The Record Newspaper 27 November 1986

Page 1


Pope John Paul II today resides on the top floor of the buildings (pictured} flanking the magnificant basilica of St Peter commenced in 1506 to a design by Bramante, completed to an expanded design of Michelangelo, dedicated in 1626, and given its magnificent facade, its sweeping colonnades and majestic altar setting by Bernini. The popes have lived permanently at the Vatican for the past 500 years.

Pope's cathedral is St John's

Pope John Paul II is Bishop of Rome and his cathedral is the Basilica of St John Lateran (pictured right). It is the centre of administration of the diocese of Rome, supervised by a cardinal who is the pope's vicar. Pope John Paul is paying special attention to his diocese and has already made 60 pastoral visits to the clergy and people of Rome's parishes. The original church and nearby papal residence, once the property of the Laterati, was a donation by the emperor Constantine when he made the Catholic faith the official religion of the Empire. The original church was called St Saviour, but changed to St John because of a nearby monastery. A magnificent set of palatial buildings extended far to the right of the church and were the site of the five great Lateran Councils. While the papacy had moved to France in the 14th century the complex was destroyed by fire and never rebuilt. When the popes returned to Rome they lived first at Trastevere and then at the Vatican ever since.

□□□□□

The pope is head of state of Vatican City a 44 hectare territory finally defined by the government of Benito Mussolini on February 11, 1929. The small city has its own complete administration housed in the Governor's Palace, (pictured right) in the Vatican Gardens. Until 1870, the Vatican controlled a large section of central Italy. After its forced seizure during the unification of modern Italy, the Church's claim was not recognised until the Italian government made an indemnification payment that is the basis of the Vatican finance system today.


Australian Journey promised long time ■

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Sydney: Moving through a body wrenching journey across nearly 12 hours of time zones the head of the Catholic Church has made the historic journey to Australia that he has promised for a long time. From a moving ordination of 23 priests for the tiny Catholic Church in intensely Muslim and tragically poor Bangladesh, to a tropical drenching of the outdoor Mass congregation in Singapore and on to traditional tribal greetings in Fiji, the pope has turned direction to face the affluent Western cultures of New Zealand

From the moment he bent to kiss the ground of Australia in Canberra he was in touch not just with the Catholic Church of Australia but with the nation. with Greetings Prime Minister Hawke at the airport were followed by an exchange of formal speeches at Parliament House Canberra where the pope ht a two metre high candle of peace and offered a prayer in which all joined Mr Hawke said perhaps, more than any comparable country, Australia had left behind religious sectarianism. "Whatever their faith and background, Australians have shown a remarkable capacrty to create a harmonious, plural and multicultural society," Mr Hawke

1

said.

The pope had been a forceful advocate for the rights of indigenous peoples in countries he had visited and he was pleased he was to visit some of Australia's Aborigines

The pope who surprises all 'St Anne's Florist SYDNEY (AP) -ALL JOIN HANDS Pope John Paul l joins in the singing as he attended a rally for the youth in down-town Sydney. The pope arrived in Sydney on Tuesday night for a two day visit in the Papal tour of Australia.

This "record' issut of The RECORD salutes the arrival of Pope John Paul to WA and within its modest resources seeks to make it a truly Western Australian wel come from those who have been fortunate already to have met the pope and others who will take part in his visit The absence of most congregations from their churches this Sunday and other ales restrictions mean that sales hopefully will be supported at the various trans port departure points

Next wwek's issue will include yet anothor colour cove a round up of co our p ctures from WA cermon es full cov r g of local events and other papal cet monies The cover price of this ssue ONE

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By the Editor

Pope John Paul II, Bishop of Rome, Vicar of Jesus Christ successor of the Prince of the Apostles, Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church, Patriarch of the West Primate of Italy, Archbishop and Metropolitan of the Roman Province, Sovereign of the State of the City of the Vatican and Servant of the Servants of God has stood on this land. The setting Western sun on the evening of November 30 will cast a long shadow of his presence back across the breadth of the continent.

□□□

The dawn of the morrow and his journey back to the ancestral home of the Church in Rome will mean that the experience of the past week now moves into the realm of memory, into the living legend and mythology that sustains a living People of God and not merely a relic of history. Actor in his youth, quarryman in his captivity, mountaineer in his heart, Pope John Paul and his massive frame stride determinedly into a world that cannot always come to terms with its sudden and sometimes transitory heroes.

Not the staid Pius XII, not the rotund benevolence of an ambling John XXIII, not the slightly furrowed smile of the diminutive Paul VI but this time a sett made colossus who has upset some, outside the Church and within, because he is detennined to set his goals where he will.

See page 17

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Pope John Paul II comes to Western Australia offering the Hand of Hope. It is far more than a slogan: It is the message of his pontificate and of his life. Few people in history are better able to speak to humanity of hope than Karol Wojtyla, Pope John Paul II. A man of extraordinary magnetism and sanctity, he has worked unceasingly throughout his adult life, and particularly since he became pope, to show the world that love of God expressed in, through and by mankind offers this world a greater hope than any other form of thought or expression. His own life is a living

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Offering a hand of hope

AL

SIT 86

eral" or "conservative", "traditional" or "progressive", it is easy to overlook the depth of his humanity and how extraordinarily appropriate his life has been for this late 20th century world For John Paul II has suffered, experienced or shared in almost every aspect of life that is important or prominent in our age. Through it all, he has carried a message of hope that has grown ever brighter and more irresistibly attractive to an ever-widening group of people.

□□□

He carries his message of hope as a light and a banner, a haven for those who seek love and peace, and a challenge for those who proclaim a totalitarian, a destructive, or a negative view of mankind. Born in the little country town of Wadowice on May 18, 1920, he suffered the death of his mother when he was only nine -a loss which has become almost the norm of the modern world through war, disaster or that awful disease of family life we call divorce. His subsequent life is an inspiration to those who suffer this loss and to those who are left to raise children alone. His early university studies in literature and philosophy were interrupted by the invasion of Poland, the event that plunged the world into the worst six years of slaughter in its history. Unable to continue his studies, he worked in a chemical factory and a stone quarry.

by ARCHBISHOP

FOLEY

Serious head injuries from an accident in the quarry brought him close to death, and in 1941, when he was 21, his father died. His only brother had died when he was 12. In this time of holocaust, oppression and personal tragedy, Karol hope Wojtyla's rekindled anew and in 1942 he decided to study for the priesthood. Cardinal Sapieha took him into the secret seminary housed in his episcopal palace in Cracow. Tales are still told in Poland of how the young student priest was part of the Cracow resistance., how he helped smuggle Jews to safety, and, how, late in the war, he had to be hidden for five months and his identification papers destroyed to protect him from the nazis. After his ordination. he

was sent to Rome to

continue his studies at the Angelicum University where he wrote his thesis on the life and work of the great Spanish mystic St John of the Cross.

DOD

This part of his studies added to his spiritual development and reinforced his personal inclination towards the mystical

Even on his most exacting papal journeys, he passes hours each day in prayer. It is clear that his deep and continuous life of prayer is the wellspring of the tremendous love and vitality that are so frequently remarked upon and so warmly admired by all who meet him. He is a great demonstration of the link between prayer and human energy and capacity to achieve.

His early mystical studies and his personal spirituality seem almost prophetic of the great revival in contemplative prayer that is such a feature of modern Christianity. It is revealed not only in the popular openness to Eastern thought and meditative practices but also in the revival among religious and laity alike of the works and practices of great Catholic prayers like St John of the Cross, Meister Eckhart, and the anonymous author of The Cloud of Unknowing, and the increasing use of the tradition of prayer known as the prayer of the heart which began with the Desert Fathers and came down to us through the monastic system. While modern commentators find it easier to talk about physical signs of declining reli-

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pontificate

simply becomiigg the replacement of one form of tyranny by another. When Pope John Paul calls for peace and urges all of us to achieve peace in the world by achieving peace in our hearts, he offers not only the hand of hope but also the living proof of the wisdom of his words.

000 Even the assassin's bullet has not dimmed his vision of hope for mankind, but instead has reinforced his lesson that faith and love can transcend all adversity if only we will trust

Former WA Premier Ray 0'Connor and his son with John Paul.

gious practice, more observant ones are heartened by the less tangible but more important deepening of spiritual awareness and experience.

It is an essential part of the message and the inspiration of Pope John Paul II. After his studies in Rome he returned to Cracow in 1948. Six years later he was appointed Professor of Moral Philosophy at the Catholic University of Lublin. In 1958 he was named

Auxiliary Bishop of

Cracow. It was during this time that the struggle between the Church

and the communist regime was at its fiercest and Bishop Wojtyla was in the front line. After his experience of armed foreign oppression during the war, he tasted the sorrow of oppression in his own land by his own people enforcing an alien philosophy backed by a powerful and ruthless neighbour.

□□□ Once again he found himself called upon to resist in order to defend justice, and once again

he had to define the

terms of his resistance.

own

In a world in which the

struggle against internal and external oppression is so pervasive, a few have had the depth of experience of Pope John II and few can so triumphantly proclaim a message of hope in the face of oppression. He came through without resort to violence and without bitterness, anger or hatred. His life proclaims that with faith in God the human spirit can triumph over oppression. The lessons of his life are crucial for the world if we are to reverse the awful pattern of revolution and liberation

PA VIS them and put them into practise in thought and word and deed. John Paul's role at the Second Vatican Council is particularly relevant to the world today and to his visit to Australia

See page 16

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The Record, November 27, 1986

A message by the Premier of Western Australia, Mr Brian Burke, IP,

MLA, for the Papal Visit.

Mr Burke

R.J.L. HAWKE Prime Minister

Visit brings good news for change

marvelously effective in bringing a'knowledge of the Ch~itch to the world and a knowledge of the world to the Curch."

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I am delighted to be able to welcome His Holiness to Australia, both personally and on behalf of my Government. I sense an atmosphere of great expectancy and enthusiasm across the country for his visit. The pope's steadfast advocacy of peace and justice for all peoples in a world rent by war, terrorism and injustice has made him a figure of hope and encouragement to those striving for the peace, oppressed and the unfortunate.

The memory of a meeting with His Holiness Pope John Paul II is neither fleeting nor transient. It endures as all who have shared the privilege readily testify. To best describe my own experience of a private audience with His Holiness at the Vatican on May 6, 1985, I would draw on the words used by Archbishop William Foley in a recent Papal Visit newsletter. In that publication, the Archbishop said all who had met with His Holiness found the meeting to be a "profound spiritual experience".

by the Leader of the WA Opposition Mr BARRY MacKINNON cern and it is important that we continue to defend the values in which we believe.

□□□

And so it is with enthusiasm and joy that Western Australia is anticipating the forthcoming Papal visit. It is a welcome reminder to us that all is not lost. Despite the pessimists and the badnews pedlars, the majority in our society remain deeply committed to the traditional Christian values established almost 2000 years ago.

□□□

Despite the pres-

sures and threats of

the fast-moving 20th century, the family unit remains the cornerstone of our society and the centre of our lives. The Papal visit will serve also to bring together believers of different denominations anxious to acknowledge a great and significant rellgious occasion. The Papal influence in all corners of the world remains one of great significance, having survived treTo become a household word to Record readers

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mendous political, social and economic changes through the centuries. As individuals we should regard the Papal Visit as a valid reason for jumping off the treadmlll for a while to take time to think, to renew our faith and our commitment to Christian values and a Christian society.

DOD Many thousands of us will be able to directly participate in the festivities that have been organised to welcome the pope to our state. Those who are not able to take part 'in person' will, of course, be part of the proceedings through the media, and what a joy it will be to see good news and happy photographs on our television screens and In our newspapers.

000 My family and my colleagues join with me in expressing our pleasure that Mis Holiness, Pope John Paul II, is to visit Western Australia and offer our best wishes for a successful and happy occasion.

Mr Howard

l am pleased to have this opportunity to extend my greetings to His Holiness, Pope John Paul Ii, on the occasion of his tour of Australia. In welcoming His Holiness many Australians -Catholics and non-Catholic alike -remember fondly the historic visit to our country of his predecessor, Pope Paul VI. Throughout his pontificate, Pope John Paul Il has displayed enormous energy and courage. His moral and spiritual leadership has rightly commanded the admiration and respect of people throughout the world. I am confident that the visit to Australia by Mis Holiness will be agreat success. In this, the International Year of Peace, Australia is honoured to receive a man whose life has been dedicated to the noble cause of peace.

JOHN HOWARD, MP Leader of the Opposition

PAPAL

VISIT 1986

For my wife Sue and myself, the audience was all of that a spiritual experience heightened, not diminished, by the pope's inherent humanity which shone through in every word spoken and which graced his every gesture. am confident thousands of Western Australians, from all parts of our vast state and representative of religious many denominations, will share that same wonderful experience Sunday, on November 30th, when the Holy Father arrives in Perth during the first Australian visit of his Pontificate. Because of hrs warmth and sincerity, so quickly imparted by His Holiness and so quickly reciprocated by Catholics and nonCatholics alike, Sue and I knew we were speaking for the majority of Western Australians when we conveyed the greetings of the state and of its Polish community. The visit of a Pontiff to Perth would be an historic occasion, irrespective of its timing. But this visit is being given a special significance by gathering moves towards Christian unity in changing times. Pope John Paul, the most widely travelled pope in the history of the Church, is a fervent advocate of ecumenical accord and because of this oncein-a-lifetime opportunity to pray with Pope John Paul on Western Australian soil, this spirit of unity stands to grow stronger and continue well into the future. I am sure all those who absorb his words will know, that no worthy hope, whatever it may be, could fail to be strengthened by his message.


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Sue Burke, wife of the premier, petite, slim, mother off six children and possessor of a radiant smile, saw Pope John Paul II in a private Vatican audience with her husband Brian, in May last year. "We had only just arrived from Australia and just had time to change and go straight on to the Vatican," she said. The part of the Vatican they walked through was very ornate with marble, stone and ornamentation, she said. "We had to wait with our party in the ante chamber and met the monsignor who was in charge. Someone was already in with him, with another ready to go in," said Mrs Burke. Mr and Mrs Burke were ushered in to spend eight to 10 minutes with the pope who was seated at his desk.

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With the jet lag and magnitude of the occasion, "I was numb and overawed, so I did not get the full impression until afterwards, when I had time to think about it," said Mrs Burke.

□□□

"I was struck mostly by his holiness and gentleness - his charisma and aura. 'There is definitely something about him. I think it is his holiness which comes through

so much, as though there was God within him," she said. "Brian presented him with a message of greeting from the Polish people here in Perth, renewing their friendship. "He is a quietly spoken person and speaks English very well,'' said Mrs Burke. "However you are in awe and your brain takes leave of you," she said. "I can just remember little bits and pieces, but he

asked Brian about himself, his family and Australia, on which he seemed to be well versed. "He mentioned he would probably be going to Australia in late 1986. It wasn't heavy conversation, just polite small talk," said Mrs Burke. The monsignor then came in and introduced the rest of the Premier's party to His Holiness and then they left. "But there is something special about him," she said. "A certain saintliness ·.."

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7


"With Judaism we have a relationship which we do not have with any other religion." Pope John Paul said this when he visited the Rome Synagogue this year. This historic occasion was another expression of the wish, as he put it: "To deepen dialogue in loyalty and friendship in respect for one another's intimate convictions." Other moments when Pope John Paul II has met with representative s of the Jewish Community were during his pastoral visit to Germany, to England and Scotland and, among others, during meetings in Rome with an international group of leaders of B'nai B'rith. The pope also met with the International Council of Christians and Jews, with the American Jewish Committee and, last year, with Jews, other Christian Churches and Catholics gathered for a colloquim in Rome on the 20th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council's declaration; Nostra Aetate. In his speech at the synagogue, John Paul II quoted from this same

Pope's links with Jews document as he reaffirmed that the Church: Deplores the hatred, persecutions, and displays of anti-Semitism directed against the Jews at anytime and by anyone." He expressed again his Abhorrence for the genocide decreed against the Jewish people during the last war. Recalling the visit to the concentration camp of Auschwitz in 1979, and his prayer for the many victims of various nations, he mentioned the persecution of the Jewish community in Rome at that time and the significant gesture of religious houses, churches

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and the Vatican in offering refuge. "Today's visit," John Paull II said in the Synogogue of Rome, "is meant to make a decisive contribution to the consolidation of the good relations between our two communities, in imitation of the example of so many men and women who are still working today, on both sides, to overcome old prejudices ·The Jewish religion is not extrinsic to us, but in a certain way is intrinsic to our religion. With Judaism therefore we have a relationship which we do not have with any other religion. You are only dearly beloved brothers and, in a certain way, it could be said that you are our elder brothers." The Chief Rabbi of Rome, Elio Toaff, in his welcome address said: "Our common task ought to be that of proclaiming the fact that from man's fundamental freedom there arise inalienable human rights like the right to life, to freedom of thought, conscience and religion." John Paul II, too, referred to collaboration in favour of man and peace. "Jews and Christians," he added, "are the trustees and witnesses of an ethic marked by the Ten Commandments, in the observance of which man finds his truth and freedom."

Maybe some of it was luck, but I suspect at least half of it was sheer determination on the part of Sister Immaculata Crocetti. Let's face it, attending 10 public audiences on one trip to Rome, to see and hear her beloved pontiff and with a strong desire to touch his hand, was very likely to bear fruit And it surely did. Sister Immaculata of Notre Dame Primary school, Cloverdale, went to Rome in 1984 with her two sisters, also Sisters of the Presentation Order, and her brother, Father Crocetti of Harvey. They were keen to attend the aud enoes too, but not quite as keen as Sister Immaculata On the last occasion, because they were due to leave for Australia soon, Sister Immaculata once again joined the large crowds for the final time, hoping to touch the hand of His Holiness Chatting with an Irish lady, who discovering that as Sister came from Australia and was therefore most unlikely to see the pope again, the Irishwoman gave Sister her own chair and then proceeded to hold the chair and help Sister (by this time standing on the chair!) to reach the pope's outstretched hand as he wandered along the barricades

The first time was in

1965 when her mother

by COLLEEN HOWARD

PAPAL VISIT 1986 She made it! (with a photograph to prove it) Their hands met and Sister's tenacity had paid off.

And that wasn't all. The day before they left, they received a 'phone call from officials, that their request to have a private audience with the pope had been granted. They were summoned to the Vatican the following day We didn't sleep the night before, we were so excited," said Sister " At 5 am we took a taxi, passed through security and into the pope's private chapel "There were about 20 in the chapel and my brother concelebrated with the pope," she said It was a wonderful experience to be so close to His Holiness, said Sister This was the second time had an

was thanked by Pope Paul VI for the contribution she had made to the Church, in giving her four children to the priesthood and religious life Sister Immaculata had many recollections of her 1984 visit "After we arrived in Rome, Pope John Paul II was giving the Sacrament of Confirmation there. We had just finished ours in Cloverdale and it brought home to me the oneness of our Church," said Sister His devotion to the Rosary was obvious she

sad

It was during the month of October and on the various feast days, he would highlight them for the people in his homilies One occasion Sister remembers well, was when the pope addressed all the newly married couwere in a special

''Because of its importance and because all other forms of catechesis are oriented in some way to it, the catechesis of adults must have high priority at all levels of the Church. The success of programs for children and youth depends to a significant extent upon the words, attitudes, and actions of the adult community, especially parents, family and guardians.' U.S. National Catecheticl Director

TURN TO YOUR CATHOLIC PAPEREACHWEEK • For news, reviews, commentaryAnd for educational features in this era of adult education -

READ THE "KNOW YOUR FAITH' SERIES IN YOUR CATHOLIC PAPER

8

The Record, November 27, 1986

The final lucky try when Sister Immaculata was given a chair by the lady behind her and she fulfilled her wish to grasp the pope's hand!


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The Record, November 27, 1986

9


A's ow estment gift from Doreen... When Mary Haydock of Como (pictured above) held the hand of Pope John Paul ll across the barriers in St Peter's Square in 1984 and asked him "When are you coming to Perth?" she did not know how close she would be involved in that request. ' "Soon, I hope. Soon," said the Holy Father. Soon turned out to be 1986 and in April this year she dropped into the Hay Street Papal Visit Office to see if she could give a hand. As a result she became one of a group of volunteers who have worked hard to make the visit a success for the people of Western Australia. She manned the telephone and was thrilled to be able to revive the office skills she had learned years ago and to handle the new duplicating technology and other office equipment provided by sponsor firms. She has been impressed by the generosity of people, especially some of the elderly who enquired if they needed to give up their place at Glendalough for some more deserving person who had not already seen the Holy Father. The Belmont Park Mass will be her third encounter with Pope John Paul Il having seen him during two pilgrimages already, the former in 1980 being marred by the boisterous enthusiasm of Poles who listened only while the pope spoke in their language. She had also had a smaller group meeting with Pope Paul VI.

When PopeJohn Paul II celebrates his historic Mass in Wester Australia, one of the proudest participants will be Doreen Hawkes of Dianella who has put hours into making the spectacular chasuble he will wear.

Equally proud will be her husband Torry,

meticulously who ironed the stoles worn by the concelebrant priests and which also are the product of the

by COLLEEN HOWARD

Hawkes' energy and devotion. And it doesn't end there because the pope that night during his overnight stay at the Cathedral presbytery will be sleeping under the bedspread and drawing the curtains Doreen made. Doreen is a professional seamstress You name it and she can sew it.

□□□

PAPAL VISIT 1986

Some years ago the late Mons O'Reilly then cathedral administrator had asked her to make items for Archbishop Foley's rooms, so husband Torry and Doreen put the tracks up and hung the curtains and supplied the bedspread

□□□ They then did the same for St Charles Seminary at his request. After Mons O'Reilly's death, in June this year Doreen's name and telephone number were found among the notes he had made for the Papal Visit. The director of liturgy for the visit, Father Christopher Ross and the project architect Iris Rossen quickly realised it had been the hope of Mons O'Reilly that Doreen's talents could be put to use for the pope's visit. Because the Mass would be of the First Sunday of Advent and because the liturgical colour for November 30 is purple, the colour scheme at Belmont Park had a problem.

The vestments would have to stand out against the surrounding decor There are many ideas of purple and it was felt the purple vestments that might accompany the pope from Rome might not harmonise with what had been prepared at the Belmont Park liturgical dais

The Holy Father usually brings with him the vestments he uses and then usually leaves them behind as a memento of his visit. The Vatican agreed that the vestment could be made locally. As a result, a fabric of fine wool has been chosen from the same source used by the famous fashion designer, Carla 7...ampatti.

□□□

The special purple tone lined with red will give a special flash of colour as the Holy Father moves against the red background of the papal altar surroundings. The identical colours are used throughout the stole chalice veil.

Father Ross Ins Rossen znd Doreen Hawkes looked at many chasubles and tried many stoles before coming up with the design worn by the Holy Father. After that it was hours of

loving devotion by Doreen Hawkes as the vestment became a reality

□□□

It was sent to Rome and is safely part of the luggage aboard the Papal aircraft for Perth

Doreen Hawkes is the proud recipient of a letter of thanks from the Vatican thanking her on behalf of the pope and passing on to her his Apostolic blessing for her kind gesture.

One way or another, Doreen has done quite a bit of church sewing, volunteering her services in an honorary capacity and being invariably happy to do so. Apart from vestments made in Darwin with Aboriginal designs, these are the only ones made for the pope's Australian visit, said Doreen.

□□□ Initially Doreen made two replica chasubles in an oaten colour, to make sure the finished product would be perfect. Father Ross has one and the other will go to the Dianella parish. Torry plays his part too, in helping with the cutting, tucking, labelling and packing.

The energetic couple made 240 stoles for the

priests involved in the Papal Mass, in 12 days. AII exactly the same, they feature a screen printed papal cross, designed by Pamela Water of Nedlands.

10

The Record, November 27, 1986


Torry a to of strength t with work Torry Hawkes is a retired TAA station engineer who is nevertheless busy in his retirement helping others. Doreen's church sewing, meals on wheels and so on. Doreen and Torry went on two pilgrimages to Rome, the first in 1977 The Footsteps of St Paul, on which they took a home film of Pope Paul VI. They went again in 1984, on the Pilgrimage of Faith, and this time took a home video of it. That's when Torry got a bit carried away as he said. Everyone was straining to see the Pope and touch his hand.

ODD

Torry was several people back from the barricade where the pope was, so he called out in classic strine to the pope: "Good on you, Your Holiness! Come out and visit us in Australia!" At which comment, the pope looked across at Torry and grinned. Delighted, Torry called out to the others: "He's got the message." Torry now says he's mortified when he hears his accent, but the message was clear and obviously was heeded because a month after they returned, they heard the pope was actually coming to Australia. It might have been coincidental but at least Torry got to

Torry Hawkes irons the hundreds of stoles to be worn by priests at Belmont Park.

PAPAL

VISIT 1986

Youth greet pope

• From

insert centre

spread.

·'The truth is not always the easiest or the most comfortable way. The truth is not always the same as the majority opinion, especially if that opinion has been artificially induced by powerful and clever arr4¢es of manipulation. But the truth will always be the way to real freedom. "...both truth and freedom, dear young people, together with justice and love, are the basis of your peace the peace of Christ received into your hearts and into the world." Turning from peace to prayer and back to peace again, the pope said: "Prayer is so closely linked to peace, and peace depends so much on

prayer.

by COLLEEN HOWARD

"In prayer, united

with Jesus your brother, your friend,

issue a personal invitation! On those pilgrimages Torry was "extended

your saviour, your God you begin to

the courtesy and honour to be allowed to Acolyte in Holy Places and Shrines in the Middle East, including the Holy Land and Europe," he said. He will also be an Acolyte at the Belmont Park Papal Mass. 'This will be a highlight of my life," said Torry. Doreen said she felt "overwhelmed when l saw the pope on our

1984 trip.

'There was a big build-up in anticipating awaiting his arrival and when l saw him l just wanted to touch him, but couldn't reach him. "The atmosphere is so unbelievable. 'Everyone is so excited when he lands in his helicopter and walks through to sit up on the dais," she said.

isit

in

t....a../

"When will you come to Perth" cried Mary Haydock of Perth (centre) leaning over the barrier seconds before the pope would grasp her hand. "Soon, l hope" said the pope. Doreen Hawkes is at the top of the picture at the rear.

breathe a new atmosphere. You form new goals and new ideals. 'In Jesus, whom you get to know in prayer, your dreams for justice and your dreams for peace become more definite and look for practical application. ''Through contact with Jesus in prayer, you gain a sense of mission that nothing can dull." In summing up, the Holy Father offered achievable ideals. "In the face of rivalry, you must offer to the world, the image of respectful dialogue. "Your answer to insult and injury is pardon. The only acceptable position in the face of alienation is to promote reconciliation and to offer fraternal solidarity. 'Yours is the gigantic task of overcoming all evil with good, always trying amidst the problems of life to place your trust in God, knowing that his grace supplies strength to human

weakness. "You must oppose every fonn of hatred with the invincible power of Christ's love. "This is what it means to be young peacemakers, to help build peace, the Kingdom of Christ's

peace."

The Record, November 27, 1986

11


THE MAN TO FIT IN THE FISHERMAN'S SHOES When Ulysses, the ill-fated wanderer of ancient Greek literature, finally made it back to his homeland he performed a ritual as old as mankind. "He kissed the fruitful earth," the author Homer wrote, "then he lifted up his hands and uttered a prayer to the nymphs." Pope John Paul fl, of course, dispenses with the pagan salute to the nymphs but on landing in a country he always kisses the tarmac or the soil. In his native country he kissed it before leaving as well as on arriving.

In her

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□□□ Like Ulysses he makes the gesture {which has become something of a papal trademark) because he too is "home." This attitude of the Pontiff is explained by French writer, Andrew Frossard, who had a series of deep conversations with the pope a few years ago. Frossard says John Paul regards the world as his parish and the people of God, or any individual, as a sanctuary of God. 'That is why John Paul ll calls his travels pilgrimages. That is why he kisses the soil of the country in which has just arrived," the Frenchman said That is why, were there only left in the world one shepherd lost in the Andes he would still go m search for him... that man would be sacred. Put that way, it might be expected that all Catholics would welcome him. But because of modern controversies, that has not always been the case; and because of ancient divisions millions outside the fold have kept the ticker-tape and bunting under lock and key when he arrived. In the latter category the visit to Turkey just after the first year of his papacy was probably the most memorable. As mentioned in the last chapter political concerns and assassination threats by a criminal on the loose prompted authorities to extend a coldly formal reception.

00g There were also question marks over his pilgrimage to India in February this year. Although what is now the Kerala region was, so legend has it, converted by St Thomas in 54AD, passing centuries had wrought profound cultural and religious changes that set up points of conflict for the papal visit. One was concern that the pope's presence might encourage conversions by "inculturation," the blending of Catholic liturgy with the ascetic and meditative ways of the sub-continent. Another was the recollection that in the mid-1960s the Church had protested against forced sterilisation programs and advised even non-Catholics in India to resist by using natural family-planning methods.

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12

The Record, November 27, 1986


ecor □

CANBERRA: The Aboriginal origins of Australia as well as its other history were pointedly noted by Pope John Paul II at the outset of his first Mass homily in Australia, at Canberra. "While everything around speaks of newness, I am very much aware of the great antiquity of this land and of its indigenous people whose origins stretch back beyond recorded history. "At the beginning of my stay with you I express my respect and esteem for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island peoples, and I assure them of my friendship. CANBERRA: The link between peace and justice was noted by the pope in his opening hom-

ily in Australia. "Peace can develop only

where the requirements of universal justice are fulfilled," he said at the

Canberra Mass. "For the International Year of Peace, at Assisi recently I joined with the

representatives of Christian Churches and of non-

Christian religions, to implore this great gift from God. "We cannot doubt it is his will that people should live in peace. "Yet we are aware -- in the words of Paul VI -that "true peace must be founded on justice, upon a sense of the intangible dignity of man, upon the recognition of an abiding and happy equality between individuals, upon the basic principle of human brotherhood, that is, of the respect and love due to each human being, because he is human." (1971 World Day of Peace Message.) "H is here that we fail. Justice is so often lacking between individuals, between groups, and nations, and blocs of nations," he said. "In contrast, Christ's messianic mission is one of peace and justice. "He came 'to bring good tidings... to bind up the brokenhearted ... to proclaim liberty to the captives ... to comfort all who mourn ...' (ls 61:1-2). "Peace can develop only where the requirements

of universal justice are fulfilled.

"The 17th and 18th century explorers who set forth from Europe with such courage, already suspected the existence of a great land mass in the South that some called The South Land of the Holy Spirit.

CANBERRA: The place of Mary in the life of the pioneer Church of Australia was emphasised by the Pope in his first homily to the nation. "These outstanding people of faith loved Mary the Mother of God with a special devotion, and found in her example of faith and humble service the strength to persevere and remain faithful. "Father Therry placed the original Saint Mary's in Sydney, the mother church of Australia, under the protection of Mary as Our Lady Help of Christians. "In 1847, my predecessor Pius IX named her the spiritual Patroness of Australia.

PAPAL

VISIT 1986

A four page round-up of what John Paul II said and did in Canberra, Brisbane and Sydney.

"The early navigators plotted the course. "They rejoiced to see in the night sky, five points

of light in the shape of a cross. "The Southern Cross not only shines above you in the sky; it stands as your national symbol, everywhere visible on your flag "It is a constant reminder that the Cross of Christ is at the heart of our earthly existence and guarantees our heavenly destiny. "The Holy Spirit and the Cross both recall that the saving death of Christ and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit are present in human history, and consequently in the history of Australia.

ODD "It was the power of the Holy Spirit that sustained the Christian people in the early days of the colony, and kept them faithful to the traditions of their faith. And it was the impelling love of Christ that moved the first chaplains and priests to minister to convicts and free-settlers alike with such courage and endurance, often in great isolation and loneliness. "It was the Holy Spirit, bringing understanding across the barriers of division and suspicion, that stirred the heart of the first Anglican chaplain, the Reverend Richard Johnson, to welcome a group of Spanish priests visiting Sydney in 1793 with, in their own words, 'kindness and humility, and a simplicity that was truly evangelical'. "Heroic witnesses of Christlike love from those early years like Archbishop Polding, Caroline Chisholm and Mother Mary MacKillop, were moved with compassion by what they saw around them. Selflessly they served Christ in the convicts, in distressed and unprotected women, the Aboriginal women, and the scattered flock of the interior. The Christian pioneers of the nineteenth century truly shared the sufferings of Christ and experienced the power of his Resurrection (cf. Phil 3:10). They sacrificed and laboured hard, in those frugal days before there was the abundance that Australia has now come to enjoy, to build churches and schools, so that the truth of Christ would be taught, handed on and lived in this land."

SYDNEY: Picture shows the pope smiling from his vehicle at the big crowd at the special reception given by youth at the SCG.


From page 1

oun SYDNEY: The young people named

it a Youth Celebration with the theme "Let our choice be peace", A celebration indeed it was on Tuesday night as the packed

Sydney

people' we come

Pope John Paul is the pilgrim in reverse. He will visit those who can't visit him. It upsets the balance of perspective. No wonder many ask nervously why he has come at all, why he has relentlessly performed 31 other journeys already, four of them this year . . . I To try and find the answer the Catholic Church in Australia has in these past weeks been pummelled, probed, analysed, praised but never ignored, in an attempt to find an

ly Father DENIS

MADIGAN A Sydney based member of the Passionist Society writing on THE AUSTRALIAN.

answer.

Cricket

Ground reacted to

Pope John Paul Al's visit and basic recipes for peace.

Four simple, practical, easy-to-follow

rules were handed out by the pope: IF you want peace, work for justice. IF you want peace, defend life. IF you want peace, proclaim truth. IF you want peace, always treat others as you would like them to treat

you.

DOD

"But these must be

practised after Christ has been accepted, after hearts have been opened to Him.

"Embrace Christ in

everyone who shares with you the dignity

of human nature. Reach out to Him and discover Him in the poor and lonely, the sick and troubled, the

disabled, the aged,

the unwanted, all

those who are waiting for your smile, who need your help and who crave your

understanding, your compassion and your

love. "And when you have acknowledged and embraced Jesus in all those people, then and only then will you share deeply in the peace of His Sacred Heart." Pope John Paul I enlarged on each of his rules, but reverted again to his thernes of earlier talks in Australia, proclaiming the dignity of man and

Christian unity, collaborating with other

Christian brothers and sisters, and being open in brotherhood and love also to all men and women of goodwill.

ODO

"No, young people

Australia, like Jesus, you will never

be alone! Speaking about his Father, Jesus declared: 'He who sent me is with me, and has not left me to myself' "And He wants you to find his companionship and the com-

panionship of His Father and the Holy Spirit in the Church. And this is precisely what you are doing. Only in shared companionship with the Lord will you be able

to

communicate

peace to the world." Concerning himself with minority opinions, the pope warned young people not to judge truth by numbers

J

Pope John Paul waves to the people from his vehicle.

□ooooooooo□ooooo□□□□oooo□ooo□o□□□□□□□o□□

"Openness to others

does not mean that equal value; no matter how strong it is, sincerity of conviction cannot turn injustice

into justice or falsehood into truth.

See page 11

. iff •.-

happiness of God's law, which is His plan for our lives." Like a real father and

with affection, the pope sighed: "Dear young people you

Australia which cannot make up its mind where it stands in the scale of world affluence must be a strange sight to a pope who has barely shaken the dust of Bangladesh's dire proverty off his feet. Above all, Pope John Paul is on a visit to sustain and encourage the faith of his own flock. He did not seek the honour and those with penchant for reading the ways of Providence will have to explain why it is not the comparatively unknown late John Paul I who is visiting our shores but the product of a Eastern European Church remaining faithful against enforced Russian godlessness. Is it not the infallibility, but the faUibility of Pope John Paul that worries so many in the Church today, let alone those outside it? Is it a worry that the man who sleeps just a short distance from the remains of Peter the Apostle presents the enigma of Peter himself? That he has to face the 2Oth century tensions, the difficulties, the potential division as did Peter those of the early Church? And the doubters wonder if he could be wrong. Yet equally disturbing is said to be that very infallibility which the Church tirelessly teaches was conferred on Peter and his

successors.

Pope scratches his head with dancing young people in foreground.

I

payments.

every opinion has

human beings dependent for our

-�

_·.jjll rt }

ODO

God. "All this involves personal effort and discipline," he said "It involves accepting ourselves and others as creatures of God, as children of God, as

continue to weave the great fabric of

'

of

the fatherhood of

are not alone! Through the groups to which you belong and with the help of friends, you must

-

iii 6 -.�--�j

Those who look at the state of the Australian Church in order to get the measure of its First Bishop are probably looking in the wrong direction and certainly going round in circles. The news-hungry media chase the mirage of a man, pushing 68, packing a daunting 15 hour a day itinerary. Will he stay the distance? Will the crowds stay away? Will the tour be memorable, not because it was a success but because it was a failure? They pound on breathlessly to keep up with him! The faint-hearted wait to see if he will drop his guard just once on the well-worn litany of moral issues. Will he say just once that the divorce breakdown of marriage is good. that the destruction of unborn is OK now and again, that society needs a holiday from morals, at least now and again? The equally well worn criticisms of the "conservative" pope are trotted out monotonously. They could have been written ages ago. This week's rare moment in Australian Catholic history should make the Catholic Church stand up on the rostrums and grandstands of Australia and try and see what the pope sees as he looks out across the sea of faces. He sees himself as a Universal Pastor to men of good will. Men of all faiths and none have had the pope right in their homes all this week. Not many Catholics have achieved the same feat. A lot of Australians feel just a touch better, just a touch more hopeful because they have seen and heard him, even if the words go over their head. God makes sense to many when the rest of us are too busy looking the other way. Yet the pope has to say the uncomfortable things that comfortable Australians don't want to hear too loudly, that global poverty, global anxiety are bigger questions than our own self pre-occupation with our balance of

The pope's visit is truly a test of faith. It is a test of faith unlike any other that has been experienced and it may be why the Chief Shepherd will go down in history for this unique decade of travelling to support and sustain his church.

I

I


Pope John Paul II touches burning question

L

I

<J

BRISBANE (AP) -FLOWER FOR THE POPE -A young girl presents a carnation to Pope John Paul ll during an informal welcoming ceremony

at the Brisbane airport on Tuesday.

John Paul's II message to the sick and the disabled BRISBANE:

Pope John Paul told Australia's handicapped, disabled and sick people that their condition focused attention on a truth at the heart of the Church's mystery - that "in weakness power reaches perfection (St Paul 2 Cor)".

000

He came to grips with the question that troubles every person who suffers. "Perhaps some of you who are physically handicapped,

dis-

abled or ill may ask God why you have been singled out for a life that is different

from the lives of other people.

□□□

"In the providence of

God a different life does not mean a less important life. It does not mean a life with less potential for holi-

ness or for contributing to the well-being of the world.

Situations Opportunities Careers "Record" Response

when you

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Attention focussing on truth "Their sufferings had to be linked to Christ's death," he said. ·The Cross of Christ has the power to transform the life of each

and everyone of you into a great victory over human weakness. "We can glorify God in your bodies by not

letting yourselves be overcome by difficulties and pain, and by not giving into discouragement or any other limitation."

BRISBANE (AP) --VISITS SICK --Pope John Paul II embraces a wheelchair-bound youth during a visit with the handicapped on his five-hour stop in Brisbane on Tuesday.

BRISBANE: Pope John Paul II touched on one of today's burning questions when he told Australia that the touchstone of its spiritual and material service is the sacredness of human life. Speaking to the nation's handicapped, disabled and Ill he said: "jn a world where the gift of human life is often despised, manipulated, abused, and even deliberately aborted or terminated, the Church proclaims without hesitation the sacredness of every human life. No matter what our weaknesses or limitations whether physical, emotional or spiritual the life of each one of us is unique; it has its beginning and its end In God's own good time. "It is the responsibility of the whole community from the level of national, state, and local government down to the level of the individual citizen to protect this sacred gift." He said this also required an improvement in the quality of life for the handicapped and disabled. Those being served must also truly participate in the community. Handicapped and disabled people have an important contribution to make to others.

Pope spel Is out -This reason Brisbane Pope John Paul spelled out for the second time why he had come. He explained that his visits were made to

express love for Christ and give support and encouragement to the Catholic Church.

To the crowds gathered in King George Square he said: "The purpose of my journey to Australia, like my pastoral visits to many other countries of the world, is to express my love for Jesus Christ and to make him better known and loved.

"In a special way, I have come in order to

offer support and encouragement to my brothers and sisters of the Catholic Church. "It is important to me to visit the local Churches and to experience firsthand their vitality, their difficulties and their hopes. "To everyone I meet, I seek to be a friend and a servant of peace. Of special concern to the Church are the rights and dignity of the human person. I am confident that you share

this same concern. My own deep conviction, as I stated in my first Encyclical Letter, Redemptor Hominis is this: What is in

question is the advancement of persons, not just the multiplying of things people can use. It is a matter not so much of having more as of being more'. "The destiny of the world does not rest entirely in our hands. God's providence rules human history.

I


By PAT CONNELLY , Man ountry, vs that spite a

natazz ption in

1 great

d failed

ht lan-

ich to "Whan, after isit to med to people Roman :h was

rse

It is impossible to comprehend a man's motives no matter how many public pronouncements he makes but it is not unfair to suggest that John Paul has a stubborn streak. The attitude that led him to resist moving from his flat in Cracow to the episcopal palace after being made a bishop prompted him to pretend not to hear the American nun's plea for a female clergy.

Later, in 1980, it is said he sat unhearing in Munich when Barbara Engls, president of that city's Association of Young Catholics, made a similar address and urged an end to the celibate clergy to reverse the trend towards fewer priests.

□□□

Early in 1979 priests themselves had been rebuked when he visited Mexico. He reminded them they

Continuing the story of the life and the achievements of Pope John Paul Il from PAT CONNELLY who was

commissioned by The Advocate in

Melbourne to write about his life and accomplishments in preparation for his

visit to Australia

those issues was a white-hot political one. �remists occupying their Golden Temple in r (where many of their number had been ered) invited the pope to visit the Sikh state Jab to witness the "persecution and ent" of their faithful. He had to decline. ulties would not have arisen if the pope had secluded in Fortress Vatican as in the old da passive papacy when all roads led to !

hist, outgoing era of Pope John XXIlI had ] all that and the pontiffs had begun using roads as exits, taking the faith to the

me

: has had its hazards. Externally, it has . the travelling popes to physical attack such ir if nite attempt on Paul VI and the shooting Paul; internally, it has sparked criticism of opes" and sneering jibes unheard-of a on ago.

e of the latter appeared in a letter published ·�ge on June 19 this year. Literary critic John � an remar1<ed on "the irrelevance, authorit""@d theological coma represented by the "onal Church, especially in the teachings of

8nt pope, inspiring and loving 19th century @tic figure that he clearly is."

""

has his own reasons for bitterness (he "the letter that he had left the priesthood) a fascinating point in accusing the ,"ward attitudes. expect a survivor of the Church Silent, "had not only witnessed but experienced for his beliefs to be deaf to some cries Self-indulgent Western world.

,""d """Y "on

were not social workers or politicians and advised them not to get too involved in temporal matters. Later, at the conference of Latin American Bishops, he added to those comments on "liberation theology" by the warning Church not to reinterpret the Gospel and promote Christ as little more than a revolutionary firebrand. That sternly theolog-

ical view was put early in his speech. The world news media gave it wide publicity and the pope was presented as a traditionalist yearning for the good old days before the Vatican Council. That was a distortion. After all this was the man who had played a busy role in Pope John's reforms and who understood only too well the longings of oppressed peoples.

So in the second segment of his speech he stressed the need for social justice and said it was the Church's duty to support mankind's liberation and to promote human rights.

□□□

With the torture and disappearance of opponents of the Argentine regime, big news at the time, he slammed the evils of collective violence and physical and psychological torment.

For instance, during his trip to the United States in late 1979 he angered progressives by slamming homosexual activities, ignoring a call by a nuns' spokeswoman to allow female priests, and arguing against abortion, divorce and birth control. On the last-mentioned issue he displayed consistency: back in 1960, in his best-selling book, Love and Responsibility, he had put the case against birth control not only on the grounds of Church teaching but on patriotic ones. Poland's population was dropping for one of the few times in its history. Yet today, when the secular press refers to that speech, it tends to emphasise the first section and pins on his cassock the tag "conservative"... a dirty word in these liberated times.

□□□

PAPAL VISIT 1986

'This pope would be the pope of a Christian renewal, and with him the hope that had fled would return in strength among us. "He would not be a traditionalist pope, as people later like to insist, or even a traditional pope, but a pope from the days before tradition, in the line of the first apostles, rising up with his cross amid the same pagan empires as before, empires just as prone to self-deification." Frossard concedes that the high hopes have not been realised "the heavens did not open after all." But the 264th pope has continued to take his message into empires, pagan and otherwise, at the rate of four journeys a year. And now, on his 32nd pilgimage he is coming to Australia.

No doubt it will be applied again if the pope, during his Australian trip, questions some statements by the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace as he has done internationally with the wilder reaches of feminism and the Latin Mass militancy. Much criticism of this most complex man fails to acknowledge what British writer, Paul Johnson, calls his "Christian humanism" once a contradiction in terms and the pope's broader philosophy. Critics, noting yet another condemnation, for example, of excessive consumerism and the Western love of luxury, will say "there he goes again, pushing the old self-denial line." But Johnson sees the pope as trying to rebuild the authority of the papacy. Johnson has, in fact, written a book entitled Pope John Paul II and The Catholic Restoration. French writer Andre Frossard, quoted often in his series of articles because he has gained an insight into the papal thinking like no other layman, puts it more lyrically. Speaking of his impressions as the newly-elected pope made his first appearance and spoke his first words on the steps of St Peter's, he writes: "Christianity was going to start again ... it was emerging once more from the tomb that everyone had thought finally sealed.

The Record, November 27, 1986

13


I- John Paul's diary visit to WA 5lilt.

III1fr

" can't remember what we ate or how long it took, but we ate and chatted and when we finished we were called to a small conference

room.

"The pope spoke to us for a few minutes about Lent, about preparing ourselves for Easter and later, took the chance to spend about five minutes with each one of us. lt was like a private audience," said Father Andrew. At the end of the conference, one of his aides gave the pope a book to give to us, said Father. Titled 'Open Door for Christ', it contains the first 14 journeys the pope made throughout the world. "jt can be difficult to talk to him because he looks intently at you and hangs on every word you say. But you can feel the warmth coming from him," he said. "His Holiness converses easily but the question for me, was who asks the questions and initiates the words?!" said Father. "When I attended the general audience, that was reward enough for the seven years I'd spent here," said Father Andrew. But to get so close to him was just "too much". lt was so wonderful, he

said.

ODO "The pope asked a lot of questions about Lake Grace where I told him I was working, and the Salvatorians here in Australia. He remembered well his visit to Western Australia in 1975 as a

Cardinal," said Father. His Holiness also remembered his visit to Bellevue and the Polish Hall, but couldn't comment on whether he'd be able to go back there. "t's not up to me to decide," he said. "Even being a pope, you have to go where they tell you!" "He asked were we preparing for his Australian trip and how things were going, so I told him we were all praying for his safe trip. "When I left the Vatican later, I had to pinch myself to make sure it was all real," said Father Andrew. "As a general impres-

sion, l was overawed by his peace which emanates from him. "When you come close to him you relax because you know you are safe with him," said Father. "Before that contact, you feel tense in anticipation, but during the meeting you relax. I'd been preparing a lot of things to say before l went to the Mass, but later on when in his company, it just came naturally. "t was one of the best days in my life. I shall treasure it in my heart," said Father Andrew. "Next time I return to Rome I shall be happy to be just a part of the crowd. I had my share," he said.

14

Our final destination in Australia was Perth, situated on the Indian Ocean, the capital of Western Australia and its archdiocese. Our plane arrived earlier than scheduled from Adelaide. Archbishop Goody who awaited our arrival at the airport, conducted us to his residence near the cathedral where there was to be a liturgical meeting of the Polish community in the evening. During lunch, I met Cardinal J. Willebrand who stopped over in Perth upon returning from the Eucharistic Congress. I then went with another priest to a hospital, to visit a paralysed Polish man from Poznan. Here I was presented with a picture painted by Mr Slabolepszy with a brush held in his mouth, as he had lost the use of his arms.

ODO

We then visited the Christian Brothers at Clontarf where Father Dzieciol is chaplain, which also allows him to fulfill his Polish pastoral duties. Likewise, Father Grodz is chaplain for sisters in another part of the city. Pastoral work is shared by priests in specific points of Western Australia both near and far. They also place great importance on visiting families and the sick. Upon returning to the archbishop's residence, I met Mr and Mrs Haller with regard to keepsakes they had been left by their deceased father, General Jozef Haller. The Haller family is connected with Jurczyce from the parish of Radziszow in the Cracow Archdiocese. At 7 pm I concelebrated Mass in Perth's St Mary's cathedral with Father Dzieciol and Father Grodz. Archbishop Goody also participated and spoke warmly of Poland and her Church. Father Dzieciol also said a few words. In my sermon I referred to the words of the archbishop and explained the meaning of the one thousand years of faith at Jasna Gora, appealing especially to youth.

PAPAL VISIT 1986

In the aftermath of the

Melbourne Eucharistic Congress in 1973, Cardinal Karol Wojtyla, then archbishop of Crakow in

Poland, visited extensively the Polish communities in every Australian State and also Papua New Guinea. Shortly after his return to Poland he published in a magazine his detailed diary notes recalling the many moments of his journey. They were recently acquired by The ADV0CATE newspaper in Melbourne and translated for the first time into English. On this page we

At the Perth airport in

1973 Archbishop Goody and a Holy Family Sister from North Beach welcome the cardinal who today passes through the same airport as pope.

reproduce the Western Australian memories of

fl.@ff.no@0@.""]

day return to us as pope.

□□□

According to the archbishop there were around 1500 people at the cathedral. We arrived at the Sikorksy Polish Centre at Bellevue at about 9 pm. About 600 people gathered in the huge hall among which were many young people and children. After the welcome of salt and bread, the evening program and meal began. The items included a choir, speeches, recitals and of course a variety of national dances. Father Dzieciol made a speech, although brief. It is well known that he was one of the pioneers of Polish pastoral work in Australia, coming here as a labourer, in order to serve his compatriots.

The Record, November 27, 1986

In ahectic two day 1973 visit to Perth Cardinal Karol Wojtyla of Krakow first celebrated Mass for some 2000 of his compatriots in St Mary's Cathedral and then attended a reception at the Sikorsky Polish Centre in Bellevue crammed with 600 guests and mamy spectators outside who could not gain entrance.

Today, they have their own comm unities, organisations, houses and fortunes. Perth's Polish community evolved systematically, linked closely with the clergy. Many presidents of Polish organisations have mentioned this point throughout my entire trip. After Archbishop Goody's speech, it was my turn and I gave a sort of overview of my trip on this second last day in Australia. I presented the archbishop with a medallion commemorating the 900th anniversary of St Stanislaw Kostka.

Because he once spent a year in Yugoslavia, the archbishop was familiar with the Croatian language, making him familiar with parts of the Slav language. At times he called my attention to some analogies in Polish asking their meaning, sometimes he was able to correctly guess the meaning of certain Polish words. We returned at about midnight (in Melbourne it was already 3 am). The next day (rather the same day) we were to visit several government


tells of first as a cardinal

representatives, the Sisters of Nazareth and finally fly to Rome. The official visits with the Governor, the Premier of Western Australia and to the city council were made together with Cardinal Willebrand and Archbishop Goody. One of the most interesting conversations I had was with the governor. During our visit to the Sisters of Nazareth, I celebrated a farewell Mass together with their chaplain. Bishop Peter Quinn, who assists in the Archdiocese of Perth, and local Australian priests were present during the Mass. The farewell at the airport this time was especially sincere. There were many people who constantly broke out in song and asked to be remembered and for a blessing. At around 3.45 pm, my flight for Rome via Singapore, Kuala Lumpur and Bahrain, departed.

A the Polish reception in Bellevue Cardinal Wojtyla was presented by the then president Zygmund Slowinski with the traditional gifts bread and salt, the basics of survival in life. At left is the late Monsignor W. Dzieciol, WA Polish Chaplain who was administrator of the same Krakow cathedral to be occupied by Cardinal Wojtyla. For helping a lewish refugee he was sent to a concentration camp and eventually came to Australia in 1950. After 25 years he made a pilgrimage visit to Czestochova and died in his native soil during the visit.

From page 17 "He says that what gets

in the way of that can be

the external system or internal greed," said Father Foley. "The two evils he detects are the two frustrations facing man -- firstly, what he describes as a spirit of individualism when you cut yourself off from community with your society, your fellow man and your God, the rugged individualism characterised by unbridled capitalism.

PAPAL VISIT 1986

"The other system that he says is equally disastrous for becoming a true person is what he calls totalism, which could be another term for totalitarianism, a system that reduces the individual to a cog in the State machine. The two things are seen as equally divisive in terms of community and destructive in becoming a true person." Father Foley said that Pope John Paul had struck a middle way that he called solidarity, which meant that we should work together in society, and that each person had to feel that he had a stake in the society in which he worked. This theme of worker participation had been part of the middle ground that Catholic social teaching had presented for the past 90 years, but the pope through his own personal experience and philosophical reflection had given it much sharper definition and focused on the very heart of what it meant to be a person What he had said is that the system in which you

live, the economic motives out of which you work, will either make you or break you as a person," said Father Foley. "You can be frustrated in your personal growth in becoming an acting person, if you are distracted by personal greed, by individualism that cuts you off, just as effectively as you will be cut off by a totalitarian State or regime that cramps individuality and personal expression."

ODD

Father Foley said that as a bishop for 20 years in Marxist Poland Karol Wojtyla appeared to have been extremely successful in dealing with the regime, by working out of principle and establishing a certain mode of realistic accommodation rather than either weak collaboration or strident confrontation with the regime. Even in Poland, he seemed to have recog; nised the rights of Marxists and Communists to hold their point of view. That was to be respected in principle, but also the believer was entitled to that respect.

"It seems the regime couldn't quite cope with this," said Father Foley. "Here was a man who acted very much out of principle, and who knew Marxist theory inside out. He took Marxist ideology seriously and knew how to deal with it in terms of principle. "This seems to reflect the balance of the man that comes from his philosophical training and his own temperament. It is a false question to ask what his politics might be. He is clearly not a communist nor a capitalist. "His Redemptor Hominis has some very strong words to say about consumerism. Apparently he was quite appalled by the Western lifestyle, the good life, and would opt for a middle path, a certain worker participation, a certain social a solidarity, 'Socialisation'. "Neither the Left nor Right can lay claim to him. He cannot be categorised. He is evenhanded and always works out of principle. What is this principle? It is this sense of the dignity of man, or what it is to be a

person."

Father Foley said Pope John Paul represented in his life and his philosophy the idea of thinking all things together, an integrated system of principles that could be applied with consistency to every conceivable situation and reality. In his own personality, Pope John Paul had achieved a high level of integration in keeping with his philosophy that stressed the perfectibility of man and of human nature.

are a few possibilities good mental health a real possibility for men and women in our society,

*

smooth the passage from this world to the next for people who are terminally ill, health care and bring eduction to remote tribal peoples in the third World wit hout harming the best values of their ancient traditional cultures,

* *

help intellectually disabled adolescents and young adults to achieve as normal a life as possible, provide the experience of an underst anding and supporting adult in the day-to-day life of delinquent boys.

The Brotherhood is to all well-motivated open Catholic men who feel a call to make a difference to their own lives first of all, by themselves to the Lord in the religious life and

Take the first step

iii

At the dinner reception at the Sikorsky Club in Bellevue, Archbishop Goody's remarks, including a try at a few phrases in Polish, obviously caught the attention of Cardinal Wojtyla.

send the coupon to:

----------------------------------------The Vocation Director. P.O.box 261 Burwood, N.S.W.2134 NAME

AGE

ADDRESS

Zygmund Slowinski of Glen Forrest.

P st

Pl

The Record, November 27, 1986

15

'


A hand of hope From page 3

His most notable contributions were in the discussion on religious liberty, in which he championed freedom of conscience, and the debate on the nature of the Church, in which he insisted that the notion of 'the people of God' preceeded that of episcopal hierarchy. Subsequent to Vatican II he was appointed to the Synod's Commission on the Laity. Commentators on his papacy who try to dismiss him as 'conservative' or 'authoritarian' fail to remember these things and fail to recognise that his actions as pope have been consistent with the attitudes he expressed as a Bishop and Archbishop during Vatican II. The fundamental orientation of his papacy has been to arouse, to rejuvcnate and to reinforce personal religious experience in the lives of "the people of God", an expression which in the pope's big, warm heart encompasses the essential unity of of the human race. His almost ceaseless travel has been undertaken to bring the idea and the realisation of the spiritual into the lives and consciousness of all whom he can meet or touch in any way.

□□□

While the structure of the Church and its good government continue to be important, the life and work of this Pope are dedicated to enriching the religious life of the planet, through the lives of all people, including and especially world leaders. Perhaps the most "modern" touch about this thoroughly lively Pope is the point so many commentators make that he has talent as an actor. As a young student he took part in the theatricals and there is little doubt that he has a natural sense of timing and of the dramatic. The link with the acting profession, however, serves best to emphasise how different is his message of hope from the darkness and despair which are so evident on the screen and, sadly, in the private lives of so many of those who enter that profession. Whether by intent or merely by repetition, the acting world trans-

sage of cruelty, corruption and sexual degradation. Its message, and its practices, insist that human sexuality is a runaway force which will inevitably destroy individuals, marriages and families, but which must nevertheless be glorified as it rampages on, leaving nothing but wreckage in its wake. On the other hand, the "actor" pope brings a message of hope. His repeated and insistent message is that when we accept personal responsibility to con-

It was my privilege to assist at two conclaves, an awesome that experience remains locked in the memory. On each occasion I came away filled with the deepest sympathy for the man elected to what must be the loneliest and the most responsible position in the world.

It is true that frequently the pope is surrounded by vast crowds who come to see and hear him drawn by devotion or curiosity. Though, perhaps, it may give him some personal satisfaction, still by virtue of his office he is very conscious of a feeling of detachment which in quieter moments only emphasises his loneliness and isolation. From the first conclave that I attended came trol our sexuality we the gentle John Paul I will be truly free to whose pontificate enjoy and express the which promised so creative love with much, was cut short by which it is so closely death when it had associated scarcely begun. Without this message of I personally believe that hope, we will continue for his sensitive soul, to experience the sufthe realisation of his fering and limitation awful responsibility which marriage and contributed in no small family breakdowns way to his untimely impose now and on] death. succeeding generations More powerful even than Then came John Paul II. his message, however, I can still recall most is the pope's urgent vividly, firstly, the surdesire to share with all prise then the enthusipeople his knowledge asm that erupted on the of the presence of God of his election evening and the hope that and which continued in brings. the days that followed. He is unshakeable in his People seemed to sense conviction that faith that there was somecan inspire a new civilthing unusual about isation in which the this pope. fundamental choice They regarded him with between good and evil akin to something is decisively made for wonder and expecgood. tancy. They were not to It is probable that it is this be disappointed vision, this evident I had met John Paul II hope for the future of before his election. I mankind, which gives him such remarkable rapport with young people who instantly sense in him an affirmation and a demonstration of the validity and permanence of their ideals. His worldwide pilgrimages have been outstandingly successful long after his departure because wherever he goes he takes a message which touches hearts and releases energies pent up for too long behind barriers of ignorance, sin, or indifference. He comes to Perth to speak to all of us about the power within us which can transform our lives, our nation and our world. He will pray with us to stir up the kingdom of God that is within us. And when he leaves, he will leave a city and a nation which will never be the same again if we

Freeman the take part in 2 conclaves □

by CARDINAL JAMES FREEMAN retired archbishop of Sydney, who is the only living Australian to have taken part in the election of, not one, but two popes. Barely a month after he had taken part in the 1978 election of Pope John Paul I, he was summoned to Rome yet again to the election that would see Cardinal Karol Wojtyla become the first non-Italian pope in recent centuries. Cardinal Freeman, 79, lives in retirement at the priests' hostel at Randwick NSW since his retirement at the statutory age of 75 from the archbishopric of Sydney. Until he is 80 he retains the right to be an elector of a pope. The pope may have a maximum of only 120 eligible Cardinal voters under 80 at any one time. Vacancies are filled as numbers decline.

□□□

ODO

PAPAL VISIT 1986 have met him often since. On each occasion my personal impressions were of his deep spirituality, his strong devotion to the Mother of God, his facility with languages other than his own, and last but not least, his manliness. Others may be differently impressed and see in

him qualities other than the ones that I have mentioned, but however one sees him he always appears as a really manly man. This combined with his holiness of life and his learning make him the charismatic person that he is.

□□□

Perhaps, his rugged upbringing -- his life has not always been easy perhaps his identification with the struggles and the tragedy of his native land, have something to do with all this and cause him to carry on his work in spite of the near fatal attempt on his life and the possibility that such another attempt might be made again. It has been said that of all

-

the world leaders he is the most vulnerable True or false, it has done nothing to deter him His manliness shows in his appearance, in his words and in his general attitude, a manliness in which strength and compassion arc delicately combined But it is not only in physical courage that his manliness is manifest. It shows, too, in the moral courage that prompts him to teach and maintain the truth wherever he goes and in spite of the opposition which at times is aroused by his words. Like St Paul of old he travels the world teaching the doctrines of the faith in terms that leave no grounds for doubt and to a world that is

□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□

loaoauuuaaaaaauuaaauoaoaaaaaaaaaauaa "er:rnee""" 16 The Record, November 27, 1986

rent by confusion and uncblief. He is either accepted or denied. He cannot be ignored He sometimes gives the impression even in the midst of teeming crowds that he sees not only the faces before him, but the world at large so much in need of direction and compassion which he feels incumbent on himself to endeavor to supply. People the world over are very important to him. Like his Divine Master, he has compassion on the multitude.

DOD

His well-known affection for children is real and personal and added to this is his strange attraction for youth as evidenced by the wild enthusiasm with which they greet him whenever he addresses them. It would seem that they are attracted not only by the exalted office that he holds, but also by his combination of strength and sympathy which reveals itself in his character. He sees the future of the Church and of the world to be in the hands of today's youth. Time and time again he reminds them of their obligations and their destiny.

000

Following the success of the World Day of Youth which he instituted this year, he proposes to celebrate a second world day of Youth at Buenos Aires on Palm Sunday next year. He invites the youth of the whole world to participate. I am sure that this month the youth of Australia will show him how much they appreciate his concern.


rt

only Australian

It has been said that he works too hard, that this must, eventually take its toll unless he goes more quietly. I once had the temerity to remind him to this He seemed aware of it, but his only reply was, "But I do my best." It is also said in some quarters that at times he still suffers from the wounds that nearly caused his death. How

accurate that contention is I do not know, but sometimes watching him closely, I am inclined to think that it might be true.

DOD In any case, it has done nothing to inhibit his activity or the zeal with which he throws himself into his work and it is not in his character to complain: We will probably never know the answer. These are some of the impressions I have of John Paul II -- his piety, his dedication and his manly character. When he visits Australia, he will have been a pope for eight years. In that time he has become a world figure, seen and heard by millions

across the world, carry-

ing a responsibility that is daunting in its intensity, yet sustained by his love for his divine master and consoled in his devotion to his heavenly mother.

mm

Garden death for St Peter

St Peter very likely perished in Nero's garden and stadium at the base of the Vatican Hill outside the city of Rome, on the west side of the Tiber. A tradition claims that he died, like His Master, by crucifixion but upside down. He was a Christian criminal. If his body was not thrown in the Tiber or otherwise desecrated, his friends would the spirit away remains, probably late at night. Whether by stealth or bribery, they secured a burial site in a public cemetery on the Vatican Hill only a few hundred yards away from where the saint had been martyred His grave would be jammed between the highly decorated mausoleums of wealthy Roman families. Christians were not considered worthy of that sort of treatment; they went underground into their catacombs for their burials The whereabouts of the remains of the executed leader of the Christian sect that would be persecuted time and time again was not likely to become the best known secret in Rome The devotees, however, came. They dropped litter - their coins, their pieces of clay with brief hints of the name of Peter.

PAPAL

VISIT 1986

Sometime in the first century, a 100 or so years after Peter's death, the first effort at a monument, in the pagan fashion, is put over the place well known to Christians By the end of another one hundred years, walls were built enclosing small room chambers. Was this the first Christian church in the city of Rome where Christians had to face death every decade or so for their beliefs?

□□□

The remains of St Peter

were shifted from his grave, wrapped in purple cloth and

gold thread and put in a marble-lined cavity in a wall near the small altar shrine. The cavity would be sealed over with plaster but for security, very few people apart from the popes would know this fact It was the place of St Peter's burial, his original grave, that was the place of veneration not his remains

In the year 311 Rome was to be thrown into a new confusion: the emperor Constantine would embrace the Christian religion and make it official but he would resist being baptised personally until the day before he died in 337.

□□□

Constantine would live in Constantinople but he would make Christianity triumphant in the once pagan city of Rome. Over the venerated site of St Peter's grave he would construct the first public Christian church. Its magnificent altar would sti above the point of the grave. The foundations of the first primitive shrine would be left intact, to be discovered by archeologists 1600 years later St Peter's bones, if uncovered at all at this commencement of the building would remain sealed in the wall cavity for centuries to come. Anyone who saw the actual grave at this time would have seen bones, also of an old man, scattered on the soil.

Constantine was still a Roman with Roman ways He did not desecrate the cemetery more than necessary. To prepare the foundation for his large basilica building his workmen would cut deeply into the Vatican hill They pulled the earth forward and completly covered the cemetery and preserved as many of the tombs and mausoleums as they could. By the 15th century, the basilica of Constantine was in danger of collapsing after standing for more than a thousand years. The new majestic St Peter's was built exactly on the axis of the former building

The new majestic high altar would stand right on top of the foundations of its predecessors and above the grave site of St Peter which was left undisturbed. The archeologists of 193945 uncovered the original Roman cemetery They revealed 19 mausoleums and the burial places of over a hundred people, mostly pagans, some of them Christian They reached their goal,

u#

Mr Hawke commended the role of the Catholic Church in the human rights area, in the Philippines and elsewhere, and noted the important role of the Catholic and other churches in trying to persuade the South African Government to dismantle apartheid. The pope commended Australia for being a tolerant and pluralistic society, but warned that "justified pluralism is not to be confused with neutrality on human values." 'Thus it is that the Church's members wish to make use of the opportunity given by the democratic pluralism which so characterises Australian society, to proclaim insistently those values which are bound up with the dignity and rights of every human being without exception," the pope said.

the shallow grave. They were surprised, if not shattered when they saw a few bones scattered at random on the soil If these were indeed the bones of St Peter, who had treated them so carelessly in the course of history? Where was the purple cloth and gold thread in which they had been reportedly wrapped? The bones were lovingly collected and stored in the pope's keeping as possibly the bones of St Peter, but archeologists can take years to sift and re-examine their evidence

□□□

One person was not convinced of the evidence so far. Dr Margherita Guarducci went back to a wall in which there was a cavity and which had a marble lining Inside she found words which suggested: "Peter is here". She went in search of the bones that had been discovered there by the archeologists but which had been put to one side in the rush to get to the actual gravesite. The bones were extensively those of an aged man. They had been gathered up from the soil and a few animal bones had got mixed in with them. Above all, there were the traces of the purple cloth and the gold thread The traces of soil matched exactly the soil of the grave below. Many archeologists were pained at the thought they had been so wrong for over 10 years but the evidence was overwhelming

Seminarians on increase LONDON: Nineteen more applicants for entry to a major seminary (156) were accepted by the bishops of England and Wales in 1985 than in 1984 (137) The largest contingent, 42, were aged between 20 and 22, with 21 aged between 23 and 25, and 32 aged between 26 and 30 Only 25 were aged between 17 and 19, the agegroup which some years ago would have been expected to provide the largest number candidates Forty-four applied to enter a seminary after completing a degree course at a university or college of further education. Calling this "an interesting development", Father John Danson, secretary of the committee for ministerial formation, said it was too early to see it as a trend "Perhaps it reflects the fruit of the good work being done in the various chaplaincies," he added

Sicilian is canonised VATICAN CITY: One of Sicily's native sons, nicknamed "St Tigercat" was canonised recently in St Peters. The 17th century nobleman who gave up title and wealth to enter the priesthood and eventually became a

member of the Sacred

College, is affectionately known to Sicilians by the name of the best selling novel written by one of his descendants, Giuseppe Tomasi de Lampusa.

The Record, November 27, 1986

17


Prayer's place in politics

CASTELGANDOLFO: Catholics have a duty to participate in political life -- in order to "purify" it. This was the Pope's message to BelgianMPs who visited him in his summer residence. He also warned them not to get too preoccupied with immediate issues and to leave themselves time for reflection, contemplation and prayer. Recalling that Vatican II had taught that Catholics should bring their faith to politics and not turn away from it, he said: "Political activity is unquestionably a vocation in the noble and Christian sense of the word."

From the courts ...

WASHINGTON: A second Catholic has been appointed to the United States Supreme Court. He is Antonian Scalia, at 50 the youngest member of the current court and the first Italian-American in the court's history. He is known for his "conservative" views - he has criticised the Supreme Court's 1973 abortion ruling

New black chaplain

LOS ANGELES: The first black priest to be appointed vicar to black Catholics in the diocese is Fr Fisher Robinson, of the Society of the Divine Word His appointment was announced by Archbishop Mahony during a meeting between the archbishop and represenatives of black Catholics. The archbishop called for more black religious vocations and sanctioned a pastoral plan for evangelising the black community.

Nuns fear kidnapping

Pope's homilies inkling

Pope John Paul, in the many homilies and statements he will deliver in his visit to Australia, can be expected to stress the dominant idea of his

teaching and writing - man, and what it is to be a person. Father James Foley, Lecturer in Philosophy at Pius XII Seminary,

·.. Pope John Paul cannot be

categorised, says philosopher FATHER JAMES FOLEY in this

interview with Leader Staff Writer REX SCAMBARY. Father Foley,

who has studied the life and

teaching of the pope, adds: He is

even-handed and always works out

of principle. What is this principle? ...The sense of the dignity of man, or what it is to be a person.

Banyo, considers that

the pope's preoccup as been tion with man as the expressed crucial issue for the presented. Church, represents a

usually and

Father Foley, in an inter-

significant departure view with me based on from the way the faith two talks he gave at

ideas...

Banyo to an inservice seminar for priests about the pope's life and teaching. said that the preoccupation arose from both Pope John Paul's per-

sonal and philosophical background. • understand that immediately after he was elected pope, his first words were that the one thing that mattered, the

MANILA: Soldiers and police are guarding the Carmelite monastery near Marawi City after a second attempt to kidnap the nuns In the first kidnapping in July, ten nuns were held in a forest for eight days by Moslem separatist guerillas. No one knows why a second kidnap attempt was made. One theory is that the incident is related to talks between President Aquino and the Moro National Liberation Front leader, which has split the various Moslem separatist groups

Czech invalid arrested

BUDAPEST: A campaigner for the release of a Catholic from a psychiatric hospital has himself been arrested and given a suspended sentence for "obstructing state supervision of the Church". Eduard Bunka, an invalid, retyped and distributed letters from Augustin Navratil, sentenced to indefinite confinement in hospital.

1986

JAKARTA: Religious teachers have been urged to teach their students relevance of their faith in every part of their life. Indonesia's religious affairs minister Munawir Sjadzali told Catholic teachers at a conference that there is a danger of two sets of religious laity one practised inside the Church, temple or mosque; the other in the outside world.

Jegorow was on way ... From page 21 A good half million people filled the square behind me and stretched down via della Conciliatione to the Tiber. There were people from every nation on earth and here I was only feet from the newly elected Polish pope himself. I could have been standing next to anyone but my companion turned

18

out to be Emilia Paderewski -a distant relative of Ignacz Paderewski the famous pianist and Polish premier in 1939. Emilia was an old lady, a doctor by profession who had fought long and hard since the war to maintain christian principles in her own profession. Before the Eucharist began our Polish blood helped to make us friends from across continents.

The Record, November 27, 1986

Foley. "People might have thought he would say God, or faith or Jesus, but he said loudly and clearly, Man is the question. "His whole life as a philosopher and a pastor has always addressed the human question and human needs. What is it to be a person? It is only by understanding personhood that we can understand the whole mystery of faith, the Incarnation, that God became man, that God became a person.

ODO

Religious teachers

PAPAL VISIT

one thing uppermost,

was man," said Father

Her story was so similar to that of many Poles who have suffered much since the war. Tears would well up in my eyes as I heard echoes of the tales of struggle of my own mother and father.

000 A papal Mass in St Peter's Square and above all this first mass of Pope John Paul II is an expe-

rience that defies description. It was charged with emotion for me. I stood in the square from 8 till nearly one o'clock. It seemed like 10 minutes. On this day, God had made me through the influence of my parents a proud Catholic and a proud Pole. On that day I prayed with great joy for all the men and women in my life.

After the Mass a small child in Polish costume rushed forward with flowers and greeting for the new pontiff.

□□□

Had I known how easy it was to break protocol I could have rushed forward myself with greetings from Australia, I was so close. The ceremony concluded, the pope withdrew and the vast crowd

began to filter away. But it was not over yet. Though the noon Angelus was long past, high above the square the window of the pope's apartments flew open and there was John Paul II praying Mary's prayer with the people of the world in their own languages. It was a great day in "78. November 30 should prove just as memorable.

"The thoroughly incarnational approach co life and approach to philosophy, the notion of manhood in a philosophical sense, is the thrust of his whole message. This is quite a significant departure from the way that faith has been expressed or presented. "In recent decades in the Church certain people have complained about what they detected as a humanism or mancentredness creeping into Catholic theology and philosophy. This humanism and personalism was seen as a dangerous trend. "But now we have a man at the top who, by training, disposition and by his own experience is thoroughly a personalist and a humanist and has tried philosophically and pastorally to work out a Christian humanism. "He may well provide us with that philosophical synthesis that we desperately need, one that grows out of the experience of man in our time."

□□□

Father Foley, a student of phenomenology, the pope's own philosophical speciality, said there were four statements starting with the letter "p" that could he made about the pope. He was a popular figure, he was a philosopher, he was a poet and he was Polish.


give an ■

ture alive during these years. So Church and nation were inextricably linked in the Polish mind. It was the mind of a people who had suffered greatly, of people with a profound sense of history. It was also a Slavic state of mind more Eastern than Western.

of his

□□□

Pope John Paul, born in 1920, two years after the end of World War I, had begun his life in Poland during the country's second spring, the period between the wars when it had existed as an independent nation. But personal tragedy had dogged his steps. His mother had died in childbirth, when Karol was aged nine. And when he was 13, his older brother, a young doctor, had died from scarlet fever, leaving Karol alone with his father, a retired military officer. One of the golden years in Karol's life had been. 1938-39, when he had studied Polish literature and language at the University of Crakow, the oldest university in Eastern Europe, with a long history as a centre of culture and learning. The university had closed during Hitler's invasion of Poland. During the occupation, an estimated one-quarter of the Polish population had died, 46 per cent of the clergy had been interned at some stage, and the Polish people virtually had been reduced to slave labour.

PAPAL

VISIT 1986

[Phenomenology is the philosophical discipline that seeks to capture moments of immediate experience]. The pope's massive popularlity and his emergence as a media superstar pointed to the enigma surrounding him, Father Foley said. There was evidence that he was a very private person and one who had favoured a very simple lifestyle. Behind the media image was the reality of the heart and mind of this private man. Pope John Paul was recognised as a philosopher of distinction and had spent about 10 years teaching philosophy at the University of Lublin in Poland Also, he was the first philosopher pope since Pope Leo XIII (1878-1903). "Pope Leo XIII is remembered as the pope who addressed the plight of the industrial working class and sought an answer to the Marxist theory and the extreme liberal capitalism prevailing at the time," said Father Foley. "Leo XIII struck a middle line between extreme Marx-

ist socialism and unbridled capitalism. ''That line has continued and been given sharper focus in the teaching of the present pope. "Leo XIII also revived the study of philosophy in Catholic seminaries. particularly a revival of scholastic philosophy, which then became a tool to formulate theol0gy, as taught and practised in the Catholic Church throughout the 10th century until Vatican II

ODO

"Pope John Paul has a different philosophy, a phenomenology, which in many ways is similar, coming out of scholastic philosophy and the Aristotelian realism behind that. It would be interesting to see if Pope John Paul does a similar thing to Leo XIII - developing a new philosophical synthesis to serve the Church of today." Father Foley said it was curious that Pope John Paul was a poet as well as a philosopher, because philosophy was given to expressing ideas as clearly as possible, but

poetry by its essence dealt with things that could not be put clearly in words. "Poetry tends to be personal and has many grey areas," he said. "It creates impressions rather than clear insights. The pope's poetry, as we know it in translation. has a certain ambiguity, perhaps telling us that there is a mystery in life that cannot be clearly and expressed articulated. "Even Job, who was struggling with the problems of life and of evil, in the end said: 'I have spoken foolishly. I put my hands over my mouth and I say no more.' "There is also that other tradition in Catholic theology. of negative theology. There are many things, particularly about the mystery of God at the centre of it all, that cannot be expressed dearly. There is more that we don't know about God than what we do. The tone ofJohn Paul's poetry is of that order." Father Foley said Poland, the pope's own country, had disappeared off the map and ceased to

DOD

divided up between Tsarist Russia, the AustroHungarian Empire, and Prussia. Only the Church structure, the primate of Poland and the suffragan bishops, had kept the Polish identity, the Polish language and Polish cul-

Karol's experience during this period, up until the time when he had undergone a deep spiritual experience and found his vocation to the priesthood, including his years of hard physical labour in a stone quarry, had helped him to identify with the lot of many of the suffering people of occupied Europe.

Agca's pardon

Possibly, he had also come to the same sense of the futility of life that had blighted the European mind through the experience of war. Unlike the people in the Existentialist movement, which had developed strongly after the war, who had brooded on this absurdity of life, Karol had found a way through: the way through of faith "He doesn't write from an ivory tower," said Father Foley. "He writes out of deep personal experience, the experience of a whole genera ti on of European thought and philosophy, that arose out of the drama and pathos of the

The world looked on in awe when Pope John Paul II went to the prison of Rome and embraced and forgave the man who had tried to kill him. ··What we talked about will have to remain a secret between him and me," he said later. "I spoke to him as a brother whom I have pardoned and who has my complete trust." As protightly grammed as his active pontificate is, John Paul II always allows for time to be with the weak and suffering.

war."

□□□ Pope John Paul had written his doctoral dissertation on the works of the German phenomenologist, Max Scheler, who had tried to develop a contemporary ethics. What is it to be a good man? What are good acts? Father Foley said many of Scheler's insights were re-echoed in Pope John Paul's writings, including his book The Acting Person, the encyclical, Redemptor Hominis, and his work on labour. One of these insights was Scheler's statement that a barbarism supported by a science or a technology would be the worst of all possible barbarisms.

DOD

This theme had been stressed in Redemptor Hominis, where Pope John Paul had warned us that technological advances had far outstripped our ethical development. Father Foley said a theme that Pope John Paul had continued to develop in the Acting Person, as the title implied, was that you are what you do. It is no use having noble ideals without putting them into practice.

See page 13

During his pilgrimage to Sardinia, almost a year ago, he met with inmates of the prison in Cagliari. He referred to the words of Jesus from the Gospel of Matthew. "As you did it to the least of these my brethren, you did it to me." "In this way," the Holy Father told the prisoners, "Jesus declared his wish to identify himself with you, as with every suffering person." He pointed out that the Prophets and Apostles had been imprisoned and that Jesus, too, was a prisoner before being led to the cross. "Each of you," the pope added, "can say: Even Jesus experienced this pain, this anguish that at present causes me suffering-" In the same discourse the Holy Father referred to an episode from the Acts of the Apostles when Paul, with the gates of his prison opened. shows compassion for his guard and then witnesses a radical transformation in the heart of the jailer.

SHAPING THE CHURCH OF

TOMORROW A SEMINAR

for Bishops, Priests, religious, assistants, adult and youth leaders

interested or involved in working with young people St Patrick's Seminary, Manly, Sydney. GEMMA WOOLTORTON

Former Perth YCW full timer now working for

the Australian YCW based in Sydney , hopes to meet oldfriends at the January Seminar.

JANUARY 19-23 C0ST $120

Contact:

Peter Shooter 328 9667

Father Jegorow 328 9878

The Record, November 27, 1986

19


Russians give a go ahead for 1988 visit □□□

DHAKA: Pope John Paul

indicated yesterday that he would reject any invitation to Moscow unless the Soviet Union lifted a ban on his visiting Catholics in Lithuania.

The Soviet leader, Mr Gorbachev, is expected to visit Italy early next year. It is reported that he will invite the pope to the Soviet Union.

ROME (NC): Russian Orthodox Patriarch Pimen of Moscow has a green light from Soviet authorities to invite Pope John Paul to Moscow in 1988, reported the Italian news agency ANSA.

The Rome-based news service said the information came from a source close to the Soviet Government. Vatican Press spokesman Joaquin NavarroValls said on October 27 that the Vatican had no information regarding a possible invitation to the pope to visit Moscow. The ANSA story, datelined Moscow, said the pope would be invited for Orthodoxsponsored ceremonies commemorating the IO00th anniversary of Christianity in Russia, one of the 15 Soviet republics

The pope was asked by journalists on the plane carrying him to Bangladesh whether he had discussed a visit to the Soviet Union during a recent meeting with Russian Orthodox Patriarch Filorete of Kiev. He replied: "I do not speak of a journey to the Soviet Union. For me it would be in line with my duty to make a journey to Lithuania." Two years ago the pope was refused pennission to visit Lithuania,

The Lithuanian question still vital where there are 2.5 million Catholics.

□□□

Asked whether he would accept if bishops invited him to visit Moscow for the 1000th anniversary of the Russian Orthodox Church in 1988, he said:

PAPAL VISIT 1986

□□□

"We are very united (with Orthodox Christians). But it is not the Catholic Church. A spiritual journey, yes; a pastoral visit, I don't know how; and I rule out a political one."

ANSA said the go-ahead coincides with favourable treatment of the Polish-born pope in the Soviet press, which has highlighted his "pacifist vocation". Meanwhile, the Rome daily II Messaggero published an interview with Russian Orthodox Metropolitan Filaret of Kiev, who is in charge of church relations with religious groups outside the Soviet Union. Metropolitan Filaret said ceremonies are being planned for June 6-

18, 1988

□□□ "We invite

will representatives of different Christian churches," he said. "Among these, naturally, is the Vatican," he said, but he did not specify whether the pope would be invited. Metropolitan Filaret was interviewed in Moscow before attending the October 27 prayer summit for peace in Assisi, Italy, as a special guest of the pope. At Assisi, the Metropolitan did not comment about a possible papal visit to his country. The visit would be the first by a pope to the Soviet Union, leader of the world's communistbloc nations The only Soviet-bloc nation visited by a pope so far has been Poland. One several occasions, the pope has expressed a desire to visit the Soviet Union, where many of the people are Slavs, as in Poland. In 1984 the pope criti-

cised the Soviet Government for not allowing

him to visit the Republic of Lithuania to mark the 500th anniversary of the

20

death of St Casimir, patron saint of Lithuania and Poland. The also pope expressed hope he would be allowed to do so in the future. On papal flights to foreign countries the pope often has told journalists that he wants to visit the Soviet Union.

The Record, November 27, 1986

First and vital cell of society

'Since the creator of all things has established the conjugal partnership as the beginning and basis of human society the family is the first and vital cell of society." These words, from the Second Vatican Ecumenical Council Decree on the role of the laity, can also be found in John Paul ll's study on the role

of the Christian family in the modern world, Familiaris Consortio. In this work the Holy Father points out that the family unit continually nourishes society through its role of service to life. "Far from being closed in on itself," the pope writes, "the family is by nature and voca-

tion open to other families and to society." In the same document he devotes a chapter to the role of women in our society: "It is important to underline the equal dignity and responsibility of women with men," and he adds, "while it must be recognised that women have the same right as men to

perform various public functions, society must be structured in such a way that wives and mothers are not compelled to work outside the home. "The mentality which honors women more for their work outside the home than for their work within the family must be overcome."


In St Peter's Square on October 22, 1978 Father John Jegorow could have met anyone from any nation on earth at the Inaugural Mass of John Paul II, metres away from the papal altar Emilia Paderewska-Chrosziek cheered on the Polish pope.

John Jegorow was already on way PAPAL VISIT 1986

On that memorable day in 1978 what does a thunder struck auxiliary bishop of Perth do when looking for help from his best Polish contact only to be told ·You're too late -the Polish connection is already in Rome"? ··These Poles sure stick together," said Bishop Peter Quinn to

Cath Johnson the Cathedral presbytery housekeeper. The ABC had disEmilia Paderewska-Chrosziek

turbed Bishop Quinn in the early hours of

Franciscans travelling the

flight - Fathers ...it's good to bealive same Sabastian and Angel international Year of Peace 1986

:. ± wici

sb

Fr. John Jegorow&'' the morning seeking the correct pronoun-

ciation of Karol Wojtyla -the newly elected pope formerly Cardinal Archbishop of Crakow.

'e

'

had first heard the news of the Polish pope from a Qantas flight steward as I stepped back onto the plane in Athens en route to Rome. The full import had hardly hit me as I rushed to inform two Polish

returning to Poland after serving some years at the Maylands Polish church. I have often thanked God for the good fortune to have been in Rome on that changed centuries of Vatican history. I never dreamt I would be present at the installation of any pope let alone the first Polish pope. Several weeks before Pope Paul VI had died, I had booked my overseas trip.

□□□

I had planned a week in Rome on my way to visit cousins in Boston. The election of John Paul I was a long drawn out affair. The late Father Harry Brennan took the plunge and landed in Rome just a day after the election of John Paul I. The unthinkable was yet to happen. A pope would be dead within a month. I would be thousands of feet in the air speeding to Europe and the first nonItalian -- a Pole -- would fill the shoes of Peter and I would be there! Providentially my ticket booking extended precisely from the morning after the election to the evening of the inaugural

mass.

□□□

Father John legorow Archdiocesan Youth Chaplain (pictured to the right) in St Peter's Square where he attended the inaugural Mass for Pope John Paul Il.

I spent the week with fellow Australian Father Greg Cooney, a Vincentian classmate from seminary days in Adelaide who was doing his post graduate studies at the Gregorian University. Through Polish contacts, a priest secretary to Archbishop Wesoly I managed to obtain a ticket for the inaugral Mass. The ticket told me I would be "alla sinistra" on the left side. I was overjoyed to find my section was in fact right up the front. Only a papal security man stood between me and the papal altar. Above me the bells of St Peter's triumphantly boomed out.

See page 18

The Record, November 27, 1986

21


ese ferred from New Zealand eight years ago, is the local superior of the Poor Sisters of Nazareth's nursing home and hostel, Nazareth House at Hilton. She has also served at Nazareth House, Geraldton. November 30, will be a great day for Sister, because she has been given the

honour of receiving

"ft will be a wonderful experience. It's hard to believe! To think of the wonderful grace given when His Holiness walks on this ground at Glendalough, a home for the aged since

1921."

Mother Marcel, of the Little Sisters of the Poor, Glendalough, spoke feelingly of the great honour bestowed on herself when the pope symbolically meets the aged of Australia in the Glendalough ceremony. Sister Marcel who has never met a pope personally, will be sitting on the dais with Pope John Paul along with Archbishop Foley, Sister Clement Mary from Nazareth House, Hilton Park and Mr Tom Perrott, chairman of Southern Cross Homes. 'The aged at Glendalough will represent not only the aged throughout Australia, but also the pioneers of Australia who worked so hard in the early years and to whom we owe so much," Sister Marcel

the pope when he alights from his popemobile upon arrival at Glendalough. She will then present Mr Tom Perrott, chairman of the

Southern Cross Aged Persons' Homes and Mother Marcel LSP of the Little Sisters of the Poor to His Holiness. Sister Clement Mary will then be seated on the dais with the pope. "I think it is a wonderful occasion for everybody to see the pope and it is a great honour and privilege to have been asked to receive the Holy Father." Accompanying Sister Clement will be five of the Nazareth

House's

residents.

127

Christian nation, Mr Perrott said. "On their behalf I am honoured and delighted to be welcoming His Holiness to Glendalough. "My welcome will be as chairman of Southern Cross Homes in Western Australia, who throughout Australia, care for almost 3000 aged people in independent units, hostels and nursing homes," he said.

said.

'It is thanks to them, their efforts and sacrifices, that we are the wonderful nation Australia is

today.

"They are benefiting from this visit and quite rightly so, because they have made us what we are," she said.

A Nazareth Sister who will sit on the Glendalough dais with Pope John Paul said she will be representing the ones who cannot get there and all the aged and sick in the area. Sister Clement

Mary PSN originally from Tipperary, Ireland and who trans-

22

o rea tie responsorial psalm during Pope John Paul's meeting with the aged at Glendalough will be a culmination of Don Piper's many years as an acolyte. "During the visit of the Queen I was staff commander at Government House and as I have come to the end of my acolyte years this is a great honour" said the 67 year old Mirrabooka parishioner who was chosen from a number of people proposed by Father Geoff Aldous Mr Piper spent 25 years in the army and then transferred to the state civil service before retiring He has seven children and 16 grandchildren He needs no convincing on the necessity to prepare for reading on this great occasion or at any liturgical function "I have a habit of concentrating on whatever I am reading and discovering what it means to me and what it means to my family," he said.

The pope's meeting with a representative group of the aged at Glendalough will honour all Australians who have borne the burden of the day and made their contribution to the development of Australia. This is the feeling of Mr Tom Perrott who will greet the pope at the ceremony in the grounds of the Little Sisters of the Poor. Mr Perrott, son of the well known painter and decorator the late Charles Perrott is heavily involved in community and charitable organisations. He is president of the Western Australian Society for Crippled Children, chairman of Villa Pelletier Aged Person Hostel and has been a member of the St Vincent De Paul Society for more than 40 years. The aged were the people who did their best to

preserve Australia as a

The Record. November 27, 1986

The occasion would be a significant one for the Little Sisters of Poor who have laboured among the aged at Glendalough for 66 years. It would be a tribute to all those religious and lay organisations who have cared for the aged since Australia's foundation. Most importantly it would give the aged residents of Glendalough and other organisations an opportunity of welcoming His Holiness on behalf of their fellow aged Australia-wide. Pope John Paul ll's visit must be the most eagerly awaited and exciting of any visit by a world figure to Australia. His Holiness is respected by the world for his message of the Gospels of peace and love. The aged of Australia

and the dedicated people who care for them will take this opportunity to thank His Holiness for his visit and wish him a safe return to Rome.

Sunbury considers it to be a wonderful honour to be the representative of Bunbury diocese when she carries the bread to the Holy Father in the offertory at the Belmont Park Mass. "I became quite emotional when Bishop Quinn phoned me to ask me" said Mrs Clifton, a member of the recently formed Bunbury diocesan liturgical committee and one of the organists at St Patrick's Cathedral for the past 19 years since she moved from her late husband's farm

at Brunswick to reside in Bunbury She is a mother of six, a grandmother of 19 and a great grandmother of eight. Sharing her delight on the occasion will be her son John who is an acolyte for the Mass as well as all her family who will attend the day. She is a member of the Catholic Women's League for many years and helps with many other organisations including much time devoted to music with schools and children's choirs Her personal meeting with the pope on November 30 will make up for the fact that as a member of the Western Australian pilgrimage in Rome two years ago she didn't manage to get as close to the Holy Father as did the other members highlighted elsewhere in this issue.

"] have no idea why I was chosen and it was like a bolt from the blue to be asked," says Dr Michael Walsh an eye doctor of Oalkeith who will carry the wine in the offertory procession at the Belmont Park Mass. "I felt they had at first mistaken me for my father whom I felt to be much more worthy of the honour, but it was not so."

The Grade Two children at St Lawrence school Bluff Point can't quite grasp what all the excitement is about but they promise to watch carefully as their teacher Miss Kaye Simms presents a candle to Pope John Paul during the presentation of offertory gifts. Kaye is in her first year of teaching and comes from a Thornlie family, her father being an acolyte who will assist in the collection of the ciboria which have been used for the distribution of communion Kaye had put her name down at the school to be included among those who might receive communion from the pope and her name was drawn out as the Geraldton representative in the offertory ceremony. "It was a total surprise and it came to me on the day before my birthday. I am excited and still can't believe it and I guess I will just have to wait until it has happened

PAPAL VISIT 1986

PAPAL VISIT 1986

Michael is the son of the Dr Tony Walsh, well known for many years in Northam and now living in Lake Grace in a solitude that his son describes as similar to the hermit life of St Anthony

The first thing to hit me was the honour of taking part in the Mass the pope would be celebrating when I could think of so many other people," says Mrs Peg Heavey of her being chosen to speak the prayers of intercession at the Belmont Park Mass. As a mother of eight and grandmother of two she had continued to manage the family's Ballidu and Dalwallinu farm properties since the death of her husband Ben ten years ago. With a background of lecturing at Perth Technical College she was a parent representative on the Catholic Education Commission for six years, becoming the CEC representative on the Catholic Pastoral Institute of which she is now a lay representative on the board of management. Being close to Pope John Paul II at Belmont Park will take her back to her visit to Rome with her family seven years ago at the beginning of his pontificate and which included taking part in a general audience there.

Since his return from studies overseas 13 years ago he has been actively involved in the parish of Nedlands.

"Sometimes I must look like a single father of five since my wife is a very devout Anglican very involved in her own local parish but also helping in the Thursday classes and the preparation of children for first communion. His other role is as vice president of the Newman Graduate Society based at the St Thomas Moore College which he calls a second home for the six years he resided there while studying medicine, preceded by seven years boarding at St Louis School.

11111111 I 111111 I II I IIIIIIII Ill II II I Ill I Ill lllll lllll llllll Ill Ill II I llllllllllllllllll llllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll llllllll 11111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111111

Communicants

Representatives of a cross section of the Catholics of Western Australia have been chosen to receive communion from the hand of Pope John Paul during the Belmont Park Mass. From

archdiocese:

Perth

Reg and Marie Hill and family of Brentwood. Ken and Moya Esmond and family of Manning. Roland and Eileen Bott and family of Como.

William and Lesley McNee and family of Koorda. Stan and Jane Kuze and daughter of Inglewood. Martin and Thelma Thesei ra and family of Lynwood. Michael and Lesia Kulynycz and family of Belmont. Mrs Aritie and Lucy of Wanneroo. James and Joan Bianchini and family of Dianella. Six Servite Sisters of Carlisle.

From Sunbury diocese:

Mr & Mrs Robert Smith and two children of Bridgetown. Mr and Mrs Tony Forrest of Manjimup. Mr & Mrs Kevin Bell and five children of Kojonup. Mr & Mrs P. Trevenen of Lake Grace. Mr & Mrs Alceo Calligaro of Sunbury. Mr & Mrs Val Murphy of Eaton. Mr & Mrs J.H. Hunter of Albany.

Mr & Mrs Len Rogers o Dardanup. Mrs Heather Chitty and Mrs Rosie Parfaitt of Collie. From

Geraldton

diocese: Mrs Patricia Heelan and Ross and Anthony Heelan of Geraldton. Dr Patrick and Josephine of Docherty Mullewa. Bruce and Pat and Jacqueline McCleary of Geraldton. Vince and Pat O'Dea of Geraldton.


represent you The flowers that will be presented to the pope by Ian Paton of Applecross will, he hopes, be asymbol of hope of new life and the beauty of creation. The computer consultant and father of four has no idea why he was chosen but says that his mother is "tickled pink" and he considers it a great honour. lan is active in his Applecross parish, has been a parish councillor, and chairman of the Applecross Christian Council a local fraternity of churches. He is on the archdiocesan committee for Australian Catholic Relief. "The pope has a tremendously drfficutt task and I cannot but help admire his ability. His task is to keep the Church together and to be the prophetic voice of the Church - not an easy task in the 1980's "I'm lucky. I have got a stable family and extended family. Most Australians are not so lucky ..The Church can be a healing agent when troubles happen at least to some people," he said

David Daly of Marmion has never been to Rome but says he would probably get nowhere near the pope when he escorts the readers and others to their places during the Mass of Pope John Paul II.

A great honour for her congregation of St Joseph of the Apparition is how Sister Mary Assumpta sees her role as commentating while special gifts are presented to the Holy Father at his Mass But delivering words in public will not be altogether an unusual role for one who was a professional teacher of speech and drama before she joined her congregation 45 years ago and kept up a constant stream of private pupils until 1970 Following a course in Manila she moved into the field of education in the faith starting with the De Vialar Centre in Hilton and later moving to the Maranatha Insti-

The North Beach parish acolyte says it was an offer he was hardly likely to refuse when Servite Father Christopher Ross phoned him to say he had been selected as one of the masters of ceremonies. Mr Daly has close links with the Servites through his two children having attended Servite College. His other duties at North Beach parish include having served two terms on the parish council and he is a past president of the council. He is devoted to Satur-

day morning catecheti-

cal classes in the parish and his work arrangements often have to be altered so that he can attend to this weekly task. Everyone at work is glad to hear their coworker is to be so prominent in the pope's Mass

tute of which she is codirector with Sister Mary

Berry.

But she will not be without a touch of nerves on the great day. Nerves, she says, are part of being sensitive to what one is doing for others.

PAPAL

VISIT 1986

"Even had I not been chosen for this great privilege of presenting the Advent Wreath to the Holy Father, I would not have wanted to miss out on such a special occasion of being with the Holy Father." These are the feelings of St Jude's Langford principal Mr John Last who takes part in the offertory procession with gifts representing family life "I have a deep personal interest in what the pope will have to say to us," said the father of four, who has been active in the Engaged Encounter movement since its introduction to WA in 1979 and is currently, with his wife Margaret, the state co-ordinator He has spent the past 14 years in Catholic education, is on the executive of the Catholic primary schools association and is involved in a Catholic education project on the teaching ministry.

When Audrey Martins of " am slightly apprenMaylands presents the pope hensive but I would be with a symbolic blanket foolish if l wasn't" says during the Belmont Park the Honourable Mrs EliMass she will be thinking zabeth O'Shaughnessy not only of those who are of her being chosen to physically poor but of spiritread the Letter to the ual poverty as well. Corinthians at the Glen"I will be thinking of the dalough ceremony. many who have missed out Once the news on the wealth of what the appeared in her NorChurch offers," said the tham parish newsletter mother of three girls who she has been c agratuwith her husband Walter lated by fr' s in the came from the Middle East parish to which she has in 1967. devoted much time 'The warmth of the blanket since coming from Engwill be the symbol of our "It is a great privilege to be land three years ago to warmth of our caring for the reading the Word of God to live with her daughter poor and needy of the the People of God in the and son In law at the world," said Audrey who is presence of the Holy Father historic Buckland propa member of the diocesan and I have called on my erty at Irish town. committee for Australian many Legionary friends to In England her daily Catholic Relief and of the pray for me." Mass attendance diocesan committee for These are feelings of Mr brought her many duties Social Justice. Paul Smith who will read at helping at Arundel Audrey has had a wide the Belmont Park papal cathedral. She was also ranging career in nursing. Mass a member of the Legion She is a lecturer in nursing Mr Smith, a North Beach of Mary there. In Norat WAIT and has been a parishioner is a retired stitham she has been a nursing educator at St John pendiary magistrate, a member of the Catholic of God Hospital. father of a Jesuit priest and Her papaal excitement a long serving member of Womens League. began the night she was the Legion of Mary fumbling for her house keys "lam a great supporter and to run to the phone for the admirer of Pope John Paul. call that would invite her to "I think he shows great be part of the papal Mass faith and courage in his The excitement has spread global tours and I rank his to her many friends and to travels in the paths of the her students great mission journeys of St "You'll be so close to the Paul and St Francis Xavier pope, they say, so put in a good word for us "I tell them remember what is his message. He wants everyone to be part of Christ's flock. That will be

-IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIHIIIIIIIIIIHIIIIIIIIHIIIIIIIIHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIHIIIIIIIIHIIIIIIIIIIHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIHIIIIIH

Since 1978 he has travelled thirty two times

=nu VATICAN CITY (NC) -- Pope John II's journey that includes Australia is his 32nd outside Italy since the beginning of his pontificate in October 1978. The other trips have been to: 1979 1. Mexico, Jan 25Feb 1, with stopovers of several hours in the Dominican Republic and the Bahamas.

2. Poland, June 210.

3. Ireland and the United States, Sept 29-Oct The pope left Ireland and arrived in the United States Oct I 7.

4. Turkey, Nov 2830. 1980 5. Africa, May 2-12. The pope visited Zaire, Congo Republic, Kenya, Ghana, Upper Volta and the Ivory Coast. 6. France, May 30June 2. 7. Brazil, June 30July 12. 8. West Germany, Nov 5-19. 1981 9. The Far East, Feb 16-27. The pope visited the Philippines, Guam and Japan with stopovers of several hours in Pakistan and Anchorage, Alaska. 1982 10. Africa, Feb 1219. The pope visited Nigeria,

Benin, Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. 11. Portugal, May 12-15. 12. Great Britain, May 28-June 2. 13. Argentina, June 11-12, with stopover of several hours in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. 14. Switzerland, June 15. 15. San Marino, Aug 29. 16. Spain, Oct 31Nov 9. 1983 17. Central America (Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama, EI Salvador, Guatemala, Belize and Honduras) and Haiti, March 2-10, with a stopover in Lisbon, Portugal.

Daniel

Bianchini a reader

at Belmont

□□□ODDO

Mrs Rosemary Miller back up

reader for Belmont

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'The highlight of our stay in Rome, in June of this year, was our visit to St Peter's Basilica," mute said Mrs Sally Roberts of South Perth. 1985 25. Venezuela, 18. Poland, June "Imagine our excitement when we discoEcuador, Peru, Tri16-23. ·idad 1d Tob vered on arriving in Vatican City, that we were 19. Lourdes, ne anc 1oago, Jan 26Feb6. able to hear the pope say Massi" France, Aug I4-1», 26. Belgium, the It was Confirmation Sunday for the children (delayed because Netherlands and of the assassination of Rome and earlier, the pope assisted by other Luxembourg, May attempt). 11-21. clergy, had Confirmed many of the children. 20. Austria, Sept 27. Togo, Ivory On this day of prayer for South Africa, said 10-13. Coast, Cameroon, Mrs Roberts, "The Holy Father was assisted at Central African 1984 21. South Korea, the Mass by African clergy. Republic, Zaire, PAPUA NEW GUIand Kenya "Later in St Peter's Square we joined the NEA, Solomon Morocco, Aug 8- many thousands of pilgrims from around the Islands and Thai19. land, May 2-12, Koreans, 28. Liechtenstein, world, some in national dress with a stopover of Africans to receive the papal blessing. Sept 8. several hours in 'The pope asked for Peace and Justice in Fairbanks, Alaska. 22. Switzerland, 1986 29. India, Feb 1-10. South Africa and this was then translated by 30. Colombia, July. June 12-17. our excellent Roman guide, Immaculata," she 23. Canada, Sept 931. Lyons, France, • October 4-7. Sa6. 20. 32. Bangladesh, It was a most memorable occasion which 24. Spain, Dominican Republic and Singapore, Fiji, she and her husband John, would not forget, Puerto Rico, Oct New Zealand, Aus- said Mrs Roberts. tralia, Seychelles. 10-12.

The Record. November 27, 1986

23


Touch of nostalgia

The visit of Pope John Paul to Western Australia will bring back nostalgic memories to Alfreda Kopania who arrived here five years ago. At the time of the election of the Church's first Polish

pope, she lived in the by Father JOHN JEGOROW

Alfreda Kopania dancing with TV quizmaster Tony Barber.

Polish city of Elblag

with a population of 113,000. She recalls those memorable October days in 1978.

Alfreda Kopania remembers Polish home 'The days of the conclave were on a warm autumn. I remember some people saying that the next pope could be Polish.

WA Pole meets his true Holy a er... Fth "j had never been to Rome before, and what a freezing reception l got!" said Father Andrew Pyka,

sos.

It was minus 8C and there was a half metre of snow at the airport. "The pope who'd just returned from India couldn't land at Rome airport, so landed at Naples and came up by train," said Father. Looking back, he realised that while Pope lohn Paul ll was away from the Vatican "there were no tourist buses bringing people to the Vatican. Apparently the tourist bureaux must synchronise their tours according to his itinerary," he said. "Upon his return l made arrangements to be part of a general audience to hear the pope speak on Ash Wednesday," The general audience was held in the Paul VI audience hall in the Vatican. It is their winter venue and everyone arrived about 9 am because they had to be searched for security measures and to be briefed prior to the meeting. "A Dominican priest had organised a front row position for me," said Father. "The pope spoke on lent and then passed along the front row, saying a few words to me," he said. "I was so grateful to the

priest organiser for giving me such a good vantage point, that I went back to thank him and to give him a bottle of whisky as a present.

DOD

HOWARD

Father Andrew was then led into the pope's private chapel where he was kneeling on the concrete, "not on a cushion kneeler," said Father.

VISIT 1986

"He was deep in prayer

prayerful atmosphere everywhere. At 6.55 am he rose, put on his vestments and we celebrated Mass together with 10 other Polish priests," said Father Andrew.

DOD "What surprised me was that one of his secretaries, an African, spoke perfect Polish," he said. "At showing my surprise, the secretary said the pope spoke eight languages, so why shouldn't he learn Polish!" said Father Andrew. "After the Mass, the 50 participants who attended it were shown around the Vatican and we priests had breakfast with the pope. "I was thrilled at being so close to him. There was an air of unreality about it for me," said Father Andrew.

"My mouth dropped in

body search. "They're spot-on with security," he said.

The Record, November 27, 1986

□□□ "In the long wait emotions built up. On one occasion I recall feeling quite emotional at the possibility of a Pole "My son told me not to cry - and he too was quite overcome," she said "Finally the smoke from the Vatican billowed white

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000 "Neighbours in fact whole neighbourhoods - hugged and kissed each other. "We sang the traditional Polish hymn. People started dancing in the street - especially the Crakowiak in honour of the pope from Crakow," she said.

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See page 14

disbelief," said Father Andrew. "I thought he must be joking!". But he meant it, and Father Andrew duly arrived at the Vatican at 6.30 the next morning where he was given a

-

"The announcer dispassionately told us that the next pope was from the diocese of Crakow none other than Karol Wojtyla. "For a moment I forgot where I was standing. "All you could hear was wave after wave of hurrahs, hurrah, hurrah, I was filled with joy and surprise.

and you could feel the

"The organiser was surprised I'd come back to say thanks because apparently mamy did not," said Father Andrew. "He then asked me would I like to say Mass with the pope tomorrow morning.

24

PAPAL

"I had no idea who it would be or from what country, .. she said. 'We would hurry home to hear the report from Rome on radio and television. "As everyone was glued to their television set the streets were empty like a ghost town. 'The Roman reporter would explain the significance of the smoke each puff of black signalled more waiting

ABOVE: Father Andrew Pyka SDS, after concelebrating Mass, breakfasting and chatting with Pope John Paul II at the Vatican in February this year. LEFT: Father Andrew in the front row at the general audience given by the pope on Ash Wednesday this year, in the Paul VI audience hall.

"Alarm sirens blared from factories, church bells boomed from churches, buses hooted and the trams rattled their claxons. "It seemed as if the whole nation had given one almighty cheer. Everybody's question seemed pointless: 'Cry slyszales? have you heard ...2?'

DOD 'The next morning people read his life story from the morning papers. We all felt proud to be Cathohc and fortunate to be Polish we looked forward to better things in the future," she said.


es.see=es

ESUS HOSE ETER

Pope John Paul is the 263rd successor of St Peter the Apostle, the first bishop of Rome. Born Simon-barJona (Simon-son-of John) St Peter lived his life as a fisherman on the northern shore of the Lake of Galilee. He married in the little lakeside of Cepharnaum that would become the centre of Jesus' ministry. Along with his brother, Andrew, he was called, at that same lakeside, to be an apostle. Simon, Jesus said, would

Peter was reconciled to Jesus when he was asked by the Lord three times: "Do you love Me?' Each time Peter replied "Yes, lord you

At the capture of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, Peter drew a sword to defend Him. Jesus told him not to live by the sword.

PAPAL

VISIT 1986

become a "fisher of men'', Jesus also named him Kepha, a rock. Peter would be the Rock on which the Church would be built.

At the trial of Jesus before the Roman governor Pontius Pilate, Peter three times denied knowing Jesus when challenged by a serving girf. He went outside and wept bitterly. Peter and John ran to the Tomb on the moming of the Resurrection. John arrived there first, but he stood back and allowed Peter to enter the tomb first.

know that I love you.' "Feed my lambs, feed my sheep," said Jesus. Jesus had revealed to his disciples that He was the Christ but charged them to say nothing until His death. On that occasion he said to Peter: "You are Peter (kepha) and on this rock (kepha) I will build my Church. And the gates of the underworld can never hold out against it. "I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth shall be considered bound in heaven and whatever you loosed on earth shall be considered lost in heaven."

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• '« + w.

...

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5 ;f

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On the morning of Pentecost, Peter fearlessly proclaimed to thousands in Jerusalem that Jesus was risen from the dead. Peter moved to Antioch possibly around 45 AD and across to Rome where he went among the Jewish communities attracting many to the teachings of Christ. Around 50 AD he returned to Jerusalem for the historic council that would settle forever the question Christianity would spread beyond the frontiers of Judaism and become a message to all mankind the Gentiles.

ODO d

Surrounded by 6000 priests from throughout the world who had made a week's charismatic retreat in Rome Pope John Paul ll celebrates Mass at the high altar of St Peter.

In front of the altar is the magnificent Confessio that leads down to the holiest shrine in Rome, the Tomb of St Peter.

Below the high altar, some 10m below, lies the soil of the grave into which the body of St Peter was laid, and the wall into which his remains were eventually sealed. The site was explored and verified in 1939-45 and in 1968 the verified remains, encased in 19 clear plastic containers returned to their resting place by Pope Paul VI.

Peter returned to Rome around 54 AD. Ten years later along with many Christians, he was rounded up during the persecutions by Nero the emperor who sought scapegoats for his terrible administration including probably setting fire to the poor quarters of Rome. Peter went to his death during those persecutions 64-67 AD very likely in the Gardens of Nero near the Vatican Hill to which the Apostle's body was taken for burial in a public cemetery.

Bones present a mystery

Late in 1939 when Pope Pius XI was due to be buried among the popes in the crypt of St Peter's Basilica, Vatican archeologists received the permission they had longed for. They were commissioned by Pope Pius XII to search out the burial place of St Peter, presumed to be deep below the massive high alter of the basilica built in the 16th century. The archeologists knew they would be digging through the ancient Roman cemetery that once stood on the side of

the Vatican Hill. During maintenance they had often stumbled on parts of the cemetery road. Sworn to secrecy, they worked on the excavations in the early 1940s and nothing was revealed until late in 1950, the Holy Year, when Pope Pius announced the burial site of St Peter had been established and the presumed bones of St Peter were now in the pope's custody. The story was to take yet another dramatic turn.

In 1968 Pope Paul VI announced further investigations had identified the bone remains of St Peter.

In a small ceremony the pope himself restored the relics, now sealed in a transparent container, to their original resting place below the high altar. But they were not the bones to which Pius XII referred in 1950.

• The mystery that had to be unravelled. See page 17


Listen to John Paul carefully ... say the Australian bishops

The oft repeated scene when hundreds of thousands of people, Catholics or any faith, fill St Peter's Square to hear the pope address them during Mass celebrated on the steps of St Peter's Basilica.

'Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ. The coming visit of the Holy Father should be a special occasion in the life of Australian Catholics. The pope comes as chief pastor of our Church with a special pastoral care for each of us. On one occasion when he spoke of his visits to different countries, the pope quoted these words of St Paul: "I long to see you, that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine." (Rom 1, 13). The pope wants to share his faith with us. He hopes, too, that by our faith we will encourage him; he hopes to be uplifted by the experience of joining with us in prayer and worship. Our Lord said to Saint Peter: "You must strengthen your brethren in their faith." (Luke 22, 32). Peter's successor has always been seen as having that same duty entrusted to him: he must confirm his brethren in their faith. Therefore, when he comes, we must listen carefully to the pope as he speaks to us about the truths of our faith and how we should live those trths in our modern world. We should make a special effort to do this. Fortunately, it will be easy to do so. The Papal ceremonies will be broadcast on televison; his addresses will all be published. It would be good to get your families to watch the Papal ceremonies -to make them a kind of family celebration. It will be useful for you to read and discuss what he says to us. In a special way, the pope comes to pray with us. In every State he will celebrate a lengthy papal Mass. We urge you to do what you can to take part in the Mass that will be

celebrated in your own State. You will find it an uplifting experience. Get your friends to ;o along, too. It would be good if you could invite some inactive Catholics to go with you.

Sharing in a papal Mass can be a wonderful faithexperience; not infrequently, it has served to revive an inactive faith. The pope admits to being helped by the faith of others. He bears a heavy burden. We can help him bear it by joining in the celebration of our common faith when he comes to visit us. We have every reason to be proud of the popes of this century, not least of all our present Holy Father. God has given true leaders to his Church, men who have had a great influence for good in the world. As we thank God for that, each one of us should try to be an influence for good in our world. To do so, we will need to draw strength from the same sources that the pope does: from the Gospels, from prayer, from faith in Jesus, from the Eucharist. In Australia we live a long way from most countries in the world. The pope will bring a broad vision of the whole Church throughout the world. If we listen to him carefully, we will be able to broaden our own vision of the Church. We will better appreciate how rich our faith is, and how it fosters beautiful human values. We will then appreciate our faith even more. Let us welcome our Holy Father gladly and proudly, grateful for this time of grace that is given to us.' signed: The Australian Bishops

BELOW: Thousands of Australians have been part of this weekly scene when the pope conducts his weekly general audience in St Peter's Square and speaks as a Father to his people.


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