The
Catholic Weekly
Online
Sydney
18 January 2004
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Pharmacists
saying ‘no’ to sale of pill
Organ donor plea
Irish festival
aids kids
29 die for Church
‘Powerful’ program
centres on Lenten themes
Marists on move
In
the pink (or baby blue?)
Wilde
times at Genesian
Lunch at the Talbot
Lord of the Rings
Historian who defied
adversity
Fr John ‘helped
thousands of souls’
Year to remember
Letters
Life without a
mask
The fear of disapproval
A
year of celebration
The Catholic Weekly
Goose bumps from
nuns’ Ave Maria
A
feast of faith
A hero at Glenrowan
Defence the key to Terra Sancta’s strategy
Nicola’s search for the perfect wave . . . at Bronte
College put George in volleyball’s courta
Year to remember
EVENTS of 2003 were a cause for pride and joy for Catholics worldwide.
In Rome, Pope John Paul II celebrated his silver jubilee. And although the 83-year-old pontiff is frail of body he continues to provide strong leadership for the world’s more than one billion Catholics.
The Pope chose the occasion, too, to beatify Mother Teresa of Calcutta, saint of the poor, and induct 30 cardinals into his ninth consistory.
At home the Archdiocese of Sydney, along with the rest of Australia, celebrated the elevation of our own arch- bishop, George Pell, to the College of Cardinals.
Apart from being a deserved personal honour for Cardinal Pell, the elevation spoke loudly about the role of the Church in Australian society.
As Cardinal Pell said: “The Catholic community is no longer a small, poor, almost persecuted minority, but an active, energetic participant in the mainstream of Australian life ... at ease and above all at home in Australia.”
That the Archbishop of Sydney was to become the foremost religious leader of any denomination in the nation within 200 years of the first Mass being celebrated on Australian soil is a great credit to the hierarchy, clergy, religious and lay Catholics.
Another cause for celebration last year was the consecration in September of two new bishops for the archdiocese. We are fortunate in having leaders of the calibre of Bishop Anthony Fisher and Bishop Julian Porteous.
At year’s end came the welcome news that the Australian bishops had sanctioned Sydney bidding to host World Youth Day in 2007. A successful bid would not only provide a chance for us all to renew our faith commitment, it would again put Sydney on the international map as a host city par excellence.
So, we have much to be grateful for – but we have much to work on, including the statistic provided by the Australian Catholic Social Justice Council that as many as one child in five is living in poverty.
That’s a worthwhile challenge for 2004.