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The lay apostolate in the fields of family, youth „ and the intellectuals needed special emphasis in a today's world, Archbishop Barbarito, papal pronuncio in Australia, told a gathering of 120 lay representatives last Saturday. Archbishop Barbarito warned his He pointed out that the first against wanting to withlisteners Church went the postles of a that was excluonly briefly to many towns draw to a society sively Catholic instead of being a when they cities but and Catholic presence in the wider returned there were thou- community. sands of converts to "We need thinkers who also are Christianity. Catholics, scientists who also are
"Who did the converting?" Archbishop Barbarito continued. "The lay people..and we have to return to that original idea of the faithful being apostles." Referring to his four years as papal representative in West Africa, he made the point that the Moslem religion had spread across 54 the globe from Africa to Asia yet it did not send out missionaries. The conversion had been made by merchants — lay people who felt obliged to spread their Moslem faith. liii "The Church learnt this lesson in the first century but then forgot it," he explained. "Each person has to be a witness Ts by his life and profession of his lt faith." Stressing the effect that each person can have on society at large, he lS cited areas in which the laity had to make special efforts.
Crucial point
The family apostolate was first and in his recent travels the pope had insisted on the sanctity of family life, the respect for life, the transmission of life and the defence of life, the archbishop said. He called the family apostolate a crucial point in an affluent society. llg Turning to the apostolate to youth the pro-nuncio said: i i "You have selective apostolates to students, or to workers, but possibly you are lacking in an apostolate to youth at large. "Youth are looking for values. We have something to offer. "They are looking for some apostolic call to respond to; they are expecting something from the Church. :'We have to provide proper solutions to their problems with conviction, compassion and clarity." Archbishop Barbarito said that Y outh were searching for spirituality, even in some of the various cults. They were looking for something different in their lives. He said that while the wider apostolate to youth should develop there should also be an increase of the youth apostolate among stuCj and workers. Speaking of the intellectual apostolate, the pro-nuncio said that in the intellectual field Catholics did not have a presence proportionate to their number in the community. "The impact of Catholics in intellectual life is not proportionate to the 25 per cent they are in the national population," he said. Noting the big numbers that had been educated at Catholic schools he asked: "Where are they?" In the past ten years humanists had shaped many sensitive areas of legislation. "We need not only the occasional conference or seminar but an active and constant presence so that we deepen our knowledge and •er act accordingly," he said.
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Catholics, teachers and cultural dispensers who also are Catholics so that they can influence the milieu in which they work," he said. "We must not give the impression that we want to take the world over. "We need people with a sound theological background, with a strong faith, strong love of Christ and the Church and with dedication." Archbishop Barbarito praised the magnificent effort Catholics had achieved in the field of charitable and social works conducted by the various institutions.
After Mass in St. Mary's Cathedral last Sunday, the Papal Pro-Nuncio Archbishop Barbarito has a word with baby Rosalie Patricia Gehrmann, held by her father, Otto, alongside daughters Maria Louise (obscured) and Iringard. Originally from Germany, the family have just come from Sydney to Park wood.
Bishops' call to Aust. Gout. on El Saluador
SYDNEY: An Australian bishop has called on the Australian Government to recognise that military aid to El Salvador can only serve to increase the present conflict. Bishop William Murray Gerry (Brisbane), and Daly more intense, Bishop Murray said. of Wollongong, chairman (Bendigo). He quoted Archbishop The committee has overall of the Australian Catholic murdered at the altar Romero, responsibility for matters conBishops Committee for cerned with justice and develop- during Mass in March 1979: Development and Peace, ment, Australian Catholic "The Church cannot do anywas discussing Prime Relief and Catholic Commis- thing less than raise its voice Minister Fraser's state- sion for Justice and Peace. when injustice has overpowered ment of support for the Bishop Murray called on Aus- society. It cannot remain quiet actions of the United tralians to pray for the people when human rights are suffering violence in El Salva- trampled." States in the region. dor and to voice their concern "We call on the Australian to the Australian Government Government to recognise that that no action will be taken to the roots of the present violence increase this suffering. He said that the origin of the are in the poverty and oppression suffered by the people for present conflict lay in 50 years so long," Bishop Murray said of government in the interests on behalf of the Bishops' Com- of a few landowners and a life of mittee that had discussed the appalling hardship for the vast majority of the people. issue. Since General Romero Bishop Healy attended the assumed power after a doubtful regular half-yearly meeting, election in 1977 the conflict along with Bishops Heather between the Catholic - Church (Sydney), Cremin (Sydney), and the government had grown
Bishop Damas, of San Salvador, has said: "The violence that results from military actions is not a solution to our conflict. "What are we accomplishing by multiplying armaments? I raise this question to those who supply lethal weapons to the government or to the guerillas." Bishop Murray said that in 1980 at least 8,000 civilians had died in El Salvador as a result of violence, the majority of them murdered by government troops or militia.
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PATRIARCH'S ESCAPE
Patriarch Maximos speaking during Mass at Queen of Martyrs Church, May/ands, in January.
BEIRUT, Lebanon (NC) — firing, said a police spokesman. Melkite-Rite Patriarch Maxi- The patriarch's driver sped mos V Hakim of Antioch, who away and reported the incident, visited Perth in January, the spokesman added. escaped an assassination No group immediately attempt on Feb. 19 when gun- claimed responsibility for the men riddled his limousine with shooting. T hroughout the 1970s machine-gun fire. The patriarch, who lives in Lebanon was torn apart by a Beirut, received only minor fierce civil war often pitting facial cuts from broken glass in Christian-led groups against the attack which occurred in the M oslem and Palestinian summer resort town of Bham- groups. Two days before the attack doun, a Palestinian stronghold Patriarch Hakim, 72, had 16 miles east of Beirut. When Patriarch Hakim's car returned from a tour of Europe arrived at a main intersection, and had expressed hope that the four gunmen in a parked car on tensions and strife in Lebanon the side of the highway began would be resolved in 1981.
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