Aussie Pope Alarm released on eve of the Conclave for Australian Catholics

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 →

Cardinal rejects smear

Cardinal George Pell

11 March 2013

Fairfax media today carried a story, repeated by other media outlets, alleging that Cardinal George Pell is “tainted by sex abuse scandals” and “long dogged” by allegations of sexual abuse against him.

These statements are utterly false and seriously defamatory. They have no basis in fact and deliberately misrepresent the outcome of a 2002 inquiry by a retired Victorian Supreme Court judge which completely exonerated Cardinal Pell of allegations made against him.

At all times, including in sworn evidence before the Southwell Inquiry, Cardinal Pell denied the allegations. Continue reading →

Book launch of “Why Bother Praying?” by Fr Richard Leonard SJ of ACOFB

cover image: why bother praying by Fr Richard Leonard sj

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 →

Support for hosting asylum seekers in the community

Media Release, 28 February

The Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office fully support the current policy of hosting asylum seekers in the community on bridging visas and in community residence determination. We have great respect for the decision to increase Australia’s humanitarian intake to 20,000 each year and also believe it is appropriate for Australia to defend the right of all people to seek asylum.

“Asylum seekers are not criminals and should not be treated as such. The suggestion that serious crimes committed by one asylum seekers gives grounds for treating all asylum seekers as criminals is greatly concerning” said Fr Maurizio Pettenà, Director of ACMRO.

“The hosting of asylum seekers in the community is an entirely appropriate, effective and humane way for Australia to respond. We have thousands of Australians who have volunteered their time to help asylum seekers and in the process have developed wonderful friendships” said Fr Pettenà. Continue reading →

New-look Young Catholic Women’s Interfaith Fellowship underway

Fellowship participant

Media Release, 26 February, 2012

Seventeen women from right across Australia have embarked on a journey of faith and leadership development as they take up the new-look Young Catholic Women’s Interfaith Fellowship.

The Fellowship, which has been relaunched with a new structure this year, will see the women, from 12 dioceses, undertake a formation program which includes theological studies, interfaith engagement and leadership development.

It is a project of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference (ACBC) and is being sponsored by various religious congregations, institutions and Church agencies. For the first time, the academic component of the Fellowship will be undertaken through The Broken Bay Institute (BBI).

Chairman of the ACBC Commission for Church Ministry, Bishop David Walker, said the Fellowship, which first began in 2006, acknowledged and supported the essential place of women in the Church and the important role they can play in interfaith relations. Continue reading →

Sowing in Tears: Lenten Pastoral letter of NSW Bishops in response to Royal Commission

“Those who are sowing in tears will sing when they reap” – Psalm 125(126):5

Sowing in Tears

Brothers and sisters in Christ,

Lent words are ‘re’ words: re-pent, re-turn, re-cover, re-pair, re-new. All are called to repentance, not just the great sinners, because all are affected when any member is sinful or suffering. The Body of Christ is wounded.

Yet for all the bruised purple, Lent is a season of hope. It ends not with death but with rising from the dead. As the Holy Father reminds us this Lent, our faith means we can look beyond present ills with joyful hope to the fullness of Christ’s victory, won by His perfect obedience (Pope Benedict XVI, Message for Lent 2013, n. 4).

Against the backdrop of this Lenten paradox – of tears and joy, Cross and Resurrection – the Church in Australia has been rocked by child sexual abuse. As one prominent lay commentator observed: “Like every community, the Catholic Church is a Church of sinners. Its spiritual rhythms repeat the ancient biblical cycle of failure, repentance, penance, forgiveness and reconciliation. Yet even in a Church that knows a lot about sin, some acts of wickedness still retain their capacity to shock. The sexual abuse of minors by priests – men traditionally called ‘Father’ – is one such kind of wickedness. So is the failure of bishops – shepherds, in the ancient image – to guard the flock against predators, especially predators from within the household of faith.” (George Weigel, The Courage to be Catholic, pp1-2) Continue reading →

Marriage and Family Council’s Valentine’s Day kit

Valentine’s Day Kit

To download resources for Valentine’s Day, click here

In 2010, the Bishops Commission for Pastoral Life launched the St Valentine’s Day initiative. We are delighted to offer you our 2013 edition which continues our ongoing desire to use the innate joyfulness of the feast of St Valentine to promote and affirm marriage as life-long romantic love.

In a culture that is increasingly intolerant of Christian values and beliefs, feasts that have captured the imagination of the secular community, like St Valentine’s Day, represent a unique opportunity for the Church. It is an opportunity for us to proclaim our beliefs in a way that is affirming and life-giving to deeply held values that are shared by many in the wider community. In doing so, we highlight the positive good that such values have and reinforce the need to protect them for the benefit of the whole community.

I invite you to use the resources enclosed to focus parish or school attention on the role of marriage on or around St Valentine’s Day.

Yours in Christ,
Bishop Eugene Hurley
Chairman, Bishops Commission for Pastoral Life

A Conversation with Cardinal George Pell on the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI


Cardinal Pell speaks to Katrina Lee on the resignation of the Pope

Catholic Communications, Sydney Archdiocese,
12 Feb 2013

At the below link, Cardinal Pell talks to Communications Director of the Archdiocese of Sydney, Katrina Lee, about the Holy Father’s decision to leave the papacy; his legacy; his leadership and writings; the process from now and if a new pope will introduce a new era in the Church. This is published on YouTube via the Xt3 Channel.

A Conversation with Cardinal George Pell on the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI

Pope Benedict XVI’s passion for integral human development inspires Project Compassion 2013

Project Compassion 2013

Media Release, 13 February, 2013

The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference (ACBC) today called on Australians to support Project Compassion, the annual Lenten appeal of Caritas Australia, the Catholic agency for international aid and development.

As one of Australia’s largest humanitarian fundraisers, Project Compassion brings together thousands of Australians in solidarity with the world’s poor and in 2013 its message of hope remains as powerful as ever.

Project Compassion 2013 is based on these inspiring words of Pope Benedict XVI’s encyclical Spe Salvi, 35:“We work towards a brighter and more humane world so as to open doors into the future.” Continue reading →

Diocese of Wilcannia Forbes

Diocese of Wilcannia-Forbes

Media Release 13 February, 2013

President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference Archbishop Denis Hart today received a letter from Cardinal Marc Ouellet, Prefect of the Congregation of Bishops, regarding the future of the Diocese of Wilcannia-Forbes.

The Congregation has been considering various proposals relating to the Diocese including the possibility that some parishes might be attached to other neighbouring Dioceses.

The Congregation has recommended that the Diocese of Wilcannia-Forbes continue as a Diocese, and has advised that a Bishop will be appointed in due course. Continue reading →