufficiently catechised, they never truly learned what is happening at the altar.”

“Once you realise that, once you understand and experience that, you want to be there,” he said.

English translation of the third edition of the Roman Missal, which begins in Australian parishes at Pentecost.

Cardinal Wuerl, the author of many books who has dedicated much of his life to teaching the faith, noted: “In all the materials our conference of Bishops has put out, we’ve said this is not a time to focus on rubrics or specific words, but on the meaning and wonder of the Mass itself.”

“Catholics never learned what was really happening at the altar. Once you realise and experience that, you want to be there ...

CARDINAL WUERL

He said he envisions his book “being used in an RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults) programme, in a parish religious education programme and in our Catholic schools”. He said he would also like to see all those different adult faith formation groups that meet in parishes using it to refresh their own understanding of the Mass.

and timely tool for a clear catechesis.”

The book “is a clear, concise, and very accessible explanation of the Mass that allows Catholics to enrich their understanding about the sacred liturgy and the Eucharist,” he said.

“The Mass is precisely suited for a broader liturgical formation for Catholics, something that is needed at this crucial time in the life of the Church in the United States,” Mgr Sherman said.

He calls the book’s language “exceptionally clear.” “With powerful pastoral sensitivity, this book puts into the hands of the average parishioner a fundamental introduction to the Mass,” Mgr Sherman added.

The book’s authors explain that by entering the mystery of the Mass, Catholics “are not bystanders, but participants.” The book explains the words and gestures used at Mass, and the sacred vessels used at the altar and the vestments worn by the priest, offering both frequent Massgoers and those new to the Mass a “user’s guide” to what is taking place.

“The reason some Catholics hold on so dearly to the Mass is because they do know this is the re-presentation of the mystery of Christ’s death and resurrection.”

The Cardinal hopes that people will give the book to family members and friends, “people we know who should be with us at Mass” and invite them back to Mass. It was written to coincide with the use of the new

In his foreword to the book, Archbishop Augustine Di Noia, secretary of the Vatican’s Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments, warned that Catholics should not let the Mass become so commonplace that they “go through the motions” unthinkingly. He wrote that in the Mass, “God is present as He promised He would be. This is the mystery of an event more significant, and more life giving, than the breaths we take.”

In a review of the book, Mgr Anthony F

In explaining the book’s title, Cardinal Wuerl said in the interview: “The glory speaks about our identification with Christ in the celebration of the Mass. “The mystery refers to the great Paschal Mystery, the death and resurrection of Jesus being made present at Mass, and the tradition is the realisation that what we’re doing is repeating what Jesus told us to do at the Last Supper, ‘Do this in memory of me.’” At every Mass, the Cardinal noted, “the mystery of our salvation is made present.” That story doesn’t end at the end of Mass,” said the Cardinal. “Every good gift we’ve received is not meant for ourselves. It’s meant to be shared and then, as the Mass concludes, we’re told, ‘Go, carry the fruit of this gift into the world, and as you’ve been changed, change the world.’”

The Mass: The Glory, the Mystery, the Tradition is available at The Record Bookshop.

● Relativism of Bible constitutes genuine crisis for Church - P14

Sherman, former executive director of the Secretariat of Divine Worship at the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, says the Cardinal and Aquilina have provided “us with an excellent

Washington Cardinal Donald Wuerl blesses a 10 month old during Mass on the feast of the Immaculate Conception at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington on 8 December 2010.

PHOTO: CNS/BOB ROLLER

Movie offers a bleak valentine of lov

REVIEW BY BRIDGET SPINKS

Alove that might have been ends hopelessly when God or higher moral principals have no bearing on how two people in Blue Valentine love each other. What we get is a depressing portrait of a modern relationship. A reresentation of a bleak and brutal reality. When I watched this movie, like them I tried to work out where the relationship had failed; shutting my eyes and blocking my

Glamorous actors Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams star in Blue Valentine , a depressing take on contemporary relationships but perhaps an accurate portrait in a society that has abandoned faith in moral rules - and marriage.

ears in a few places.

Blue Valentine, directed by Derek Cianfrance, was cracked up to offer a “raw and subtly-drawn portrait of the ebb and flow of love”; it promised much and offered little in the way of the transcendent.

On the little promotional card in the foyer, the blurb said that Dean (Ryan Gosling) and Cindy (Michelle Williams) are “parents of a beloved young daughter”. But actually they’re not really. Little six year old Frankie is Cindy’s daughter from a previous and destructive relationship and Dean, whom she marries, is the guy enamoured with her when she discovers she is pregnant.

When they meet, Dean has noble, romantic ideas of love and marries her promising to love her through her best and worst moments. But

Not only the mind,

BY MARK REIDY

The “Catechism of the Catholic Church” is not a topic that usually inspires excitement in either social or Church circles, yet it has, in its various adaptations, formed a continuous and vital chain that links our faith today with those of our spiritual ancestors.

The word “catechism” finds its origin in the Ancient Greek kata (down) and echein (to sound); literally, “to sound down” (into the ears) ie to indoctrinate. It has been a vital part of passing on the faith and teachings of Jesus through His Church, from the time of the first Apostles, through each generation, until the present day.

Initially, the teachings and sayings of Christ were passed along orally as Christianity, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and, under the tutelage of the Apostles, developed and gained momentum.

In ensuing generations, the Scriptures were recorded in writing and promulgated by Church leaders both to the faithful and those who were not, as yet, evangelised. The following centuries saw an accumulation of inspired insights and wisdom from Church Fathers as they battled and discerned their way through numerous controversies and schisms. In 325, some of their conclusions were formally accepted as expressing the faith of the Church at the First Council of Nicea, an official gathering of Bishops and Church leaders.

Over the following 950 years there were a further 13 of these major Councils in which Church leaders sought Divine guidance on issues relating to their times, as instructed by Jesus, “… the Counsellor, the

Sources of Faith

By Mark Reidy

Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, He will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” (Jn 14:18).

Through these gatherings the Church consolidated and developed Her teachings but, because the printing press had yet to be invented, and with high illiteracy rates, the handwritten conclusions of each were usually orally disseminated to the faithful through the established network of Bishops and priests.

In 1265, St Thomas Aquinas was inspired to systematically organise the clearest way of “setting forth the Sacred Doctrine” and over the next nine years produced his influential, Summa Theologica which was written as an instruction for new Christians. He never finished the work and, in fact, died on the way to the Council of Lyons in 1274. Aquinas’ desire was to use his multi-volume work to assemble and address Christianity’s most significant questions, which he divided into three parts. It was to form the basis for future Catechisms.

In the first part, he addressed the existence and nature of God and the creation and nature of man. In part two, he examined morality and law before addressing the incarnation and the Sacraments in part three.

Aquinas’ work was followed by a further three Councils: Vienne (1311-12), Constance (1414-18) and Florence (1431-45), which addressed issues pertinent to the times and further developed Church Doctrine. A number of instructional works were also produced over this period, such as that written by John Gerson, the Chancellor of Paris University, who produced a book in the late 14th century designed to train priests in areas such as the Creed, the Commandments, Confession and the art of dying well.

In 1470, a catechism written by Dederich Coelde, a German Friar, gained popularity. However, by the time the Fifth Lateran Council began in 1512, the Protestant reformation was gathering momentum and those behind it were more effective in their use of the newly invented printing press.

By 1529, Martin Luther had pro-

duced his own instruction manual, as had John Calvin in 1536.

These developments proved a challenge for the Church’s hierarchy as it potentially undermined its authority and opened the doors for the faithful to be exposed to unorthodox or even heretical teachings.

This literary evolution, combined with the growing rebellion, greatly influenced the Council of Trent which began in 1545 and spanned 18 years and five Popes. One of the fruits of this gathering was the Catechism of Trent which sought to establish an authoritative and reliable framework of legitimate Catholic teaching. In the introduction to the work, Pope Pius V wrote that such a work was a necessity, clearly concerned by, “those who intend to corrupt the minds of the faithful … pour into their ears their poisoned doctrines … by which they sought the subversion of the Catholic faith

“But the Fathers”, he continued, “deemed it of the first importance that a work should appear, sanctioned by the authority of the Council, from which pastors and all others on whom the duty of imparting instruction devolves, may be able to seek and find reliable matter for the edification of the faithful; that, as there is one Lord, one faith, there may also be one standard and prescribed form of propounding the dogmas of faith, and instructing Christians in all the duties of piety”.

Pius also acknowledged that the final product was not intended to provide a complete volume of all Christian doctrine in minute detail: “Such a task would be one of almost endless labour, and manifestly ill suited to attain the proposed end” – but would rather provide a comprehensive summary of Religious Instruction.

The Catechism of Trent was first published in 1566 as a general refer-

ence book for priests and Bishops, but was also designed to assist followers to attain a better understanding of their faith. In it, Pope Pius V specified that when teaching the Catechism priests were to always consider the spiritual and intellectual capacity of each hearer and to instruct accordingly.

The final product, which focused on the doctrines of salvation in four segments: The Apostles’ Creed, the Sacraments, the Ten Commandments and the Lord’s Prayer, was to become the blueprint for future Catechisms.

During the 18 or so years of Trent, Dutch Jesuit Peter Canisius produced a two-volume catechism (1555–1558) in both long and shorter forms, which had such great influence throughout Europe that his name became synonymous with the word “catechism”. He was writing in response to the Protestant Catechism, which had already been

Catechumen Natalie Sanchez Flores signs the Book of the Elect during the Rite of Election in her parish church. The Rite of Ele and churches around the world on the first Sunday of Lent, formally acknowledges the readiness of catechumens preparing Baptism, Confirmation and the Eucharist, at the Easter Vigil. PHOT

ve, romance ... and disappointment

they’re not on the same page. For him, marriage means commitment for ever and ever, amen. For Cindy, well, we don’t really know what she was thinking it would be. Cindy’s character is but a sad reflection of 21st century reality: a 20-something, discovered by a possible Mr Right in the blossom of her youth who begins and ends the relationship mystified and confused by what love really is. It’s because she has lied with her body, trying to find it too many times.

The movie flashes between the past and present episodes in their lives.

In the present, Dean and Cindy have different approaches to parenthood and we see their parental devotion to six year old Frankie take interesting turns. They both

love Frankie in their own way but neglect to share the joy of parenting with one another.

Dean met Cindy when he was moving furniture into an elderly man’s unit. He saw her across the hall, caring for her grandma.

Just prior to this, Cindy had been asking her grandma those perennial questions about when the wise old soul knew she was in love. Everyone wants to know what true love is and when they think they’ve found it, they want to know how they can be sure.

The problem is that it’s so easy to find false love, it’s hard to distinguish the real thing from all the fakes. For Cindy there’ve been 20, maybe 25, fakes. And then she meets Dean.

The plot thickens when Cindy discovers she is pregnant but not to

Dean, who thinks he has found the love of his life. He just had a feeling when he met her that he knew her. When Cindy tells Dean the news, he asks her if she knows who the father is (ie is it his baby?) and then he asks her what she’ll do. He seems to assume she has been promiscuous before she met him and worse, that she has a choice as to whether to keep the unexpected baby.

Next thing you know, Cindy is at an abortion clinic (they don’t advertise this on the flier) and is being asked about when she first had sex (at 13) and how many partners she’s had (20, maybe 25). She squirms through the preparation and almost goes through with it but at the last minute calls out ‘stop’. Dean, who was waiting outside, supports her and hugs her and loves her

but the heart also

ection, celebrated annually in Cathedrals g to receive the Sacraments of Initiation,

in print for around 30 years. In 1567, the first catechism in English was published under the title A Catechism or Christian Doctrine Necessary for Children and Ignorant People , compiled by Englishman Laurence Vaux.

Throughout the next three centuries there were a number of countries, and even Dioceses, that produced their own shorter concise version of catechisms but uniformity was, at times, a problem.

They were usually formatted in a question and answer style, designed for improved memory capacity. Such versions included the Maynooth or “Green” Catechism (1882), the Baltimore Catechism (1885) and the Catechism of Pope Pius X (1908). These were used well into the 20th century.

However, the most comprehensive makeover since Trent was to come as a result of the Second Vatican Council (1962–65) which set the

wheels in motion for the universal Catechism that we use today. The seeds were planted by Pope John XXIII who, at the beginning of the Council, expressed his greatest desire, “… that the Sacred Deposit of Christian Doctrine should be more effectively guarded and taught”. He died soon after but the momentum was sustained by Pope Paul VI (1963-78) who continued the process of establishing the modern Catechism. The efforts of his predecessors were enthusiastically taken up by Pope John Paul II who indicated that it was one of his priorities by publishing his Apostolic Exhortation Catechesi Tradendae in 1979, in the second year of his pontificate.

“Authentic catechesis”, he wrote, “is always an orderly and systematic initiation in the revelation that God has given of Himself to humanity in Christ Jesus, a revelation stored in the depths of the Church’s memory and in Sacred Scripture, and constantly communicated from one generation to the next by a living, active tradition.”

Catechesis, he also stated, must lead to a growth in faith and a maturing of the Christian life to its fullness and is a work that only the Holy Spirit can initiate and sustain in the Church. With this in mind, on 25 January 1985, the 20th anniversary of the close of the Second Vatican Council, Pope John Paul II convoked an Extraordinary Assembly of the Synod of the Bishops.

From this gathering it was established that there was a need for a modified Catechism that expressed all Catholic doctrine regarding both faith and morals, which would not only serve as a reference point for the numerous catechisms that existed in various regions around the world but would also be suited to the present day life of Christians.

As a result, 12 Cardinals and Bishops, chaired by the-then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger – now Pope Benedict XVI – formed a Commission to work on the project.

After numerous drafts, in November 1989, a draft catechism was sent to all Bishops throughout the world asking for their responses. More than 24,000 suggested amendments were returned which were then considered for the final edition of the text.

After two further years of drafting, the final text was approved by Pope John Paul II on 25 June1992. An English version was launched in Australia on 22 June 1994 at the National Press Club in Canberra by Perth’s own Archbishop Barry Hickey.

This current catechism, unlike

when she comes out distraught.

What’s the point of all this? Dean married Cindy before she had a chance to say no. He knew there would be no one worthy of her and he wanted the task to look after her. He admits in hindsight that he didn’t seek fatherhood as a life goal but now that he has it, he recognises that and wants simply to enjoy the contentment that comes with family life: being her husband and Frankie’s father. But it seems that Cindy wanted more than this. She had a bright future in medicine before she became pregnant and never had the chance to pursue this.

So she’s caught, six years later, projecting her broken dreams on Dean, asking him whether there was something more he wanted. You’ve got so much potential,

she says. You’re so talented; you can draw, you can sing. He replies that he doesn’t want to make any money from this, he doesn’t have to and he’s content to work so he can enjoy his family time.

While Dean is characterised as the noble one in the relationship, wanting to fight for his family and seek contentment in fatherhood, he’s not perfect either. He drinks before he leaves for work, swears at times uncontrollably and unfortunately can’t reach Cindy on an intellectual level.

The film is a reflection of human imperfection, flaws, weaknesses, brokenness. The filming is raw and up-close, the sounds of the daily grind accentuated. At the climactic crunch time for the relationship, Please turn to Page 12

most before it, is not presented in a question and answer format but is structured to be used as a source book for specific purposes and groups such as schools, parishes, seminaries, home groups and chaplaincies, and as guidance for adult education and instruction for new Catholics.

It is presented in four parts and follows the well-established sequence of past Catechisms: the Creed, the Sacraments, Christian life and Christian prayer. At its Australian launch, Archbishop Hickey said that the format not only provided a clear and comprehensive presentation of the Church’s doctrine and moral teachings but also addressed contemporary issues as well as teachings on social justice and social responsibility. The list of source material for this current edition is comprehensive. There are around 800 quotations from the Second Vatican Council, 64 from pre-conciliar encyclicals, bulls and other papal documents, 493 from Church Fathers, Doctors and saints, 102 from ancient and mediaeval Councils, 27 from the First Vatican Council, 127 from the Council of Trent and, most importantly, over 4,000 from Sacred Scripture. Unlike most catechisms before it, however, the current version is not designed solely for the clergy and those in leadership and teaching roles. The laity are extensively encouraged to possess and utilise their own copy so as to better understand their Church and faith.

To promote this personal development, Pope Benedict XVI, at the request of the 2002 International Catechical Congress, approved and published the Compendium: Catechism of the Catholic Church in March 2005. He described it as “… a faithful and sure synthesis of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. It contains, in concise forms, all the essential and fundamental elements of the Church’s faith … which allows believers and non-believers alike to behold the entire panorama of the Catholic faith. Its structure, contents and language … will thus assist in making the Catechism more widely known and more deeply understood.”

The Compendium is taken entirely from the complete Catechism and covers all the essential teachings; however, it is only 15 per cent of its length and is presented in the more traditional question and answer format.

Similarly, the recently published, Vatican-approved, Youth Catechism, known as YouCat, also covers questions of doctrine, sacraments, spirituality, moral life and prayer, but presents them in a format that is tailored to young adults.

This renewed vigour to evangelise post-Vatican II generations of Catholics indicates that the Church is well aware of the confusion, complacency and secularisation that has estranged many from what the Church believes over the last several decades or so. With many forces competing for the minds, bodies and spirits of today’s Christians, the

Church is bolstering the opportunities for followers and potential followers to learn, understand and pass on the faith that has been transferred to them from their spiritual ancestors.

In 1992, in his introduction to the Catechism, Pope John Paul II pointed out what the Catechism should aim to achieve: “… a catechism should faithfully and systematically present the teaching of Sacred Scripture, the Living Tradition of the Church, and the authentic Magisterium, as well as the spiritual heritage of the Fathers, Doctors and saints of the Church, to allow for a better knowledge of the Christian mystery and for enlivening the faith of the People of God … It should also help to illumine with the light of faith the new situations and problems which had not yet emerged in the past”.

But for a better understanding of the Catholic faith we should reflect on the words of Archbishop Barry Hickey who, in 1994, explained what the Catechism is not: “No book can ever contain the totality of the Catholic faith because the faith is primarily an experience of God, not just a set of truths. It is a love of Jesus Christ and a desire to follow Him, not a recital of formula. It is a call to unity with God through participation in the Body of Christ, the Church, not a checklist of orthodoxy. In other words, the Faith is as much a matter of the heart as it is of the mind”.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church ($26.95) and Compendium: Catechism of the Catholic Church ($25.00 –Hardcover) are available from the Record Bookshop. Tel: (08) 9220 5900 bookshop@therecord.com.au

Korean Bishops launch pro-life

initiative: free Catholic health care

UNMARRIED pregnant women in South Korea - a nation with one of the highest abortion rates in the world - will be able to receive free maternity care in Catholic hospitals under a new initiative launched by the Bishops’ pro-life activities committee.

To encourage these women not to abort their children, parishes and dioceses will also provide shelter and financial assistance.

“The Catholic Church teaches that human life begins from fertilisation,” said Bishop Gabriel Chang Bong-hun of Cheongju. “Abortions and destruction of human embryos are grave crimes that destroy life.

“We all should be the protectors of life by respecting and loving life and being proclaimers of the Gospel of life.”

Meanwhile, the Archdiocese of Seoul, South Korea, has also set up a parish programme to provide for the pastoral needs of the blind.

Fr Stephen Ko Hyeong-seo has been given special responsibilities to care for blind Catholics, allowing for their registration in a parish that will have hymnals and weekly bulletins printed in Braille.

US plan to sterilise 700,000 men in Rwanda

THE Virginia-based Population Research Institute (PRI) has promised to do “everything in its power” to stop a plan to sterilise 700,000 men in Rwanda.

The campaign, encouraging men to undergo vasectomies, is “nominally voluntary” according to reports, but some men - particularly in the armed forces - are likely to regard the suggestion as an order.

“This amounts to coercion,” observed PRI president Steven Mosher. The campaign in Rwanda is associated with a previous campaign encouraging circumcision, allegedly as a defence against the spread of AIDS.

The campaign is being subsidised by US foreign-aid programmes.

The Valentine of Disappointment

Continued from Page 10

Cindy says she has “nothing left” in her heart to give to Dean, but the question is did she ever have anything to give or did she just pick the best option? Back when their relationship began, was she really in love with him?

The flier said that they “fall passionately in love in their early 20s”. Ah, no they didn’t. He did, she didn’t.

If Cindy had gone into the relationship rationally, could she have seen the nobility of his devotion and returned it? If Love is a decision after all, we have a choice as to whether we give it away and to whom. Or was her judging ability always going to be clouded as a consequence to her teenage years of promiscuity.

The ultimate complication in this all-too-human drama is that Cindy can’t distinguish the truth when she finds it, which leads me to think that this film is a portrait of life without God. Love without God. A relationship without God.

How can anyone know the meaning of love when they don’t know Who Love is. Love is a person and that person is Jesus Christ Who humbled Himself for man’s salvation.

He sacrificed His life to open the gates of heaven and eternal happiness. It’s here that we can see that real love is sacrificial and here that we can be inspired in our own lives to love in this way.

When Cindy’s empty, she’s empty because she’s human. She was loved into existence by God, but she doesn’t know who God is. She doesn’t know that she can be filled with His love, and from here she can love Dean at his worst. So she can love Dean to become his best.

THE WORLD

Theologians’ dissent a ‘rebellion in a nursing home’

BY JONATHAN LUXMOORE Catholic News Service

OXFORD, England - The German Bishops’ conference has called for “urgent further clarification” on the “highly binding” Church teachings that over 140 theologians have called into question.

More than 140 Catholic theologians from universities in Austria, Germany and Switzerland called for the Church to take serious steps to address the problems of the priest shortage by allowing married and women priests and allowing laypeople to help select Bishops and pastors, among other changes.

Journalist Peter Seewald, whose in-depth interview with Pope Benedict XVI became the book Light of the World: The Pope, the Church, and the Signs of the Times, dismissed the public protest by German-speaking theologians as “a rebellion in the nursing home.”

Seewald told the Kath.net news agency that the highly-publicised statement of dissent - signed by one-third of the theology professors at Catholic universities in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland - should not be interpreted as a popular uprising against Church teaching.

Rather, he said, it is a protest by the same people who have caused a crisis in Catholic teaching.

bership or have privatised their spiritual life in order to protect it from the institution.”

Likewise, there’s no healing for their relationship because they meet each other in their brittle humanity, their weakness. That’s all they have when they don’t know God.

To make sense of this, let’s turn to Archbishop Fulton Sheen, who in his trademark combination of philosophy, genius, logic and insight into humanity and divinity, articulates what’s wrong here.

In The World’s First Love: Mary the Mother of God (1952), Sheen explains the correlation between virginity and love, the two mysteries running like an undercurrent throughout this movie: “The virgin-love of Christianity teaches the disillusioned lovers that, instead of trying to make the infinite out of a succession of finite loves, they should take the one finite love they have and, by selflessness and charity, capture the Infinite already hidden within it.”

When the secular world wants to make situations cloudy, the eyes of faith and the light of Christ demystify the problem; when the world demands instant gratification and information, hope facilitates patience and leads one to knowledge and truth; when the world wants all the answers right now, trust allows God in to take control of the situation, Who in His time, not our time provides the solutions to human suffering.

If we see problems the way Cindy and Dean do, we see them with mere mortal eyes accustomed to and confined to temporality and we come to a dead end. If we trust in Him who lives outside of time and who knows all things, we come to understand life, truth and freedom and we find peace when we allow God, who loves us, to take care of us in this vale of tears.

The dissident theologians, Seewald charged, are seeking to remodel the Church in their own image, adapting Catholic teachings to popular standards.

Their approach, he said, is to measure Church doctrines by the standards of popular opinion, putting themselves in the role of “chief priests of the Zeitgeist.”

In his remarks on the theologians’ public statement, Seewald referred to St Paul’s words (2 Tim 4:3): “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachings to suit their own likings, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander into myths.”

A spokesman for the German Bishops’ conference cautiously welcomed the theologians’ memorandum, saying the professors “are contributing to debate about the future of the Church in Germany.”

“The German Bishops have invited this debate,” Jesuit Fr Hans Langendorfer, secretary of the German Bishops’ conference, said in a 4 February statement in response to a 1,360-word memorandum, The Church in 2011: A Necessary Departure, published on 4 February by Germany’s Suddeutsche Zeitung daily.

“These topics need urgent further clarification. To meet the difficult challenges facing the Church in Germany with action needs an affirmation rather than just responsiveness by the Bishops. Weighty subjects should no longer be avoided.”

The Bishops will discuss the theologians’ call during a plenary meeting in March, he said.

Pope Benedict XVI will visit his native Germany from 22-25 September.

The 143 professors said their appeal was made in response to the clergy sexual abuse scandals that surfaced in Europe in 2010 and the growing numbers of Catholics who have “terminated their legal mem-

The theologians also said that the Church should “trust in people’s ability to make decision and carry responsibility” in their own lives and “must not revert to paternalism.”

They praised the Church’s esteem for married and unmarried lives, but said this should not exclude same-sex couples and divorced and remarried couples, though the statement stopped short of asking the Church to officially sanction same-sex unions.

The Church teaches that any sexual activity outside of marriage, understood to be between a woman and a man only, is sinful.

Regarding divorce and remarriage, in the Catholic Church, civil divorce doesn’t exclude one from the sacraments.

A person cannot receive the sacraments if he or she remarries outside the Church while still bound by a previous marriage.

In their statement, the theologians questioned the wisdom of lately bringing back old forms of liturgical worship and warned that liturgies were in danger of becoming “frozen in traditionalism.”

“Cultural diversity enriches liturgical life,” they said.

“Only when the celebration of faith takes account of concrete life situations will the Church’s message reach people.

The theologians warned that community life is eroding and historical identity and social networks have given way under the priest shortage and larger and larger parishes. “Priests are ‘overheated’ and burnt out,” they said.

“The faithful stay away when they are not trusted to share responsibility and to participate in democratic structures in the leadership of their communities. Church offices must serve the life of the communitiesnot the other way around.”

Enacting the reforms the theologians outlined would attract people back to the Church, the statement said.

The memorandum was published two weeks after a call by

eight leading Catholic members of Germany’s governing Christian Democratic Union, including Norbert Lammert, president of the Bundestag, the German parliament, to make a “regional exception” by admitting married men to the priesthood.

The German Bishops have said two-thirds of all parishes will not have their own priest by 2020 and have embarked on an effort to merge parishes in response.

In a late January statement, the Bishops’ conference said the relaxation of celibacy was “not foreseen for discussions” during preparations for the Pope’s official September visit to Germany, his third homecoming, and would not be debated by individual Church leaders. The conference added that the issue would require a “decision binding for the whole Church” and an “appropriate preparation of public opinion”, rather than being determined by the German Church alone.

In a letter to the politicians, several of whom belong to the Church’s Central Committee of German Catholics, Cardinal Walter Brandmuller, retired president of the Pontifical Committee for Historical Sciences, said the call “personally insults the overwhelming majority of priests who’ve freely chosen, lived and faithfully upheld their celibacy,” and risked leading German Catholics “into schism and creation of a national Church.”

However, Cardinal Karl Lehmann, the former German Bishops’ conference president, later dismissed Cardinal Brandmuller’s letter as “one-sided,” and said he was wrong to reject the views of eminent lay Catholics.

Nina Schmedding, deputy spokeswoman for the German Bishops’ conference, said clerics would not comment further on the memorandum.

“We’ve said we’ll talk about such issues as married priests, but not this year,” Schmedding told CNS on 7 February.

“Our position will be the same on all such initiatives.”

Additional

Bishop Gabriel Chang Bong-hun

German journalist Peter Seewald, who wrote Pope Benedict XVI’s new book, Light of the World: The Pope, the Church and the Signs of the Times, gestures during a press conference at the Vatican last November.

PHOTO: CNS/PAUL HARING

Marriage the basis of world development

At UN, Nuncio laments falling birth rates, links economic growth, rising population

THE Pope’s Nuncio to the United Nations has called for the UN to view the family, founded upon the marriage of a man and a woman, as central to development.

Addressing the United Nations Economic and Social Council on 11 February, Archbishop Francis Chullikatt lamented the extent of world poverty, noting that there are “over one billion people still living in extreme poverty and hunger.”

The Apostolic Nuncio to the UN said that “a programme for social development must give due recognition to the most basic social institution, the human family, founded on marriage”.

“The institution of the family, which is a sine qua non for preparing the future generation, is being challenged by many factors in the modern world and the family needs to be defended and safeguarded,” he said.

“Children should not be seen as a burden but instead must be rec-

ognised as irreplaceable gifts. We must also acknowledge publicly that they are the builders of future generations.

“Often overlooked are the procreative and educational mission of parents and the intergenerational engagement experienced best in families.

“When a society is deprived of its basic unit, the family, and the social relationships that emerge from it, great psychological and spiritual suffering, even amidst economic

and social well-being, can ensue.”

Quoting Pope Benedict XVI, Archbishop Chullikatt called upon nations “to enact policies promoting the centrality and the integrity of the family founded on marriage between a man and a woman, the primary vital cell of society, and to assume responsibility for its economic and fiscal needs, while respecting its essentially relational character”.

“While policy makers often state that population growth is detrimental to development, the reality is that where economic growth has increased, it is often accompanied with population increases,” the Archbishop said.

“In developed regions, we are now witnessing dwindling and ageing populations and many nations are struggling to maintain social services and economic growth as the ratio of workers to non-workers decreases.

“In the developing regions, we are witnessing an unprecedented decline in fertility [and] birth rate – a decline advocated often as the best means to achieve development.

“However, many nations in the developing world are now at risk of growing old before they grow rich.”

- CatholicCulture.org

Cardinal to tell Pope Church in Ireland is ‘on brink of collapse’

Ireland at risk of marginalising religion

BY MICHAEL KELLY Catholic News Service

DUBLIN - Cardinal Sean O’Malley

reportedly will tell Pope Benedict XVI that the Catholic Church in Ireland is “on the edge” of collapse due to the fallout from clerical abuse scandals.

Cardinal O’Malley is one of several senior prelates charged by Pope Benedict with carrying out an apostolic visitation of the Irish Catholic Church following a series of highly critical judicial reports that revealed abuse by priests and a widespread culture of cover-up for decades among Church leaders.

Fr Tony Flannery, a leading member of the Association of Catholic Priests, revealed at a conference of laypeople on 12 February in the Irish capital that “Cardinal O’Malley told the association the Irish Church had a decade, at most, to avoid falling over the edge and becoming like other European countries where religion is marginal to society.”

Fr Flannery said Cardinal O’Malley gave a commitment to the priests’ association that he would deliver the frank assessment to the Pope in a confidential report to be submitted later this year.

Admitting to being previously sceptical about the apostolic visitation, Fr Flannery said that in light of Cardinal O’Malley’s undertaking, “there may be some gleam of hope.” Cardinal O’Malley could not be reached for comment.

In a mid-November statement, the Vatican said it would issue a

comprehensive summary of the investigations’ findings when they are completed.

Fr Flannery said that while the association was ready to campaign for radical change, it was apprehensive that it would be viewed as “a new clericalism.”

The association, which represents more than 400 of Ireland’s 4,500 priests, was formed in 2010.

It has proposed a re-evaluation of the Church’s teaching on sexuality and the inclusion of women at every level within the Church.

The first phase of the visitation should be completed by Easter, and it is likely the visitators will meet with senior officials of the Roman Curia in the spring to discuss what Jesuit Fr Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman, described as the next phase of the “path to renewal.”

● An Irish Bishop has called on parishioners to “reform and renew” the Catholic Church toward a future that is more transparent and in which leaders are accountable.

Bishop Noel Treanor of Down and Connor, the diocese based in Belfast, Northern Ireland, launched a new “listening programme” across the 88 parishes of the diocese on 8 February.

The programme is aimed at giving laypeople a chance to have their say about the Church.

“The history of the Church includes moments when the people of God are called to reform and renew the Church,” Bishop Treanor said. “This is one such moment.”

More than 50 parishioners have been commissioned to lead listening sessions in anticipation of a diocesan assembly at Pentecost in 2013.

Priests on the rise

VATICAN CITY (CNS) - The number of Catholic priests in the world has increased consistently over the past decade and the “relative superabundance” of priests in Europe and North America has begun to attenuate, the Vatican said.

The “relative superabundance” refers to the percentage of the world’s priests who live in Europe and North America compared with the percentage of the world’s Catholics who live there.

Anticipating some of the figures that would be released in the Statistical Yearbook of the Church later in February, the Vatican newspaper said that in 1999, just more than 15 percent of the world’s priests lived and ministered in Central and South America while 42.4 per cent of the world’s Catholics lived there. At the end of 2009, the percentage had changed slightly: Latin America had 17.3 per cent of the priests and 42.2 per cent of the world’s Catholics.

Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano published its article on 10 February with a small selection of statistics from the yearbook reporting worldwide Church figures as of 31 December 2009.

The newspaper article focused on the statistics’ demonstration of 10 years of steady growth in the number of Catholic priests in the world. A more complete set of statistics was expected to be released

when the Vatican had finished printing the yearbook.

The Vatican reported an increase of 809 priests during the 2009 calendar year and an increase of close to 5,600 priests between 1999 and 2009, the newspaper said.

The overall increase came despite the continuing steep decline in the number of Religious Order priests, it reported.

Of the 410,593 priests in the world reported at the end of 2009, the Vatican said 275,542 were diocesan priests and 135,051 were members of Religious Orders. Ten years earlier, there were only 265,012 diocesan priests, but there were 139,997 Religious Order priests, the Vatican said.

The worldwide increase, however, did not mean the number of priests increased on every continent, the newspaper reported. In North America, the number of diocesan clergy decreased 7 per cent and the number of religious clergy fell by 21 per cent, it said.

The uneven distribution of priests in the world is still remarkable but is easing a bit, the newspaper said. The ratio is changing not only because more priests are being ordained in Africa, Asia and Latin America, it said, but also because the average age of priests is much younger in those regions than in Europe and North America, so the death rate is lower.

Father’s death spurred JPII on to priesthood

ROME, Italy (CNA/EWTN

While the process is seen as a response to the widespread sense of disappointment and anger felt by Irish Catholics in the wake of the child sexual abuse scandals, Bishop Treanor insisted that “even if the scandals didn’t happen, even if there were just as many priests now as there were 50 years ago, this process would still be necessary.”

“We have been grappling since the 1960s with the whole idea of how we make the Church more participative,” he explained.

“This will be a step toward that, a step toward a Church that is more open, transparent and where there is accountability.” Bishop Treanor said he wanted “to live in a Church where someone can feel free to say exactly what they think to a Bishop and where a Bishop can be free to say exactly what he thinks.”

The Bishop, who worked as the Catholic Church’s representative to the European Union in Brussels for 20 years before being appointed Bishop in 2008, said he was “greatly inspired by the faith of people in difficult times.”

“What you notice on the one side is the obvious feeling of disenchantment and disappointment - sometimes horror - at the scandals in the area of child sexual abuse and the non-management, inadequate management and sometimes coverup, but at the same time, and often in the same people, an amazing commitment to living out the faith in God incarnate,” he said.

Although young people are encouraged to participate in the listening process, special sessions are also being organised for teenagers, young adults and for those who feel estranged from the Church, the Bishop said.

News) - Seventy years ago this week, Karol Wojtyla was “pushed” forward in his vocation by the death of the last member of his close family.

The anniversary was recalled on Italy’s national television channel RaiUno on 13 February by Italian journalist and writer Gian Franco Svidercoschi, who was close to Pope John Paul II and has written numerous books about the late Pontiff’s life.

Svidercoschi offered an anecdote about his friend Pope John Paul II’s life. The tragic event of his father’s death is one that many books on the late Pope “seem to neglect,” said Svidercoschi. For the journalist, however, due to this event - which took place 70 years ago this week - the future Pope was given a further impulse to pursue his vocation.

In 1941, a 20 year old Karol was working at a stone quarry after the government closed Jagiellonian University where he studied philosophy. He returned from work on 18 February to find that his father, also named Karol, had died of a heart attack. His sister had died before his birth, his mother died when he was a young boy and his older brother also lost his life six years earlier to scarlet fever. He was “alone,” said Svidercoschi.

“And this,” he explained, “brought about a change, or perhaps it pushed him harder toward that which he already felt inside, that is, to become a priest.”

It is important to remember that these “Polish years” were “the decisive years that formed this Pope, because every experience that he had, every trial that

he overcame, in some way then returned and was represented during his pontificate,” said Svidercoschi.

The young Wojtyla’s personal experience of war and Nazism in the 1940s and of Communism in Poland in the years that followed “explains his attentiveness to the cause of man,” said the journalist.

Pope John Paul II put a great deal of emphasis during the first half of his pontificate on advocating for democracy against Communism, especially in the Eastern bloc European nations ruled by the Soviet Union. His position against authoritarianism is credited with the eventual fall of Communism in Eastern Europe.

Svidercoschi remembered that Wojtyla’s formation during “the Polish years” continued throughout his priesthood until he became Archbishop of Krakow. As Archbishop, he took on a “battle” for the creation of new churches that showed him the relationship between the law of God and that of man, “that is, the right of man to be respected.” All these experiences, Svidercoschi concluded, resurfaced again when he became Pope.

Archbishop Francis Chullikatt

Gian Franco Svidercoschi and Pope John Paul II

JPII beatification ticket-free

THE Vatican insists that no tickets will be required to attend the 1 May beatification of John Paul II and admission to the ceremony will be totally free. The Diocese of Rome made this announcement after hearing of a number of websites charging tickets for the ceremony in St Peter’s Square.

Due to this, they have launched an official website in seven languages, www.karolwojtyla.org, showing all the details of the beatification.

All Catholics obligated to promote vocations: Benedict

IN his message for the 48th World Day of Prayer for Vocations, Pope Benedict XVI says that “every Christian community, every member of the Church, needs consciously to feel responsibility for promoting vocations”.

The World Day of Prayer for Vocations will be observed on 15 May. The papal message for the occasion, dedicated to the theme Proposing Vocations in the Local Church, was released by the Vatican on10 February.

In his message, the Pope calls attention to the way that Jesus called the first disciples. “Before calling them, Jesus spent the night alone in prayer, listening to the will of the Father,” Pope Benedict notes. He draws the message: “Vocations to the ministerial priesthood and to the consecrated life are first and foremost the fruit of constant contact with the living God and insistent prayer lifted up to the ‘Lord of the harvest.’”

Then and now, the Pope continues, when Jesus calls people to a priestly or religious vocation, “He invites them to leave behind their own narrow agenda and their notions of self-fulfilment in order to immerse themselves in another will, the will of God.” The prayerful support of the community is necessary to help people hear and respond to that call, the Pope says. That need is especially strong, he writes, “in these times when the voice of the Lord seems to be drowned out by other voices and His invitation to follow Him by the gift of one’s life may seem too difficult.”

Pope Benedict stresses that every diocese, every parish, and every family shares in the obligation to promote interest in priestly and religious vocations. He calls upon Bishops to make this effort a priority, and ensure that they do everything possible to encourage young people to consider religious life. “Choose carefully those who work in the diocesan vocations office,” he counsels Bishops.

French Bishops lament IVF ‘saviour sibling’

ARCHBISHOP Pierre d’Ornellas of Rennes, joined by the other Bishops of his ecclesiastical province, has issued a statement lamenting the utilitarianism surrounding the birth of Umut-Talha, a “saviour sibling” conceived through in vitro fertilisation for the purpose of providing a treatment for his siblings who suffer from a rare genetic disease. Umut-Talha was born recently in Paris.

“The child’s embryo was genetically selected to ensure he did not carry the gene for beta thalassemia, from which his siblings suffer, but was also a close enough match to provide treatment cells from umbilical cord blood, a rich source of stem cells,” Agence France Press notes. The other embryos conceived through IVF were presumably killed or frozen.

“To want to cure a brother in humanity honours man,” the Bishops wrote. “Many people dedicate their lives to this! To support parents in their suffering who have a seriously sick child is a duty of society. We understand their anguish and their hope in medicine.”

“However, to legalise the use of the most vulnerable human being to cure is unworthy of man,” they added. “To conceive a child to use him, even if it is to cure, is not respectful of his dignity.

“Such utilitarianism is always a regression.”

Dutch Cardinal charged with covering up priest’s abuse

A DUTCH Cardinal has been accused of covering up evidence of sexual abuse by a priest in the Utrecht Archdiocese and giving the priest new parish assignments even after he had been identified as an abuser. Cardinal Adrianus Simonis, who drew criticism earlier this year when he claimed that Catholic Bishops had not been aware of clerical abuse, reportedly gave parish assignments to the paedophile priest after sending him away for treatment.The priest then molested more children in his new parish. Cardinal Simonis served as Archbishop of Utrecht from 1983 to 2007, stepping down when he reached the canonical retirement age of 75.

Cardinal warns against relativising the Bible

Cardinal decries threats from inside and outside the Church

MADRID, Spain (Zenit.org)

- The relativisation of the Bible, which denies the value of the Word of God, constitutes a genuine crisis that is both external and internal to the Church, says Cardinal Marc Ouellet.

The Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, who served as relator of the 2008 Synod of Bishops on the Word of God, said this in his opening address to a Congress on Sacred Scripture in the Church last week.

“In the last decades, a profound crisis is shaking the foundations of European culture,” the Cardinal told over 800 people at the Congress.

“A new raison d’etat imposes its law and tries to relegate the Christian roots of Europe to a secondary plane.

“It would seem that, in the name of secularism, the Bible must be relativised, to be dissolved in a religious pluralism and disappear as a normative cultural reference.”

However, the prelate affirmed, “the crisis has also penetrated the interior of the Church, given that a certain rationalist exegesis has seized the Bible to dissect the different stages and forms of its human composition, eliminating the prodigies and miracles, multiplying the theories and, not infrequently, sowing confusion among the faithful.”

Thus, he explained, disturbing questions arise: Is Sacred Scripture no more than a human word? Isn’t it true that the results of the historical sciences invalidate the biblical testimony and, hence, the credibility of the Church? How can we continue to believe? And, finally, to whom should we listen?

The 2008 Synod of Bishops was held “to confirm the Church’s answer to these questions,” clari-

fied its relator. Cardinal Ouellet recalled that “in the Bishops’ interventions was heard the urgency to reflect further on the way to address the biblical text.”

He continued, “In addition to the historical-critical method, the merits and limitations of which were recognised, the synodal fathers strongly recommended lectio divina, prayerful meditation on the Word of God, and they called for the development of the spiritual meaning of the Scriptures, in the line of the great patristic tradition.”

The Cardinal noted that in “a parallel way to this reflection of the universal Church, the Spanish Episcopal Conference was perfecting an official version of the Bible, adapted to present-day culture, with all the guarantees of scientific rigour and ecclesial communion.”

“I hope that Spain will benefit

from this initiative and that it will be able to show Europe, today as in other periods, a renewed way for the proclamation of the Gospel,” he said.

The prelate spoke about the post-synodal apostolic exhortation Verbum Domini, in which Benedict XVI brings together the conclusions of the synod and gives impetus to the new evangelisation, “inviting pastors, faithful and experts on the Bible to find the Divine Word again in the human words of the sacred text.”

“In face of the secularisation of the Christian West and of Christianity’s identity crisis in pluralist environments, the Church responds with a new proclamation of the living Word of God in Jesus Christ, which invites us to a renewed act of faith in the Sacred Scriptures,” Cardinal Ouellet said.

Polish Archbishop dies suddenly

WARSAW, Poland (CNS)Polish Church leaders paid tribute to Archbishop Jozef Zycinski of Lublin, who died at age 62 in Rome on 10 February, by recalling him as a priest who contributed to the development of dialogue between faith and culture.

“The Church in Poland has lost a priest and Bishop marked by great spirit and intellect,” Archbishop Jozef Kowalczyk of Gniezno said.

“He greatly esteemed his priests in a spirit of Christian personalism learned from John Paul II and brought much good to inter-human relations.”

Archbishop Zycinski died while in Rome for a meeting of the Congregation for Catholic Education at the Vatican. No specific cause of death was given.

Meanwhile, the president of Poland’s Bishops’ conference said Archbishop Zycinski enjoyed excellent media contacts, despite opposition from both “progressive circles” and conservative Catholic groups such as Poland’s Radio Maryja.

“He was a protector of all important Polish Church mat-

ters,” Archbishop Jozef Michalik said on 10 February. “Although it was sometimes thought he moved along his own paths, he also had great sensitivity, often reacting in defence of the misunderstood.”

Born near Piotrkow Trybunalski in 1948, the year Communist rule was consolidated in Poland, Archbishop Zycinski was ordained in 1972. After seven years as Bishop of Tarnow beginning in 1990, where he was Poland’s youngest Ordinary, he was appointed Archbishop of Lublin in June 1997. He also became Grand Chancellor of the Catholic University of Lublin

and was named to the Pontifical Council for Culture. Besides chairing the Polish Church’s influential Catholic information agency, KAI, he was a member of international bodies including the John Templeton Foundation. A prolific author on issues relating to the intersection of faith and culture, he published numerous books and many articles on the topic.

Cardinal Kazimierz Nycz of Warsaw said Archbishop Zycinski would “leave much behind him as a pastor, student, philosopher and man of the Church. He contributed many things, thanks to his huge knowledge, to the Church’s internal discourse between people of faith, but also to the discourse with people searching. He had clear-cut opinions on many subjects, and it was his great concern and pain that his commentaries weren’t always accepted or understood,” the Cardinal said.

The late Archbishop’s secretary, Fr Tomasz Adamczyk, said the prelate died unexpectedly while resting before a scheduled meeting with Lublin Archdiocesan priests.

Archbishop d’Ornellas

Cardinal Simonis

Cardinal Marc Ouellet, Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, warned that relativism of the Bible, which denies the value of the Word of God, constitutes a genuine crisis in the Church.

PHOTO: CNS

Archbishop Josef Zycinski

Protests seen through Catholic eyes

Catholic student tweets from Cairo on Egyptian unrest

BY GEORGE GREGORY Catholic News Service

PHILADELPHIA - A Catholic student in the tumultuous Egyptian capital of Cairo on a Fulbright Scholarship has been using Twitter to record her impressions of the growing popular uprising calling for the resignation of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak.

Lauren Bohn has been using Twitter, as well as dispatches through Salon.com and NowLebanon.com, to give voice to the people in the street and in Tahrir Square, the uprising’s epicentre.

On 2 February, when Egyptian secret police started openly battling with the crowds in Tahrir Square after a week of demonstrations, Bohn tweeted 33 year old Karim Sabat’s words: “I feel like everything we’ve been fighting for and have gained is now lost,” and “Anyone who says they have any idea what’s going on right now is lying.” She also relayed a message from Rhanya Ahmed, 55, from Giza, Egypt: “We are not thugs. We don’t want war.”

Bohn, a 2005 graduate of Villa Maria Academy High School in Malvern, Pennsylvania, is studying Arabic and Middle Eastern studies at the American University in Cairo.

She tweeted also about her 8 February meeting with Ahmed Zewail, an Egyptian-American scientist and winner of the 1999 Nobel Prize in chemistry. The protests will not fizzle, he told her. Instead, Zewail said, it is “a return of the mind (in Egypt).”

In Zamalek, Egypt, Bohn interviewed Gameela Ismail, who has launched her candidacy for a seat in Egypt’s parliament. “We have to keep pushing. No compromises. We’ve had enough,” Ismail told Bohn. The day before the 25 January protests began, Bohn and her friends posted messages back and forth on Twitter about the event that would turn the eyes of the world toward Egypt.

“Almost everyone I know participating tomorrow (is) spending the night fighting and arguing with their parents over it,” a friend of Bohn’s tweeted, underscoring the youths among the first set of protesters. “All my cabdrivers today said they have no plans (about 25 January),” Bohn responded, using

the truncated grammar common in Twitter’s 140-characters-maximum universe. “Three of four though made same throat slash gesture to describe current frustrations.”

What started out as peaceful protesting quickly degenerated into chaos, with pro-Mubarak groups physically confronting protesters. Bohn’s tweets reporting from amid the protesters on 25 January form a terse narrative.

“In Tahrir Square: barricades and police. Eerie silence,” she wrote. Then the updates followed 10, 20, 30 minutes apart: “And the clashes begin. Just got knocked over. (...) Crowd shouting, ‘Where is the media?’ (...) finally back after brush with tear-gas and stone-throwing.”

On 26 January, Bohn commented on the sporadic access to Twitter after the government crackdown on Internet sites and social media venues. She reported heavy security in downtown Cairo, “widespread fear” and a city still choked with smoke.

Later in the day, she tweeted about crowds fleeing a cloud of tear gas yelling, “Enough!”

“Hope (is) quickly fading among many of the Egyptians I’ve been documenting throughout the week,” she would later tweet.

Throughout, though the lack of communications was “completely disconcerting” to her, and although she had been warned the safety of journalists could no longer be guaranteed, Bohn elected to stay.

It is no surprise to some of the people who know her that Bohn chose to stay and cover the news from such a human angle. She had been an Archdiocesan Scholar, and named a “Champion of Caring” for the service work she did in Appalachia and the Dominican Republic during her high school years.

“Even as a teenager, she was an outstanding student who displayed a passion to learn about other cultures and a desire to make a difference in the world by helping others,” said Sister Kathleen Dunn, a Sister of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, who taught Bohn at Villa Maria.

“She seems to have brought her understanding of democracy with her in these days of unrest in Egypt,” Sr Kathleen told The Catholic Standard & Times, newspaper of the Philadelphia Archdiocese. “We are so proud that she has the courage to be a journalist and to understand the ways journalists serve the people of the world by keeping the facts and struggles of nations before the eyes of the public.”

Will Egypt sans Mubarak be better for Christians?

BY CINDY BREWER Catholic News Service

VICTORIA, Texas -

Trinitarian Father Alfonso Serna, who spent the first year after his 2009 ordination ministering in Egypt, said he is not sure whether a regime change in Egypt will help the minority Christian population there.

“I hope and pray that the change will bring a better situation for our fellow Christian brothers,” Fr Serna said. “However, much, or very little, might happen.”

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak stepped down after more than 29 years of rule on 11 February, following more than two weeks of mass protests in Cairo, the capital, that spread to other Egyptian cities.

Fr Serna said he has put his hopes in papal intentions for a positive result to the tumult in Egypt. “Pope Benedict XVI has been promoting freedom of religion,” Fr Serna said. “I add myself to such an important right and principle. My contribution has been the ministry of presence and support among the persecuted Church. I hope and pray that a positive impact for the Christian community in Egypt may be an outcome of this current situation.” Regarding how he was treated being a Christian in a Muslim-majority nation - about 90 percent of Egypt’s population is Muslim - Fr Serna told The Catholic Lighthouse, newspaper of the Victoria Diocese, that he never felt threatened.

“I never had such an experience. I learned that my presence, as a religious priest there, was compromised in a way, but I also learned that the very fact of being a foreigner gave me a different ‘Christian status,’” said Fr Serna, who was ordained in Victoria and now is serving in Maryland. Out of respect for members of other faiths, he and

Christians in Egypt

Christian believers are the minority in the Arab republic. The largest group of Christians belongs to the Coptic Orthodox Church.

other Catholic priests in Cairo did not wear clerical garb except when celebrating Mass, Fr Serna said. He learned how to drive in Cairo and then outside the city. This opened possibilities for him to explore sites throughout Egypt such as Alexandria and Suez. “I also made friends in the different churches where I was invited to serve and celebrate Mass,” he said, “for example, the Franciscan Cathedral in downtown Cairo, St Mark’s Church in Shubra, the Basilica in Heliopolis, Holy Family (Church) in Maadi where I served the Hispanic and Filipino community, and the Coptic Catholic Cathedral in Medinet Nasr,” which served the neighbourhood to which Fr Serna was assigned - one of Cairo’s poorest.

● Coptic Catholic Bishop Youhannes Ezzat Zakaria Badir of Luxor-Tebe in Egypt said that

Coptic Christians are the ancestors of Egyptians who resisted the Arab conquest of 640.

St. Mark the Evangelist is considered the father of Christianity in Egypt. According to legend, he was martyred in Alexandria in 68 AD.

since the outbreak of massive protests in the country, his flock has been praying that “violence gives way to dialogue and that the civil war does not break out in the country.”

Bishop Zakaria told Italian news agency SIR “what is happening in Egypt is the result of the misguided policies of world leaders who have not made choices in the best interest of the future, life, dignity and freedom of mankind”. “The time has come for political leaders to make an examination of conscience and set aside their personal interests. Politics must again be at the service of our country,” he said, and was optimistic about the future of Egypt. The violence of recent days “is because many under Mubarak who have enjoyed privileges are sending out armed groups against the young people gathered in Tahrir Square.”

A Christian supporter of pro-democracy actions in Egypt carries a crucifix amid the crowd in Tahrir Square in Cairo on 9 February. Thousands of pro-democracy demonstrators in the square continued to protest the rule of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak despite concessions announced by the government.

PHOTO: CNS/YANNIS BEHRAKIS, REUTERS

A Muslim man holding the Koran and a Coptic Christian man holding a cross are carried through demonstrators in Tahrir Square in Cairo on 6 February. A senior US official told AP there was a “strong likelihood” Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak would meet protesters’ demands and step down on 10 February. CNS PHOTO/DYLAN MARTINEZ, REUTERS

Ukraines key to unity with Russians

Catholic-Orthodox relations: Ukrainian Archbishop has important role

BY CINDY WOODEN Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY - The election of a new Archbishop for a Church with 6.5 million Catholics could hold the key to determining if or when Pope Benedict XVI may meet Russian Orthodox Patriarch Kirill of Moscow.

Vatican officials are watching the Ukrainian Catholic Church’s leadership with keen interest, but without the degree of anxiety for its ecumenical implications that would have been present even five years ago.

Pope Benedict XVI accepted the resignation of Cardinal Lubomyr Husar of Kiev-Halych, head of the Ukrainian Church, on 10 February, about two weeks before his 78th birthday.

The Cardinal, who as Major Archbishop of the Eastern Catholic Church could have served for life, is almost blind and asked to retire.

The 45 Ukrainian Catholic Bishops from Ukraine and other countries of Europe, North and South America and Australia must meet within two months to elect a successor; Pope Benedict must assent to the election before the new major Archbishop can be installed.

The Ukrainian Catholic Church is the largest of the Eastern Churches in full communion with Rome and is pivotal in ecumenical relations.

When Ukraine was part of the Soviet Union, the Ukrainian Catholic Church was forcibly united with the Russian Orthodox Church and became illegal.

During 45 years under Communist rule, the push for Ukrainian independence and the demand for religious freedom for Ukrainian Catholics often went hand in hand.

The growth of Ukrainian democracy after independence in 1991 occurred at the same time as the Church was being rebuilt.

However, the return of religious freedom meant that many Christians who were worshipping as Orthodox decided to return to their Ukrainian Catholic roots.

Church properties that had been confiscated by the government or given by the government to the Orthodox were re-claimed by Ukrainian Catholics in situations that occasionally included violence

Husar right man in tough times

BY ANTHONY BARICH

CARDINAL Lubomyr Husar was the right man for the job at a critical time to lead the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, the Eparch of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in Australia said.

The Church in Ukraine had just come out of the underground about 10 years before the Cardinal was appointed in 2001, Bishop Peter Stasiuk CSsR said, and the Patriarch “led the Church through the critical rebuilding era”.

When Cardinal Husar, whose resignation was accepted by Pope Benedict XVI on 10 February, moved the seat of government of the Ukrainian Church from Lviv to Kyiv as Canon Law requires, he was commonly referred to as “the most trusted moral authority in Ukraine today”, said Melbourne-based Bishop Stasiuk.

“His ecumenical skills were outstanding. He spoke with authority regarding the relationship of Church and State,” Bishop Stasiuk, whose Eparchy includes New Zealand and Oceania, said.

Some of the Cardinal’s most important work went unnoticed by the wider public, Bishop Stasiuk said, namely the reorganising of the Synod of Bishops and the building of the structures in the Ukrainian Church.

“He was a wonderful leader and a truly holy man. He has left us all a great legacy … Patriarch Lubomyr was the right man for the job at a very critical time for the Church,” Bishop Stasiuk said.

The statement from the Australian Bishops’ conference added that Patriarch Husar was “very well received by the whole Catholic Church in Australia”.

Patriarch Husar visited Australia twice.

The first time was in 1999 for the 50th Anniversary of the establishment of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church in Australia and in 2001, only days

between Catholics and Orthodox. Basically, since 1991 the Russian Orthodox, previously a prime force in search for Catholic-Orthodox unity, have said they could not agree to a meeting between the Russian Orthodox patriarch and the Pope until Catholic-Orthodox tensions in Ukraine are resolved.

A Vatican official knowledgeable

after his election to the post as head of the Church, he came for the funeral of the first Bishop of Ukrainian Catholics in Australia, His Grace, Ivan Prasko.

Most Reverend Ihor Vozniak CSsR, Archbishop of Lviv (Ukraine) has been appointed Administrator of the Patriarchal Church. Ukrainian Catholic Bishops from around the globe will gather in Lviv, Ukraine on 18 March for a special Synod

about the ecumenical situation in Ukraine told CNS on 10 February that Catholic-Orthodox relations are “rather calm right now, but every once in a while the tensions return.”

The real concern is about tensions between different Orthodox Churches in Ukraine and how that is being influenced by the

called to elect a successor to His Beatitude.

The more than 45 members of the Synod of Bishops of the Ukrainian Catholic Church represent not only the Church in Ukraine, but also local Churches in North and South America and Australia, as well as in Western and Eastern Europe. The majority of the estimated 6.5 million Ukrainian Catholics reside in Ukraine.

year-old government of Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, a member of the Orthodox Church in communion with the Russian Orthodox’s Moscow patriarchate and a politician who has promised to strengthen political and economic ties with Russia. His support for the Orthodox in communion with Moscow appears to have fuelled

long-standing tensions between Orthodox loyal to Moscow and those who support an independent Orthodox Church in Ukraine.

“Problems within the Orthodox Church have visibly worsened with the political change” of Yanukovych’s election and may prove more dangerous than Catholic-Orthodox tensions, the Vatican official said.

“It hurts more when brothers fight than when cousins do,” he said.

In the past couple of years, he said, ecumenically “there have been no important steps forward, but no big steps backward either.”

Observers credit Cardinal Husar’s leadership with being a key reason Catholic-Orthodox tensions have not worsened, and they also praise his efforts to champion the rights and dignity of the Eastern Catholic Churches in an overwhelmingly Latin-rite Church.

Fr Borys Gudziak, rector of the Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv, said Yanukovych’s policies have plunged Ukraine into a “political crisis” and many people were shocked that Cardinal Husar, “the most respected moral authority in the country,” would resign at such a time.

“From an ecclesial point of view, it seems the government is moving toward a State-Church model like in Russia,” Fr Gudziak said.

Yanukovych has met repeatedly with the leaders of the Orthodox in union with Moscow, and the independent Ukrainian Orthodox Church has “expressed concern over the government-assisted transfer of three parishes from its jurisdiction” to the jurisdiction of the Church united with Moscow, he said.

From his point of view, he said, the Ukrainian Catholic Church needs to elect a successor to Cardinal Husar who can articulate compelling reasons for faith, keep Ukrainian Catholics united and promote Christian unity, “a topic to which Cardinal Husar has devoted some of his most eloquent statements and his best energy.”

“Thanks to Cardinal Husar’s work, there is good harmony in the synod and among Religious Orders, and the number of priests has returned to its pre-World War II total - 2,500 priests just in Ukraine,” he said.

Fr Gudziak said that no matter who the synod chooses to lead the Church, the leader will face the challenge of getting all Ukrainian Catholics to take personal responsibility for the Church and its mission rather than giving in to “a syndrome of ‘waiting for Moses,’ of shirking responsibility and thinking, ‘Let the big guy do it.’”

Defend doctrine but don’t attack others: Benedict

VATICAN CITY (CNS) - Even in the midst of the upheaval of the Protestant Reformation in Germany, St Peter Canisius knew how to defend Catholic doctrine without launching personal attacks on those who disagreed, Pope Benedict XVI said.

St Peter, a 15th century Jesuit sent on mission to Germany, knew how to “harmoniously combine fidelity to dogmatic principles with the respect due to each person,” the Pope said on 9 February at his weekly general audience.

The Pope was beginning a series of audience talks about “doctors of the Church” who are theologians and saints who made important contributions to Catholic understanding of theology.

In St Peter Canisius’ own time, more than 200 editions of his catechisms were published, the Pope said, and they were so popular in Germany for so long that up until “my father’s generation, people called a catechism simply a ‘Canisius.’”

The saint, who was born in Holland, insisted there was a difference between wilfully turning away from the faith and “the loss of faith that was not a person’s fault under the circumstances, and he declared to Rome that the majority of Germans who passed to Protestantism were without fault,” Pope Benedict said.

St Peter Canisius

“In a historical period marked by strong confessional tensions, he avoided - and this is something extraordinary - he avoided giving into disrespect and angry rhetoric. This was rare at that time

of disputes between Christians,” the Pope said. In fact, he said, St Peter Canisius recognised that the Catholic Church needed to be renewed and revitalised, and that such a process had to be built on solid education in the faith and in understanding the Scriptures, which is why his catechisms relied so heavily on the Bible. His theological achievements, which earned him the title “Doctor of the Church” in 1925, were effective because his study, preaching and writing all flowed from a personal friendship with Christ, long periods of prayer and unity with the Church under the leadership of the Pope, he said. With “peace, love and perseverance”, he accomplished his task of

renewing the Catholic Church in Germany even as Protestantism grew, the Pope said.

The saint’s life teaches Catholics today that “the Christian life does not grow except with participation in the liturgy, particularly the Holy Mass on Sundays, and with daily personal prayer,” the Pope said. “In the midst of the thousands of activities and multiple stimuli that surround us, it is necessary each day to find moments for reflection to listen to and speak to the Lord.”

St Peter Canisius is a reminder that preaching the Gospel is effective only if the preacher has a personal relationship with Christ, is united with the Church and “lives a morally coherent life,” the Pope said.

Cardinal Lubomyr Husar of Kiev-Halych, head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church, waves as he leaves a news conference in Kiev on 10 February. Pope Benedict XVI accepted the resignation of Cardinal Husar on 10 February, about two weeks before his 78th birthday. The Cardinal, who as major Archbishop of the Eastern Catholic Church could have served for life, is almost blind and asked to retire. PHOTO: CNS/KONSTANTIN CHERNICHKIN, REUTERS

Bucks’ parties: a challenge to step up

Reality and Faith

By Bernard Toutounji

A foolishness wiser than human wisdom (1 Cor 1:25)

My good friend (let’s call him Tom) got married recently and in preparation for this joyous occasion the customary buck’s party was organised.

We were informed that this particular event was to be held in two parts: The day events would include a round of golf, lunch and a game of bowling; the night event would include a selection of more ‘adult’ activities.

While golf and bowling are

rather tame activities in and of themselves, they did involve Tom being dressed in a blonde wig, a frilly pink dress and being obliged to carry around a life size, blow up doll all day.

To add to the excitement, during the travel to the various destinations, the hired mini van had been well equipped with a number of sexualised games and activities for both the groom-to-be and his fellow travellers.

I was later told that night activities (which I missed) involved dinner via Nyotaimori (the practice of serving sushi on the body of a naked woman), much drinking and a visit to a city strip club.

Bucks’ parties are traditionally an opportunity for a man to spend time with his close male friends and engage in activities that might not be possible once married.

It is a sort of ‘rite of passage’ from adolescence to adulthood but perhaps it is worth considering what we are including in this rite?

I am not sure how an event

involving strippers and sex games can be considered as preparation for anything more than a life of unfaithfulness (and the evening my friends had was rather tame compared with other bucks’ nights).

The idea of quality time with one’s friends makes sense, but if an activity such as attending a strip club would be completely out of bounds after marriage, how on earth could it be justifiable before marriage?

What does it say about a person’s view of the value of sexuality and the dignity of the human person to watch a paid stranger provocatively remove their clothes?

How can a man stand on top of a bar with a stripper one weekend and stand before the altar of God the next weekend making vows to love with a love that is faithful and true?

Perhaps to a degree, one can excuse (maybe) someone who has had no formation in the sacred character and nature of marriage, someone who knows nothing of

Creative minority fighting for Christ

Eternal city ... and beyond

A Perth boy’s journey to the priesthood

By Mark Baumgarten

Ihad hoped to write a letter immediately following the Christmas break, but no sooner was I back in Rome than the exam period was upon us. The university schedule here is unusual to say the least: with exams now behind me, I have only a five day break until second semester begins. Nonetheless, I did get to have a break from the oddities of the Roman way over Christmas as I travelled to the historic college town of Leuven in Belgium for a couple of weeks’ holiday.

The North American College has a sister seminary in Leuven (which was actually founded earlier), and the respective students often swap colleges over the Christmas break for a change of pace.

The charming architecture and ever-present snow made the town look like something out of a traditional Christmas card. I was contemplating celebrating my first white Christmas by building a snowman in the college yard, yet one of my college mates went one step further by building an igloo! And so it was that I celebrated the vigil by enjoying a glass of wine in a Belgian igloo with six friends at 10.30pm on Christmas Eve.

There was some poignancy to the visit in that the NAC has considerably outgrown her older sister in Leuven of late, to the point that the American Bishops have decided to close the Leuven seminary after the current school year.

Furthermore, having some time outside the enclave of Rome drove home some big-picture trends regarding the faith in Europe that I find equally poignant. For starters, I lost count of the number of tremendous old churches I saw in Belgium that have in recent years been converted (not particularly

tastefully) into what are essentially museums of religious art.

I’m not the first to observe that being in the Church sometimes feels like being part of a big messy family. It has its warts, but ultimately we owe it for so much of what we hold most dear. Nonetheless, much of Europe these days seems to be playing the role of the rebellious teenager who no longer wants to be part of the family. It’s sad, particularly given that the landscape is covered with family heirlooms – monuments to a time when the family seemed to make more sense to the wider culture.

It’s also sad, knowing that postChristian Europe is unlikely to last long in its current state. Committed Christians will probably become what Pope Benedict calls a “creative minority”, while the growing Muslim minority will likely assume greater prominence (if shifting demographics are any indication).

As for the aggressive hypersecularists, I wouldn’t be surprised if they ran out of puff fairly early in the piece. After all, we humans do not last long without meaning, and while militant secularism may seem vigorous next to halfbelieving Christians, its inherent meaninglessness is unlikely to be much of a match for the deep religious convictions of a prominent Islamic presence in Europe.

In the meantime, the more that post-Christian societies distance

the meaning of sexuality as a gift to be shared with one’s spouse and not with everyone that comes along … but … to those who are practising their faith and call themselves Christian, the excuse is severely weakened.

One does not stumble into a strip club without some idea of what is going on and one cannot claim to be watching a woman take her clothes off as merely something to do while enjoying a round of beers with the guys.

My friend Tom is a faith-filled man, a good man. He actually called me prior to the buck’s party to pre-warn me about what might transpire.

Unfortunately, though, warning those who may be offended is not enough; we must lead by example. Each of us needs to decide what type of man we are going to be.

Do we stand by and let things happen, or do we take a stand and make things happen?

There are moments in every life in which a man can rise up and say

“I choose to walk another way, to walk in the way of what is right”.

For a man who is getting married, the statement to his best man might translate to, “I’m looking forward to the buck’s night you are organising but we won’t be mocking sex or using women as objects”.

There can be no confusion about where we stand on such an issue, it is non-negotiable.

The buck’s night preparation provides a valuable opportunity to show our friends that the dignity of the human person is something we prize above all else.

What more honourable gift can a man give as sign of his undivided love?

A man should not avoid a strip club because he thinks his fiancé may not like it; he should avoid a strip club because it is a place that declares ‘sex and love have no value’ and a real man knows that is a lie.

- Bernard Toutounji is education officer at the Sydney Archdiocesan Marriage and Family Ofice Email him on b_toutounji@optusnet.com.au

As age, priorities change, God calls

Why I Became Catholic

with Debbie Warrier

Wayne Merton

Iwas baptised Presbyterian. I was the only child in my family to be baptised so maybe that was a sign of what was to come. Throughout my teenage years, I was noncommittal towards my faith. I hadn’t really put much thought into religion until later in life. I think as you get older your priorities change and you also open your mind more to what life has to offer.

themselves from their Christian inheritance, the uglier they get.

It’s as though, embarrassed by the perceived baggage of their Christian heritage, they feel the need to throw out anything even remotely connected to this heritage, which unfortunately includes some of the most salutary aspects of our humanity. Who knows, maybe the early stages of all this will jolt folks into realising just how much they are letting slip away.

Indeed, the palpable lack of confidence in much of Europe, evidenced in the remarkable shrinking birth rate (perhaps the ultimate marker of a culture’s hope in the future), is a sign that many here sense that something is amiss.

Regardless, I’m bracing myself to be part of a creative minoritythe metaphorical leaven in the loaf - striving to cultivate communities wherein beauty, truth and goodness may flourish and radiate out to transform the wider world.

Of course, I have daily evidence of my own inadequacy in the face of such lofty ideals. In my better moments, I know my utter dependence on God if I seek to take part in that which is my deepest desire. At other times, my pride can render me more-or-less useless. Please pray for me, and for those alongside me: we Christians may believe that the victory is already won, but that does not mean that our role within its unfolding is smooth sailing.

I decided to become a Catholic because I recognised within myself that something was missing in my life. My decision to become a Catholic was a decision I had to make on my own. I wanted to be true to myself. To take this journey, I joined the RCIA to understand the faith better.

My wife Carissa is a staunch Catholic, which has helped with this decision. My marriage planted the seed of my conversion but ultimately it was a personal journey of discovery that I was taking. Carissa and our families are very supportive of me, as was my RCIA coordinator, the very patient Ann Cunneen. The only opposition with this decision I faced was within. I often had self-doubts about the direction my life was taking and frequently questioned my commitment. The RCIA process answered many of my questions and helped me to be clear about my decision. I was formally welcomed into the Church in 2004 by my parish priest Father Joseph Tran at Our Lady of the Mission in Whitford.

I have been married to Carissa for nearly six years now. We have been blessed with two beautiful baby girls – Sienna (2) and Ella (5 months). Father Joseph got to know us quite well through the RCIA process and eventually asked both Carissa and me to be Special Ministers of the Eucharist at our parish.

My upbringing was from what I would consider to be a scientific perspective, and I see myself as being very methodical. I like to know how everything works. This made it a challenge to understand and believe in something that is not tangible. Faith is not a mathematical equation and is often difficult to explain to others. That’s why I appreciated the support of both Carissa and Ann.

If I have a question to ask, I don’t hold back. I must have been quite a challenge to Ann but I don’t think I ever stumped her. Her knowledge of the faith is not just learnt but lived.

Being a “mature age” Catholic has given me the opportunity to stop and reflect. Having explored Catholicism, I have found that this is what I have been looking for. It provides me with a pillar of strength. My life has changed in the sense that I feel more fulfilled and complete. I have structure now that makes me feel positive and confident in making life decisions.

I didn’t have the same opportunity growing up to learn about faith which you get if you are born into a practising Catholic family. In some regards, making the decision later in life has allowed me to have a deeper understanding about my faith. However, I believe that I have a long way to go and would be naïve to think otherwise. I don’t think you ever stop learning whilst on life’s journey.

The 12th and 13th Stations of the Cross in a church in Leuven with World War II bullet holes throughout. Their symbolism parallels Mark Baumgarten’s thoughts on secularists’ assault on taste in his latest letter from Rome.

THURSDAY, 17 FEBRUARY

Information Sessions on Catholic Mental Health 10.30am-12pm at the Emmanuel Centre, 25 Windsor St, Perth. Enq: Barbara 9328 8113, emmanuelcentre@ westnet.com.au. RSVP by Tuesday, 8 February.

TUESDAY, 22 FEBRUARY

Solemn Profession of Perpetual Vows - 4pm at St Brigid Parish, 69 Morrison Rd, Midland. Three Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate will make their solemn profession of perpetual vows. Holy Mass celebrated by Bishop Sproxton with Rev Fr Pellettieri, FI. All welcome. Enq: Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate 9250 8286.

SATURDAY, 26  SUNDAY, 27 FEBRUARY

Live in Retreat

8.30am Saturday until 5pm Sunday at the Redemptorist Monastery, retreat centre, North Perth. Fr Hugh Thomas will talk on The Power of the Word of God. Enq: Monastery 9328 6600, Rita 0422 917 054 or Keith 0411 108 525.

SATURDAY, 26 FEBRUARY

Voice of the Voiceless February Mass 12pm at St Brigid’s Church 69 Fitzgerald Street, Northbridge. Please bring a plate for Fellowship after Mass. Everyone Welcome. Enq: John Sutton, cjsutton@ bigpond.net.au

MONDAY, 28 FEBRUARY

CYM World Youth Day 2011 Pilgrimage Meeting

7.30pm at the Catholic Pastoral Centre, 40A Mary St, Highgate. Meet other pilgrims and get practical preparation tips for Madrid. Join the Perth WYD Pilgrim facebook group. Register online for WYD on www.wydtours.com/ perth.. Enq: 9422 7912, www.cym.com.au

TUESDAY 1 MARCH

Catholic Charismatic Renewal

1–6pm at the Holy Family Church, Thelma St, Como. Healing Prayer and Ministry, conducted by international guests Diana Mascarenhas (India) and Fr Elias Vella (Malta). For emotional and psychological healing. Includes Mass. Admission free but a collection will be taken up. Enq: Dan 9398 4973.

FRIDAY, 4 MARCH

The Alliance, Triumph and Reign of the United Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary 9pm at St Bernadette’s Church Glendalough. Commences with the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament; reflections, Rosaries and hymns; alternating with healing sessions. Vigil concludes with midnight Mass in anticipation/preparation for the Lord’s second coming and His Reign on earth. Enq: Fr Harris 9444 6131 or Dorothy 9342 5845.

SATURDAY, 5 MARCH

Day With Mary

9am-5pm at Queen of Martyrs Church, 77 Seventh Ave, Maylands. Day of prayer and instruction based on the Fatima message. 9am Video; 10.10am Holy Mass; Reconciliation, Procession of the Blessed Sacrament, Eucharistic Adoration, Sermons on Eucharist and Our Lady, Rosaries and Stations of the Cross. BYO lunch. Enq: Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate 9250 8286.

Women’s Day of Recollection

8.40am at St Paul’s Parish Centre, 104 Rookwood St, Mt Lawley. Rosary 8.40am followed at 9am by first Saturday Mass, optional, 9.30am tea. 10am talk on Women of the Bible presented by Fr Tim Deeter, followed by discussions, lunch, Holy Hour and Benediction. RSVP essential to catholicwomen.perth@gmail.com or Lydia 0413 993 987 by 23 February.

SUNDAY, 6 MARCH

Divine Mercy

1.30pm at St Francis Xavier Church, 25 Windsor St, Perth. Homily on St John of the Cross by Fr Doug Harris. Enq: John 9457 7771.

FRIDAY, 11 MARCH

Alan Ames Healing Service

7pm at St Bernadette’s Catholic Church, Jugan St, Glendalough. Mass followed by talk and Healing Service. Enq: Katherine carver1@iinet.net.au.

SUNDAY, 13 MARCH

PANORAMA

Triennial WA Regional Elections of the Secular Franciscan Order

10am at Edel Quinn Centre, 36 Windsor St, East Perth. Includes Mass at 2.30pm. Please bring a plate for shared lunch. Enq: Michael 9275 5658.

SUNDAY, 1 MAY

Centenary of Kellerberrin Parish

11am at St Joseph’s parish, Kellerberrin. All present and past parishioners are invited to the parish Centenary celebrations. Mass celebrated by His Grace, Archbishop Barry James Hickey, followed by a catered luncheon at the Kellerberrin Shire Hall. RSVP by Saturday, 2 April for catering purposes to Christine Laird 9045 4235 or fax 9045 4602, or Audrey Tiller 9045 4021, or stmary@ westnet.com.au.

WEDNESDAY, 2 MARCH AND WEDNESDAY, 16 MARCH

Auditions for new Church choir

7pm at St Paul’s Catholic Church, 106 Rookwood St, Menora. Singing a varied repertoire of old and new church music, once monthly at 6pm Saturday Mass. Ability to read music is desirable. Enq: Chloë 0417 712 027, chloe.piper@gmail.com

THURSDAY, 3 MARCH

Life in the Spirit Seminar

8pm at 67 Howe St, Osborne Park, Disciples of Jesus Covenant Community. Seminar runs for 8 weeks. Enq: Mark 0411 246 419 or Dwayne 0417 175 128

SATURDAY, 12 MARCH

Divine Mercy Healing Mass

2.30pm at St Francis Xavier’s Church, Windsor St, East Perth. Main celebrant will be Fr. Dennis O’Brien. Divine Mercy prayers followed by veneration of First class Relic of St. Faustina Kowalska. Prayers for vocations and an end to abortion throughout the world. Reconciliation offered in English. Refreshments available. Enq: John, 9457-7771

TUESDAY, 15 MARCH

The Great Adventure by Jeff Cavins

7.30pm at the Redemptorist Monastery. A 24-week DVD series on the Bible timeline. Enq: Fr HughThomas 9328 6600 or Gertrude 0411 262 221 or Keith 0411 108525

SATURDAY, 19 MARCH

Peace Vigil

6pm - 9pm at 190 Vincent Street North Perth, Redemptorist Monastery. Prayer for peace in families and world - 20 min sessions followed by 10 min silence and lighting of votive candles. Supper provided. Everyone welcome. Enq: Fran franell@iprimus.com.au

Reunion for St. Joseph’s Girls Orphanage 11am outside The West Australian Museum at the memorial for Forgotten Australian’s site. Please bring any photos and memorabilia you might have. BYO lunch. Family members welcomed. Enq: Ann 9349 3424, Rita 9242 7766, Lynette 9453 2211.

FRIDAY, 1 APRIL

Catholic Faith Renewal Evening - Change of Date 7.30pm at St John Paul Parish, 5 Ingham Court, Willetton. Evening will no longer be on March 4 due to the Ordinations. Enq: Kathy 92950913 or Ann 0412 166 164, catholicfaithrenewal@gmail.com

EVERY SUNDAY

Gate of Heaven Catholic Radio

Join the Franciscans of the Immaculate every Sunday from 7.30-9pm on Radio Fremantle 107.9FM for Catholic radio broadcast of EWTN and our own live shows. Enq: radio@ausmaria.com.

Pilgrim Mass - Shrine of the Virgin of the Revelation

2pm at Shrine, 36 Chittering Rd, Bullsbrook. Commencing with Rosary followed by Benediction. Reconciliation is available before every celebration. Anointing of the Sick administered during Mass every second Sunday of the month. Pilgrimage in honour of the Virgin of the Revelation, last Sunday of the month. Side entrance to the church and shrine open daily between 9am-5pm. Enq Sacri 9447 3292.

THIRD SUNDAY OF THE MONTH

Oblates of St Benedict

2pm at St Joseph’s Convent, York St, South Perth. Oblates are affiliated with the Benedictine Abbey of New Norcia. All welcome to study the rule of St Benedict and its relevance to the everyday life of today for lay people. Vespers and tea later. Enq: Secretary 9457 5758.

EVERY FOURTH SUNDAY OF THE MONTH

Holy Hour for Vocations to the Priesthood, Religious Life

2-3pm at Infant Jesus Parish, Wellington St, Morley. The hour includes Exposition of the Blessed Eucharist, silent prayer, Scripture and prayers of intercession. Come and pray that those discerning vocations to the priesthood or Religious life hear clearly God’s loving call to them.

LAST MONDAY OF EVERY MONTH

Christian Spirituality Presentation

7.30-9.15pm at the church hall behind St Swithan’s Anglican Church, 195 Lesmurdie Rd, Lesmurdie. Stephanie Woods presents The Desert Period of Christianity, 260 to 600AD. From this time period came the understanding of the monastic lifestyle and contemplative prayer. No cost. Enq Lynne 9293 3848.

EVERY TUESDAY

Novena and Benediction to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal

6pm at the Pater Noster Church, Marmion and Evershed Sts, Myaree. Mass at 5.30pm. Enq: John 0408 952 194.

Spirituality and The Sunday Gospels

7-8pm at St Benedict’s school hall, Alness St, Applecross. The power of the Gospel message; How can we live meaningful and hope filled lives? Presented by Norma Woodcock. Donation for The Centre for Catholic Spiritual Development & Prayer. Enq: 9487 1772 or www.normawoodcock.com.

EVERY WEDNESDAY

Holy Spirit of Freedom Community

7.30pm at The Church of Christ, 111 Stirling St, Perth. We are delighted to welcome everyone to attend our Holy Spirit of Freedom Praise Meeting. Enq: 0423 907 869 or hsofperth@gmail.com.

Holy Hour at Catholic Youth Ministry

5.30pm Mass and 6.30pm Holy Hour (Adoration) at the Catholic Pastoral Centre, 40A Mary St, Highgate. $5 supper and fellowship after Holy Hour. Enq: www.cym.com. au or call 9422 7912

SECOND WEDNESDAY OF THE MONTH

Chaplets of the Divine Mercy

7.30pm at St Thomas More Catholic Church, 100 Dean Rd, Bateman recommences. Includes sung devotion accompanied by Exposition and followed by Benediction. All are welcome. Enq: to George Lopez on 9310 9493 home or 9325 2010 work.

EVERY THURSDAY

Divine Mercy

11am at Sts John and Paul Church, Pine Tree Gully Rd, Willetton. Pray the Rosary and Chaplet of Divine Mercy, and for the consecrated life especially here in John Paul parish, conclude with veneration of the First Class Relic of St Faustina. Please do come and join us in prayer. Enq: John 9457 7771.

Father Corapi’s Catechism of the Catholic Church

7.30pm at St Joseph Church, 20 Hamilton St, Bassendean - Parish Library, Enq: Catherine 9329 2691.

St Mary’s Cathedral Praise Meeting

7.45pm at St Joseph’s Church, Upper Room, 3 Salvado Rd, Subiaco. ‘Stepping Out in Radical Holiness’ – Flame Ministries International. Come along to continue to discover how to become equipped and empowered to live God’s word in these troubled times. Enq: Eddie 9382 3668.

EVERY FIRST THURSDAY OF THE MONTH

Taize Prayer and Meditation

7.30-8.30pm at Our Lady of Grace Church, 3 Kitchener St, North Beach. Prayer and meditation using songs from the Taize phenomenon. In peace and candlelight we make our pilgrimage. All are invited. Enq: Joan 9448 4457 or Office 9448 4888.

FIRST FRIDAY OF THE MONTH

Holy Hour for Vocations to the Priesthood and

Religious Life

7pm at Little Sisters of the Poor Chapel, 2 Rawlins St, Glendalough. Mass, followed by Adoration with Fr Doug Harris. All welcome. Refreshments provided.

Catholic Faith Renewal Evening

7.30pm at Sts John and Paul’s parish, Pinetree Gully Rd, Willetton. Songs of Praise, sharing by a priest followed by Thanksgiving Mass and light refreshments after Mass. All welcome to attend and bring your family and friends. Enq: Kathy 9295 0913, Ann: 0412 166 164 or catholicfaithrenewal@gmail.com.

Communion of Reparation All Night Vigils

7pm-1.30am at Corpus Christi Church, Lochee St, Mosman Park. Enq: Vicky 0400 282 357 and at St Gerard Majella Church, Ravenswood Dr and Majella Rd, Mirrabooka, Enq: Fr Giosue 9349 2315, John or Joy 9344 2609. The Vigils consist of two Masses, Adoration, Benediction, Prayers and Confession in reparation for the outrages committed against the United Hearts of Jesus and Mary. All welcome.

Healing Mass

7pm at St Peter’s parish, Wood St, Inglewood. Reconciliation, praise and worship, Exposition of Blessed Sacrament, Benediction, Anointing of the Sick, and special blessing. Celebrants Fr Sam and other clergy. All welcome. Enq: Priscilla 0433 457 352, Catherine 0433 923 083 or Mary-Ann 0409 672 304.

Healing and Anointing Mass

8.45am at Pater Noster, Myaree. Reconciliation, followed by Mass including Anointing of the Sick, Praise and Worship to St Peregrine and the Sacred Heart of Jesus. All welcome. Enq: Joy 9337 7189.

AA ALCOHOLICS ANONYMOUS

Is alcohol costing you more than just money? Enq: AA 9325 3566.

OPPORTUNITY FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE

Emmanuel Self-Help Centre for People with Disabilities is looking for volunteers to transport newspapers and other recyclable paper from its Perth office to a Canning Vale paper mill about every six weeks. Manual car driver’s licence required. Physical fitness is advantageous as heavy lifting is involved; Centre staff will assist. Enq: Fr Paul 9328 8113 or emmanuelcentre@westnet.com.au.

AL ANON FAMILY GROUPS

If your home is unhappy because somebody drinks too much, we can help with understanding and supporting families and friends of problem drinkers. Enq: 9325 7528.

VOLUNTEERS  CATHOLIC YOUTH MINISTRY.

Develop new skills, sharing your gifts and talents with others, meet awwesome people and have loads of fun. Helpers needed regularly or on odd occasions. Enq: admin@cym.com.au

PILGRIMAGE TO THE HOLY LAND

St Peter’s parish in Inglewood is organising a visit to Jordan, Israel and Egypt from 13-26 March 2011. The pilgrimage will cost A$3,990, everything included. Fr Sam will be the Spiritual Director. Eng Jim 0411 61 5239, zawnaing@optusnet.com.au.

PILGRIMAGE TO PRAGUE, POLAND AND AUSTRIA

St Jude’s parish, Langford is organising a 13-day pilgrimage departing 1 October. Pilgrimage will include visits to the Shrines of Divine Mercy, Infant Jesus, the Black Madonna, St Faustina, the birthplace of Pope John Paul II and the Museum at Auschwitz. Total cost per person $5,800. The Spiritual Director, Fr Terry Raj. Enq: Co-ordinator John Murphy 9457 7771, Matt 6460 6877 mattpicc1@gmail.com.

SPANISH LESSONS OFFERED AT WHITFORDS PARISH FOR WORLD YOUTH DAY, MADRID 2011

Beginner classes commence 9 February on Wednesday evenings 6.45-7.30pm and Saturday mornings 10.1511am. Cost - $5 per class or $40 for 10 classes if paid in full at the beginning of the term. All classes will take place in venues at Our Lady of the Mission Catholic Church, Camberwarra Dr, Craigie. Enq: Noeme 9307 4038 or Shirley-Ann 9407 8156.

CRUISE ON THE RIVER NILE

Sightseeing Tour of Jordan and Egypt A 14-day package departs Perth, Sunday, 10 July 2011. Accompanying priest, Fr Joe Carroll from the Redemptorist Monastery, Perth. Enq: Fadua 9459 3873 or 0404 893 877.

ACROSS

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27

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ACCOMMODATION

HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION

ESPERANCE 3 bedroom house f/furnished Ph 09 9076 5083.

TRADE SERVICES

BRENDON HANDYMAN

SERVICES Home, building maintenance, repairs and renovations. NOR. Ph 0427 539 588.

BRICK RE-POINTING

Ph Nigel 9242 2952.

PERROTT PAINTING Pty Ltd

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

PICASSO PAINTING Top service. Ph 0419 915 836, fax 9345 0505.

SETTLEMENTS

ARE YOU BUYING OR SELLING real estate or a business? Why not ask Excel Settlements for a quote for your settlement. We offer reasonable fees, excellent service and no hidden costs. Ring Excel on 9481 4499 for a quote. Check our web site on www.excelsettlements.com.

LAWN MOWING

WRR LAWN MOWING & WEED

SPRAYING Garden clean ups and rubbish removal. Get rid of bindii, jojo and other unsightly weeds. Based in Tuart Hill. Enq 9443 9243 or 0402 326 637.

OPPORTUNITIES

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY

Work from Home - P/T or F/T, 02 8230 0290 or visit www.dreamlife1.com.

A NEW CHURCH CHOIR varied repertoire – old & new rehearsals every other Wednesday, 7 - 8:30 pm. Singing Saturday 6 pm Mass once a month. Auditions Wed 2nd or 16th March, 7 – 8:30 pm. Ability to read music St Paul’s Catholic Church 106 Rookwood St Menora (Mt Lawley) contact: Chloë – 0417 712 027,

Deadline:

11am Monday

chloe.piper@gmail.com

COOK WANTED

Nursing home in North Perth is seeking a mature person to provide home-style cooking two mornings per week. Experience cooking for the elderly is desirable. For further information please ring 0431 08 2364.

CATHOLIC CHARISMATIC RENEWAL – Psycho-Spiritual Workshop & Healing Mass Workshop 9am – 5pm, Conducted by international guests Diana Mascarenhas (India) & Fr Elias Vella (Malta), Participants learn to minister to our emotionally, spiritually & psychologically wounded brethren. Cost is $20. Bring your own lunch. Healing Mass at 7.30pm. Holy Family Church, Thelma St, Como. Queries to Dan 9398 4973

SCAFFOLDER SUPERVISOR

$$$ Based in Swan valley Must have sound knowledge of residential A Frame Scaffolding Ph 9296 3560

FOR SALE

FOR SALE CHEAP & Various

Catholic/Protestant Books New/ secondhand - 9440 4358.

BOOK BINDING

NEW BOOK BINDING, General Book Repairs; Rebinding; New Ribbons; Old Leather Bindings Restored.

Tydewi Bindery 0422 968 572.

FURNITURE REMOVAL

ALL AREAS. Competitive Rates. Mike Murphy Ph 0416 226 434.

RELIGIOUS PRODUCTS

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 Rd, Canning Vale. Open Mon-Sat.

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RICH HARVEST YOUR CHRISTIAN SHOP Looking for Bibles, CDs, books, cards, gifts, statues, Baptism/Communion apparel, religious vestments, etc? Visit us at 39 Hulme Ct (off McCoy St), Myaree, Ph 9329 9889 (after 10.30am Mon to Sat). We are here to serve.

KINLAR VESTMENTS

Quality hand-made and decorated vestments: Albs, Stoles, Chasubles, altar linen, banners etc. 12 Favenc Way, Padbury. By appointment only. Ph Vicki on 9402 1318 or 0409 114 093.

OTTIMO

Convenient location for Bibles, books, cards CD/DVDs, candles, medals, statues and gifts at Shop 41, Station St Market, Subiaco. Fri-Sun 9-5pm.

PILGRIMAGES/TOURS

1. Visit to Vietnam and Cambodia (17 days)

Mon. 9 - Wed. 25 May 2011(Cost: AU$4,600 Per Person Twin Share (24 pax)

2. Pilgrimage to Jordan/Holy Land/Egypt ( 12 days) Tue. 7 - Sat. 18 June 2011

3. Pilgrimage to Prague/ Poland/Vienna (13 days) Sat. 1 - Thu. 13 October 2011 (30 pax)

4. Pilgrimage to Jordan/Holy Land/Egypt (12 days)

Fri. 11 - Tue. 22 November 2011 (special for senior card holders) 40 pax

5. Pilgrimage to Jordan/Holy Land/Egypt (12 days) Sun. 18 - Tue. 29 March 2012 (special for senior card holders) 40 pax

For itinerary and enq: Francis Williams (Coordinator) T: 9459 3873 (after 4pm) Mob: 0404 893 877

CRUISE ON THE RIVER NILEFri. 8 - Wed. 21 September 2011 Tour/Sightseeing of Jordan & Egypt

14 Day Package. Cost: AU$4,900 per person twin share

Accompanying Priest: Fr.Joe Carroll from the Redemptorist Monastery, Perth For more information/Itinerary contact: Fadua (T: 9459 3873 M: 0404 893 877)

23

Ps

24 Th Sir 5:1-8 Turn to the Lord

Ps 1:1-4, 6 Lord guards the just

Mk 9:41-50 Be no obstacle

25 Sir 6:5-17 Faithful friends

Ps 118:12, 16, 18, 27, 34-35 God’s guidance

Mk 10:1-12 Two become one

26 S Sir 17:1-15 Made in God’s image

Ps 102:13-18 Everlasting love

Mk 10:13-16 Welcome the kingdom

The Record Bookshop Books that can strengthen FAITH - yours and others’ -

The End of the Present World

And the Mysteries of the Future Life

Fr Charles Arminjon

RRP $31.00

In the late 19th century, Father Charles Arminjon, a priest from the mountains of south-eastern France, assembled his flock in the town Cathedral to preach a series of conferences to help them turn their thoughts away from this life’s mean material affairs—and toward the next life’s glorious spiritual reward. When Fr Arminjon’s conferences were later published in a book, many others were able to reap the same benefit, including 14 -year-old Thérèse Martin who, reading it, says, “plunged my soul into a happiness not of this earth.” Let the pages of The End of the Present World and the Mysteries of the Future Life fill you with the same burning words of love, with the same ardent desire to know God above all created things, that St Thérèse gained from them.

Born fundamentalist Born again Catholic

David B Currie

RRP $23.95

David Currie was raised in a devout Christian family whose father was a fundamentalist preacher and both parents teachers at Moody Bible Institute. Currie’s whole upbringing was immersed in the life of fundamentalist Protestantism - theology professors, seminary presidents and founders of evangelical mission agencies were frequent guests at his family dinner table.

Currie received a degree from Trinity International University and studied in the Masters of Divinity programme. This book was written as an explanation to his fundamentalist and evangelical friends and family about why he became a Roman Catholic. Currie presents a very lucid, systematic and intelligible account of the reasons for his conversion to the ancient Church that Christ founded. He gives a detailed discussion of the important theological and doctrinal beliefs Catholic and evangelicals hold in common, as well as the key doctrines that separate us, particularly the Eucharist, the Pope, and Mary.

Handbook of Catholic Apologetics

Peter J Kreeft

Ronald K Tacelli

RRP $35.95

Unbelievers, doubters and sceptics continue to attack the truths of Christianity. Handbook of Catholic Apologetics is the only book that categorises and summarises all the major arguments in support of the main Christian beliefs. Also included is a Protestantfriendly treatment of Catholic-Protestant issues. The Catholic answers to Protestant questions show how Catholicism is the fullness of the Christian faith. Handbook of Catholic Apologetics is full of the wisdom and wit, clarity and insight of philosophers Peter Kreeft and Ronald Tacelli.

THE ESSENTIAL CATHOLIC SURVIVAL GUIDE

Answers to tough questions about the Faith

By the Staff of Catholic Answers

RRP $39.95

Being Catholic isn’t easy. In fact, it’s just gotten harder. With the recent election of our current Pope, a new wave of attacks is under way by the enemies of the Catholic Church. From this point forward, every Catholic will come face-to-face with the vicious antiCatholic attacks that are being launched against the faith. Here at Catholic Answers, the most effective products for countering attacks and clearing up misunderstandings have been our tracts. They’ve been around since the beginning of the apostolate and have resulted in many thousands of conversions. These tracts provide a real point of contact for someone in discovering the truths of the Catholic faith. We’ve decided to compile 70 of the best tracts into one cohesive, comprehensive book that can be used by anyone, anytime, anywhere, to defend the Catholic faith. The Essential Catholic Survival Guide is indexed according to topic in a unique question-and-answer format that allows the reader to find the right answer to any question instantly.

Telephone: 9220 5901

Email: bookshop@therecord.com.au

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