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LENT 2004
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Caritas Aotearoa New Zealand http://www.caritas.org.nz/lent.asp
The theme of Caritas' Lent appeal for 2004 is “The Spirit of Hope is at Work in the World” taken from Pope John Paul II’s World Day of Peace Message, 1998. To be part of our appeal you can pick up a Caritas Lenten Envelope at your parish. If you do not belong to a parish you can contact the office and we can send an envelope out to you or you can donate on line using your credit card. The donations Caritas receives from this appeal help fund development projects around the world. The Lenten envelopes highlight five of these projects and provides information on how Caritas works with communities through sustainable development.
Lent Reflection Programme 2004
Each year Caritas also prepares a programme for use by small groups in parishes during Lent. In previous years the Lenten Programme has focused on particular justice issues. This year's programme of four small group sessions involves Scripture-based reflection, focusing on the Gospels of the Sundays of Lent and exploring the meaning of Lent. It includes prayers from the Psalms and other readings, and is an open and prayerful process.
Education Resources for Lent 2004
For schools there is an education section which brings pertinent global issues into the classroom. The primary school material focuses on Kenya. It introduces students to Kenyan history and culture. The secondary school teacher resource for year 9-11 looks at International debt and World Trade and the manner in whichthey affect developing nations. Secondary school yr 9-11 resource. The Year 12-13 students have a unit written for unit standard 6035. The ethical issue focused on is World Trade and the ways it affects food security. (resources available via http://www.caritas.org.nz/lent.asp )
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John Paul II Again Urges Aid to Children This Lent Points to Scourge of AIDS, Trafficking, Abuse and War http://zenit.org/english/visualizza.phtml?sid=49622 Vatican City, Feb. 25, 2004 (Zenit.org).- The favored beneficiaries of Catholics' self-denial and charity this Lent should be children, says John Paul II, reiterating a desire he made known in a recent message. His Message for Lent, presented in late January, had as its theme the words of Jesus, "Whoever receives one such child in my name receives me." Today, in his homily for Ash Wednesday, delivered in St. Peter's Basilica, the Holy Father wished "to draw attention, in particular, to the difficult conditions in which so many children of the world find themselves."...
On the Meaning of Prayer, Fasting and Almsgiving in Lent http://zenit.org/english/visualizza.phtml?sid=49697 Naples, Italy, Feb. 26, 2004 (Zenit.org).- The journey back to God that Lent represents has in prayer, fasting and almsgiving three fundamental points of support, says the preacher of this year's retreat at the Roman Curia. Monsignor Bruno Forte, a member of the International Theological Commission, will begin preaching the Spiritual Exercises this Sunday. In an interview with Vatican Radio, the theologian said the world's current situation calls for living Lent "as a journey of profound return from the heart of life to God."...
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'THE PASSION'
'The Passion Of The Christ', by Peter Calder (review) NZ Herald 26.02.2004 http://tinyurl.com/3358f First, a disclaimer: though raised to have a more-than-nodding acquaintance with the Gospels, I bring not a shred of theological acumen to bear on the 21st century's first film about the first century's most enduring story. Modern biblical scholarship and the re-interpretation of the historical record have rather passed me by and, with some relief, I leave it to others to argue about the fidelity of Gibson's film to the historical facts and competing dogmas....
Filmgoers flock to 'Passion of the Christ' NZ Herald 25.02.2004 http://tinyurl.com/26e57 Cinemas say there is an unprecedented level of interest in Mel Gibson's biblical film The Passion of the Christ. The film of Jesus' last hours opened today - Ash Wednesday - and the world's first paid screening was at Hoyts Wairau Park, on Auckland's North Shore, at 12.01 this morning....
Controversial Gibson film moves local church leaders Violence in movie `appropriate' Otago Daily Times 25-February 2004 http://tinyurl.com/3h6fp Dunedin church leaders have been moved by Mel Gibson's film The Passion of the Christ , which opens today, Ash Wednesday. Some Dunedin priests and pastors have already seen the movie in a preview session last week...
"The Passion of the Christ" (film review by the US Catholic Bishops' Conference) http://www.usccb.org/movies/p/thepassionofthechrist.htm Summary: Although the film's brutality poignantly conveys the depth of Christ's love by showing him freely enduring such extreme agony for the redemption of all sinners, the graphic nature of the raw visuals is played to diminishing returns. Following the basic outline of the gospel passion narratives, director Mel Gibson embroiders his interpretive retelling of scripture with extra-biblical sources as well as his own imagination, to craft an at times profoundly moving movie which succeeds in stripping Christ's sacrificial suffering of its Sunday school sugar-coating. While it is the film's assertion that responsibility for Christ's torture and death rest squarely with the Roman authorities, and away from the collective Jewish populace, the movie presents a historically skewed depiction of the Temple elite's sway with their imperial overlords. Gory scenes of torture and crucifixion, a suicide and some frightening images. The USCCB Office for Film & Broadcasting classification is A-III -- adults.
A number of Websites have been opened for those who have been moved by the film and are asking themselves 'what next?', and to provide teaching resources centered on the Passion of Christ:
Archdiocese of Sydney: 'The Passion' http://sydney.catholic.org.au/events/Passion
Australian Bible Society http://www.thepassion.org.au
Canadian bishops' site: http://www.cccb.ca/Files/Passion_Home.html
The Passion of the Christ (teaching resource) http://www.daughtersofstpaul.com/thepassionofchristmovie
A Guide to "The Passion of the Christ" Website: http://passion.catholicexchange.com Interview: http://zenit.org/english/visualizza.phtml?sid=49510
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FROM THE SECULAR PRESS
Bishop disputes liability for sex abuse NZ Herald 28.02.2004 http://tinyurl.com/yts7y The Catholic Bishop of Auckland told three brothers sexually abused by a priest that the church was not legally responsible for his actions. Bishop Patrick Dunn's comments have stunned the three men and surprised lawyers, who say the church is liable - regardless of whether it knew about the offending at the time...
Pompallier name to grace city reserve Central Leader (Auckland) 27 February 2004 http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/sundaystartimes/auckland/0,2106,2827418a6497,00.htm\ l A battle to give a founding Catholic bishop more prominence in a tiny corner of Auckland has been partly won. The Western Bays Community Board has decided to support a campaign to rename Ponsonby's tiny Pompallier Reserve to Bishop Pompallier Reserve to signpost the area's links to the historical figure, who is believed to have lived nearby....
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FROM THE CATHOLIC PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES
Four percent of priests serving over last 50 years accused of abuse http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/0401118.htm Washington (Catholic News Service) -- About 4 percent of U.S. priests ministering from 1950 to 2002 were accused of sex abuse with a minor, according to the first comprehensive national study of the issue....
Building peace with culture: Catholic school pupils turn ethnic and cultural differences into enriching theatre http://www.fides.org/eng/news/2004/0402/26_1812.html Honiara (Fides Service) - Schools and school children are helping to build peace in Solomon Islands with a variety of activities to promote dialogue and reconciliation including theatre...
Missionary Childhood children in Germany help provide food for starving children in North Korea http://www.fides.org/eng/news/2004/0402/20_1757.html Aachen (Fides Service ) - To help children in North Korea threatened by starvation, children members of Missionary Childhood in Germany have offered 20,000 Euro to buy food supplies...
Vatican rebuff for Sydney's "premature" 2007 World Youth Day bid http://www.cathnews.com/news/402/124.php The head of the Pontifical Council for the Laity's Youth Section has acted to suppress talk of which country is to host the 2007 World Youth Day by calling the public announcement of bids "inappropriate"....
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FAITH CENTRAL
A resource site for Religious Education in New Zealand Catholic secondary schools http://www.faithcentral.net.nz
'Modern Church History' http://www.faithcentral.net.nz/inclass/modernhistory.htm Newly discovered countries prompted the Church to expand to Asia, Africa, America and the Pacific. But revolution is in the air and new ideas challenge old ways of thinking. The First Vatican Council is the Church's response. However, the horrors of two World Wars rapidly change the world again. The Second Vatican Council responds to the new world in which it finds itself.
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"THE WORD FROM ROME"
http://www.nationalcatholicreporter.org/word/
A weekly column in the National Catholic Reporter by the paper's full-time Vatican correspondent John L. Allen
Summary of the column for Feb. 27, 2004: 'The Passion' and 'liturgy wars'; A tour of Archbishop Chaput's Denver Archdiocese; Annual Religious Education Congress in Los Angeles; Canadian talk show interview on current Catholic issues; The John Jay report on the US sexual abuse crisis
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EVENTS
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Courses sponsored by the Outreach and Evangelisation Commission, Hamilton Catholic Diocese Presented by Adrian & Anne Commadeur and Nan Deakin from the Melbourne Schools of Evangelisation
"Emmaus" : Saturday 6 March and Sunday 7 March 2004 Listen as Jesus walks with the disciples to Emmaus and unfolds the meaning of Scripture to you
Venue: Catholic Hall, St Joseph's, Te Aroha. Register by 16 February -see your Parish for brochures. Each course costs $40, or whatever the participants can afford. Some billets available with parishioners.
For further information contact Julia (07) 863 7575 Waihi Liz (07) 858 2954 Hamilton John (07) 846 2691 Hamilton jlewis@wave.co.nz
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Jesus 4 Real Ministries http://www.jesus4real.org.nz "A voluntary lay ministry committed to building up the faith in Catholic teenagers"
Camp for Years 11-13: Wednesday 14 April to Sunday 18 April, Paraparaumu (near Wellington). Full details on the Website and from Anne and Andy Lovell, tel (06) 364 3141
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EMPLOYMENT
[Teaching vacancies in New Zealand Catholic schools are advertised in the Education Gazette: http://www.edgazette.govt.nz/vacancies ]
[Vacancies in Catholic Youth Ministry are advertised on the Job Bank page of the National Council for Young Catholics: http://ncyc.org.nz ]
Prison Chaplain, Mt Eden Prison Women's Division Details in 'NZ Catholic' Feb.22 p.22 and from Eric Allan, Director, Catholic and Family Community Services, tel. (09) 378 9650
