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WA's only Catholic weekly newspaper
A rose by the name of Our Lady of Guadalupe - Page 6
Despite Beijing, China gets its first saints - Page 8
V AAine hair the jubilee and a special offer - Page 9
StateIIent clefePiTtied By Peter Rosengren VATICAN CITY (CNS) Responding to sharp criticism from other religions and other Christian chturles, Pope John Paul ll defended a Vatican document on salvation, saying its affirmation of Christ as the one true saviour was "not arrogance." Speaking at a midday blessing on October, the Pope said the document had been subject to "rnistaken interpretations." He said the text, far from being an effort to weaken interreligious or ecumenical cooperation, offered a framework for meaningful dialogue. "The document clarifies the essential Christian elements, which is not obstruct dialogue but illustrate its foundations, dialogue without founLdations&awould 1 be destined to degenerate into empty verbosity," he said. "Our confession of Christ as the one Son, through whom we see the face of the Father, is not arrogance that shows contempt for other religions, but a joyful mist that Cu hrist revealed i fl [111111 • to us without anyi merit on our part," he said. The document, s
published on 5 September by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, affirmed that the Church of Christ eidsts fully only in the Catholic Church; it rejected the idea that "one religion is as good as another." It said that while others can be saved through a special grace, the Catholic Church is necessary for their salvation. It also criticised the danger of a growing acceptance of religious pluralism While most Catholic leaders cautiously welcomed the document, accentuating its more positive aspects, the reaction from other religions and other Christians was a steady stream of criticism. Many questioned to what extent the document really reflected the sentiments of the Pope, who has written eloquently about the value of such dialogue. The Pope appeared to answer that objection in his remarks, saying the document "was approved by me in a special form." He said his intent was to "invite all Christians to renew their attachment to (Christ) in the joy of the faith, unanimously witnessing that he is, today and tomorrow, the way, the truth and the life." He noted that the document does not deny that non-Christians
can be saved. but makes dear that I is possibility ultimately comes from Christ. Likewise, he said, when the document emphasises the Church's position that the one Church of Christ subsists in the Catholic Church, "it does not intend to express little consideration for the other churches and ecdesial communities." On the contrary. he said, the Catholic Church suffers to see that these other churc.hes which contain "precious elements of salvation" are separated from the Catholic Church. 'Thus the document expresses once again the same ecumenical passion that runs through my encyclical, 'Ut Untun Sint' (That All May Be One,')" he said. "It is my hope that this declaration, which I feel strongly about. after so many mistaken interpretations, can end up performing its function of clarifying and at the same time of opening up" logue, he said. The Pope's unusual public defence of a Vatican document came after verbal and written criticism by several groups and viduals involved in the various dialogues conducted by the Vatican. Editorial - Page 7
Pope John Paul 11 greets pilgrims gathered for the canonisation ceremony of 120 Chinese martyrs and a number of others including US-born heiress Katherine Drexel and a Sudanese slave on 1 October in St Peter's Square.
Former prostitute pleads for future of Stirling Street house By Glynnis Grainger A former drug addict and prostitute has made a plea for St joseph's House of Hope in Perth to be reopened. Zoe, 35, told The Record when she read in the papers about what was happening to St Joseph's, she was "hoffified." She visited The Record's office last Monday week and told her life story in a bid to make readers aware of the work of the staff at St Joseph's. The Town of Vincent Council turned down an application for rezoning last month that would have allowed the Holy Spirit of Freedom Community to keep using the building at 258 Stirling Street, Perth, as a dmp-in and outreach centre for prostitutes and drug addicts. The building has been run by the community for the last four years. Community volunteers at the house provide meals each week for the poor and homeless as well as occasional temporary S vernight accommodation. St Joseph's closd e on 20 September. Zoe said she had travelled around Australia a lot but called Perth her home; she was born in Sydney and her mother was a drug addict and prostitute. "I was shoved around from institutions and homes, things like that: she said. "I wanted to have my own child at about 18 as I didn't have any knowledge of my own family. "I raised my own daughter till she was about 12; my god-daughter died at seven
Zoe months from cot death. "Her Mum - a gle mother - was only gone for four hours. "She had asked me to be a godmother to her daughter." Zoe said she was led into drugs by a young man who lived down the road who was a hemin addict and he would comfort her on occasions and help her. He offered her heroin - before that she II was anti-drugs. "Idon't know why it happened, but it just did. I was 27 and in Perth. 'Basically. my life just sort of went down
from there." After about a year, she realised she couldn't cope with her daughter any more and suggested she go and stay with her father for a while. "I was having problems," Zoe said. "Before long, I attracted all sorts of nohoping people into my life and went downhill after that" Her daughter was 12 and she knew she was OK and rang her up on occ.asions. "For a few years, trying to get my drugs was getting harder and harder andIcouldn't work a nine-to-five job," Zoe said. "Another girl asked me if I was interested in working in the brothel industry. "Again my drugs got in the way;Icouldn't afford a roof over my head. "Iwas being stalked at this stage and was living on the streets." Zoe would go from one empty house to another empty house and squat. "Somebody would always screw it up for the rest of us," she said. "Inever liked the position I was in, especially with heroin - everybody became so desperate. "I would rather hurt myself than rob somebody or harm them. "I always had the thought I had had a good life before andIknew there must be some way of getting it back. "The Police suggested we move up to Stirling Street." Zoe was robbed, bashed and raped about three times and knows who organised it. She built up a 'pretty good" relationship with the girls on the streets, so
she Wali and helped them to conF'9.1 duct themselves on the streets. Liz Hare, the leader of St Joseph's House of Hope, invited Zoe in for a cup of coffee. had always been eager to learn about my God." Zoe said and asked "Can I have a look?" She lcnew she was "stoned" so she was a bit embarrassed, but sat through "the whole service." It was the first time she wasn't "being looked at strangely" and was being accepted. "I got closer and closer to people at St Joseph's, especially Liz," she said. About 18 months ago, Liz suggested a detox centre around the corner for Zoe and every day Liz went to see her. "Iknew they cared; nobody ever gave up on me," Zoe said. "I had no religion forced on me or anything;I belonged there somehow." Zoe said she asked lots of questions and "it all helped, definitely." She heard about a farm up north and "they said they would take me up there." She ended up having an accident and was "stuck" in Middle Swan Hospital. "Within an hour they were there to pick me up - the people from St Joseph's," she said. One of the passengers in the car with her nearly died. Zoe said she is "still soaking up Christianity and hasn't decided what [religion] she is going to be." Continued - Page 2