Sydney
4 November 2001

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Indifference main worry, says Dr Pell

Open your hearts to the refugees, bishop pleads

Beazley visits aged villa

Health care needs more money

Two Australias: Labor backs national poverty summit

Biblical principle behind split-income tax policy

Sydney’s new Maronite bishop

Archbishop Pell in protest on cloning

Amnesty backing imprisoned priest

‘Bishop buses’ ready to roll

Trinity students get their sea legs on board the Kanimbla

‘PR campaign’ on embryos

Antioch: 20 years of showing the light

Unity Group enjoys day in the sun

Soldier, teacher, actor, priest – Mark’s inspired journey

Why do boys lag behind?

Sacrament of Penance: NZ bishop denies ‘radical reform’ charge

Letters: Catholic schools

Conversation: An hilarious ministry - Fr Hilary Doran, Carmelite priest

Reflection: Questions that will require religious answers

Too many prisons?

Opinion: Can the West avoid a ‘holy war’ with Islam?

Having fun with Vinnies to help those in need

‘God’s engineer’

Tamil Catholics celebrate their 10th birthday

Education: Teach your children ‘how to pray – not what to say’

Inspirations: Fatima ‘prayer for peace’

Letters: Catholic schools

The author of Religious Education (Letters, CW 21/10) may have jumped to a few hasty conclusions in relation to improving religious education in Catholic schools.

The premise of the argument, as I recall, was that improvement of religious education depended upon the redeployment of religious sisters.

I would just make these gentle observations:

Firstly, vocations come from the laity. Vocations start in the family and in their parish communities. How many of us pray daily for more labourers to be sent to the harvest? How many of us examine our consciences as to our own vocation? How many of us promote vocations within our own families? These questions provide challenges for vocations much closer to home.

Secondly, from my experience, Catholic schools are actively involved in the faith formation of our students and have a supportive role in the development of vocations.

Thirdly, I think most would agree that there is a need for more religious vocations. In the meantime, there are many lay teachers and catechists, who faithfully and diligently give witness to Christ in their everyday endeavours to educate the children in their care.

Bryan M Doyle
Rosemeadow, NSW

BACK IN HABITS?

This letter is a response to Religious Education (Letters, CW 21/10). A few points need to be made.

Arthur H Archer seems not to have read Vatican II in relation to the mandate at baptism for all Christians, and the honoured role of the laity in spreading the Gospel; nor does he acknowledge that a vocation /call to religious and priestly ministry is from God and primarily is nurtured in the home. If what one wears and where one lives influence others, I suggest that the ‘others’ have but a superficial approach to life and Gospel living.

Regarding lay teachers not being the “right ones to give religious instruction”, he would do well to read the statements from recent popes on the laity’s role. Having been involved with lay teachers for more than 40 years, I can assure him they are educationally equipped, better in most cases than some religious were in the past.

As to bishops being asked to “put nuns back into habits and convents”, I don’t like his chance of convincing them it is worthwhile, given that Vatican II mandated reform of religious life in the 1960s.

Catherine Thom RSJ
Bankstown, NSW

THE CRUSADES!

Dr Bruce Duncan claims (Not just a war, but a just war, CW 14/10) that the Pope has “apologised for the terrible mistake of the Crusades against the Muslims and Orthodox”.

In First Things (November 1997), Harvard Law Prof Mary Ann Glendon wrote that the Pope “has acknowledged the mistakes and sins of Christians in connection with, among other things, the Crusades, the Inquisition, persecution of the Jews, religious wars, Galileo, and the treatment of women. Thus, though the Pope himself is careful to speak of sin or error on the part of the Church’s members or representatives, rather than the Church in its fullness, that important theological distinction is almost always lost in the transmission.”

Thus the Pope never apologises for the Church which is “held, as a matter of faith, to be unfailingly holy” (Vatican II, Lumen Gentium, art 39).

Catholic historian Dr Warren Carroll writes: “The Crusades were a just war, fought against literally centuries of Muslim aggression against Christian Asia Minor (now called Turkey), Sicily and Spain. The diversion of the Fourth Crusade against Christian Constantinople and the Children’s Crusade were abominations denounced by Pope Innocent III.”

To regard the Crusades as a great crime is based on either pacifism or a total disregard of the nature and history of the enemy the Crusaders were fighting.

Peter D Howard
Springwood, Qld

HEAVEN AND HELL

Having read of Archbishop Pell’s intervention on hell, heaven, etc (CW 21/10), the question needs to be asked: why do we think God needs a prison system?

John O’Keefe
Marsfield, NSW

PRAYERFUL SUPPORT

As the men and women of the Defence Force respond to the call of duty, I and my chaplains wish to assure them of our wholehearted affirmation and prayerful support.

We are very proud of them and deem it a great privilege to serve them and their families as best we can and as circumstances allow. As they join in the active endeavour to combat and overcome terrorism and injustice, we invite you to join us in praying for their success and that their dedicated service will help to achieve lasting peace for our troubled times.

May the good Lord protect them, one and all, and bring them safely home.

Bishop Geoffrey Mayne
Military Ordinary of Australia

A BETTER LIFE

The world is a place for all, not just a few countries or communities. No restriction should be imposed on people who, because of oppression, poverty or discomfort, would like to better their life and emigrate to countries where they can achieve this.

Giving people more access to choose their future, the better our unity, friendship, love and respect will be for all. We will still encounter difficulties, but we are walking in the way of prosperity and happiness for ever.

Gaetano Natoli
Randwick, NSW

DISSENTER

As I am neither prophet nor poet, I do not have the words to express my horror at the Government’s treatment of the refugees.

But I do want to be counted among the dissenters.

Carmel Ofner
Ashfield, NSW