Letters: Open challenge to moral teachings

Sydney
9 June 2002

Madonna in Prayer

No ‘hush money’ paid – Dr Pell

$46m grant for embryo research: PM attacked

Don’t be seduced by funds, Catholic Health warns Govt

Changes urged to asylum seeker policy

Call to abandon ‘Pacific Solution’

Under fire from Amnesty

... with grace by His Grace?

Rich experience came at Rite time for Caringbah parishioner

Charity uncorks a real winner: I’ll drink to that

‘Team effort’ needed on social justice proposals

Editorial: A pilgrim’s progress

Letters: Open challenge to moral teachings

Conversation: After Rome 2000, a ‘leap of faith’ - Nicole Hellyer, parish youth minister

Reflections: Mary – Our Lady of Social Justice

Rain falls on their parade but can’t dampen schoolkids’ spirit at Mass

Liverpool club helps duo on way to uni

Inspirations: Painting and poetry – therapy and art

Letters: Open challenge to moral teachings

I am a practising Anglican married to a practising Catholic. I enjoy accompanying my wife to Mass at St Mary’s Church at Toukley and gain great inspiration from the Christian messages from both Churches.

I wish to congratulate Archbishop Pell for his stand in not accepting gays and lesbians to celebrate Holy Communion.

To draw attention by adorning themselves with sashes is an open challenge to the moral teachings of the Church and it takes a man of great courage and conviction to oppose this effrontery to the Christian way of life.

May God support the archbishop and give him strength in his stance.

J K (Jack) Harris
Wallarah, NSW

AGAINST MORAL LAW

I commend Dr George Pell’s stand and vivid explanation of the Universal Catholic Church’s teaching on homosexuality.

The protest by members of the Rainbow Sash movement at St Mary’s Cathedral is in direct defiance of the teaching of the Catholic Church on this particular matter.

Perhaps these people have the right to be what they want to be in their private life. However, to impose publicly their convictions regarding homosexuality and to justify their way of life, which is against God’s natural and moral law, as Archbishop Pell fully explained, is completely wrong and irresponsible.

I urge all Catholics to pray for Archbishop Pell so that the Holy Spirit will protect and strengthen him in his defence in all the truths that the Magisterium of the Catholic Church upholds and teaches.

We must also pray for these people so that their minds are enlightened as to the proper way of life as God has created it to be.

Eddie Grasso
St Clair, NSW

ST BENEDICT’S

I am impressed by the aims and obvious zeal of the Neo-Catechumenate Way (Grassroots Catholicism, CW 12/5) and wish the members well in their apostolate.

In 2001 I was asked to investigate the possibility of the Neo-Catechumenate Way setting up a seminary here at St Benedict’s in Central Sydney. I had two lengthy meetings with the principals and gave them plans of the former convent building prepared by our architects

Inspection showed that the building would require extensive work in providing bathrooms, showers, toilets, kitchen and dining facilities, etc, plus carpets, painting, new chapel, telephone and new lighting systems.

The Neo-Catechumenate Way wrote that as the archbishop wanted them to set up a new seminary by a certain date and, since they had no collateral, it would be the responsibility of the Archdiocese of Sydney to finance everything connected with the venture.

The St Benedict’s parish council and the finance committee pointed out that the parish was in debt for $150,000 to pay for refurbishment of our 1849 peal of bells, as well as about $185,000 for re-roofing the 1875 and 1925 buildings facing Abercrombie Street.

Taking into account the fact that the seven roofs of the 1845 church all need replacement, plus our high annual insurance, my advisers submitted that any new tenant should pay annual rental.

As requested I delivered my report to the archbishop.

Regrettably St Benedict’s parish was in no position to fund the project.

Fr Terence Purcell, PP
St Benedict’s
Broadway, NSW

HARD PILL TO SWALLOW

Taking the Pill (Insights CW 26/5) repeats the stale old lie about the Pill controlling irregular menstrual cycles.

It was 20 years ago that Sydney Catholics were being duped into using contraception by the promotion of an ‘RC Pill’.

Irregular cycles tend to be a sign of less-than-robust fertility. The Pill, however, rather than restoring a women’s fertility, eliminates it altogether!

It would have been appropriate for the article to have warned that one of the modes of operation of the Pill is said to be as an abortifacient, not to mention the array of the Pill’s serious and sometimes horrific side effects.

John Suttie
Centennial Park, NSW

WHY SPICE IT UP?

We should not feel that the Mass needs to be spiced up to make it more interesting and entertaining, to boost attendance (Message is loud and clear – parishes must do more to attract young people, CW 19/5) .

It seems there is a fundamental lack of understanding and appreciation of the Mass and what it offers.

It is not there for our entertainment but as a means of worship and devotion to God. This requires the effort of concentration on our part, not as some pastime but as a way of, at least once a week, lifting our hearts and minds to God.

Do we need to change a Mass that presents a spiritual reading of God’s Word; the re-enactment of the Last Supper and the crucifixion; the partaking of Jesus’ body and blood in Holy Communion.

What is there to improve?

Margaret Howland
Concord, NSW

RESTORE COMMITMENT

The editorial about the absence of youth from Sunday Mass (Is your parish in tune, CW 19/5) is wrong in looking for a solution in the realm of entertainment.

The Mass is for the celebration of the sacrifice of Christ on Calvary.

Many present-day parents have lost their commitment to the Church and don’t encourage or set an example for their children. We need to restore this commitment and show that Church teaching will set us free – free from drug abuse, immorality, suicide, etc, while filling the heart with hope, faith and love.

The process should begin in Catholic schools since 90 per cent of students abandon Mass on leaving school.

Allan Kennedy
Goulburn, NSW