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END OF AN ERA: Loss of cathedral was like being present at a death VISTA 1
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Thursday July ,
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HOW DID WE GET HERE? Big Brother’s success begs the question Page 7
CHINESE FAITH: A Corpus Christi procession to be proud of Page 5
Women help defeat law Perth women’s experiences of life on the streets helped convince Tasmanian Parliament not to legalise prostitution ■ By Jamie O’Brien
Two women residents of Linda’s House of Hope played a role in stopping the legalisation of prostitution in Tasmania last month. Their testimonies helped convince the Tasmanian Government that sex legislation would not guarantee the safety of sex workers and would drive brothels underground, endangering sex workers. Linda’s House of Hope is the archdiocesan-supported agency that helps women and girls to escape drugs and prostitution. Both women went to Tasmania with the Australian Christian Lobby and put their views to the State’s Legislative Council, which was deciding whether to legalise the sex industry in Tasmania. 26-year-old Linda, whose story featured in The Record late last year, worked in the sex industry for almost nine years. 32-year-old Shannon worked in brothels and as an escort for about eight years. “I am completely against this legislation,” said Shannon, who is from Western Australia. Since leaving the life of prostitution Linda and Shannon have been supported by former brothel madam Linda Watson, who established Linda’s House of Hope in 1999 after leaving the sex industry two years earlier. “By making it legal, you’re making it legal for men to abuse women,” Linda said. Continued on page 5
Uniting the Catholic Church in China
Bishop Aloysius Jin Luxian, the government-approved bishop of Shanghai, processes in St. Ignatius Cathedral in Shanghai during the ordination Mass for Bishop Xing Wenzhi on June 28. Bishop Xing, 42, will serve as an auxiliary bishop with the approval of the Vatican and the Chinese government. Bishop Xing is in line to succeed Bishop Jin and Bishop Joseph Fan Zhongliang, head of Shanghai’s underground Catholic community. Continued on page 2
Church strategy aims to help women of the streets The Vatican is calling for clients of prostitutes to not only face legal action but to also receive counseling and other help to stem a form of “modern day slavery.” The Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People has also called for greater protection of women through better enforced laws on prostitution and trafficking. It urged the Church and community at large to provide alternatives to women who are trafficked or otherwise forced into prostitution. The recommendations are contained in a communique that stemmed from a two-day symposium on prostitution and human trafficking that the Vatican hosted last month. “The ‘client’ needs more than social condemnation and having to face the full rigors of the law,” the communique said. “He must also be helped to face his deeper problems and to find other ways of dealing with his personal needs. Buying sex from a prostitute does not solve problems that arise from loneliness, frustration or a lack of true relationships,” the document said. Women forced into prostitution must be protected by the law because they are victims of violence and exploitation and have had their human rights violated, it said. The symposium document can be found on the web at: www.zenit.org/english/visualizza. phtml?sid=74049
CEO seminars offer parents assistance in helping children grow ■ By Mary Retel
Maximising the future development of your children, becoming a more confident parent, better understanding Mary Retel your children’s needs - these are the issues that the Catholic Education Office of Western Australia is inviting par-
ents to explore and consider as part of the new, monthly Light on the Hill seminar series. Recognising the vital role that parents play as the first educators of their children, the Light on the Hill seminars feature presenters who are recognised as experts in their specialised areas of child development. The free seminars are presented on the third Monday of each month and are available to all prospective and existing parents, not just those whose children are enrolled in Catholic schools.
In an attempt to make the seminars as accessible to parents as possible, an onsite crèche staffed by professional carers is also available at no cost. The inaugural seminar focusing on the issue of resiliency in the early years of development saw the venue filled to capacity. The positive attendance and ensuing feedback reflect the demand for practical information that parents are seeking. Parents are hungry for any information or advice that offers an
insight into some of the challenges facing our children today. The material presented in the Light on the Hill seminars will help parents identify and manage some of these developmental issues. Our current and future generations are exposed to a plethora of influences and pressures that are driven by today’s fast paced, technological, media saturated society. What our first seminar revealed was that, as parents, we are not alone. Most if not all of our children are
INDEX
WINTER READING Stuck indoors? Sick of cold and miserable weather? Have a look at what’s on offer this week in books and videos from The Record - great for all the family!
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Letters I say, I say The World Review: The Fantastic Four Classifieds
dealing with similar issues that are best worked through together. The second of the Light on the Hill seminars will focus on building resiliency in older children (8 years and upwards). It will be held on Monday July 18 from 7.30 – 9.30pm in the James Nestor Hall at the Catholic Education Centre located at 50 Ruislip Street in Leederville. Registration can be made by calling 9212 9201. Mary Retel is the Deputy Director of the Catholic Education Office of WA
BACK TO WHERE IT BEGAN - Page 6 - Page 7 - Pages 8-9 - Page 10
A small group of American Benedictines have re-established themselves in the birthplace of Benedictine monasticism - Norcia - 200 years after the last monks left.
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