The Record Newspaper - 20 February 2013 by The Record

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A key leader in Catholic tertiary education is re-appointed as UNDA Vice Chancellor - Page 9

Fr Robert Cross decries how city-driven profit decisions affect Catholic families in the bush - Page 20

Perth stands out in Rome’s farewell to Benedict

This photo of Perth seminarian Mark Baumgarten rocketed around the world’s news agencies and newspapers after it was captured by Reuters photographer Alessandro Bianchi in St Peter’s Square as the Pope led the Angelus on February 17. Mr Baumgarten was among an estimated hundred thousand people who turned out for one of the last official appearances of Pope Benedict. Mr Baumgarten is in his third year of studies for the priesthood as a student at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. Transition coverage - Page 12, onwards PHOTO: ALESSANDRO BIANCHI, REUTERS, CNS

Frontrunners, influential prelates, begin to take shape as historic choice looms

Guiding the next conclave

By Cindy Wooden and Francis Rocca WHEREVER journalists and bookmakers may be getting the names on their lists of top candidates for the next Pope, it’s not from the cardinals who will actually vote in the election. Both custom and canon law forbid the cardinals to discuss the matter in such detail with outsiders. Moreover, the true papabili – literally, Pope-ables – are likely to

emerge only after all the worlds’ cardinals – not just the 117 who will be under 80 and eligible to vote – begin meeting at the Vatican in the coming days. One thing is already clear, however: because of their experience and the esteem they enjoy among their peers, certain cardinals are likely to serve as trusted advisers to the rest in the discussions and election. Here, in alphabetical order, are 12 cardinals expected to have a major voice in the deliberations:

l Conventional wisdom has long held that the cardinals will never elect an American pope, lest the leadership of the Church appear to be linked with the United States’ economic and geopolitical dominance. But the extroverted and jocular Cardinal Timothy Dolan, 63, charmed and impressed many in the College of Cardinals in February 2012 when he delivered the main presentation at a meeting Pope Benedict XVI had called to discuss the new evangelisation. The

Pope himself praised the New York Archbishop’s presentation on how to revive the faith in increasingly secular societies as “enthusiastic, joyful and profound”. l Although not a familiar name in the press, Hungarian Cardinal Peter Erdo of Esztergom-Budapest, 60, is a major figure among his peers in Europe, the Church’s traditional heartland and the region of more than half the cardinal electors. He was elected to a second five-year term as president of the Council of

European Episcopal Conferences in 2011. l Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet, 68, is a member of the Society of St Sulpice, whose members are, strictly speaking, diocesan priests but which is normally considered a religious order. Hence, he is one of only 19 members of religious orders among the cardinal electors, who are overwhelmingly diocesan clergy. He is prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, which Please turn to Page 12

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February 20, 2013

New priest for Ordinariate

60 Seconds with …

Fr Wilson Donizzetti

By Robert Hiini DEACON Stephen Hill says it is an exciting time to be a Catholic. It is a state of communion, which he believes God has been drawing him to his whole life. On Friday, March 1, Deacon Hill will be ordained a Catholic priest at St Joseph Church Subiaco for the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of the Southern Cross. He had been a priest in the Traditional Anglican Communion for around three years before submitting a dossier to Rome in 2010, asking to enter into full communion with the Catholic Church and to join the Catholic priesthood. He was ordained a Catholic Deacon on October 18 last year in Brisbane after studying at Holy Spirit Seminary for the Archdiocese of Brisbane, and then the Ordinariate after it was established on June 15. He has been in Western Australia now for three weeks, meeting with the leader of Australia’s Ordinariate, Fr Harry Entwistle, and preparing for Catholic ordination. Christ’s plea and command for unity was forefront in his decision, saying his entry into the Ordinariate was the next logical step in his Catholic journey. “I think I got to the point where I really believed it was necessary to become Catholic sooner or later and I think if the Ordinariate had not eventuated, at some point I would have felt I needed to pursue unity as an individual,” Deacon Hill said. He said he was proud to be part of a long tradition of one-time Anglo-Catholics who desired unity with the See of Peter, including Blessed John Henry Newman. The journey to unity has been a long and interesting one.

Current designation: Assistant Priest – Our Lady Star of the Sea, Cottesloe Place of birth: Brasilia, Brazil Anniversary of ordination: November 18, 2011 Patron Saint: St John Bosco Siblings: Two brothers, one sister Favourite Bible figure: St Paul Favourite Bible verse: 2 Corinthians 4:7: “But we carry this treasure in earthen vessels.” Fromer Traditional Anglican priest, Deacon Stephen Hill will be ordained a Catholic priest on March 1.

Stephen Hill was born and raised in a Lutheran family in Toowoomba, Queensland. In his late 20s, he stumbled

and sub-deacon … the thurifer, all of these things I had never seen before and it really piqued my curiosity,” Deacon Hill said.

Jesus’ command for unity was at the forefront in his decision to enter the Catholic Church. across Anglo-Catholic worship when passing an Anglican church in Brisbane. “I was literally just walking past and had no intention of entering. They were preparing to begin their Sunday Mass, a solemn high Mass … the priest in cope, the deacon

He was immediately attracted to the reverence and aesthetic beauty of the worship, as well as the substantive Gospel preaching in a style familiar to him as a then-Lutheran. Deacon Hill later joined a Traditional Anglican Communion parish, becoming a deacon and

Frances of Rome 1384–1440 March 9

Peter Rosengren

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Crosiers

This laywoman and foundress, born a Roman aristocrat, married Lorenzo Ponziano when she was 13; they had several children. In 1409, their palazzo was pillaged by Neapolitan soldiers and Lorenzo was exiled for five years, returning home a broken man. He died in 1436. Frances, known for her great charity during epidemics and civil war, organized a ladies society dedicated to self-denial and good works. It became the Oblates of Tor de Specchi, which she directed for her last four years. She is the patron saint of motorists, perhaps because she was guarded for 23 years by an archangel visible only to her. Her last words were: “The angel has finished his work. He is beckoning me to follow.”

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then a priest, attending to priestly ministry on the weekends while continuing in his paid employment as an electronic engineer during the week. “I started this journey of faith for reasons entirely beyond my control and really beyond my own decisions. I found myself led towards the Catholic Church and these other places were critical stops along the way in my particular journey.” A full copy of The Record’s interview with Deacon, soon to be Father, Stephen Hill, is available at www.therecord.com.au.

Best preacher heard: Pope John Paul II Favourite sporting team: Flamengo (soccer) – Brazilian league Favourite hobby: Swimming Favourite movie or book: The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery Best place you’ve visited: New Zealand Cottesloe restoration - Page 5

READINGS OF THE WEEK

SAINT OF THE WEEK

Editor

PHOTO: ROBERT HIINI

Saints LIve yOUR

Travel Dream

Sunday 24th - Violet 2ND SUNDAY OF LENT 1st Reading: Gen 15:5-12, 17-18 Covenant with Abram Responsorial Ps 26:1, 7-9, 13-14 Psalm: Hide not your face 2nd Reading: Phil 3:17-4:1 Remain faithful Gospel Reading: Lk 9:28-36 This is my Son Monday 25th - Violet 1st Reading: Dan 9: 4-10 We have sinned Responsorial Ps 78:8-9,11,13 Psalm: Depths of distress Gospel Reading: Lk 6:36-38 Be compassionate Tuesday 26th - Violet 1st Reading: Isa 1:10,16-20 Abandon evil Responsorial Ps 49:8-9,16-17,21-23 Psalm: Give thanks to God Gospel Reading: Mt 23:1-12 One Father and Teacher Wednesday 27th - Violet 1st Reading: Jer 18:18-20 Return evil for good?

Responsorial Psalm: Gospel Reading:

Ps 30:5-6,14-16 You are my God Mt 20:17-28 A ransom for man

Thursday 28th - Violet 1st Reading: Jer 17:5-10 A curse a blessing Responsorial Ps 1:1-4, 6 Psalms: The law of the Lord Gospel Reading: Lk 16:19-31 Good things, bad things Friday 1st - Violet 1st Reading: Gen 37:3-4,12-13,17-18 The man of dreams Responsorial Ps 105:16-21 Psalm: The Lord’s great deeds Gospel Reading: Mt 21:33-43,45-46 Wicked tenants Saturday 2nd - Violet 1st Reading: Mic 7:14-15,18-20 Let us see wonders Responsorial Ps 102:1-4,9-12 Psalm: Give thanks to God Gospel Reading: Lk 15:1-3,11-32 To be with me always

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Perth Christians try to bring life to valley of death By Robert Hiini PERTH Christians are refusing to accept the signs of the times this Lent, pushing back with prayers, fasting, and signage of their own. More than 280 Western Australians have joined the year’s worldwide 40 Days for Life campaign, with some participants committing to silent vigils outside Nanyara abortion clinic in Rivervale.

Organising committee member Kelly Clark, 21, said the Perth campaign’s signage reflected their desire to build a culture of life and show participants’ concern for women, children and families. One sign depicts a mother and a newborn child with the words “love grows inside you”. Another says “we can help you”, listing a range of services such as accommodation, financial assistance, education pathways, and adoption,

and includes the phone number of a local crisis pregnancy support centre. “We try to do everything to make

ing to end abortion in peaceful prayer vigils all around Australia in union with hundreds of other locations throughout the world.

Around 8,000 children die by abortion in WA each year. Women and families are suffering. sure people know we are not aggressive,” Ms Clark told The Record. “40 Days for Life aims to overcome the culture of death by pray-

“Because around 8,000 children die by surgical abortion alone each year, the same number of women as well as their families and friends

- are affected on a number of levels, but especially spiritually. “Prayer for all those suffering as a result of abortion is essential because it is only Jesus Christ who is able to bring the healing to these deep wounds.” Ms Clark said people were still welcome to join the initiative, whether in prayer or action, or both. For more information or to join, visit 40daysforlife.com/perth or contact Kelly on 0481 295 500.

Crowd hails the mighty, biking Bruno By Juanita shepherd LOUD cheers, shouts of encouragement and the bursting of party poppers greeted Bruno Cordier as he cycled into South Beach in Fremantle on Valentine’s Day. Mr Cordier had been away for five weeks, cycling from Sydney to Perth in an effort to raise money to aid Doctor Catherine Hamlin and her work at the Addis Ababa Fistula Hospital in Ethiopia, which treats women with childbirth injuries. Mr Cordier raised $37,000, to help prevent obstetric fistulas, which result in a woman’s bladder leaking uncontrollably due to pressure from the baby’s head from prolonged labour, lasting up to five days. “He is so inspirational,” Lucy Perry, CEO for the Hamlin Foundation, said. Mr Cordier has inspired Ms Perry to run 10km in Ethiopia at the end of this year. “I can’t just sit in my office and do nothing,” she said. “Bruno has inspired me.” Mr Cordier remains humble about his amazing feat. “It is not about me or the ride,” he said. “It is about people coming together to benefit others. It is about strangers helping each other out.” “Bruno is a deeply spiritual man and unafraid to go where others would have feared to tread,” Father John Daly, parish priest of St Anthony of Padua and good friend of Mr Cordier, told The Record. “Bruno said to me that he’d trust in God to look after him. He has a wonderful sense of solitude.” Mr Cordier’s journey began when he left Sydney on January 11, 2013. He cycled to Bathurst,

Bruno Cordier arrives in Fremantle on February 14 after cycling from Sydney to Perth raising money to prevent obstetric fistula.

Cowra, Hay, Mildura, Renmark, Adelaide, Port Augusta, Ceduna, the Nularbor Plain, Norseman, Coolgardie, and Merredin before finally arriving in Perth. Upon his arrival, he gave his girlfriend Gracie Vivian a bou-

quet of flowers in celebration of St Valentine’s Day. He also arrived on the 100th anniversary of the Tour de France; being French it held a special meaning for him. “The French community of Perth is very proud of you.”

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Patrick Kedemos, a member of the Honorary Consulate for France in Western Australia said. “Bruno cycled the equivalent of cycling from Portugal to the Ukraine, it was a tremendous feat.” Brad Petite, Mayor of Fremantle

PHOTO: JUANITA SHEPHERD

also spoke to the The Record. “It’s for such a great cause,” Mr Petite said. “It makes me proud to be ending it here and I am pleased to be able to support it.” Donations can be made at hamlin.org.au/bruno.

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February 6, 2013

Compassion a life-giving project By Matthew Biddle PROJECT COMPASSION 2013 was officially launched on February 14 at St Vincent’s Catholic Primary School in Parmelia. Parishioners joined several local priests, as well as local politicians and the mayor of Kwinana, Carol Adams, at the launch. Provaty Rozario, co-ordinator of the Safe Motherhood Project (SMP) in Bangladesh which Caritas Australia supports, explained to the crowd the social, cultural and economic situation in Bangladesh. Mrs Rozario also related several success stories from the SMP and acknowledged the improvement in its services since Caritas established a direct partnership with the program in 2007. The SMP trains rural and village midwives in Bangladesh and provides antenatal and postnatal care for mothers. “Working together, we can make a difference in the lives of women in Bangladesh and we can open the doors into the future for babies who might otherwise have died at birth,” Mrs Rozario said. Director of Caritas Australia for the Perth Archdiocese, Daniel Chan, said he hoped that Perth Catholics would surpass last year’s fundraising efforts. “In 2012, Australians in Perth gave a record-breaking $1.2 million,” Mr Chan said. Project Compassion, which has been held during Lent every year since 1966 in Australia, is a practical way to fulfill the Lenten duty of almsgiving, according to Mr Chan. “Almsgiving, at its core is about getting things right with our community, of showing solidarity with the poor,” he said. “Our goal is to end poverty by helping the poorest communities to become agents of their own development.” The theme for Project Compassion 2013 is “Open doors into the future” – a phrase taken from Pope Benedict XVI’s 2007 encyclical Spe Salvi.

Above, Safe Motherhood Project co-ordinator Provaty Rozario (centre); Deputy Opposition Leader Roger Cook (right); and Fr Geoff Aldous (back) with students from St Vincent’s. Below left, Caritas Perth’s Daniel Chan. ROBERT HIINI

Day of the

Unborn

‘Before I formed you in the womb I knew you’ -

Jeremiah 1:5

WHERE:

PLEASE SUPPORT PROJECT COMPASSION Your donation helps open doors to a better future for the world’s poorest like Ditosa in Mozambique.

St Mary’s Cathedral Victoria Square, Perth WHEN:

Saturday 23rd March 2013 10am - Holy Hour Led by Fr Paul Carey SSC

11am - Mass

(memorial procession with flowers)

1800 024 413

www.caritas.org.au/projectcompassion

2013

Principal Celebrant: Archbishop Emeritus Barry James Hickey

Members of the Christian, pro-life community are earnestly invited to attend a joyful celebration marking the 8th annual day of prayer and remembrance of the unborn child here in Perth. This Mass and memorial service will mark the conclusion of the 40 Days for Life campaign 2013. On this Day of the Unborn Child we commemorate the Annunciation, when Jesus the Son of God became an unborn child in the womb of His mother Mary. We celebrate the sacredness of every human life and we praise and thank mothers and fathers who nurture and protect their unborn children. This day is also dedicated to praying for the entire prolife movement and for an end to abortion in Australia. Together let us pray for our unborn brothers and sisters whose lives are threatened by abortion and honour those whose lives have been lost. We pray for hope and healing for men and women who have lost a child, particularly those who have been hurt by abortion. We offer the assurance of God’s infinite love and mercy.

For further enquiries, phone Lara at Pregnancy Assistance on 9328 2926 or visit www.40daysforlife.com/perthwa

All donations $2 and over are tax deductible. Photo credit: Erin Johnson

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therecord.com.au February 6, 2013

Unexpected need drives Cottesloe fundraising By Matthew Biddle THE restoration of Cottesloe’s 109-year-old Catholic church, St Mary Star of the Sea, is almost complete. The extensive repair work which began on the gothic-style building in November is due to finish shortly after Easter this year. However, due to several additional problems found with the building since work began, the parish is struggling to finance the restorations. “We didn’t intend to do the roof, but suddenly we discovered that we had to do it otherwise it might collapse,” assistant priest Father Wilson Donizzetti said. It’s estimated the unexpected cost of repairing the church roof will be about $120,000. Further damage was caused to the building when the side entrances to the church collapsed after torrential rain hit the area in January. Building designer and member of the project management team, Tommaso Trentin, said the building urgently required attention. “The roof was becoming quite hazardous,” he said. “We’ve done a complete clean of the front, we’ve washed down all of the limestone … we’ve re-done the roof to deal with all the moisture coming in, and put in new wrought-iron gutters.” Internally, the church has been completely emptied in order to repaint the walls, install new carpets, and to replace the previously orange-carpeted sanctuary with marble flooring. The parish Masses are now being said in the church hall, enabling the internal renovations to progress faster. Fr Donizzetti said parishioners of St Mary Star of the Sea had been instrumental in assisting with the restorations. “The parishioners have been really good,” he said. “When the renovations started, the young people started to help to do some physical work, so it has been a way that they’ve got involved in the parish. “The time of the building has made the parish come closer, which has been a blessing.” Fr Donizzetti said although the project has had its difficulties, the final result would be worth the effort. “It’s a beautiful church, and this

Work on St Mary’s Star of the Sea Cottesloe has uncovered the need for additional work, including roof repairs.

church is a real icon for this area,” he said. St Mary Star of the Sea church was designed by well-known architect Michael Cavanagh, and was just the second place of worship built in Peppermint Grove in 1904. Parishioners are raising funds to cover the cost of the repairs by holding a raffle of which the first prize is a pilgrimage to Europe or $5,000 cash. The nearby parish of St Thomas the Apostle in Claremont has generously thrown its support behind the fundraising, volunteering to sell raffle tickets at their parish. Tickets will also be sold at local shopping centres, and it is hoped that more parishes will help to raise funds for the church restorations.

PHOTO: MATTHEW BIDDLE

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The Eucharistic rosary designed by the Vatican rosary makers will be sent out to all those who give a donation of $15 or more and tick this box. Aid to the Church in Need …. a Catholic charity dependent on the Holy See, providing pastoral relief to needy and oppressed Churches

MILESTONES

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February 20, 2013

Seven Sisters celebrate years of selfless service IN JANUARY, seven West Australian-based Sisters of St Joseph of the Sacred Heart celebrated their Diamond or Golden anniversary milestones with events in Sydney and South Perth. At Mary MacKillop Place, North Sydney, the Sisters joined with others from their year of profession to reminisce and give thanks for their lives as Sisters of St Joseph. Later, in January, family and friends joined the Sisters to enjoy a local celebration at Holy Family Church in Como, followed by a special afternoon tea in the gardens of the convent at South Perth. Celebrating sixty years professed were Srs Joan Luff RSJ, Dora Maguire RSJ and Mary Jo Wells RSJ. Those celebrating 50 years as Sisters of St Joseph were Srs Margaret Culhane RSJ, Bernadette Hynes RSJ, Eileen Lenihan and Frances Maguire RSJ. The Sisters have used their various talents to serve and minister throughout WA, with some also working in other states of Australia and in overseas missions. They have served as teachers, administrators, counsellors, support and pastoral workers. In WA, members of this group of sisters have worked in metropolitan locations including Manning, Midland, South Perth, Belmont, Lockridge, Wilson and Como. Country locations include Ongerup, Trayning, Pinjarra, Boulder, Kalgoorlie, Tom Price, Bidyadanga (La Grange), Kellerberrin, Waroona, Nannup, Pemberton, New Norcia, Moora, Busselton and Esperance. Two of the Sisters present at the celebration came from overseas

Sisters of St Joseph celebrate 50 years’ service. A celebration at Holy Family Parish, Como followed celebrations in Sydney.

to join the gathering. Sr Eileen Lenihan had come from Ireland to join the order, while Sr Frances Maguire has, since 2006, been based at the mission in Peru. For bloodrelative sisters, Sr Frances, celebrating her Golden Anniversary, and

Sr Dora, celebrating her Diamond Anniversary, it was an extra special occasion. As Sr Pauline Morgan, Provincial of the Sisters in WA, said at the celebration in South Perth: “Today we celebrate with the Sisters who

have lived 50 years or 60 years as a sister of St Joseph – loving God and being disciples of Jesus, never seeing a need without trying to do something about it, always trying to relieve suffering and bring hope.” In their time as Sisters of St

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Joseph, they have adapted to great changes in the way members of their order have lived, dressed and ministered, a woman associated with the order told The Record, while trying to remain true to the legacy of St Mary MacKillop.

Rockingham says thank you

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Pope Benedict saw Jews, Muslims as allies in defending belief in God

Archbishop asks House to extend conscience provision to HHS mandate

In trying to help people understand how belief in God is a natural part of life and provides grounding for the values that protect human dignity and peaceful coexistence, Pope Benedict XVI saw Jews and Muslims as natural allies. But in the almost eight years of his pontificate, his relations with the Jewish and Muslim communities were marked by alternating tensions and new initiatives. During his pontificate, Pope Benedict visited synagogues in three countries and mosques in three others. However, despite his efforts to promote new forms of dialogue with the followers of Islam, in the field of CatholicMuslim dialogue, many people remember Pope Benedict primarily for remarks about Mohammed in a 2006 speech. His relationship with the world’s Jewish communities was not always smooth either, primarily because of his decision in 2009 to lift the excommunication of a traditionalist bishop who denied the extent of the Holocaust. As recently as last October, Pope Benedict affirmed the church’s teaching about the importance of dialogue with and respect for Jews, Muslims and members of other religions, but he did so with a caveat. - CNS

The chairman of the US bishops’ Ad Hoc Committee for Religious Liberty has urged the House of Representatives to extend long-standing federal conscience protections to the Affordable Care Act’s new coverage mandates for private health plans. Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore made the request in a February 15 letter to members of the House. Saying the tradition of conscience rights in health care “has long enjoyed bipartisan consensus, but is now under greatly increased pressure,” Archbishop Lori asked in his letter to attach the conscience provision to upcoming appropriation bills for the departments of Labor and Health and Human Services. “I urge Congress to address this problem when it considers proposals for continued funding of the federal government in the weeks to come,” he said. “While the mandate for coverage of abortion-causing drugs, contraceptives and sterilisation is hailed by some as a victory for women’s freedom, it permits no free choice by a female employee to decline such coverage for herself or her minor children, even if it violates her moral and religious convictions,” Archbishop Lori added. - CNS

THE PARISHIONERS of Our Lady of Lourdes, Rockingham bade farewell to assistant priest, Fr Benny Calanza on Sunday, February 17. Fr Calanza has been appointed to Bidyadanga (La Grange), Broome. “Fr Benny joined us at Our Lady of Lourdes on August 14, 2011, shortly after his ordination to the priesthood,” Parish Priest Fr Michael Separovich said in a bulletin provided to The Record. “Father shall be remembered for many things but most all for his good humour and love for God’s people,” Fr Separovich said of the priest, a member of the Neocatechumenal Way. “We wish him well in his new appointment. May God continue to bless, guide and protect you, Fr Benny.”

Above, Fr Benny Calanza with children at Our Lady of Lourdes, Rockingham. Fr Calanza had been assistant priest at the parish for 1.5 years. PHOTO: LEANNE JOYCE

MILESTONES

therecord.com.au February 20, 2013

Language course gets local Greek nod DEDICATION to the sustainability and vibrancy of the Greek language, history and culture at The University of Notre Dame Australia’s Fremantle campus has once again been recognised by the local and international Hellenic community. Highlighting the success of the Greek Studies program and its coordinator, Savvas Papasavvas, the School of Arts and Sciences received a donation from the Cyprus High Commission, Canberra, to continue “(its) contribution to the effort of promoting the Greek and Cypriot studies, language, history and culture in Australia”.

The program has also been recognised by the Cyprus High Commission, Canberra, with generous donations in previous years. Mr Papasavvas said Greek Studies at Notre Dame was more than simply a language-learning program. The preservation and promotion of the Hellenic culture, as well as networking with Greek communities, were important components of the course. “I’m delighted and very grateful for the continued support of the Cyprus Government to the Greek Studies program here at Notre Dame,” Mr Papasavvas said. “I always say to my students that

without a sound knowledge of the Greek culture, the Greek language cannot be understood in its full form. Interacting with some of my students who have travelled to Greece in the past, I can see that they feel strongly about continuing

is the most popular language taught within the ethnic schools sector. In addition to being spoken by more than 500,000 Australians of Greek and non-Greek descent, the Greek language is the oldest and sole survivor of the ancient

Notre Dame community consign sin to the ashes

Alannah set for the stratosphere

The are more than 42,000 studying Greek, the most taught language in the ethnic shools sector. the rich legacy of the Greek culture here in Australia.” Statistics published in 2010 showed that there were more than 42,000 students attending Greek language classes in Australia and it

European languages, bearing a linguistic age of 4,000 years. Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences in Fremantle, Associate Professor Dylan Korczynskyj, said the success of the Greek Studies

LIVING the Year of Faith was the theme of Ash Wednesday services held at The University of Notre Dame Australia’s Fremantle campus to commemorate the beginning of Lent for 2013. Staff members and students were called to ‘turn away from sin and be faithful to God’ as the ashes from last year’s Palm Sunday were placed on their foreheads by Campus Chaplain Fr John Sebastian OMI. Through the words of the homily, the Notre Dame community reflected on the opportunities Lent affords to draw closer to God and one another. Prayer, fasting and almsgiving were offered as three pillars upon which a powerful and meaningful Lenten season can be built. “Lent is a very significant time in the Church’s liturgical year, where all who yearn to know God more deeply are invited to

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Champion returns to Trinity

Trinity College’s Director of Music, Dr Robert Braham (left), with Alasdair McLaren. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

TRINITY College graduate and accomplished piper Alisdair McLaren visited his former college on February 12. Students from the Pipes and Drums Band met Mr McLaren who was on holiday from Glasgow where he is the director of the National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland. In 2011, Mr McLaren was a part of the band that completed the “Grand Slam”, winning all five major championships in one season including the World Pipe Band Championships. Born in Perth, Mr McLaren was a student at Trinity College from 1988 until his final year in 1996. Mr McLaren said his time at the college was a significant steppingstone towards his outstanding career. “Trinity College provided me with a great education and a strong attitude to push myself and excel to the highest level,” he said. “I was given the motivation to succeed and be the best I could possibly be.” Trinity College is a Catholic college for boys in the Edmund Rice tradition, located in East Perth.

Fr John Sebastian OMI places the ashes on the forehead of Sandra De Witt Hemala. PHOTO: UNDA

journey through the desert, to the Cross, and into the new life of the resurrection,” Campus Minister Karl Brown said. “It is an excellent example of the journey of the individual joining with the wider community of believers to create a rich tapestry of faith and grace.” The Lenten journey concludes on Holy Thursday, March 28. Notre Dame will hold the Stations of the Cross at its Fremantle campus on Good Friday at 10am. Community members are welcome to join in the proceedings. For more information on Mass times and prayer sessions during Lent at Notre Dame, please contact campus Ministry on 9433 0581.

program was dependent on the sustained support of several donors and dedication to the curriculum by Mr Papasavvas. “For a long time now, the Cypriot Government has generously supported the Greek Studies program at Notre Dame which, amongst other things, has allowed us to offer scholarships to assist students studying Greek and Cypriot literature, Greek social-linguistics and history of the Hellenic Diasporas,” Assoc Prof Korczynskyj said. Anyone wanting to study Greek or Italian at UNDA can find out more at (08) 9433 0555 or future@nd.edu.au.

Seniors expo in the offing St Norbert’s Alannah Bayliss, 16, is a preliminary finalist in the Miss Teen Galaxy Australia competitions.

SAINT Norbert College, Year 12 student, Alannah Bayliss is reaching for the stars The 16-year-old was recently selected as a preliminary finalist for Miss Teen Galaxy Australia. The pageant, which will be held in the Forest Centre Perth on March 7, will be Alannah’s first. During the evening, contestants participate in three sections: swimwear, evening wear and

fashion wear, but there are other community-based requirements they must fulfill. In order to be a contestant, entrants must fundraise for a charity of their choice. The Make a Wish foundation was the lucky recipient of Alannah’s advocacy, but she needs community support, a St Norbert staff member told The Record. Make a Wish tries to fulfill the wishes of children with

PHOTO: SUPPLIED

life-threatening medical conditions, helping to enrich lives with hope, strength and joy. “We are very proud of Alannah; she is a dedicated student and role model to her peers,” St Norbert’s Principal Annette Morey said last week. If you would like to support Alannah’s fundraising efforts, go to www.everydayhero.com.au/alannah_bayliss.

SOUTHERN Cross Care will host its first Seniors Expo on Thursday, March 7 at Success Village Community Centre. The expo will provide those who are semi-retired, retired or planning for retirement the chance to discover the products, services and programs available to them. Services and facilities available to seniors will be showcased, included retirement living, home care options, wills and legal advice, mobility and safety options and lifestyle and social ideas. The expo begins at 10am and finishes at 3pm. Entry is free.

THE PARISH. THE NATION. THE WORLD

Bieber’s mum backs movie AN EFFORT to raise US $10 million for crisis pregnancy centres around the world has just received a major boost from a celebrity who knows personally the good work that the pregnancy centres do: Pattie Mallette, better known as Justin Bieber’s mum. Mallette has been vocal about the trauma, abuse and addiction that marked her early childhood and adult years. When she found herself pregnant with Justin, she was pressured to abort, but she rejected that pressure and turned to a crisis pregnancy center instead. “I just knew I couldn’t. I just knew I couldn’t. I just knew I had to keep him,” Mallette said last year. “I didn’t know how I was going to

do it. But I just knew that I couldn’t abort. I had to do my best, and I was determined to do whatever it took.” Mallette says the pregnancy centre she turned to literally “saved their lives.” In a video released last week and viewable on Youtube, Mallette announced that she has joined forces with Movie to Movement to raise funds for crisis pregnancy centres by hosting screenings for the new pro-life film Crescendo. Mallette is herself acting as the executive producer for the film. “My hope through this involvement is to encourage young women all over the world, just like me, to let them know that there is a place to go, people who will take care of you and a safe home to live in if you

are pregnant and think you have nowhere else to turn,” said Mallette. Movie to Movement hopes to host 1,000 screenings across the globe, the first of which will occur on February 28 in the US. Mallette will share her personal story at some of these screening. Nearly 100 pregnancy centres in the US have currently made the pledge to support the film on opening weekend. In addition to a number of showings across the US, the film is also slated to be screened in Ireland and across Europe for thousands of attendees. Justin Bieber himself has in the past stirred up controversy by voicing his pro-life convictions. “I really don’t believe in abor-

tion,” Bieber told Rolling Stone magazine in 2011. “I think [an embryo] is a human. It’s like killing a baby.” The film Crescendo is already receiving accolades from secular critics and pro-life advocates alike. “[It’s] Professionally, a masterpiece…Morally and spiritually, one of the most powerful tools the pro-life movement has, said wellknown US pro-life campaigner priest Fr Frank Pavone after seeing the movie. According to Dr Alveda King, niece of Martin Luther King Jr and a pro-life activist, “Crescendo touches the heart and soul of life’s bittersweet song with a powerful promise that if the notes are left in God’s hand, He will create a masterpiece.” - LIFESITENEWS.COM

Grant used to clean up vandalism of Pro-Cathedral

St John’s Pro-Cathedral in inner city Perth this week, stripped of much of its exterior surface and revealing original brickwork.

By Matthew Biddle THE EXTENSIVE graffiti damage to St John’s Pro-Cathedral carried out earlier this month has been removed during work to strip the outside walls. The work was specifically funded by the Lotterywest grant which was awarded to the Archdiocese

of Perth last year for the ProCathedral’s restoration. As such, due to the nature of the work, the Archdiocese did not need to pay to have the graffiti removed separately. Archdiocesan Finance Office staffer Theresa Carroll told The Record the grant was to be used solely on stripping the inside and

outside walls, which simultaneously would remove the graffiti. “The work performed would be within the scope of the grant, so it’s not an added burden to the Church,” she said. “The graffiti work is quite fortuitous in that the grant allows us to take care of it at the same time. “It’s happened at a good time if

Credit cards OK at Vatican AFTER MORE than six weeks of not being able to accept credit- and debit-card payments in the Vatican Museums and shops, the Vatican announced on February 13 that it had begun accepting plastic again. Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, also told reporters on February 13 that it was likely that the Institute for the Works of Religion, commonly known as the Vatican bank, would have a new president “in a few days.” The Vatican had been seeking a new president since May when the institute’s board of supervisors unanimously passed a vote of “no confidence” in the leadership of Ettore Gotti Tedeschi, citing “pro-

gressively erratic personal behavior” and the release of confidential documents last known to have been in his possession. Just two days later, and in one of his final official acts, Pope Benedict XVI approved the hiring of the chairman of a German shipyard as the Bank’s new president. Ernst von Freyberg, 54, fills the nine-month-

long vacancy at the helm of the Bank. The credit card halt was a separate incident. The Vatican said on February 13 it had signed an agreement with the Switzerland-based Aduno Group, a company that issues credit cards and handles online payments, as well as offering point-of-sale services to businesses wanting to accept credit- and debit-cards. The Vatican was forced to stop accepting cards on January 1 after Italy’s central bank denied permission to Deutsche Bank Italia to continue offering the service. The central bank claimed the Vatican’s banking and financial laws were not stringent enough to prevent money laundering. - CNS

PHOTO: ATTRIBUTION HERE

there is ever a good time for it to happen.” Restorative work to the building commenced in October 2012, and now looks set for an earlier than expected finish. The Lotterywest grant of $59,890 for the Pro-Cathedral’s restoration was approved by State Premier Colin Barnett in April 2012. SYRIA

Patriarch visits, prays for war-torn Syrians LEBANON’S Maronite Catholic patriarch, visiting war-torn Syria for the enthronement of Greek Orthodox Patriarch John, prayed for peace in the country. Celebrating Mass on the feast of St Maron on February 9, Cardinal Bechara Rai said in his homily, “We pray each day for the end of war and violence and that a unanimous peace may be achieved through cooperation. We came to pray for peace in Syria and for the innocent victims and to console their families, and for the return of displaced persons to their homes and lands,” the patriarch said. Cardinal Rai’s visit to Syria was the first by a Maronite patriarch since Lebanon’s independence from France in 1943.

therecord.com.au

February 20, 2013

Pioneering fertility researcher dies, 95

Dr Evelyn Billings, who with husband John developed the Billings Method, has died aged 95. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

DOCTOR Evelyn Billings, who was one half of a remarkable husband and wife partnership that became world-renowned pioneers of natural fertility regulation, passed away on February 16 aged 95. Together with her husband, Dr John Billings, she founded the Method of natural fertility regulation which bears their name. The Billings Method, as it is known today, is based on helping women to recognise periods of fertility and infertlity during their monthly cycle using vaginal mucus secretions as a key indicator. Dr Evelyn Billings’ studies on breastfeeding mothers and women approaching menopause made a major contribution to the work. For half a century the couple traveled the world teaching and promoting the Billings Ovulation Method in faithfulness to Pope Paul VI’s call to “men (and women) of science (and) physicians (to) be obedient to the Lord’s call and to act as faithful interpreters of His plan.” She was the author of the best selling non-fiction book The Billings Method, first published in 1980. The book was reprinted 16 times with seven new or revised editions. The latest completely revised edition was published in 2011. Access to this book, published in 22 languages, made the Billings Method a household name and gave hope to millions of couples throughout the world. In 2003 Blessed Pope John Paul II made Evelyn a Dame Commander of St Gregory the Great; she was also an active member of the Pontifical Academy for Life. She was recognised with honorary doctorates from universities around the world. In 2002 the International Catholic Federation of Medical Associations jointly declared Drs John and Evelyn Billings International Catholic Physicians of the Year. Couples in more than 100 countries bear testament to the work of the couple. In China alone, where they trained thousands to teach their Method, a substantial drop in the abortion rate has been attributed to their work. Countries struggling with population growth such as India and China, to name a few, have also invested heavily in Billings fertility education centres because of the Billings method’s high success rate in helping space conception or preventing it. The method also substantially aided many couples experiencing infertility to cenceive. She is survived by eight of her nine children, 39 grandchildren and 31 great grandchildren. Editorial - Page 20

therecord.com.au February 20, 2013

THE PARISH. THE NATION. THE WORLD

Wheatbelt families lose hostel By Matthew Biddle GERALDTON’S historic Nagle Catholic College will close its boarding house in 2015. The decision was made earlier this month after two reviews were completed last year that suggested the boarding house was not financially sustainable. College principal Declan Tanham said recent demographic changes had resulted in fewer boarders, leaving the College at a financial loss.

“Nationally there’s been a decrease in the demand for boarding, and that’s the same here in the Midwest and across WA,” he said. “Farms are getting bigger and the number of families working on farms is decreasing, so all of that [leads to] fewer children seeking boarding places.” Mr Tanham said the boarding house itself “is not contemporary and does not meet modern standards.” While students in the higher year levels will be able to complete

their studies unaffected, younger students will need to make alternative arrangements if they require accommodation. Geraldton Bishop Justin Bianchini said the end result was “quite disappointing”. “It affects some people pretty deeply,” he said. “I share the disappointment of the people, especially those affected deeply by the change.” The school is currently working through a number of options to accommodate students beyond

2015. It is hoped that an agreement can be made for Nagle College students to board at Geraldton Residential College, which is less than one kilometre away. However, unlike Nagle’s boarding house which has two separate houses for boys and girls, Geraldton Residential College has only one house with separate living quarters. “We will work with them to assist our families to relocate if they choose to,” Mr Tanham said. Mr Tanham rejected claims that the College’s boarding fees are the

cause of decreased numbers of boarders. “We would be among the cheaper schools,” he said. In 2012 the cost of boarding at Nagle College for the year was $14,604 plus tuition fees. There are no other Catholic boarding facilities in the Geraldton diocese. A school meeting on the issue was due to be held as The Record went to press on Tuesday this week. Opinion: Country priest speaks up Page 20

Professor Celia Hammond has been re-appointed as Vice Chancellor of The University of Notre Dame Australia for another five years. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

Staff, students, meet to discuss resignation’s historic implications

Notre Dame reappoints VC for a second term THE UNIVERSITY of Notre Dame Australia’s Board of Governors has reappointed Professor Celia Hammond for a further five years as the university’s Vice Chancellor. During her first term, Prof Hammond has presided over extensive expansion of the university at its two Australian campuses in Fremantle and on Broadway in Sydney, NSW. Deputy Chancellor Peter Prendiville said the university’s governing body was extremely confident in the Vice Chancellor’s abilities. “We are delighted to extend her term for a further period after the significant success of the university under her leadership over the past four years,” he said. “The expansion of both the Sydney and Fremantle campuses, as well as the significant increase in student numbers, is testimony to the management of the senior leadership team led by Professor Hammond.” Professor Hammond said it has been a privilege and an honour to hold the position of Vice Chancellor for the past four and a half years. “I sincerely thank everyone for the passion and commitment shown to this beautiful institution that has enabled it to grow, develop and flourish since its inception,” she said. “I remain humbled to be the current ‘steward’ of the position of Vice Chancellor.” In 2008, Professor

Hammond succeeded longstanding Vice Chancellor Dr Peter Tannock who served as Vice Chancellor of the university for 16 years.

Cardinal writes and tweets BRAZILIAN Cardinal Odilo Pedro Scherer of Sao Paulo, 63, heads Brazil’s largest diocese and ministers in one of the most populous cities in the world. In the city of more than 11 million people – more than 80 per cent of whom are Catholic – the Cardinal oversees parishes that struggle with high poverty rates, crime, youth unemployment and lack of basic services like running water. On his archdiocesan website and in newspapers, Cardinal Scherer regularly offers Catholic-based commentary on issues making the news in Brazil. He also has a very active Twitter account with more than 20,000 followers, which he uses to provide short reflections on Sundays and holy days, but also to respond to people’s questions and comments. The Cardinal has not shied away

from controversial topics, including criticism of some of the Pentecostal churches that have been acquiring growing numbers of adherents in Brazil, which remains the country with the world’s largest Catholic population. In a column published on his archdiocesan website, he said the explosion of new religious communities in Brazil is a sign that people do, in fact, still yearn for God. But, he said, too often people’s longing for God is “exploited as a source of profit and an excuse to take people’s money.” In an early February column titled “How Much Does the Bishop Earn?” Cardinal Scherer tried to respond to an uproar in Brazil caused by a news investigation into the amount of money Brazilians donate each year to churches and other religious organisations. - CNS

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THE UNIVERSITY of Notre Dame in Fremantle held a discussion last week on the implications of Pope Benedict XVI’s resignation and the Vatican’s voting process. Professor Peter Black from the university’s School of Philosophy and Theology presented the topic for discussion as part of a new university initiative called ‘Fridays at Fairweathers’. The initiative is a series of events where staff will have an opportunity to engage in a topic related to the Catholic faith and values that define Notre Dame’s mission as a Catholic university. As the first pope to resign since Gregory XII in 1415, professor Black said that Pope Benedict XVI would still remain an important part of the Catholic religious community. Professor Black explained that during the “historical and ceremonious” voting process, the 117 cardinals, who would elect the new pope, were sworn to take oaths of secrecy and were barred from using telephones or watching television. “Pope Benedict changed the rules to ensure a two-thirds majority for the election of a new pope, with the voting process expected to begin between the 15th and 20th days of the Chair of St Peter being vacant,” professor Black said.

UNDA students meet Pope Benedict at the opening of the University library on the Sydney campus in 2008. PHOTO: SUPPLIED

In her memo to staff, vice chancellor professor Celia Hammond said during his time as Pontiff, Pope Benedict XVI has led the Church

The series is related to UNDA’s Catholic mission. with a rare combination of faith, charity and intellect. “We at Notre Dame will always hold precious the memory of his

visit to our Sydney campus to open the Benedict XVI Library,” Professor Hammond said. “At this time we should all pray for our Pontiff and give thanks for the example he set us of faith and reason in word and deed. “Let us also pray for the Universal Church and for the cardinals as we await the beginning of this latest chapter in our two-thousand-yearold story.” Papal transition - Pages 12 onwards

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therecord.com.au

February 20, 2013

Year of Grace pregnant

ather than focusing on the absence of God in our world today, we should be tuning in to His presence - and that, in a nutshell, is what the Year of Grace is all about. The year, which was officially launched on Pentecost Sunday in 2012 and will finish on Pentecost Sunday this year, was simply an invitation by the Australian Bishops Conference to all Catholics to take the time to ask themselves, as individuals and as parishes: “Is Jesus central to everything I do?” During an address to Perth parish priests and representatives early last year, Archbishop Tim Costelloe, one of the four Bishops on the working party behind the initiative, was just as keen to explain what the year wasn't as he was to present what it was. “This is not another program” he emphasised. “It is a call and invitation from the Bishops to the Australian Church to encounter conversion rather than education... more a time to know Jesus, rather than know about Jesus”. It is a call to prayer and an opportunity for reflection and not a time for problem solving, he explained. The Archbishop acknowledged the difficulties faced by the Church today, but was adamant that unless we were first centred on Christ we would not be in a position to deal with these challenges.

Now in its ninth month, Mark Reidy looks back at the foundation and meaning behind The year, he said, was the result approached by former Archbishop of much prayer and reflection and Barry Hickey to take the role as cowas the work of the Holy Spirit. It ordinator of the Year of Grace in the resulted in the Bishops inviting the Perth Archdiocese, she was initially Australian Church to enter a period reluctant. of “Retreat”, putting aside the busyHer immediate reaction, she ness of life and taking time to “let explained in an interview with The the Holy Spirit work within us to Record in May 2012, was, “What show us what it means to be a dis- exactly is grace and how can I preciple of Jesus”. sent it to others?”. However in what The inspiration for the Year, the she describes as a personal moment Archbishop shared, came from two of grace, she was able to instantanerecent national experiences of grace in the form of WYD This is not another in Sydney in 2008 and program ... “It is a the canonisation of Mary call and invitation Mackillop in 2010, as well from the Bishops to the Australian as the call from Blessed Church to ... know Jesus, JohnPaul II in his rather than know about Jesus” 2001Apostolic letter (“At the - Archbishop Timothy Costelloe, Beginning Archbishop of Perth of the New Millennium”) to “contemplate the face of Christ”. ously embrace the call and has since Archbishop Costelloe acknowl- thrown herself headlong into it. edged that the year was an Her spark of revelation came “Abrahamic Journey” - a call to during one of the information sesleave where we are even though we sions explaining what the year was are not sure where we are going. about. A Bishop described how “We will trust where the Holy Spirit his own understanding was transwill lead us”, he said. formed during a visit to a classroom When Paddy Buckley was of young children.

When asked what children should do if they were ever lost, a small boy put his hand up and announced, “My Mum told me what to. She said, 'Just stand still and I will find you'”. It provided Ms Buckley with both clarity and inspiration for the year ahead, understanding that grace was not something that had to be, or even could be, packaged or presented as a program or formula. “Time is such a precious commodity in today's world”, she said, “We all have so many things to do we never have time to stand still”. Her enthusiasm for the year has not waned as she has been awakened to the grace within her own life as well as seeing the fruit in the lives of those around her. In a recent interview Ms Buckley expressed her excitement at the “genuine and rewarding” responses of both individuals and parishes across the Diocese. She believes that people have taken the call to heart

and have tailored the opportunity to suit the needs and uniqueness of their parishes. She described the initiative as a “smorgasbord”, rather than “prescriptive” explaining that people and communities can take what they want from suggestions offered, such as on the Faith Centre website (listed below) or could initiate their own. “If by the end of the year we are able to ask ourselves, in any given situation, 'Where is Jesus in this?' then I will know that it has been a successful year”, Ms Buckley declared. She said her own understanding of grace has continued to evolve as she increasingly recognised the working of God in her everyday life. “I have found this to be a common response from those who have participated throughout the year”, she added, “They have become thankful for those things in their lives they had previously attributed to 'luck', but now recognise as moments of grace”. Father Peter Brock, the national Project Officer appointed by the Australian Bishops, is equally pleased with the response to date. He told The Record he believed the Bishop's invitation had been “embraced warmly all over Australia and that dioceses, parishes, schools, homes and individuals are enthusiastically engaging in many prayerful, fruitful and creative ways”. Father Brock agreed with

VISTA

therecord.com.au February 20, 2013

No Cardinal rule for papal successor Like everyone else, I was surprised by the sudden resignation of Pope Benedict, whom we had all come to love. This raises many questions. Is this provided for in law? To whom does the Pope submit his resignation? And can the Cardinals elect someone who is not a Cardinal?

This is a painting of the traditional subject of the Annunciation, by the Italian Renaissance artists Leonardo da Vinci and Andrea del Verrocchio, dating from circa 1472–1475 and housed in the Uffizi Gallery of Florence, Italy. PHOTO: ONLINE SOURCE

with possibilities the Australian bishops' call for a special country-wide Year of Grace. the description provided by Bishop Michael Putney of Townsville, “There are no programs, there will just be a thousand opportunities”. Many of these opportunities and events have already, or are now occurring across the nation and can be found on the Year of Faith website. As important as these events are, it seems the common message promoted by those behind the year hinges on the necessity of drawing Jesus into every aspect of a parish or parishioner's life. Archbishop Costello was passionate in his desire to get this point across to parish representatives at their meeting last year: “This is an opportunity to put Christ in the centre of our lives in the practical day-to-day realities of our lives ... If Jesus is not both theoretically and practically at the heart of our faith as a Catholic community, then perhaps we have no heart”, he ventured to say. There are many interpretations given for the word “grace”. Paddy Buckley shares the story of an enthusiastic 92-year-old parishioner who investigated as many possible meanings as she could and came up with over 80 definitions. The heart of the message for Australian Catholics, however, is simply “going back to the basics and centring ourselves on Christ”, Archbishop Costelloe has said. It is hoped that, through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, the Year

of Grace will provide individuals, parishes and the National Church with the opportunity for their eyes to be opened to God's grace at all levels. It may begin with the smallest detail - flower, a moment, a friend - Paddy Buckley points out. Or it

“If Jesus is not both theoretically and practically at the heart of our faith ... then perhaps we have no heart ... This is an opportunity to put Christ in the centre of our lives. may lead to a deeper understanding, recognising God in our lives within family, schools and church communities. We may, as Archbishop Costelloe suggested, begin to ask ourselves, “Where is Jesus in this council meeting or in this appointment of a principal?” We may even be drawn to recognising grace within more spiritually intimate aspects of our lives, as Sydney Bishop Julian Porteous

offers: “The Year of grace is the opportunity to discover the centrality of God's action in our lives in the face of the mistaken belief we can merit our own salvation”. We may begin to recognise the beauty of the Catechism's definition: “Grace is favour, the free and undeserved help that God gives us to respond to his call to become children of God, adoptive sons, partakers of the divine nature and of eternal life” (CCC1996). All these things, from the most trivial to the most significant are, in themselves, gifts from God, and are neither earned, nor deserved. By accepting the Bishop's invitation and providing our parishes and ourselves with the opportunity to invite Jesus into the centre of all we do, no matter where each of us is on our journey with Christ, we will be opening the doors to a deeper understanding of this relationship. “It is not so much about creating more things to do”, Archbishop Costelloe explained, “but about asking ourselves whether Christ is at the heart of what we are doing now.” “The heart of this year is not Grace”, he said, “but Christ - as Christ is the great grace given to us by God”. For the full presentation given by Archbishop Costelloe go to thefaith.org.au. To see what other parishes across the nation have been doing, visit yearofgrace.catholic.org.au.

E WERE all surprised by the sudden resignation of Pope Benedict. He has done so much good for the Church in his almost eight years as Pope, and we were looking forward to many more years. It is not surprising that as he approaches his eighty-sixth birthday, and in declining health and energy, he feels the burden of carrying the weight of the entire Church on his shoulders, with more than a billion faithful in his care and a very demanding daily workload. It is therefore understandable that Pope Benedict feels that he cannot do justice to the position and he chooses to relinquish it to a younger person. If one looks at the secular world, there is virtually no one anywhere near his age who is still the head of a large organisation, let alone an organisation as large as the Catholic Church. To put the resignation in perspective, the Code of Canon Law requires all bishops to submit their resignation to the Pope on reaching their seventy-fifth birthday, obviously because at that age it is increasingly difficult for anyone to discharge the duties of his office. Also, and perhaps just as relevant, is the provision that a bishop who, because of illness or some other grave reason, has become unsuited for the fulfilment of his office, is earnestly requested to offer his resignation (cf. Can. 401, §§ 1 and 2; Can. 411). The same criterion applies to parish priests, who are to submit their resignation to the diocesan bishop on turning seventy-five (cf. Can. 538, §3). In the case of both bishops and parish priests, their resignation need not be accepted by the higher authority (cf. Can. 401, Can. 538, §3). Even though the Pope is elected for life and does not need to submit his resignation, the Code of Canon Law specifically mentions this possibility: “Should it happen that the Roman Pontiff resigns from his office, it is required for validity that the resignation be freely made and properly manifested, but it is not necessary that it be accepted by anyone” (Can. 332, §2). The last phrase about the resignation not needing to be accepted simply acknowledges the fact that, since the Pope has no lawful superior in the Church, there is no higher authority to whom he can submit his resignation and who can accept or refuse it. In this case, Pope Benedict announced his resignation in a meeting of

Q&A FR JOHN FLADER

Cardinals. Once the Pope has freely and publicly manifested his intention to resign, his resignation takes effect automatically at the time he determines. We are of course not used to a Pope resigning, the last one to do so being over 600 years ago, but it is possible that now that Pope Benedict has resigned, other Popes may choose to do the same when they feel that they are no longer capable of carrying out the duties of the office satisfactorily. Can the Cardinals elect as Pope someone who is not a Cardinal? While in modern times this has not happened, there is no reason why it could not happen, since there is no requirement in Canon Law that the person elected Pope be a Cardinal. There is nonetheless a longstanding tradition, going back to the Roman Synod of 769, which decided that the Pope was to be elected from among the Cardinal bishops, priests and deacons of Rome and the surrounding dioceses (cf. J. Flader, Question Time 2, Connor Court 2012, q. 173). Even today, all the Cardinals of the world are assigned to a Roman parish so they would all fulfil this condition. The Code of Canon Law envisions the possibility that the one chosen to be Pope is not even a bishop, in which case he is to be ordained a bishop immediately (cf. Can. 332 §1). But it should be remembered that those to be named Cardinals need not be bishops, in which case they are to be ordained bishops (cf. Can. 351, §1). So there may be a Cardinal in the conclave who is not yet a bishop and he could be elected Pope. How about the election of someone who is not in the conclave? This too is possible, especially if the one elected is a Cardinal who was not able to attend the conclave due to illness or for some other grave reason. Indeed, the norms for papal elections promulgated by Pope John Paul II in 1996 envision the possibility that the newly elected Pope does not reside in Vatican City and also that he is not already a bishop (cf. Universi Dominici Gregis, 90). In any case, it is all up to the Holy Spirit and so we pray very much for the Cardinal electors and for the next Pope, whoever he may be. - frjflader@gmail.com

THE TRANSITION

Pope was exhausted: biographer

ITALY

Rome hospital placed under new leadership Pope Benedict XVI has entrusted the leadership of the financially troubled Sons of the Immaculate Conception to Cardinal Giuseppe Versaldi, president of the Prefecture for the Economic Affairs of the Holy See. The religious order, which has about 400 priests and brothers, runs a major hospital in Rome specialising in diseases and cancers of the skin. After an apostolic visitation of the order, Pope Benedict "decided to entrust the governance" of the order to Cardinal Versaldi, said a statement from the Vatican on February 18. The statement added that Vatican funds would not be used to rescue the order's Italian hospital group, IDI Healthcare. - CNS

German industrialist to head Vatican Bank In one of his last efforts to clean up the image of the Vatican Bank, Pope Benedict XVI approved the hiring of the chairman of a German shipyard as the Bank's new president. Ernst von Freyberg, 54, fills a nine-monthlong vacancy at the helm of the Bank after its former president, Ettore Gotti Tedeschi, was ousted in May for incompetence. The Commission of Cardinals for the Vatican Bank, formally called the Institute for the Works of Religion, announced the appointment on February 15 in a six-month-long hiring process that included the help of an independent head-hunting agency. - CNS

US architect of EWTN success dies, 80 US Deacon Bill Steltemeier, founding president of the Eternal Word Television Network and its longtime board chairman, died on February 15 following a lengthy illness. He was 83. The deacon, who died at his home in Hanceville, was known to EWTN viewers around the world as a close associate of Mother Angelica, the network's foundress. "Other than Mother Angelica herself, there is no one who has been more closely associated with the mission of EWTN throughout its history than Deacon Bill Steltemeier," said Michael Warsaw, EWTN's president and CEO. "In all respects, he was a man of incredible faithfulness. As a husband, a father, an attorney and in his vocation as a permanent deacon, Bill always remained focused on serving God and serving others," Warsaw said in a statement. "He devoted himself totally to Mother Angelica's mission." - CNS

February 20, 2013

THE TRANSITION

therecord.com.au February 20, 2013

Twelve who might hold the key

GERMANY

Pope Benedict XVI was "exhausted and disheartened" well before his February 11 resignation announcement, according to his German biographer, Peter Seewald. In an article, "Farewell to my Pope" in the February 18 issue of Germany's Focus weekly, Seewald said he had held several Vatican meetings with the 85-year-old Pontiff over the six months while preparing a new biography. He added that he had "never seen Benedict XVI so drained of energy" and "deeply disheartened" as when he met him last summer. Asked what could still be expected of his pontificate, according to Seewald, the Pope answered: "From me – not much now. I'm an old man and I've lost my strength. I think I've done enough." The 58-year-old Seewald, a fellow-Bavarian and former editor of Germany's Der Spiegel weekly, has published several interview-based books on Pope Benedict, including a biography in 2006 and the 2010 bestseller, Light of the World. - CNS

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Picking leading candidates for Pope is risky. Among the current cardinals, however, ‘observers’ Continued from Page 1 coordinates the nomination of bishops in Latin-rite dioceses around the world, so his work has brought him into frequent contact with most of his fellow cardinalelectors. As president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, he is well acquainted with one of the Church’s largest and fastest-growing regions. Former Archbishop of Quebec, he taught at the John Paul II Institute at Rome’s Pontifical Lateran University, and is also a well-respected theologian. l Italian Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, 70, president of the Pontifical Council for Culture, was the prelate chosen by Pope Benedict to lead his 2013 Lenten retreat, which will make him a prominent voice at the Vatican in the run-up to the election. The Cardinal, a scholar with little direct pastoral experience, has been leading the universal Church’s efforts to develop a non-confrontational dialogue with non-believers, trying to make Christianity intelligible to the modern mind and build a reason-based consensus on key moral issues.

Cardinal Ravasi was chosen by the Pope to lead his 2013 Lenten retreat, which will make him prominent ... l Another Salesian, Honduran Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga of Tegucigalpa, 70, is president of Caritas Internationalis, the umbrella group of national Catholic charities around the world. As a result, many of his peers have come to know the multilingual Cardinal as the person spearheading assistance to the neediest of their people. He aroused controversy in 2002 with remarks about clergy sex abuse that struck some as overly defensive of accused priests and past Church policies but was already widely mentioned as a possible pope before the 2005 conclave that elected Pope Benedict. l Argentine Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, 69, was born to parents of Italian descent and maintained strong ties with both Italy and Argentina. As prefect of the Congregation for Eastern Churches, he is familiar with challenges facing Eastern Catholics and the pastoral concerns of the Church in the

(whoever these are) feel one of 12 individuals is likely to be elected ...

Conclave to shut down tweeting cardinals

Frontrunners?

Here are the 12 cardinals regarded as likely to have key influence in a conclave to elect the next Pope. Cardinal Timothy Dolan Archdiocese of New York Nationality: US Age: 63

Cardinal Peter Erdo Archdiocese of EsztergomBudapest Nationality: Hungarian Age: 60

Cardinal Marc Oullet Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops Nationality: Canadian Age: 68

Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi President of the Pontifical Council for Culture Nationality: Italian Age: 70

Cardinal Leonardo Sandri Prefect of the Congregation for Eastern Churches Nationality: Argentinian Age: 69

Cardinal Robert Sarah President of the Pontifical Council ‘Cor Unum’ Nationality: Guinean Age: 67

Cardinal Odilo Scherer Archdiocese of Sao Paolo Nationality: Brazilian Age: 63

Cardinal Christoph Schonborn Archdiocese of Vienna Nationality: Austrian Age: 68

Cardinal Angelo Scola Archdiocese of Milan Nationality: Italian Age: 71

Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga Archdiocese of Tegucigalpa Nationality: Honduran Age: 70

Cardinal Luis Tagle Archdiocese of Manila Nationality: Filipino Age: 55

Cardinal Peter Turkson President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace Nationality: Ghanain Age: 64 GRAPHIC: THE RECORD; PHOTOS: CNS, AGENCIES

Middle East. He has worked in the Vatican for more than a dozen years and previously served as nuncio to Venezuela and Mexico. His only parish experience was a brief assignment shortly after his ordination. l Guinean Cardinal Robert Sarah, 67, is president of the Pontifical Council Cor Unum which

scripture scholar and former diocesan bishop, he served nine years as secretary of the Congregation for the Evangelisation of Peoples. l Another leading voice of the South American Church is 63-yearold Brazilian Cardinal Odilo Scherer of Sao Paulo, Brazil, the country’s largest diocese. The son of German immigrants, he also has

Cardinal Schonborn has known Benedict for decades, studying under him at Regensburg. promotes Catholic charitable giving. He has used his leadership to emphasise the Pope’s teaching that Catholic charitable activity must not be simple philanthropy but an expression of faith, rooted in prayer and Catholic identity. A

strong ties to Rome. He studied philosophy and theology at Rome’s Pontifical Brazilian College and Pontifical Gregorian University and worked as an official of the Congregation for Bishops from 1994 to 2001.

l Austrian Cardinal Christoph Schonborn, 68, has known Pope Benedict XVI for almost 40 years, having studied under him at the University of Regensburg, Germany. Even before his former professor became Pope, the Cardinal was well known at the Vatican and in wider Church circles. He was invited in 1996 to preach Blessed John Paul II’s Lenten retreat and was the main editor of the Catechism of the Catholic Church, published in 1992. As the Church in Austria has struggled with declining attendance and calls for change in some of its most basic disciplines, the Cardinal's response has received increasing attention, with some praising his prudence and pastoral sensitivity, and others calling for more decisive action.

PARROTS may squawk in the Vatican gardens during a conclave but cardinals are not allowed to tweet. For most of the 117 redvested princes of the Church who are eligible to vote for a new pope, Twitter isn't an issue at all. But the College of Cardinals does include at least nine active tweeters. From the moment they enter the Sistine Chapel to cast their ballots, they will be forbidden access to their accounts along with all other forms of communication with the outside world. Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York (@CardinalDolan) informed his almost 80,000 Twitter followers when Pope Benedict XVI announced his resignation

Cardinal Dolan informed his almost 80,000 followers of the Pope's resignation as soon as he heard the news.

Signs of age: Pope Benedict XVI is assisted by two aides as he departs St Peter's last November. PHOTO: TONY GENTILE/REUTERS l Italian Cardinal Angelo Scola, 71, is Archbishop of Milan, the Archdiocese led by both Popes Pius XI and Paul VI when they were elected. He previously served as patriarch of Venice, once the see of Blessed John XXIII. A respected theologian rather than a popular preacher, he has longstanding ties to one of the new Church movements, Communion and Liberation which is based in his Archdiocese. l Philippine Cardinal Luis Tagle of Manila, 55, is one of the youngest and newest members of the College of Cardinals. Although he did not receive his red hat until November 2012, he had already made a name for himself at the world Synod of Bishops on the Word of God in 2008. This leader of one of the world’s fastest-growing

churches is a popular speaker with a doctorate in systematic theology and has served on the International Theological Commission, an advisory body to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. l Cardinal Peter Turkson, 64, is the former Archbishop of Cape Coast, Ghana and current president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. A biblical scholar active in ecumenical and interreligious dialogue, he has frequently appeared on lists of possible popes. He aroused controversy in 2011 with a proposal for a “world central bank” to regulate the global financial industry and in October 2012 when he showed bishops at the Vatican a video warning about the growth of Muslim populations in Europe. - CNS

on February 11. As of February 15, Cardinal Sean O'Malley of Boston (@CardinalSean) had not mentioned the Pope's resignation on Twitter. In fact, the last tweet to his more than 9,200 followers was posted two days before the announcement. After the announcement, Cardinal Gianfranco Ravasi, (@CardRavasi) president of the Pontifical Council for Culture, almost immediately tweeted a traditional prayer in Latin: "Sub tuum praesidium confugimus, sancta Dei Genetrix" ("Under thy protection we seek refuge, O Holy Mother of God"). The Italian Cardinal, often mentioned on pundits' lists of possible popes, has more than 35,400 followers and tweets frequently. Brazilian Cardinal Odilo Scherer of Sao Paulo (@DomOdiloScherer is not a daily tweeter but, on February 14, he used Twitter, with its 140-character maximum for messages, to comment, "I am impressed with the interpretations I have read of the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI".

The Mayor, the Council and the crowds of Rome flock

to St Peter's Square to bid a fond adieu

Admitting these are unusual times, not only for the Church but for himself, Pope focuses on

Lent – seeking prayers for self and successor

alling this an unusual time for him and for the Church – but not specifically mentioning his resignation – Pope Benedict XVI thanked people for their affection and asked them to continue their prayers. A roar of applause rose up from more than 50,000 people gathered in St Peter’s Square on February 17 as Pope Benedict came to his studio window to lead the Angelus prayer. People came to St Peter’s in larger numbers than normal for a Sunday Angelus because it was the first completely public, no-

tickets-needed event since the Pope announced on February 11 that he would be stepping down on February 28. As he does every week, he greeted groups of pilgrims in their native tongues. Addressing Spanish speakers, he said, “My heartfelt thanks ... for your prayers and affection in these days. Continue to pray for me and the next pope.” And he told Polish speakers, “Thank you for your prayerful support and spiritual closeness in these days that are so unusual for the Church and for me.” Before leading the Angelus prayer, Pope Benedict comment-

ed on the beginning of Lent and the day’s Gospel reading about the temptation of Jesus. He said Lent is a time for Catholics to renew their spiritual lives and turn to God, “renouncing pride and selfishness to live in love”. Making God the centre of one’s life, he said, requires “spiritual battle” because the devil doesn’t want people to be holy and “tries to detour us from the path toward God”. The Gospel account of the temptation of Jesus in the desert, he said, shows just how “subtle” the devil can be: he does not try

to trick Jesus directly into evil, but tempts him with “a false good”. When power or material goods, even basic necessities, become the most important priorities, “God becomes secondary”, the Pope said. “In the final analysis, faith is at stake with temptations because God is at stake. In the decisive moments of our lives, we face a juncture: do we want to follow the ego or God, individual interests or the one who is truly good?” The good news, the Pope said, is that Jesus has defeated the devil for us, “therefore, we are

not afraid to take up the battle against evil; what is important is that we do so with him, with Christ, the victor”. For many Roman families, joining the Pope for the recitation of the Angelus is a normal part of a Sunday or holiday stroll, and on February 17 they were joined by Gianni Alemanno, mayor of Rome, and members of the city council. With large crowds expected, officers from a variety of Italian and Rome police forces, as well as paramedics and even garbage collectors, had deployed along the broad avenue leading to St

Peter’s Square and along the square’s perimeter by 10am. An hour before the Angelus, thousands of people were already in the square. The young staked out places by sitting on the cold cobblestones. Others previewed their banners for the press, including some that said: “You are Peter. Stay” and “Thank you, Holy Father. We love you very much”. Pope Benedict ended his remarks by asking for special prayers for himself and his top aides in the Roman Curia as they were about to begin their annual Lenten retreat that evening. -CNS

A boy watches the Pope with his telescope. PHOTO: PAUL HARING, CNS

Mystery of the missing encyclical Pope Benedict has produced two encyclicals, one on Love, one on Hope. Everyone was expecting another – on Faith ... POPE Benedict XVI’s historic decision to resign at the end of February has astonished and perplexed the world in many ways, not least because of what might be called the mystery of the missing encyclical. In December, the Vatican spokesman, Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, said that Pope Benedict’s fourth encyclical would be released in the first half of 2013. Treating the subject of faith, the encyclical would complete a trilogy on the three “theological virtues” following Deus Caritas Est (2005) on charity, and Spe Salvi (2007) on hope. The day after the Pope’s announcement, Fr Lombardi announced that Pope Benedict would not issue another encyclical after all. The news was surprising because it suggested that Pope Benedict, a former professor who has placed a priority on his teach-

ish the task. Popes tend to honour their predecessors’ commitments, which is why everyone assumes that the next pope will travel to Rio de Janeiro for World Youth Day in July. Indeed, Pope Benedict’s own first encyclical, Deus Caritas Est, was started by his predecessor, Blessed John Paul II. A major papal document whose production bridged the transition between the two pontificates could serve as a reassuring sign of continuity. At the same time, since the next pope would undoubtedly stamp the encyclical with his distinctive priorities and style, it would exemplify Pope Benedict’s ideal of reform as “innovation in continuity” with Church tradition. Pope Benedict has been careful throughout his pontificate to distinguish his personal writings from his papal documents, by publishing his bestselling series

A girl draped in a Vatican flag sits above the crowd attending Pope Benedict XVI’s Angelus in St Peter’s Square on February 17. PHOTO: PAUL HARING

ing role as Pope, had abandoned the most prominent teaching project of his pontificate just before its completion. It was hardly plausible that so prolific an author might be suffering from writer’s block, even given the deteriorating “strength of mind and body” he cited in announcing his resignation. Three days after that announcement, Pope Benedict delivered a highly structured, 46-minute long public talk, without a prepared text. But, unlike an off-the-cuff speech, papal encyclicals are not one-man productions. Though the Pope ultimately determines their content, they are typically the fruit of much behind-the-scenes collaboration with Vatican officials and often with outside consultants as well. Pope Benedict’s last encyclical, Caritas in Veritate (2009), appeared more than a year after its expected date, reportedly because of complications in this process. It is likely that such was the case again this time. Fr Lombardi has suggested the former Pope Benedict might eventually publish the document under his own name, in which case it would not rank as part of the papal magisterium. But it is at least as likely that his successor will take up and fin-

of Jesus of Nazareth books under the name Joseph Ratzinger. The knowledge that the next encyclical was the work of more than one pope would further underscore its impersonal character and reinforce the idea, which Pope Benedict has conveyed so dramatically through his resignation, that the papacy is an office distinct from any individual who might hold it. Only three days before he announced he would step down, the outgoing Pope said something that has acquired a more personal meaning in light of that historic event. Commenting on the First Letter of Peter to an audience of seminarians, Pope Benedict noted internal evidence that the apostle and first pope was not the epistle’s sole author. “He does not write alone, an isolated individual, he writes with the help of the Church,” Pope Benedict said. “Peter does not speak as an individual, he speaks ex persona Ecclesiae, he speaks as a man of the Church ... He does not want to say only his word, but truly carries in himself the waters of the faith, the waters of all the Church, and precisely this way gives fertility, gives fecundity and is a personal witness who opens himself to the Lord.” - CNS

THE TRANSITION

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February 20, 2013

The who’s who of Here is an explanation of some of the terms and practices related to the time between Pope

“Sede vacante”

Dean, College of Cardinals

Dioceses are also called Sees. The Latin for “when the See is vacant” is “sede vacante”. When the vacant See is the Diocese of Rome, all major Church decisions, such as new legislation or the appointment of bishops, stops until a new pope is elected. Only ordinary business and matters that cannot be postponed can be conducted by the College of Cardinals.

Cardinal Angelo Sodano, Dean, will call the cardinals to Rome and preside over their daily meetings before the conclave. As he is over 80 and ineligible to enter the conclave, the dean’s duties inside the Sistine Chapel will be handled by Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, the top-ranking cardinal-bishop of those under 80. Inside the chapel, Cardinal Re will administer the oath of secrecy and preside over the conclave. When a candidate achieves a two-thirds majority vote, the dean asks the candidate if he accepts the election and what name he will take.

Interregnum

Cardinal-electors

The period between popes is called an interregnum – between reigns – even though Pope Paul VI set aside many of the regal trappings of the papacy and references to a papal “reign” gradually fell into disuse. Pope Paul inaugurated his ministry in 1963 with a coronation, then set aside the papal tiara. It was the last time a pope wore the beehive-shaped tiara, a triple crown.

Only cardinals under the age of 80 on the day the “sede vacante” begins can enter a conclave and vote for a pope. Even if he is retired from other Church posts, if a cardinal is under 80 he is considered an active cardinal for the purposes of the conclave. As of February 28, there will be 117 cardinalelectors.

Conclave

General Congregations

A meeting of cardinals to elect a new pope is a conclave. The word – from the Latin “cum clave” (with key) – means under lock and key. In 1268, cardinals couldn’t decide on a new pope. After nearly three years, the people finally locked them up and cut their rations. The man elected, Pope Gregory X, ordered that in the future cardinals be sequestered from the start, and eventually the practice became normative.

All cardinals who are able to go to Rome attend the general congregations, which are daily meetings in which the College of Cardinals prepares for a conclave, discusses the needs of the Church and handles more serious Church business that must be attended to between popes. Cardinals over 80 may participate in these meetings but they are not required to do so. General congregations end when the cardinals enter into conclave.

Camerlengo

Particular Congregations

Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, as camerlengo, or chamberlain of the Holy Roman Church, assisted by the vice chamberlain and a canonical adviser, is in charge of safeguarding the temporal goods of the Church and its temporal rights during the interregnum. The chamberlain heads a three-member commission that oversees physical preparations for the conclave and leads what is called a “particular congregation” – a group of three other cardinals chosen by lot – to conduct the minor day-to-day business of the Vatican until a new pope is elected.

Between popes, the Church’s camerlengo and three other cardinals chosen by lot handle the day-to-day business of the Holy See in daily meetings called particular congregations. These continue while the cardinals are in conclave. Every three days three new cardinals are chosen by lot to assist the camerlengo.

DESIGN: MAT DE SOUSA

THE TRANSITION

therecord.com.au February 20, 2013

a papal conclave Benedict XVI’s resignation at 8pm Rome time on February 28 and the election of a new pope.

Scrutineers

Revisers

These are three cardinals, chosen by lot at the start of a conclave, to oversee the depositing of the marked, folded ballots for pope into an urn. They shake the urn, count the ballots to assure the number of votes and voters matches, then open each ballot and record and read aloud the name on it. They add the votes cast for each candidate to determine if a pope has been elected and handle the burning of the ballots and any notes taken by cardinals. (CNS)

Three cardinals, chosen by lot at the start of a conclave, to recount and verify each round of balloting for the election of a pope, or whether a pope has been elected on that ballot.

Secrecy

White smoke, black smoke

Cardinals take two oaths of secrecy: not to reveal to anyone anything directly or indirectly related to the election of the pope. The first is taken the first day a cardinal joins the general congregation; the second, at the start of the conclave. The few noncardinals authorised to assist the cardinals while they are in conclave also take an oath of secrecy.

The traditional signal, from a chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel, whether a pope has been elected: Black smoke, no; white smoke, yes. The smoke is generated by burning conclave ballots and notes with chemicals to make the smoke the right colour. To avoid any possible confusion, the cardinals decided to have white smoke accompanied by ringing bells.

“Infirmieri” Three cardinals, chosen by lot at the start of a conclave, to oversee conclave balloting by any cardinal-electors who are too ill or infirm to sit through the conclave sessions in the Sistine Chapel. On each ballot, after depositing their votes in an urn, they go together to the sick cardinals with blank ballots and a locked box in which the completed ballots can be placed through a slit. They return to the conclave and deliver the votes.

“Extra omnes” The Latin command, “all outside,” orders everyone who is not authorised to be in the Sistine Chapel during the conclave to leave before the conclave starts.

When will the next conclave be? In the end, the commencement date for a conclave will be up to the leadership of the College of Cardinals, but rules governing the election of a pope say it must begin no fewer than 15 days and no more than 20 days after the papacy is vacant. That would mean a conclave could begin between March 15 and March 20. Some media have reported individual cardinals suggesting an earlier start and some have pointed out the 15 days usually include a papal funeral and a mandatory nine days of memorial Masses. However, the rules for the conclave are issued by a pope, only a pope can change them, “and that is unlikely”, Vatican spokesman Father Lombardi said in a recent news conference. - CNS

THE TRANSITION

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February 20, 2013

Goodbye, my dear

SONS

Here are the edited remarks of Pope Benedict XVI in his annual address to to the clergy of Rome on February 14. In his talk, Pope Benedict recalled for priests, many of whom were not alive at the time, what it was like being at and participating in the landmark event of the modern Church, the Second Vatican Council. It seemed like his way of saying goodbye ...

“W

e went to the Council not just with joy, but enthusiastically. There was an incredible expectation. We hoped that everything would be renewed, that a new Pentecost, a new era in the Church, had truly arrived … rediscovering the bond between the Church and the world’s best elements, to open humanity’s future, to begin real progress. “We began to get to know one another ... and it was an experience of the Church’s universality and of the Church’s concrete reality, which wasn’t limited to receiving orders from on high but of growing and advancing together, under the direction of the Successor of Peter naturally.” The questions put to the Council Fathers dealt with “the reform of the liturgy, ... ecclesiology, ... the Word of God, Revelation, … and, finally, ecumenism.”

We began to get to know one another ... and it was an experience of the Church’s universality. “In retrospect, I think that it was very good to begin with the liturgy, showing God’s primacy, the primacy of adoration. … The Council spoke of God and this was its first act: speaking of God and opening everything to the people, opening the adoration of God to the entire holy people, in the common celebration of the liturgy of the Body and Blood of Christ. … The principles came later: comprehensibility, so as not to be locked in an unknown and unspoken language, and active participation. Unfortunately, sometimes these principles are misunderstood. Comprehensibility does not mean triviality because the great texts of the liturgy, even when they are, thanks be to God, in one’s mother tongue, are not easily understandable. Ongoing formation is necessary for Christians to grow and enter more deeply into the mystery so they might understand.” “The second theme: the Church. … We wanted to say and to under-

stand that the Church is not an organisation, not just some structural, legal, or institutional thing, which it also is, but an organism, a living reality that enters into my soul and that I myself, with my very soul, as a believer, am a constitutive element of the Church as such. … The Church isn’t a structure. We ourselves, Christians together, we are the living Body of the Church. Of course, this is true in the sense that we, the true ‘we’ of believers, together with the ‘I’ of Christ, are the Church; each one of us is not ‘a we’ but a group that calls itself Church. “The first idea was to present the ecclesiology in a theological format, but continuing structurally, that is to say, alongside the succession of Peter, in its unique role, to better define the role of bishops and the episcopal body. In order to do this, we found that the word ‘collegiality’ was very intensely debated, somewhat exaggeratedly I would say. But it was the word … to express that the bishops, together, are the continuation of the Twelve, of the group of Apostles. We said: only one bishop, the bishop of Rome, is the successor of the particular apostle, Peter … Thus the group of Bishops, the College, is the continuation of the Twelve and has its needs, its role, its rights, and its duties. “Another question in the ecclesiastical sphere was the definition of the concept of the ‘people of God’, which implies the continuity of the Testaments, the continuity of

‘Collegiality’ was the word used to express that the Bishops are ... the contination of the Twelve. the history of God with the world, with humanity, and also implies the ‘Christological element’. “Only through Christology are we converted into the People of God and thus two concepts are united. The council decided to create a Trinitarian structure to the ecclesiology: the People of God the Father, the Body of Christ, and the Temple of the Holy Spirit. … “The link between the People

In the footsteps of the Council: Cardinal Agostino Vallini, above, papal vicar of Rome, kisses Pope Benedict XVI’s ring during an audience with priests of the Diocese of Rome in Paul VI hall at the Vatican on February 14. Priests, above right, leave at the end of the Ash Wednesday Mass led by Pope Benedict XVI in St Peter’s Basilica the day before. The service was expected to be the last large liturgical event of Pope Benedict’s papacy. The Pope, far right, makes a point during his audience with clergy. Clergy of the Diocese of Rome, right, listen to Pope Benedict’s talk, a 46-minute address recalling what it was like to be a participant at the Second Vatican Council. For many priests, the talk brought the event alive in a unique way. PHOTOS: CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: PAUL HARING; MAX ROSSI, REUTERS; PAUL HARING PAUL HARING, CNS

of God and the Body of Christ is, effectively, communion with Christ in the Eucharistic union. Thus we become the Body of Christ, that is, the relationship between the People of God and the Body of Christ creates a new reality: communion. “On the question regarding Revelation, the fulcrum was the relationship between Scripture and Tradition. … Certainly, what is important is that the Scriptures are the Word of God and the Church is subject to the Scriptures, obeys the Word of God, and is not above Scripture. “Nevertheless, the Scriptures are only such because there is a living Church, its living subject. Without the living subject of the Church, Scripture is only a book open to different interpretations and gives no definitive clarity.” In this sense, “Pope Paul VI’s intervention was decisive” with his proposal of the formula “nos omnis certitudo de veritatibus fidei potest sumi ex Sacra Scriptura”, that is, “the Church’s certainty on the faith is not only born of an isolated book, but needs the enlightened subject of the Church, which brings the Holy Spirit. Only thus can Scripture speak and from this springs all its authority.” “And, finally, ecumenism. I don’t

want to go into these problems now, but it was obvious that, especially after the ‘passion’ of Christians during the age of Nazism, that Christians could find unity, or could at least look for it, but it was also clear that only God can give unity. And we are still continuing along this path.

and eschatological hope; Christian ethical responsibility … as well as religious freedom, progress, and relations with other religions. “At that time, the entire Council, not just the United States, whose people are very concerned with religious freedom, really joined in the discussion … Latin America

The second part of the Council was much broader. The urgent theme was the modern age. “The second part of the Council was much broader. The theme, arising with great urgency, was today’s world, the modern age and the Church, and with it issues of the responsibility of the construction of this world, of society, responsibility for the future of this world

also joined in strongly, knowing the misery of the people of a Catholic continent and the responsibility of the faith for the situation of these persons. “And thus Africa, Asia likewise saw the need for interreligious dialogue. … The great document

THE TRANSITION

therecord.com.au February 20, 2013

Priests relish first-hand account of the Council

Gaudium et Spes analysed the problem between Christian eschatology and worldly progress, including the responsibility of tomorrow’s society and Christian responsibilities in the face of eternity, and also the renewal of Christian ethics. … The basis for dialogue is in difference, in diversity, in the faith of the uniqueness of Christ who is one, and it is not possible for a believer to think that religions are variations on the same theme. No. “There is a reality of the living God who has spoken and who is one God, an incarnate God, therefore one word of God who is truly the Word of God. But there is also a religious experience, with a certain human light on creation, and therefore it is necessary and possible to enter into dialogue and so to open

oneself to others and to open all to God peace, all His children, all His family.

It was also ... the Council of the media. For the media, the Council was a political struggle ... “I would like to add still a third point ... the Council of the media. It was almost a Council itself and the world saw the Council through it. The ‘Council of the journalists’, of course, was not carried out within the faith but within the categories of today’s media.

“That is to say, it was outside of the faith, with a different hermeneutic … a political hermeneutic. For the media, the Council was a political struggle, a power struggle between the Church’s different strands. … There was a triple problem: the Pope’s power transferred to the power of the bishops and to the power of all: popular sovereignty. “The same thing happened with the liturgy. They were not interested in the liturgy as an act of faith but as something where things are made understandable, a type of communal activity. … These translations, the trivialisation of the idea of the Council were virulent in the practice of applying liturgical reform; a vision of the Council outside of its proper interpretation, that of faith, was born.”

“We know that this Council of the media was accessible to all. Thus it was the dominant one, the most efficient one, and it created a lot of calamities, problems, and misfortunes. … The true Council found it difficult to make its thought concrete and actual. The virtual Council was stronger than the real council. But the Council’s strength was present and, little by little, it became more and more actual, becoming the true force that is, after true reform, the Church’s true renewal. “It seems to me that, after 50 years, we see how the virtual Council has broken down, been lost, and the authentic Council appears in all its spiritual strength.” Source: Vatican Information Service

OPE Benedict XVI’s walk down memory lane, recalling his participation in the Second Vatican Council, was an inspiration, reviving renewed zeal for evangelisation in this Year of Faith, a number of priests said. About 3,500 priests in the Vatican’s Paul VI hall listened to the Pope’s recollections and interpretation of what the council fathers intended 50 years ago. Father Ben Jerson Canete of the Philippine island of Mindanao, who is studying biblical theology at Rome’s Pontifical Urbanian University, said his familiarity with the themes discussed at the Second Vatican Council came from his university studies. But “this was the first time for me to hear it from an expert who was there and who is a pope,” he said. “His giving the proper interpretation (of Vatican II) is excellent for me,” he said, and it’s clear “we have to re-educate the people, go back to basics”. Clergy need to help lay Catholics see “the beauty and richness of the faith” and underline how there is “one revelation in the world” in sacred Scripture, said Fr Canete. Proper interpretation of the past in light of revelation and then “education is everything”, he said. Fr Canete said Pope Benedict has left a positive message, which the priest summarised as, “The Church is not crumbling, we just need to begin anew”. By emphasising in his talk that all Christians together make up the living body of the Church, the Pope is reminding priests how much support is out there, the priest said. “The whole Church is with us priests, so we can’t be pessimistic. We need to move on and do something, and it starts with us.” Monsignor Marco Ceccarelli, chaplain at a Rome University, told CNS that the Pope leaves behind “a great heritage as a scholar and witness of that season (of Vatican II) that still has to develop and mature.” Fr Albert Hemrom of the Diocese of Dibrugarh in Assam, India, said he was impressed with the amount of detail the Pope remembered. “It shows his mental powers are still strong,” said the priest, who is working on a doctorate in canon law at Rome’s Pontifical Lateran University. He said the Pope showed him how important it is to have a determined mind. “He shows that whatever situation you’re in, you have to face it and to do that you need to have a tough mind,” he said. However, the Pope balanced that mental toughness with gentle humility, “combining both halves”, he said. Fr Lucas Ongesa Manwa of Kenya’s Kisii Diocese said he was very excited to hear the Pope’s words of encouragement. His message was about renewal, starting with oneself, said the priest, who is studying dogmatic theology in Rome. “We need to be transformed internally, to change our attitude, our thinking, change our approach,” he said. Part of that new approach has to be Church authority and the priestly ministry seeing themselves as servants, he said, adding, “We need to come to the people” and serve them. - CNS

FUN FAITH With

FEBRUARY 24, 2013 • LUKE 9: 28-36 • 2ND SUNDAY OF LENT

Across 1. As Moses and Elijah were leaving Jesus, Peter said to Jesus, ‘Master, it is wonderful for us to be here; so let us make ____ shelters, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.’ 2. A cloud came and covered them with shadow; and a voice came from the cloud saying, ‘This is my Son, the Chosen One. ____ to him.’ 5. Jesus was praying, the aspect of his face was ____ and his clothing became sparkling white. LISTEN

GOSPEL READING

Luke 9:28-36 Now about eight days after this had been said, he took with him Peter, John and James and went up the mountain to pray. And it happened that, as he was praying, the aspect of his face was changed and his clothing became sparkling white. And suddenly there were two men talking to him; they were Moses and Elijah appearing in glory, and they were speaking of his passing which he was to accomplish in Jerusalem. Peter and his companions were heavy with sleep, but they woke up and saw his glory and the two men standing with him. As these were leaving him, Peter said to Jesus, ‘Master, it is wonderful for us to be here; so let us make three shelters, one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.’ He did not know what he was saying. As he was saying this, a cloud came and covered them with shadow; and when they went into the cloud the disciples were afraid. And a voice came from the cloud saying, ‘This is my Son, the Chosen One. Listen to him.’ And after the voice had spoken, Jesus was found alone. The disciples kept silence and, at that time, told no one what they had seen.

TALKING

THREE

Down 1. Suddenly there were two men ____ to him; they were Moses and Elijah appearing in glory, and they were speaking of his passing which he was to accomplish in Jerusalem. 3. After the voice had spoken, ____ was found alone. The disciples kept silence and, at that time, told no one what they had seen. 4. Jesus took with him Peter, John and ____ and went up the mountain to pray. JAMES

CHANGED

JESUS

WORD SEARCH LISTEN TALKING THREE JAMES CHANGED JESUS

WINNER CLARE HOGG, AGED 11

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And suddenly there were two men talking to him; they were Moses and Elijah appearing in glory, and they were speaking of his passing which he was to accomplish in Jerusalem. - Luke 9: 28-36

PROJECT COMPASSION 2013

therecord.com.au February 20, 2013

Raymundo Ramos (22), teaches children acting and circus skills on the roof of Wasy Tukuypaj.

PHOTO: CARITAS

Dreams came true for dream-maker Raymundo, now 24, was only nine years old when he joined the circus. This was the beginning of a whole new life, away from the influence of gangs, drugs, alcohol and a potential life on the streets.

ANY years ago, a circus came to the Bolivian town of Potosi and the circus owners invited local children to come and help. Edson Quezada was one of those children and he never forgot this experience. He dreamed of setting up a circus run by children and young people; a place where they would not be exploited but valued, a place where they could learn, not only reading and writing, but how to work together and build a brighter future. Edson’s dream became a reality and today 250 young people are involved in Centro Creativo Artistico “educar es fiesta” (education is celebration), a Caritas Australia partner. Edson and his team have a centre in Ushpa near Cochabamba, an area chosen because of the high number of children who have lost one or both of their parents – although they also welcome children from marginalised communities. The circus runs half-day sessions for around 60 children at a time. The team travels around in a colourful open-topped bus (nicknamed La Chiva or The Goat), promoting the program and their circus performances. Over the years 1,500 children aged 7 to 18 have taken part. In 2009, Caritas Australia helped Centro Creativo Artistico “educar es fiesta” buy their own Big Top and in 2011 the circus performed for 25,000 people. Edson says that hundreds of children are now living positive lives, with dignity, increased self-esteem, awareness of their rights and more ability to express themselves. One of the circus’ most enthusiastic supporters, Raymundo joined

Edson Quezada (43) Director Centro Artistico. Educar es Fiesta in his office in Cochabamba. Educar es Fiesta is a circus school based in Bolivia, assisting children at risk though the prevention of violence against children. PHOTO: CARITAS

Centro Creativo Artistico “educar es fiesta” when he was only nine years old. “I came from a very poor family. My father worked on c on s t r u c tion sites and my mother did knitting and weaving,” said Raymundo. “I have five brothers and sisters. At eight, I was told that I have hands and good legs, so I can go and start earning money for my family.” At first, Raymundo cleaned mini buses, and delivered and cleaned water tanks. Later, he found work

washing cars for visitors to the cemetery and carrying 25 litre buckets of water for women cleaning the

It was a hard life, so Raymundo and his friends sought escape by sniffing glue; quickly becoming addicted. The money Raymundo earned was given to his family but Real solidarity begins when it is he was spending more time with his gang. When some gang no longer a matter of we and they.” members started to - Fr. Albert Nolan, O.P., attend Centro Creativo Artistico “educar es Dominican Priest in South Afirca fiesta”, Raymundo went along to be with them. At first he gravestones. enjoyed the musical activities but “I used to earn 20 Bolivianos when they moved on to street thea($3) for 10 hours work. Sometimes tre, such as acrobatics and juggling, I used to receive 50c for cleaning a he began to see new possibilities for car, which was a good day,” he said. his life.

A few months later, the circus performed in the plaza at Cochabamba. Raymundo was the clown: “It was my first performance in front of a big audience. When I entered, it was maybe something I said or the way I walked, but people laughed and I felt a connection to them. For me it was such a change. “At the age of nine, I had the opportunity to start learning something new that turned my life around in a complete circle. And what I’d like to do is provide that same opportunity to others here in Cochabamba and in Bolivia.” Out of all his friends, he was the last to join but has lasted the longest. Raymundo worked hard; he worked full-time at Centro Creativo Artistico “educar es fiesta”, and in the evening attended night school. He graduated to study for a degree in performing arts at university. Now, as the final part of his qualification, Raymundo is doing a year’s social service at Centro Creativo Artistico “educar es fiesta”, teaching circus skills to other children. They know him as Coco the Clown. “My wish for the kids is that no one is poor. We as Bolivians and Australians have the opportunity to work together to create new paths with Caritas Australia. You and I need to work together, however we can do it!” Your support for Project Compassion allows Caritas Australia to work through right relationships to bring freedom and deliver lasting positive change for some of the world’s most vulnerable communities. To donate, support or fundraise for Project Compassion 2013 please visit our website at www.caritas.org. au/projectcompassion or Ph: 1800 024 413

OPINION

EDITORIAL

Doctor an elegant and graceful woman

he death this week of Dr Evelyn Billings went largely unnoticed by most Catholics in the country and certainly by almost all Australians, outside of the relatively small number of individuals who carry out the work substantially started by herself and her husband, also a doctor, John Billings, teaching women and couples a new way of observing female fertility. Paradoxically, while her death went largely unnoticed by Australian society, the work that the Billings began over half a century ago was to expand like a ripple on a pond and eventually affect the lives of millions of people around the globe positively by providing couples and women with key information enabling them to naturally and reliably space pregnancies or to conceive. In this sense, the death of Dr Evelyn Billings was momentous and it is ironic just how little Australia comprehends what an influence two suburban General Practitioners had on the rest of the world. One thing - but only one - that was remarkable about the contributions of Dr Evelyn and her husband John to Catholic marriages and families was the way they provided an outstanding solution to a serious challenge facing the lives of Catholics everywhere in modern society: how to space pregnancy for the good of the spouses and their families without slipping into using unethical means so temptingly offered through means such as artificial contraception by a society that sees no ethical problem with them. Their work is still not understood enough. However, although the name Billings is usually associated with something that is Catholic, and therefore often marginalised by health professionals and marriage educators, it would be a serious mistake to think the Billings method is only for Catholics. In fact, it is for anyone who wants to use it, while its use in no way implies that one is some sort of crypto-Catholic. One of the most interesting aspects to the development and spread of the Ovulation Method which the couple developed and refined is that it has quietly become more and more popular with couples of any faith or no faith at all who feel uncomfortable with the idea that women should be expected to pump their bodies with pharmaceuticals as a natural precondition for living as a woman in the 21st century. Paradoxically, while many Catholics in Australia remain ignorant of the remarkable contributions of Dr Evelyn Billings and her husband to PO Box 3075 medical science and the subAdelaide Terrace ject of human fertility; and PERTH WA 6832 others, influenced by fashionable prejudices, turn almost office@therecord.com.au naturally to artificial contraTel: (08) 9220 5900 ception; some, strongly conFax: (08) 9325 4580 cerned with and interested in environmental issues and natural solutions have been among the most enthusiastic users of the Billings Method. For such people, a means which is highly successful, scientifically verified by numerous multi-country studies and which is, above all, natural has been an answer to their quest to ground their own spousal relationships and families in something they feel naturally at home with. They, like the Billings, saw that being a woman is not a condition that needs to be medically treated. Catholic solutions and approaches to the regulation of pregnancy have been regularly ridiculed by contemporary society as near-mediaeval and yet, ultimately, the joke was on the sceptics. In 2003, for example, The Record reported on news of the official backing and promotion of the Billings method throughout the nation by the government of China. Faced with a serious population issue significantly magnified by its history of maintaining an inefficient state-run economy run according to Marxist-Leninist principles, the Chinese government realised its enforced one-child policy which relied on universal promotion of contraceptives was not working well, was costing the country a fortune and causing serious social problems through the policy of forced abortions. In 2003, as a result, it was reported that there were approximately 37,000 Billings Ovulation Method teachers working throughout China, 2.7 million fertile couples using the Australian-developed method regularly and an accompanying significant drop in the rate of artificial abortions in regions where the method was used. Meanwhile, it was estimated that approximately 32 per cent of couples previously diagnosed as infertile were able to give birth to a child. There is another remarkable advantage to the work that Dr Evelyn Billings and her husband John produced: the strengthening of married and spousal relationships everywhere among couples who use their method. Rather than making fertility the woman’s ‘responsibility,’ the Billings method encourages the male partner or spouse to become involved in the process of charting the woman’s fertility so that the fertility of the couple becomes a joint project, drawing the two together ever more closely. In a very real sense it could be said that the strengthening of relationships and marriages – and therefore of families – was one of the Billings’s real children. In a culture seemingly intent on savaging marriages, relationships, families and children, Dr Evelyn Billings was an outstanding, shining example of medicine at its finest and of the Catholic baptismal and marital vocation which produced extraordinary fruit for the good of all people. May eternal light shine upon her, and by God’s power, may she rest in peace.

Sceptics ridiculed such methods as nearmediaeval, but the joke was ultimately on them.

THE RECORD

therecord.com.au

February 20, 2013

LETTERS

Stop putting interesting things in The Record I READ every word of Bishop Peter Elliott’s address at the Red Mass, and was challenged by each. Your editorial enlightened me to circumstances under my nose, which I sadly miss, an occurrence that is too often the case. I also found the ‘Constitutional Cane Toad’, again Bishop Peter Elliott, and the article on music by Mariette Ulrich inspiring. Suellen Horgan PERTH, WA

Could there be an indulgence for Perth? I SAW an article in The Record newspaper recently by Fr John Flader stating that there is a plenary indulgence attached to the Year of Faith as given by Pope Benedict XVI in October 2012. I have seen on the internet from the US that some Catholic dioceses have offered plenary indulgences for their members. Is there going to be a plenary indulgence granted to the people of the Archdiocese of Perth some-

time this year of 2013? Can you or your readers advise on this matter thanks. Roy Smith MAIDA VALE, WA

Scrambling to cover the news was well worth it I AM WRITING to congratulate the editor and staff of The Record for the special edition honouring and bidding farewell to our dear Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI. This edition would have had to be prepared in less than 24 hours and yet it shows the maturity, depth and quality of our Catholic paper. While the majority of the secular media has been carried away with the sensationalism of the event and political plotting of the future of the Catholic Church, The Record captured this moment of ‘grace and faith’ to look to the future with hope and trust. The editor has made an excellent selection of articles along with an insightful editorial. Archbishop Costelloe and Bishop Sproxton have lovingly honoured our Holy Father and truly have viewed our current situation through the eyes of faith and hope. The articles by celebrated Vatican journalist John Thavis, the interview by Robert Hiini with Tracey Rowland and the ‘on-the-

ground’ reporting by our own Mark Baumgarten in Rome, along with excellent photographs, have not only made this an issue to treasure, but inspired the readers to praise and thank God and to pray for our Holy Father and the Church. André Sequeira WILLETTON, WA

Splendid edition on news of the year THE EIGHT-page wrap-around concerning the abdication of Pope Benedict is splendid. You and your small staff may take great pride in your achievement. To have learned of the news of the resignation only on Monday evening and to have had this on sale on Wednesday is truly remarkable. The section which appealed most to me was that reporting the Pope’s own words concerning ‘sensing the dignity of age’. Thank you, all of you, at The Record, and congratulations Michael Jaques WILLETTON, WA

Something to say? office@therecord.com.au

The plight of Catholic families in the bush

Catholic bush families grappling with the growing pressure of fly-in, fly-out economic forces seem to have few friends these days, says Fr Robert Cross

n regular trips to Geraldton, dear to my heart as the place of my birth, I often say to travelling companions – about 200kms from the city – “This is where my melancholia sets in”, going on to relate to them the decline of once thriving country towns and their communities. On a visit to Geraldton, Northampton and Mullewa two weeks ago, I asked the parish priest of Mullewa how many people went to Mass on a Sunday. He said an average of 25 – this in a place that only 30 years ago would have had around 100 attending Mass on a Sunday. In a former parish of mine, Northampton, I believe the Sunday Mass attendance averages about 30 compared to about 130 when I left the parish in 1992. My melancholia worsens still when I reflect on the recent closure of major educational facilities in the vicinity of Geraldton, namely, the Pallotine Mission and the Christian Brothers Agricultural School in Tardun (Tardun is located between Morawa and Mullewa in the mid-west). After leaving Geraldton last week pondering on the future of the Catholic Church in our country regions and admiring the priests and religious who devote their lives to the remnant people of the country in these difficult times, I was astounded to hear of yet another imminent closure of a Catholic education institution that serves the Geraldton Diocese, this time Geraldton’s Catholic boarding facility that serves the farming and pastoral families of the whole diocese and beyond, currently caring for 85 boarders. Where will my former country parishioners send their sons and daughters now if the Nagle College boarding facilities in Geraldton are closed? Where once parents could

drive the short distance from their farms to visit their children and take them out for a meal or simply watch them play sport, now this won’t be possible because they will be forced to send their children to a Perth Catholic boarding facility or, if this is beyond their means, they will be forced to withdraw them altogether from the Catholic system and send them to Government-operated boarding hostels in Geraldton. What is going on in the country and why are our Catholic education leaders taking us the way of government and the private sector by closing down the services the Church provides in these areas? In country areas, schools are much more than places of education; they are places of community and memory.

What is going on? And why are Catholic education leaders taking us the way of the government and private sector? Nobody doubts that one of the primary reasons for the decline of services in the country is the “Cancer of the Bush”, that is the fly-in, fly-out (FIFO) and drive-in, drive-out (DIDO) workers. Another major contributing factor is farmers not being paid a fair and equitable price for the commodities they produce. Today the average farming family in Australia has a debt of $800,000. Many are selling before being forced to sell up and walk away with nothing. The FIFO report published by the Federal Parliament last week called for a champion to come forward for rural communities to

stop the cancer that is eating away at their existence. To my mind, the Catholic Church in rural Australia and its leaders should be numbered among those who will champion their cause and give voice for country people and their communities. While not pretending in any way to be a champion, I cannot remain silent on this latest blow to Geraldton and the people I once served and hope to serve again in the future. I know my voice is but one, but I also know it sings in chorus with many others. I pray these voices will receive the hearing they deserve and the decision to close the Nagle Catholic boarding facility will be quickly reversed. In concluding, I would like to make an interesting observation in regard to the recently published Federal Government Report on flyin and fly-out workers. There were only two Catholic organisations in the whole of Australia who made a submission, both from the Geraldton Diocese, namely, Centacare in Geraldton and a lone teacher and three students from St Luke’s College in Karratha. Congratulations to them! Regretfully, there was no submission listed from any Catholic education authority in Western Australia or, for that matter, the rest of Australia, nor from any Catholic diocese. On the other hand, there were submissions from the “Perth Sisters and Brothers of the Order of Perpetual Indulgence” and the “Scarlet Alliance, Australian Sex Workers Association”. Where are our Catholic Champions who will stand up and run the hard yards for our parents and children who live in the bush? Fr Robert Cross is a priest of the Diocese of Geraldton working in Perth.

OPINION

therecord.com.au February 20, 2013

Television’s underrated spiritual value We all know Lent is a time of self-denial. Perhaps the ‘crystal bucket’ could help us grow more in this special season of Faith ...

OMEHOW our faults and failings seem more obvious during Lent; one of mine is that I spend far too much time reading Scripture and not enough time watching television. I’m sure that even 15 or 20 minutes of TV a day would be better than nothing at all but, most days, I just don’t get around to it. I realise there are many educational, informative and uplifting programs on television; even so, I tend to go for weeks at a time without so much as picking up my remote control (isn’t it sad when you must dust it off before using it). I ought to have the networks, channels and program schedules committed to memory, but that’s so difficult. Rather than flip indecisively through the listings, I usually give up and turn off the TV. To be honest, I become easily annoyed by those TV-thumpers who can quote

@ Home MARIETTE ULRICH

channel, program and time-slot at will. I feel intimidated by their ability, and I’d never dare debate television with them – they know their stuff too well. Besides a lack of time, part of my problem is that I don’t know where to begin: do I start watching TV at dawn and persevere through every sitcom, drama, talk show, commercial, documentary and newscast, or do I simply select programs here and there? Watching from beginning to end seems a huge task – on the other hand, I don’t feel capable of choosing a channel or program at random. I’m not sure you can get anything out of television simply by pressing a button at any old time

and watching whatever comes on. This dilemma is not entirely my fault, however: Catholics have never had a strong tradition of watching TV, so it takes effort to familiarise oneself with it. Last Lent, in a burst of enthusiasm, I’d subscribed to a TV study magazine. I had hoped it would help me get into the habit of watching on a daily basis and give me a better understanding of the pro-

Now, issue after issue of TV Guide gets stuffed, unread, into the magazine rack (I probably won’t renew). I haven’t given up, though – I just need to find what works for me. Maybe I would watch more television if I installed a little set in the kitchen, bathroom or other wellfrequented room. Or perhaps we could acquire a special cabinet for the TV and place it prominently in our family room, possibly where the

This Lent, maybe I could watch more television if I installed a little set in the kitchen, bathroom or another well-frequented room. grams (especially the sitcoms and reality shows – it’s so difficult to make sense of them). I started out well and watched television faithfully every day for a month or two, but then I became lazy and left the TV turned off for days at a time.

Bible stand is now. And it couldn’t hurt to encourage my husband and children, as they seem so reluctant to spend time watching TV. Anything is worth a try, but ingrained habits are hard to break: it’s too easy to pick up that well-

worn Bible and while the day away. It doesn’t help that all my friends spend a lot of time reading the Word too, and we discuss it over coffee or email. Some days (I’m almost embarrassed to admit this), I spend four or five hours meditating on Scripture. I start with one book, and before I know it, I’ve read three. Don’t get me wrong – I don’t just sit there all that time. I make sure the housework gets done: it’s just that the Word of God is always ‘there in the background’ as I do my chores. You might say I’m addicted, but the Word keeps me company throughout the day. It is everchanging and seems to come alive in a new way each time I read it – in a sense, I never know what will happen next and I’m too curious to quit now. One of these days, perhaps I’ll try to leave my Bible closed and watch a little more TV. It is Lent, after all.

Loving – to the very end

Can being disabled and needy give others the chance to be more humane? One bioethicist thinks so, writes Anna Krohn ... “Told that I would die within five years (in 1977) and having become interested in philosophy, I saw no harm in making the latter my principal interest rather than following a career-orientated path.”

o writes Associate Professor Nicholas Tonti-Filippini, with disarming understatement, in the introduction to his book About Bioethics: Philosophical and Theological Approaches. The book itself is a rare event— a very readable and at times very personal reflection on the pressing “life issues” by one of the most recognisable and active public ethicists in Australia. It is doubly rare, since it represents the thinking of a bioethicist who says: “For me, the central concept of Bioethics is respect for every member of the human family” and who has defended and articulated this universal norm in the public square, while making no secret of being “primarily motivated by Christ’s instruction that we should love God and one another”. Associate Professor TontiFilippini’s comments about his life’s work seem to be tossed off with a deceptively wry, yet daring, humour which belongs to those, like him, who face death and chronic suffering and disability each day. The comments also imply the courage and deeply Christian faith that such a shocking medical diagnosis can both challenge and call forth. At the launch last year of his book in Melbourne, and as part of the Archdiocese of Melbourne’s Life, Marriage and Family Office’s then year-long campaign ‘To Love to the End’, Dr Tonti-Filippini presented a seminar dedicated to enabling other people to “plan for their future” while facing either terminal illness or the debility of ageing. During the seminar, Dr TontiFilippini explored some of the major fears and misconceptions which patients, their families and even medical professionals experience during the discussions about the end of life. The Fear of Being a Burden The first fear to be exposed was a very common one. In fact, many elderly and sick people cite “the fear of being a burden to others” to be an overriding one. Dr Tonti-Filippini discussed the

type of shame and discrimination that such fear creates in people at a very deep level. He suggested that the really destructive fiction was the notion that human beings should all be “totally autonomous people” with absolutely “controlled lives”. Being “in need” is not, he said, a human “failing”, nor is it abnormal. He challenged the audience to think of the positive place of interdependence in human lives and also the way in which “being

proposes unrealistic expectations of “person control”, Dr Tonti-Filippini proposed an alternative ethics of “engaged” acceptance and forward planning for disability or death which is both consistent with a “culture of life” and attractive to those concerned about human dignity and informed consent in the face of future medical treatment. In Australia, as in other Western societies, there have been a number of methods, both statutory and regulatory, which

He pointed out to the audience that today many hospitals as well as laws in the ACT, South Australia and Queensland propose the legally binding documentation of “advance directives”—the documentation by a person at one point of time of his/her future medical treatment choices based on the prediction of “outcomes” in the face of degrees of disability or loss of future “quality of life.” Dr Tonti-Filippini commented upon some of the practical and

He suggested that documentation of these aspects of a patient’s wishes can offer a rich and fulfilling way to plan for death – and to grow spiritually. disabled and needy” gives others around us and society in general the opportunity and stimulus to be “more humane”. In responding to the needs of the sick and ageing, the community itself can become more united and learn to value both itself and those in need of care. Maintaining Values and Dignity Despite the fact that we all have times when we “need” the help of others, and despite the fact that our secular liberal society often

attempt to preserve a person’s ability to both appoint another person as a representative should he/she lose competency and to protect the person’s wishes in the event of such events as dementia, unconsciousness or cognitive disability. Dr Tonti-Filippini briefly explained the options of guardianship provisions, the notion of enduring power of attorney and the implementation of so-called “advance directives”.

ethical difficulties which arise in some of the “advance directives” processes even when these are done in a fully guided and informed way. These difficulties were outlined as legal, practical and philosophical in nature. The legal status of advance directives is unclear. In three jurisdictions of Australia documented directives are legally binding while in others (such as Victoria), they are not. Where they are legally binding,

the legal difficulties include doubt about the application of such a directive because it is very likely that what the patient envisaged months or even years before signing the directive document may not correspond in detail or completeness with the later actual situation. This causes great difficulties for the patient’s family, carers, and medical and nursing personnel. The directive may include an instruction that is no longer in the best interests of the patient, or is impossible to achieve or may no longer correspond with the probable wishes of the patient. Some advance directives assert that it is a patient’s “quality of life” that is the outcome in the balance rather than promoting a discernment of the proportionate benefit or harm of a particular treatment option. This tends to divert attention to a more utilitarian and yet vague attitude to the human capacity for adaptability and virtue in the face of suffering. By contrast with these implicit modes of thinking and the very real legal difficulties connected with advance directives, Dr TontiFilippini proposed a more palliative, flexible and holistic approach, entailed under what is a “future planning” ethos. The philosophy of “future planning” promotes a more community and family engaged statement of wishes and values—documented by the patient—in order to guide those entrusted with advocating for him or her, while allowing for unexpected medical outcomes and contexts. The “future planning” approach assumes that the person’s life, no matter how disabled, requires appropriate and competent care but does also allow for appropriate withdrawal of treatment where it is burdensome or futile. Dr Tonti-Filippini suggested that documentation of these aspects of a patient’s wishes can offer a rich, reassuring and fulfilling way for him/her to plan for disability and a “good death” while helping him/her to grow spiritually and personally. It enables those facing ageing and death to pro-actively reflect upon and engage the values which are most important to them. Associate Professor Nicholas Tonti-Filippini’s book, About Bioethics: Philosophical and Theological Approaches, can be ordered online at Connor

PANORAMA

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 23 First Introductory day to Christian Meditation 10am–3.30pm at St Luke’s, 2 Rowlands St, Maylands. Join members of the Christian Meditation Community, bring a friend. Christian Meditation will be introduced. BYO lunch, morning tea provided. Cost: donation. Enq: christianmeditation@iinet.net.au or 0429 117 242.

UPCOMING TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26 Lent Sessions: Spirituality and The Sunday Gospels 7-8pm at St Benedict’s school hall, Alness St, Applecross. Presenter Norma Woodcock. Accreditation recognition by the CEO. Everyone is welcome. Cost: collection. Enq: 9487 1772 or www.normawoodcock.com. FRIDAY, MARCH 1 World Day of Prayer WA 1pm at Wesley Church, cnr Hay and William Sts, Perth. This is a worldwide ecumenical movement of Christians who hold services annually in more than 170 countries. This year’s service was prepared by French women, using the theme, “I was a stranger and you welcomed me”. Enq: Lucie 9384 4480 or fouvy@iinet.net.au. Catholic Faith Renewal Evening and Thanksgiving Mass 7.30pm at Sts John and Paul’s Parish, Pinetree Gully Rd, Willetton. Songs of praise, sharing by Rev Fr. Gino Henriques CSSR, followed by Mass. Light refreshments afterwards. Please encourage family and friends to come. Enq: Kathy 9295 0913 or Ann 0412 166 164 or catholicfaithrenewal@gmail.com Please note Stations of the Cross will be at 7pm. SATURDAY, MARCH 2 Day with Mary 9am-5pm at St Anne’s Church, 13 Hehir St, Belmont. Day of prayer and instruction based on the Fatima message. 9am video. 10.10am holy Mass, Reconciliation, Procession of the Blessed Sacrament, Eucharistic Adoration, sermons on Eucharist and on Our Lady. Rosary, Divine Mercy Chaplet and Stations of the Cross. BYO lunch. Enq: Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate 9250 8286. SUNDAY, MARCH 3 Divine Mercy: An afternoon with Jesus and Mary 1.30pm at St Francis Xavier Church, Windsor St, East Perth. Main celebrant (TBA). Homily on St Pedro Calungsod. Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, Holy Rosary and Chaplet of the Divine Mercy. Refreshments afterwards. Enq: John 9457 7771. SATURDAY, MARCH 9 Divine Mercy – Healing Mass 2.30pm at St Francis Xavier Church, Windsor St, East Perth. Main celebrant will be Fr Marcellinus Meilak OFM. Reconciliation in English and Italian will be offered. Divine Mercy prayers followed by veneration of first class relic of St Faustina Kowalska. Refreshments afterwards. Enq: John 9457 7771. St Padre Pio Prayer Day 8.30am at Our Lady of Fatima, 8 Foss St, Palmyra. Begins with 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. 12pm BYO shared lunch, tea and coffee supplied. Enq: Des 6278 1540. Divine Mercy – Healing Mass 2.30pm at St Francis Xavier Church, Windsor St, East Perth. Main celebrant will be Fr Marcellinus Meilak, OFM. Reconciliation in English and Italian will be offered. Divine Mercy prayers followed by veneration of first class relic of St Faustina Kowalska. Refreshments afterwards. Enq: John 9457 7771. SUNDAY, MARCH 17 St Joseph’s School Waroona 70th Anniversary Celebration Mass 10am-3pm at St Joseph’s School, Millar St, Waroona. Inviting all past students, staff and families to help celebrate its 70th anniversary at the school. Begins with Mass celebrated by Fr Chiera, Vicar General of Bunbury Diocese, and will be followed by a day of fun, food and festivities. Please pass on this information to anyone you know from the school in the last 70 years. Enq: Admin 9782 6500 or www.stjoeswaroona.wa.edu. au. SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 24, MARCH 10 AND MARCH 24 Latin Masses 2pm at Good Shepherd Church, Streich Ave, Kelmscott. Enq: John 9390 6646. SUNDAY, APRIL 7 Feast of Divine Mercy celebrating 21 years of devotions in the Archdiocese of Perth 1.30pm at St Mary’s Cathedral, Perth. Reconciliation 1.30pm followed by holy Mass at 2.30pm. Main celebrant, His Grace Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB and other priests are welcome to concelebrate. 3.30pm, Benediction. Conclude with Veneration of two first class relics of St Faustina Kowalska. Parking for clergy will be available outside St Mary’s Presbytery. Enq: John

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9457 7771.

Highgate. Enq: www.cym.com or 9422 7912.

REGULAR EVENTS

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 FIRST SATURDAY Healing Mass 12.35pm at St Thomas Parish, cnr Melville St and College Rd, Claremont. Spiritual leader Fr Waddell. Enq: Kim 9384 0598, claremont@perthcatholic.org.

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).

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.

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. Life in the Spirit Seminar 3–5pm at 67 Howe St, Osborne Park. From Sunday, March 10-24 for 8 weeks. Designed to set hearts aflame for God in an environment of faith and acceptance. You’ll be guided in your spiritual journey as you form a stronger, deeper relationship with Christ. Enq: Reg 0429 777 007 or reg@disciplesofjesus.org. Praise and Worship 5.30pm at St Denis Parish, cnr Osborne St and Roberts Rd, Joondanna. Followed by 6pm Mass. Enq: Admin admin@stdenis.com.au. EVERY FIRST SUNDAY Singles Prayer and Social Group 7pm 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 9344 7066. EVERY FOURTH SUNDAY Shrine Time for Young Adults 18-35 Years 7.30-8.30pm in 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: Schoenstatt Sisters 9399 2349. Holy Hour for Vocations to the Priesthood, Religious Life 2-3pm at Infant Jesus Parish, Wellington St, Morley. Includes exposition of Blessed Eucharist, 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.

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 by Fr Jean-Noel Marie. Meeting room beneath Cathedral. Enq: 9223 1372. Holy Hour - Catholic Youth Ministry Mass at 5.30pm and Holy Hour (Adoration) at 6.30pm at Catholic Pastoral Centre, 40A Mary St,

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 every Thursday 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 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. Holy Hour Prayer for Priests 7-8pm at Holy Spirit Parish, 2 Keaney Pl, City Beach. All welcome. Enq: Linda 9341 3079. FIRST AND THIRD THURSDAY Young Adults (18-35) Dinner and Rosary Cenacle 6.30pm at St Bernadette Parish, 49 Jugan St, Mt Hawthorn. Begins with dinner at a local restaurant. 8pm - Rosary Cenacle, short talk and refreshments at the parish. Enq: st.bernadettesyouth@gmail. com or 9444 6131. EVERY THIRD THURSDAY Auslan Café – Sign Language Workshop 12.30pm at St Francis Xavier Emmanuel Centre, 25 Windsor St, Perth. Its Australian Sign Language - Auslan Café is a social setting for anybody who would like to learn or practise Auslan in a relaxing and fun atmosphere. Light lunch provided. Enq: Emma emmanuelcentre@westnet.com.au. 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. In this Year of Grace, 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. 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. Catholic Faith Renewal Evening 7.30pm at Sts John and Paul Parish, Pinetree Gully Rd, Willetton. Songs of Praise and Prayer, sharing by a priest, then thanksgiving Mass and light refreshments. Enq: Kathy 9295 0913 or Ann 0412 166 164 or catholicfaithrenewal@gmail.com. Communion of Reparation All Night Vigils 7pm-1.30am at Corpus Christi Church, Lochee St, Mosman Park or St Gerard Majella Church, cnr Ravenswood Dr/Majella Rd, Westminster (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. 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. 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 FOURTH SATURDAY Voice of the Voiceless Healing Mass (Change of venue on February 23) 11.30am at Holy Cross Church, Hamilton Hill. Begins with Songs of Praise, followed by Mass. Please bring a plate to share after Mass. Enq: Frank 9296 7591 or 0408 183 325. EVERY LAST SATURDAY Novena Devotions – Our Lady Vailankanni of Good Health 5pm at Holy Trinity Parish, 8 Burnett St, Embleton. Followed by Mass at 6pm. Enq: George 9272 1379.

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.

Relationships and Use Emotional Intelligence and Communication Skills Tue 4.30-6.30pm, 197 High St, Fremantle - Tuesdays 3-4.30pm. Enq: Eva 0409 405 585. Bookings essential. 1) RCPD6 ‘The Cost of Discipleship’ This course combines theology with relationship education and personal/spiritual awareness by teaching self-analysis. 2) ‘The Wounded Heart’ Healing for emotional and sexual abuse promotes healing and understanding for the victim and the offender. Holistic counselling available - http:// members.dodo.com.au/~evalenz/. Religious item donations for Thailand Church Fr Ferdinando Ronconi is the parish priest at the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption in Phuket, Thailand. He is in need of religious items such as rosaries and holy medals for his local congregation and visitors. If you are able to help, please post items to: PO Box 35, Phuket 83000, Thailand or, if you are on holiday in Phuket, bring your donated items with you to church and stay for Mass! Fr Ferdinando can be contacted on tel: 076 212 266 or 089 912 899 or ronconi.css@gmail.com. Good Shepherd Parish History I am compiling the history of the Good Shepherd Parish and everyone who has been a part of building the Good Shepherd community is invited to write their story and include photos. An editor has been engaged and the deadline to receive your story is January 30, 2013. Please forward on email: goodshepherdparishhistory@gmail.com. Any enquiries ring Nick De Luca on 9378 2684 or 0419 938 481. WOULD YOU NOT WATCH ONE HOUR WITH ME? PERPETUAL ADORATION From Ash Wednesday, 24 Hours a day, 7 days a week (outside Mass Times) at St Jerome’s, Munster. Jesus will be adored in the Blessed Sacrament and this will be the only Church in the southern suburbs where there is Perpetual Adoration. We hope we will be able to continue allowing Jesus to be adored day and night as he desires. Enq: Mary 0402 289 418. Lenten Silent Meditation Day 9am-4pm at Redemptorist Monastery Retreat Centre, Vincent St, North Perth. Fr John Herbert OSB (Abbott of New Norcia) will speak about “Monastic Wisdom for the Contemporary Christian Journey Towards God”. Christian Meditation will be introduced. This is a silent retreat day. BYO lunch, tea provided. Cost: donation. Enq: 0429 117 242 or christianmeditation@iinet.net.au

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 ssra-perth@catholic.org. Enrolments, Year 7, 2014 La Salle College now accepting enrolments for Year 7, 2014. For prospectus and enrolment please contact college reception 9274 6266 or email lasalle@lasalle.wa.edu.au. 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, at the same time becoming part of the history of the new Divine Mercy Church in Lower Chittering, 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. 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. RESOURCE CENTRE FOR PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT - 2013 COURSES Resource Centre for Personal Development Holistic Health Seminar The Instinct to Heal Tue 3-4.30pm; RCPD2 Internalise Principles of Successful

“A sure and certain standard for the teaching of the faith.” -Bl Pope John Paul II The Catechism draws on the Bible, the Mass, the Sacraments, Church tradition and teaching, and the lives of saints. It comes with a complete index, footnotes and crossreferences for a fuller understanding of every subject. Using the tradition of explaining what the Church believes (the Creed), what she celebrates (the Sacraments), what she lives (the Commandments), and what she prays (the Lord’s Prayer), the Catechism of the Catholic Church offers challenges for believers and answers for all those interested in learning about the mystery of the Catholic faith. Here is a positive, coherent and contemporary map for our spiritual journey toward transformation. The Catechism of the Catholic Church is, as Pope John Paul II calls it, “a special gift.”

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RICH HARVEST - YOUR CHRISTIAN SHOP Looking for Bibles, CDs, books, cards, gifts, statues, Baptism/Communion apparel, religious vestments, etc. Visit us at 39 Hulme Ct (off McCoy St), Myaree. Ph 9329 9889 (after 10.30am Mon to Sat). We are here to serve. KINLAR VESTMENTS www.kinlarvestments.com.au Quality handmade and decorated vestments: albs, stoles, chasubles, altar linen, banners. Ph Vickii on 9402 1318, 0409 114 093 or kinlar.vestments@ gmail.com. MEMENTO CANDLES Personalised candles for Baptism, Wedding, Year 12 Graduations and Absence. Photo and design embedded into candle, creating a great keepsake! Please call Anna: 0402 961 901 or anna77luca@hotmail.com to order a candle or Facebook: Memento Candles.

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

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ACCOMMODATION HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION Esperance holiday accommodation, 3-bedroom house, fully furnished. Phone 08 9076 5083.

PILGRIMAGES PILGRIMAGE OF MERCY - Departs May 11, 2013. Fatima/Poland/Czestochowa/ Auschwitz/Divine Mercy/Vilnius Lithuania/Rome/Gennazzano. Fra Elia (Stigmatist) Civitavecchia (miraculous Madonna shrine) Subiaco/Medju-gorje five countries. Exceptional value all inclusive $6,890. Fr Bogoni (Spiritual Director) Yolanda 0413 707 707/Harvest toll free 1800 819 156 23 days. 19 DAYS - Petra, Amman, Holy Land, Dubai, Fatima and Medjugorje. Cost: A$6,000. Monday, May 13, 2013. Spiritual Director: Fr Francis Huy Thanh Nguyen. Tel: 9296 7088. 24 days - Italy, Fatima, Lourdes, Paris and Poland. Cost: A$6,300. Sunday, September 1, 2013. Spiritual Directors: Fr Dariusz Basiaga SDS and Fr Sabu (Sebastian) Kalapurackal VC. Tel: 9398 2331 or 9381 5383. 22 days - Petra, Amman, Holy Land, Poland and Dubai. Cost: A$6,000. Monday, October 7, 2013. Spiritual Director: Fr Ireneusz Czech SDS. Tel: 9344 7066.

SERVICES 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. BRENDAN HANDYMAN SERVICES Home, building maintenance, repairs and renovations. NOR. Ph 0427 539 588. WRR LAWN MOWING AND WEED SPRAYING Garden clean ups and rubbish removal. Get rid of bindii, jojo and other unsightly weeds. Based in Tuart Hill. Enq: 6161 3264 or 0402 326 637. BRICK RE-POINTING Ph Nigel 9242 2952. PERROTT PAINTING Pty Ltd For all your residential, commercial painting requirements. Ph Tom Perrott 9444 1200.

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C R O S S W O R D ACROSS 3 Morality 9 Brother of Jacob 10 “___ homo” 11 Our Lady 12 “Give us ___ day our daily bread” 14 “…a man sows, that he will also ___.” (Gal 6:7) 16 “…as you did it to one of the ___ of these my brethren, you did it to me.” (Mt 25:40) 17 Catholic sports figure Lombardi 18 Kingdom of David 20 Paul’s hometown is found in this modern-day nation 22 St. Mary’s Cathedral is this New South Wales capital 24 Italian city of St. Clare 26 What the disciples did in the garden while Jesus prayed 27 Representation of thirteenth station of the cross 30 Catholic columnist Bombeck 32 “Vanity of vanities” source (abbr.) 34 Nationality of most popes 35 Home of St. Rose 36 What Jesus told the blind man to do at the pool of Siloam (Jn 9:7) 37 Name of God

6 7 8 13 15 17 19 21 23 24 25 26 28 29 31 33

preached here Make holy “___ My God to Thee” Religious instruction for converts (abbr.) The Lord, in Madrid (with”El”) Former DRE Patron saint of dancers Joseph was sold into slavery here Arrival of 2D Dinah, to Esau “His mercy is from ___ to…” (Lk 1:50) “Here am I; send me!” speaker Holy one, in Paris First name of a German saint who died in Auschwitz ___ and Omega Altar balustrade It was touched to mouth of 25D

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