THE RECORD St Benedict’s surges the Parish. the Nation. the World.
Western Australia’s award-winning Catholic newspaper - Wednesday February 27, 2008
www.therecord.com.au
Perth, Western Australia $2
Applecross parish opens a new church for encountering Christ
CEO backs Gardasil in schools
Perth girls’ body image forum to tackle key issues “Get Real”, a major event on body image issues for women, will take place in Perth on Friday March 7 in the lead up to International Women’s Day. It will be held in the Government House Ballroom at 7pm. Admission is free. Hosted by Women’s Forum Australia (WFA), the event will look at issues around female body image, the objectification of women and premature sexualisation of girls in popular culture. Speakers include Adelaide researcher and Faking It author, Selena Ewing, Kids Free 2b Kids founder Julie Gale, from Melbourne, Canberra author and Faking It editor Melinda Tankard Reist. An exhibition produced as part of WOMENS Healthworks PhotoVoice project, celebrating women as whole people, will also be previewed. WFA Director and local organiser, Karen Robinson, said the event would be of interest to anyone concerned about the health of women and girls. “Research shows that women feel worse about themselves after viewing thin, ‘sexy’ airbrushed images of other women,” Ms Robinson said. “As well, the premature sexualising of girls is linked with depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and low self-esteem. “Recent reports show that one in five girls under 12 use fasting and vomiting to lose weight and one in four wants cosmetic surgery. This should ring alarm bells for anyone concerned about the health and wellbeing of children.”
■ By Sylvia Defendi
Western Australia’s Catholic Education Office has endorsed the use of controversial vaccine Gardasil among all Catholic schools throughout the state. Gardasil vaccinates young women against cervical cancer as the result of sexually transmitted disease, the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), which causes about 70% of HPV-related cervical cancer cases and about 90% of genital wart cases. The Australian government and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme approved the vaccine for use and in 2007 began a nationwide vaccination program free of charge to schoolgirls in years 10, 11 and 12. Director of the CEO, Ron Dullard, said the vaccine had gained his own personal endorsement as well as that of the education office. “If I was a principal I would be encouraging all young women in the school to get vaccinated,” he said. Controversy has followed the vaccine, since it was introduced, with allegations of prompting a rise in sexual promiscuity. One mother of two girls, who wishes to remain anonymous, was not impressed when she received the standard Health Department consent form many young women would have brought home recently. “Vaccinating children against sexually transmitted diseases is absurd. Gardasil does not protect against every sexual disease and just gives young women a false sense of security. “I know my daughters have greater respect for themselves than to need such a vaccine. When they decide to be sexually active they
Wise men: Fathers Rodney Williams, left, Peter Whitely and John O’Reilly stand before the fulfilment of their dreams as parish priests of Applecross, over 50 years in the making. The new Church was consecrated and dedicated by Archbishop Hickey last Sunday. Full story, photos - Pages 12-13.
Continued - Page 2
PHOTO: ANTHONY BARICH
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INDEX The Parish The Nation Letters Perspectives The World Panorama Classifieds
- Pages 4-5 - Pages 6-7 - Page 8 - Vista 4-pg 9 - Pages 10-11 - Pages 14 - 15 - Page 15
PERTH WYD BEACH PARTY Young people from all over Perth hit the beach at Scarborough to compete against each other and have heaps of fun in a leadup to Sydney’s World Youth Day in July.
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