Sunday, August 24, 2003

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FROM THE CATHOLIC PRESS

'Bite-sized goodness' in prize-winning NZ Catholic paper http://www.cathnews.com/news/308/102.php New Zealand's national Catholic newspaper 'NZ Catholic' has won the Bishop Phillip Kennedy Memorial Prize for Newspapers, announced at the annual Australasian Catholic Press Association conference in Canberra....

"True and False Reform", by Cardinal Avery Dulles First Things 135 (August/September 2003): 14-19. http://www.firstthings.com/ftissues/ft0308/articles/dulles.html (Summary: Since Vatican II reform movements have proliferated, but some of them have been ambiguous or misconceived. On the left we find initiatives that seek to make the Church more tolerant, more liberal, and more democratic. Moderately to the right are orthodox but intransigent theologians who aspire to “reform the reforms” introduced in the wake of Vatican II. At the extreme right the Church is confronted by movements that seek to undo the work of the Council itself. More than a decade before Vatican II the French Dominican Yves Congar wrote a book with the title "True and False Reform in the Church". Drawing to some degree on Congar’s fine exploratory work, [the writer] should like to suggest a number of principles by which reform proposals in our day might be assessed.)

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FROM THE SECULAR PRESS

"New priest moves back to his roots" (photo) Ashburton Guardian http://www.ashburtonguardian.co.nz/index.asp?articleid=2126 Father Bede Haughey has always loved working in rural ministries so it is no surprise he is thriving as part of the Methven community. Father Bede made the move to Methven at the end of January, after spending five years working in Waimate and one year overseas, but before he became a priest he was Temuka born and bred....

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"Councillor didn't have a prayer " Fairfax News 23 August 2003 http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,2636830a11,00.html Silence reigned as Mayor George Wood read the familiar words of the North Shore City Council's prayer for what could have been the last time. But the peace was not to last at the extraordinary meeting, which ended in the salvation of that same prayer after an attempt by councillor Andrew Williams to cull it...

Related link: North Shore City Council is having a closed door meeting regarding prayers (TV 3 video report) http://xtramsn.co.nz/musicandvideo/0,,6082-2603177-56,00.html

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"Catholic actions defended Not church policy to cover up crime" Otago Daily Times 21-August 2003 http://tinyurl.com/kx8x The Roman Catholic Church is not in the business of covering up crime, New Zealand Catholic Church communications director Lyndsay Freer says. Responding to yesterday's report giving details of a 40-year-old confidential Vatican document outlining a policy of secrecy in dealing with allegations of sexual abuse, which also threatened those who spoke out with excommunication, Mrs Freer said New Zealand Catholic bishops almost certainly received the document, which was sent to bishops around the world....

"Christian party debating merger as leader says goodbye " NZ Herald 23.08.2003 http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=3519595&thesection=news&thesu\ bsection=general After years of fruitless effort to get into Parliament, Christian Heritage leader the Rev Graham Capill is calling it a day as the party meets to decide whether to merge with another party. Delegates at a convention in Nelson will decide today on Mr Capill's replacement. They will also decide on a new party president and vice-president, and the party's direction in light of United Future's success at the last election and the emergence of a third Christian party, Destiny New Zealand....

"Religious Freedom in a Muslim Culture. The Kuwaiti model." National Review (US) August 21, 2003 http://www.nationalreview.com/comment/comment-bandow082103.asp Kuwait City, Kuwait — Like other Muslim states, Kuwait is filled with mosques. But Kuwait possesses something that many of Muslim nations do not have: Christian churches. Saudi Arabia is renowned for its suppression of religious liberty, including executing apostates. Christian churches have been bombed and burned in Muslim countries ranging from Pakistan to Indonesia. And Christians in Iraq are now worrying about their future. In contrast, Kuwait allows its many Christian residents to worship in peace....

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FROM THE DICTIONARY OF NATIONAL BIOGRAPHY

Cooper, William Turakiuta 1885/1886? - 1949 (Husband of Dame Whina Cooper) Ngati Kahungunu; interpreter, land officer http://www.dnzb.govt.nz/dnzb/default.asp?Find_Quick.asp?PersonEssay=4C34

Grace, Morgan Stanislaus 1837 - 1903 (Catholic layman) Doctor, soldier, businessman, politician, churchman http://www.dnzb.govt.nz/dnzb/default.asp?Find_Quick.asp?PersonEssay=2G15

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CATHOLICTV.NET

http://www.catholictv.net

The usual Introduction by Louise is immediately followed by CTV's first-ever commercial, for Wellington's Catholic Development Fund. The commerical is a clever combination of an hilarious American TV commercial, followed by a plug for the CDF. Well worth watching for the first part at least.

Also up this week ...

Aussie Sister Susan Shannon reveals to Sr Stephanie Kitching how she came to be a nun.

Gil Baile, President of the Cornerstone Forum, an American organisation concerned with the cultural and spiritual crises in our lives, talks to John Kleinsman about sexuality and spirituality.

In Coffee Break, Fr Chris Skinner chats to Kim von Lantham (ANZ Bank) about the struggle to take a break from work

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EDUCATION IN FAITH

New on Faith Central, a resource site for Catholic secondary schools...

CREATION AND CO CREATION http://www.faithcentral.net.nz/inclass/creation.htm

How did the world begin? Did God create the world in seven days? Did the Universe begin with a Big Bang? Does the Church accept the Theory of Evolution? What should our relationship be to the world in which we live? How can we be co-creators and not de-creators?

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EVENTS

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August 2003

Family, Sexuality and Pro-Life Seminar (free) 29-30 August 2003 Venue: Blessed Sacrament Catholioc Church, Ardwick Street, Gore. Details in 'NZ Catholic. Aug 24 2003 p. 21 and from: Fr Vaughan Leslie, tel (03) 208 9601; e-mail frvjpleslie@hotmail.com

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September 2003

'NZ Catholic' newspaper's National Art and Faith Competition Closing date: September 19 2003; works to be in by September 30; exhibition opens October 3. For paintings of a spiritual nature demonstrating the vitality, joy and hope found in Christian beliefs. Three categories, including one for works relating to Mary the mother of Jesus, and one for icons. Prizes to the value of $4,750 Entry forms from "Art Competition", NZ Catholic, PO Box 147-000, Ponsonby, Auckland 1034. Tel: (09) 360 3069; E-mail: catholic@iconz.co.nz

Related Website: NZ Art Monthly: 'Art and Faith' Competition http://www.nzartmonthly.co.nz/draper_002.html Background to the competition and a selection of entries from 2001