The Record Newspaper - 18 December 2013 by The Record

Record

W E S T E R N A U S T R A L I A’ S A WA R D - W I N N I N G C AT H O L I C N E W S P A P E R S I N C E 1 8 7 4

the the

We d n e s d a y, D e c e m b e r 1 8 , 2 0 1 3

Parish.

Youth ready to take on world

the

N at i o n .

the

World.

$2.00

therecord.com.au

Catholicism for real life

Australia’s first national youth conference a hit - Pages 12-13

Philosopher gets out of the ghetto on challenging issue - Page 10-11

The wait is almost over as the world prepares for the day the cosmos changed

When God became one of us

A girl in St Peter’s Square holds baby Jesus figurines for Pope Francis to bless during his Angelus at the Vatican on December 15. Children were among the tens of thousands of pilgrims who observed an annual tradition by bringing their Nativity figurines for the Pope to bless. PHOTO: CNS / PAUL HARING

By Matthew Biddle PERTH Catholics responded eagerly to the Holy Father’s request to complete a questionnaire on the Church and the family recently, with more than 600 online responses being submitted in just a few weeks. Director of Catholic Marriage and Fertility Services Derek Boylen told The Record he was pleased with the response. “It is heartening to see that over 600 people logged onto the online version of the survey,” he said. “Many responses were also received by email and mail. It shows that people in our Archdiocese are genuinely concerned about the challenges of marriage and family life and want to seriously explore how we can respond in a pastoral way.” Doubleview parishioner Kevin Susai coordinated a group submission to the questionnaire, and said

it was a challenging process that required a significant amount of time. “One of the first things we discovered was they were fairly complex questions,” he said. “We would

Mr Susai and seven others from Our Lady of the Rosary Parish met to discuss the questionnaire before individually compiling responses, which Mr Susai collated just before the deadline.

“It shows that people in our Archdiocese are genuinely concerned about the challenges of marriage and family life.” - Derek Boylen Catholic Marriage and Fertility Services have preferred to have a bit more time to do some research and to canvass other opinions from members of the parish on certain questions, but we did put in a reasonable response to most of the questions.”

He said while the questions were complex, they were excellent discussion-starters and made participants “think outside the square”. “The questionnaire referred to documents that are not nor-

mally discussed at church such as Gaudium et Spes,” he said. “I don’t think anyone in the group knew anything about it. “These were questions which are not normally discussed at parish level... but it was refreshing to note that the questions were about controversial issues that are real to the public and need to be addressed.” Responses to the questionnaire were due for submission by December 9, and will eventually form part of a national response the Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference sends to Rome. “At this stage we are still collating the responses and at the start of the long process of reading all the submissions,” Mr Boylen explained. The information collected from the questionnaire will form the basis of discussion at an Extraordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops next year.

LOCAL

therecord.com.au December 18, 2013

Kolbe students on fire after amazing trip to ACYF THIRTEEN Year 11 students at Kolbe Catholic College in Rockingham travelled to Melbourne on December 4 to attend the inaugural Australian Catholic Youth Festival (ACYF). Along with Miss Stirling and Mr Richards, everyone was bursting with nerves and excitement. When we arrived in Melbourne, we were greeted by Kolbe Catholic College Victoria and we caught a bus to their school, sharing our schools’ histories, and had a tour of a different Kolbe College, overwhelmed by their gym, elevators and all those stairs. The students were nervous about meeting their exchange host families but, by the next day, every one of us were the best of friends. This was perhaps the most special aspect of our trip, making connections and lifelong friendships with our new friends and families in Victoria. On Thursday, we ventured into the city and walked into Festival Hall with more than 3,000 young people dancing, singing and chanting their faith through music, dance and worship. We were all so overwhelmed by the atmosphere which only grew and became stronger over the next three days. The ACYF days were filled with workshops, discussions, live music, stalls and games. The event was extremely well organised and was a wonderful experience for all the participants. The theme of the festival, The Spirit of the Lord is Upon me, certainly held true as all participants connected with their faith in good spirits and love for each other and for God. Students cried and didn’t want to leave their new friends on the last night of the Festival, after we shared a Mass with more than 15 concelebrating bishops and nearly

Thirteen students from Kolbe Catholic College attended the Australian Catholic Youth Festival earlier this month, joining thousands of young Catholics from around Australia for the inaugural event. The students formed new friendships and many happy memories from the trip. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

3,500 people in attendance. It was a fantastic experience and will remain with us all for ever. It changed our lives in ways we could

students who attended the event – their host families did not want them to leave and everyone we met commented on their behav-

Students cried and didn’t want to leave their new friends on the last night of the Festival, after Mass with nearly 3,500 people in attendance. never fully explain nor understand; however, we will hold onto it and try to share our faith with all those we meet and interact with as a result. Many thanks to all the

iour and response to the event. We certainly cannot wait to do it all again in two years’ time. ACYF coverage - Page 12-13 READINGS OF THE WEEK

SAINT OF THE WEEK

Monday 23rd - Violet ST JOHN OF KANTY, PRIEST (O) 1st Reading: Mal 3:104, 23-24 The day of the Lord Responsorial Ps 24:4-5, 8-9, 10, 14 Psalm: Lift your heads Gospel Reading: Lk 1:57-66 Birth of John the Baptist

Stephen first century December 26

Crosiers

Acting Editor Robert Hiini

editor@therecord.com.au

Accounts accounts@therecord.com.au Journalists Mark Reidy m.reidy@therecord.com.au Matthew Biddle m.biddle@therecord.com.au Juanita Shepherd j.shepherd@therecord.com.au

Christianity’s first martyr was probably a Greek Jew. Stephen’s story is recounted in the Acts of the Apostles. He was among the first seven deacons chosen to serve the Hellenist Christian community in Jerusalem. But the wonders he worked rattled local Jewish leaders. Witnesses at his trial before the Sanhedrin gave false testimony, and Stephen defended himself with a stirring speech recalling the long history of Israel’s relationship with God and calling the Jews “stiff-necked people” who “always oppose the Holy Spirit.” As he was stoned to death outside the city, he cried out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” He is the patron of bricklayers, stonemasons and numerous individual Christian churches.

Advertising/Production Mat De Sousa

production@therecord.com.au

Tuesday 24th - Violet 1st Reading: 2 Sam 7:1-5, 8-12, 14, 16 God will provide Responsorial Ps 88:2-5, 27, 29 Psalm: A dynasty forever Gospel Reading: Lk 1:67-69 Preparing the way Wednesday 25th - White THE NATIVITY OF THE LORD (SOLEMNITY) Vigil Mass 1st Reading: Isa 62:1-5 God rejoices Responsorial Ps 88:4-5, 16-29 Psalm: Covenant decreed 2nd Reading: Acts 13:16-17, 22-25 Jesus, as Saviour Gospel Reading: Mt 1:1-25 Mary with child

Saints

Double Canonisation

Helen Crosby

office@therecord.com.au

John XXIII and John Paul II

Record Bookshop Bibiana Kwaramba bookshop@therecord.com.au Proofreaders Eugen Mattes

Chris Jaques

Contributors Debbie Warrier Barbara Harris Bernard Toutounji

Mariette Ulrich Fr John Flader Glynnis Grainger

The Record PO Box 3075 Adelaide Terrace PERTH WA 6832 21 Victoria Square, Perth 6000 Tel: (08) 9220 5900 Fax: (08) 9325 4580 Website: www.therecord.com.au

Special pilgrimage • • • • •

Once in your lifetime - Double Canonisation Be a witness in Rome on 27th April 2014 We have guaranteed rooms 7kms from Vatican Rooms allocated on first deposits Optional Post Pilgrimages available

late! Book Now before it ’s too Contact us: Michael deering tel: (08) 9322 2914 email: enquire@flightworld.com.au 200 St. George’s Tce Perth WA 6000

The Record is a weekly publication distributed throughout the parishes of the dioceses of Western Australia and by subscription. The Record is printed by Rural Press Printing Mandurah and distributed via Australia Post and CTI Couriers.

•

CRUISING • FLIGHTS

Popes Beatification Ad for Fligh1 1

•

TOURS

Midnight Mass 1st Reading: Responsorial Psalm: 2nd Reading: Gospel Reading:

Isa 9:1-7 Child born for us Ps 95:1-3, 11-13 The Lord’s coming Titus 2:11-14 God’s grace revealed Lk 2:1-14 Mary gives birth

Dawn Mass 1st Reading: Responsorial Psalm: 2nd Reading: Gospel Reading:

Isa 62:11-12 Your Saviour comes Ps 96:1, 6, 11-12 Joy for the upright Titus 3:4-7 God’s compassion Lk 2:15-20 They saw the child

Thursday 26th - Red ST STEPHEN, THE FIRST MARTYR (Feast) 1st Reading: Acts 6:8-10; 7:54-59 Stephen’s wisdom Responsorial Ps 30:3-4, 6, 8, 16-17 Psalm: I entrust my spirit Gospel Reading: Mt 10:17-22 Family betrayal Friday 27th - White ST JOHN, APOSTLE, EVANGELIST (Feast) 1st Reading: 1 Jn 1:1-4 Life made visible Responsorial Ps 96:1-2, 5-6, 11-12 Psalm: Rejoice in the Lord Gospel Reading: Jn 20:2-8 The empty tomb Saturday 28th - Red HOLY INNOCENTS, MARTYRS (Feast) 1st Reading: 1 Jn 1:5-2:2 God is light Responsorial Ps 123:2-5, 7-8 Psalm: The Lord our help Gospel Reading: Mt 2:13-18 Rachel’s weeping Sunday 29th - White THE HOLY FAMILY OF JESUS, MARY AND JOSEPH (Feast) P 1st Reading: Sir 3:2-6, 12-14 Respect for parents Responsorial Ps 127:1-5 Psalm: Walk in God’s ways 2nd Reading: Col 3:12-21 Christian Spirituality Gospel Reading: Mt 2:13-15, 19-23 Choice of Nazareth

The Record FW O10 July 2013

Classifieds/Panoramas/Subscriptions

Mass during the day 1st Reading: Isa 52:7-10 Herald of peace Responsorial Ps 97:1-67 Psalm: Acclaim the Lord 2nd Reading: Heb 1:1-6 Light of God’s glory Gospel Reading: Jn 1:1-18 We saw his glory

•

10/11/2013 2:19:53 PM

Don’t forget to pick up the special Christmas edition available at all Christmas Masses

LOCAL

therecord.com.au December 18, 2013

High Court upholds marriage By Matthew Biddle THE HIGH Court of Australia upheld marriage between a man and a woman last week, ruling unanimously that the ACT’s samesex marriage laws were inconsistent with the Federal Marriage Act, and consequently unconstitutional. The decision that the entirety of the ACT law “is of no effect” was made on December 12, almost two months after the legislation was initially passed in the ACT Legislative Assembly by a margin of just one vote. The marriages of about 30 same-sex couples who wed after December 7, the date the legislation came into effect, are now invalid. At the time of the passing of the ACT laws, Federal AttorneyGeneral George Brandis urged the Territory government to wait for the outcome of the High Court challenge before allowing same-sex couples to tie the knot. The ACT government refused. A statement outlining its decision said: “The Court held that the Federal Parliament has power under the Australian Constitution to legislate with respect to samesex marriage, and that under the Constitution and Federal law as it now stands, whether same-sex marriage should be provided for by law is a matter for the Federal Parliament. “The Marriage Act provides that a marriage can be solemnised in Australia only between a man and a woman and that a union solemnised in a foreign country between a same-sex couple must not be recognised as a marriage in Australia,” it continued. “Because the ACT Act does not validly provide for the formation of same-sex marriages, its provisions about the rights of parties to such marriages and the dissolution of such marriages cannot have separate operation and are also of no effect.” Director of Catholic Marriage and Fertility Services for the Perth Archdiocese Derek Boylen told The Record the High Court’s decision was an important one to be made. “Traditionally, marriage has always been a union, freely entered into between one man and one woman for life,” he said. “That’s the traditional understanding of marriage. It wasn’t the Australian government that gave marriage this definition.

Greens to try their luck in WA next year By Matthew Biddle

The six High Court judges voted unanimously that the ACT’s gay marriage laws were unconstitutional.

“However, it is good to see this traditional understanding of marriage being upheld within our legislation.” While he said he understood the disappointment of same-sex couples, Mr Boylen added there

“Not just for couples but for children too.” The Australian Christian Lobby’s Lyle Shelton welcomed the High Court’s decision. “This ruling shows it is not the jurisdiction of states to legislate in

“Redefining marriage has potential consequences which have not been adequately explored.” were wider considerations to keep in mind. “Redefining marriage has potential consequences which have not been adequately explored in our community,” he said.

regards to marriage,” he said. “Marriage between a man and a woman is good for society and beneficial for governments to uphold in legislation. It’s about providing a future for the next generation

PHOTO: ONLINE

where they can be raised by their biological parents, wherever possible.” Mr Shelton said the same-sex marriage issue has been debated enough and attention should now move to other areas. “The debate about changing the definition of marriage has been given a fair go for the past three years with nine parliamentary attempts to change it,” he said. “Like the republican debate, the public and parliamentarians have had plenty of time to evaluate it and it is now time to move on.” Several politicians have now renewed calls for a national referendum to be held on the issue.

ON THE SAME day the High Court overturned the ACT’s samesex marriage legislation, the WA Greens Party introduced its own gay marriage bill in State Parliament. Upper house MP Lynn MacLaren introduced a private member’s bill on December 12, the final sitting day for 2013 for WA’s Legislative Council. The bill aims to amend the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1998 to provide for the registration of same-sex marriages and to amend the Family Court Act 1997 to allow the marriages to be dissolved and annulled. As part of some of the proposed amendments to various laws, same-sex marriage is included in the definition of marriage, while in the amendments to other laws it is held to be separate to marriage. If the legislation passes, a samesex marriage may be solemnised on any day, at any time and at any place in WA. Lower house MP Lisa Baker also plans to introduce another bill to legalise same-sex marriage in the second half of 2014. “The bill needs to go through WA Labor caucus and then the parliamentary listing processes,” she told The Record. The Labor parliamentarian said her private member’s bill would be different to those that have failed in other jurisdictions. “Those bills were narrowly defeated due to a possible conflict with the constitution,” she said. “L essons learned f rom experience with those bills, various constitutional legal opinions and [today’s] high court decision will inform the drafting of WA’s bill.” Member of the State’s Legislative Assembly Peter Abetz said while he was not sure whether such a bill would pass in WA, he had no doubts about his own position. “I think the constitution is very clear that marriage is to be dealt with by the Federal Parliament, rather than the State,” he said. “From that perspective I think it should not be allowed to proceed. “But if it did come up for debate, I would vigorously oppose it. I think there would be a lot of MPs who would oppose it, but also quite a few who would support it.”

Please donate to

LINDA’S HOUSE OF HOPE We urgently need funds to help needy families, especially at this time of the year. Donations can be sent to Linda’s House of Hope, PO Box 5640, St Georges Terrace, Perth 6831 or direct debited to “Linda’s House of Hope”, CBA, BSB: 065-515, Account Number: 10045568.

May peace be your gift at Christmas and your blessing all year through. Just over the Causeway on Shepperton Road, Victoria Park. 9415 0000 D/L 6061

LOCAL

therecord.com.au December 18, 2013

Forget the sleigh, Santa rides a Harley Davidson By Matthew Biddle HUNDREDS of motorbikes covered in tinsel and Christmas decorations converged on Mandurah on December 14 as part of the annual Motorcycle Charity Ride. About 600 motorcyclists, many of whom were part of the Christian Motorcyclists Association, took part in the ride from the Ravenswood Hotel to the Mandurah town centre, in front of hundreds of eager spectators. The riders carried food, cash donations and toys to be distributed to those in need. It was the 22nd year the ride has taken place. Chairman of CMA Colin Kleinig said the group’s involvement in the ride was a good chance for all members to come together in support of a good cause.

The CMA’s ministry is to take the Gospel to the world, especially those who are sometimes on the fringes of society because they ride motorbikes. He said the event provided an opportunity for the public to understand the CMA better. “We have never had anything other than positive feedback from our involvement in these sort of events and activities,” he said. “There are many motorcyclists involved in charity events now and the public, especially the kids, always love to see the bikes and talk to the riders.” Mr Kleinig said only a small number of motorbike riders sub-

Motorcyclists covered their bikes in tinsel and Christmas decorations for the Mandurah Motorcycle Charity Ride on December 14.

scribe to the stereotypical idea of a bikie. “We do not call ourselves or consider ourselves to be “bikies” as this has the negative connotation of association with the one per cent groups or outlaw motorcycle gangs as the police like to call them,” he

said. Mr Kleinig said CMA riders were different to the small minority of riders who operate outside of the law. “We welcome anyone who would like to ride in a safe environment to ride with us on any of our rides,” he said.

The CMA sees its ministry as taking the Gospel to all the world, but primarily to “those people who are sometimes on the fringes of society because they ride motorbikes”, Mr Kleinig explained.

PHOTO: MATTHEW BIDDLE

In 1979, a number of individual riders and members of two Christian motorcycle clubs joined forces, establishing CMA. Branches of the Association are present in every State of Australia, and there are several international CMAs.

Prayers, donations flowing as Australia helps the Philippines CARITAS AUSTRALIA says support is reaching typhoonravaged communities across the Philippines but more help is needed as the number of people affected by Super Typhoon Haiyan continues to rise. Just a month since the typhoon tore through more than 10,000 Filipino villages, Caritas Australia has distributed over 68,000 food kits, 8,000 sanitation and hygiene kits, and has provided shelter and clean water for almost 40,000 people living in the country’s worst hit regions. But as 14.9 million people grapple with the aftermath of last month’s disaster, Caritas Australia says it befalls all of us to ensure that the relief effort continues long after the headlines. “The number of people affected by this disaster amounts to more

than half of the Australian population, and the devastation has displaced almost as many people as live in Sydney,” Caritas’ Melville Fernandez said. “It’s almost impossible to imagine destruction on this scale but Australia’s compassion knows no bounds. “We’ve been overwhelmed by prayers and support from the Australian community and we’re humbled to have raised $3.8 million in the first month of our appeal. “On Friday, I visited families in some of the worst hit areas in Leyte Province. “Many have already benefited from shelter and sanitation kits provided by the Caritas network, it was inspiring to see the courage of so many as they begin to slowly recover from the devastation.”

LOCAL

therecord.com.au December 18, 2013

Fr John farewells Fremantle friends

2014 HARVEST PILGRIMAGES JOURNEY OF CHRIST

from

$4090*

A 14 day pilgrimage with Fr Danny Meagher Departing 28th March 2014 • Dead Sea • Bethlehem • Caesarea • Nazareth • Sea of Galilee • Mount of Beatitudes • Taybeh Village • Jerusalem Also departing 18th May, 20th June, 12th Sep, 18th Oct & 14th Nov 2014

*plus airfare

By Matthew Biddle THE PARISH of St Patrick’s in Fremantle will say goodbye to Fr John Sebastian Ramesh OMI on December 22 as he leaves Perth to take up a new role in Victoria. Fr John Sebastian has been assisting at the parish for about four years, and has also been the chaplain to the University of Notre Dame in Fremantle during that period. His new position will be as the assistant priest at St John Vianney’s Parish in Mulgrave, one of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate’s homes in Victoria. Fr John Sebastian will visit family in India before commencing his role in the Mulgrave parish at the end of January. At the same time, Fr Andrew Chen OMI will take up the assistant priest role at St Patrick’s as well as becoming UNDA’s chaplain for 2014. Fr John Sebastian was appointed as chaplain for UNDA in February 2010, taking over from Fr Gerry Conlan OMI. He was the youngest chaplain in the University’s history in Australia, being just 31 at the time of his appointment. He studied for the priesthood at St Paul’s Institute in Chennai, India, before his ordination in the same city in 2005. Parish priest of St Patrick’s, Fr Tony Maher OMI, said Fr John Sebastian had contributed much to the parish. “He’ll be greatly missed here,” he said. “He’s added youth, which is a great thing, he’s a very homely man and he preaches beautifully and warmly to the people. “He mixes with all nationalites and people of all ages, he’s open and engaging and he’ll be certainly missed by the parish.” Meanwhile, the Oblates, who minister in

from

$5590*

GRACES OF ITALY

ten parishes and three colleges in five States of Australia, will host the National Oblate Youth Encounter in Victoria in January. Youth from Oblate parishes and schools around the country will gather from January 9 to 12 for the event, which is based on the theme: “You are the light of the world”. It will be the 15th year the event, which is aimed at people between the ages of 16 and 30, has been held. The Oblates arrived in WA in 1894, and extended their missionary activity to the East coast of Australia some 32 years later, in 1926.

A 16 day pilgrimage with Fr Eugene Zsondi Departing 24th Apr 2014 • Venice • Padua • Florence • Siena • Cascia •Assisi • Loreto • San Giovanni Rotondo • Monte Sant’Angelo • Pompeii • Montecassino • Rome • Plus optional Rome extension Also departing 29th May, 29th Jun, 29th Sep & 29th Oct 2014

from

$6290*

*plus airfare

Fr John Sebastian Ramesh OMI will leave WA at the end of the year. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

$5690*

*plus airfare

SAINTS OF ENGLAND & IRELAND

*plus airfare

TREASURES OF NORTHERN EUROPE

A 21 day pilgrimage A 19 day pilgrimage with Fr David Catterall with Fr Don Kettle PP Departing 14th Jul 2014 Departing 2nd Sept 2014 • London • Walsingham • Amsterdam • Utrecht • Canterbury • Aylesford • Antwerp • Bruges • Stonehenge • Brussels • Aachen • Glastonbury • Bath • Banneux • Cologne • London • Dublin • Glendalough • Heidelberg • Munich • Altotting • Kilkenny • Waterford • Dungarvan • Mondsee • Salzburg • Innsbruck • Cork • Cashel • Killarney • Ennis • Vaduz • Zurich • Galway • Knock • Clonmacnoise

FOR MORE INFORMATION OR TO RESERVE A COPY OF OUR

NEW 2014 BROCHURE CONTACT HARVEST ON 1800 819 156 www.harvestpilgrims.com * Costs have been based on prices as at 31 October 2013 and must remain subject to change without notice based on currency exchange rates, departure city and minimum group size contingency. Prices are based on twin share or double rooming.

Catholic clarity for complex times

Roadside assistance, 24/7 With comprehensive car insurance* Breakdowns are frustrating and inconvenient. This is why roadside assistance is included as standard when you take out comprehensive car insurance with CCI, to help in times of need.* CCI also offers variable excess and monthly payment options, choice of repairer, and up to a 10% saving when you buy online#.

Call 1300 657 046 or visit www.catholicinsurance.org.au

Home

Contents

Car

Personal Accident

Travel

Landlord

Caravan

Catholic Church Insurance Limited (CCI) ABN 76 000 005 210, AFS Licence No. 235415 is the promoter of the underwriter Allianz Australia Insurance Limited (Allianz) ABN 15 000 122 850 AFS, Licence No. 234708. We do not provide any advice on this insurance based on any consideration of your objectives, financial situation or needs. Before deciding please refer to the Financial Services Guide and relevant Product Disclosure Statement for more information available by calling 1300 655 003; or online from www.catholicinsurance.org.au *12 month Allianz Roadside Assistance membership provided to all new CCI comprehensive car insurance policies purchased between 1 October 2013 and 30 September 2014. Full terms and conditions available at allianz.com.au/roadside # Any online discounts offered are applied to our standard rates (excluding optional covers) and are for the first year’s premium only (unless stated otherwise). From time to time, promotional or other discounts may be available for customers who apply for insurance via our Contact Centre. Online discounts available for new Comprehensive car insurance policies only. Minimum premiums may apply. Any discounts/entitlements only apply to the extent any minimum premium is not reached. If you are eligible for more than one, we also apply each of them in a predetermined order to the premium (excluding taxes and government charges) as reduced by any prior applied discounts/entitlements.

CCI TheRecord ad DEC13.indd 1

18/11/2013 4:40:39 PM

LOCAL

therecord.com.au December 18, 2013

Myriad of histories converge The face of the Church of Perth in 2013 would have been difficult to imagine 100 years ago when Perth was elevated to the status of an archdiocese. Following last week’s report on the 100th Anniversary Mass at St Mary’s Cathedral on Monday, December 9, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, we bring you more images of the historic event.

The Pope’s man down under: above, Papal Nuncio to Australia, Archbishop Paul Gallagher, assured Perth of the Pope’s prayers. PHOTOS: ROBERT HIINI

Above, some of Perth’s most eminent pastors, gathering before Mass on December 9. Below and below left, scenes of celebration after Mass at St Mary’s parish centre. PHOTOS: ROBERT HIINI

WORLD

therecord.com.au December 18, 2013

South Africa mourns political hero Known for his leading role in eradicating South Africa’s apartheid regime and establishing democracy in the nation, Nelson Mandela’s passing recently was met with great sadness all over the world. But his legacy will live on...

ELSON MANDELA, who led the struggle to replace South Africa’s apartheid regime with a multiracial democracy, died on December 5 at his home in Johannesburg. Mandela, 95, became the country’s first black president in 1994. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1993. One of the world’s most revered statesmen, Mandela had a touch of humanity rarely seen in political leaders, said Cardinal Wilfrid Napier of Durban, South Africa in an interview with Catholic News Service earlier this year. Cardinal Napier represented the South African Catholic Church in discussions between Mandela and Church leaders beginning in 1990, following Mandela’s release after 27 years in prison, until he retired from public life in 2004. Cardinal Napier said he came to treasure Mandela through regular meetings Church leaders had with his African National Congress in the transition from apartheid to democracy. “I always felt we should introduce ourselves to him again, but it was never necessary,” said the cardinal, who was president of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference from 1987 to 1994. Mandela “remembered names and faces and always gave us a hearty welcome”, he said. “I came to realise that if he had met someone he had no trouble remembering their names or where they were from. To him, people mattered because of who they were, not the position they held,” he said. “That’s what I really treasure about the man.” Negotiations between Mandela and South Africa’s apartheid regime began in 1989 while he was still imprisoned. The late Archbishop Denis Hurley of Durban told CNS at the time he was “astonished” to hear that the notoriously intransigent former President PW Botha had approached Mandela to discuss negotiating an end to the armed struggle against apartheid. The negotiations were fraught with difficulties, and Mandela frequently called on the country’s Church leaders to help overcome the deadlocks, Cardinal Napier said. “When there was a problem, Mandela would say exactly how he saw the problem,” he said, noting that the South African leader was a “direct man and it was easy to engage with him”. Mandela’s humility and selfdeprecating sense of humour were other qualities Cardinal Napier said he valued. In February 2001, when Cardinal Napier was inducted into the College of Cardinals by Pope John Paul II, Mandela was in Mozambique. “He tracked me down to St Peter’s to congratulate me. He said, ‘Archbishop Napier, how wonderful that you’ve been promoted to this esteemed position and you still have time for all of us back home’. I called him Mr Mandela and he said, ‘No, it’s Madiba’. He wished me luck and asked me to pass on his greetings to everyone there.” Mandela, who was born in 1918 into the Xhosa-speaking Thembu people in a village in South Africa’s Eastern Cape province, was often called by his clan name Madiba. Cardinal Napier recalled a 1991 meeting at retired Anglican Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s Cape Town office, where Church leaders and liberation movement leaders were introducing themselves to each other.

“I could see Mandela quite clearly from where I was seated, and when the Methodist bishop’s turn came to introduce himself, Mandela said, ‘That’s my bishop’. He’s the only political leader I’ve known who’s... allowed himself to be defined in terms of his faith, not just in terms of political allegiance,” the cardinal said. After serving one term in office, Mandela became a high-profile ambassador for South Africa and helped with peace negotiations in other African countries. Mandela was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2001 and, three years later at the age of 85, retired from public life. He made rare public appearances after that but helped to secure South Africa’s right to host the 2010 FIFA World Cup soccer tournament. On his 80th birthday, he married Graca Machel, the widow of the former President of Mozambique. After his official retirement, his public appearances were primarily connected with the work of the Mandela Foundation, a charitable fund he founded. On July 18, 2007, his 89th birthday, Mandela formed The Elders, a council that aims to tackle global problems. In honour of Mandela’s birthday in 2011, US President Barack Obama called the South African leader “a beacon for the global community and for all who work for democracy, justice and reconciliation”. Two years earlier, the US and 192 other UN member states created Nelson Mandela International Day to honour the African leader through acts of community service. Every July 18, people around the world take up Mandela’s call for citizens to “take responsibility

Former South African President Nelson Mandela, pictured in a 2008 photo at top, died on December 5 at his home in Johannesburg, aged 95. Above, Mandela assists Pope John Paul II at the Johannesburg International Airport in 1995 at the start of the Pope’s first official visit to the country. PHOTO: CNS/MIKE HUTCHINGS, REUTERS/PATRICK DE NOIRMONT, REUTERS

to change the world into a better place” by donating 67 minutes of their time - one minute for each year of Mandela’s struggle against whiteminority rule - to helping others. The parishioners of Regina Mundi Church in Soweto are among thousands of South Africans who have heeded the call, said

Oblate Fr Benedict Mahlangu, a priest at the parish. On July 18, 2011, members of the Catholic Women’s League were at the church at 6am to prepare a special meal for unemployed and homeless people in and around Soweto, Fr Mahlangu said, recalling that Mandela came to a service

at the church to celebrate his birthday in 2010. The church, the largest in Soweto, served as a refuge for anti-apartheid activists for decades. Bullet holes in the ceiling and the broken marble altar have been preserved and serve as reminders of the apartheid era. -CNS

WORLD

therecord.com.au December 18, 2013

Illustrator captures what captivated By Sam Lucero CHICAGO artist Jason Seiler, who created the illustration of Pope Francis for Time magazine’s Person of the Year cover, said his goal was to convey his impression of the Pontiff as a genuine, compassionate spiritual leader. “My goal when painting him was to capture this man’s character and essence,” he said. “He is a beautiful person and I hope my painting captured that.” While Seiler is not Catholic, he said he has “great respect for who (Pope Francis) is and how he uses his influence”.

Pope tops the lists of most-talked about in 2013

“From what I have seen of Pope Francis, he seems real and genuine,” added Seiler. “He does not abuse his power.” Seiler made the comments via email in response to questions from The Compass, newspaper of the Diocese of Green Bay. Born in Green Bay, Seiler studied fine art illustration at the American Academy of Art in Chicago for two years following high school. His illustrations, paintings and caricatures have graced the covers of dozens of newspapers and magazines, including Billboard, Rolling Stone, The New Yorker, Der Spiegel, The New York Times and Business

Week. He said Time’s 2013 Person of the Year was a first for him. “I have never painted the Person of the Year before,” he said. “Not many artists have. Most times it is a photograph, so the honour I feel is tremendous.” Seiler explained that Time first hired him to paint the Person of the Year runner-up: National Security Agency whistleblower Edward Snowden. “The art directors were extremely happy and asked if I would like to also paint Pope Francis. I said, ‘Of course.’ I had recently done a drawing of Pope Francis for the cover of Der Spiegel,” a German magazine.

Trained to paint on canvas with oils and acrylics, Seiler used a 21-inch LCD display and digitally painted the Pope. It took him more than 70 hours to complete. “I wanted to push it further and capture him in a more realistic way, focusing on subtle things to capture his character,” he said. “It was important to me that it really feels like him. I only had four or five days to paint the cover.” Seilder said the feedback “has been a little overwhelming”. “It is great for my professional career... but mostly hearing from my friends and family: that means the world to me!”

Person of the Year for Time and us

By Patricia Zapor LESS THAN A YEAR into his pontificate, Pope Francis has become a phenomenon far beyond the Catholic Church. As Time magazine observed in naming him Person of the Year, he has captured the imagination of “young and old, faithful and cynical” by placing himself at the centre of important conversations of the times: “about wealth and poverty, fairness and justice, transparency, modernity, globalisation, the role of women, the nature of marriage, the temptations of power”. “At a time when the limits of leadership are being tested in so many places, along comes a man with no army or weapons, no kingdom beyond a tight fist of land in the middle of Rome but with the immense wealth and weight of history behind him, to throw down a challenge,” said Nancy Gibbs, Time’s managing editor, in explaining the choice. By changing not the doctrine of the Church but the tone and focus given to everyday issues, Pope Francis has become a part of admiring dinner table and happy hour conversations among people who previously may have given little thought to anything a Pope did. “The reason what he does is so powerful is he talks like Jesus and acts like Jesus,” said Michael Gerson, former speechwriter and adviser to President George Bush and now a columnist for The Washington Post, author and fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations. He was among panelists at a program at Georgetown University sponsored by the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life, on the topic of Pope Francis and the poor. US Senator Sanders of Vermont, a political independent who is Jewish, has become fond of quoting the Pope, more than once citing his remarks on financial inequality on the floor of the Senate. On the other side of the Capitol, Rep Frank Wolf, a Presbyterian, indirectly quoted the Pope’s call to help people who are persecuted for their religion, having the Congressional Record print the text of a speech on the topic by NY Cardinal Timothy Dolan, delivered to the US Conference of Catholic Bishops at their November meeting. In a December 4 speech on economic mobility, President Obama quoted the Pope’s apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel). Observing that economic inequality has increased across the developed world and “the basic bargain at the heart of our economy has frayed,” Obama added: “Some of you may

INDIA

Indian government apology to protesters INDIAN PM Manmohan Singh apologised to Church leaders for the police beating of protesters, including priests and nuns, during a march to Parliament advocating for rights for low-caste Christians. Singh apologised when a delegation led by Delhi Archbishop Anil Couto called on him to press for the end to discrimination against Christian dalits, or members of the low castes. Archbishop Couto was among six Catholic bishops and about a dozen different denominations detained with 400 protesters during the march the previous day. Hundreds of protesters from across India broke through police barricades and marched to Parliament shouting, “We want justice.” “Dalit” which means “trampled upon” in Sanskrit, refers to people treated as untouchables under the caste system in India. In 1950, the government established a quota system in education and government jobs as a type of affirmative action for Hindu dalits. Though these statutory privileges were later extended to Sikh dalits in 1956 and Buddhist dalits in 1990, the repeated requests of the Christian dalits, who account for two-thirds of 27 million Christians in India, have gone unanswered.

UKRAINE

Restriction of civil liberties: evil at work IN THE deep of the freezing night, security forces moved into Ukraine’s Independence Square intent on dislodging protesters who had spent weeks talking, singing and praying for their country. Members of the permanent synod of the Ukrainian Catholic Church went to the square at 8am on December 11 to lead morning prayer, and, at about 10.30am, fear of a violent crackdown gave way to cheers as the police withdrew. “This is tactical,” said Ukrainian Bishop Borys Gudziak. “It’s light outside now and evil likes darkness.” Before dawn, when police were still trying to clear out demonstrators and bulldoze tents and barricades, members of the synod issued a statement saying, “We are profoundly disturbed by the actions of the state security forces on the Maydan (Independence) Square in the heart of Kiev conducted under the cover of the night.” The bishops said: “We condemn the action directed toward restricting civil liberties, especially the freedom of expression and peaceful civic manifestation of the citizens of Ukraine. We declare our support and solidarity with all those on the Maydan Square who are standing with dignity and witnessing to the dignity of their fellow citizens and of the whole nation.”

CUBA

Church looks within Cuba for new shepherd Jason Seiler’s award-winning portrait of Pope Francis, chosen to grace the cover of Time magazine’s edition of December 23, 2013, portrays what Seiler sees as a “real and genuine” figure. PHOTO: ATTRIBUTION HERE

have seen just last week, the Pope himself spoke about this at eloquent length. ‘How can it be,’ he wrote, ‘that it is not a news item when an elderly homeless person dies of exposure, but it is news when the stock market loses two points?’” Among indicators of the Pope’s broad popularity are polls showing “strongly favourable” views of Pope Francis among Catholics and nonCatholics alike. Pope Francis also topped the list of most talked-about topics worldwide in 2013 on the social network site, Facebook. Elections worldwide, the British royal baby, Super Typhoon Haiyan, the Boston Marathon bombing, pop star Miley

Cyrus and Nelson Mandela were among the rest of the top topics. That interest is reflected in the wide range of nonreligious news organisations that have devoted significant reporting to the Pope. Websites such as HuffPost and Daily Kos, both often associated with liberal politics, have devoted considerable space to Pope Francis. Esquire and Us magazines, neither typically big on religion reporting, have featured him in recent weeks as well. Within the US Catholic Church, immediate effects of the new Pope’s influence have been subtle. The Pew Research Centre said that it has found no increase in church

attendance over the last nine months, despite reports of such by Catholic clergy in Italy, Britain and other countries. Pew also reported there’s been no change in the percentage of Americans who identify as Catholics, which has been about 22 or 23 per cent of the population since 2007. One indication of how Americans respond to the tone set by Pope Francis may come as bishops prepare for next year’s extraordinary Synod of Bishops. For the first time, everyday Catholics are being encouraged in many dioceses to weigh in on the synod topic - the family.

When the Cuban bishops’ conference announced its new officers in November, Cardinal Jaime Ortega Alamino was not in a leadership position. As required by canon law, the 77-year-old Archbishop of Havana submitted his resignation in 2011, and his replacement as vice president of the conference triggered speculation he would soon be replaced in the capital city. Church leaders often serve years beyond when they submit their resignations. Eduardo Mesa, a Cuban Catholic who headed the Havana archdiocesan magazine, said he believes Cardinal Ortega’s replacement will be chosen from among the bishops serving in Cuba. The possibility of appointing a Cuban bishop serving outside Cuba would always remain open, but it is not probable. - CNS

WORLD

therecord.com.au December 18, 2013

Followers of both faiths turn backs on violence By James Martone SELECT Muslims and Christians in Egypt are participating in a development project designed to avert further sectarian violence after a surge in clashes between the two religious groups. The US bishops’ Catholic Relief Services is sponsoring the initiative to engage Muslims and Christians in implementing public works for the sake of the entire community. “Some of the root causes that have led to... recent sectarian violence were related to a lack of understanding or a lack of respect for one another, so bringing people together to collaborate is even more critical at this time,” said Erin Atwell, the CRS staffer overseeing the $800,000 initiative, Tolerant Attitudes and Leadership for Action. She said the project’s English acronym, TALA, was the source

Be unafraid and open door to Spirit CHRISTIANS who find something to criticise in every preacher they hear are not simply fussy, Pope Francis said, they usually are afraid. According to Vatican Radio, the Pope focused his homily on the Gospel reading from St Matthew where Jesus describes many of his contemporaries as being like spoiled, critical children. “The people of his time preferred to take refuge in a very elaborate religion: for the Pharisees, it was moral precepts; for the Sadducees, political compromise...,” the Pope said. However, he said, they didn’t want preachers and they definitely didn’t want prophets. The people “preferred to be caged up” with their own precepts or plans, he said, and there are Christians today who are equally “caged up, these sad Christians”. “They are afraid of the freedom of the Holy Spirit who comes through preaching,” he said. Through preaching, the Holy Spirit “admonishes you, teaches you, may even slap you, but it is precisely what makes the Church grow.” Jesus’ description of “children who are afraid to dance, to cry, who are afraid of everything and want security in everything makes me think of those sad Christians who always criticise those who preach the truth because they are afraid to open the door to the Holy Spirit.”

for its Egyptian name, Ta’ala the command for “come” in Arabic. “It’s like an invitation to come over (and) work across religious lines” on joint projects that improve areas prone to sectarian strife, or where such Muslim-Christian conflict has occurred in the recent past. Atwell said Ta’ala project money was now funding the selection of different Christian and Muslim

need most, which Ta’ala will then pay to implement. She said the Ta’ala project started in October, two months after some of Egypt’s worst Muslim-Christian violence in modern history left dozens of churches burned, destroyed and looted. The project builds on “lessons learned” from a 2012, three-month CRS project led by Egypt’s Coptic Catholic Church.

“It’s like an invitation to come over (and) work across religious lines” on joint projects... “ community leaders across Egypt as well as training in models and methods for identifying, analysing and intervening in potential conflicts. They will then select and train Muslim and Christian youth in their areas and collectively come up with ideas of what development projects different communities

Atwell said, unlike that project, Ta’ala will last two years and be implemented jointly by the Coptic Catholic Church; Nour el-Islam, an Egyptian Muslim nongovernmental organisation; and Family House, an interreligious dialogue unit of Egypt’s Al-Azhar University. Abdel Rahim Mohamed Gaad, a

Muslim and Nour el-Islam member involved in Ta’ala leadership training, said the program taught him skills in teaching “coexistence, peace, tolerance and conflict resolution” which he would share with selected town and village leaders in Luxor, where he lives. “We are focusing in the areas where there have been MuslimChristian divides, and we will work to bring those communities together,” he said, adding that some of the leaders had already spoken of the activities they hoped to undertake with local youth using Ta’ala funding. “One of the ideas emerging is to bring (Muslim) youth on bus trips to visit some of (Egypt’s) famous churches, or monasteries, so they see for themselves that there are no arms inside and that the people inside are good, praying and doing nothing to harm Islam,” Gaad told

CNS. He said they plan to take Christian youth “to some of the historic mosques, so they know that these places are for prayer, and not for incitement and violence” against Christians. Rushdy Sobhe, a Coptic Catholic involved in training, said, “Another prominent idea is that the (Muslim and Christian) youth repaint together both a mosque and a church in their different villages and towns”. He said Ta’ala came at “the right time” in Egypt because the popular 2011 revolt that overthrew President Mubarak and ensuing attempts at democracy led not only to heightened insecurities and a general increase in violence, but also to new freedoms of expression that included the unprecedented right to openly acknowledge sectarian troubles in the mainly Muslim nation of more than 80 million people. -CNS

Muslim-Christian witness leads to hope for change

Archbishop Nzapalainga of Bangui, Central African Republic, walks with Imam Oumar Kobine Layama, president of the Islamic Central African community, as they encourage tolerance and reconciliation following several days of fighting between Christians and Muslims. PHOTO: CNS/SAM PHELPS, REUTERS

Jesus sculpture: art that contributes to the world

Pope Francis blesses the artwork he called “beautiful”; soon to be homed permanently in Rome, very close to the Vatican. PHOTO: CNS/L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO

A YEAR ago, Timothy Schmalz’s bronze sculpture Jesus the Homeless had been rejected by St Patrick’s Cathedral, New York and St Michael’s Cathedral, Toronto. But, in late November, Pope Francis blessed the sculpture at one of his general audiences. He touched the knee of the sculpture and prayed for a few moments. Afterward, he told Schmalz he thought the sculpture was a “beautiful piece of art”. When Schmalz saw the Pope touch the sculpture, he said, “I thought, well, that’s just it, this sculpture is symbolically representing what he’s doing. He’s out there touching the homeless people; he’s reaching out to them every single day.” Appropriately, Jesus the Homeless may have found a permanent home in Rome, very close to the Vatican, in memory of a homeless woman

who slept there every night before dying outside in the cold. Schmalz grew up outside Toronto, and his interest in producing religious sculptures was born when he became “disenchanted” by the abstract artwork he saw being

“The bronze sculpture depicts a weary Jesus wrapped in a blanket, face covered.” produced at Ontario College of Art where he studied for several years. After undergoing a religious conversion, the artist realised he wanted to produce artwork that would “contribute to the world”. Inspired by the work of great religious sculptors like Michelangelo, the sculptor opened his own stu-

dio and began producing religious artwork. He says Christian artwork has provided him with an “endless well” for creativity. In 2011, inspired by a section of Matthew 25, the artist began working on Jesus the Homeless, perhaps his most famous work. The bronze sculpture depicts a weary Jesus wrapped in a blanket, face covered. With only the feet exposed, Schmalz says viewers are forced to take a second look at the sculpture, realising after a few minutes that the sculpture is Jesus. A true believer that art has the ability to change people’s lives, Schmalz says, “you see the most beautiful buildings, and then you look down and you see the most marginalised humans. It’s not that we don’t have money in our society, we just do not have awareness or connection, and I think that art can become that bridge.”

VISTA

I was abandoning my vocabulary and I had a deep fear in the pit of my stomach. 'What if some bright student forces me into a position where I have to go back and think about it.' Isn't that strange for me though? I'm a philosopher.

ou may have heard elsewhere the idea that “everything is political”. Our national conversation, and the conversation within the Catholic Church, has acquired a political flavour, a political tinge to it, which is problematic for a number of reasons. The one closest to my heart is that we lose the actual thing that we’re trying to think and talk about – the actual things, the actual events, the actual bodies, the actual stuff that is really happening. This has nothing to do in one sense with abortion but, in another sense, everything to do with the way I want to talk about abortion. If I was up here shouting at you incessantly “one plus one equals two” over and over at you, while what I am saying is strictly speaking true, there’s something deeply wrong, isn’t there, with me standing up here shouting. I can tell the truth without having told the truth. Saying that the way we speak about something matters isn’t necessarily to trivialise the truth but it is to entertain the possibility that perhaps, at least in language and speech and the way we communicate, there are other concerns that are, at a practical level, even more important than this sort of simple repetition. This is the political edge of abortion without politics, or “politricks” as the talk's title says. Politics has tricked us into turning our dialogue into a series of exclamations that are usually at least internally self-consistent, not to give too much credit to the conversation, but despite their obvious truth they have the sum effect of very little, or worse, of being counterproductive. There is a very dense bibliography on the injustice of abortion, on why abortion ought not be legal, on why embryos are persons, on why human beings aren’t the same things as acorns, on any number of topics out there. There are a few things that strike me. One, that I think they are right – their arguments follow logically. What is lacking is how they say what they want to say. They either presuppose an audience that is receptive, or else they manage to “say things without trying to say things” in ways that insult those who would be not persuaded in advance of making the argument. They undo the very possibility of having a conversation. Francis’ interview is exactly right – we should stop talking about abortion and start talking about abortion in a completely different way. That, to me, is what follows from his controversial remarks. I grew up with Rosary beads at abortion mills; I know the prolife rhetoric, and in some sense, I haven’t departed too far from it. But in places outside of the secure Catholic ghetto, when I try to have these conversations about abortion I find that the first thing I have to do is not talk about abortion. People have to trust a few things: that I’m reasonable; that I’m not crazy in a very simple sense; and that I have good will. Here’s what happened to me. I was a TA at Ohio State, I was 23 years old, and I had a student who apparently had an accelerated pass through thinking I was reasonable, assuming good will, realising I was a Catholic, and she openly in

therecord.com.au December 18, 2013

VISTA

therecord.com.au December 18, 2013

We are balancing the popular concerns of a culture that no longer knows how to talk about anything other than Breaking Bad, Mac electronics, and the weather, but everything else is off limits. That's the depths of our religious experience.

Abortion without politricks Pope Francis was right, says North Dakota-based Catholic philosopher Dr Sam Rocha, when he suggested we needed to stop "obsessing" about abortion. The best way to do that, Dr Rocha told a gathering of undergraduates at the Franciscan University of Steubenville in Ohio in October, is to start talking about it in the context of real life - as if it mattered to real, flesh and blood people - and not as part of a protracted battle.

class said “you seem like a nice guy, you seem relatively smart. Can you talk about abortion? Because I’ve never heard anyone talk about openly in an environment that wasn’t downright hostile”. You might say, well you’re making a fuss out of one person, but hopefully, intuitively, you know this one person is representative of a culture outside of our own precious communities, in which we have no idea how to speak to one another on an issue that, beyond the politics, is real. And, insofar as it is real, we do ourselves no favours in building a conversation that’s only good at talking to ourselves and downright hostile to anyone else. My students don’t even have a basic vocabulary, the opening words of a conversation. I mean, I went to Franciscan [University in Steubenville]. There’s a sacramentality around this issue. But my vocabulary – my signs, my slogans, my political way of making sense of it – couldn’t make sense to that student. But I’m arrogant and, in a sense, a rationalist, so I thought “well, if it can be thought of clearly, it can be talked of cleary, so let’s talk about it”. So, I was improvising and doing some boardwork and I got some push back, but here’s the amazing thing about the push back, it was confused, which is to say, they didn’t know yet if I was for the thing that they were for or against the thing which they were against. It wasn’t combative.

They literally just wanted to know about the thing. There was a radical moment of trust. I was abandoning my own vocabulary and I had a deep fear in the pit of my stomach, “what if I don’t make the argument and some bright student forces me into a position where I have to go back and think about it”. Isn’t that strange for me though. I’m a philosopher. I was afraid to be forced to think about abortion in a way that seemed to shake my principles. Where does that fear come from? How did it get built? I was afraid of losing something, not the argument or the question, but the loss of the issue. I never planned to lose, I don’t plan to lose now, but why was I so scared. The rendering of abortion into an “issue” with its own slogans and polemics means both sides are literally parodying each other. At this point, we’re not exactly surprising anyone. There’s a wonderful article in the Atlantic about a videogame designer who hates videogames. He’s designed what are argued to be the “Citizen Kanes” of videogames. For him, they are not about winning, they are about having an experience. In some sense, he’s just an artist using the medium of graphic design and programming. But he hates videogames because he says everyone knows that these things are stupid. Those who understand that there is this stagnancy in our conversation right

now, understand that if you care about the prolife movement, the best thing you can do for it right now is basically feel its barrenness in the present moment. I’m asking you to do this, if you love the mother and her child, if you love life, if you love death – because, here’s one thing, we’ve allowed death and life to live on opposite ends. Our own prolife rhetoric puts death at a distance but this is deeply problematic. I’ve held the body of [muffled pause], my niece's body that only survived for 30 minutes after delivery in my arms knowing about her impending death. So the idea that there is [an unbridgeable

With this rhetorical move, whenever it distills itself into ideology, what is lost is not just a proper way of speaking, not just the other half of life – death – no, what is lost the person himself, herself. The human person becomes a ‘what’ that can be divided into things – life over here, death on the other side of the street with their signs. And we forget about the ‘who’ of the person, that it's a single whole that can’t be separated into living and dying, within which living and dying are both sacred. Don’t let me overcaricature the prolife movement. I cut my teeth in it, I consider myself a part of it in the way that the

anything other than [the high rating TV show] Breaking Bad, that’s as deep as we go. Breaking Bad is literally the depths of human experience. Breaking Bad and the evolution of the shopping mall are right now the religious depths of human experience. In polite company, you can talk about Mac electronics, Breaking Bad and then the weather but everything else is off limits. We don’t have a vocabulary for it. We don’t know what to do with it. The second concern is on the inside. What are we doing inside to the thing itself that we’re fighting for. What’s happening to the child; what’s happening to the mother; what’s happening to the one-

We should be pro-life and pro-death, if we are serious - committed to the sacredness of every life and every death. When we caricature death the human person becomes a 'what'. We forget about the 'who', that the single whole cannot be separated. gulf between] 'prolife' and 'prodeath' is wrong. We should be prolife and prodeath, if we’re serious. We should be deeply committed to the beauty of every life and every death. By allowing the prolife movement to caricature death, in my mind, in this sort of disgusting way, it actually kills the human person. Whenever you caricature someone as being prodeath, as if death were so terrible and life were so good, what you do is you kill the Imago Dei, you kill the Incarnation, you kill the cross.

person who loves videogames but hates videogames is. I’m a prolifer who hates the prolife movement because I love it. I have not given up on it. I’m giving this talk and I’m writing a [forthcoming] book precisely out of my love for the prolife movement which forces me in some sense to critique at a deep and serious level. There are two aspects to balance. On the outside we are balancing the popular concerns of a culture and a nation that no longer knows how to talk about

ness of child and mother; what’s happening when we romanticise that one-ness into this very pretty, lovely, wonderful thing when in some sense it is tragic and life changing. My daughter, my second child, is a month old yesterday. Women, you may know, you may know from others, the end of the last trimester is... cranky. No, women are not walking around going “oh, my child, my wonderful creation of God”. They’re saying “when is this thing going to get the hell out of me. It’s been

long enough”. My daughter came in right on time and seriously, there wasn’t a lot of affection in the room between my wonderful and beautiful and amazing wife and my wonderful, beautiful and amazing child. It’s not quite as romantic as we would like it to be. And this is a woman who has come through Franciscan University, is a lifelong Catholic, breastfed by the charismatic renewal like her husband – that’s what got us into this whole mess [laughs]. This is the wife of a university professor who has health insurance, a Mexican who has all of his papers [laughs]. You know what I am saying? This is an ideal situation. Isn’t this where the romance and the beauty and the awe and all of those wonderful fluffy pastel puppy dogs and rainbows come out, but no. It’s not real. It’s fake. It’s a caricature. It’s a cartoon and us making cartoons in order to solve a real problem isn’t going to fix anything. In fact, despite our own intentions we can make a much bigger mess, even if we “win”. It’s a fundamental mistake to think that the win is getting the law changed. If you’re trying to overthrow a law then you’ve already forgotten about the person because laws are not persons. The law is not something we should [minimise the importance of], I’m not trying to be naive about this – but if your heart is shuddering and aching for an overthrow of a law then you’ve already forgotten in some sense what’s going on.

So, whenever we have this conversation, on the inside and on the outside, whenever we talk to this illiterate public that can only talk about Breaking Bad, what can we talk about? Here are some things we can think about. First of all is the notion of genesis. We tend to think that life, that the life of an individual human being, begins - has a genesis. The standard vocabulary we have acquired is that life begins at conception and then we describe conception usually through the help and aid of science. In the Wednesday Lectures, John Paul II talks a lot about the relationship between trying to understand that life begins at conception through the aid of science and then also through the aid of, not only reason, but also the Catholic tradition, in particular, Scripture. We might treble it by asking this question. Is it possible to imagine the idea that we don’t, properly speaking, begin but that we always begin, as the poet tells as, “in the middle of things”. What if we change conception from the starting line to the middle point; to being in the middle of something. One of the things we tend to be fighting for is also caricaturised into a fierce autonomous individual, right? If you have kids, then you are an idiot for saying that. Infants are not fierce autonomous individuals, they’re the most dependent, beautiful, amazing things you could imagine. This idea of a Lockean, liberal, political person who shows up and says “I

have rights and I had ‘em for nine months earlier”, is caricature. Everyone knows that this is not true. It’s just not real. So what if we entertained the idea of replacing that with the idea found in Jeremiah. “Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you”… Before. What if we could imagine life beginning in medea res at conception. How would that force us to acquire a different way of talking. Traditional Western philosophy from Plato's allegory of the cave forward has been in a big rush to get out of the womb. There is a wonderful feminist philosopher named Luce Irigaray who says that this was the first sign of patriarchy, the idea the womb was something to be escaped from, something to run away from, that we’ve lost our ability before we’ve even started, to contemplate the value of even being in the womb, that sort of naive dwelling in the womb and this in some sense requires a theological imagination about the very womb of God. I’m not saying God gets pregnant and walks around, but you get this, right? We’re Catholic, we have imagination, so what does it mean to speak of a womb that’s not been disenchanted by a scientific account but that’s been enchanted by an account that is so radical, and goes so far as to, in at least our minds and our hearts, see a unity between the womb of God and the womb of the mother. First and second wave feminism won largely on the back of abortion and contraception. The problem, though, there’s not much of a woman left when you make the proper distinctions between gender and sex and go all the way down the line. So is there room for a subversive Catholic notion of womanhood that is so enchanted that we can even imagine it in the very person of God through which we can then begin to think about salvation history through the nine months of pregnancy? It’s not like a mystical ascent, it’s very gritty, people die, people starve, Job happens, and then you have Incarnation. The next idea is a little play on Nietsche and I’m thinking here of the philosopher Miguel de Unamuno who wrote a book called The Tragic Sense of Life. He argues that life is tragic but, in a very particular way, that tragedy occurs whenever the conditions for the possibility of love and suffering exist and that we become personalised in the dual, total and combined effects of love and suffering. If you want to do a phenomenological study, take a close look at the event of pregnancy. The ‘maybe’ of the test, the negative, the next maybe and the test and the positive and the conscience. “I know I’m supposed to be happy right now and I better look happy because I am happy.” “I mean, you’re happy, right?” How could I not be happy? What am I going to do? Do I have enough money? I mean I’m Catholic, I went to Franciscan, this is good. All our friends are doing it. We’re married, everything’s fine." Look, this is what’s really happening. If you want to read the most moving passages John Paul II ever wrote on marriage and sex and the family life, read his play. It is the most intense study and description of the marital relationship I have ever read, and I got to see it on stage and I cried through the whole thing because continued page 15

VISTA

therecord.com.au December 18, 2013

Youth ready to take ON THE

WORLD

Thousands of young Catholics gathered for the Australian Catholic Youth Festival recently, where they were challenged to make a difference in the world and to spread the Gospel message.

HE INAUGUR AL Australian Catholic Youth Festival was hosted in Melbourne from December 5 to 7. It gathered 3,400 young people from around Australia to engage in a festival of the Catholic faith. Perth had more than 150 participants attend with groups coming from schools, universities, communities and movements and parishes. Young people with special needs and our Indigenous youth were among those aged between 13 and 25 who attended from Perth. The festival hosted keynote speakers Steve Angrisano from the USA, and Fr Rob Galea from Victoria. Australian bishops and youth led the plenary sessions. Perth youth assisted in leading prayers and also summary teachings at the plenary sessions. The days at the festival engaged young people with a wide range of workshops, prayer opportunities, expos, games and music. These were all led by our bishops and youth ministers from around the country. It was such a vibrant and dynamic way for young people to encounter the faith. Many of the popular mega-workshops and praise and worship sessions would be full an hour before they started. But the opportunities were never lost and those who couldn’t attend had more than 30 other options of workshops and activities to engage in. From cappuccinos with the Capuchins, to reconciliation, quiet spaces and a rooftop garden, there was such a variety of ‘chill-out’ zones for spiritual or physical rest too. The festival also had a social justice focus and an opportunity for young people to engage in practical activities, bringing donations for teens to the Vinnies stall and the final Mass for the festival also collected donations for Caritas’ Philippines appeal. In his closing homily, Archbishop Denis Hart of Melbourne reminded the young people, “God loves you,

Youth from Sts John and Paul Parish in Willetton attended the three-day Festival in Melbourne, which included several workshops. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

he has chosen you, he has a special mission for each of you in the Church”. Archbishop Hart told the youth returning from the festival they have the challenge now to make a

inaugural event. The Australian Catholic Youth Council, under the Australian Catholics Bishops’ Conference, envisages proposing that the festival continues as a regular event in our country.

From cappuccinos with the Capuchins, to reconciliation, quiet spaces and a rooftop garden, there was a variety of ‘chill-out’ zones for rest. difference in our world today. As young Catholics, we can challenge the secularisation of our world, grow in our own relationship with Christ and spread the Gospel message in so many aspects of our lives, he said. The young Church of Australia gathered in Melbourne for an amazing three days of festival as an

Catholic Youth Ministry Perth also recorded a daily video blog of the festival to give those who couldn’t attend an ‘on the ground’ experience of the festival. This can be viewed on their YouTube channel ‘CYM Perth’ or on their Facebook page. To watch archives of the plenary sessions go to xt3.com

VISTA

therecord.com.au December 18, 2013

The King of Kings chose a humble birth I have three questions on the birth of Christ. Why do we say he was born in a stable? What are swaddling clothes? And what exactly was the sign announced by the angel?

Above and left, more than 3,000 youth from around Australia gathered in Melbourne for the inaugural Australian Catholic Youth Festival in December. The Australian Catholic Youth Council, encouraged by the success of the event, hopes to continue to host the Festival annually. PHOTOS: FIONA BASILE

HE BIRTH of Christ has a number of extraordinary aspects and your questions touch on some of these. The first is that the Son of God, the King of Kings, was born in such humble surroundings. Surely God in the flesh should have been born in a palace, a castle, or at least a dignified inn. And he should have been laid in a bed or a cot, not in a manger, a feeding trough for animals. But God’s ways are not man’s ways, and God clearly wanted it to be that way in order to teach us something. From the humble circumstances of Christ’s birth, we learn, in the words of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, that “To become a child in relation to God is the condition for entering the kingdom. For this, we must humble ourselves and become little” (CCC 526). And from the poverty of the stable we learn that the possession of material wealth, with all its attending comforts, is not as important as the possession of God. Mary and Joseph, while poor in the material sense, were truly rich in having the very Son of God, the King of Kings, in their family. Returning to your questions, why does Christian tradition, and even the Catechism, say that “Jesus was born in a humble stable” (CCC 525) when nowhere in the Scriptures do we find any explicit mention of it? Indeed, St Matthew limits himself to saying that “Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea” and, significantly, when he tells of the arrival of the magi he says that “going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother” (Mt 2:1, 10). The reference to a house can be explained by the possibility that after the birth in a stable, Mary and Joseph were finally able to find a house in which they lived at least until the presentation of Jesus in the Temple of Jerusalem 40 days after his birth. St Luke doesn’t mention a stable either but he does say that after Jesus’ birth Mary wrapped him in swaddling clothes “and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn” (Lk 2:7). Since a manger is a feeding trough for animals it has always been assumed that Jesus was born in some sort of stable. Pope Benedict XVI, in his book Jesus of Nazareth – The Infancy Narratives, comments on the significance of the manger: “The manger is the place where animals find their food. But now, lying in the manger, is he who called himself the true bread come down from heaven, the true nourishment that we need in order to be fully ourselves. This is the food that gives us true life, eternal life. Thus the manger becomes a reference to the table of God, to which we are invited so as

Q&A FR JOHN FLADER

to receive the bread of God” (p 68). We might add that the name Bethlehem means precisely “house of bread”. But why do we associate the birth of Christ with the actual presence of animals, in particular an ox and an ass? Pope Benedict XVI, acknowledging that the Gospel makes no mention of animals, writes: “But prayerful reflection, reading Old and New Testaments in the light of one another, filled this lacuna at a very early stage by pointing to Isaiah 1:3: ‘The ox knows its owner, and the ass its master’s crib; but Israel does not know, my people do not understand” (Ibid, p 69). And what are swaddling clothes? In ancient times, as often seen in icons of the nativity scene, the new-

From the poverty of the stable we learn that the possession of material wealth, with all its comforts, is not as important as the possession of God. born child was customarily wrapped round and round with a narrow band of cloth like a mummy. It was thought this would help the limbs to grow straight. Pope Benedict comments: “The child stiffly wrapped in bandages is seen as prefiguring the hour of his death: from the outset, he is the sacrificial victim... The manger, then, was seen as a kind of altar” (Ibid, p 68). The swaddling clothes can be seen too as a reference to Christ’s kingship and his descent from King Solomon, the son of King David. Solomon, in the book of Wisdom, writes: “I was nursed with care in swaddling clothes. For no king has had a different beginning of existence; there is for all mankind one entrance into life, and a common departure” (Wis 7:4-6). Finally, why did the angel say to the shepherds, “And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger” (Lk 2:12). Certainly, a baby lying in a manger would be a sign, since this was most uncommon. But, probably, since the angel mentioned the swaddling clothes specifically, this too must have been part of the sign. So there is much symbolism and much to be learned from these simple aspects of Christ’s birth in Bethlehem. - FRJFLADER@GMAIL.COM

FUN FAITH With

DECEMBER 22, 2013 • MATTHEW 1: 18-24 • 4TH SUNDAY OF ADVENT

CROSSWORD

TODAY’S GOSPEL Matthew 1: 18-24

JOSEPH DISGRACE ANGEL MARRIED JESUS Across

Down

4. Joseph did not want to ____ Mary publicly; so he made plans to break the engagement privately.

1. While he was thinking about this, an ____ of the Lord appeared to him in a dream.

5. The Angel said, “Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary to be your wife... She will have a son, and you will name him ____.”

This was how the birth of Jesus Christ took place. His mother Mary was engaged to Joseph, but before they were married she found out she was going to have a baby by the Holy Spirit. Joseph was a man who always did what was right, but he did not want to disgrace Mary publicly; so he made plans to break the engagement privately. While he was thinking about this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary to be your wife. For it is by the Holy Spirit that she has conceived. She will have a son, and you will name him Jesus because he will save his people from their sins”. Now all this happened in order to make come true what the Lord had said through the prophet, “A virgin will become pregnant and have a son, and he will be called Immanuel” (which means, “God is with us”). So when Joseph woke up, he married Mary, as the angel of the Lord had told him to.

2. Mother Mary was engaged to ____. 3. Before they were ____ she found out she was going to have a baby by the Holy Spirit.

WORD SEARCH HOW MANY WORDS FROM THE CROSSWORD CAN YOU FIND?

While he was thinking about this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, descendant of David, do not be afraid to take Mary to be your wife”.

VISTA

therecord.com.au December 18, 2013

Abortion without politricks Continued from Page 11 I had just been married and it was so real – the Jeweller Shop. Let’s just be honest, John Paul was not a great phenomenologist but he was an amazing actor and playwright, and had an amazing imagination and an ability to describe things. Because whenever you look at the event of pregnancy and you walk it through – and I only narrated the part of the father because I’ve played it before – the fear of failure, the jokes, that when you get to the Cross, the Passion, especially if there’s no epidurals being used, and the wait, and the doubt, and the delivery, and the amputation, the separation – what Luce Arigura calls the first wound – this is the real thing. We can talk about the real thing. That’s the consolation. I don’t have to give you vocabulary. You already have it. Go be with a woman who’s pregnant and go talk to her, not in loving, warm, Catholic tones but in real tones. “What’s up, what’s going on? Are you scared?” And I think what you’ll find there is there’s a tragic sense of life that’s just waiting to be discovered and frankly everyone knows it already but it’s time for us to talk about, it’s way past time to talk about it. And this talk is precisely what a depoliticised talk about abortion looks like. It’s a talk where we talk about life – real life, and real death, and real death and real life. And we talk about not beginning starting points on the race and ending points and laws –we can if we want to but that should be the side show. Where we don’t go looking for how to books that teach us to have great but totally moral sex but we actually take a look into the actual psyche of a person, played out by a brilliant artist, perhaps one of the greatest artists the Church has known in the 20th century. Questions & Answers What, literally, do you mean by ‘in medea res’? The idea that we are always already – things don’t just start and stop. Cause-effect is a superficial way to describe things. If you really want to get into something, you can never really describe its beginning except as beginning ‘in the middle of things’. If we take the case of conception, and it’s valid if we take Jeremiah seriously, what if life begins before conception? Is that crazy? Can God not...? Here is one of the real problems of bioethical approaches to talking about conception; ultimately, they are materialistic. Modern science requires a fierce materialism in order to be coherent and so what we do is we surrender the event of life itself to a purely material understanding but this isn’t exactly what we as Catholics believe – you can read Augustine’s Confessions on his struggles with materialism throughout his young life. So to say that life begins at conception in medea res is to do two things. It is to detach conception as a purely scientific, material event from having a sort of monopoly over life and to allow the possibility for there to be something before. And of course it doesn’t take a vulgar sex ed class to know there are clear causal, ‘before’ things that have to happen, right, but there’s a more beautiful way of thinking about it. “Before I knew you, I formed you.” Do we need evidence to support the idea that life exists? This is what we’re giving in to when we make the strictly bioethical argument based

Dr Sam Rocha says we have to make sure how we talk about abortion doesn’t preclude what we believe in.

on science. And I understand the technique of that rhetoric. “You’re the big people who love science, ha ha ha. Now we’ll show you how, on your own terms and your own grounds, you’re wrong, ha ha ha.” Well, we’ve got stop saying “ha, ha, ha” and ask what are the deep theological and philosophical implications for what we’re arguing. I don’t have an essay where I say I don’t think life begins at conception. What I’m saying is, what if we say “sure it begins at conception, but it begins in the middle of things”. That could mean material things, and there’s plenty of evidence to support that, but also in a much more serious way it means it begins in the middle of an exchange that isn’t purely material, that is enchanted, that is even mystical, that is leaving room for the religious, basically. There’s something deeply secular, in a reductionistic way, about bioethical arguments because they work but they force you to make you follow premises that I’m not entirely sure we want to follow all the time. Some women I meet seem to have a

strong relationship with their future children. Doesn’t all life, in that sense, predate birth and proceed death through love? I agree with you but let’s just take the strongest objection to the idea all life is the result of love: the case of rape. “Love creates. Well, what about rape.” This seems to be a devastating implication. But by ‘love’ what do we mean exactly. Do we mean a love that is puppy dogs and rainbows and hummingbirds, or do we mean tragedy? So this is why whenever we speak of love, whenever we speak of the mother loving her child. The mother doesn’t have to in some sense love her child in order to love her child. That is to say, when we are talking about love we are talking about a love that can sustain its way all the way through the book of Job, through absurdity, through madness, through the absurd madness of rape. There’s no easy way to speak about this. So, yes, love but in addition to that, a love that isn’t a caricature. This love has to be able to go as deep as the love of God, the love that creates, the love from whence all things came. If it can’t go that

SUPPLIED

deep then it’s not only not real love but, as a faulty premise, it can’t produce life. It is literally infertile love. Let’s be tragic about our love to make sure we can withstand the test cases, the very real cases of rape and incest and so on. Tragedy is ultimately, and here I’m going to depart from Unamuno because he is ultimately a humanist, contained in the book of Job. The greatest tragedy of all is that we’re not God, that God is God, the implication being God can do what he pleases. God can do what he displeases because he’s God. Tragedy is the fact the beloved is loved by a lover who is love itself. And being in that sort of a relationship is, and here I don’t want to sound edgy, but it can even get abusive in that you can’t doubt the love of the lover - abusive at a superficial level, abusive like Job: “You killed my cows”. That’s a waste of good meat [laughs] but it is also abuse. This is a radical love. It is not a humanistic love; it doesn’t end in the eros of the person, it has transcendence. And this is one aspect that whenever we force ourselves to speak in the language of bioethics and “life begins at conception”

and these sloganeering terms, we lose the ability to talk about what we actually believe. My wife has relatively short labours and her first labour was so short we didn’t have enough time for her to be safely and properly administered anaesthesia and so we’re not natural birthers but we ended up becoming so by circumstance. To this day, I think she resents Thomas for that and understandably so, right? In other words, this isn’t Angels in the Outfield or Touched by an Angel, this is real life and we don’t do ourselves any favours by allowing ourselves and in fact being complicit in caricaturing ourselves as prolifers as people who think that way. If you can’t think of tragedy, then, frankly, don’t become an activist because with friends like you, who needs enemies. You just need to know what humans have known for millenia and observe and see and be and experience and you just have to testify to the bare reality of that buttressed by the transcendent truth that we as Catholics believe. There’s more than enough there to have a conversation; to make the real change we need. And let’s say the law never changes, well that’s a problem but you can subvert law without changing the law. What if we took a more subversive approach and say, well, keep the laws, we’ll change it anyway, we’ll just make them irrelevant. How do we make Roe v Wade irrelevant? Believe it or not, it’s far more subversive if we just change the conversation and the terms and the style. Think of it in cultural terms and not just jurisprudential or legalistic terms. What if we just built a culture in which abortion is just irrelevant? How do you do that? Well, you provide healthcare for people, you take care of your poor, you take care of your widows, you take care of the orphans, of immigrants. You make sure people have food. You worry less about material things and you worry more about persons, you try and create an ecology of life. Abortion will end whenever those of us who deeply believe are willing to test our belief against the phenomenological event of pregnancy and marriage and love and poor people and drug addicts and music and dancing and food and grocery stores and friends and hugging and cars and all those things all at once. And until we have that imagination and the capacity for that, we won’t be able to do it. This is why I believe the Catholic Church is the last best hope because we still have the resources, the intellectual imagination to think that way in a world where most people: “pizza” or “Joel Osteen”. Whenever Oprah and Joel Osteen are running the world, abortion will always be the strategy to deal with life that’s inconvenient. I fear that the prolife movement preaches its own prosperity Gospel sometimes... Natural law is not going to win the day when it comes to abortion. David Bently Hart – who I think is the best Catholic intellectual writing in English at the moment, mainly because he’s not Catholic, he’s Orthodox – has several great essays on the weakness of natural law to speak in the public square. although perfectly coherent within its own structure. We don’t have to go out and become Robert George. We can just go out and be human and I think to be human is less natural than we like to think it is. Dr Sam Rocha’s forthcoming ebook on abortion will be published by Patheos Press. He blogs at www.patheos.com/blogs/samrocha.

OPINION

therecord.com.au December 18, 2013

Taking an interest in others end the loneliness curse Editors join revolution can If you’re lonely this Christmas, step out of your own world to another... EDITORIAL

in spite of themselves

eing endowed with more than a pinch of common sense, Papa Bergoglio is unlikely to allow his appearance on the cover of Time magazine as “person of the year” to go to his head. He need look no further than the list of Persons of Time Past. Since 1927, every elected American President has appeared, apart from Herbert Hoover, who presided over the 1929 stock market crash and the beginning of the Great Depression. Most of them appeared twice, even Tricky Dick, who was Man of the Year two years running. Imaginative choices are not The cover of Time magazine’s Person Time’s strong suit, which prob- of the Year issue, featuring Pope ably explains why bigwigs like Francis, is pictured in this December PHOTO: CNS Joseph Stalin and Deng Xiaoping 11 handout photo. also appeared twice. Out and out villains – even though the Person of the Year is supposed to have most “affected the news and our lives, for good or ill” – are rare. Hitler - arguably the person who has most affected the world for ill - appeared in 1938 when he still had a handful of admirers in the US. One exception in 1936 was Mrs Wallis Simpson (“you can never be too thin or too rich”) who seduced King Edward VIII. Nor does Time court controversy. The most disputed topics of the last 30 years, climate change, evolution and atheism, are unrepresented. The others on this year’s shortlist included Barack Obama (for a third time?), Miley Cyrus (for twerking?), Jeff Bezos (for buying the Washington Post and not Time?), Kathleen Sebelius (for screwing up Obamacare?), and Hassan Rouhani (where is the brand recognition in American supermarkets?). PO Box 3075 That left Syrian President Adelaide Terrace Bashar Assad (we don’t do vilPERTH WA 6832 lains), Senator Ted Cruz (we don’t do controversy), gay office@therecord.com.au rights icon Edith Windsor (we don’t do unknowns), and Tel: (08) 9220 5900 Edward Snowden (but he Fax: (08) 9325 4580 leaked to the opposition, not Time). So the choice of Pope Francis was a nolo contendere. He had a great back story: a modest background, involvement in Argentina’s Dirty War, and the first Pope from the Americas. He has shaken up the Vatican bureaucracy, ruffled the feathers of Tea Party activists and showed some sympathy for homosexuals. He has a great smile and a folksy manner. With world-wide brand recognition, his photo on the front page would guarantee sales. For the editors of Time, it must have been a no brainer. But if they really understood the plans of the new Pope, would they have been so enthusiastic? First of all, he is impossible to pigeonhole. He is neither liberal nor conservative. In the language of American constitutional law, Pope Francis is an “originalist”. He wants to strip away the ideological scaffolding which sometimes conceals the beauty of the portrait of the founder. Pope Francis is not the Barack Obama of the Vatican, an amiable and attractive personality whose policies are as clear as a Rohrsach inkblot. He has a script – the Gospels – and he wants all Catholics to follow it. Mercy and compassion for the underprivileged are prominent elements in the script, the ones which the editors of Time warm to. What seems to elude their attention is another element -- the new Pope’s fervent call to evangelism. A few decades ago, he might have used the word “proselytism”, although this term has been sullied by association with rigid fundamentalism. But not the reality. “How I long to find the right words to stir up enthusiasm for a new chapter of evangelisation full of fervour, joy, generosity, courage, boundless love and attraction!” he says in his latest document, The Joy of the Gospel. In other words, he wants the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics (all Christians, really) to take their Bibles seriously. Christ says, “Go out to all the world and proclaim the Good News”. “So what are we waiting for?” says Pope Francis. “The immense numbers of people who have not received the Gospel of Jesus Christ cannot leave us indifferent.” Imagine if everyone who buys Time magazine were to buy into Pope Francis’ message. Very quickly the world would be a very different place – politically, socially and economically. The editors probably had in mind an uncontroversial, feel-good cover. They have ended up as fellow travellers in a revolution.

The cover was a no brainer but if they had really understood his plans, would they have been so enthusiastic.

THE RECORD

The above opinion piece by Michael Cook, editor of Mecatornet, first appeared at mercatornet.com.

ACH year, as so many of us wrap gifts, baste the Christmas turkey and look forward to the holiday fun, there is a growing proportion who will neither receive a gift, enjoy a festive meal or have the opportunity to celebrate with loved ones. These people are not only the homeless, the physically and mentally disabled, the widowed and the elderly but, in the western world, increasingly people in our own circles, the work colleague, the friendly neighbour, or the migrant family. A recent survey conducted by Relationships Australia discovered that up to 15 per cent of the country reported frequently feeling lonely. New research commissioned by Age UK revealed that 450,000 British pensioners aged 65 and over face Christmas alone; 26 per cent did not look forward to the Christmas season and 17 per cent reported that Christmas brought back too many memories of those who had passed away. Asked many years ago by an American reporter about the poorest country she had ever been to, the renowned nun Mother Teresa of Calcutta responded that while she had indeed been to many poor places the poorest one she encountered was America. Somewhat surprised, the reporter reinforced that America was one of the wealthiest nations, but Mother went on to say that the poverty suffered was that of loneliness. Captured more fully in her later writings, Mother Teresa explained, “The greatest disease in the west today is not TB or leprosy; it is being unwanted, unloved, and uncared for. We can cure physical diseases with medicine, but the only cure for loneliness, despair, and hopelessness is love. There are many in the world who are dying

Foolish Wisdom BERNARD TOUTOUNJI

for a piece of bread but there are many more dying for a little love.” In the 21st century, we have developed the ability to continuously immerse ourselves in entertainment, music and technology… it appears that we are always doing something. We can join 100,000 people at the Melbourne Cricket Ground to watch Australia v England and enter into the spirit of solidarity but at the end of the match we can get back into our cars and go home to a lonely house with

How I longed to enter into these groups... but instead I walked through the laughs and familiarity each week, sometimes shedding tears on the way home. Facebook our only friend. I sometimes wonder if the great enthusiasm for so many sporting events masks for some that inner desire for companionship, interaction and most of all, love. Some years ago, I moved interstate to study and initially it was a very lonely experience. I remember each week attending a prayer gathering with 100 or so young people, which I did enjoy, but the most difficult part for me was at the end. Once the formalities of the event

were over the people would casually form into their established social groups for catch-ups and conversation. How I longed to enter into these groups - and they no doubt would have welcomed me if I had made the effort to approach them - but instead I walked through the laughs and familiarity each week towards my car and back to my little apartment, sometimes shedding tears on the way home. Loneliness is a terrible curse because it goes against our most basic human need and that is the need for socialisation, the need to be known and to know others, the need to have someone understand who we are. Sometimes it is the need just to hear someone say our name aloud. In the well-known Genesis creation story, humanity is initially just one human being, Ha’adam, and this being, realising it is alone, is given the task of naming all the animals in order to find itself a helpmate. In this naming process, though Ha’adam realises that even though all the animals share with him similar aspects of biology, there is none that is a human being. Only in the creation of a second human being are those excited words heard, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh”. The true purpose of the story, far from fuelling debate about the practical beginnings of the world, emphasises the innate human desire for communion and friendship. If loneliness has an upside it is that it can be easily cured. There is no need for costly and risky treatments. What is needed is for each of us to step out of our own world towards just one other person who we may be aware of is struggling or alone for whatever reason. It is as simple as a conversation or an invi-

The central mystery of our faith is an absolute one Fr Kenneth Baker SJ explains why Christmas is really such a big deal.

he Incarnation is the central myster y of Christianity. Involved are both the meaning of man himself and the revealed reality of the Holy Trinity, for when we say that “God became man”, we mean that the Word of God, the second Person of the Blessed Trinity, united to himself a human nature. So God became in Jesus as we are. It is the defined, official teaching of the Church that the Incarnation, as a term of the divine action, is the mysterious union of the divine nature and the human nature in the Person of the Word - the “Hypostatic Union” Hypostatic is the Greek word for “personal”. Catholic theology distinguishes between relative and absolute mysteries of faith. A mystery is something “hidden” in the sense that we cannot understand it. A “relative” mystery is one that we human beings, in our present state, cannot understand but will be able to understand in our glorified state in heaven when we enjoy the face-toface vision of God. An example of a relative mystery would be Jesus’ raising Lazarus from the dead (Jn 11). An “absolute” mystery of faith is something the reality of which

cannot be known before its revelation and inner possibility of which cannot positively be proved even after it has been revealed by God. There are three absolute mysteries of our Christian faith: the Holy Trinity, the Incarnation and divine grace. By becoming man, God must have intended to tell us something important. God is not frivolous. If God became man in Jesus, there must be a momentous reason for it. We should ask ourselves: why? Why did God become a man almost two thousand years ago? The simple answer that Scripture gives is that God came into this world as a man to save us from sin. To save us both from original sin, for which Adam, not we, was responsible, and to save us also from our own personal sins for which we alone are responsible. St Paul gives the reason for the Incarnation in 1 Timothy (1:15): “Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners.” The same idea is repeated often in the four Gospels and in the letters of St. Paul. St Thomas Aquinas argued that, even though the Incarnation was not absolutely necessary (since God could have redeemed man in other ways), there was a certain “necessity of convenience”, a “fittingness” in the Incarnation of God.

In addition to the idea of redemption from sin, Aquinas adds some other reasons for the Incarnation. He says that by the mysteries of his bodily life Jesus called men to a spiritual life; he showed the dignity of human nature; he demonstrated the immensity of God’s love for us with a view to eliciting our return of love; he held up the ideal of a created intellect being united to uncreated Spirit; he offered man hope of obtaining the beatitude of eternal life. These are some of the reasons given by Catholic theologians to help us understand why God became one of us. The further question of how God can “become” anything and still remain immutable in his own divine essence cannot be treated at this time. But we do know the fact, since John writes, “and the Word became flesh” (1:14). The Incarnation says much about the goodness and love of God. It also says something about the dignity of man, for God chose to express himself, to make himself visible as a man. It is worth reflecting on and praying over the fact that the humanity of Jesus is eternally united to the Word of God in the glory of God the Father. - CATHOLICEDUCATION.ORG

OPINION

therecord.com.au December 18, 2013

Are you addicted to Christ or addicted to self?

Becoming totally dependent on something or someone is damaging, unless of course it is Christ to whom we are addicted.

ECENTLY, I encountered a young man standing passively on a street corner in the city holding a sign, “Once addicted to drugs and alcohol - now addicted to Jesus”. It was a thought-provoking statement. Over the years as an outreach worker, I have regularly witnessed the negative nature of addiction – it is a tenacious force. It has the potential to completely control the choices and behaviour of those under its influence. Without consideration for future ramifications, or even in spite of such considerations, an afflicted person’s very existence will be rooted in the desire to satisfy a particular addiction. That is why I found the sign so powerful. From my experience, the word “addicted” has only negative connotations. It is a corrosive power that turns one’s focus intensely inward, at the expense of every other relationship in their life – the very antithesis of Christianity. So is being “addicted to Christ” a state of existence I should aspire to?

I Say, I Say MARK REIDY

Is it what God desires for us? The reality is we are all born with an addiction – to ourselves. It is at its most obvious as newborns. Our entire existence revolves around personal comfort – if we are hungry, thirsty, wet, hurt or neglected in any way, we will let the world know about it. My responses are guided solely by my physical and emotional needs. As we mature and come to realise that the universe does not revolve around us, our behaviour adapts accordingly. We are forced, externally at least, to accept the reality that it is us who has to fit into the world and not the other way around. But do we ever really shake off the internal desire to satisfy our needs and wants? I found myself pondering this in relation to the

sign-holding evangelist. What are my first thoughts when I wake up in the morning? Where is my attention drawn throughout the day? What aspects of my life must I satiate before I can turn my attention outward? The reality is I am still addicted to myself. It is here my street corner convert, ironically, has an advantage. He knows what it is like to be completely vulnerable. He knows in the very recesses of his being the devastating effects of addiction to self – to a force driving his every

a gift and he would cease to exist without him. From the moment he wakes until the moment he sleeps, his unwavering focus will be on how he can live out the life God intended for him. I, on the other hand, still display the traits of a drug-addicted person in denial. I live with the illusion that I am in control of my desires, or, at least, it is the impression I try to portray. But, in reality, beyond the surface lies a self-addicted individual. The first steps of the Alcoholics

Is being “addicted to Christ” a state of existence I should aspire to? Is it what God desires for us? thought, motive and behaviour. If what he has written on his sign is true, then his entire existence is now rooted in Christ. The difference is he has now submitted to an addiction that is life-giving rather than life-taking. He knows the mercy and grace of God’s unconditional love, that every breath is

Anonymous program is to admit powerlessness over one’s addiction and then to surrender oneself to God. It is a synopsis of Christ’s message and one we are all called to follow. Human nature ensures we will be innately inclined to a state of self-satisfaction but our Christian walk calls us to acknowledge this

propensity and then surrender it to God. It is, in essence, a journey from self-obsession to Godobsession. We must choose not to give in to self-desire but, rather, through choices of faith, feed the new life we have been promised in Christ. “If we have been joined to him by dying a death like his, so we shall be by a resurrection like his; realising that our former self was crucified with him, so that the self which belonged to sin should be destroyed and we should be freed from the slavery of sin” (Romans 6:5-6). We should indeed be praying for an addiction to Christ – that we become totally dependent on him in every aspect of our lives, that he is the centre-point of every decision we make, every relationship or interaction we have and that every thought, word and action is motivated by a desire to please him. And we should also pray that he would always allow us to feel the painful pangs of withdrawal whenever we begin to fall into old habits.

Priesthood a way of helping others

Fr Stephen Hill has experienced several Christian denominations, but has found his home in the Catholic Ordinariate. Why I became

Catholic

AS TOLD TO DEBBIE WARRIER

Y HOM ETOW N is Toowoomba in Queensland and I was brought up Lutheran. I moved to Brisbane in 1991. I finished my schooling and studied electronic engineering, a profession I worked in for 15 years. Yet I wanted to help people and felt unfulfilled. My search for fulfilment drew me to Anglicanism and eventually a vocation as a priest of that faith. Within the Anglican Church I came to know the Catholic faith in terms of Anglo-Catholicism, which is similar to High Church Anglicanism. I studied theology and listened to homilies of Catholic-minded priests. Eventually, I accepted Catholicism to be the truth. On January 22, 2012, I said my last Anglican Mass and one week later I was received into the Catholic Church by Bishop Jarrett, Apostolic Administrator of Brisbane. Archbishop Coleridge ordained me Deacon in October 2012 and, in January 2013, I moved to Perth to assist with the Perth Ordinariate parish. I’ve always wanted to help others and what better way to do that than to prepare them for this life and their eternal destiny? I wanted unity with the Catholic Church but my journey was through Anglicanism and I wanted to be faithful to that. That’s why I became a priest of the Ordinariate. I developed a conviction in my time as an Anglican priest to become a Catholic priest because that was what I was called to do. Because I am a priest of the Ordinariate it means that legally I belong to the Ordinariate and that is where my ministry is primarily. I was ordained a Catholic priest on March 1, 2013. As priest of the Ordinariate, my ministry is primarily in the Ordinariate; however, I am also assisting at All Saints Parish, Greenwood. People must understand that the Ordinariate is part of the Catholic Church, we are former Anglicans and the priesthood that I exercise is the same as any other Catholic priest. The mission of the Ordinariate is the same mission

Fr Stephen Hill at his ordination to the Catholic priesthood at St Joseph’s, Subiaco earlier this year.

that the entire Catholic Church has and the Ordinariate’s purpose is to show that Christian unity can work. Being Catholic doesn’t mean everyone has to be the same. The Church has brought us into her family but allowed us to retain a distinctly English way of being Catholics. We have our own liturgy, approved by Rome, which is heavily based on the Anglican Book of Common Prayer. Congregational hymn singing is very important as is the Bible, evangelical preaching and Gospel teaching. The Offices of Morning Prayer and of Evening Prayer or Evening Songs are very important. Mass is the source and summit of the life of the Church but it isn’t the only thing. The richness of the Catholic Church is far more than that. That’s one of the reasons that I became a Catholic priest. The Ordinariate parish has a long tradition of Catechesis. Father facilitates small groups, providing sound material and there’s a group leader for each group to keep it focused. Anglican patrimony is

very community focused. People will still be there half an hour after Mass has finished, talking, and they expect Father to be there. The Church is about communion, it is about the people. One of the great things emphasised by the Second Vatican Council is the notion of the People of God. In 2009, Pope Benedict created structures that allow groups of people from the Anglican tradition to enter into the fullness of Catholic communion. Within the Ordinariate there are groups of former Anglicans that have been established in Australia since June 2012 and canonically they are parishes. The parish of St Ninian and St Chad is a parish of the Ordinariate just as All Saints Parish, Greenwood is a parish of the Archdiocese of Perth. My being at the Greenwood parish demonstrates that the walls between the Ordinariate and the Archdiocese have nice arches that people can walk through both ways. This July in Brisbane was our very first gathering for all of

PHOTO: ROBERT HIINI

the Ordinariate clergy around Australia. The Ordinariate has been established for more than one year now. When it began there was just Mgr Harry Entwistle in Perth. Since June 2012 there’s been a gradual process of getting the groups up around Australia. Mgr Harry Entwistle, head of the Ordinariate of Our Lady of the Southern Cross has been doing that. Now we have quite a lot of the groups up so it was a good time to bring the clergy together. Because we are scattered (the Ordinariate will always be like that here as it covers all of Australia) it’s important we do things that emphasise the unity of the priesthood and also our unity as Catholics. The overwhelming feeling of that week in Brisbane was excitement from everybody and it was very positive. We are blessed that there’s been a mostly warm welcome from the Catholic Church. We have had that local network with the local dioceses as a general rule so that helps a lot. But we must remember

we’re not priests of the dioceses. We are priests of the Ordinariate and so we always need to keep contact with our brother priests of the Ordinariate. The Ordinariate is established in Australia, England and the USA. Not long after I became very interested in Anglo-Catholicism someone gave me an essay that he had written about Blessed John Henry Newman (1801-1890) and suggested I read his autobiography Apologia Pro Vita Sua. In it, Newman speculates whether unity was possible between the Catholic Church and the Church of England. He was an evangelical Oxford academic and priest in the Church of England and became a leader in the Oxford Movement. This grouping of Anglicans wished the Church of England to recover some of its Catholic roots. Newman converted to Catholicism and eventually became a cardinal. I find him inspiring because Blessed John Henry Newman was there at the beginning of the Anglo-Catholic movement, becoming Catholic on his own because that was all that was available then. For many Catholic priests in the Ordinariate it was a case of being at the right moment in history because really, since the Reformation, there had always been Anglicans who hoped for reunion. The key to my becoming Catholic was accepting the teaching office of the Church. The Church was constituted by Jesus so the Church is divinely created. I accept Sacred Tradition so I accept that Jesus created a college of Bishops beginning with his apostles. He imparted truth to his apostles and then his apostles handed it on to their successors and so on. That’s called apostolic succession which is not just about being ordained but the handing on of tradition. Tradition actually means handing on and it is the Catholic faith that is handed on. The Pope is a stabilising part of the Church and the Reformation shows there can be no Catholicism without the Pope. Each Pope is exercising an office that comes to him from Jesus Christ. If I could bring one thing to the Church, it would be lifelong catechesis. That’s what the Catholic Church is all about – getting to know Jesus Christ because we hope to spend eternity with him. It is what we are created for.

PANORAMA

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20 Medjugorje Evening of Prayer 7-9pm at Our Lady of the Rosary, 17 Angelico St, Doubleview. All warmly welcomed to join us in thanksgiving for Our Blessed Mother’s reported daily apparitions in Medjugorje. Free DVDs on Medjugorje at evening. NEWSFLASH. PILGRIMAGE JUNE 2014 TO ROME/ASSISI/PADUA/VENICE AND MEDJUGORJE. Enq. Eileen 0407 471 256, medjugorje1947@gmail.com. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 24 TO WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 1 Christmas Latin Masses: St Anne’s Church 11pm at 11 Hehir St, Belmont. Rosary and Carols before midnight Mass. Dec 25-Dawn Mass 8am; Day Mass 10am; Jan 1 Masses: 8am, 10am and 6pm. Plenary Indulgence under usual conditions, on Jan 1, to faithful who publicly recite the hymn Veni Creator. Enq: Fr Michael Rowe 9444 9604. SUNDAY, DECEMBER 29 Christmas Lunch - New Parish Centre Fundraising 12 noon at Goody Bioethics Centre, 39 Jugan St, Mt Hawthorn. Emeritus Archbishop Hickey leading the carol singing. $50 or $33 if paid before December 22; $15,18 years and under; third or more children are free. Enq: Fr Doug 9444 6131. Payments to St Bernadette’s Parish Centre, 49 Jugan St, Mt Hawthorn 6016. TUESDAY, DECEMBER 31 Eucharistic Adoration New Year’s Eve 10pm-midnight at Holy Trinity Church, 8 Burnett St, Embleton. All welcome to spend the last night of the year with the Lord. Enq: George Jacob 9272 1379. SATURDAY, JANUARY 4 Day with Mary 9am–5pm at Pater Noster Church, cnr Evershed and Marmion Sts, Myaree. 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 the Eucharist and on Our Lady, Rosary, Divine Mercy Chaplet and Stations of the Cross. Finish approx 5pm. BYO lunch. Enq – Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate 9437 2792. One Day Inner Healing Retreat 9am-1.30pm at Holy Family Parish, 34 Alcock St, Maddington. Includes Praise and Worship, preaching of the Word of God, Confession, holy Mass, Eucharistic Adoration and healing prayers. Morning tea and lunch provided. Enq: 9493 1703 or vincentiansperth@yahoo.com. website:vpcp. org.au. SATURDAY, JANUARY 11 St Padre Pio Prayer Day 8.30am at Our Lady of Mt Carmel, 82 Collick St, Hilton. St Padre Pio DVD in parish centre. 10am-Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, Rosary, Divine Mercy, Silent Adoration and Benediction. 11am-holy Mass, St Padre Pio liturgy. Confessions available. 12 noon BYO for shared lunch, tea and coffee supplied. Enq: Des 6278 1540. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 8 One Day Back to School Retreat (Yr 1-Yr 12) 9am-1.30pm at Holy Family Parish, 34 Alcock St, Maddington. Start your journey back to school with the Lord. Bring: Rosary, Bible, school books and stationery to be blessed. Morning tea and lunch provided. Enq: 9493 1703 or vincentiansperth@ yahoo.com. website: vpcp.org.au.

REGULAR EVENTS EVERY SUNDAY Gate of Heaven Catholic Radio Join the Franciscans of the Immaculate from 7.309pm on Radio Fremantle 107.9FM for Catholic radio broadcast of EWTN and our own live shows. Enq: radio@ausmaria.com.

Cathedral Cafe Cathedral Cafe is now open every Sunday 9.30am1pm at St Mary’s Cathedral parish centre, downstairs after Mass. Coffee, tea, cakes, sweets, friendship with Cathedral parishioners. Further info: Tammy on smcperthwyd@yahoo.com.au or 0415 370 357. Pilgrim Mass - Shrine of the Virgin of the Revelation 2pm at Shrine, 36 Chittering Rd, Bullsbrook. Commencing with Rosary followed by Benediction. Reconciliation 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 Church and shrine open daily between 9am-5pm. Enq Sacri 9447 3292. Praise and Worship 5.30pm at St Denis Parish, cnr Osborne St and Roberts Rd, Joondanna. Followed by 6pm Mass. Enq: Admin on admin@stdenis.com.au. Mass with Sign Language Interpreter and PowerPoint 9.30am at St Francis Xavier Church, 23 Windsor St, East Perth. Enq: Voice 9328 8113, TTY 9328 9571, 0401 016 399 or www.emmanuelcentre.com.au. Latin Mass 8.30am at The Good Shepherd Church, 42 Streich Ave, Kelmscott.

EVERY FIRST SUNDAY Singles Prayer and Social Group 6.30pm at All Saints Chapel, Allendale Sq, 77 St Georges Tce, Perth. Begins with holy hour (Eucharistic Adoration, Rosary and teaching) followed by dinner at local restaurant. Meet new people, pray and socialise with other single men and women. Enq: Veronica 0403 841 202. EVERY SECOND SUNDAY Healing Hour 7-8pm at St Lawrence Parish, Balcatta. Songs of praise and worship, Exposition of Blessed Sacrament and prayers for sick. Enq: Fr Irek Czech SDS or office Tue-Thu, 9am-2.30pm on 9344 7066. EVERY THIRD SUNDAY Oblates of St Benedict’s 2pm at St Joseph’s Convent, York St, South Perth. We welcome all who are interested in studying the Rule of St Benedict and its relevance to the everyday life of today for laypeople. Vespers and afternoon tea conclude our meetings. Enq: Secretary 9457 5758. Divine Mercy Hour 3pm at St Pius X Church, 23 Paterson St, Manning. There will be Exposition of the Most Blessed Sacrament, Divine Mercy prayers, Rosary and Benediction. Please join us in prayer. Enq: Mrs K Henderson 9450 4195. EVERY FOURTH SUNDAY Shrine Time for Young Adults 18-35 Years 7.30-8.30pm at Schoenstatt Shrine, 9 Talus Dr, Mt Richon; Holy Hour with prayer, reflection, meditation, praise and worship; followed by a social gathering. Come and pray at a place of grace. Enq: shrinetimemtrichon@gmail.com. Holy Hour for Vocations to the Priesthood, Religious Life 2-3pm at Infant Jesus Parish, Wellington St, Morley. Includes Exposition of Blessed Sacrament, silent prayer, scripture, prayers of intercession. Come and pray that those discerning vocations can hear clearly God’s call. EVERY LAST SUNDAY Filipino Mass 3pm at Notre Dame Church, cnr Daley and Wright Sts, Cloverdale. Please bring a plate to share for socialisation after Mass. Enq: Fr Nelson Po 0410 843 412, Elsa 0404 038 483. EVERY MONDAY For You My Soul is Thirsting (Psalm 62:1) 7pm at St Thomas Parish, 2 College Rd, Claremont. Tend to your thirst for God. Begins with Adoration, then 7.45pm - Evening Prayer; 8pm - Communion Service and Night Prayer. Come to the whole thing, or just to a part! Enq: Michelle 0404 564 890.

LAST MONDAY Be Still in His Presence – Ecumenical Christian Program 7.30-8.45pm at St Swithun Anglican Church, 195 Lesmurdie St, Lesmurdie (hall behind church). Begins with songs of praise and worship, silent time, lectio divina, small group sharing and cuppa. Enq: Lynne 9293 3848 or 0435 252 941. EVERY TUESDAY Novena to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal 6pm at Pater Noster Church, Marmion and Evershed Sts, Myaree. Mass at 5.30pm followed by Benediction. Enq: John 0408 952 194. Novena to God the Father 7.30pm at St Joachim’s parish hall, Vic Park. Novena followed by reflection and discussions on forthcoming Sunday Gospel. Enq: Jan 9284 1662. EVERY FIRST TUESDAY Short MMP Cenacle for Priests 2pm at Edel Quinn Centre, 36 Windsor St, East Perth. Enq: Fr Watt 9376 1734. EVERY WEDNESDAY Holy Spirit of Freedom Community 7.30pm at Church of Christ, 111 Stirling St, Perth. We welcome everyone to attend our praise meeting. Enq: 0423 907 869 or hsofperth@gmail.com. Bible Study at Cathedral 6.15pm at St Mary’s Cathedral, Victoria Sq, Perth. Deepen your faith through reading and reflecting on holy Scripture with Fr Jean-Noel Marie. Meeting room beneath Cathedral. Enq: 9223 1372. Holy Hour - Catholic Youth Ministry 5.30pm at Catholic Pastoral Centre, 40A Mary St, Highgate. Mass followed at 6.30pm with Holy Hour. Enq: 9422 7912 or admin@cym.com.au. EVERY FIRST WEDNESDAY Novena to St Mary of the Cross MacKillop 7-7.45pm at Blessed Mary MacKillop Parish, cnr Cassowary Dr and Pelican Pde, Ballajura. Begins with Mass, novena prayers and Benediction. Followed by healing prayers and anointing of the sick. Enq: Madi 9249 9093 or Gerry 0417 187 240. EVERY SECOND WEDNESDAY Chaplets of Divine Mercy 7.30pm at St Thomas More Parish, Dean Rd, Bateman. Accompanied by Exposition, then Benediction. Enq: George 9310 9493 or 6242 0702 (w). Miracle Prayers 7.30pm at 67 Howe St, Osborne Park. An

therecord.com.au December 18, 2013

opportunity to receive prayers for healing of mind, body and soul. Enq: miracleprayers@ disciplesofjesus.org or Michelle 0404 028 298. EVERY THURSDAY Divine Mercy 11am at Sts John and Paul Church, Pinetree Gully Rd, Willetton. Pray the Rosary and Chaplet of Divine Mercy and for consecrated life, especially in our parish. Concludes with veneration of the first class relic of St Faustina. Enq: John 9457 7771. St Mary’s Cathedral Praise Meeting 7.45pm at the Legion of Mary’s Edel Quinn Centre, 36 Windsor St, East Perth. Includes praise, song and healing ministry. Enq: Kay 9382 3668 or fmi@ flameministries.org. Group Fifty - Charismatic Renewal Group 7.30pm at Redemptorist Monastery, 150 Vincent St, North Perth. Includes prayer, praise and Mass. Enq: Elaine 9440 3661. EVERY FIRST THURSDAY Holy Hour Prayer for Priests 7-8pm at Holy Spirit Parish, 2 Keaney Pl, City Beach. All welcome. Enq: Linda 9341 3079. Prayer in Style of Taizé 7.30-8.30pm at Our Lady of Grace Parish, 3 Kitchener St, North Beach. Includes prayer, song and silence in candlelight – symbol of Christ the light of the world. Taizé info: www.taize.fr. Enq: secretary 9448 4888 or 9448 4457. FIRST AND THIRD THURSDAY Social Dinner (Young Adults aged up to 35) and Rosary Cenacle 6.30pm at St Bernadette’s Church, 49 Jugan St, Mt Hawthorn. Begins at 6.30pm with dinner at a local restaurant, followed at 8pm by a Rosary Cenacle, short talk and refreshments at the church. Great way to meet new people, pray and socialise! Enq: 9444 6131 or st.bernadettesyouth@gmail.com. EVERY FRIDAY Eucharistic Adoration at Schoenstatt Shrine 10am at Schoenstatt Shrine, 9 Talus Dr, Mt Richon. Includes holy Mass, Exposition of Blessed Sacrament, silent adoration till 8.15pm. Join us in prayer at a place of grace. Enq: Sisters of Schoenstatt 9399 2349. Healing Mass 6pm at Holy Family Parish, Lot 375, Alcock St, Maddington. Begins with Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, Rosary, Stations of the Cross, Healing Mass followed by Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Enq: admin 9493 1703 or www.vpcp. org.au. Eucharistic Adoration - Voice of the Voiceless Ministry 7.30-9pm at St Brigid’s Parish, 211 Aberdeen St, Northbridge. Eucharistic Adoration, beginning with praise and worship; and reflection to the scriptures. All welcome. Enq: adrianluke1999@ yahoo.com.au. EVERY FIRST FRIDAY Mass and Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament 11am-4pm at Little Sisters of the Poor Chapel, 2 Rawlins St, Glendalough. Exposition of Blessed Sacrament after Mass until 4pm, finishing with Rosary. Enq: Sr Marie MS.Perth@lsp.org.au. Healing and Anointing Mass 8.45am Pater Noster Church, Evershed St, Myaree. Begins with Reconciliation, then 9am Mass of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, anointing of the sick and prayers to St Peregrine. Enq: Joy 9337 7189. Pro-life Witness – Mass and Procession 9.30am at St Brigid’s Parish, cnr Great Northern Hwy and Morrison Rd, Midland. Begins with Mass followed by Rosary procession and prayer vigil at nearby abortion clinic, led by the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate. Please join us to pray for an end to abortion and the conversion of hearts. Enq: Helen 9402 0349. Catholic Faith Renewal Evening 7.30pm at Sts John and Paul Parish, Pinetree Gully Rd, Willetton. There will be songs of praise, prayer, sharing by a priest, then thanksgiving Mass and light refreshments. Enq: Ivan 0428 898 833 or Ann 0412 166 164 or catholicfaithrenewal@ gmail.com. Communion of Reparation All Night Vigils 7pm-1.30am at Corpus Christi Church, Loch St, Mosman Park or St Gerard Majella Church, cnr Ravenswood Dr/Majella Rd, Mirrabooka. Vigils are two Masses, Adoration, Benediction, prayers, Confession in reparation for outrages committed against the United Hearts of Jesus and Mary. Enq: Vicky 0400 282 357, Fr Giosue 9349 2315, John/ Joy 9344 2609. EVERY SECOND FRIDAY Discover Spirituality of St Francis of Assisi 12pm at St Brigid’s parish centre. The Secular Franciscans of Midland Fraternity have lunch, then 1-3pm meeting. Enq: Antoinette 9297 2314. EVERY SATURDAY

Teachers, Parents and Friends Mission Outreach 10am at Morley Parish Centre, 47 Wellington Rd, Morley. Meet during school terms. Primary English teachers and prospective aides offer their services for a small remuneration and donations from the tuition are distributed to missionaries. “Come and See” sessions are offered. Enq: Maggie 9272 8263,

margaretbox7@icloud.com. Children’s Religious Education Program (Pre-Primary and Year One) 11am–12.30pm at Our Lady Queen of Poland Parish, 35 Eighth Ave, Maylands. The official Perth Archdiocese Parish Religious Education Program gives an opportunity to children attending non-Catholic schools age-appropriate religious education in a creative and fun environment. Families outside of Maylands welcome. Enq: Hayley 0423 008 500. EVERY FIRST SATURDAY Vigil for Life – Mass and Procession 8.30am at St Augustine Parish, Gladstone St, Rivervale. Begins with Mass celebrated by Fr Carey, followed by Rosary procession and prayer vigil at nearby abortion clinic. Please join us to pray for the conversion of hearts and an end to abortion. Enq. Helen 9402 0349. Mission Rosary Making at the Legion of Mary 9.30am-2pm at 36 Windsor St, East Perth. All materials are supplied. The Rosaries made are distributed to schools, missions and those who ask for a Rosary. Please join us and learn the art of Rosary making on rope and chain. Enq: 0478 598 860. EVERY SECOND SATURDAY Novena to Our Lady of Perpetual Help (Succour) and Divine Mercy Chaplet (Chant) 8.30am at Our Lady of the Mission Parish, Whitford, 270 Camberwarra Dr, Craigie. Holy Mass at 8.30am followed by Novena. Enq: Margaret 9307 2776. EVERY FOURTH SATURDAY Voice of the Voiceless Healing Mass 11.30am at St Brigid’s Parish, 211 Aberdeen St, Northbridge. Bring a plate to share after Mass. Enq. Frank 9296 7591 or 0408 183 325.

GENERAL Free Divine Mercy Image for Parishes High quality oil painting and glossy print – Divine Mercy Promotions. Images of very high quality. For any parish willing to accept and place inside the church. Oil paintings: 160 x 90cm; glossy print - 100 x 60cm. Enq: Irene 9417 3267 (w). Sacred Heart Pioneers Would anyone like to know about the Sacred Heart pioneers? If so, please contact Spiritual Director Fr Doug Harris 9444 6131 or John 9457 7771. St Philomena’s Chapel 3/24 Juna Dr, Malaga. Mass of the day: Mon 6.45am. Vigil Masses: Mon-Fri 4.45pm. Enq: Fr David 9376 1734. Mary MacKillop Merchandise Available for sale from Mary MacKillop Centre. Enq: Sr Maree 041 4683 926 or 08 9334 0933. Financially Disadvantaged People Requiring Low Care Aged Care Placement The Little Sisters of the Poor community is set in beautiful gardens in the suburb of Glendalough. “Making the elderly happy, that is everything!” St Jeanne Jugan (foundress). Registration and enq: Sr Marie 9443 3155. Is your son or daughter unsure of what to do this year? Suggest a Cert IV course to discern God’s purpose. They will also learn more about the Catholic faith and develop skills in communication and leadership. Acts 2 College of Mission and Evangelisation (National Code 51452). Enq: Jane 9202 6859. AA Alcoholics Anonymous Is alcohol costing you more than just money? Enq: AA 9325 3566. Saints and Sacred Relics Apostolate Invite SSRA Perth invites interested parties, parish priests, leaders of religious communities, lay associations to organise relic visitations to parishes, communities, etc. We have available authenticated relics, mostly first-class, of Catholic saints and blesseds including Sts Mary MacKillop, Padre Pio, Anthony of Padua, Therese of Lisieux, Maximilian Kolbe, Simon Stock and Blessed Pope John Paul II. Free of charge and all welcome. Enq: Giovanny 0478 201 092 or ssraperth@catholic.org. Acts 2 College, Perth’s Catholic Bible College Is now pleased to be able to offer tax deductibility for donations to the college. If you are looking for an opportunity to help grow the faith of young people and evangelise the next generation of apostles, please contact Jane Borg, Principal at Acts 2 College on 0401 692 690 or principal@ acts2come.wa.edu.au. Divine Mercy Church Pews Would you like to assist by donating a beautifully handcrafted jarrah pew currently under construction, costing only $1,000 each. A beautiful brass plaque with your inscription will be placed at the end of the pew. Please make cheques payable to Divine Mercy Church Building fund and send with inscription to PO Box 8, Bullsbrook WA 6084. Enq: Fr Paul 0427 085 093. Donate online at www. ginginchitteringparish.org.au. Abortion Grief Association Inc A not-for-profit association is looking for premises to establish a Trauma Recovery Centre (pref SOR) in response to increasing demand for our services (ref www.abortiongrief.asn.au). Enq: Julie (08) 9313 1784.

Pilgrimage: Following Christ and His Saints Fr Tim Deeter and Fr Michael Rowe will lead a pilgrimage to the Holy Land and Italy, Jan 6-31, 2014. Israel and Jordan, Rome, Subiaco, Genazzano, Norcia and Cascia in Italy. $7,850 from Perth is all-inclusive except your drinks and souvenirs. Enq: casapgf@iinet.net.au or 9271 5253. Acts 2 College of Mission and Evangelisation Competition Create a viral 30-second video that will promote Acts 2 College of Mission and Evangelisation and win a Samsung Galaxy Tablet 2.7” 8GB Wi Fi. Enq: 9202 6859 or http://acts2come.wa.edu.au. Free Rosaries For The Missions If you or anybody you know are going to the missions and would like to send or take Rosaries to spread the faith locally or overseas or for school or First Holy Communion please contact Felicia 0429 173 541 or Hiep 0409 128 638. PERPETUAL ADORATION Would You Not Watch One Hour with Me? Adoration - St Jerome’s, Spearwood Adorers are needed. Please contact Mary 0402 289 418. Holy Hour Slots at St Bernadette’s, Glendalough “Every Holy Hour we make so pleases the Heart of Jesus that it will be recorded in heaven and retold for all eternity” ~ Blessed Mother Teresa. Adorers needed for: Monday 2-3am; Thursday 5-6pm; and Saturday 1-2pm. If you would like one of these hours or would like more information please call the parish office Enquiries: 9444 6131. Ever thought about volunteering for work in an office dealing with people with disability? Learn new skills like getting out newsletters, data entry, filing and interacting with people. Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays 9am-3pm. Training provided. Enq: Barbara Harris, Coordinator of Emmanuel Centre 9328 8113, TTY 9328 9571, emmanuelcentre@westnet.com.au or 25 Windsor St, Perth 6000. Resource Centre For Personal Development 2014 Courses 197 High St, Fremantle. RCPD2 ‘Successful Relationships, Emotional Intelligence/Communication Skills’; RCPD3 Part1 ‘Health – Mental, Physical and Spiritual’ ‘Understanding and Healing the Consequences of Emotional and Sexual Abuse’ Lecture and Discussion; RCPD11 ‘Therapeutic Workshop’; RCPD7 Part1 ‘Psychology and Christian Spirituality’; RCPD7 Part2 ‘Exorcists and Psychiatrists’. Volunteers required for Op/Shop Drop-In Centre. Enq: 9418 1439, 0409 405 585 www.rcpd.net.au.

CLASSIFIEDS

therecord.com.au December 18, 2013

CLASSIFIEDS Deadline: 11am Monday BEAUTY

RELIGIOUS PRODUCTS

RURI STUDIO FOR HAIR Vincent and Miki welcome you to their newly opened, international, award-winning salon. Shop 2, 401 Oxford St, Leederville. 9444 3113. Ruri-studio-for-hair@ hotmail.com.

RICH HARVEST - YOUR CHRISTIAN SHOP Looking for Bibles, CDs, books, cards, gifts, statues, Baptism and Wedding candles, 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.

TAX SERVICE QUALITY TAX RETURNS PREPARED by registered tax agent with over 35 years’ experience. Call Tony Marchei 0412 055 184 for appt. AXXO Accounting & Management, 168 Benara Road, Noranda. Trade services.

FURNITURE REMOVAL ALL AREAS. Competitive rates. Mike Murphy Ph 0416 226 434.

SERVICES BRENDAN HANDYMAN SERVICES Home, building maintenance, repairs and renovations. NOR. Ph 0427 539 588. PAINTERS IN PERTH since 1933. AJ Cochrane & Sons 08 9248 8211. BRICK RE-POINTING Ph Nigel 9242 2952. BOB’S PAINTING Registered and insured. Free quotes 0422 485 433 www.bobthepainter.com. au. PERROTT PAINTING PTY LTD For all commercial and strata property requirements. Ph 9444 1200.

NOVENA NOVENA PRAYER TO ST JUDE O Holy St Jude apostle and martyr, great in virtue and rich in miracles, near kinsman of Jesus Christ faithful intercessor of all who invoke your special patronage in time of need, to you I have recourse from the depth of my heart and humbly beg to whom God has given such great power come to my assistance. Help me in my present urgent petition. In return, I promise to make your name known and cause you to be invoked. Three Our Father, three Hail Mary and three Glory Be. St Jude pray for us and all who invoke your aid. Thank you St Jude. Amen

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY HOME-BASED BUSINESS. Wellness industry. Call 02 8230 0290 or www.dreamlife1.com.

KINLAR VESTMENTS www.kinlarvestments.com.au Quality vestments, Australianmade, embroidered and appliqued. Ph: 9402 1318, 0409 114 093.

PILGRIMAGES RESERVE YOUR SEATS FOR THE CANONISATION OF BLESSED POPE JOHN PAUL II AND BLESSED POPE JOHN XXIII. Pilgrimage to Italy and France (covering Rome, Assisi, San Giovanni Rotondo, Lourdes, Paris) from April 24 to May 15, 2014. Contact Fr Quynh at St Mary’s Cathedral: 9223 1371/ 0406 662 065. Email: frquynhpilgrimage@gmail.com. DON’T MISS OUT ON THE TREASURES OF THE PROMISED LAND. Book your seats for the pilgrimage to Jordan and Israel from: March 14-27, 2014, November 17-30, 2014. For details on above and other tours to Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Germany, Spain and Portugal (Fatima) Turkey and Greece, South America region, Asia region, please email Sheila or Sue at info@alternativeevents.net or leave message for us on 08 6461 6183. Call or text on 0433 771 979 / 0421 835 408. 15 DAYS: Canonisation of two Popes: John XXIII and John Paul II, Rome, Barcelona, Montserrat Monastery, Lourdes and Fatima. Departs Perth on Thursday, April 24, 2014. Spiritual Director: Fr Erasmus Kormla NorviewuMortty. 17 DAYS: Canonisation of two Popes: John XXIII and John Paul II, Rome, Shrines of Italy and Poland. Departs Perth on Thursday, April 24, 2014. Spiritual Director: Fr Irek Czech SDS. 12 DAYS: Petra/Amman and Holy Land. Departs Perth on Saturday, September 6, 2014. Spiritual Director: Fr Dariusz Basiaga SDS.

Egypt, Petra, Amman, Dead Sea, Sea of Galilee, Cana, Bethlehem, Taba, Mt Sinai, St Catherine’s Monastery, Sharm El-Sheikh, Pyramids of Giza and Cairo. Departs Perth on Tuesday, November 25, 2014. Spiritual Director: Fr Andrew Kibuye Mutubusi. OTHER EVENT FOR 2014 12 nights: Asia Cruise on Sea Princess. Departs Perth on Tuesday, July 8, 2014. Lombok (Indonesia), Port Kelang (Kuala Lumpur), Penang, Langkawi, Puket and Singapore. For itinerary and more information, please contact Francis Williams (Travel Coordinator) / T: 9459 3873 / M: 0404 893 877 (all day) or perthfamily888@gmail. com / Skype ID: perthfamily88. AMAZING VALUE 27 DAY PILGRIMAGE $7,450. Departing May 8, 2014. Fatima/Avila/Compostello/Spain/Garabandal/ Lourdes/Montserrat/Barcelona/ Milan/Turin/Assisi/Collevalenza/ Rome/ext Medjugorje optional 5 days $1,350. Fr Bogoni. Tour leader Yolanda Nardizzi 0413 707 707/Harvest 1800 819 156. VIETNAM CHURCH VISITS. 16 days. Leaving January 10. $2,200 all inclusive. Jo 9403 2763; Ray 0412 698 852. PILGRIMAGE TO ROME/ PADUA/ASSISI/VENICE AND MEDJUGORJE Departing Perth Monday, June 9. $4,474 for 16 days. This price includes all flights, quality accommodation with ensuite facilities, bed/breakfast/evening meals, rest period in airport hotel for six hrs with bedroom and ensuite, enabling you to arrive refreshed. English speaking guide 24/7, transfers in luxury coach. Taxes and tipping included. ‘Yes’ unbelievable cost $4,474. Spiritual Director Rev Fr Ronan Murphy. Enq. Eileen 9402 2480, mob 0407 471 256 medjugorje1947@gmail.com.

FOR SALE HAMMOND ELECTRIC ORGAN Model 122100. $200 ONO. 9405 1327, 0417 006 775.

20 DAYS: Poland, Italy, Lourdes and (Paris - optional). Departs Perth on Tuesday, September 23, 2014. Spiritual Director: Fr Tadeusz Seremet SDS.

RETIREMENT VILLAGE OPPORTUNITIES IN ALBANY Four new, two-bedroom independent living units with garage. Centrally located within the city and close to all city amenities. From $230K and $295K. Phone: 9847 4303. Email: manager@ stjosephslodge.com.au.

19 days: Jordan, Israel and

CLASSIFIEDS - SHORT, SHARP, CHEAP

An Angel for Christmas Alvaro Correa, LC, Illustrated by Gloria Lorenzo Jimmy is a simple boy with a good heart who lives with his family in the country. Like every year on Christmas Eve, he fires his slingshot into the sky toward heaven with his personal message for the Infant Jesus. This seemingly insignificant gesture is the beginning of a special adventure: the Holy Family invites Jimmy to help the Infant Jesus be born in the hearts of many people. With the help of his guardian angel, Jimmy travels halfway around the world to bring people a special gift. This results in some life changing experiences for the people he meets.

Only $23.95

C R O S S W O R D ACROSS 1 Catholic actor named after his comedian father 6 Lola, Broadway dancer and convert to Catholicism 10 Catholic screenwriter and novelist best known for “The Exorcist” 11 St Paul, the Apostle to the ___ 12 St Claude is the patron saint of Michelangelo and these others like him 16 Son of Ner 18 Catholic author, Evelyn ___ 20 “…and ___ us not into temptation…” 21 ___ of the Cross 22 Transport for Peter and Andrew 23 Nod, vis-à-vis Eden 24 “I am the way and the ___ and the life.” (Jn 14:6) 26 Saint who gave his name to an alphabet 28 They visited the newborn Jesus 32 City to which Paul was travelling when he was blinded 33 Part of the Mass that is specific to a feast day 35 Ancient Palestine 36 Type of vow DOWN 2 Saint item 3 “…the kingdom of heaven is like a ___” (Mt 13:47) 4 The flight to here is one of the Sorrows of Our Lady

W O R D S L E U T H

5 7 8 9 13 14 15 17 19 21 25 27 29 30 31 32 34

The Archdiocese of Niamey is found in this African country Type of sin Catholic comedian married to Burns 20s US Catholic politician “Let there be ___…” (Gen 1:3) The Maid of ___, St Joan Roman Catholic Native American leader Number of humans in Noah’s ark ___ in the Garden Assist at Mass Elijah’s successor Rite in the Catholic Church First of the twelve Minor Prophets Biblical instruments The pharaoh had one about fat cows and lean cows Christmas month (abbr) Samuel anointed Saul with this

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

BOOKS FOR CHRISTMAS

NOW IN STOCK

BIBIANA KWARAMBA Bookshop Manager

Telephone: 9220 5912 Email: bookshop@therecord.com.au Address: 21 Victoria Square, Perth 6000