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.