Euthanasia

"I ask the community to continue to love and care for those who are sick and suffering rather than abandoning
them to euthanasia or supporting them to suicide. Our ability to care says much about the strength of our society."

Archbishop Denis Hart

Read his full statement here

"In the interests of protecting the vulnerable members of our society, we must not legalise assisted suicide. We should instead deal with our deep seated fear of the dying process — this is where our real struggle for freedom lies rather than in the freedom to choose to demand that someone else end my life."

John Kleinsman
Director The Nathaniel Centre, the New Zealand Catholic Bioethics Centre.

Read his full statement here

The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference has re-issued a submission it lodged with a Senate inquiry into the Rights of the Terminally Ill.
 

The bishops said good palliative care that recognised the value and dignity of every human life is needed – not legislation to sweep the plight of the terminally ill under the carpet of society’s responsibilities.
We need to be “a society where all can be assured that they can be accepted as people whose lives are worthwhile and where that belief is backed up by health care and palliative care."

 

Read the Submission here

"It is a sadness that the first moves around our nation under our new political arrangement seem to be a promotion of death and abuse of marriage."

Gregory O'Kelly

Bishop of the Diocese of Port Pirie.

Read his full statement here

Hung parliament no place to be ham-fisted on euthanasia.

Fr Frank Brennan

Read his full statement here

Prime Minister Julia Gillard said she is "conflicted" on the issue of euthanasia, finding it "almost impossible" to conceive how there could be appropriate safeguards.

Link

Social Justice Sunday

This Statement is issued at the conclusion of the United Nations’ International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World and the World Council of Churches’ Decade to Overcome Violence. Key goals have been the promotion of fundamental human rights, addressing wide varieties of violence – direct and structural – in homes, communities and in the international arenas, and learning from local and regional ways of overcoming violence.

In the Statement examples are given of men and women who are making their contribution to peace as individuals, in their communities, and in response to issues of national and global importance. There are countless others who work tirelessly, and often without recognition, to bring peace where discord or violence would otherwise prevail. As we celebrate Social Justice Sunday, let us remember that every effort we take to overcome violence is a response to Christ’s call to go into the world and bring a peace that the world alone cannot give.

The statement and supporting resources are available here:
http://www.socialjustice.catholic.org.au/

Ten Steps towards being a Peacemaker:-

• Acknowledge the dignity of every human being
• Engage with others non-violently
• Forgive
• Reject violence
• Support and celebrate cultural diversity
• Provide a meeting place
• Give help and seek support
• Cultivate an attitude of gratitude
• Attend to prayer and your spiritual development
• Reflect on your day as a peacemaker

Ecology is at heart of Christian faith

In his keynote address at the National Assembly of Catholic Religious Australia, theologian Father Denis Edwards called for an ecological conversion that involves a new way of seeing, thinking and acting.

A priest of the Adelaide Archdiocese and Senior Lecturer in Systemic Theology at Flinders University, Father Denis has written extensively on science and theology and on the emerging field of ecological theology.
Some of his most recent books are:
How God Acts: Creation, Redemption, and Special Divine Action,
Breath of Life: A Theology of the Creator Spirit,
Ecology at the Heart of Faith.
Read more here

MIGRANT & REFUGEE WEEK: 23 – 29 AUGUST

An excellent resource for reflection can be found here at the Religious Leaders Institute.

The Catholic Bishops have also prepared information for parishes. It can be found here

Make Your Vote Count say Catholic Bishops

Make Your Vote Count say Catholic Bishops
An election Statement from the Bishops of Australia   August 9, 2010

“Catholic Bishops do not tell people who to vote for” Archbishop Philip Wilson, President of the Catholic Bishops Conference, said today, speaking on behalf of the Catholic Bishops of Australia.

“Bishops are aware that, at election time, many in the community look to church leaders for advice about relevant issues.” Archbishop Wilson said.
 “We are privileged to live in a democracy such as Australia where voting matters. We urge all people to take their vote seriously. We urge them to think carefully about the issues that are relevant in their local area and nationally. We urge them to think about the issues that are not just important for them but for the whole of Australia”.

 “The 2010 Federal Election is of great importance for the future and the welfare of all residents of Australia. Though many Catholics are rightly involved in the political process in all political parties, the Catholic Church in Australia does not take sides in party politics. But the Church proposes that politicians, political parties and political campaigns should all be judged against six essential criteria. Those six essential criteria are:
 ●The right of every person to human dignity;

●The right of every person to adequate food, shelter and protection;

●The right of every person to equality of access to education, health, employment and basic services;

●The right of every person, both present and future generations, to live in a safe, healthy and secure environment;

●The right (and the duty) of every person to contribute to society to the extent that they are able;

●The right of every person to live according to their own beliefs, to the extent that those beliefs do not impact upon the rights of others.”

Particular issues that Catholic Church Agencies see as important include:

Health: A Health System that is efficient and accessible for all; properly funded mental health services and an improvement in aged care services.
 Social Justice: Human dignity demands that a wealthy country such as Australia must define its priorities so that those who cannot cope in society are helped through government spending by those who can;
 Migrants and Refugees: All those seeking to live in Australia should be treated with dignity and in accordance with international law;
 Overseas Aid: Increase Australia’s overseas aid to 0.7% of GNI as a step towards recognising Australia’s plenty in the midst of great need;
 Women: To protect their dignity, steps must be taken to protect women from all forms of violence; pay equity should be improved and paid parental leave is an important step forward.
 Indigenous Australians: Until the most disadvantaged of our Indigenous citizens move beyond 3rd world living conditions, all Australians must feel ashamed and work together to change their conditions.
Disability: People with a disability are entitled to a quality of life equivalent to that of other Australians; serious effort must be made to improve access to services for people with disabilities and their carers.
 Environment: The debate about the environment must shift to consideration of the needs of future generations, not just to avoiding present inconveniences.
 Education: Schools funding should be available equitably and respect parental choice.
 Religious Liberty: In a society with a variety of faiths and non-faiths, we need to be respectful of others.
 Human Dignity: The value of human life must be respected at every stage.

 The Catholic Church in Australia seeks to contribute to building the Australian society through schools, universities, hospitals, social services, aged care, international relations and our response to poverty locally and in the developed world. Various Catholic Agencies (such as Catholic Health Australia and Catholic Social Services Australia ) have detailed Election Platforms. Specific details can be provided by contacting:
Fr Brian Lucas, General Secretary
Australian Catholic Bishops Conference
ph 02 6201.9845
f 02 6247.6083
m 0419.243.959

Prayer

Mother Teresa reflected on the power of prayer.

The Fruit of Prayer
The fruit of silence is prayer
the fruit of prayer is faith
the fruit of faith is love
the fruit of love is service
the fruit of service is peace.


If We Pray
If we pray, we will believe;
If we believe, we will love
If we love, we will serve.

The Final Analysis  also known as "Do It Anyway"

Oscar Romero

Andrew Hamilton writes:

"Thirty years ago today Archbishop Oscar Romero was shot as he celebrated Mass. His blood and the chalice were spilled together on the altar. His anniversary will be remembered around the world, for he provides one of the universal images of what living faithfully as a Christian might look like today."
Read more..
Also see a previous item on this site here...

Mount of Olives

 

Mount of Olives is located on the east of Jerusalem, Israel. The mountain is named after the olive trees that used to cover its slopes. Mount Olives is holy to Jews, Christians and Muslims, and many religious traditions are tied to it.

Church of All Nations - The Basilica of the Agony
The Church of All Nations is at the foot of Mount of Olives. Its real name is "The Basilica of the Agony", but since the completion of the church's construction in 1924 was done through donations collected from all around the catholic world, the name "Church of All Nations" became the name mostly used. 

The old olive tree garden is next to this church.

Link

The Catholic Church and Hope

As agents of hope in the world, the Catholic Church must continue to challenge the non-religious world to look beneath the surface of the secular, said Bishop Greg O'Kelly SJ at the Jesuit Lenten Breakfast in Melbourne earlier this month.

Bishop O'Kelly said that the Church offers the world a vision of what it is to be a human being, challenging those who want to stay at the surface of secularism to look more deeply at their motivations and values.

‘People of little or no faith know that education without values, and knowledge without ethics, is a false education', he said. ‘If they agree with that, then what are they being invited to contemplate more deeply beneath the surface of the secular?'

This year's Jesuit Lenten Podcast Series has explored the role of the Catholic Church as ‘Voices of Hope' in an increasingly secular society. Bishop O'Kelly said the topic is an especially relevant one at a time when many are pointing at declining church attendances and vocations as evidence of religion's decreasing influence.

‘We've got people dancing on our grave', said Bishop O'Kelly, pointing to the work of popular atheist writers and commentators. ‘But I think dancing on our graves is no problem to us Christians, because the grave has never been a difficulty for Christians from the time of Jesus himself.'

He said Christians have a way of living that draws on their sense of God's presence in the universe, and His love for all of creation. It gives organisations run by the Church a stronger sense of mission, and allows Christians to live through love in God's presence.

‘What we must offer our brothers and sisters of the non-religious world is a conviction of human beings in God's likeness', said Bishop O'Kelly. ‘We must challenge any shallow description of humanity, because human nature was not made to be seduced or be restricted to economic rationalism.'

While some have sought to distance the Church from the secular world, Bishop O'Kelly said the basic tradition in the Catholic faith has been one of integration - that God loved the whole world, not just part of it.

‘The world is a theatre of God's presence, and the secular is the place of the incarnation', he said.

One challenge the Church faces is how it deals with those who have different views on issues such as abortion and euthanasia. Bishop O'Kelly said the Church cannot bully others into sharing its views.

‘Is it too much for us, as a Church, to expect that proponents of views other than ours are acting in good faith? They may not have the whole story - we must do everything we can to educate and give our vision of life - but we must respect the fact that Christ proposed, always. He never imposed.'

The Lenten Podcast Series has so far explored the role of the Catholic Church in important sectors such as education and social services, and among young people. Podcast are available at www.jesuit.org.au.

Listen to Bishop O'Kelly's talk.

Read a transcript.

Maureen Lohrey RSM

 

Melbourne Sister of Mercy, Maureen Lohrey RSM is frustrated by the fear-mongering, sensationalism and negativity of some Australians about the number of asylum-seekers arriving in the country by boat, and believes these attitudes are based on ignorance.

Link

The starting point of Catholic Social Teaching concerning refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced people and ‘environmental migrants’, is not their legal status but rather their status as human persons made in the image and likeness of God.
Link

Xt3

Have you heard of Xt3?
It's right here!

A network for young people who share in faith experiences.
It's right here!

Xt3 represents Christ (Xt) in the 3rd Millennium.
“Young people have the task of witnessing today to the faith; the commitment to bring the Gospel of Christ - the Way, the Truth and the Life - into the third Christian Millennium, to build a new civilization - a civilization of love, of justice and of peace."
It's right here!

Connect with millions.
Share the experience.
Build a better world.

The Shack

This week our Pastoral Associate, Sue Wakeham wrote in our Tranmere Parish Bulletin about the book ‘The Shack’.
She also provided the following background information:
"If you are interested, there is a website www.TheShackBook.com"
Here are just a few of the comments I found there:-
When the imagination of a writer and the passion of a theologian cross-fertilize the result is a novel on the order of The Shack. This book has the potential to do for our generation what John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress did for his. It’s that good!
Eugene Peterson, Professor Emeritus of Spiritual Theology, Regent College, Vancouver, B.C.

Riveting, with twists that defy your expectations while teaching powerful theological lessons without patronizing. I was crying by page 100. You cannot read it without your heart becoming involved.
Gayle E. Erwin, Author of 'The Jesus Style'

Don’t miss this! If there’s a better book out there capturing god’s engaging nature and his ability to crawl into our darkest nightmare with his love, light and healing, I’ve not seen it. For the most ardent believer or newest spiritual seeker, the shack is a must-read.
Wayne Jacobsen, author of 'So You Don’t Want to Go to Church Anymore'

It is obviously a book that has raised much interest so I have added the following comments and links in addition to Sue's link.
Comments from well-known Catholic priest Fr Ron Rolheiser:
The book has been both highly praised and severely criticized across denominational lines.
Its critics struggle with its audacity (What nerve for a mere human to attempt to speak for God!) and for the way in which it conceives of God (as too gentle and non-demanding).
Personally, I do not agree with its critics. In my view, this is an excellent book that presents a wonderfully positive and healthy theology of God. I heartily recommend it.I should perhaps qualify that with this comment: I read for essence more than for detail.
No doubt, there are parts of this book that would need more qualification, more theological nuance, but that is true for all theology, especially when it speaks about the ineffable, God.
It took the apostolic community and the early Church some 300 years to agree upon even a few basic concepts about God.
So, no doubt, anyone who risks 250 pages in trying to give this a contemporary interpretation will not always and everywhere be perfect, nor to everyone’s theological taste.
The book is not perfect, but it is excellent overall.
Read the full review here. 

At Wikipedia you can read lots of background information and analysis.
On Youtube there is an interview with the author.

Mary MacKillop

From the ABC News website:

"Mary MacKillop, a nun revered for her work with needy children as much as for her rebellious streak, is to become Australia's first Roman Catholic saint on October 17, Pope Benedict XVI said."

Read more here

The website of the Sisters of St Joseph
 
The Mary MacKillop Story



Quotes of Mary MacKillop:
“Remember we are but travellers here.”
“We must teach more by example than by word.”
“Do all you can with the means at your disposal and calmly leave the rest to God.”
“Courage, courage, trust in God who helps you in all things”
“We feel our crosses hard at times, but our courage should rise with them.”
“Let God’s Spirit guide you in your choice.”

Mary’s motto for life:-“Never see a need without doing something about it”

The Rush Hour

Our Pastoral Associate, Sue, in a recent reflection wrote:
“In our everyday lives, as we go about our business, it is all too easy to lose sight of the small things that bring us joy and pleasure. If we lose sight of them, then we can forget them. We can also lose sight of the fact that God gives each of us our own particular gifts, to use for others.”

By pure coincidence I came across an article that reinforced in many ways what Sue is reflecting on.
Washington Post

It is the story of a famous violinist busking in a busy Washington railway station during the morning rush hour. The reactions of the commuters were observed and described.
In the article someone was quoted:

“If we can't take the time out of our lives to stay a moment and listen to one of the best musicians on Earth play some of the best music ever written; if the surge of modern life so overpowers us that we are deaf and blind to something like that -- then what else are we missing?”

What a powerful question!

The Stations of the Cross

During Lent we invite you to contemplate the Stations of the Cross as depicted in our church.
You can download and view it as a Flash file [you may need to adjust the volume of the sound track] Click the screen to move from station to station.

Link [5.2Mb]

You can view it as a Powerpoint file. It has no sound. Click the screen to to move to the next station.

Link [2.6Mb]

You can view it as a PDF file.

Link [2.8Mb]

Lenten Study Program

Spiritual nourishment for Lent!
Join with other members of our parish family for six weeks of faith development and renewal with the new Lenten program – "Remember me".

You and your group will engage with Luke’s gospel. Jesus is often portrayed at a meal in Luke’s Gospel till finally we witness Jesus at the Last Supper where he asks us to ‘do this in remembrance of me’.
Through the weeks of Lent you are invited to be fed and nourished by the Word of God.

The first session will be week commencing 15th February at 7:30pm in the Parish Hall.

The Southern Cross online

This Catholic monthly newspaper from South Australia is now available in full as a digital edition on the internet.

It contains a wealth of information, great stories and photos.

Link

Examples of great and sensitive stories are:
'Communities Mourn'
'... Saintly Sites'
'Dudley defies the odds'
'Building peace in a new land'

Stories from the Parliament

The Parliament of the World's Religions was held in Melbourne last December.

It is easy to dismiss the event as another 'talkfest', but the summer edition of the Australian Catholics magazine contains some wonderful and thought-provoking stories and impressions.

Definitely a very worthwhile read!

Link

Contributor Michael McVeigh writes:

"We often begin conversations with Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, or those of traditional Indigenous beliefs, because we want to deepen our understanding of God. Christ might not be the source of these traditions, but as Christians we believe that he is present in them, shaping them with his grace. Just as travelling to other cultures helps us better understand our own culture, looking for what is good in other faiths helps us to better understand the goodness of God."

Charter of Compassion

Karen Armstrong is a British author, who writes about comparative religion. In 1993 she published her highly successful A History of God. 

A former Catholic nun, she says that, "All the great traditions are saying the same thing in much the same way, despite their surface differences." They each have in common an emphasis on the transcendent importance of compassion, as epitomized in the so-called Golden Rule: Do not do to others what you would not have done to you.

In February 2008, Armstrong called for a council of Christian, Muslim, and Jewish leaders to draw up a Charter for Compassion which would identify shared moral priorities in order to foster global understanding.

The Charter was unveiled in November 2009. 

Its signatories include Prince Hassan of Jordan, the Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, and Sir Richard Branson.

The Charter

Vatican III?

This is Fr Hans Kung.
He was a very influential theologian at the time of the Vatican II Council in Rome in 1962/1965.
In December 2009 he attended the Parliament of the World's Religions, held in Melbourne, to launch his manifesto for a global economic ethic, asserting that a global economy needs a global ethic in which a fair society and the environment accompany profits.

Towards a Global Ethic: identifies four essential affirmations as shared principles essential to a global ethic.
· Commitment to a culture of non-violence and respect for life
· Commitment to a culture of solidarity and a just economic order
· Commitment to a culture of tolerance and a life of truthfulness
· Commitment to a culture of equal rights and partnership between men and women

He said the Church needs another Vatican Council to move reforms forward.
What do you think?
What would be your top reforms for the Catholic Church? 

Hans Kung will be heard on ABC Radio National in the program "The Spirit of Things" at 6:00pm on Sundat February 7
Link
 

World Communications Day

Pope urges priests to use the internet astutely.
The Pope had told priests that they should write blogs and use the internet more, saying they must learn to use new forms of communication to spread the gospel message.
In his message for World Day of Communications, the Pope, who is 82 and known not to love computers or the internet, acknowledged priests must make the most of the "rich menu of options" offered by new technology.
"Priests are thus challenged to proclaim the Gospel by employing the latest generation of audio-visual resources – images, videos, animated features, blogs, websites – which, alongside traditional means, can open up broad new vistas for dialogue, evangelisation and catechesis," he said.
Priests, he said, had to respond to the challenge of "today's cultural shifts" if they wanted to reach young people.
But Benedict warned priests not to strive to become stars of new media. "Priests present in the world of digital communications should be less notable for their media savvy than for their priestly heart," he said.
Last year, a new Vatican website, http://www.pope2you.net, went live, offering one application where you can meet the Pope on Facebook, and another allowing the faithful to see the pope's speeches and messages on their iPhones or iPods. The Vatican has long had a website, now in eight languages, and a year ago it created a news channel on the YouTube video sharing site.
Website: http://www.vatican.va/phome_en.htm
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/vatican?gl=GB&hl=en-GB