a
AS.
aac
26 Jehn Street, Perth.
Ilammer
No. 2150:
P.O. BOX SO PERTH ABERDEEN STREET, 6000.
PERTH, THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1979
411.
Phone '(09)
Rssuarrso b, mums u a NEWSPAPER Cahoon, "." 41)
VA 13811.
Price: 30 Cents
Number of Christians on decline
a
SYDNEY: The number of "unchurched" Australians rose by more than 1 million between the years 1971 and 1976 and there was a marked drop in the number of declared
Christians.
An "unchurched" person is considered to be One whose reply to the Commonwealth census in those years came into the category of "indefinite", "no religion" or "not stated".
By NICHOLAS KERR, of Adelaide, who attended the half-yearly meeting of the Bishops' Conference on behalf of the Catholic Press Association. Other stories pages 2, 3,7.
In a 69 -page report, Father An analysis of the census FitzPatrick evidenced that: Between the 1971 census figures for 1954, 1961, 1966, 1971, 1976 was pre- and that of 1976: The total Australian sented to the half -yearly meeting of the Australian population rose by 792,844. The "unchurched" popbishops by Oblate Father those who say fames FitzPatrick, director ulation they do not believe or are of the Catholic Enquiry Centre, which receives its not affiliated to any denomcharter from the episcopal ination-rose by 1,108,199.
-
conference.
German call to help
The stated Christian population fell by 345,503. While the general population rose by 6.22 per cent., the Catholic population rose by only 1.17 per cent.
S.E. Asian
--
In Sydney and MelAustralia's biggest cities and Hobart, the number of Catholics actually fell.
bourne
gogue, mosque or temple each weekend, 75.4 per cent are Catholic.
RESPONSIBILITY "We have a tremendous responsibility to the values to stay Christian, at least on of Christ." the surface, have gone. Fr FitzPatrick said the fig"The sacredness of the faures also raised questions mily, for example, has gone. "It has become trendy to about evangelisation. "When we look at evangelhave no religious isation, the first step must be prayer," be said. QUESTIONS "Some presumptions on "If we start looking at which the Church io Austra- structures again, without ha built its apostolate are prayer first, we wit/ run into no longer valid and because problems. they are no longer valid we "We must get back to praymust look again at our apos- er, then think about the fortolate. mation of the apostle, then "The figures raise all sorts about the apostolate. of questions, "We can no longer be just "We must look at the struc- committed. ture of parishes, for exam- "That a sociological ple. thing. "We must look at liturgy. "We must be consecrated "Of the people in Australia "That is an activity of wbo go to a church, syna- faith."
refugees
APPPROPRIATE I spoke to Fr FitzPatrick, GERMANY (Federal)-- about the teport. Hoffner, Cardinal Joseph He wrIte it after the AposArchbishop of Cologne and tolic Pro -Nuncio; Archbish,airman of the German op Lubli Barbarito, asked Bishops' Conference, has him to prepare some statisWooed a statement in the tics and comments for the same of all German bish- Vatican. op', calling epos the fede- "We felt it could also be ral government as well as of interest to people.in the the governments of all in- Church in Australia," Fr to Fitzpatrick said, "and we ihutrialieed countries give immediate material Mt this year the 20th support to the thousands of ear of the Catholic Enquiry South-east Asian refuge*. Centre's existence would an appropriate time to To set a good example, be release it." the German bishops have Fr FitzPatrick said there pledged an additional million German marks from have been sudden and dratheir own resources for aid matic changes in the pattern of belief and unbelief in to the refugees. Australia. Boum* of the urgency They show up particularly of the seeds of the victims in the period covered by the it was imperative that bu- census of 1971 and of 1976. reaucratic red tape be cut, WILLING said Cardinal Hoffeer.
-
-
"Some people argue that the changes may not be as dramatic as they seem that people are now simply more willing than they were to admit their loss of belief. "Some people feel this Criticising the "serious could be a saving thing," he said. injustice" of the Vietnamese government In forcing "I say It is a damning hundreds of thousands or its people to leave the coun- "People are willing to distry for political or religious associate themselves pubreasons, he urged than "to Ikly from belief or from put an end to the causes the churches. behind the fearful refugee "The props, movement and to heed ek- the social pressures, the mastery human rights." safeguards that helped
At the same time he asked the West German government to increase the quotas for refugees to be admitted into the Federal Republic.
-
external
COIIRT REJEC
OF POLITICAL BIAS C
ADELAIDE: A teacher at Thebarton Catholic School has failed in his application for re-instatement following claims that he was dismissed for political reasons. Mr Enzo Soderini had been working on a bilingual program teaching Children Italian. In the SA Industrial Court on June 22, an industrial magistrate dismissed a claim by Mr Soderni that his dismissal was harsh, unjust and upnreasonable. Mr Sodernini, a member of the Italian Communist Party, claimed that the dismissal had been motivated by improper consideration of his political associations. UNAWARE The principal of the school, St Geraldine Grace Stringer, said that she had been unaware of this fact until it came to light at the trial.
Mr Soderini appealed against the magistrates decision. Last week, Mr Justice Olson dismissed the appeal. He found that Mr Soderinis retrenchment had been based on an assessments of children in the school in 1979. REDUCTION Projected figures indi cated there would be a drop *in- enrolments reducing the staff by which would necessitate one class teacher. Mr Just ice Olsson found that there was a "very strong and suasive body of material to indicate that the principal's actions were motivated
solely by the financial and enrolment contiderations." He "categorically rejected the suggestion that the apellant's membership of the Communist Party or his left-wing views had anything to do with his dismissal." Mr Justice Olsson found also that cothparative length of service of the appellant, as contrasted with that of other lay teachers on the staff,, was "more than counter -balanced by the relative teaching backgrounds, skills and qualifications of the other staff members and the genuine needs of the school as assessed by the principal."
Perth's first Catholic Church, the pnaCathedral of St John on Victoria Avenue 11 is beginning to recapture the appearance it hod when it was first built 136 years ago. tf. Original lancet style windows ore replacing I later modifications and o shingle roof will cover the building. Donations to the -proZ Cathedral Restoration Fund may be sent to Archbishop Goody; Catholic Church Office,
Victoria Square, Perth.
BRIAN Dr
IX Ns OM
WILL
SUPPLY YOUR NEW
COMMODORE NOW
!
----41110.111101111ins-
-N 11111111111..
Etiliffert
FICIMOnlYS
717
(ash bock on your trade-in toe' A,TERNOUP,
it.
*_
401