Pray with John Paul II HONDA
NOVEMBER General: That the Christians of the West may constantly increase their knowledge and appreciation of the spirituality and liturgical traditions of the Oriental Churches.
Brian Gardner’s
HONDA NORTH 432 Scarborough Beach Road Osborne Park 6017 Phone: 944 99 000 new@hondanorth.com.au www.hondanorth.com.au
Missionary: That the Church in America, celebrating the Second American Missionary Congress in Guatemala, may be inspired to more generous evangelising activity even beyond her own frontiers.
DL0891
For the best deal on a new Honda, accessories, parts, finance or from our range of quality used vehicles.
WA’s only Catholic weekly newspaper Perth: 27 November 2003 Price: $1
For this Advent they die
Make the most of the New Church Year pages 8&9
society was becoming callous. Nuala Scarisbrick, national administrator of Life, said on November 20, "That a child could be killed simply because of a condition which can often be almost completely repaired by modern surgery shows how callous we are becoming as a society, and how merciless the abortion industry now is.
British life groups back challenge to abortion of cleft-palate baby By Paulinus Barnes
B
ritish pro-life groups have backed a legal challenge concerning the abortion of a child with a cleft lip and palate. An Anglican vicar, the Rev. Joanna Jepson, said on November 19 she was asking the courts to review the decision of her local police force, the West Mercia Constabulary, not to investigate the abortion recently performed at a hospital in western England. Newspaper reports of the legal challenge said the unnamed woman was more than 24 weeks pregnant and was therefore beyond the legal limit for abortion unless there is a risk of serious handicap. Rev. Jepson, 27, curate of St. Michael's Church, Chester, said a cleft palate was not a serious handicap and that the law should prevent late abortions for "trivial" reasons. As a teenager, Rev. Jepson had surgery for a jaw defect. Her lawyer, Paul Conrathe, said in a November 18 statement: "While there is no definition of serious handicap, the common understanding of the man in the
street is that cleft palate is a fairly common condition and repaired routinely. We are asking for a ruling that cleft palate is not a serious handicap and that the police have misdirected themselves in law." An initial application to the High Court has been rejected, but Rev. Jepson said she would be making another application in early December. "I don't see how a cleft palate can be classed as a serious handicap," she said. "It shows how enslaved we are to the notion that the value of our human life lies in physical perfection. This case raises the increasingly worrying concern of eugenics in our society." A leading pro-life campaigner said the case showed that British
“All abortion is wrong. But to destroy a special-needs baby just because he or she is less than ‘perfect' is particularly despicable," she said. "All abortion is wrong. But to destroy a special-needs baby just because he or she is less than 'perfect' is particularly despicable," she said. "It is impossible to believe that a cleft palate constitutes a 'serious handicap' as the Abortion Act understood that term." Josephine Quintavalle, spokeswoman for the Pro-Life Alliance, told the London Daily Telegraph newspaper that she fully supported Rev. Jepson's action: "It is pure humbug that cleft palate is defined as a serious abnormality." - CNS
Pharmacist wins right not to prescribe page 11
Confessions of a church music criminal page 6
Bunbury initiative will reach out to those in need T
he Diocese of Bunbury has launched a new social outreach arm called Catholic Care. Catholic Care will provide funding for people in need across the general community throughout the Diocese of Bunbury. Its motto will be “People Helping People”. Bishop Gerard Holohan launched Catholic Care at the Bunbury Clergy Conference last week. “It is appropriate the launch of Catholic Care is at a time when the clergy of the diocese have come together to focus on New Evangelisation” he said. “Catholic Care is fundamental
to the very essence of our social outreach to those in need. It represents Catholic faith in action.” Bishop Holohan said the aim of Catholic Care is to raise funds through his annual Christmas Appeal for Catholic Care to provide for current and planned Church assistance for social needs apostolates throughout the Bunbury Diocese. “We see needs across different areas of the diocese, including family crises. In the special needs of the future, we plan to further expand the range of social services offered to the general community to include care of the
sick and elderly, suicide prevention, drug victims, and women facing a crisis pregnancy.” Bishops Holohan called on all people in the diocese to give generously to those in need. “Catholic Care needs your financial support, and so I appeal to your generosity during this time of Advent” he said. “Please help to bring Church based financial support to the people who need our help.” “Separately or individually we can do little to help the overall community.
“However, if we combine our efforts then together we can make a difference.” Bishop Holohan said. Donations received by Catholic Care are tax deductible and will be used exclusively within the diocese. All donations will be accounted for, independently of other diocesan and parish funds. Distribution of funds will be under the control of the Bishop of Bunbury. The Diocese of Bunbury’s Catholic Care can be contacted on (08) 9721 0500.
Bishop Holohan