THIS Jesuit appointed to investigate the advancement of Josephite Founder Mother Mary MacKillop as Australia's first saint . . . See story page 5.
Number 2394
PERTH, WA: JUNE 14 — 20, 1984
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E xiled Cambodian bishop visits Perth to talk to refugees. See page 2.
GUILT FEELINGS IN ABORTIONS ARE NONDENOMINATIONAL. See Page 3.
Unhappy with Hawke's reply
13 HOPS R E.I
Why Irish priests no longer come to Australia, See Colleen Howard's story, Page 1 ' 0. %Ilmitommemmoommiaummommosimmomil0
The Australian Catholic bishops are unhappy with Prime Minister Hawke's reply to their concerns about sections of the Citizenship Amendment Bill with regard to the oath of allegiance, artificial insemination and embryo implantation issues. Archbishop Rush president of the Australian Bishops' Conference has complained that the proposal of a pledge of allegiance as an alternative to the traditional oath put God to a secondary or subsidiary position. Mr Hawke replied to Archbishop Rush saying the draft legislation did not intend to place more importance on one form or the other, and that both would have equal effect. "The choice of which form of pledge to take will be entirely up to the applicant for grant of citizenship," Mr Hawke said in his letter. Archbishop Rush made a further submission to the Prime Minister why, if more importance is not placed on one form or the other, the placing of reference to Almighty God first had been changed in the new Bill. Regarding artificial insemination and embryo implantation. Archbishop Rush asked whether the Australian Citizenship Bill was an appropriate instrument to resolve such issues or influence their resolution.
A new Majellan president
At the Majellan annual general meeting last Sunday Doreen Gibson of Bassendean became central committee president. She is pictured making a presentation to the outgoing president Leeola Doubleview, Loughnan of watched by other retiring central
committee members: (seated) Biddy Townsend of Wembley (Secretary) and (standing) Jan Cassidy of Rossmoyne, Annette Nicolson of Armadale and Pam Smith of Woodlands. Not pictured was Lois Smith of Gosnells, former secretary of the committee.
Mr Hawke told the Australian bishops the citizenship legislation did not seek to influence or pre-empt discussion on the validity of such procedures. "Nonetheless we believe whatever Niew one takes of the morality of such procedures, the status of children who have been, and may in the future he horn in this way, needs to be resolved. and their rights protected
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Archbishop Rush under Australian law." Mr Hawke replied. Archbishop Rush replied: "I have read what you say with respect to the provisions of the Bill that confer rights of citizenship on persons born by AID or INT procedures. "It seems to me to be inevitable the legislature, by conferring rights specifically on these people, implies
Death of John Paul
approval of the procedures regardless of the continuing debate on the moral, ethical and social issues involved. "I am still concerned about the provision of that Act which created the new marital status of de facto sixmse, you yourself used the fact that earlier legislation conferred rights on de facto
• Coat page 11. On Tuesday, The Record received the following advice from NC News head office -We do not know if we will be sending a story on the Yallop book In God's Name. "It is scheduled to be published on Thursday June 1 4 in England. Our Rome bureau chief informs us the b ook's thesis is highly questionable at best, and at least one person who aided in the research is sorry his name is associated with One English newspaper, The Observtr which planned to serialise it is having Our second thoughts decision to forward stories will depend heavily on whether the book itself becomes an object of public controversy