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The Australian students wasted their time and money when they travelled to the Philippines to find injustice and poverty (CW 1/4). Injustice and poverty exist in Australia, too, as
does discrimination.
When students travel to the Philippines they should investigate why injustice and poverty do exist. What is the Church doing to solve these social evils? The Church owns vast tracts or
land. Why not distribute them to the poor?
These social evils are not found in only the Philippines. We live in a scary world where the great majority of the people are poor and suffer from injustice.
The Philippines has new government officials who are incorruptible, competent, religious and hardworking.
Let us pray that God will guide them and make the Philippines a poverty and injustice-free country.
Oscar Landicho
Revesby, NSW
Ed’s comment: A major reason for the Caritas students’ trip was to learn about the underlying causes of poverty and to open their eyes to
its grim reality. It also aimed to encourage students to fight poverty and injustice at home in Australia, which they are now keen to do.
CARDINAL CLANCY – FRIEND OF JEWISH
PEOPLE
The comprehensive references in the issue of The Catholic Weekly (1/4) to the Church’s stance on interfaith matters in general and relations with its Jewish counterpart in particular, are
positive indications of the awareness of the need for, and benefits of, dialogue toward greater understanding.
I should like to pay tribute to Cardinal Clancy, under whose aegis the Catholic Archdiocese of
Sydney has maintained strong support for the work of the Council of Christians and Jews.
Cardinal Clancy has encouraged a greater rapport between the two faiths than has been the case for many years and has
enshrined the need for dialogue as an everyday priority in the religious arena. Much of this has been the result of the cardinal’s vision and empathy, and this should not go unrecognised.
The process of
building a new relationship between the Catholic Church and the Jewish people has in the past decades been slow and, at times, painful. It has encountered obstacles and setbacks and yet, inexorably the process has
moved on. In New South Wales much of that ‘moving on’ can be credited to the influence and far-sightedness of Cardinal Clancy.
It is of course a matter of record that the Sydney Archdiocese has been a
sponsoring body of the council for many years and as such, has been in the forefront of promoting the need for greater understanding of the commonalities of the two religions, and respect for their differences.
While we have come a long way from the dark days of belligerence and dogmatic isolation, there is no cause to be complacent because the future will throw up many ecumenical challenges.
The NSW Council of
Christians and Jews salutes Cardinal Clancy as a true friend of the ecumenical cause.
H D Mendelson
President NSW Council of Christians and Jews
PELL DESERVES A FAIRER GO
I am amazed at the rantings of some of my fellow journalists over the Vatican appointment, character and Episcopal merit of Archbishop George Pell. If they are not
Catholic then they are ignorant and if they are Catholic they are immature.
Again and again, we have the papal encyclical Humanae Vitae of Paul VI, relating to contraception, thrown up to us because the
Catholic Church is opposed to contraception but not to birth control. If Catholics are ignoring this perfectly legitimate obligation for Catholics then that is their spiritual problem. The rest of us have no
argument with it at all and have been blessed in our lives and families.
Archbishop Matthew Beovich, from Carlton, who became a beloved leader of the Adelaide Church, when Pope Paul announced Humanae Vitae,
said Catholics would show their usual heroism and faith in the matter. We have done so out of love for Christ and the Church. Many effeminate men and masculine women are not necessarily active homosexuals. Even if
they cannot communicate they are still our friends. Only spirituality will truly heal.
But while things are being quoted, ostensibly from a few dissident clerics and disgruntled nuns (who ought to know
better), and lay folk, the wider public gets a misguided view of the true nature of the Catholic Church. Why shouldn’t the Pope make appointments without consulting a bunch of ego-driven dissenters?
There
has been an almost total failure, apart from The Age, to put the real side of Dr Pell.
It’s a pity there’s not a fairer go in the Australian spirit.
Garth Rawlins
Fulham, SA
OFF THE FREE LIST?
No longer a priest, former Fr Paul Collins will be less of a stumbling block to Catholics, and will fade into the sunset without free media invitations.
Joe Lopez
Warrimoo, NSW
PRO-MONARCHISTS ARE ANTI-CATHOLIC
Your correspondent, Kevin McGreal, (CW 18/3) quite correctly takes you to task for
publishing material lauding liberal politician Tony Abbott who has either initiated or supported regressive industrial relations and the disastrous GST, which are bringing hardship to so many Australians.
It
should also be remembered that Tony Abbott is a leading monarchist and the monarchy is an institution that discriminates against Catholics.
The monarch, by British law, cannot be a Catholic or marry a
Catholic. The monarchy also discriminates against women, as the monarch cannot be a woman unless a male in the direct line is not available.
And of course, by his vigorous efforts to retain the monarchy, Mr
Abbott is ensuring that no Australian can be head-of-state in his/her own country. Shame on Tony Abbott.
Vince Guinea
Slade Point, Qld
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