The Record Newspaper 24 March 2010

It killed millions, didn’t it?

It’s what the Catholic Church is (secretly) all about, isn’t it?

Of course. If you were a Protestant Reformer.

VISTA 13

THE R ECORD

www.therecord.com.au

Latin Mass Centre opens at Belmont

Perth Catholics who love the traditional Latin Mass - now known as the Extraordinary Form of the Roman Rite - gathered to be part of the blessing of a Church that will act as a centre for the Latin Mass in Perth.

■ BY ANTHONY BARICH

AFTER two years of eager anticipation, St Anne’s Church in Belmont has been opened and blessed as a centre for celebration of the Mass in Latin according to Pope Benedict XVI’s 2007 motu proprio Summorum Pontificum

The ceremony, which took place on St Patrick’s Day, 17 March came after Perth Latin Mass chaplain Fr Michael Rowe undertook a complete overhaul of the parish established in 1940.

Fr Rowe has been operating out of St John’s Pro-Cathedral since he took over from Redemptorist Fr Augustine Cummins.

As the community has continued to grow the old Pro-Cathedral has proved too small.

It had no parking, public toilets, meeting hall or amenities. Belmont has all three, and was used extensively as the congregation feasted after the church blessing, Holy Hour, Benediction and Mass on 17 March, St Patrick’s Day.

While appearing small from the outside, Fr Rowe is happy with St Anne’s, which he says is at least twice the size of the Pro-Cathedral and is more spacious.

The priorities he identified after taking over the parish the day after Pentecost Sunday 2008 included painting the entire church, restoring the windows because the stained glass was falling out and installing an altar and the adjoining steps in the proper place for a Tridentine Mass.

Please turn to Page 8

Fr Sean Fernandez on ... The Inquisition UNDA’S S TATIONS

the Parish. the Nation. the World.

Western Australia’s award-winning Catholic newspaper since 1874 - Wednesday 24 March 2010

Easter

Archbishop issues Pastoral on Christianity’s promise for our own lives

“Be indefatigable in your purpose and with undaunted spirit resist iniquity and try to conquer evil with good, having before your eyes the reward of those who combat for Christ.”



-Bishop Matthew Gibney

Perth, Western Australia $2

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“Hope, sensitivity, classicism, contemporaneity” were the words used by wellknown Australian art critic and Director of the Art Gallery of NSW, Edmund Capon to describe the work of the artist who created the University of Notre Dame Australia’s s unique Stations of the Cross, unveiled in 1997.

Once again staff, students and friends of the University will follow the Stations on Good Friday as part of the University’s annual Easter celebrations.

For those who wish to participate, the Stations will take place on Good Friday, 2 April at 10am at the University’s chapel located at 32 Mouat Street, Fremantle.

Priest resigns

■ BY BRIDGET SPINKS

In a statement released as The Record went to press on Tuesday Archbishop Barry Hickey confirmed that a priest who was convicted in 2007 for offences prior to being entering the seminary and ordination "has resigned from all his duties".

His statement followed the publication of details concerning Fr Michael Slattery's conviction in The West Australian of 20 March.

The paper reported the details of the offence, which involved indecently dealing with a 14 year old girl while working as a religion teacher at a Sydney school in the early 1980s prior to his ordination in 1986.

Fr Slattery was a priest in the Harvey-Brunswick parishes in the diocese of Bunbury when the allegations became known.

“Since his conviction in 2007, Fr Slattery has moved from Bunbury to Perth. He has been under my supervision since then,” Archbishop Hickey said in his statement.

Fr Brian Limbourn, left, acts as sub-deacon during the Mass celebrating the re-opening of St Anne’s Church in Belmont for the Latin Mass community. PHOTO: ANTHONY BARICH

A sculpture titled Prodigal Son by artist Karen Swenholt is displayed at the Museum of Biblical Art in New York in 2009. Sometimes called ‘the Gospel within the Gospel,’ the parable of the Prodigal Son is at the heart of Christianity and of the Season of Lent when Christians prepare for Easter. This week, Archbishop Barry Hickey issued a pastoral letter on the great events of Holy Week from Holy Thursday to Easter Vigil. Pastoral - Vista 2-3

St Pat’s returns to St Mary’s

Over 1,200 turn out to celebrate Irish patron saint in return to St Mary’s

BY BRIDGET SPINKS

OVER 1,200 Irish Catholics filled the newly renovated Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary on 17 March for Mass to mark the feast day of their national patron, St Patrick.

While St Patrick has been celebrated in a big way in Perth for over 100 years, the year marked the first time that the annual St Patrick’s Day Mass had been celebrated in St Mary’s Cathedral in over 40 years.

Archbishop Barry Hickey, who presided over the Mass concelebrated with up to 20 priests, recognised the “enormous impact” the Irish community made in the West Australian community.

“I salute that,” he said of the pride the Irish have in their own country and the impact its Christian contribution was making on WA society.

As a young boy, Archbishop Hickey was one of 8,000 school children who participated in St Patrick’s day Mass celebrated on Subiaco Oval in 1960.

In 1961, the Mass was again celebrated on Subiaco Oval and The Record reported that over 10,000 attended for the 1,500th centenary of St Patrick’s death.

From the mid 1960s onwards the feast was celebrated in local parishes, except for a Mass at St Mary’s Cathedral in 1968, which involved the Irish community.

More recently, St Patrick’s Day Mass held at St Joseph’s in Subiaco has brought the Irish community together over the last 25 years.

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In 1983, Paddy and Lena Costello revived the Mass for St Patrick’s Day following an approach by the then-president Joe Crozier. Paddy approached Fr Michael Ryan, then-parish priest of Subiaco, who agreed there should be a Mass. Lena made the banners, which were used in last week’s procession.

For Louis Byrnes, an Irishman who came to Australia from Galway in 1974, celebrating the Mass at the Cathedral is an important way to commemorate St Patrick and the impact he’s had on Ireland. “It’s marvellous. It’s a celebration of being Irish. Here we are, this is us - literally there was standing room only [in the Cathedral],” Louis said.

Alongside Paul Tenham and Geraldine O’Sullivan who came to Australia from Dublin in 1954 and Galway in 1972 respectively, Louis was one of the organisers for this year’s Mass and celebration.

For Louis, St Patrick is synonymous with Irish culture. “It makes me feel proud [that] people still honour St Patrick and everything he stands for. The parade today was led by priests, nuns and Religious and they’re the reason that we still have the Faith,” he said.

During the homily Archbishop Hickey highlighted St Patrick as “a missionary in that [same] mould of Paul and Barnaby”.

“The world today needs such missionaries as never before,” he said. Spreading the good Word through families is one way “but it’s not enough,” Archbishop Hickey said. Every layperson needs to carry into their public life and workplace

the Christian values of honesty, respect for human life at every stage, respect for the dignity of persons at every stage and by being “vehicles of love, compassion, gentleness and generosity”. “But it’s not enough,” Archbishop Hickey said again.

Every layperson also needs to “speak of Christ as their Saviour and the Forgiver of sins ... so that this generation in a secular Australia may hear afresh the good news of Jesus Christ”.

The entrance procession of banners included a Trinity College piper performing, a St Patrick’s Day banner and flag, along with representatives from the Christian Brothers, whose founder Edmund Rice was Irish, the Sisters of St John of God, Sisters of Mercy, Dominican, Presentation and Loreto Sisters.

Associations displaying their banners included the Irish Club of WA, The Celtic Club, Irish Theatre Players, Gaelic Athletic Association of WA, Perth Rose of Tralee, Australian-Irish Heritage Association, Shamrock Rovers FC, Irish Golf Club, Irish Expats Golden Oldies Rugby Union Club and The Claddagh Association of WA. Four women from The Australian Irish Dancing Association performed on the sanctuary in front of the altar after the Homily, just before the Presentation of the Gifts, during the Mass.

Photos, from top to bottom: Dancers from the Australian Irish Dance Association strut their stuff on the sanctuary of St Mary’s Cathedral after the homily; a Trinity College piper plays during the procession; the procession arrives in the Cathedral; Dominican Sisters.

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ABOVE PHOTO, FR ROBERT CROSS; ALL OTHERS BY BRIDGET SPINKS

Play School theme composer laments loss of reverence in music, liturgy

BY ANTHONY BARICH

THE purpose of Mass hymns is to “sing to the Father with Christ in our head”, said the most prominent composer of hymns the Catholic Church in Australia has produced.

Richard Connolly, in Perth last week to meet University of Notre Dame Australia staff in Fremantle while composing a special Mass for the university, is perhaps best known for his collaborations with poet James McAuley, and his Catholic and secular compositions have been internationally successful, including composing the music for Play School

Mr Connolly, 82, told The Record after a tour of St Mary’s Cathedral by its Dean, Mgr Michael Keating - who studied with him at Propaganda Fide College in Rome during his four years in priesthood studies - that the liturgy and its accompanying music has been “driven by market forces”, which has led to a loss of reverence at Mass.

“Certain publishers who publish good music also publish trash, and they can’t stop themselves because it makes money,” said Mr Connolly, who taught Religious Studies at the Benedictine Downside Abbey in Somerset, England. “It ill behooves a hymn writer to start criticising other people’s hymns, but I have my views.”

He said the proper notion of a hymn as begun in the Western Church by St Ambrose in the fourth century was easy-toremember: four-line hymns. They also reveal Christ or God talking to us, he said. Since the 1960s, however, publishers have promoted popular hymns prominent in Catholic parishes today where the congregation sings as if talking from the persona of God, which he said is a “deformation”, and is “not a hymn”.

“A hymn is something from us to God historically, and as far as the liturgy is concerned on Sunday, the liturgy is Christ at our head and us as His body; in other words, the whole Church worshipping the Father. That sort of thing doesn’t reflect that,” said Mr Connolly, who worked for the ABC for over 30 years including composing the Play School theme. Mr Connolly, who retired in 1988 after running the ABC Drama and Features Department, said that much of today’s music is “utterly a misinterpretation of what the Second Vatican Council called for”.

This includes Mass changing overnight into the vernacular, which he said has led to “people running around doing their own thing” and subsequently a loss of reverence caused in part by the oftquoted reference to the Eucharist as a “meal” rather than the Real Presence of Christ.

“It’s a fact that the Council didn’t expect all the Bishops to respond quite so unanimously to ask permission to have Mass in the vernacular,” he said.

“(The Second Vatican Council Fathers) expected Mass to be in Latin sometimes where it was suitable and, where not suitable, in the vernacular. The loss of Latin to my mind is a terrible thing that happened to be nobody’s fault, with the best of intentions all round - and I’m friends with Latin Mass people and see what they’re on about.

“I personally am very glad Mass is in the vernacular, but a certain loss of stability occurred in the Church when Latin just went, and there were too many mad people running around doing their own thing, and it continues.

“Nobody could’ve foreseen the sort of awful, mawkish, illiterate sentimentality that has been delivered.”

He admits that he contributed somewhat to the mentality of thinking of the Eucharist as a meal in his hymns, but says he was shocked when “people started saying ‘that’s a nice new car Fred’, yelling out across the church before Mass”.

“We lost reverence when people stated the Mass is a meal, and I was as guilty as anyone else, but I never thought that meant that the Real Presence wasn’t the Real Presence,” he said.

He also denounced liturgical dance, which he said is fine in cultures in places like Africa where dancing is a part of their expression of faith, but “not in ours”.

“A hymn has to be poetic. It needn’t be poetry, and a lot of the words of popular hymns … you could say it’s a pity that the Council documents (unintentionally ushered in) a period of country and western, folk music, terribly sentimental stuff that has its place but not in the liturgy,” Mr Connolly said.

The Vice Chancellor presented him with an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Arts from the University of Notre Dame Australia in Sydney on 18 December.

Citation for Honorary degree of Doctor of Arts

RICHARD Connolly was born in 1927 and is married with nine children. He grew up in the parish of Guildford in western Sydney and received his early tuition in piano from the nuns at his Catholic primary school. In 1942, he attended a seminary school in Springwood in the Blue Mountains and while there took music lessons from the distinguished organ player and prolific composer, Fr Joseph Muset Ferrer.

In 1946, he was sent to Rome to further his studies for the priesthood at the Pontifical College de Propaganda Fide, where he studied harmony and counterpoint with the College Director of Music, Maestro Praglia, a priest, musician and composer in the Cecilian tradition. His music composition was further influenced by his experiences in the Gregorian Schola Cantorum choir for Papal Masses and events at St Peter’s Basilica, his studies of Gregorian Chants under French Benedictine expert Dom Hebert Desroquettes and further study of sacred polyphony at the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music. In 1950, he withdrew from his studies for the priesthood and returned to Australia to study for a Bachelor of Arts at Sydney University.

In 1956, the joined the ABC as a trainee and at approximately the same time was asked by Fr Ted Kennedy to write the music to accompany a text written by poet James McAuley. This was the beginning of an enduring life-long friendship and collaboration between the two that resulted in an extremely significant body of fine congregational

hymnody. Connolly and McAuley’s early work has endured in common use to this day.

It appears in numerous Catholic and Christian hymn compilations. Hymns such as In Faith and Hope and Love and By Your Kingly Power, O Risen Lord are well known across Christian denominations in Australia - reaching far beyond their originally intended Catholic audience.

During his time in the Radio Drama and Features Department at the ABC, Richard Connolly wrote a considerable quantity of music for radio, television, theatre and film. In 1960, while working in the Educational Department, he wrote one of his most well known and best loved secular anthems, the Play School theme – There’s a Bear in There ... His job description at the ABC was not as a composer or songwriter - colleagues were simply aware of his music writing abilities and so his reputation grew. In 1988 he moved to England to work at the BBC and stayed there for 13 years.

He lived in Somerset and contributed his enormous musical talents to the village of Chilcompton, one of the parishes served by the Benedictine Abbey of Downside. Since his return to Australia in 2001, he has continued to write liturgical music for use in Sydney, including A Little Festive Mass of St Francis – Missa Pax et Bonum” dedicated to the Friars, singers, ministers and people of his parish, St Francis’ in Paddington. He still composes sacred pieces and music for film and television.

His sacred music is described as ‘immensely singable’. He is a man of remarkable talent and his continuing contribution to liturgical, philosophical and social trends in hymnody are testament to a man who is both scholarly and inspired by his faith.

- UNDA Vice Chancellor Celia Hammond

Sister with can-do attitude to life returns to Creator

BY GLYNNIS GRAINGER

ST JOHN of God Sister Maris Stella Conlon died peacefully at St John of God Villa, West Leederville, on 9 March. She was aged 94.

Born in Ireland, she was a petite lady of great faith with a can-do attitude to life, ever ready for a new challenge and open to whatever and wherever God called her.

Sr Pauline O’Connor delivered the eulogy at her funeral Mass at the Villa Chapel on 15 March.

Sr Maris Stella had fine features, with a refined way of speaking and really enjoyed reading, Sr Pauline said. “You would not automatically begin to conjure up

an image of somebody who would have the necessary assumed physical attributes of toughness of character to take on work in the outback of Australia; the complexity of life in Pakistan, or the day-today repetitiveness and sometimes heavy work with disabled people as she did in the West of Ireland,” Sr Pauline said.

“Maris didn’t have to wait to hear the call of the Second Vatican Council to the Church and Religious in particular to move to ministry on the margins, the call to engage with and support the people considered most in need, that is, the materially poor.

“For example, in 1964, Maris Stella was already involved in

infant health in the Kimberley.

At that time she had experience of working at the Native Hospital in Derby and realised that she was well-positioned to help minimise the high admission rate of Aboriginal babies to hospital through education of the mothers and home care. She remained

in the Kimberley for many years, after which followed ministry experience in Ireland with young people with disabilities.”

In the 1980s, when the Sisters opened a new foundation in Pakistan, she went to work there.

Sr Maris also worked in Medical Records at St John of God Hospital, Subiaco, where she continues to be fondly remembered.

About 30 years ago, she took her nephew suffering with cancer from Ireland to Lourdes, when his chances of even surviving the trip could not be assured. She was convinced that Our Lady of Lourdes would cure him and she did. She went on to say what wonderful work her nephew has done and

continues to do for other people who are sick or in need and who go on pilgrimages to Knock and to Lourdes, in particular. Maris Stella had a strong faith and “where there is a will there is a way” attitude.

Sr Pauline added: “There is no doubt that Maris Stella lived by the conviction that if we are fully present to each encounter we have with others – irrespective of creed or cultural differences – and we respond wholeheartedly, people will experience the face of Jesus. Simple as that! Her purpose for being is now fulfilled, as indeed are the words of Thomas Merton, ‘she has become what God wanted her to be, which is the only one thing that is necessary.’”

Richard Connolly at St Mary’s Cathdral. Connolly, one of the most prolific composers of hymns Australia has produced, says that hymns used in the average Australian parish have become “awful, mawkish, illiterate and sentimental” since Vatican II, a result of succumbing to market forces.

PHOTO: ANTHONY BARICH

Anglicans seek support for ‘granny flat’

BY ANTHONY BARICH

THE leader of Western Australia’s Catholic Anglicans is seeking to gauge and build on interest from both Anglicans and Catholics in the establishment of an Ordinariate for Anglicans seeking union with the Catholic Church.

Bishop Harry Entwistle, based at the Church of St Ninian and St Chad in Maylands, said he suspects there will be many Latin Rite Catholics who will want to join Catholic Anglicans occasionally for worship, but stressed “this is not a recruiting drive”. He simply seeks to gauge support and a contact list.

There may also be some Anglicans who joined the Catholic Church when the first female priests were ordained in the United States in the Church of England in 1974.

Efforts to establish an Ordinariate – a non-geographical diocese – have been hindered, Bishop Entwistle said, by “total misionformation” by both Anglican and Catholic bloggers who believe that Anglicans like himself are becoming Roman Catholics as opposed to Anglicans in union with the Catholic Church.

Melbourne Auxiliary Bishop Peter Elliot has been liaising with Anglican Catholics on behalf of the Australian Catholic Bishops who respond to Pope Benedict XVI’s apostolic constitution Anglicanorum Coetibus (“Groups of Anglicans”), which was published in November 2009 along with specific norms governing the establishment and governance of “personal ordinariates,” structures similar to dioceses, for former Anglicans who become Catholic.

The Traditional Anglican Communion of Australia and the associated Church of the Torres Strait is expected to formally ask the Holy See for such an Ordinariate within the next fortnight.

Bishop Entwistle supports the statement made earlier this month by Cardinal William Levada, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith which has handled negotiations with Anglican Catholics leading up to Anglicanorum Coetibus, who said the goal of ecumenism is unity with the Catholic Church.

The TAC’s Bishops signed the Catechism of the Catholic Church in 2007 and handed it to CDF officials. “Some believe the goal of ecumenism is intercommunion, but you can’t have intercommunion unless you have a shared belief,” Bishop Entwistle said.

“That’s why the Catechism is the basis upon which we have declared our faith.”

In a lengthy address delivered in Canada on 6 March, Cardinal Levada said the reception of communities of Anglicans into the Catholic Church is consistent with Anglican-Catholic ecumenical dialogue because “union with the Catholic Church is the goal of ecumenism.”

Tracing the history of AnglicanCatholic dialogue since the Second Vatican Council, Cardinal Levada noted that Anglican decisions to ordain women and countenance homosexual activity were not consistent with earlier statements agreed to by Anglican and Catholic theologians.

“No wonder, then, that the ordination of a Bishop in a homosexual partnership in New Hampshire, with subsequent approval by

Catholic counsellors go online

Catholic counsellors up the ante with launch of two new websites

BY ANTHONY BARICH CATHOLIC Counsellors

Professional Network (CCPN) has launched two global websites to assist mental health professionals, referring bodies and the general public and help “shore up the social legitimacy of practicing Christian mental health professionals”.

The sites - www.catholiccounsellors.info and www.christianpsychologist.info - have their genesis in a group of Catholic professionals who met informally in Perth to support one another in their Faith and explore the links between the practice of their Faith and the practice of their profession to better serve their Clients.

Dr Peter Watt, a founder of CCPN and a psychologist and psychotherapist in private practice, said that a basic tenet was that the inclusion of the Faith dimension would yield a fuller, more complete picture of the human person, and contribute towards an understanding of what constitutes ‘health’.

“A shared Faith would provide the group with a common language and reference point from which to then debate a complex diversity of clinical approaches and suggest a specific attitude towards treatment,” Dr Watt said.

The network became an official Catholic organisation in 1995

when a Code of Ethics was submitted to Archbishop Barry Hickey and endorsed.

The network later became a national organisation with members in most states, each subscribing personally to the code of ethics which, Dr Watt said, “emphasises a commitment to working in harmony with Church teaching, professionalism and on-going personal development, a deep respect for clients and a spirit of service”.

He said the code reinforces the accountability of counsellors as individuals, apart from the organisations and professional bodies that represent them.

The network originally published quarterly newsletters and updates of its membership register for the benefit of networking, and Mass was offered for clients as a regular intention.

However, as schedules became tighter, the group struggled to maintain regular meetings, whilst still existing as a network of practitioners.

After a suggestion by Franciscan priest-psychologist Fr Daniel Pietrzak, an open invitation was offered to Melbourne-based practitioners to determine whether there was an interest in meeting to form a group in Melbourne, and was received favourably.

Now, www.catholiccounsellors. info - a specifically Catholic register for members of this Internetbased professional network, designed for support and internal referral - has been launched.

The site aims to:

● Clarify and integrate Catholic

the General Convention of the Episcopal Church of the United States in 2003, and the authorisation of rituals for the blessing of gay unions and marriages by the Anglican Church in Canada, have caused an enormous upheaval within the Anglican communion,” the Cardinal observed.

Cardinal Levada then compared the reception of Anglican communities into the Catholic Church to the addition of an instrument to an orchestra.

Professing the Catechism of the Catholic Church, these communities will play the same doctrinal notes, yet will enrich the orchestra with another sound, he said.

“Let me add right away that when I say enrichment I am referring not to any addition of essential elements of sanctification and truth to the Catholic Church,” Cardinal Levada said.

“Christ has endowed her with all the essential elements. I am referring to the addition of modes of expression of these essential elements, modes which enhance everyone’s appreciation of the inexhaustible treasures bestowed on the Church by her divine founder.

“Turning to the Anglican Communion, we can see the many elements that impel toward full unity: regard for the unifying role of the episcopate, an esteem for the sacramental life, a similar sense of Catholicity as a mark of the Church, and a vibrant missionary impulse, to name but a few.

“These are by no means absent from the Catholic Church, but the particular manner in which they are found in Anglicanism adds to the Catholic understanding of a common gift.

in brief...

principles within the counselling professions and develop and maintain the highest standards of professional conduct.

● Develop a Christian-based alternative to a purely secular orientation in counselling, drawing on the values of Christ and His Church.

● Provide prospective clients seeking counselling, with the option of a Catholic understanding of the human person.

● Maintain a register of clinically competent counselling professionals* working in harmony with Catholic Church teaching.

● Provide a forum to discuss professional issues, in the context of the Faith, including cases and various therapeutic approaches.

● Provide mutual support as Catholics.

● Maintain a faithful and comprehensive information base on faith and clinical issues within the counselling professions.

The other site, www.christianpsychologist.info, provides a free public listing of Christian practitioners who subscribe to its Code of Ethics, and is designed as a “ready-reckoner” to assist client referral.

Dr Watt and the CCPN also seek to list every pro-life/family psychologist on this site.

There is no charge for listing on either site.

The sites’ success depends on its ready uptake, which in turn depends on Catholic and Christian practitioners getting the word out.

For more information, contact Dr Watt on 9203 5278.

These considerations help us appreciate the Catholic Church’s insistence that there is no opposition between ecumenical action and the preparation of people for full reception into Catholic communion.

“Moreover, among the distinctive elements of Anglican heritage should be included the spiritual and intellectual gifts of the Oxford movement in the 19th century; the then-Anglican cleric Newman together with his fellow Tractarians have left a legacy that still enriches a common Catholic patrimony,” he added.

Bishop Entwistle likens their shared existence in the Catholic Church to “living in the grannyflat out the back” – “still part of the whole but living our own existence”.

“There is a group of Anglicans in Perth which has been praying and working for unity and which would now like to discover who their friends might be in the wider Anglican and Catholic communities,” he told The Record

“Anglican Catholics would welcome contact with friends who are active or lapsed Anglicans who are considering converting to the Catholic Church, and those who are already Catholics and their friends who are interested in being informed about the progress of the establishment of this new initiative.

“Inclusion on the contact list comes with no expectation either now or in the future of any further action on the part of the enquirer.” Anglican Catholics can be contacted through enrolling on the website www.tradanglican.iinet. net.au or by phoning 0417 180 145, mailing to PO Box 457, North Perth, WA 6906 or emailing ninchad@iinet.net.au.

Morecare boosts pastoral care

MORECARE at the Parish of St Thomas More, Bateman - one of the pastoral care programmes under the umbrella of Catholic Outreach - recently held a special commitment weekend where parishioners were invited to volunteer their time to assist those in need in the areas of visiting, transport, home help and emergency meals.

Fr Phillip Perreau said that the work undertaken by Morecare was very important in assisting him in pastoral care, especially as he was only recently appointed parish priest of Bateman. Morecare allows him to reach out to more people.

Morecare was established in the parish in 1994 and currently has eight co-ordinators who work together to match over 100 volunteers with tasks requested from the community.

Geraldine commented that she was very excited and had learnt much in her new role as Morecare Co-Ordinator.

She paid tribute to Peter McMinn, Executive Officer of Catholic Outreach, for his assistance and leadership which had enabled her to take on this role.

Lesley, a co-ordinator, said that during the past 10 months Morecare has assisted people in need with approximately 100 transport jobs, 60 visits and 30 meals.

Daniel, a student at St Charles’ Seminary currently working in the parish, is a great supporter of Catholic Outreach care programmes as he has seen in the past the difference it made to people’s lives in the parishes of Bassendean, Willetton and Clarkson.

Further information can be accessed from the Catholic Outreach website www.catholicoutreach.org.au.

Lockridge gears up for WYD 2011

GOOD Shepherd Parish in Lockridge has already started planning for World Youth Day 2011 in Madrid, with its youth group ‘Gener8’ holding its first big WYD fundraiser on 13 February.

Up to 130 people turned out for the Valentines Eve Dinner Dance, including prizes for best dancers, best dressed couple and a door prize and sightseeing flight over Perth was also auctioned off.

Food was supplied by the parents of the youth, whose Gener8 group started in October 2008 and now relates to about 50 youths of all nationalities from Australian to Malaysian, Indian, Syrian, Maltese among others.

It meets every Sunday night from 6.30-8.30pm. The group also runs a youth Mass once a month.

The parish hopes to send at least 25 youths from the parish to attend WYD in 2011.

Bishop Harry Entwistle, left, the leader of Perth’s Catholic Anglicans, has backed the Cardinal William Levada’s (right) notion of ecumenism as communion with the Catholic Church, “with a shared faith”. PHOTOS: JUSTINE STEVENS, CNS

New Pregnancy Assistance house a ‘public statement of value of the unborn’

Pregnancy Assistance buys new house, now needs to pay it off

BY BRIDGET SPINKS

THE work of Pregnancy Assistance (PA), an independent Catholic agency providing practical and emotional support to homeless pregnant women, has expanded with the opening and blessing of a five-bedroom, threebathroom house in Dianella on 19 March.

The house, dubbed “St Joseph’s House”, is next door to “Miriam’s House” which opened in 1998 as PA’s first emergency accommodation home for women who’ve become pregnant and homeless and are in need of help.

Through successful fundraising for “Miriam’s House,” PA soon owned this first property debt free.

But after buying the additional house nine months ago, Pregnancy Assistance is now in urgent need of donations to pay off the $710,000 house as well as to fund ongoing operational costs.

“We need to start raising the funds immediately. We purchased the property in June last year and it’s already March,” PA manager Lydia Stanley said.

Archbishop Barry Hickey, who blessed the house on the feast of St Joseph, said the work of PA and St Joseph’s House is “needed and a public statement about the value of human life, especially for unborn children and babies”.

“And it affirms our belief that the way to counter abortion today is to provide loving care and practical help to women faced with an unexpected pregnancy.”

For Lydia Stanley, who sees her role as manager of PA “as a vocation, not just a job,” St Joseph’s House will be an extension to the “service of life and love that PA and Miriam’s House already provide”.

“Through Miriam’s House in a year, we’d get 10 to 15 women that’d go through the accommodation; some stay short term, some stay longer,” Mrs Stanley said.

“Miriam’s House is there to provide a place where they can go to think things through, away from outside pressure, with a clear mind to make a decision about the

pregnancy, and of course have the emotional support that’d be given in the house,” she said.

“The girls we see experience a lot of pressure from family members, friends, workmates [and] the partner to not keep the baby and have an abortion.

“They develop anxiety and become confused and we find when we speak to them that deep down they actually want to keep the baby.” But it’s not just accommodation, Mrs Stanley said. “It’s about providing a place to help them embrace the life within them and make that decision to keep the baby.”

Agency to offer graduates alternative to Schoolies booze-up

BY ANTHONY BARICH

CATHOLIC Mission will form student leaders in Catholic schools this year to encourage alternate activities than the traditional alcohol-fuelled, postgraduation, ‘schoolies’ weekend.

The Church agency, which encourages the living out of the Gospel in service of the person, is working with the Archdiocesan Catholic Youth Ministry and a number of interested schools around Perth to run formation workshops during lunchtime in school hours, then on weekends.

The end result would be for students to partake in Catholic Mission’s Gap on a Mission programme, visiting countries with a missionary focus, then returning to Perth and helping to develop a missionary culture on a local level in parishes and schools.

This would, in turn, help them discern their own vocation in life – whatever the calling.

Fr Patrick Byrne SVD, Secretary General of the Pontifical Society of the Holy Childhood in Rome, was due to trigger these workshops with a session at the Catholic Pastoral Centre in Highgate on 19 March, but did not make the trip to Australia as the 60-year-old had a heart attack on 7 March.

With that event cancelled, Catholic Mission will run another workshop on 14 May at the Pastoral Centre by its diocesan director Francis Leong to form student leaders from 10 schools, including Prefects respected by their peers, to then encourage them to foster Christian leadership among them.

“Sometimes we’ve had women stay right up until they gave birth and have stayed there if they haven’t found a place. St Joseph’s House will help with the overflow, and will be especially for the mothers with newborn babies,” she said.

Two Vietnamese Lovers of the Cross Sisters are hoping to be live-in carers for St Joseph’s house and are in the process of obtaining visas. Soon after they arrive, “St Joseph’s House” is expected to open.

To donate to Pregnancy Assistance, visit www.pregnancy assistance.org.au or call 08 9328 2929.

Edith Cowan University chaplain Fr Erasmus Norviewu-Morty SVD and Tom Gannon, campus minister of the University of Notre Dame Australia’s Fremantle campus, will also be involved in the workshops.

Catholic Mission wants to link this school leadership with parishes, which, Mr Leong said, is not happening today, “and we see that as a deficiency”.

The concept of peer to peer education – having youth from wealthier countries link up with those in poorer ones as part of a missionary approach to a devotion to the Child Jesus – was pioneered by French Bishop Charles August Marie de Forbin-Janson, founder of the Pontifical Society of the Holy Childhood.

The Society’s purpose was, and is, to educate youth to foster

an apostolic and solidary charity of a genuinely missionary spirit and not only a social action.

Only 50 years ago, Mr Leong said, this concept of peer to peer education was only just starting to happen in the Church, proving that the French Bishop was ahead of his time, “as so many thinkers in the Catholic Church are, but are not recognised until later”.

“Student leaders can show true student leadership – to encourage their peers to show solidarity with others not so privileged as themselves, and to see what Christ is saying in the process; how the poor speak to them; and to therefore deepen their faith,” he said.

Translating the overseas missionary focus to a local context will help nurture in youth a sense of what the Church is calling them to do in their lives, and would subsequently foster a “vocational culture” which has not existed since Religious Orders have declined in numbers and appearance.

“Decades ago, youth would go on these missionary trips with Religious Orders and, through peer pressure, others would join them on mission, then end up joining the Religious Orders,” Mr Leong said.

Catholic Mission’s Gap on a Mission programme, driven by properly formed student leaders whom “the rest of the gang look up to”, would re-energise a culture that will help youth with vocational discernment – to whatever calling.

Above left: Archbishop Hickey - wearing a chasuble from Rome featuring Our Lady of Guadalupe, a depiction of the pregnant Virgin Mary - blesses the new house for Pregnancy Assistance. Above right, the Archbishop blesses the congregation gathered for the opening of the new St Joseph’s House, next door to Miriam’s House. Below, former owner, Anastasia Anastas, Archbishop Hickey, Pregnancy Assistance manager Lydia Stanley and PA chairman Brian Peachey. Below, a baby’s cot in St Joseph’s House,

PHOTOS: BRIDGET SPINKS

Fr Patrick Byrne SVD, Secretary General of the Pontifical Society of the Holy Childhood in Rome, with children in Goa, India in 2006.

PHOTOS: COURTESY OF CATHOLIC MISSION

Fr Patrick Byrne SVD, who was due to give a talk to representatives from several Perth schools earlier this month, with children in Madurai, India in 2006.

Quiet revolutions brewing in East Timor

There are many quiet revolutions taking place in East Timor, our nearby neighbour.

Fr Michael Lynch SDB reports exclusively for The Record

One quiet revolution that I recently witnessed was the graduation in basic building skills of 106 previously unemployed young men. Most of these were school dropouts who used to spend their days sitting by the roadside and throwing stones at passing cars.

For these graduates it was clear that this was the first time their achievements were not only publicly acknowledged. What’s more about half have already secured paid jobs, a significant achievement in a country where the level of unemployment is still very high.

East Timor is still the poorest country in South East Asia where a good percentage of the population survive daily on limited food.

I was in Timor last month; it was, I think, my 17th visit in ten years and twelve months since my previous visit. What were my impressions?

The nation, which is not even eight years old, seems much more stable. People are moving around with a greater sense of purpose and safety.

The Government appears to be doing what it was elected to do; it is moving in the right direction. Like all governments, it is criticized for not doing more and not doing it quickly enough.

There are young people everywhere. You see them in groups, walking to and from school, playing sport, and so on. While they have always been fairly keen on schooling, I noticed, on this occasion, a much greater enthusiasm for learning and doing well in their studies. As I already mentioned above, a particularly significant experience for me was the graduation ceremony at Comoro on 11 February.

When we hear ‘graduation ceremony’ we usually associate it with high flyers. Well, this graduation ceremony was for school dropouts, who had now been given a ‘second chance’. They had completed a basic skills course in building construction.

Who were these men?

Most did not complete primary and secondary education. Perhaps they did not have the opportunity to go to school or there were no schools in their district. Some had learning difficulties and others because of the turmoil in the country, had never been to school.

Prior to undertaking the courses a good number of them were more than a tad embittered and angry. Many used to spend their days just sitting by the roadside.

The basic building construction courses were in masonry, carpentry, electrical, metal fabrication (including welding) and plumbing. At the graduation they were presented with a certificate and personal box of tools.

Three of the participants came from Gariwai village (near Baucau).

Village Chief, Maria Lidia Belo, was fulsome in her praise adding that she had two of the boys working on extensions to her house. She added that the parents from other villages were very happy as the lads

who were previously doing nothing, are now occupied.

The course was taught at the two Salesian (‘Don Bosco’) Technical Schools in Comoro (Dili) and Fatumaca (near Baucau).

It was initiated and largely financed by the South Australian Government’s Austraining International and AusAID in partnership with Salesians in Timor, the Australian Salesian Mission Overseas Aid Fund and Timor’s SEFOPE – the government agency responsible for vocational training and employment.

The teachers were trained in South Australian TAFE Colleges at Elizabeth, Regency Park, Gilles Plains, Marleston and Panorama.

I was privileged to participate in the graduation ceremony together with the Australian Ambassador to Timor, Peter Heyward, Secretary of State for the Timorese Government’s Department of Vocational Training and Employment Bendito Freitas, Salesian Vice Provincial Fr John Paul

Salesians slog it out in Haiti

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (CNS)Haiti urgently needs a Marshall Planstyle project with US and European backing if the poverty-ridden country is to ever recover from the massive 12 January earthquake, said the Vicar General of the Salesians.

“The greatest poverty of the people is absence of government and a humane system,” said Salesian Fr Adriano Bregolin during a visit to Portau-Prince in early March to observe how the Order’s extensive network of ministries was faring since the earthquake. His visit included stops at schools and training centers, as well as in Cite Soleil, a neighbourhood in the Haitian capital notorious for its gangs and violence. The Rome-based priest also visited the badly damaged towns of Leogane and Jacmel, southwest of Portau-Prince.

Fr Bregolin told CNS that on an earlier trip to Haiti he found its considerable violence and poverty troublesome. During his most recent visit, he said he was awestruck at the apparent lack of a comprehensive government plan to rebuild the devastated region where about a third of all Haitians live.

“There are a few men here from other countries working on rebuilding but you don’t see enough machines removing materials,” Father Bregolin said, adding that a stronger Haitian military might have been helpful in the recovery.

He said it was a mistake for former Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, a former Salesian priest, to disband the armed forces during his tenure in the mid-1990s. That left a power vacuum and little security on the streets, according to Father Bregolin.

“Coming back to this situation is more grave because of the natural poverty of Haiti,” he said.

The Salesian priest said he hopes Germany and France will join the US in implementing a massive aid project, rather than leave other nations to fill the void. He expressed particular concern that socialist countries such as Cuba and Venezuela, which already

have business and health projects in Haiti, would gain a stronger foothold.

At the same time, Fr Bregolin left Haiti impressed by the spirit of the Haitian people.

“Their possibilities are very few but they are full of hope for the future,” he said. “We need to immediately rebuild the schools because without education we have no chance to transform society and create a new mentality.”

The situation in Haiti is explosive, he added, if outside assistance dwindles in the coming months. People displaced by the earthquake will grow desperate because of a lack of jobs, education and food, he predicted.

Guterres, South Australian Government representatives Dennis Mutton and Patrick Markwick-Smith.

“The basic building skills project has given these young Timorese training and new hope for a better future,” Mr Bendito Freitas said. “From their days at Don Bosco they now have a better appreciation of the dignity of work and the importance of personal self discipline for success in any undertaking,” he added.

The high level of co-operation between the Australians, the Timorese and the Salesians was highlighted by speakers at the graduation.

The South Australian Government, Austraining International and the SA TAFE Colleges are to be commended for initiating and driving the partnership with the Salesians’ Don Bosco Technical Schools.

I sensed that this basic skills project was indeed part of Timor’s quiet revolution when I saw the ‘graduates’ walking away clutching both the certificate and the heavy tool boxes.

Salesian letter from Haiti: the struggle has faded from headlines but is far from over

Dear Editor

Earthquake torn Haiti has now faded as a priority news item. With the death toll exceeding 230,000 and more than a million homeless, the overall situation will only worsen as the wet season approaches.

In spite of the relief efforts of both government and non-government organisations, the country is poverty ridden with widespread violence. Rape and attacks on women and children are common and there is the spread of infectious diseases such as diarrhoea, gastroenteritis and typhoid.

The Haiti Government seemingly does not have a comprehensive plan to tackle these problems and rebuild the devastated region where more than a third of the total population lives.

The international community, through the United Nations, must both help Haiti to recover from the earthquake and empower its people to build the country anew perhaps using as a model the intervention in East Timor over the past decade. The Salesians have been in Haiti since 1936. Our major schools / vocational training centres, and associated relief works were destroyed in the January earthquake. Donations from an international appeal are being used for emergency help: food, clothing, shelter and schooling for children. [The appeal centre in Australia is ASMOAF, PO Box 264,ASCOT VALE 3032.]

Your sincerely,

Michael Lynch SDB

Director Australian Salesian Mission Overseas Aid Fund.

Left to right: East Timor carpentry student at Don Bosco Fatumaca; students at Don Bosco Fatumaca learning electrical wiring; woodwork students at Don Bosco Fatumaca. PHOTOS: FR MICHAEL LYNCH SDB

Salesian Fr Mark Hyde tours damaged mission property in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on 4 March. The Salesians, sponsor of the largest network of Catholic education in the country, are rethinking their programmes following the devastating 12 January earthquake. CNS

Bishops back border security

Christmas Island poses chaplaincy challenges

BY ANTHONY BARICH

MAINTAINING border security is essential while undertaking “serious, constructive dialogue” with countries where boat people are coming from to solve the controversy, the Australian Bishops’ prelate in charge of migrant and refugee issues said.

Sandhurst Bishop Joseph Grech had criticised the former Coalition Governmnet’s policy of sending people who enter Australia illegally to one of three offshore immigration detention centres for processing, but he told The Record last week that border protection is necessary. He told The Record last week that while “it would be foolish to just let everyone in”, he added that the Australian Government needs to work more seriously with countries like Indonesia to stop people smugglers before they leave their shores.

He said the boatpeople issue - which is putting mounting pressure on the government with 25 boats arriving this year alone and hundreds more expected this week – is “more fundamental” than turning boats back, which he said is “a last resort”.

“We need to get away from name throwing and pointing fingers, saying it’s this or that government’s fault,” he said. “The fact is we’re in this situation, and I’m sure the government is evaluating this over time. From our part, it would be foolish to say open the borders to anyone, there must be screening and everything. But it should start before that, and I would hope and pray the Indonesian and Australian governments are seriously look at what’s happening.

“Australia needs to undertake some serious dialogue between countries and identify where they’re coming onto the boats from - they’d know where people are congregating – to find out how to eradicate this kind of exploitation by certain people on others.”

Bishop Grech, who was born in Malta before arriving in Australia in 1971 to complete his seminary studies at Melbourne’s Corpus Christi College, urged government officials to visit Christmas Island to know what the asylum seekers are going through.

“You can’t let everybody in obviously, there has to be some sort border protection. I don’t think people like to leave their country but they often feel they are forced to. But once they’re here, we can’t treat people like that. Once they are classified as refugees then we have to protect them.”

The influx of boat people this year has led to the Australian Bishops to reassess the chaplaincy situation on the Island. Previously, a chaplain would travel to Christmas Island to celebrate Mass at Christmas and Easter, but he said people have a right to regular sacraments.

The Bishops’ Office for Migration and Refugees in Canberra and the Jesuit Refugee Service Australia has organised a roster of priests with Archbishop Barry HIckey for the Island, as it falls under the jurisdiction of the Archdiocese of Perth.

The Christmas Island population is about 3000, Bishop Grech said, including the locals. There are

only 151 spare beds for a facility designed for 800 but now accommodates 2042. This year 1121 asylum seekers have arrived.

Numbers of Catholic asylum seekers are difficult to ascertain. Two Masses are held each Sunday - one at the community centre is regularly attended by about 140 people, which will increase, he said, as it becomes more popular - and another at the detention centre draws about 35 worshippers. Christmas Island’s Catholic community also provides pastoral support. Perth’s former vocations director, Philippine-born Fr Armando Carandang, was based there from 14 December to 20 January, and Marist Father Jim Carter has been there since. He will be replaced by a Jesuit priest yet to be named after Easter.

Bishop Grech said chaplaincy on the Island takes patience and perseverance.

The Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) expressed alarm at the prospect of laws being rushed through the Victorian Parliament which would give unprecedented powers to the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission

ACL Victorian Director Rob Ward said stakeholders were given only a short time to comment on the complex Equal Opportunity Bill 2010 despite its huge implications for civil liberties and religious freedom.

“The proposed extension of powers to enable the Commission to investigate possible discrimination without even a single complaint being lodged is both excessive and unwarranted,” Mr Ward said.

WESLEY UNITING CHURCH PERTH CNR HAY AND WILLIAM STREETS, PERTH UNITING CHURCH IN THE CITY PRESENTS

An Easter Celebration of the

STATIONS OF THE CROSS

An annual exhibition by Western Australian Artists Exhibition Times: Saturday 27th March to Monday 5th April, 2010. Open daily: 9am to 5pm

Easter Services:

Good Friday 10.00am, Easter Sunday 10.00am

Enquiries: Tel: 6103 4222 or Email: admin@ucic.org.au

Web: www.perthunitingchurch.org.au

Participating artists Karin Wallace, Tania Spencer, Peter Fitzsimmons, Hans Arkeveld, Vincent Elliott, Peter Kovacsy, Ron Nyisztor, Jane Martin, Sally Stewart, Wendy Lije, Connie Petrillo, Norma MacDonald, John Cullinane, Patrizia Tonello, Jennie Nayton

Cover image: Deposition (Station 13) by John Cullinane (2010)

Our children the prize in struggle to impose agenda

It does indeed appear that the West may at long last be waking up to the problems of the premature sexualisation of children (Is the West waking up to sexualisation of children The Record 17 March).

The British Government’s proposal to tackle the issue is long overdue - Britain has one of the highest teen pregnancy and teen STD rates in the Western World.

We should all be aware however, that at the same time this same government is planning to introduce compulsory sex education into all schools with no opt out for religious schools.

Christians have spoken out against plans to introduce new rules that would require schools to teach 11-year-old students about homosexuality and civil partnerships .

Until now, school head teachers have had the option of not teaching about these issues, but if adopted, the rules will apply to all secondary schools, with no optout for religious schools.

A formal consultation needs to be completed before the rules can come into effect, but once they do, the new will apply in primary and secondary schools starting from the 2011-12 academic year. Along with sex education, classes on the dangers of alcohol, drugs and on financial education will be compulsory.

Under the proposals, four and five-year-olds will be taught about different body parts and lessons on sex will be taught at the age of nine.

Between the ages of 11 and 14,

students will be taught about contraception, pregnancy, sexual activity and sexually transmitted diseases. The guidelines also state that “students should address the role and benefits of marriage and civil partnerships in stable relationships and family life.”

Students will also be required to learn about “different types of relationships,” including homosexual ones. Unbelievably, the proposed rules also state that while religious schools will be required to teach lessons that may be against their beliefs, they will also be allowed “to teach their faith position on the issue.”

Here in Australia in the past few weeks several high profile feminists have expressed their concern over hyper-sexualized, raunchy culture and a New South Wales Labour Minister has recently introduced a Bill calling for a new Code of Practice for the Media.

Bear in mind however, that at the same time, there are proposals to adopt an R18+rating for video and computer games, and there is a considerable amount of opposition to the federal Government’s Internet filtering plan.

In addition, as mentioned in

your report, there are proposals to overhaul the sexual education programs in all schools. Just what this will involve remains to be seen. One thing is for sure – that parents must remain ever-vigilant and prayerful.

Gillian Gonzalez Vice President Australian Family Association WA

Financial feudalism

Thank you Peter Bertola for your interesting letter Financial Feudalism. (The Record, 10th March 2010)

Archbishop Raymond Burke, prefect of the Apostolic Signatura in Rome said: “As Catholics, we can never cease to wok for the correction of gravely unjust laws. Law s a fundamental expression of our culture and implicitly teaches citizens what is morally acceptable.”

May I remind readers that Pope Benedict XVI said: “The just ordering of society and the State is central responsibility of politics.”

(Deus Caritas Est #28)

Presently the politicians control us. If we truly care about justice and the common good we, the people, must rake responsibility and reverse the process, because

the just ordering of society is proper to the lay faithful.

If we fail financial feudalism will inevitably increase and only an elite few will share the common good, which God intended, be shared by all. Therefore “the political community” (ibid #36), must take such responsibility and remedy the injustices.

John McKay Tammin

The reality of the priesthood

Reading the long letter from Colin Michael Nunis, I was drawn to a couple of things which he writes and with which I find myself somewhat in disagreement. I do not disagree with what he says about clerical celibacy but what I take issue with is his dismissal of the priest being in persona Christi. He says that this “confuses the role of the priest as the president of the community…. with a somewhat magical ontological identification of the priest with Our Lord….”

Mr. Nunis is obviously taken with another theological position and he disparagingly dismisses Thomism as the underlying philosophy of the Latin Church.

When Jesus instituted the Eucharist he said to his Apostles “Do this in memory of me”. He did not say, “Call on the Holy Spirit to do this”. This idea that it is the Holy Spirit, not the priest, who transubstantiates the bread and wine, has lead to some New Agers thinking that they can get by without a priest, ‘because we’re all priests aren’t we’. What is completely overlooked by such people is the very real

Latin Mass centre opened, blessed on St Patrick’s Day

Continued from Page 1

Fr Rowe celebrated the Mass with visiting Dominican Fr Christopher Dowd from Adelaide as Deacon, Perth Canon lawyer Fr Brian Limbourn as Sub-Deacon and Fr Steve Casey from Karratha and Fr Rohan Murphy from Ireland also present.

The altar was from St Anne’s Church in North Fremantle used by the Croatian Catholic community, the altar rails from Christ Church Anglican church in Claremont and the Stations of the Cross – which were also fully restored then blessed on 19 March, were found in the basement of the St Mary’s Cathedral presbytery.

The pulpit was sourced from Europe by Fr Tiziano Bogoni, chaplain at All Saints Chapel in Allendale Square, Perth city.

Much of the work on the church was either by donations as mentioned or from community members or friends who were tradesmen. The Archdiocese also helped out with some costs.

While Rowe admitted a sense of relief, the

work is far from done, he said, with the altar rails needing fixing as well as the sound system.

During the opening Mass, radio coverage of a horse race was somehow coming through on a frequency. The office and presbytery – which is uninhabitable – also needs to be fixed as the roof of both are on the verge of caving in due to white ants. No work had been done on either for decades. Fr Rowe currently lives in North Perth. He would like to move into the presbytery eventually once it’s fixed.

There was some initial angst when Fr Rowe closed down the church as a construction site, as Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament –started by Fr Eugene McGrah when parish priest there years ago – had a full roster. Some of them suggested that it be held in the presbytery, but this was equally unsafe, and Fr Rowe reassured them that he would restore adoration, to some extent, once the church was finally opened.

The Latin Mass community still uses the ProCathedral but will be phased out for the community as the Third Order of St Francis has been given permission to use it.

“As we celebrate the feast of this great missionary saint (St Patrick), let us ask ourselves whether we are grateful to God for the gift of faith which has been passed down to us?” Fr Rowe said in his homily.

“Do we, like Patrick, use every means to pass on this faith and spread it? As we open St Anne’s today, let us see that we have done all we have done to open it for the glory of God and please God for the conversion of Belmont and the districts around.”

distinction between the priesthood of the people and the ministerial priesthood. See how quickly you can move into heresy without sound philosophy and theology! I am not in any way decrying the Byzantine Church but I do prefer Thomistic philosophy and theology.

John Rayner

Hillarys WA

Tony Obama, dare I ask?

The latest political cave-in, from idealist to mediaintimidated, feminist-browbeaten robot, is federal Opposition leader, Tony Abbott. The other day on TV show, 60 Minutes, Liz Hayes asked him, “Do you approve of abortion?”

He replied, “I guess in the end I’m a bit like Bill Clinton on this matter, who said that it should be safe, legal and rare...”

So is Mr Abbott a Catholic or isn’t he?

It doesn’t matter much who we elect to parliament - after they’ve been there five minutes they’re all the same.

What does matter is how the Church sticks to its guns.

If Australia’s bishops speak with one voice - speaking only what God teaches - Australians will respect them and listen to them.

Politicians will start to fear and tremble each time they open their mouths.

The Catholic Church has blown its credibility often enough – but, like its Founder, it can rise from the dead.

Arnold Jago

Mildura VIC

Fr Slattery resigns from Church role

Continued from Page 1

Fr Slattery was granted a suspended 18-month jail term.

“Given the court’s decision that he is not to have access to children, I set down parameters for his care which have been observed: he is to live at a priests’ retirement centre; he was given a desk in my offices and asked to do a number of administrative tasks that did not involve children; he was not to take charge of a parish.”

Archbishop Hickey stated that while Fr Slattery has not reoffended while leading a priestly life, he has resigned due to the publication of the details of the trial in The West Australian daily newspaper on 20 March.

“Fr Slattery has observed these restrictions and has given excellent service while here,” Archbishop HIckey said in the statement released last week.

“Given the negative publicity in The West Australian which included a detailed account of his trial for an offence committed before he was a priest, he has resigned from all his duties for a quiet life of prayer and study.”

Above, St Anne’s in Belmont, now a centre for worship in the Tridentine Rite. Right, Fr Michael Rowe, censes one of the restored Stations of the Cross.

PHOTOS: ANTHONY BARICH

VISTA 1

Hurdles along the way?

Deacons can be pulled in two directions at once as they deal with the duties of being husband, father - and deacon ...

It is fairly obvious, in Australia as elsewhere, that there is a wide range of opinions and pastoral practices in regard to the permanent diaconate. Its virtual disappearance for many centuries has not helped us to understand the profound value of this ministry. Neither is the all too often mentioned shortage of ordained priests an excuse to prop up the network of Church services in many dioceses around the world by ordaining permanent deacons.

Emerging Ministry

The permanent diaconate: Its genesis, growth, issues.

By Anthony Paganoni CS

The American Bishops’ Committee on the Diaconate released the results of a national study in 1996, identifying some issues for the future. The first posed the following question: “How are the issues of the deacon’s identity and acceptance to be resolved in light of the tendency of many to use the deacon to address the present shortage of priests?”

The second issue resembles the first: “What are the best means of response to the demonstrated need for a more focused effort on the national and diocesan levels to form and challenge deacons towards roles and ministries more clearly differentiated from the ministerial priesthood?” the Bishops asked.

As recently as 2003, Cardinal Walter Kasper of the Vatican’s Council for promoting Christian Unity pointed out that the theological understanding of the permanent diaconate remains unclear, a matter of theological dispute, which has resulted in a variety of pastoral tasks assigned to deacons. He singles out three major dimensions of diaconal life:

1 the theological (relational problems about the meaning of ordination to sacred orders – bishop-priest-deacon – which constitute one Sacred Order)

2 pastoral (basically boundary problems, involving the issue of who does what) and

3 personal (connected with the theological and pastoral grey areas causing, in many dioceses, a morale problem for the diaconal ministers).

This morale problem may be the result of an unclear theological interrelationship between roles, or it may stem from the issue of the deacon’s marital status. On many occasions, marriage or family life requires the full attention of the deacon.

He finds himself in a dual sacramental situation: his married life and his diaconal life. And the celibate clerical leadership, both Bishop and priest, may not be sensitive or appreciative of the pull factors between family and ministry.

You could say it’s like the Ku Klux Klan’s theories about race - assumed to be fact by those who want to believe it, and almost completely untrue and unhistorical. But it hasn’t stopped large numbers of people believing the Spanish Inquisition was a massive diabolical plot responsible for the deaths of millions of innocent people. The silly thing is, there are plenty of contemporary governments prepared to justify - and use - torture in the fight against terrorism.

The Spanish Inquisition

Unearthing Treasure

By Fr Sean Fernandez

Itried in my last article not to justify the Crusades, but to put aside any selfrighteousness and to try to understand the events which gave rise to the crusading movement. In this article I shall

attempt an even more difficult task – to place the inquisitions within their milieu. It is a difficult task because the very word ‘Inquisition’ conjures up the vilest of images.

There was, however, no such thing as ‘The Inquisition’. ‘The Inquisition’ – an organisation, staffed by fanatics, which terrorised all of Europe - is a creation of polemicists, Protestant propagandists and early secularists.

Today, there are many contemporary historians who are helping separate fact from fiction; two of note are Edward Peters in his Inquisition and Henry Kamen in his The Spanish Inquisition

The Inquisitions have their origins in Roman law and practice. As the Republic gave

way to the Empire, legal instruments for dealing with criminal and civil wrongs developed. There was nothing particularly sinister about this and the word inquisitio did not send shivers down people’s spines. Peters explains how Roman jurisprudential practice was adopted by the Church after it emerged from persecution. The Church of the first millennium, however, remained wary of coercive power especially with regard to faith.

Nonetheless, over time various inquisitional tribunals came to be established and people were tortured, unjustly punished and burnt at the stake. These are terrible aspects of history which cannot be denied. However, we do not

Please turn to Vista 2-3

A manual published in the 1500s during the era of what is usually described as the Spanish Inquisition gives instructions on directing the efforts of the holy office. Its title page mentions grand inquisitor Father Thomas de Torquemada.

Pastoral Letter March 2010: Our job as Christians, says Archbishop Barry Hickey, is to

Carry the Light of Christ the Light of Christ

The following is the text of the Pastoral Letter - the second issued by Archbishop Hickey in Lent this year.

My dear People Let us reflect a little on Easter and its fundamental importance for our faith. In fact, our faith is nothing without it.

Like millions of people around the world, we believe in God. But our faith goes further. We believe that Jesus is God’s only son, fully divine and fully human and that He has called us to follow Him on a journey of deep personal transformation that only ends after this life in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Easter and the great days before Easter tell us much about the journey we have begun and what difference it should and does make to our lives.

It is not enough for us simply to remember Jesus’ own journey of suffering and death, followed by His resurrection.

It must mean something to us personally – how we are seen by God, what we are called to be, how we are to live and how we are to treat others.

Let us look at Holy Thursday, Good Friday and the Easter Vigil to see the impact on our own lives.

First, Holy Thursday.

In the evening in all our Parish churches we live again in sacramental and liturgical form the Last Supper of Jesus.

Jesus called His disciples to join Him in celebrating the Jewish Feast of the Passover, the deliverance of the People of Israel from captivity in Egypt through the Red Sea, led by Moses.

He is now the new Moses, leading us from the slaves of sin to eternal life.

At the Last Supper Jesus gave us in the form of bread and wine, His own body and blood as our spiritual food. He spoke of his body being given up and His blood shed for us for the forgiveness of sins. We share His self-sacrifice every time we receive

Holy Communion. As He offered Himself to His Father so we offer ourselves and all that we are to the Father whose Will becomes our desire. We accept suffering in our life as a way of joining with the sufferings of Jesus who endured them, not for any sins of His own, but for ours. He washed the feet of His disciples like a servant

to impress on us that anyone who seeks to follow him must not only take up his cross daily but live a life of great love and humble service.

He also asked His disciples to watch and pray. Let us watch and pray during these days so that we can enter into the victory that was Easter, a victory we can share in by a transformed life.

The death of Jesus on Good Friday was the fulfilment of all that was foreshadowed on Holy Thursday.

The Church is in mourning on Good Friday for the death of our Saviour and Lord. Many of us will wait at the tomb on the Vigil of Easter, like the women of the Gospel, and be awe-

struck by the reality of His Resurrection. Easter declares that Jesus rose from the dead in a glorious body that knows no limit of space or time. His resurrection proclaims His victory over Satan and eternal death.

Let us continue to be full of wonder that Jesus has risen and is still with us. Let us try to understand that this is what awaits us too one day if we follow Him as best we can.

Let us also remember that the new life of Jesus is already ours in Baptism and live as converted baptised people in the Church Community that carries us forward.

We can be transformed by the Risen Lord through prayer, praise and a life of love. So can the world.

Our mission is to carry aloft the light of Christ to the dark places of the world.

Most Rev B J Hickey Archbishop of Perth 22 March 2010

Easter services at St Mary’s Cathedral

The Cathedral is the Mother Church of the Archdiocese. It’s a great place to spend Easter where some events such as the Chrism Mass are celebrated nowhere else.

Passion (Palm) Sunday - 28 March

Saturday Vigil: 6.00pm

Sunday: 8.00am, 9.30am, 11.00am, 5.00pm

Note: At the 11.00am Mass, outside the main doors of the Cathedral, the Archbishop will bless palm branches; commemorate the Lord’s Entrance into Jerusalem with the procession into the Cathedral for the Solemn Sung Mass of Palm Sunday. Before all other Masses on Palm Sunday, the Blessing of Palms will take place from the back of the Cathedral.

Monday of Holy Week - 29 March

8.00am, 12.10pm: Weekday Mass

11.30am: Confessions

Tuesday of Holy Week - 30 March

8.00am, 12.10pm: Weekday Mass

11.30 am: Confessions

7.00pm: The Archdiocesan Chrism Mass

This Mass will be concelebrated by the Archbishop and priests of the Archdiocese. During Mass, the Holy Oils will be Blessed and the Oil of Chrism consecrated. On this occasion, priests and laity will renew their commitment to Christian service.

Wednesday of Holy Week – 31 March

8.00am, 12.10pm: Weekday Mass

11.30am: Confessions

7.30pm: Novena to Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal

Holy Thursday - 1 April

7.00pm: Mass of the Lord’s Supper

The Archbishop and Cathedral clergy will concelebrate this Mass which includes the Mandatum or Washing of the Feet and concludes with the transfer of the Most Blessed Sacrament to the Altar of Repose. For the procession of the Gifts at the Offertory, the faithful are asked to bring to the Altar their Project Compassion boxes and final envelopes for the poor. After Mass, public Adoration at the Altar of Repose will continue until 10.00pm.

Good Friday - 2 April 10.00am: Stations of the Cross 2.30pm: The Seven Last Words

3.00pm: Solemn celebration of the Lord’s Passion

This ceremony includes the reading of the Passion; solemn prayers for the world; veneration of the Cross and Holy Communion. A special collection for the Holy Places is taken up today.

Confessions after Stations of the Cross and the 3.00pm Service

Holy Saturday - 3 April

Confessions: 5.00 - 6.00pm 7.30pm: Easter VIGIL

Solemn Easter Vigil, commencing outside the main doors of the Cathedral. This will include the blessing of the new fire, the Easter Candle, Baptismal font, renewal of Baptismal promises, and the first Easter Mass.

Easter Sunday - 4 April Masses: 8.00am, 9.30am, 11.00am: Solemn

Sung Mass of Easter with the Cathedral Choir, 5.00pm: Youth Mass

All Project Compassion boxes and envelopes not yet returned should be presented at Mass today.

Other services in the Cathedral parish during Holy Week

■ St Francis Xavier Church Windsor Street, Perth

Passion (Palm) Sunday 28 March: Mass at 9.30am

Easter Sunday 4 April: Mass at 9.30 am

■ St Catherine Labore Church Bedford Avenue, Subiaco

Passion (Palm) Sunday 28 March: Mass at 8.30am

Easter Sunday 4 April: Mass at 8.30am

Coming to terms with the real story

of the

Inquisition: an illuminating exercise in little-known historical facts

Continued from Vista 1 need to look far afield to find contemporary examples of torture and failure of natural justice. Remember Abu Ghraib and extraordinary rendition? Our outrage in Australia at these discoveries was muted compared to that in other countries even though our government was hardly lily-white.

There are contemporaries of ours who argue that torture is a necessary weapon in the arsenal of our intelligence agencies – incredible though this seems to most of us today.

The inquisitions were by and large initiatives of temporal powers responding to perceived threats. In a world in which religion was intertwined with regional identity, heresy or deviance was seen not just as a threat to good religion; it was a threat to good order in the world.

We in secular societies think, mistakenly, that truth is relative and that each person has his own truth. In older societies people were not so jejune when it came to truth. Truth was one and was integral to good order as well as to salvation.

In post-Reformation Europe, rulers, both Catholic and Protestant, believed that the rooting out of dissent was vital to the unity their realms. I focus on the inquisitions of the Catholic Church, but Protestant communions and rulers also had

their tribunals. This sad history is one which all Christians have to confront.

If we have regard to the mores of the times, Church tribunals do not come off too badly. Recent studies have shown that they tended to be more lenient than their secular counterparts.

The Inquisition, which is now a byword for terror, is the Spanish Inquisition. It was fearsome at times, but not throughout all its long existence. Its origins are bound up with the struggles between old established families and new Christian converts from Judaism.

Xenophobia, anti-Semitism and racialism played a role in the rise of the Spanish Inquisition. This racialism and anti-Semitism was condemned at various times by Bishops and Popes, eg Humani Generis Enemicus of Pope Nicholas, but these denunciations had limited effect (Kamen, The Spanish Inquisition).

The Holy Office of the Inquisition in Spain was to perdure for hundreds of years. In the period 15591565 when King Philip II sought to ensure that the Reformers gained no toehold in his realms, about a hundred people were burnt at the stake in Spain by the tribunals of the Inquisition.

This was a hundred too many but

we do not often hear that three times the number were cruelly executed by Elizabeth I in England. Popular imagination has the Spanish fires being stoked day and night and thousands going to the pyre.

Another common misconception is with regard to the relationship between the Roman pontiffs and the various Inquisitions.

The Popes at various times did lend their authority to the work of the inquisitors, but they also tried to restrain their excesses.

Papal authority, however, came up against the will of emerging temporal rulers; papal jurisdiction in practice only obtained where the local lords permitted it.

There were several attempts to reform and limit the Spanish Inquisition by both Popes and Spanish prelates. These in the main foundered on the rocks of Imperial obduracy. Kamen tells of a papal decree of Sixtus IV.

The Pontiff condemned the excesses of the Spanish Inquisition and its methods: “many true and faithful Christians, on the testimony of enemies, rivals, slaves ... have without legitimate proof been thrust into secular prisons ... to the peril of souls, setting a pernicious example, and causing disgust to many.”

The bull was not favourably

his Atheist Delusions tells the amusing tale of 12th century Dominican, Vincent of Beauvais who dealt with a woman who claimed to be a witch and to be able to slip through keyholes by locking the door and chasing the deluded creature with a stick while telling her to escape if she could.

“many true and faithful Christians, on the testimony of enemies, rivals, slaves... have without legitimate proof been thrust into secular prisons... to the peril of souls, setting a pernicious example, and causing disgust to many.”

stitious and ill-catechised laity rather than a fearful and credulous hierarchy. As religious certainties broke down, as Church structures came under threat and schism threatened, the old tranquillity gave way to a fear of maleficent forces threatening Church and society. This grievous development was born of a lack of faith rather than of strength of faith.

Reading various books and articles on the Inquisitions made me aware of the complexity of their history. I think we should grieve for evil done. I think we should seek to understand our history because we, sinful human beings, are ever prey to the same fears and ever tempted to violence.

and is created in the image of God. It continues to offer a critique of discourses which diminish us.

“I focus on the inquisitions of the Catholic Church, but Protestant communions and rulers also had their tribunals. This sad history is one which all Christians have to confront.”

received by King Ferdinand who demanded its withdrawal. It was not the first or last attempt to ameliorate the workings of the Spanish tribunals. One could argue that the Inquisitions were as much instruments of state policy as of Church discipline.

A final myth regards the attitude of the Inquisitions to witchcraft. Early Mediaeval Inquisitions

and Church courts tended to take a rather sceptical view of tales of witchcraft.

When they started to deal with them, Church tribunals asked for evidence. This was a dramatic development; manor courts and the like could be inclined to dispense with such trivialities in the face of fearful accusations of curses and strange goings-on. David Bentley Hart in

- decree of Pope Sixtus IV on the Inquisitions Churchmen, at their best, were sceptical of pretensions to magical powers because they believed in a reasonable world under the sovereignty of the Creator.

Much of the hysteria surrounding witchcraft arose because of a super-

However, bombasts who claim that the Catholic religion gave rise to violence, do not know their history; and they wash their hands, Pontius Pilate-like, of present evils. Even in the case of the Inquisitions, the Church’s use of violence was constrained by pastoral considerations; ‘secular’ tribunals suffered no such inhibitions.

We all wish that Church leaders had acted more consistently with their faith, that they had not allowed themselves to be co-opted by temporal powers, but they were just as frail as we are; we hold a treasure in earthen vessels. Our faith tells us that each human person has dignity

It offers a counter-narrative to the tempting myths of national and racial superiority which allow us to mistreat the ‘stranger in our midst’. It tells us that we are all brothers and sisters and there is one who is Father of us all and who causes His light to shine on good and bad alike. Remember how Ferdinand was outraged at the ecclesiastical censure of his Inquisition?

We have our contemporary Ferdinands who want us to be silent and go away. They must not succeed; the prophetic message of the Gospel must be heard no matter whom it may discomfit.

An undated engraving shows the cruelty of what is generally referred to as the Spanish Inquisition. In recent years, the Vatican has hosted symposiums examining various facets of that dark and complex period in the life of the Church. Protestant reformers, quicker to understand the power of the printed word than Catholics, seized on the opportunity to popularise not only real crimes committed under Catholic auspices, but also to invent wild tales of cruelty and horror that never happened at all. It was one of the earliest victories of the art of propaganda.

PHOTO: CNS ILLUSTRATION FROM BETTMANN ARCHIVE

Evening light shines on a crucifix in the vestibule of St Paul’s Basilica in Toronto in this 2008 file photo.

PHOTO: CNS/NANCY WIECHEC

The 1970s British comedy group known as Monty Python’s Flying Circus are often remembered for their classic television comedy sketch known as ‘Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition.’ In the sketch, Church prelates threaten innocent victims with being thrown in the Comfy Chair unless they abjure their heresies. Decades later it is still regarded as a wacky and hilarious spoof. PHOTO: PUBLIC SOURCE IMAGE

Pope orders Vatican abuse investigation

Pope apologises to Irish abuse victims, orders Vatican investigation

BY JOHN T HAVIS Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY - In a letter to Irish Catholics, Pope Benedict XVI personally apologised to victims of priestly sexual abuse and announced new steps to heal the wounds of the scandal, including a Vatican investigation and a year of penitential reparation.

“You have suffered grievously and I am truly sorry. I know that nothing can undo the wrong you have endured. Your trust has been betrayed and your dignity has been violated,” he told victims in his letter, released on 20 March at the Vatican.

The Pope told priest abusers that they would answer to God for their sins. He said Bishops had made serious mistakes in responding to allegations of sexual abuse and he encouraged them to implement new Church norms against abuse and cooperate with civil authorities in such cases.

“Only decisive action carried out with complete honesty and transparency will restore the respect and goodwill of the Irish people toward the Church,” he said.

The 4,600 word letter was to be distributed at Masses across Ireland on 20-21 March and priests there were preparing homilies on the text.

The letter came in response to the disclosure last fall that Irish Church leaders had often protected abusive priests over the last 35 years. Similar allegations have since come to light in Germany, the Netherlands, Austria and Switzerland.

Pope Benedict, who met with Irish Bishops to discuss the problem in February, began his letter by saying he shared in the sense of betrayal Irish Catholics felt when they learned of these “sinful and criminal acts” and the “often inadequate response” by Church authorities in Ireland.

He said he was convinced that the Church, having adopted strict new measures against sexual abuse, was now on the right path. But the healing process for Irish Catholics will take time and requires a deeper spiritual renewal, he said.

“No-one imagines that this painful situation will be resolved swiftly,” he wrote.

The Pope pointed out that he had met with sex abuse victims before and said he was ready to do so again. Many in Ireland have called for a papal meeting with those who suffered abuse at the hands of priests.

To the victims of abuse and their families, the Pope offered sympathy and understanding.

He noted that many victims found that, when they had the courage to denounce the abuse, “no one would listen.” Those abused in Catholic residential institutions must have felt that there was no escape from their sufferings, he said. “It is understandable that you find it hard to forgive or be reconciled with the Church. In her name, I openly express the shame and remorse that we all feel. At the same time, I ask you not to lose hope,” he said.

Addressing priests and Religious who have abused children, the Pope declared: “You betrayed the trust that was placed in you by innocent young people and their parents, and you must answer for

it before almighty God and before properly constituted tribunals.”

Priest abusers, he said, have “violated the sanctity of the Sacrament of Holy Orders in which Christ makes himself present in us and in our actions.”

He said those who have abused should openly acknowledge their guilt, try to atone personally for what they have done and “not despair of God’s mercy.”

The Pope urged Bishops to fully implement the Church’s new policies against abuse and to “continue to cooperate with the civil authorities in their area of competence.”

“It cannot be denied that some of you and your predecessors failed, at times grievously, to apply the long-established norms of canon law to the crime of child abuse. Serious mistakes were made in responding to allegations,” he said.

The Pope said he had ordered an apostolic visitation, or internal Church investigation, of certain dioceses in Ireland, as well as seminaries and religious congregations. He said details would be announced later.

The step was an apparent effort to find out more precisely how and why mistakes were made in the handling of abuse cases.

The Pope identified several contributing factors to clerical sex abuse, among them a “misplaced concern for the reputation of the Church” that led to a failure to apply existing penalties against abuse.

He also pointed to inadequate selection of priesthood candidates, poor formation programmes and a tendency in society to favour the clergy and other authority figures.

At the same time, he said priestly sexual abuse was linked to more general developments, including the secularisation of Irish society and of Irish clergy and Religious themselves, and misinterpretation of the Second Vatican Council.

In addition to the apostolic visitation, the Pope announced two other “concrete initiatives” to help

Victims, media miss the point of papal letter on abuse

Papal letter on sex abuse emphasises spiritual rebuilding in Ireland

BY JOHN T HAVIS Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict

XVI’s letter to Irish Catholics was a pastoral, not a disciplinary, document, aimed more at spiritual rebuilding than establishing a chain of accountability for the priestly sex abuse scandal.

Although the Pope referenced several factors that led to acts of abuse and their mishandling by Church authorities in the past, his main focus was on the future. While encouraging continued vigilance over abuse, the papal letter did not unveil any new procedures or penalties. Instead, it announced a programme of prayer and penitence designed to revive trust among Irish Catholics.

PHOTO: CNS/CATHAL MCNAUGHTON, REUTERS

Irish Bishops repair the damage in the Church:

● A year long period, from Easter 2010 to Easter 2011, of penitential and devotional practices with the intention of strengthening holiness and strength in the Church in Ireland.

In particular, he said, Eucharistic Adoration should be set up in every diocese so that “through intense prayer before the real presence of the Lord, you can make reparation for the sins of abuse that have done so much harm,” he said.

● A nationwide “mission” to be held for all Bishops, priests and Religious, to promote a better understanding of their vocations by drawing on the expertise of preachers and retreat-givers, and by studying Vatican II documents and more recent teachings.

The Pope cited Ireland’s immense past contributions to the Church, and the great sacrifices made by Irish Catholics. That sense of faith needs to be renewed, even in the face of the recent scandals, he said.

Addressing young people in Ireland, he urged them not to give up on the Church.

“We are all scandalised by the sins and failures of some of the Church’s members,” he said. “But it is in the Church that you will find Jesus Christ, who is the same yesterday, today and forever,” he said.

The Pope told Irish Catholics he was sending his letter “with the care of a father for his children and with the affection of a fellow Christian, scandalised and hurt by what has occurred in our beloved Church.”

He closed the letter with a prayer that said: “May our sorrow and tears, our sincere efforts to redress past wrongs, and our firm purpose of amendment bear an abundant harvest of grace.”

Editor’s Note: The full text of the papal letter is available on the Vatican Web site at http:// www.vatican.va/holy_father/benedict_xvi/ letters/2010/documents/hf_ben-xvi_ let_20100319_church-ireland_en.html.

“I am praying earnestly that, by God’s grace, the wounds afflicting so many individuals and families may be healed and that the Church in Ireland may experience a season of rebirth and spiritual renewal,” the Pope said in his letter, released on 20 March. Deeper analysis of the scandal, including its causes and levels of responsibility, was left to a team of investigators who will carry out an apostolic visitation in Irish dioceses and Religious houses. The visitation was the most practical initiative announced in the papal letter. But because such investigations are confidential, the move disappointed those who have called for greater transparency by Church leaders on the sex abuse issue. The reaction to the Pope’s letter among Irish Catholics appeared to be mixed. In several ways, the Pope made a positive impact:

● He specifically said the shame and betrayal justly felt by Irish Catholics was not only about sexual abuse by priests but also at “the way Church authorities in Ireland dealt with them.”

The Bishops’ response was “often inadequate,” and involved “serious mistakes,” he said.

● He put himself in the place of victims to an extent not seen before in a public document. He empathised with their emotional suffering and loss of dignity, their frustration when Church authorities wouldn’t listen to their accusations, and the feeling of “no escape” among those who resided in Catholic institutions. He recognised how deep their resentment still runs when he said, “I know some of you find it difficult even to enter the doors of a church after all that has occurred.”

● He acknowledged that one factor in the mishandling of sex abuse cases was “a misplaced concern for the reputation of the Church and the avoidance of scandal.” It was the first time

Pope Benedict has spoken about this aspect of the sex abuse crisis, at least publicly

Critics took issue with some things the letter didn’t address, like whether Bishops who protected abusers should resign; the role of the Vatican in oversight of sex abuse cases; and priestly celibacy as a possible factor in the crisis. Some were upset by a section of the letter that placed sex abuse by priests in a wider context of social transformation, one that included secularisation, a weakening of religious practice, new ways of thinking among priests and Religious, and misinterpretation of the Second Vatican Council.

“We are astounded at the Pope’s assertion that the roots of clerical sexual abuse lie in the secularisation of Irish society, the falling off of religious devotion and failures to adhere to canon law,” said Maeve Lewis, executive director of One in Four, a group representing abuse survivors in Ireland.

Lewis and others identify a “culture of secrecy” inside the Church as a primary cause of the scandal. The Pope sees the Church weakened by developments that, at least in part, came from the outside.

It’s not the first time the Pope has explored this theme. In the United States in 2008, he spoke of sex abuse in the Church in the context of “the degrading manifestations and the crude manipulation of sexuality so prevalent today” and the erosion of fundamental moral values in society.

The way the Pope views the problem helps explain the measures he outlined for the Church in Ireland, including a year long period of prayer and penitential practices, and a nationwide “mission” of retreats and spiritual reflection for Bishops, priests and Religious. Those initiatives may strike some as beside the point, but they reflect the Pope’s belief that the damage done by the sex abuse scandal ultimately requires a spiritual remedy, and not just new policies and penalties.

Correspondent Martin Zoller and videographer Giuseppe Mella with a German TV outlet review Pope Benedict XVI’s pastoral letter to Ireland’s Catholics after its release at the Vatican press offfice. CNS

The shadow of a woman holding a Rosary is seen during a Mass at a Church in Armagh, Northern Ireland, on 21 March. Pope Benedict XVI’s letter to Irish Catholics was a pastoral, not a disciplinary, document, aimed more at spiritual rebuilding than establishing a chain of accountability for the priestly sex abuse scandal.

Letter ‘stronger than expected’

Archbishop asks colleagues to take responsibility for abuse failures

BY MICHAEL KELLY Catholic News Service

DUBLIN, Ireland - Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin called on his episcopal colleagues to take responsibility for the Irish Catholic Church’s failures in dealing with child sexual abuse by priests.

“Without accountability for the past there will no healing and no trust for the future,” Archbishop Martin told reporters on 20 March following Mass at St Mary’s ProCathedral in Dublin after Pope Benedict XVI’s pastoral letter to Irish Catholics on the abuse crisis was released.

Archbishop Martin described the letter as “part of a strategy of a renewal of the Church.” Many people “felt it was much stronger than expected,” he said.

Asked why the Pope did not make any reference to a Vatican role in the crisis in Ireland, Archbishop Martin said the responsibility “very much” fell on the Irish Church.

“The Vatican had produced the norms of Canon law and they weren’t respected in the management of these cases,” he said.

The Pope’s letter was read in full during Masses on 20 and 21 March in parishes across Ireland. Copies of the letter made available in some parishes were snapped up quickly by parishioners eager to see exactly what Pope Benedict had to say.

Reaction from abuse victims and their representative groups to the papal letter was mixed, with some expressing disappointment and others welcoming the initiative.

John Kelly of the Irish Survivors of Child Abuse Organisation, which represents many of those abused in Church-run industrial schools for abandoned and orphaned children, said the letter represented a long-overdue apology from the Pope.

“Victims desperately need closure for what happened to them. We are fed up being victims and don’t want to remain victims,” Kelly said.

“This letter is a possible step to closure and we owe it to ourselves to study it and to give it a measured response.

“We are heartened by the pontiff’s open acceptance that the abusive behaviour of priests and Religious were criminal acts.”

However, the One in Four group, which represents some of the people abused by Irish priests, responded to the letter with a

“mixture of dismay and disappointment.”

Maeve Lewis, the group’s executive director, told Catholic News Service that she was deeply disappointed by the letter “for passing up a glorious opportunity to address the core issue in the clerical sexual abuse scandal: the deliberate policy of the Catholic Church at the highest levels to protect sex offenders.”

“While we welcome the Pope’s direction that the Church leadership cooperate with the civil authorities in relation to sexual abuse ... we feel the letter falls far short of addressing the concerns of the victims,” she said.

At St Mary’s Cathedral in Killarney, Ireland on 21 March, a man attempted to attack Bishop William Murphy of Kerry as he read the Pope’s letter during Mass, reported the IrishCentral Web site.

The unnamed man, identified only as a former resident of an orphanage where children were abused, shouted “Apologise!” at Bishop Murphy as he ran toward the cleric.

He was restrained by six members of the congregation and wrestled out of church.

Police questioned the man but did not arrest him.

Cardinal Sean Brady of Armagh, Northern Ireland, said after the letter was released “it is evident from the pastoral letter that Pope Benedict is deeply dismayed by what he refers to as ‘sinful and criminal acts and the way the Church authorities in Ireland dealt with them.’”

“To us Bishops, he says we must admit ‘that grave errors of judgement were made and failures of leadership occurred’ which have seriously undermined our credibility and effectiveness,” the Cardinal said.

Cardinal Brady has been under pressure to resign since he admitted on 14 March that he had been aware of allegations of abuse against a priest as early as 1975 and did not report them to police.

Although Cardinal Brady has apologised for the error, he has resisted calls for his resignation, saying instead that he wanted to stay on as a “wounded healer.”

Archbishop Vincent Nichols of Westminster, president of the Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, also welcomed the letter.

“From our experience in England and Wales, we have learned that the most important thing is to recognise and take to heart the profound damage done to children who have been abused. Putting the safeguarding of children and all vulnerable people at the centre of the Church’s efforts is essential,” he said.

Pope to meet Irish victims, promote healing

Pope will meet Irish victims of sex abuse, spokesman says

BY CINDY WOODEN Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY - In his letter to Irish Catholics, Pope Benedict XVI promised to meet victims of clerical sexual abuse but the Vatican said it would not turn such a meeting into a media event.

Like similar meetings the Pope has had with victims in the United States and in Australia, a potential meeting with Irish victims would occur quietly and in an atmosphere of prayer without a public announcement ahead of time, said Jesuit Fr Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman.

“For the Pope, these are not media events. They are human and spiritual encounters. While they are significant, you should not expect them to be announced and propagandised,” Fr Lombardi told reporters on 20 March during a briefing on the Pope’s letter.

The spokesman also announced that the Vatican had opened on its website a new page - http://www.vatican.va/resources/index_ en.htm# - with the text of the Pope’s letter, past papal speeches touching on sexual abuse and related documents.

Directly addressing victims in his letter, Pope Benedict wrote, “I humbly ask you to consider what I have said.”

Fr Lombardi said the Pope’s words make it clear that he understands their hurt and how hard it could be for them to trust Church leaders. He said the Pope is not acting as “a teacher trying to impose a lesson,” but is asking for a chance to apologise on behalf of the Church and help promote healing.

The release of the Pope’s letter to Irish

Catholics came in the midst of new revelations about clerical sexual abuse of minors in Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and Switzerland.

Asked why the Pope did not use the opportunity to address clerical sexual abuse globally, Fr Lombardi said Pope Benedict wanted to speak directly to Irish Catholics as they deal with a series of cases that have been the object of two separate independent inquiries and very public reflection by the Bishops’ conference as a whole.

“Obviously, the way the Pope addresses the victims, the guilty or the Bishops” in the Irish letter is applicable beyond Ireland, Fr Lombardi said.

But this letter was meant to be pastoral and specific, and an attempt to address the global situation risked making the document “generic, banal or 250 pages long,” he said.

In the letter, Pope Benedict announced “an apostolic visitation of certain dioceses in Ireland, as well as seminaries and Religious congregations.”

Fr Lombardi said details about who will be in charge of the visitation, what dioceses will be visited and the precise scope and timetable for the visitation would be announced in the future.

He said, however, that a visitation usually indicates Church leaders believe there is a situation “in which it seems local governance has been inadequate”.

Asked about Pope Benedict’s responsibility for the way the Church has handled sex abuse allegations, particularly when he was head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Fr Lombardi said the Pope was “a model of the search for coherence.”

His term as Prefect of the doctrinal congregation was “a time not of covering up or hiding the issues, but of an increasingly clear and decisive commitment to bringing them to light and dealing with them,” Fr Lombardi said.

Three Brazilian priests suspended as police investigate

BY LISE ALVES Catholic News Service

SAO

PAULO, Brazil

-

Three clergymen in the diocese of Penedo, Brazil, have been suspended from the priesthood while authorities continue investigating claims of sexual abuse against them from altar servers.

The suspensions in Arapiraca in the northern state of Alagoas followed the broadcast of a videotape in mid-March by a Brazilian television network showing what appeared to be retired Monsignors engaged in sex with a 19 year old man.

Bishop Valerio Breda of Penedo said in a statement that in light of the “grave and lamentable facts made public on television,” he suspended Mgr Luiz Marques Barbosa, 82.

Mgr Raimundo Gomes, 52, and Fr Edilson Duarte, 43, also were suspended, the Bishop said, when other altar servers stepped forward with claims of abuse.

Bishop Breda said the Church was cooperating with police and that the Church also would conduct its own investigation.

“We reproach, without restriction and with hearts broken by shame and sadness, the facts in the report, which, despite their not having been proven, have outraged human and Christian conscience,” Bishop Breda’s statement said.

The network, SBT TV, said the video was shot in January 2009 inside the Monsignor’s residence by another victim.

When questioned by police, the young man reported that he had been forced to engage in sexual acts with the Monsignor since he was 12.

Local newspapers reported that other victims stepped forward with allegations that the clerics forced them into the sexual relationships.

Mgr Barbosa retired in September 2009 after 58 years in ministry. After his retirement he remained involved in Church life in Arapiraca, continuing to preside at weddings and celebrating Mass, according to parishioners.

In an interview with SBT, Mgr Barbosa did not respond to questions about the allegations that he abused altar servers.

Daniel Fernandes, Mgr Barbosa’s attorney, denied the abuse accusations to reporters. He said the sexual relations between the clergyman and the young men were consensual.

The lawyer also said the accusers signed an agreement in June stating they would not release the video or any information related to the case in exchange for about US$17,500.

The Vatican’s spokesperson, Fr Federico Lombardi, said in mid-March Church authorities were aware of the allegations and the continuing police investigation.

CNS attempted to speak with the priests involved, but the Arapiraca parish said the men were unavailable.

Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin, Ireland, speaks to the media just outside St Peter’s Square in Rome in December as Cardinal Sean Brady of Armagh, Northern Ireland, look on. The Church leaders met earlier that day with Pope Benedict XVI to discuss a report issued in Ireland on clerical sexual abuse.

PHOTO: CNS/PAUL HARING

Jesuit Fr Federico Lombardi speaks at a 20 March briefing at the Vatican on Pope Benedict XVI’s letter to Ireland’s Catholics concerning the sexual abuse scandal. Fr Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman, said the Pope was asking for a chance to apologise on behalf of the Church and to help promote healing.

Canada Bishops slam press reports on Church’s abuse response

OTTAWA (CNS) - The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops criticised recent press coverage in two Canadian newspapers suggesting the Catholic Church has inadequately responded to the sexual abuse crisis.

The statement pointed to articles published on 18 March in The National Post and LaPresse which, the Bishops said, were inaccurate and offended Canadian Catholics.

The National Post published on its front page a large photo of Pope Benedict XVI, with a headline Pope seeks repentance

Inside, the paper included a column under the headline The great Catholic cover-up by Christopher Hitchens, an author who has acknowledged being an atheist.

In his column, Hitchens called the Pope “a man personally and professionally responsible for enabling a filthy wave of crime.”

Bishop Pierre Morissette of St Jerome, Quebec, president of the Bishops’ conference, said the Bishops “strongly deplore the tone of these articles which are offensive to Canadian Catholics and imply that the Church has not responded to the problem of sexual abuse. This is false, and the accusations are evidently influenced by prejudice.”

The Bishops called the attacks in the press “unjust,” saying the Pope has “shown an example of great leadership by apologising to victims and by supporting the initiatives of Bishops to prevent future cases of abuse.”

The Bishops noted their own position on child sexual abuse has been clear for years, recalling their 1992 report “From Pain to Hope.” It recommended that Bishops respond fairly and openly to allegations of abuse, offer assistance to victims and respect the jurisdiction of civil authorities.

Italian Cardinal sees campaign against Church in abuse coverage

CARDINAL Angelo Bagnasco, the president of the Italian Bishops’ conference, has decried what he sees as a campaign to discredit the Catholic Church through emphasis on sexual abuse by clerics. Cardinal Bagnasco, speaking to a meeting of the Italian episcopal conference, conceded that the flurry of stories in the European media has exposed a real problem, but argued that the problem is by no means restricted to the Church.

“For a long time, the phenomenon of paedophilia has been tragically widespread in different sectors and various categories of people and various places, even non-Catholic,” he said.

Swiss Abbott calls for Rome-based registry of priests who abuse kids

(CATHOLIC WORLD

NEWS) - A SWISS Abbot has proposed that the Vatican establish an international registry of priests who have committed abuse so that dioceses and Religious Orders could determine whether to accept a priest who had previously worked elsewhere.

“I’m afraid that the Church leadership in Rome is not taking the situation seriously enough,” added Abbot Martin Werlen of Einsiedeln.

Dublin Archbishop proposes global extension of Irish abuse commission to uncover whole truth

ARCHBISHOP Diarmuid Martin of Dublin said that the nationwide extension of the Murphy commission may be “the only way” to uncover the whole truth about the extent of abuse by priests and Religious in Ireland. “What I’m trying to do above all is listen to what people are saying in the parishes,” he added. “People want the entire truth to come out.”

Referring to the controversy over Cardinal Sean Brady’s decision decades ago not to report an abusive priest to police, Archbishop Martin said that “Brendan Smyth should have been stopped from the very first time it was known that he was abusing.”

“How a person would have abused and continued to abuse for so long - 18 years after [Brady’s evidence-gathering] - and God knows how many years before.” He said that he would not issue a call for Cardinal Brady’s resignation.

Celibacy has nothing to do with abuse: expert

Church officials defend celibacy, reject link to sex abuse by priests

BY JOHN T HAVIS Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY - As the Year for Priests moves into its final phase, a chorus of Vatican officials and experts has defended priestly celibacy and rejected the idea that celibacy has anything to do with sexual abuse by priests.

The latest to take on critics of celibacy was Manfred Lutz, chief of psychiatry at a German hospital and a consultant to the Congregation for Clergy.

Speaking at a theological convention on the priesthood in Rome on 12 March, Lutz said people who view celibacy as “unnatural” fail to understand the positive value of self-control in human sexuality.

“Science now tells us that there is no correlation between celibacy and paedophilia,” Lutz told an audience of about 700 priests at the Pontifical Lateran University.

The assumption that celibacy represents a warning signal for psychosexual imbalance is also wrong, said Lutz, who helped

organise a Vatican conference on sex abuse in 2004. On the contrary, he said, it’s the wider society that misunderstands sexuality and that promotes an “idolatry of the body” that has left millions of people unhappy.

Lutz said there was no question that celibacy “is certainly not something for weak characters.”

The commitment to celibacy usually falters in a priest when his spiritual life weakens, or when he becomes too focused on himself.

For that reason, it may be a good idea to have priests live in communities when possible, he said.

Lutz said it was not true that married priests would be better able to pastorally guide married couples. For one thing, he said, there is a risk that a married priest will unconsciously and inevitably apply his own personal marriage experiences to the problems faced by others, whereas a celibate priest has a wider viewpoint.

He said those in the Church who promote the idea of ordaining married men of proven virtue, or viri probati, are often the same people who want to erase all distinction between clergy and laypeople.

Lutz, who is married and the father of two children, said the more fundamental reason some people have aggressively attacked

the Church’s rule on priestly celibacy is that celibacy is a concrete - and unwelcome - reminder of the power of faith and the value of self-sacrifice.

Another speaker at the convention, Nigerian Mgr Fortunatus Nwachukwu, head of protocol at the Vatican’s Secretariat of State, said it was important to understand priestly celibacy as more than sexual abstinence or avoidance of certain behaviours.

“When seen only from this dimension, celibacy becomes a sad and even scary way of life comprising only a series of mortifications. This would be unfair since celibacy is essentially a positive lifestyle that puts the priest totally at the service of God and of others,” he said.

The Vatican newspaper, in a front-page commentary on 10 March by Bishop Giuseppe Versaldi, a retired Professor of Canon Law and psychology, rejected celibacy as a factor in sexual abuse of minors by priests.

“It has been established that there is no cause-effect relationship: above all because it is known that sexual abuse of minors is more widespread among laypeople and married people than among the celibate clergy; and second, research data shows that priests guilty of abuse were already failing to observe celibacy,” it said.

Vatican official urges Confession confidentiality on abuse sins

Vatican official urges confidentiality by confessors on sex abuse sins

BY JOHN T HAVIS Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY - A priest who confesses sexual abuse in the Sacrament of Penance should be absolved and should generally not be encouraged by the confessor to disclose his acts publicly or to his superiors, a Vatican official said.

Likewise, the confessor should not make the contents of such a confession public, said Bishop Gianfranco Girotti, regent of the Apostolic Penitentiary, a Vatican court that handles issues related to the Sacrament of Penance.

Bishop Girotti spoke in an interview published on 17 March in L’Osservatore Romano, the Vatican newspaper. His comments came as Church leaders were responding to the disclosure of hundreds of allegations of past sexual abuse by priests in several European countries.

Bishop Girotti spoke strictly about the response of a confessor, and not about the wider responsibility to acknowledge and investigate priestly sexual abuse outside the confessional.

When a priest confesses such acts, “the confession can only have absolution as a consequence,” he said. “It is not up to the confessor to make them public or to ask the penitent to incriminate himself in front of superiors. This is true because, on one hand, the sacramental seal remains inviolable and, on the other hand, one cannot provoke mistrust in the penitent,” he said.

“From the confessor, (the penitent) can only expect absolution, certainly not a sentence nor the order to confess his crime in public,” he said.

Other Vatican officials, who spoke on background, said a distinction should be drawn between what a confessor requires of a penitent as a condition for absolution, and what the confessor may strongly encourage the penitent to do. In the case of priestly sexual abuse, for example, a confessor may want to recommend that a priest discuss the situation with superiors in order to avoid the occasion of future sins, they said. Publicly admitting the sin might even be required of a penitent if it would clear the name of another person unjustly accused of the same act, they said.

In the interview, Bishop Girotti

also explained why the Church reserves to Bishops the overall authority for absolution for the sin of abortion, but not for other grave sins like murder or the sexual abuse of minors by priests. Essentially, he said, the purpose is to highlight the gravity of the sin of abortion.

“It’s not really correct to say that it’s easier to confess a murder or sexual abuse than an abortion. It’s simply a matter of two different configurations of sin,” he said.

“By placing abortion in the category of sins reserved to a higher competence, the aim was to place the accent on the seriousness of the killing of an individual even before he or she is born. The hope is also to encourage more reflection by those thinking of abortion as a way to resolve a serious personal issue,” he said.

Bishop Gianfranco Girotti is regent of the Apostolic Penitentiary, a Vatican court that handles issues related to the Sacrament of Penance. He is pictured during a symposium in Rome in 2008.

PHOTO: CNS/ALESSIA GIULIANI, CATHOLIC PRESS

Seeds of gathering abuse storm sewn in skewered, uncontrolled notion of sexuality

COMMENT BY MICHAEL COOK

Editor of MercatorNet.com

The scandal of sexual abuse by priests in Europe is distracting us from an even bigger scandal in the future, one which the media helped to create.

Media coverage of sexual abuse by Catholic priests in Europe is being formatted according to the Watergate template: sensational crimes, decades-long cover-ups, dogged reporters, denials from official hacks, half-apologies from quivering bureaucrats, threads leading to the dark lair of lies and obstruction. Only Deep Throat is missing.

Abuse Scandal in Germany Edges Closer to Pope was the headline in the New York Times a week ago. The Times has even set up a special blog to track and interpret the unfolding story.

Day by day, the drum beat grows louder. Earlier this week the media’s favourite atheist, Christopher Hitchens, bundled together a handful of yellowing newspaper clippings and packaged it as a sulphurous attack in the online magazine Slate: “The Pope’s entire career has the stench of evil about it.”

On 20 March, Benedict XVI published a letter to the Irish Catholic Bishops about the horrendous scandal there.

No doubt this will prompt more speculation about whether sexual abuse in Germany will be the Pope’s Watergate, about whether he will be forced to resign, about whether the Catholic Church will have to abandon its tradition of clerical celibacy.

The scandal of clergy who sexually abused children is diabolically real. It has to be confronted humbly and courageously by the Bishops who run the Catholic Church.

Clergy who are found guilty should be punished. Higher-ups who shielded them should resign.

There is no doubt that Pope Benedict is ready to take a tough line on this.

After all – contrary to what Hitchens claims – it was he who established clear guidelines and he has enforced them sternly. On several occasions he has spoken of the “deep shame” he feels at revelations that some priests had betrayed their calling and preyed upon innocent children.

When he addressed American Bishops in 2008 he spoke with a hint of sarcasm, quoting their own words to say that the crisis had been “sometimes very badly handled”. But it’s important to remember that these scandals relate to priests who offended decades ago.

Wannabee Woodwards and Bernsteins are deflecting attention from the crisis that is happening right now, a crisis from which the media is averting its eyes, just as the Bishops did 30 years ago, a crisis in which they play an active role.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel got it right this week. She denounced sexual abuse of minors as “a despicable crime” but refused to single out the Catholic Church for special criticism.

“Let’s not oversimplify things,” she said. “We need to speak about

[changing] the statute of limitations, we can address the idea of compensation, but the main issue is that this is a major challenge for our society.”

The huge, unreported story is that we are in denial about a widespread, deliberate, systemic encouragement of people not to control their sexuality.

It’s as if a health department allowed witch doctors and Reiki therapists to edge out surgeons.

Or as if a defence department allowed its tanks to rust. Fundamental principles of a civilised society like sexual restraint, fidelity in marriage and nurturing families are being undermined.

The mind-numbing list of politicians caught with their pants down, the tsunami of pornography, sky-rocketing teen sex – all these are warning bells about the consequences of creating a hypersexualised culture.

Just take this week’s announcement by an Australian company that it had sold the licensing rights to a testosterone roll-on underarm deodorant to boost men’s flagging sex drive for US$335 million to pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly.

Or the news that the International Planned Parenthood Federation recently gave girl scouts

a glossy pamphlet encouraging them to have “lots of different ways to have sex and lots of different types of sex”.

Or the UK government’s new guidelines for sex education for children as young as five.

If a priest had suggested these ideas, they would have been called grooming. And in fact, they are grooming - for a lifetime of commercial exploitation.

What kind of society are we creating if we actively encourage children to treat sex as entertainment and encourage men to remain in a constant state of arousal?

Sex is not a toy. Without clear moral standards, it is a natural passion which easily becomes an unnatural addiction.

Does anyone seriously believe that in 30 years’ time there will be less sex abuse after giving children classroom lessons in how to masturbate?

Of all our social institutions, it seems that only the Church realises that a crisis is brewing for which we are going to pay dearly in the years ahead. As Benedict told American Bishops:

Children deserve to grow up with a healthy understanding of sexuality and its proper place in human relationships.

They should be spared the degrading manifestations and the crude manipulation of sexuality so prevalent today.

They have a right to be educated in authentic moral values rooted in the dignity of the human person.

What does it mean to speak of child protection when pornography and violence can be viewed in so many homes through media widely available today?

Contrary to the impression conveyed in the media, the Catholic Church has been incredibly successful in teaching its priests how to control and channel their sexuality.

There are 400,000 celibate priests in the world. The number who have been accused of sexual misconduct is a minuscule fraction, even though the Pope surely feels that a single failure is too many.

True, Bishops and priests should rend their garments in shame for the bestial crimes of their associates. But that must not keep them from warning the world about the next abuse crisis.

Munich case: facts do not support link to Pope Benedict XVI

WHILE secular journalists have been using a sex-abuse case in the Munich Archdiocese in efforts to form a direct link to Pope Benedict XVI, emerging details of the case show clearly that the future pontiff was not involved in appointing the accused molester to do parish work.

Meanwhile, the Munich Archdiocese has suspended the priest at the centre of the scandal, explaining that he has violated an agreement not to have contact with young people. The priest was serving in the Bavarian resort town of Bad Tolz when the suspension was announced.

The priest, previously known only as “H” but now identified in a New York Times account as Peter Hullermann, was a priest in the Essen Diocese in 1980 when he was first accused of sexual misconduct.

At the time, then-Cardinal

Ratzinger was Archbishop of Munich.

The New York Times reported: “The future Pope approved his transfer to Munich.”

That sentence is grossly misleading; the Times neglects to add the crucial fact that Cardinal Ratzinger approved the accused priest’s entry into a counselling programme in Munich; he did not approve him for a parish assignment.

As officials both in Munich and at the Vatican had previously explained, the vicar-general of the Munich Archdiocese later allowed Fr Hullerman to work in a parish.

The Vicar General has stated that he made this decision without the knowledge - let alone approval - of Cardinal Ratzinger.

Fr Hullerman was given a parish assignment in September 1982 - seven months after Cardinal Ratzinger resigned his post as Archbishop of Munich, having

taken up his new responsibilities as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

An official of the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising responsible for Peter Hullermann has also now resigned.

Fr Joseph Obermeier, head of

pastoral care for the Archdiocese, resigned on 15 March at the request of Archbishop Reinhard Marx, according to an Archdiocesan statement.

The Archdiocese said Fr Obermeier was asked to resign because he had not fulfilled his duties in monitoring the priest’s activities.

While he was undergoing treatment, Fr Gerhard Gruber, Vicar General at the time, assigned Fr Hullermann to a Munich parish. Fr Gruber took “full responsibility” for the assignment on 12 March, saying that the future Pope Benedict knew nothing about it, according to a statement from the Vatican. After his treatment concluded in September 1982, Fr Hullermann was assigned as associate pastor of a parish in Grafing. While assigned there, new allegations of abuse arose in January 1985, resulting in

charges of child sexual abuse being filed against the priest.

Fr Hullermann was convicted and fined about US$1,000 and sentenced to 18 months’ probation.

German daily Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported on 13 March that Fr Hullermann was assigned to a parish ministry that allowed him to be in contact with children, including Mass servers, following his conviction. The assignments included a year as chaplain at a retirement home and associate pastor and then administrator of a parish in Garching/Alz.

In May 2008, Fr Hullermann left the parish at the request of Archbishop Marx and was assigned as chaplain at the congregation in Bad Tolz, the Archdiocese said. Archdiocesan officials were unaware of any incidents of abuse after the 1986 conviction, according to the Archdiocese. 

A woman holds Rosary during Mass at a Church in Armagh, Northern Ireland on 21 March. Pope Benedict’s letter to Irish Catholics was a pastoral, not a disciplinary, document, aimed more at spiritual rebuilding than establishing a chain of accountability for the priestly sex abuse scandal.

PHOTO: CNS/CATHAL MCNAUGHTON, REUTERS

Two youths walk past the church of the Benedictine monastery in Ettal, Germany, on 3 March. Abbot Barnabas Boegle, head of the abbey, resigned on 24 February after acknowledging he had not followed Church policy in reporting to police every allegation involving the abuse of minors at a boarding school the Order runs. CNS PHOTO/JOHANNES EISELE, REUTER

Archbishop Reinhard Marx

Obamacare passes as Bishops split with nuns, Catholic health on abortion funding

House passes health reform; effort to insert abortion language fails

BY NANCY FRAZIER O’BRIEN Catholic News Service

WASHINGTON - The House of Representatives passed historic health reform legislation late on 21 March but rejected a last-ditch effort to send a package of legislative fixes back to committee in order to insert language on abortion supported by the US bishops.

The votes were 219-212 in favour of the Senate-passed health reform bill, and 232-199 against a motion by Rep Dave Camp, R-Michigan, to recommit the reconciliation package to committee with instructions to substitute language that would codify the Hyde amendment, which forbids federal funding of most abortions.

The vote on the reconciliation package, which concluded shortly before midnight, was 220-211. Twenty-three Democrats joined all 178 House Republicans in opposing the measure. There was no immediate comment on the votes from the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, which said in a March 20 letter to the House the Hyde amendment must be included in the final health reform measure. The Bishops also had urged enhanced conscience protections.

Sr Carol Keehan, a Daughter of Charity who is president and CEO of the Catholic Health Association, praised the legislation, saying it “represents great progress in the

because “an executive order does not trump a statute.” “The courts will look to the legislative statute to interpret the law,” he said.

In a 21 March memo to congressional staffers, Richard Doerflinger, associate director of the US Bishops’ Secretariat for Pro-Life Activities, said that “the statutory mandate construed by the courts would override any executive order or regulation”.

“This is the unanimous view of our legal advisers and of the experts we have consulted on abortion jurisprudence,” he said. “Only a change in the law enacted by Congress, not an executive order, can begin to address this very serious problem in the legislation.”

statutory restriction that is commonly known as the Hyde amendment.”

“The purpose of this executive order is to establish a comprehensive, governmentwide set of policies and procedures to achieve this goal and to make certain that all relevant actors - federal officials, state officials (including insurance regulators) and health care providers - are aware of their responsibilities, new and old.”

White House communications director Dan Pfeiffer said Obama had “said from the start that this health insurance reform should not be the forum to upset longstanding precedent.”

long effort to make health care available and affordable to everyone in the United States.” She urged the Senate to take quick action to pass the reconciliation package.

The House votes came only after Rep Bart Stupak, D-Michigan, obtained a promise from the White House that President Barack Obama would sign an executive order stipulating that the Hyde amendment would apply to the health reform legislation.

The White House has not indicated when Obama will sign the health reform bill or issue the executive order. Unconfirmed news reports said Obama would sign

the bill on 23 March.

Stupak, a Catholic, had led a group of pro-life House Democrats in opposing the Senate health reform bill unless it were amended to include abortion language passed by the House last year.

The US Bishops had backed those efforts, saying the Senate-passed bill’s abortion language was morally unacceptable because it contained “no relevant provision to prevent the direct use of federal funds for elective abortions.”

Rep Joseph Pitts, R-Pennsylvania, said the House language was needed in the Senate measure despite the promised executive order

Vatican launches commission to study Medjugorje ‘apparitions’

Vatican sets up commission to study alleged apparitions at Medjugorje

BY CINDY WOODEN Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY - The Vatican has established an international commission to study the alleged Marian apparitions at Medjugorje, a small Bosnian town, at the request of the Bishops of BosniaHerzegovina.

The commission will be led by Cardinal Camillo Ruini, retired archbishop of Rome, and will operate under the direction of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican announced on 17 March.

Jesuit Fr Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, said the commission would have about 20 members, but he did not say if or when their names would be published.

Journalist Andrea Tornielli of the Italian daily Il Giornale has named several members of that commission.

The formal Vatican announcement indicated only that the investigatory commission would be chaired by Cardinal Camillo Ruini, the former vicar of the Rome diocese; no other names were given. But Tornielli - whose

reports on internal Vatican affairs have been consistently accurate - says that the other members include Cardinal Vinko Puljic of Sarajevo; Archbishop Josip Boznic of Zagreb; Cardinal Julian Herranz, the former president of the Pontifical Commission for Legislative Texts; and Father Tony Anatrella, a French psychologist and Marian expert. The commission will also include lay members, the Giornale reporter says.

Conspicuously absent from the list of commission members, Tornielli points out, is Bishop Ratko Peric of the Mostar Diocese where Medjugorje is located.

Fr Lombardi said the commission is unlikely to make any statements. Their work and recommendations, if any, will be turned over to the doctrinal congregation.

He said that in the 1980s the Diocese of Mostar-Duvno, where Medjugorje is located, established a commission to investigate the claims of six young people who said Mary appeared to them daily beginning in 1981.

As the alleged apparitions were having an impact beyond the diocese, the local bishop asked the national Bishops’ conference to investigate.

At the time, BosniaHerzegovina was part of Yugoslavia.With the breakup of Yugoslavia, “the question did not arrive at a conclusion on whether

or not the phenomena were of a supernatural nature,” Fr Lombardi said, although in 1991 the bishops’ conference issued a statement saying “it cannot be confirmed that supernatural apparitions or revelations are occurring here” and asking priests and bishops not to organise official pilgrimages to the town.

Responding to a question from a French Bishop in 1996, the Vatican confirmed the position that official pilgrimages should not be organised, but also said individual Catholics who travel to Medjugorje should be given pastoral care and access to the Sacraments.

Fr Lombardi said the Bishops of Bosnia-Herzegovina asked the doctrinal congregation to study the alleged apparitions.

He said the commission’s work is expected “to take some time.”

The commission was announced just three months after Austrian Cardinal Christoph Schonborn of Vienna made a very public visit to Medjugorje and said the church must recognise that private pilgrimages to the village result in prayer and reconciliation.

But Bishop Peric of MostarDuvno, who repeatedly has questioned the authenticity of the apparitions, said the Cardinal’s pilgrimage “added new sufferings” to the problems of his diocese and did “not contribute to its muchneeded peace and unity.”

In introducing his motion to send the bill back to committee, Camp referred to the proposal to codify Hyde in the measure as the “Stupak-Pitts amendment,” but Stupak spoke against it, saying it “purports to be a right-to-life amendment” but was actually an attempt to “politicise life.”

“This is nothing more than an opportunity to continue to deny 32 million Americans health insurance,” Stupak said.

“It does not promote life. The executive order ensures that the sanctity of life will be protected.”

The text of the draft executive order released by the White House said its goal was to “establish an adequate enforcement mechanism to ensure that federal funds are not used for abortion services (except in cases of rape or incest, or when the life of the woman would be endangered), consistent with a long-standing federal

“The health care legislation and this executive order are consistent with this principle,” Pfeiffer added.

The US Bishops in their 20 March letter not only called for changes on abortion language but also urged changes that would allow new immigrants to get Medicaid and illegal immigrants to buy health insurance with their own money.

“After a year of divisive political combat, members of the House are told that they can advance health care reform only by adopting the Senate legislation as is, including these fundamental flaws,” the letter said. “The House leadership is ignoring the pleas of pro-life members for essential changes in the legislation.

The leaders of more than four dozen US congregations of women Religious urged members of Congress to “cast a life-affirming ‘yes’ vote” on the Senate’s version of health reform legislation.

British court rules in favour of Catholic adoption agency

LONDON (CNS) - A Catholic adoption agency prevailed in a legal battle to continue its policy of assessing only married couples and single people as potential adopters and foster parents.

The ruling in the High Court in London means that the adoption agency, Catholic Care, is exempt from dealing with samesex and cohabiting couples who present themselves as prospective parents. The charity, which covers the northern English dioceses of Leeds, Middlesbrough and Hallam, is the only one of 11 English and Welsh Catholic adoption agencies to fight the country’s 2007 sexual orientation regulations through the courts.

Unable to comply both with Catholic teaching that gay adoption is “gravely immoral” and the regulations compelling them to assess gay couples who may apply to care for children, the other agencies have either closed their adoption services or established them as secular charities with no church control.

Catholic Care challenged a ruling by the Charity Commission, the body which regulates the activities of charities in England and Wales that ruled that Catholic Care could not use one of the regulations - Regulation 18 - to continue to offer its services.

The regulations ban discrimination against gays in the provision of goods and services, but Regulation 18 allows a charity to practise limited discrimination

in the course of its work. Justice Michael Briggs published his ruling in favour of the agency on 17 March, two weeks after hearing arguments, saying the Charity Commission misinterpreted Regulation 18 and criticised its thinking as “neither logical, rational, purposive nor responsive to any reasonable linguistic interpretation.” He said Catholic Care found “suitable adoptive parents for a significant number of children who would otherwise go unprovided for.”

The judge wrote: “Same-sex couples would therefore neither be deprived of any significant benefit, not least since the only alternative of closure would make that benefit unavailable anyway.” He ordered the commission to reconsider its position and to pay the costs of the case, estimated at US$152,000.

Before the sexual orientation regulations went into effect in 2009 the Catholic adoption agencies annually found new homes for about 250 children, many of them categorised as “difficult to place.” Catholic Care deals with about 20 children a year.

“We look forward to producing evidence to the Charity Commission to support the position that we have consistently taken through this process that without being able to use this exemption children without families would be seriously disadvantaged,” Leeds Bishop Arthur Roche said.

An unidentified man shouts in English about abortion, interrupting the start of Pope Benedict XVI’s general audience, and then subsequently being led away by security in St Peter’s Square at the Vatican on 17 March. The man, who was in the first row within earshot of the Pope, yelled for the pope to “excommunicate Nancy Pelosi and Joe Biden,” referring to the speaker of the US House of Representatives and the US Vice President, respectively. He was taken away by security but not arrested.

Conversion more than a spiritual connection

Julie Chiarenza

At first I thought my reason for deciding to become a Catholic was so that I would finally have a spiritual connection with my family. I saw it as part of my commitment to them. However, I discovered along the way that it wasn’t the only reason why I decided to profess my faith and convert to Catholicism. During the RCIA process I found something in myself that I couldn’t explain.

Why I became Catholic

with Debbie Warrier

I felt that I had finally found inner peace and strength. I felt at ease with myself. I discovered self assurance through prayer, attending Mass and opening my life to the Catholic faith. No matter what the time or place was I knew that there was always Someone with me that I could turn to for guidance, strength and support. I think converting to Catholicism is a very emotional and personal journey that everyone experiences differently. One thing I can say is that it has changed my life. I am thankful for all the wonderful experiences and good friends that it has given to me so far.

I grew up in a non-religious family and even though I was christened as a baby we never ever spoke about God or faith. It wasn’t until I was 16 and starting to date my now husband that I became interested in learning more about the Catholic faith. He is Catholic and so are his parents with whom I share a close relationship. On special occasions I would attend Mass with them.

We celebrated traditional Easters and Christmases which I enjoyed. I felt this was something that one day I could hopefully pass on to my own family.

The decision to become Catholic was one that I made on my own. There were a few reasons for my conversion. The first happened the day I married my husband. It was 1999. We celebrated a beautiful Church wedding at St Patrick’s Cathedral in Bunbury (which was destroyed by a tornado a couple of years later). Just walking down the aisle, looking up at the altar and feeling at peace I knew that I wanted this to be part of my life. The second reason arose when we moved to Kalgoorlie away from all of our family and friends. I missed their love and support. I felt by becoming involved in the Church and having faith we would get through life’s little challenges. Thirdly, we had our two beautiful sons, Massimo (3) and Emilio (18 months) baptised and I wanted our family to be able to enjoy going to Mass together. I wanted to be able to teach them about the Catholic religion and answer their questions.

I had heaps of support from my husband and my sponsor, Harry Argus. They helped and guided me through the different stages of the RCIA process. I also had heaps of support from the other candidates and their sponsors. For most of our preparation lessons I had to take my children with me and I appreciated their understanding.

We celebrated my acceptance into the Catholic faith on 11 April 2009 during the Easter Vigil at Saint Mary’s Church, Kalgoorlie. I would like to mention a special thank you to Fr Joseph Rathnaraj, Fr Andrew Albis and Fr Joe Kum Htoi for their support and guidance.

If you have a story to tell please contact Debbie via dwarrier75@gmail.com

Experimentation after Vatican II linked to abuse scandal

@home

Twith Catherine Parish

he sex scandals rocking the Church across the developed world are a tragic sign that the Catholic Church was badly in need of reform. The spiritual chaos, uncertainty and disastrous experimentation that was unleashed by Vatican II happened partly because the Church in Europe had waited far too long to acknowledge and try to counter the deep incursion of the tenets of the modern world into the consciousness of many of their clergy and Religious.

Very much connected with this, but on a lighter note, was the picture in The Record last week of the priest celebrating the “Clown Mass”.

It caused riotous laughter and “what the?” in my household last week. It led on to quite a discussion about the recent history of the Church. Beginning with the question “What was Vatican eleven, mum?” from my 12 year old.

It made me realise a few things.

Firstly, that what has been so consistently painful and remains so to many practising Catholics of my age and older, is in fact nothing but old and unknown history to our children.

And secondly, that our Liturgy has come a long way from the travesty of Clown Masses.

My children, fortunately, were born late enough to be spared the worst of the excesses that followed Vatican II.

In my adult years I have been blessed to see many liturgical excesses halted, or at least curbed.

We

A persistent, quiet reform has been taking place in the churches we attend over many years. There has been a return to a more dignified rubric and to more focused and orthodox preaching of Catholic teachings.

The Rosary and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament have come back into parishes. Our Lady is honoured again. A new Missal is shortly to be released.

It is certainly not the Catholic Church of the 1950s. But neither should it be. You can’t go back, no matter how much you might like to (I don’t, by the way).

A lot of the emphasis on doing for doing’s sake has been shaken out.

We have been reminded that the Sabbath is made for man, not man for the Sabbath, so to speak. Out of the chaos many sane and sober reforms have occurred that constructively help Catholics remain faithful. It is an ongoing process, sure, but it is happening.

One of the greatest benefits of this last 40 years is that we have had to develop a deeper understanding of our

faith in order to cling on to it. We have had to ensure we know what is important and what is peripheral, in line with Church teachings.

So much upheaval has made each of us look critically at why we are Catholics. What do we believe? Why do we still go to Mass? Is it for beauty of the ceremonial or the singing? Is it for a happy clappy good community time? Because it is what we have always done?

What is it that keeps us going day after day, returning to that church? It has drawn us to ponder on the central mysteries of our faith.

It is a test of how much we value and love Him who has stayed in the Tabernacle in our Catholic churches no matter what was going on around Him in the name of modernisation.

He stays there, challenging us to stay there with him and keep believing He is with His Church, and that the gates of Hell will not prevail against it.

Good thoughts to take into Holy Week.

may need some alien infiltration

I say I say

By Mark Reidy

AMUCH-publicised television series began several weeks ago called V. This is an abbreviation for “Visitors” and involves the alien infiltration of earth. It is a premise that triggered my imagination - what perceptions would we create in the minds of such beings if they ever did decide to pay us a visit?

What insights would they gain as they stood back and observed the human race in its natural state?

How would they interpret the fact that a child dies from hunger and preventable disease every four seconds while billions of dollars are spent on weapons?

What would they conclude from the reality that over 500 million people are living in what the World Bank describes as “absolute poverty” while others discard excess tonnes of food and material goods on a daily basis?

They would have no choice but to presume that there is no concept of equality on the planet earth - that some people are of more value than others.

So is this true? As Christians, we would no doubt argue that it is not. We would claim that each person was created in the image and likeness of God and their value, therefore, cannot be distinguished from another.

How is it then that we can live with the injustice of resources?

We could argue that, as individuals, we are powerless to change anything. But that does not explain why we are able to go to bed at night and snuggle into our pillow without thought for the agony of a child who is taking his last desperate breath.

We are all familiar with the statistics of poverty and inequality that are listed above, but that, it seems, is the problem.

They have become nothing more than words on a page or pictures on a television screen. Somehow we have been able to emotionally detach ourselves from the suffering of others.

How has this happened? Have our hearts been calloused by familiarity, by a sense of fear and helplessness or, perhaps, by a choice not to step outside our own small worlds?

Most likely it is a combination of all

of these, and in varying degrees for each of us. But I believe that the path we have travelled to reach such a place is common to all.

We begin our process of desensitisation by identifying a person by their circumstance and not by their true spiritual identity as children of God.

In this way we are able to subconsciously dehumanise them and keep ourselves emotionally separate - they become “the poor”, rather than “my brother or sister in Christ who is starving”.

We apply the same labelling to the choices and behaviours of others.

People become “the drug addict”, “the prostitute” or “the mentally ill” and not “my brother or sister who is struggling with addiction or illness”.

We protect ourselves by creating a buffer zone within our minds and hearts and this alleviates us from the uncomfortable reality of true empathy.

We may have heard others say, or perhaps we have said it ourselves, “I cannot even allow myself to think of the suffering that that person must be experiencing”.

But this is not, I believe, God’s will for us. He does not want us to exist in a state of self-preservation. He wants our hearts to be broken.

Pope Benedict XVI echoed this when he said that we must carry the pain of the world with us. It is only by doing this that we will allow ourselves to truly acknowledge the spiritual reality of our suffering brothers and sisters.

So that, rather than living as alien observers in our own world, we will choose to respond to others with the heart of our loving Creator.

Before the liturgical changes of the Second Vatican Council, Catholics received the Eucharist by approaching and kneeling at the Communion rail. This photo was taken during Mass at the Paulist Centre in Boston in 1955.

PHOTO: CNS/ THE PILOT

PANORAMA

A roundup of events in the Archdiocese

Panorama entries must be in by 12pm Monday.

Contributions may be emailed to administration@therecord.com.au, faxed to 9227 7087, or mailed to PO Box 75, Leederville WA 6902.

Submissions over 55 words will be edited. Inclusion is limited to 4 weeks. Events charging over $10 will be put into classifieds and charged accordingly. The Record reserves the right to decline or modify any advertisement.

FRIDAY, 26 MARCH

Medjugorje Evening of Prayer

7-9pm at St Aloysius Parish, 84 Keightley St, Shenton Park. An evening of prayer with Our Lady Queen of Peace consisting of Adoration, Rosary, Benediction, Reconciliation concluding with Holy Mass. Free DVD on Fr Donald Calloway. All warmly welcome. Enq: Eileen 9402 2480.

SATURDAY, 27 MARCH

Day of the Unborn Child

1pm at St Mary’s Cathedral, Victoria Square. Holy Mass, including procession with flowers, principal celebrant Archbishop B J Hickey, followed by a Holy Hour led by Rev Fr Paul Carey SSC. All are earnestly invited to celebrate the sacredness of every human life and pray for an end to abortion. Enq: Lydia 9328 2926.

Passion of Christ Meditation - Commemorating Holy Week

7.30pm at St Joseph’s Church, 20 Hamilton Street, Bassendean. Youth Outreach Group RADIX DVD performance from World Youth Day and National Youth Day, superb presentation following Saturday night Vigil Mass. All welcome.

Saturday, 27 March

Novena Devotions – Our Lady of Good Health, Vailankanni 5.30pm at Holy Trinity Church, 8 Burnett Street, Embleton. 6pm Vigil Mass. Enq: George 9272 1379.

SUNDAY, 28 MARCH

World Youth Day - Festival 2010

12pm to 4pm at Forrest Place, Perth City. Free WYD celebration with live music from Flame, Apokalypsis, Youth Impact, African Choir, and great entertainment from Fr Hong Pham, Br Gabriel and much more. Open to all ages. Bring your flags, WYD shirts, free hugs signs and the WYD spirit. Enq: www.cym.com.au or call 9422 7912.

MONDAY, 29 MARCH

The History of Christian Spirituality

7.30 to 9.15pm at Church Hall, 195 Lesmurdie Road, Lesmurdie, behind St Swithans’ Anglican Church. Talk on The Life and Times of John Cassian as a Desert Monk, presented by Brain Stitt. Cassian significantly influenced Western Monasticism, particularly the spirituality of Saint Benedict founder of Benedictine Monasticism. Enq: Lynne 9293 3848.

TUESDAY, 30 MARCH

Day of Reflection (MMP)

10.30am at St Bernadette’s Catholic Church, Glendalough. Rosary Cenacle, followed by Holy Mass and talks, Celebrant and Speaker, Fr Ronan Murphy, visiting Priest from the United States and Ireland. BYO lunch to share. Tea and coffee provided. Enq: 9341 8082.

WEDNESDAY, 31 MARCH

Healing Mass 7pm at Ss John and Paul Church, Willetton. Praise and Worship followed with Healing at 7.30pm organised by the John Paul Prayer Ministry. Fr Roy Pereira will be the celebrant. Worship, come and be touched and blessed by the Power of the Holy Spirit. Enq: Michelle 9456 4215.

FRIDAY, 2 APRIL

Good Friday Service

10.30am at Catholic Agricultural College, Bindoon. Confessions, followed at 11am by the Stations of the Cross and confessions continue. 2.30 pm, Solemn ceremony, The Lord’s Passion. All are welcome! Enq: Fr Paul 9571 1839 or CAC 9576 1040.

Stations of the Cross

7.30pm at St Lawrence and Mary Immaculate Church, Balcatta. The Stations of the Cross will be held outside the church in Italian. Candles will be available. All are welcome. Enq: Fr Irek 0438 344706 or 9344 7066.

Stations of the Cross

10am_at University Chapel, 32 Mouat Street, Fremantle. The University of Notre Dame will follow the Stations of the Cross. All are welcome. Enq: Cate 9433 0580.

The Desolata

7.30pm at St Denis Church, Osborne and Roberts Streets, Joondanna. Reflect on the sorrows of Mary as she journeyed with her son Jesus through to His death burial by spend time with Mary in her desolation and sorrow, this can help us to better cope with our own way of the cross. Enq: Barbara 0401 016 399.

SUNDAY, 4 APRIL

Easter is Coming

2pm at Russell Square, James St, Northbridge. In our ever increasingly secular world, the real meaning of Easter is getting lost. Come and remind the people of Perth what Easter is about. Join with hundreds of Christians from many different denominations to come together to celebrate the real Easter, man and God reconciled and together we are one. Enq: awakeningwa@ fusion.org.au or 08 9472 3470.

Easter Latin Mass

12noon at the Good Shepherd Parish, 40 Streich Avenue, Kelmscott. Mass will be according to the 1962 Missal. All welcome.

Easter Sunday - Taize Worship

7pm at Anglican Catholics (TAC), 11 Susan Street, Maylands. Enq: 0417 180 145. www.tradanglican.iinet.net.au

SATURDAY, 10 APRIL

Sand Sculpture Competition

9am to 1.30pm at Scarborough Beach. Have fun in the sun and help promote WYD 2011. Youth Groups and Communities encouraged to put a team together to get creative in the sand and join in the fun activities. Great prizes, high profile judges, beach games and bring your own picnic. Download registration form, www.cym.com. au or 9422 7912.

Garage Sale

9.30am to 12noon at St. Bernadette’s church, 49 Jugan Street, Mt. Hawthorn. Sausage sizzle. Cost of items; Donation

SUNDAY, 11 APRIL

The Feast of Divine Mercy

3-6pm at Holy Family Church, Lot 375, Alcock St, Maddington. The programme includes Reconciliation, Divine Mercy Chaplet and Novena, Eucharistic Adoration, Holy Mass, healing prayers. To be preceded by a Novena to the Divine Mercy from 2-10 April every day from 3-4pm. Inviting all faithful to know more about Divine Mercy through the sharing of the word on all 10 days. Enq: 9493 1703.

Feast of Divine Mercy 1.30pm at St Mary’s Cathedral, Victoria Square, Perth. Confessions and Holy Rosary, followed by Holy Mass, celebrant Fr Alphonsus Saviciks and other Priests re invited to concelebrate. 3.30pm Benediction, followed 3.45 Veneration of First Class relic. Refreshments later. Enq: John 9457 7771.

MONDAY, 12 APRIL  THURSDAY, 22 APRIL

National Pilgrimage 2010 - In the Footsteps of Mary MacKillop Enq: Laura lmccarthy@sosjwa.org.au.

SATURDAY, 17 APRIL

St Padre Pio Pilgrimage

8am depart, pickup points for Bullsbrook. 9.30am Station of the Cross, 11am Holy Mass, Bindoon. BYO lunch, tea and coffee provided. 2pm, Gin Gin, Procession, Rosary, Adoration, Divine Mercy and Benediction. 3.45pm return Perth. Transport, $15. Enq: Midland, Catrina 9255 1938; Bassendean, Ivana 9279 7261; Morley, Christine 9276 3264; Leederville, Leena 9444 3617; Balcatta, Rosa 9276 1952; Glendalough, Des 6278 1540; St Joachim, Mirrabooka, Girawheen, Nita 9367 1366.

SUNDAY, 18 APRIL

April Sunday Sesh 6pm at St Francis Xavier Parish, 279 Forrest Road, Armadale. Mass, followed by Sesh at 7.15pm. Open for youth of all ages 15-35). Guest Speaker, Fr Robert Cross, presenting, The Truth Matters, Authority in the Church. The night includes music, activities, prayer time and group discussions. Bring money for supper. Enq: www. cym.com.au or 9422 7912.

MONDAY, 17 MAY  FRIDAY, 28 MAY

Tour of the Holy Land

12 day tour with Fr Roy Pereira visiting Sea of Galilee, Jericho, Masada, The Dead Sea, Bethany, Jerusalem and Cana. For cost, itinerary and more details, please contact: Francis Williams (Coordinator) T: 9459 3873 M: 0404 893 877 Email: francis@perthfamily.com.

GENERAL NOTICES

Book of Remembrance

St Brigid’s College Lesmurdie. For students, Sisters and staff members of St Brigid’s College, Lesmurdie who have gone to their eternal rest. If you know of loved ones, friends or acquaintances who have passed away and who attended or worked at St Brigid’s, please contact Jenny

Lewis 92918129 or cream.annamaria@stbrigids.wa.edu. au for inclusion in the Book of Remembrance to be placed in the College Chapel.

Perpetual Adoration

Perpetual Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament is in its seventh year at Christ the King Church, Beaconsfield. Open 24 hours, except at Mass times. All welcome. Enq: Joe 9319 1169.

Pilgrimage to the Holy Land

The Church of St Jude in Langford is seeking to put together a visit to Jordan, the Holy Land and Egypt, leaving mid-August 2010. Expect the pilgrimage to be for circa 19 days and could accommodate 28-30 people. Fr Terry Raj will be the Spiritual Director. Enq: Matt 6460 6877, mattpicc1@gmail.com.

St Paul’s Mt Lawley - Lenten Services Weekday Masses, 7.45am and 5.45pm. Stations of the Cross and Benediction, Fridays 6.15pm. Wednesday Fasting and Almsgiving Supper, any time between 5-6.45pm in the church undercroft. 9.30-10.30am, Wednesdays Bible study on St Paul and the Power of the Cross in the RSL Chapel, and 7-8pm in the church undercroft.

EVERY SUNDAY IN LENT

Bible Study Introduction

3-4pm at St Joseph’s Parish Centre, 20 Hamilton St, Bassendean. A Bible in hand is better than two on the shelf. Become Bible friendly. 4-5pm Church History at a Glance. Appreciation of the heritage of the Catholic Faith in the Third Millennium looking at the Church’s providential pathway through history.

Extraordinary Rite Latin Mass

11am at St Joseph’s Church, 20 Hamilton St, Bassendean.

EVERY TUESDAY IN LENT

Lenten Tuesday Prayer Meetings

7pm at St Mary’s Cathedral Parish Centre, 450 Hay St, Perth. Join us with others in prayer for personal healing and overcoming the burdens of life united with Our Lord and Our Lady. Weekly live the heritage of the Faith in Sacred Scripture, the Holy Rosary, praise in song, and reflection. Prayer is life’s spiritual lifeline.

EVERY THURSDAY IN LENT

Catholic Questions and Answers

7-7.30pm at St Joseph’s Parish Centre, 20 Hamilton St, Bassendean. Catecheses easily learned with questions and answers. Catechism of the Catholic Church, with Fr John Corapi DVD series. Adult learning and deepening of the Catholic Faith from 7.30-9pm.

EVERY SUNDAY

Pilgrim Mass - Shrine of the Virgin of the Revelation

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

EVERY 3RD SUNDAY OF THE MONTH

Oblates of St Benedict 2pm at St Joseph’s Convent, York St, South Perth. Oblates

affiliated with the Benedictine Abbey New Norcia welcome all who are interested in studying the rule of St Benedict and its relevance to the everyday life of today for lay people. Vespers and afternoon tea conclude meetings. Enq: Secretary 9457 2758.

EVERY FOURTH SUNDAY OF THE MONTH

Holy Hour for Vocations to the Priesthood, Religious Life

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

LAST MONDAY OF EVERY MONTH

Christian Spirituality Presentation

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

EVERY WEDNESDAY

Holy Spirit of Freedom Community

7.30pm at The Church of Christ, 111 Stirling St, Perth. Beginning from 10 March we are delighted to welcome everyone to attend our Holy Spirit of Freedom Praise Meeting. Enq: 9475 0155 or hsofperth@gmail.com.

EVERY 2ND WEDNESDAY

Year of the Priest Holy Hour

7-8pm at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, 2 Keaney Pl, City Beach. Reflections on St John Vianney, Patron Saint of Priests. Light refreshments later in the parish centre. Chaplets of the Divine Mercy

7.30pm at St Thomas More Catholic Church, Dean Rd, Bateman. Commencing 10 February, a beautiful, prayerful, sung devotion accompanied by Exposition, and Benediction. All welcome. Enq: George 9310 9493 H or 9325 2010 W.

Businesses and Companies – Support our Youth Catholic Youth Ministry is looking for donation of prizes or financial support to help with Diocesan youth events such as WYD in Forrest Place, Inter-Parish Sand Sculpture Competition and the WYD Fundraising Ball. All contributions will be acknowledged. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated. For more information, admin@cym. com.au or 9422 7912.

The Alliance, Triumph and Reign of the Two Hearts

Due to Good Friday there will not be the first Friday Eucharistic Prayer Vigil and devotion to the Two Hearts for April but will recommence on the first Friday of May (7th) as usual at St Bernadette’s Church Glendalough. Enq: Father Doug Harris 9444 6131 or Dorothy 9342 5845.

Day With Mary

The first Saturday in April is Holy Saturday, so there will be no ‘Day With Mary’ on this day. The next Day With Mary will be on the 1st of May in Ellenbrook. Enq: Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate 9250 8286 or Nita 9367 1366.

Urgent News - for all Catholic Youth

Connect with Catholic Youth Ministry Perth to engage in local events, Parish youth groups, social events, retreats and much more. Visit our website: www.cym.com.au, mailing list to receive a monthly e-newsletter, or facebook group Catholic Youth Ministry Perth. Volunteer with us to meet new people and share your skills with the Church. Feel free to visit us, or call 9422 7912.

OFFICIAL ENGAGEMENTS - 2010

January

22 Flame Ministries Congress Keynote Address - Mgr Brian O’Loughlin VG City of Perth’s Civic Reception celebrating 20th Anniversary Sister Cities of Perth and VastoMgr Michael Keating

23 Vasto Club celebrating 20th Anniversary Sister Cities of Perth and Vasto - Mgr Brian O’Loughlin VG

24 Closing Mass of Flame Ministries Congress - Mgr Brian O’Loughlin VG

26 Irish-Australian Heritage Association Ecumenical Service, St Mary’s Cathedral - Archbishop Hickey Australia Day Citizenship and Awards Ceremony, Perth - Mgr Brian O’Loughlin VG

31 MercyCare Board of Governors gathering - Archbishop Hickey

February

2 Mercedes College Opening Mass, St Mary’s Cathedral - Archbishop Hickey

ACCOMMODATION

HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION ESPERANCE 3 bedroom house f/ furnished. Ph: 08 9076 5083.

GUADALUPE HILL TRIGG www.beachhouseperth.com Ph: 0400 292 100.

HOLIDAY RENTAL 

SCARBOROUGH Self contained unit. Sleeps 6. Walk to beach. Ph 0402 673 409.

HOUSE TO SHARE for clean living male, $120p/w Riverton. Ph: 0449 651 697.

MATURE WOMAN SEEKS SIN GLE tenancy $150pw, S Suburbs. POLCL. 0448 938 348

AVAILABLE IN NORTH PERTH AND NORTH BEACH. Rent negotiable according to circumstances. Enquiries to phone 08 94488109

BUILDING TRADES

BRICK REPOINTING Ph: Nigel 9242 2952.

PERROTT PAINTING Pty Ltd For all your residential, commercial painting requirements. Ph: Tom Perrott 9444 1200.

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

COUNSELLING

PSYCHOLOGY and PSYCHOTHERAPY www.peterwatt.com.au

Ph: 9203 5278.

HANDYMAN

BRENDON HANDYMAN

HEALTH

MASSAGE BY QUAL. LADY for neck, back & sciatic. 22 years experience. Ph 9334 4409

FREE HOLIDAY

FOR SNR/COUPLE who would like free holiday 2 weeks, May, to look after my dog? 9534 5150

FURNITURE REMOVAL

ALL AREAS Mike Murphy Ph: 0416 226 434.

LAWNS

WRR LAWN MOWING and Weed Spraying. Get rid of Bindii & Jojo clovers. 9443 9243, or 0402 326 637, e-mail william.rao@iinet.net. au

RELIGIOUS PRODUCTS

CATHOLICS CORNER Retailer of Catholic products specialising in gifts, cards and apparel for Baptism, Communion and Confirmation. Ph: 9456 1777. Shop 12, 64-66 Bannister Road, Canning Vale. Open Mon-Sat.

OTTIMO Convenient city location for books, cds/dvds, cards, candles, statues, Bibles, medals and much more. Shop 108, Trinity Arcade (Terrace level), 671 Hay Street, Perth. Ph: 9322 4520. MonFri 9am-6pm.

RICH HARVEST YOUR

KINLAR VESTMENTS

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

BUSINESS

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY

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

SETTLEMENTS

ARE you buying or selling real estate or a business? Why not ask Excel Settlements for a quote for your settlement. We offer reasonable fees, excellent service and no hidden costs. Ring Excel on 9481 4499 for a quote. Check our website on www.excelsettlements.com.

COMPANIONSHIP

LADY SENIOR 80’S SEEKS

COMPANIONSHIP 2 or 3 times per week for tea and coffee, chat for an hour or two in Woodlands. Offer $5. Ph 0418 841 757 afternoon.

BOOK BINDING

BOOK REPAIR SERVICE

New Book Binding, General Book Repairs, Rebinding, New Ribbons; Old Leather Bindings Restored. Tydewi Bindery 9377 0005.

LAST WEEK’S SOLUTION

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

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

Classified adverts Short. Sharp. Cheap. Read it in The Record The Parish. The Nation. The World

Walking with Him

28

29 MONDAY OF HOLY WEEK Vio

12:1-11 Costly ointment

30 T TUESDAY OF HOLY WEEK

Vio Isa 49:1-6 Called before birth

Ps 70:1-6.15.17 You are my rock Jn 13:21-33.36-38 Night had fallen

31 W WEDNESDAY OF HOLY WEEK

Vio Isa 50:4-9 A disciple who listens

Ps 68:8-10.21-22.31.33-34 Vinegar to drink

Mt 26:14-25 Not I, Lord, surely?

Wh Chrism Mass: Thursday of Holy Week (morning) or another day towards the end of Lent

Isa 61:1-3.6.8-9 The Lord’s spirit

Ps 88:21-22.25.27 The rock who saves me

Rev 1:5-8 Glory and power

Lk 4:16-21 The Lord has sent me

EASTER TRIDIUM

1 Th HOLY THURSDAY Evening Mass of the Lord’s Supper

Wh Ex 12:1-8.11-14 Day of remembrance

Ps 115:12-13.15-18 Cup of salvation 1Cor 11:23-26 I passed on to you

Jn 13:1-15 The hour of Jesus

2 F GOOD FRIDAY

Red Isa 52:13-53:12 Crushed for our sins

Ps 30:2.6.12-13.15-17.25 You are my God Heb 4:14-16;5:7-9 Humble submission Jn 18:1-19;42 I am a king

3 S HOLY SATURDAY

4 S EASTER SUNDAY Easter Vigil

Wh Gen 1:1-2:2 God’s spirit hovered Gen 22:1-18 God will provide Ex 14:15-15:1 God rescues Israel

Isa 54:5-14 God’s love endures Isa 55:1-11 God’s way not ours Bar 3:9-15.32-4:4 God’s commandments

Ezek 36:16-28 God’s holy name

John Lennon never really got it at all

It’s 15 years since Pope John Paul II issued Evangelium Vitae. This remarkable papal letter was a remarkable exposition of why the Church knows all human life is sacred.

Life, the Universe and Everything

with Anna Krohn

The anniversary of Our Lady of Life on 25 March is a major, but often overlooked or misunderstood Feast of the Christian Year. It marks the Feast of the Annunciation, (sometimes called Lady Day) and the title captures a calling, an announcement and an invitation rolled into one. It marks the Angel Gabriel’s startling visit to a faithful but then unknown Jewish girl, Miriam or Mary.

The angel both announced “God’s favour” and God’s unexpected way of inviting human beings to participate the work of salvation. In this case, the “favour” was an enormous one, and Mary’s response was at once so humble, generous and daring and so full of God’s grace that it changed the history of the universe and the destiny of humanity.

This Feast marks God’s saving entry into human history, by becoming at that tiny yet precious pin-prick point, a human embryo. God chose not the mighty empires of men, nor the great philosophers of Greece, nor even the priests of the Jewish temple but the hidden fragility of a young mother as his partner in salvation. The Blessed Virgin, was utterly “startled” yet fully affirmed both the gift of new life and scale of God’s call, despite the surprise, inconvenience and the untold social and physical risk that this invitation entailed.

This year the Church’s celebration of the Annunciation also marks the 15th anniversary of the ground breaking encyclical (papal letter) Evangelium Vitae (The Gospel of Life) one of most important and distinctive of Pope John Paul II’s long and significant Pontificate. The publication date of the Annunciation is apt, because it combines the mysteries of the Incarnation, the Cross (it falls in the Church’s year during Lent) and the devotion Pope John Paul has for Our Lady. It provides a distinctive theological starting point for his deeper reflection upon the Church’s teaching on human life and death.

Both 15 years ago, and even more today, governments, the media and the wider secular world are dimly aware of the centrality and distinctiveness of the “dignity of human life” in Catholic teaching. However many believe that the Church merely persists with a stubborn “organisational policy” which is reflected in uncaring prohibitions and restrictions against the practices of abortion, euthanasia, IVF and contraception. They do not see that these are also linked to the Church’s rejection of torture, genocide, terrorism, unjust war-

mongering, human trafficking and economic greed, which they often commend.

With Evangelium Vitae, John Paul II radically widens the focus of Christian bioethics and the Church’s long concern for the lives of the vulnerable, suffering and unwanted. In his document, he attempts to draw together the many different points of Christian tradition, moral teaching, pastoral realism and social mission, so that Christians themselves may be envigorated to the mission of promoting, respecting and defending human lives. He introduces a new language and new outlook by which they can do this. This landmark document begins with a note of “great joy”, in fact with Christmas Joy. John Paul II, highlights the fact that the Feasts of Jesus’ conception, Mary’s pregnancy and the Nativity are not private Christian celebrations (anymore than the “life teach-

ings” are). The Annunciation and Christmas are great “tidings” for all humanity at two levels. Firstly they show us how intimately God’s saving presence and His “concern” marks the most uncertain and delicate moments of every human life. Secondly these moments in Jesus Christ’s life reveal “the full meaning of every human birth, and the joy which accompanies the Birth of the Messiah is thus seen to be the foundation and fulfilment of joy at every child born into the world” (EV no.1). In the Baby Saviour, human beings are promised not only human life, but the invitation to God’s own life as well.

What is interesting for John Paul’s reflections is that Mary is called, not to a planned “parenthood”, involving the popular (but fanciful) image of the mother designing her immaculate nursery, her perfect figure and her highachieving career “plan” before she embarks on the adventure of

motherhood. She is not full of “grace and freedom” in the commercial or secular vision of “reproductive liberty”. Yet John Paul II is careful to suggest here and in his other “pro-women” writings, that God’s invitation, does involve Mary’s intellect, freedom and her love. It is the very opposite of the sort of violence and abuse which besets women and girls throughout the dis-graceful history of humanity. Her freedom is that freedom St Paul calls “the freedom of the sons and daughters of God” (Romans 8:21) a choice for life out of difficulty, love out of adversity, wisdom out of mystery.

John Paul bookends the Annunciation theme of the first section of his encyclical, by highlighting how the Blessed Virgin, prophetically witnesses to God’s gift of Life against the “Dragon” in the Book of Revelation. This image of the “woman of the Apocalypse” is anything but mute and passive. Although in labour, the woman actively faces down the forces and menace of “the Culture of Death”. “The woman in labour” is both the maternal Church defending the “culture of Life” and the Mother of God bringing forth the Saviour. This eschatological Marian theme is made explicit in the closing section of the Pope’s encyclical, with a prayer which invokes Mary’s maternal care for vulnerable lives, but also as the

Maternal leader of all Christians as witnesses to “life”: “Grant that all who believe in your Son May proclaim the Gospel of life With honesty and love To the people of our time.”

Women, of all the baptised, Pope John Paul II insists, bear a particular witness to the preciousness of human life, and will be the key prophetic voices for both the life of salvation and the “culture of life” in the coming era of the world. The Pope introduces this idea in his earlier Apostolic Letter to Women - Mulieris Dignitatem issued in 1988. It is a key theme, he develops from Catholic writers and activists such as Saint Edith Stein (Teresa Benedicta of the Cross) and Dorothy Day, and from the many unsung and hidden generations of Christian women who have defended, healed and nurtured the lives of the vulnerable.

What John Paul II calls a “new” Christian feminism, is one which shares the aspirations for dignity, opportunity and freedom for women but which encourages a more radically Christian and graced reading of what a true “feminism” might mean for women and for the wider “culture of life.” One which promises and lives out the a concrete compassion and solidarity with the suffering, support for the unplanned and difficult pregnancies and dignity and care for the disabled and sick.

Conductor: Margaret Pride

Pope John Paul II kisses a baby during a weekly general audience in this 2001, file photo. (CNS photo from Reuters) Above, a silver casting of the “Madonna della Pieta. What John Paul II called a “new” Christian feminism, is one which shares the aspirations for dignity, opportunity and freedom for women but which encourages a more radically Christian and graced reading of what a true “feminism” might mean for women and for the wider “culture of life.,” writes Anna Krohn.