Fr. Antoine Tarabay OLM
Archbishop Denis Hart, President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference has welcomed the appointment by the Holy Father, Pope Francis, of Fr. Antoine Tarabay O.L.M. (Lebanese Maronite Order) as Bishop of the Diocese of St. Maroun (Maronites) in Australia.
“For the Australian Bishops, I warmly welcome the appointment by Pope Francis of Fr. Antoine Tarabay to the Maronite diocese of Australia”, said Archbishop Hart. Continue reading
NCEC logo
The National Catholic Education Commission (NCEC) is, of course, unable to agree or disagree with the funding reform proposal until the State and Territory Governments, who are also significant partners in the funding of Catholic schools, indicate their positions. Continue reading
President of UFPA, Ernie Bridge
UFPA is one of Caritas Australia’s long-term partners in the First Australians Program. In 2003 Caritas started supporting UFPA, which runs a holistic, community-owned Australian Indigenous Wellness Program in Djarindjin and eight other communities across the Kimberley region.
Caritas CEO Jack de Groot said Ernie was instrumental in the establishment, development, management and implementation of the program, which strives to prevent diseases like diabetes and to improve healthcare across vulnerable Indigenous Australian communities.
Mr de Groot and Mark Green, Group Leader, First Australians Program, both recently spent time with Ernie and his family in Perth.
“To know of Ernie’s wonderful focus on walking with Aboriginal people so they become the owners of programs to prevent diabetes has been inspiring,” Mr de Groot said. Continue reading
Archbishop Denis Hart, President of The Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference, and Sr Annette Cunliffe RSC, Chair of Catholic Religious Australia, have today announced the members of the Truth Justice and Healing Council (TJHC).
The TJHC will oversee the Catholic Church’s engagement with the Royal Commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse.
Francis Sullivan, CEO of the Council, welcomed the announcement saying the 13 member Council is made up of men and women with professional and other expertise, especially across child sexual abuse, paedophilia, trauma, mental illness, suicide and public policy.
“The Church and members of the TJHC are determined that the truth be told and that the Church assists victims and those damaged by abuse as children receive justice and to embark on a sustainable process of healing. ” Francis Sullivan said.
“Councillors have been chosen for their obvious expertise and their willingness to give frank and independent advice.”
“This Council will guide the Church as it goes through the Royal Commission, and will approach the task with openness and compassion.”
” We accept that the Royal Commission may well reveal embarrassing and shameful episodes from our past, but it is necessary in order for the truth to heal and for the community to see that our engagement is genuine and sincere.”
” Our task also involves advising the Church on the best practice changes to protect children and prevent sexual abuse.”
” This is a crucial task as the Church demonstrates through its actions that the welfare and safety of children are the highest priority.”
The Truth Justice and Healing Council will hold its first meeting in Sydney in mid April. Continue reading
People in need of humanitarian assistance.
CARITAS Australia, part of Caritas Internationalis one of the world’s largest humanitarian networks, has called for more to be done to contain the growing humanitarian crisis in Syria and neighbouring countries.
Two years of conflict in Syria has caused more than 70,000 deaths and four million people are now in need of urgent humanitarian assistance, including 2.5 million people within Syria who are now internally displaced. Just last week, the UNHCR announced that the number of Syrians registered or receiving assistance as refugees in neighbouring countries had surpassed 1 million.
The Caritas network including Caritas Lebanon, Caritas Jordan and Caritas Turkey have a long established presence in the region.
In response to the crisis, the Caritas network is providing emergency humanitarian assistance, shelter, medical care, food, water and sanitation, and psychosocial support to many Syrian refugees in Lebanon, Jordan and Turkey. Continue reading
Pope Francis prays in front of Our Lady at his inauguration mass
Fr Richard Leonard
The Election
The Election was first published in Eureka Street
It’s only by good luck and blessing that I found myself in Rome during these days. I have been booked to come as a visiting professor to the Gregorian University for the last twelve months. Obviously BXVI got wind of it and resigned, setting in motion the events of recent days.
On Tuesday morning I was being interviewed by Geraldine Doogue for “Compass” on the roof of the Jesuit Curia, right next to the St Peter’s Square, when the black smoke went up. I said to Gerry on air, “It’s just like so many people’s impressions of the Catholic Church – black or white!” That gem deserves to be left on the cutting room floor. No one thought the Conclave would have it done after three votes, and most seasoned Vatican-watchers were saying Thursday midday.
I finished teaching at 7pm. The first clue that something was on were the bells. As the white smoke went up, the bells at St Peter’s starts ringing and, through a centuries-old tradition, the tolling cascades from one belfry to the next. It took two minutes for the churches around the Trevi Fountain, where the Gregorian is located, to ring out the news. I guess a tweet would be quicker, but less poetic.
At that moment a Polish nun, in full habit ran past me shouting ‘fumare bianca, fumare bianca’. Sister was excited. And all of a sudden so was I. These last days have seen this extraordinary Catholic theatre: where 115 men talk to the world via a chimney stack. It was time for the ‘big reveal’. I now know where real-life TV gets this stuff from. Continue reading
Bishop Peter Ingham
Bishop Peter Ingham today warmly welcomed the election of Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio SJ as the new Pope. Taking the name Francis, the new pontiff was elected on the second day of the Conclave of Cardinals.
Bishop Ingham said he joined with all Catholics in praying for the new Pope as he took on the awesome responsibility of leading the world’s 1.2 billion Catholics.
Bishop Ingham said, “I am very excited! The election of a new Pope is always a joyous time for the Church as was witnessed by the massive crowds gathered in St Peter’s Square braving the rain. He looked so calm and humble during what would have been a very daunting moment in his life. I liked how he asked the people to pray for him.
“Although a somewhat unexpected candidate, I am thrilled with the decision and I think it shows that the Cardinals really have listened to the Holy Spirit. Being from Latin America, the new Pope brings with him the perspective of the Southern Hemisphere to the Northern Hemisphere. He also brings with him a great social conscience. He is a champion of the poor, which is clearly evident in the simple spartan lifestyle that he has lived.
“As a member of the international Jesuit order, which means the Society of Jesus, the new Pope comes from a great legacy of spiritual leadership, prayer, and a strong focus on education and social justice – being a voice for the voiceless. As Archbishop Denis Hart said, he focuses us on following Jesus closely. Continue reading
Aussie Pope Alarm image
Media Release, 12 March, 2013
Inspired by www.popealarm.com – a revolutionary new web application that will send a text message or email when the white smoke rises from the Vatican- the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference’s Communications office has developed aussiepopealarm.com.
The Communications Office saw the creation of aussiepopealarm.com as a way in which Catholics in Australia could more fully participate in this historic moment in the Catholic Church’s history.
The US-based organisation FOCUS developed popealarm.com which is an excellent service working on US and Canadian telephone numbers.
A Carmelite priest working in the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn Fr Jaison Mulerrikal CMI worked with a team of web developers over a 24-hour period to bring this application to an Australian audience.
Matthew Price of mbprice.com designed the landing page, which features links, a field to enter your information and beautiful images of the Sistine Chapel. Continue reading
Book launch – 7:30pm Tuesday 2 April, 20-13, St Mary’s Church, North Sydney
Fr Richard Leonard SJ, Director of the Australian Catholic Office for Film and Broadcasting will launch his new book Why Bother Praying? (New York: Paulist Press, 2013) 7.30pm, Tuesday 2nd April 2013, St Mary’s Church, 264 Miller St, North Sydney.
Why Bother Praying? is less about how to pray, and more about why we pray and what it does for us, for God and for the world.
Richard explores the context within which we pray, what is distinctive about Christian prayer, praying to Jesus, what communal prayers do, how Mary and the Saints help us pray, and finally, what the point of prayer is – sending us out with Christ to witness to the reign of God in our world. The book will be available for sale, there will be an opportunity for a signing, and a reception will follow the lecture in The Ron Dyer Centre. Continue reading