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Voyage to hope
Crisis in aged health care Page 17
A bishop’s personal plea Page 9
Repair the errors of the past with openness and humility, Pope urges nation’s bishops
Year of grace for Australia By Peter Rosengren ACKNOWLEDGING the pastoral burden of Australian bishops had been made heavier by past sins and mistakes of others, including some clergy and religious, Pope Benedict XVI called the nation’s prelates to continue to repair the past errors with openness and humility to build a better future for all. In his address to the bishops, in Rome to report on the state of their dioceses, on 20 October,
the Pope acknowledged three key issues, highlighting two positive recent experiences for the Catholic Church in Australia. He praised the experience produced by the Archdiocese of Sydney for World Youth Day in 2008. “Together with you, I saw how the Holy Spirit moved the young people gathered on your home soil from all over the world,” he said. The canonisation of Australia’s first saint, Mary MacKillop, had been another great event. “Her vig-
orous faith, translated into dedicated and patient action, was her gift to Australia; her life of holiness is a wonderful gift of your country to the Church and to the world,” he said. The Pope urged the bishops to help all welcome and appreciate the achievement of the newly translated prayers of the Roman Rite.” In a speech to the Holy Father on behalf of the bishops, Archbishop Philip Wilson of Adelaide touched on some of the fault lines in the Church in Australia.
“Different voices are heard among us, voices that interpret the past differently – especially the Second Vatican Council – and voices therefore that understand differently how we should move into the future,” he said, adding that unity was not always easy but the bishops were recommitting themselves to it. Archbishop Wilson announced a special Year of Grace for Australia to begin on Pentecost 2012. While Pope Benedict’s removal of Bishop William Morris of
Toowoomba in May was the subject of several meetings with top Vatican officials, a statement issued by the bishops expressed unanimity backing the Pope’s action. Ad limina (“to the threshold of the Apostles”) visits are meant to take place every five years. The last visit for Australian bishops was in 2004. Pope John Paul II’s death and Benedict XVI’s election in 2005 meant the normal ad limina program was rescheduled. Full wrap-up – pages 13-15
Pope Benedict XVI flanked by Cardinal George Pell and Archbishop Philip Wilson during the 20 October meeting. Archbishop Barry Hickey is next to Archbishop Wilson.
PHOTO: CNS/L’OSSERVATORE ROMANO
Agony of Coptic Christians inspires local appeal By Sarah Motherwell KIDNAPPING of Christian girls for Islamisation and the killing of Christian students are some of the horrendous crimes committed in Egypt against Coptic Christians over the past eight months, according to an Egyptian Orthodox priest ministering in Perth. Father Abram Abdelmalek of the St Mary and Archangel Michael Coptic Orthodox Church in East Victoria Park has led his parish in three days of fasting and prayer in response to recent sectarian violence in Egypt. He said the community was deeply concerned and
upset at the persecution of their fellow Copts in Egypt. Large numbers of Coptic Christians have fled Egypt to escape the escalating persecution. An Eygptian human rights organisation estimates that since March about 93,000 Christians have left the country – 14,000 of them seeking sanctuary in Australia. In Cairo a Christian teenage boy was killed by his fellow students at school and a Christian’s ear was cut off under Sharia law, the religious law of Islam, Fr Abdelmalek told The Record. “What’s happening is a national crime led by the Egyptian army
against the peaceful protesters,” Fr Abdelmalek said. The crimes should be dealt with by the International Court of Justice, he said, because of the violence coming from within the Egyptian army: “The independent armed forces are not independent.” “There needs to be a national committee that investigate what’s happening against the Coptic Christians,” Fr Abdelmalek said. The parish is raising funds to help those affected by the violence. The Anba Abraam Charity was founded through the congregation and welcomes funds from anyone willing to donate.
Coptic Christians carry a coffin of one of those killed in Cairo on 9 October when troops broke up a protest against attacks on Christians. PHOTO: CNS