23 April 2013

Catholic Communications, Sydney Archdiocese

Well-known Sydney barrister, Irving Wallach paid tribute to the memory and courage of Polish grandmother, Maria Jaloweic who saved the life of his mother, Rivka during the World War II Holocaust and the mass slaughter of millions of Jewish men, women and children in Nazi death camps.

At the 22nd Sho'ah Memorial Service, organised each year by the NSW Council of Christians and Jews and held in the Crypt of St Mary's Cathedral, Irving Wallach was keynote speaker.

For the Catholics, Anglican choir, members of the Jewish community and those of other faiths who attended the Memorial Service, it was a moving time to remember those who died in the Holocaust.
 
The story of Maria Jaloweic who was responsible for his mother's survival is remarkable. Despite being aware of the risk to her own and her family's lives for sheltering two Jewish women, she fed and hid Rivka and her friend Genka for two years from 1942 to 1944.

Secreting them in the roof of her barn, Maria showed not only courage and compassion but unlike many during those terrible years, she did all she could to ensure the daughter of her neighbours was not taken by the Nazis to die in one of Hitler's notorious death camps.

23 April 2013

Catholic Communications, Sydney Archdiocese

Australia's Syrian community are in shock at today's news that an Islamic rebel militia has kidnapped two of Syria's most prominent Christian Orthodox Bishops and are holding them hostage.

Syriac Orthodox Bishop Yohanna Ibrahim and Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Aleppo, Paul  Yazigi, who is the brother of Patriarch John X of Antioch and all the Far East, were abducted while travelling to Aleppo from a town on the Turkish border where they had been carrying out humanitarian work.

Patriarch John X broke a more than 1000-year tradition when he attended the installation of Pope Francis in Rome in February.

It is understood the two prominent bishops were on the outskirts of Aleppo when a group of Muslim extremists from one of the rebel militias fighting in Syria, forced them out of their car. Their driver and the deacon travelling with them were killed. However it is believed the two bishops remain alive  - held for ransom in a bid to force the Syrian government to release militia rebel soldiers currently being held prisoner.

"It is believed the bishops were taken by the same militia group that kidnapped two priests in Aleppo in February," says Father Rahal Dergham, the Archdiocese of Sydney's Migrant Chaplain to Sydney's Syrian and Iraqi community.

There are grave fears for their safety and in fact for the safety of all Christians in Syria as Muslim extremists take over the rebel groups.

19 April 2013

Catholic Communications, Sydney Archdiocese

New Zealand has become the 13th country in the world to legalise same-sex marriage. The Marriage (Definition of Marriage) Amendment Bill was passed in Parliament Wednesday 17 April, 77 votes to 44. Marriage in New Zealand is no longer defined as a union between one man and one woman, but rather "a union of 2 people regardless of their sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity".

While supporters of the legislation are celebrating, many New Zealanders are concerned at how fast it has moved through the parliamentary process, and the effects it will have on the country.

And opponents to same-sex marriage in Sydney are staggered with Premier Barry O'Farrell's quick show of support for New Zealand's decision.

Mr O'Farrell said hearing the NZ Parliament break into a Maori love song after the vote "even tweaked at my emotions".

The NSW Premier said the argument that same-sex marriage would denigrate the institution of marriage was "utterly ridiculous".

"It is disappointing when the Premier of NSW chooses to give further encouragement to devoting state parliamentary time to undermining marriage when it is clearly a matter for the federal Marriage Act" Chris Meney, Director of Life, Marriage and Family Centre with the Archdiocese of Sydney said.

"The Premier's reported description of the argument of those who hold that same sex 'marriage' would undermine marriage as 'utterly ridiculous' reflects a breathtaking and facile grasp of what they have to say. Those who support the traditional and natural understanding of marriage have a well-reasoned basis for their position even if Mr O'Farrell does not agree with it. We need a greater preparedness in the public square to show respect for the views of others with whom we disagree."

12 February 2013

Catholic Communications, Sydney Archdiocese

The Archdiocese of Sydney's Life Marriage and Family Centre has welcomed calls for Zoe's Law to be passed by NSW Parliament which would enable manslaughter charges to be brought against a driver involved in a motor accident who causes the death of an unborn child.

The legislation proposed in a private members bill brought by Christian Democrat MLC, Fred Nile has been named Zoe's Law in honour of the unborn child who was killed when a female driver high on drugs ran into 32-weeks pregnant Central Coast mother, Brodie Donegan on Christmas Day, 2009.

The 31 year old mother of toddler Ashlee from Ourimbah, NSW suffered fractures to her pelvis, spine, leg and foot. But for her and her partner Nick, far worse than her injuries was the loss of her unborn baby.

The little girl Brodie and Nick named Zoe was stillborn. Delivered by caesarean she had died as a result of the injuries her mother suffered in the accident. Grief stricken the young parents held their baby Zoe in their arms unable to believe she would have no future and that their much-loved much wanted child had not survived the crash.

For Brodie and Nick, though there was even worse to come when they learned not only that the driver had been on drugs at the time of the accident but that because their unborn daughter never took a breath, she was  not regarded legally as a person. Instead under existing law her death could only be counted as yet another of her mother's multiple injuries.

11 February 2013

Archbishop Denis Hart, President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference and Archbishop of Melbourne released the following statement tonight:

'Pope Benedict has announced that because of advanced age and failing strength he is unable to  fulfil the heavy demands of office, and in full freedom, he will resign on 28 February.

'After a lifetime of service as an eminent theologian and teacher, he was elected Pope in April 2005. Millions of Catholics are grateful for his holiness and teaching, and are encouraged by his gentle and loving service.

'As he retires to a life of prayer for the Church, we remember with gratitude and prayer his faithfulness to the call given him as Vicar of Christ and chief pastor of the universal Church.'

Here is the Vatican's English translation of Pope Benedict XVI's resignation remarks, delivered in Latin, during an ordinary public consistory to approve the canonization of new saints on 11 February 2013.

Dear brothers,

I have convoked you to this consistory, not only for the three canonizations, but also to communicate to you a decision of great importance for the life of the church. After having repeatedly examined my conscience before God, I have come to the certainty that my strengths, due to an advanced age, are no longer suited to an adequate exercise of the Petrine ministry. I am well aware that this ministry, due to its essential spiritual nature, must be carried out not only with words and deeds, but no less with prayer and suffering. However, in today's world, subject to so many rapid changes and shaken by questions of deep relevance for the life of faith, in order to govern the barque of Saint Peter and proclaim the Gospel, both strength of mind and body are necessary, strength which in the last few months, has deteriorated in me to the extent that I have had to recognize my incapacity to adequately fulfill the ministry entrusted to me. For this reason, and well aware of the seriousness of this act, with full freedom I declare that I renounce the ministry of bishop of Rome, successor of Saint Peter, entrusted to me by the cardinals on 19 April 2005, in such a way, that as from 28 February 2013, at 20:00 hours, the See of Rome, the See of Saint Peter, will be vacant and a conclave to elect the new supreme pontiff will have to be convoked by those whose competence it is.

Dear brothers, I thank you most sincerely for all the love and work with which you have supported me in my ministry and I ask pardon for all my defects. And now, let us entrust the holy church to the care of our supreme pastor, Our Lord Jesus Christ, and implore his holy Mother Mary, so that she may assist the cardinal fathers with her maternal solicitude, in electing a new supreme pontiff. With regard to myself, I wish to also devotedly serve the holy church of God in the future through a life dedicated to prayer.

From the Vatican,

Pope Benedict XVI

8 February 2013

Catholic Communications, Sydney Archdiocese

Today's surprise announcement by AGL to suspend plans to sink up to 72 coal seam gas wells at 11 surface locations between Liverpool and Campbelltown has triggered few celebrations among residents, including Varrowville's religious communities.

"AGL has not said it is withdrawing its plans to expand its CSG operations, only that it is suspending them," says Father Greg Burke PCD, spokesman on public issues for the Discalced Carmelite Friars at Mt Carmel Priory and Mt Carmel Retreat Centre at Varrowville.

For the past three years Fr Greg has been at the forefront of the battle waged by residents, farmers, business leaders, local councils and townships across the region to prevent further CSG wells across the region.

Concerns of those opposed to the energy giant's plans to expand CSG mining have not only been related to the large number of wells involved which would operate 24/7, clogging roads with trucks and heavy machinery, but have included safety, health and subsidence issues as well as fears of contamination of the water table and aquifers.

Under AGL's expansion proposals are plans to drill horizontally underground via a series of excavated tunnels under newly-built housing developments such as Gregory Hills and Catherine Fields as well as under the homes, businesses, connecting highways, hospitals and schools in Raby, St Andrews, Kearns, Eagle Vale and Victoria Park.

In addition to horizontal drilling, the AGL application to the NSW Government lodged in 2010 reserved the right to vertically drill using the controversial "fracking" method which pumps a mix of water, sand and toxic chemicals including cyanide, cadmium, copper and chlorine underground at high pressure to bring more gas to the surface.

7 February 2013

Catholic Communications, Sydney Archdiocese

RU486 popularly known as the abortion pill is unpredictable, high risk and can cause immense pain, weeks of nausea, severe bleeding, rare infections that are often not diagnosed until it is too late, and in some instances may even cause death, says Dr Renate Klein.

A biologist, social scientist, women's health researcher and the former Associate Professor in Women's Studies at Deakin University, Melbourne, Dr Klein has long been an outspoken opponent of RU486 and the accompanying prostaglandin (PG) drug that is taken two days later to trigger a chemically-induced abortion.

She is adamant these drugs should not have been approved for registration and use by Australian women to terminate pregnancies by the Therapeutic and Goods Administration (TGA). She also questions why one company, MS Health, a subsidiary of Marie Stopes International will now control the importation of RU486 which is also known as mifepristone as well as its companion drug, GyMiso, a prostaglandin drug the company imports from France.

Additional questions as to why MS Health has been given permission to conduct "on line" training with interested clinics and GPs who wish to offer RU486 and PG chemical abortions to Australian women also need to be asked, she says.

At the end of August last year, the TGA announced it had approved RU 486/PG as the combination drugs are known for use by Australian women as a "relatively safe and effective way" to terminate unwanted pregnancies.

But according to Dr Klein there has been a lack of time to canvass the range of scientific social and ethical issues emanating from the complexity of RU486/prostaglandin abortions necessary before granting approval for the drugs' use in Australia.

4 February 2013

Catholic Communications, Sydney Archdiocese

People addicted to poker machine gambling continue to wreak havoc and harm on families with social welfare agencies urging the government quit its go-slow roll-out and introduce legislation as soon as possible.

Dr John Falzon, CEO of the National Council of St Vincent de Paul Society believes the government's go-slow on poker machine legislation is resulting in family breakdowns and severe health problems.

While welcoming the Government's National Gambling Reform Act 2012 which was passed by Federal Parliament late last year, Vinnies says implementation of the legislation and further gambling reforms cannot come soon enough.

"Our members have given a clear message that poker machines continue to devastate families," he says.

At National Council as well as local state and grass root levels, Vinnies remains convinced that in order to reduce the harm caused by poker machines, mandatory commitment technology and maximum $1 bets are essential.

"As found by the Productivity Commission, gaming machines are the prime source of problem gambling in Australia and the harms resulting from problem gambling include suicide, depression, relationship breakdown, lowered work productivity, job loss, bankruptcy and crime," Dr Falzon warns.

However despite reports by the Commission together with intense lobbying from Vinnies, the Australian Churches Gambling Taskforce and independent Federal MPs, Andrew Wilkie and Senator Nick Xenophon, the Government's Gambling Reform Act is a much watered down version of what the Prime Minister Julia Gillard initially promised to Mr Wilkie after the 2010 election when she needed his support to form Government.