Oldest Priest dies
Classification Clash?
Beloved Perth priest Fr John Chokolich passed away recently after an extraordinary life
Australia’s Bishops and family lobby groups take widely differing approaches to classification of violent video games
Obituary - Page 13
- Page 17
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‘Catholics Retreat comes alive with faith and fun can’t just sit around in parishes’ Archbishop Hickey has given a strong reminder to Catholics that their vocation is to change the world. Evangelisation does not depend on joining parish councils, he told an audience at Notre Dame University in Fremantle BY ANTHONY BARICH IT is not enough to just be involved in parish councils and liturgy; Catholics must build up God’s kingdom and not fear the attacks of an increasingly secular world, Archbishop Barry Hickey said at the University of Notre Dame Australia on 7 June. In the second of UNDA’s ‘Bishops Speaking Out’ lecture series, the Archbishop spoke on the theme “The Church and the Modern World” – the English title of a key Vatican II document from 1965 - Gaudium et Spes - saying Catholic belief is increasingly being pushed to the margins. He said that while the Second Vatican Council called on the lay faithful to take their full place Please turn to Page 2 Full text of Archbishop’s speech - Pages 6&7
Giving glory to God: With James Abbot on guitar, Annick Monthy, Charisse Towers and Tiffany Montalvo sing songs of praise and worship at the Catholic Youth Ministry Teen Retreat held 3-5 June at Eagle’s Nest Retreat Centre in Gidgegannup. PHOTO: MICHAEL CONNELLY For full report, please turn to Page 5
Pope accepts Archbishop’s retirement ... ‘in principle’ BY BRIDGET SPINKS PERTH Archbishop Barry Hickey’s letter of resignation which he presented to the Holy Father on his 75th birthday has been accepted in principle by the Holy Father
nunc pro tunc (now for then) to take effect once his successor is announced. “The Pope has indicated to me he wants me to stay on until my successor is announced,” Archbishop Hickey told The Record. “I am happy to do so and will gladly do my best
to fulfill the demands of the position until the time has arrived to stand down,” he said. He said he was very pleased the Holy Father has accepted his offer, “because I think at 75 one should be prepared to step Please turn to Page 19
From Fatima to Lourdes, Our Lady is making her Son known YONKERS, New York (Zenit. org) - There’s a lot to the story of Fatima that many Catholics don’t know, according to the author of a new book on the 1917 miracle. In Fatima For Today: The Urgent Marian Message of Hope, (Ignatius Press), Fr Andrew Apostoli brings the story of Fatima to a new generation. “[Catholics] are learning a lot that they didn’t know about Fatima,” Fr Apostoli told Zenit. “A lot of good Catholics probably have a general idea … the rough lines of it and some details, but there’s a lot to the story.” Since seeing the film Miracle of Fatima as a young boy, Fr Apostoli says that the apparitions have had a great impact on his life. “It was such a stirring story of these little children, their courage, and the importance of the message that Mary was confiding to them.” He says that he has tried faithfully to live as Our Lady requested, namely, keeping the devotion of the Five First Saturdays.
“That’s a very important part of the message,” the priest stated, “one, by the way, which Sr Lucia the oldest of the three children of Fatima - herself admitted was not
being done in numbers that we need. It’s one of the two things Our Lady requested for the conversion of Russia,” the second being the consecration of Russia. Fr Apostoli’s great devotion to Our Lady of Fatima prompted Ignatius Press to request that he write an in-depth book on the subject. To many, it may seem that a book on an occurrence that took place in a small village during the middle of World War I might not have much relevance today. However, both Pope John Paul II and Benedict XVI felt strongly that the message given during the Great War is just as meaningful today, if not more so. Fr Apostoli sees a correlation to all the hardships the US is experiencing and Mary’s message to turn toward her Son: “Sincere people need to hear God’s voice, I think. If people start doing what Our Lady said, graces will flow. I think what the nation is going through now … people losing their jobs, people
have lost their savings, or are in danger of wondering what they’re going to live on, that’s going to call them back to God.” At Fatima, Mary made the plea: “Do not offend the Lord our God anymore, because He is already so much offended.” To make amends for their sinful ways and to help save souls, Mary asked for people
to make the Five First Saturday devotions. On the first Saturday for five consecutive months, Catholics are to go to Confession, receive the Eucharist, pray five decades of the Rosary and “keep Our Lady company” for 15 minutes while meditating on the mysteries of the Rosary.” - Fatima for Today is available from The Record Bookshop.
Touched by the reality of the invisible Record journalist Mark Reidy travelled to Lourdes in March to report on the remarkable phenomenon that contibnues to draw millions. Turn to Pages 9-12 to read all about the mystery of Lourdes.