Letters: Worldwide celebration

Sydney
20 April 2003

Seminary numbers increasing: rector

Anzac service starts busy calendar

Priest’s ministry of ‘bringing joy to migrants’

Easter at war - but hope for everyone

Many Iraqi families ‘destitute’

Pope’s play tops Carnivale Christi fare

Good Friday Holy Land appeal

Honour for doctors

New Melbourne bishop

12 years as rector at St John’s

Fr Michael’s legacy of laughter, not tears

Catholic schools still top of pops

Churches walk Way of the Cross together

Editorial: ‘Sex’ is not a dirty word

Letters: Worldwide celebration

Conversation: Bob Hartman, children’s author and storyteller - Tale spinner learnt his magic as a preacher

Voice of Youth - Cultural relevance and the Church

Iraqi War: Opinion

Easter is more lasting than a chocolate egg, students learn

‘Prophet of the new evangelisation’

‘Lap of honour’ and high 5s all round

Letters: Worldwide celebration

Would it not be wonderful if we could mark the occasion of Our Holy Father’s silver jubilee on October 16 with Holy Mass being celebrated for his intentions in most parishes of the world?

Perhaps some of your readers might kindly respond to this invitation and arrange for Holy Mass to be celebrated in their very own parish on October 16 for the intentions of Pope John Paul II.

A special web site has been set up - www.jp2-jubilee.org - to record the names of those parishes who have

stated they wish to participate in this public demonstration of our love for our great Pope.

Pope John Paul II has shown his love for us now it is our turn to show our love to him.

Pat Ryan
Croydon, Surrey,
England

PEACE, TRANQUILLITY

I read with interest Maryse Usher’s comments (Apparitions, Letters CW 23/2) on the article Peace, Peace … message from Medjugorje (CW 9/2).

My sister Kellie went several years ago and, oblivious to the “terrible division and disobedience” Ms Usher refers to, she saw only peace, tranquillity and immense faith.

The real pity is that like St Thomas before her, Ms Usher must see before believing.

Jay Nevin
Morisset, NSW

WEEK OF PRAYER

I have just returned from a pilgrimage to Medjugorje. It was a week full of prayer, with the company of people from all over the world.

The message of Mary at Medjugorje is one of peace and return to God: “I have come to tell the world that God exists. He is the fullness of life, and to enjoy this fullness and obtain peace, you must return to God.”

The message to the world (not just individual groups) is:

1. Prayer - the Rosary
2. Eucharist
3. Holy Bible
4. Fasting
5. Monthly Confession

No, I did not see any apparitions, dancing sun or other phenomena, but hopefully I will, one day, return to Medjugorje.

If, as Suzy Elias states, “any community can achieve what Medjugorje has if its people let it”.Why hasn’t this happened?

Our Lady has appeared many times in the last century with the same message; who is listening and putting her requests into practice?

Suzanne Ikeda
Beecroft, NSW

SECRET BENEFACTOR

I am taking this opportunity to express my sincere gratitude to the person who donated $100 to the Riverstone kids after reading Cafe bid to curb violence (CW 2/3).

This lovely person didn’t send any details. However, there was a postmark on the envelope - it was sent on March 12 from the mid north coast.

I pray God sends good things their way.

Valerie Dally
Riverstone Neighbourhood Centre
and Community Aid Service,
Riverstone, NSW

WAR OF LIBERATION

In the past few weeks I have joined with my fellow Christians to pray for peace in our troubled world and for a diplomatic solution to the crisis of war that has now become a reality.

But as I prayed I heard the continuous cries of “this is an unjust war!” and my body responded contrary to the reason that I was on my knees.

I guess it’s because this war for me has never been about disarmament, but more about the liberation of the Iraqi people.

My heart is firmly planted with the people wanting, waiting and hoping for liberation.

As we continued to pray, one deadline after another for a peaceful solution was stretched out hoping to reach the hearts of those leading a barbaric regime, not only to comply and disarm, but to be a fair and just governmental ruling body for the people. I truly pray that our God has ordained that this is another time in history that it be his will that his people be released from captivity.

Cruel regimes who victimise and suppress human freedom while stripping human dignity are examples of how our human hearts can become so hardened by pride and greed that God has nothing to work with (Exodus 10:1) and we “become” the very reason that God sent his son among us.

Gillian Marmara
Merrylands, NSW

ST PETER’S BASILICA

Cindy Wooden’s interesting article (Location of tabernacle is even an issue at St Peter’s, CW 30/3) on the location of the tabernacle in St Peter’s Basilica omitted some points.

The Blessed Sacrament is also reserved in two other places in St Peter’s: on St Joseph’s altar in the left transept (where confessions are heard) and in a small tabernacle near the “altar of the chair”.

Most major Masses are celebrated at the “altar of the chair” because only the Pope or a cardinal delegated by him can use the high altar under Bernini’s canopy.

Therefore it would be unwise to draw conclusions about the “correct” location of the tabernacle from the unique plan and customs of St Peter’s Basilica.

Another significant factor precluding direct comparison is the large volume of tourists through St Peter’s.

It would seem inappropriate for the Real Presence to be in the central tourist path where many would not appreciate the need for reverence and adoration.

The daily Mass chapel within St Peter’s is really a church within a church with its own ornate tabernacle.

The revised General Instruction of the Roman Missal n314 tells us that the Blessed Sacrament should be reserved in a part of the church that is “truly prominent, distinguished, readily visible, beautifully decorated and suitable for prayer”.

Andrew Pelizzari
West Pennant Hills, NSW