News from around the Catholic world for the week ending 28 March.
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• Cardinal Pell appears before the Royal Commission
• Pope Francis meets Barrack Obama
• Townsville mourns the loss of Bishop Michael Putney
• Polygamy is legalised in Kenya
• UK hospitals criticised for incinerating unborn children
• The Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office launches pamphlet to clarify Church’s teaching on asylum seekers.
TRANSCRIPT
SARAH: Cardinal George Pell has appeared the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sex Abuse this week to provide evidence concerning the case of Mr John Ellis, who was abused by a Sydney priest during the 1970s.
The Cardinal was questioned on his involvement in the failed negotiations prior to Mr Ellis’ legal action against the Archdiocese, the aggressive tactics of the Archdiocesan legal team, and whether the Church’s handling of the case was appropriate.
Cardinal Pell denied that he knew about the Archdiocese’s offer of $25,000 and $30,000 to Mr Ellis, amounts which the Cardinal described as “mean” and “grotesque” in light of the suffering afflicted upon Mr Ellis.
Cardinal Pell admitted that he was involved in approving the vigorous tactics used by the defense lawyers and criminal defence lawyers, stating that he was of the impression that such tactics would encourage plaintiffs to “think clearly” about pursuing matters through court. However, he noted that the actual tactics used by the defense – although not legally improper – were wrong from a personal and Christian standpoint.
The Cardinal also stated that the priorities of the victims are ahead of the financial or other interests of the Church.
Cardinal Pell said “We, however imperfectly, always recognised the priority of the needs of the victim.” At the end of questioning, Cardinal Pell publicly apologised to Mr Ellis, who was present at the proceedings.
CARDINAL PELL: As former Archbishop and speaking personally, I would want to say to Mr Ellis that we failed in may ways, some ways inadvertently, in our moral and pastoral responsibilities to him. I want to acknowledge his suffering and the impact of this terrible affair on his life. As the then Archbishop, I have to take ultimate responsibility, and this I do. At the end of this gruelling appearance for both of us at this Royal Commission, I want to publicly say sorry to him for the hurt caused him by the mistakes made, admitted by me, and some of my archdiocesan personnel during the course of the Towards Healing process and litigation. In speaking to the ABC, John Ellis said that he was “taken aback” by the apology, and that he hopes that the proceedings would result in a “gentle and more compassionate process that still delivers justice to all parties”.
Cardinal Pell leaves Australia to take up his new position in Rome on Monday.
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Pope Francis has met with U.S. President Barrack Obama in Rome as part of the President’s tour of Europe. The nearly hour-long meeting touched upon issues of both international and domestic importance to the Holy See and the United States.
In a statement by the Vatican Press Office, it was highlighted that The Pope and President agreed on the eradication of human trafficking, as well a need for immigration reform – a divisive issue within the United States. However, the two also discussed points of contention, including life issues and religious freedom in light of the Obama Administration’s “Contraception Mandate”, which will force Catholic organisations to pay for contraceptives. Although the President noted that Pope Francis “did not touch in detail” on the mandate, it was discussed in a meeting with Vatican secretary of state Pietro Parolin later that day. President Obama said that at the meeting he “pledged to continue to dialogue with the U.S. conference of bishops to make sure we can strike the right balance”.
The meeting concluded with an exchange of gifts, which included a bound copy of Pope Francis’ Evangelii Gaudium. The President said “You know, I actually will probably read this in the Oval Office when I am deeply frustrated, and I am sure it will give me strength and will calm me.”
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Townsville’s Bishop Michael Putney has lost his battle with cancer, passing away in the early hours of this morning. Click here for Sorensen Funeral Home services who will take care for the funeral professionally.
In a statement on its Facebook page the Diocese of Townsville said Bishop Putney has been ‘an inspiration of faith’ over the course of his battle with the disease. ‘Many prayers have been made during this time and in his words “last year was my miracle,”’ the statement read.
Bishop Putney was diagnosed with inoperable stomach and liver cancer in December 2012. In spite of his failing health, the Bishop continued in his ministry throughout 2013, calling it one of the ‘most amazing’ years of his life.
Earlier this year Bishop Putney addressed the priests of his diocese saying, “I am happy once more to leave my life and work in the diocese, completely in the hands of God… I am looking forward to what lies ahead, whatever it may be.”
Bishop Putney was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Brisbane in June, 1969. He was ordained as an Auxiliary Bishop in 1995, and yesterday celebrated his 13th anniversary of installation as Bishop of Townsville.
May he rest in peace.
Read a recent story on Bishop Putney in the Catholic Leader.
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Polygamy is now legal in Kenya, following a Parliamentary decision last Thursday allowing men to marry as many women as they like.
The decision prompted a furious backlash from female lawmakers who stormed out of parliament.
The original proposal gave the wife a veto power as to whether her husband could marry another woman – however, male lawmakers across all political parties banded together to drop that clause.
“When you marry an African woman, she must know the second one is on the way, and a third wife … this is Africa,” MP Junet Mohammed told the house, according to Nairobi’s Capital FM.
In many parts of Africa polygamy is common among traditional communities as well as the Muslim community, which accounts for up to a fifth of the population.
“Anytime a man comes home with a woman, that would be assumed to be a second or third wife,” said Samuel Chepkong’a, chairman of the Justice and Legal Affairs Committee, the Daily Nation newspaper reported.
A clause in which a partner who had promised marriage but then backed out of the wedding could face financial damages was also dropped, as male MPs argued it could have been used to extort cash.
Parliamentary majority leader and Muslim Aden Duale said that men marrying more than one woman was part of the Islamic faith, but also suggested the practice could be justified for Christians.
“I want my Christian brothers to read the Old Testament – King David and King Solomon never consulted anybody to marry a second wife,” Duale told the house.
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UK hospitals have recently come under fire for the incineration of aborted and miscarried babies, with up to 15,500 being burned over the past two years.
During the investigation it was admitted by ten NHS trusts that these remains were burned as hospital waste and incinerated in furnaces to generate energy to power and heat hospitals.
The confession was in response to a documentary shown on UK television and has resulted in an immediate ban on the practice by health minister Dr Dan Poulter.
One of the UK’s hospitals, Addenbrooke’s, was found to have incinerated 797 babies at up to 13 weeks of life in the womb after having told the mothers they would be cremated.
Addenbrooke’s defended the practice, saying that the remains were never incinerated in conjunction with other waste. The findings show that Ipswich Hospital’s energy plant has incinerated over 1000 babies from other hospitals over the past 3 years.
Medical professionals such as Sir Bruce Keogh and NHS Medical director and Chief inspector of hospitals Professor Mike Richards, have taken action by writing to the NHS trusts and speaking out against what has happened.
Labour MP Jim Dobbin condemned the practice as a result of dehumanisation of unborn life.
“Words cannot describe the revulsion I felt when I heard about this,” said Mr Dobbin.
“This callous disregard for young humans is the fruit of fifty years of legal abortion in the UK,” he said.
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The Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office (ACMRO) launched a pamphlet yesterday reemphasising Church teaching on the pastoral care and rights of asylum seekers and migrants.
The pamphlet is titled: ‘I was a stranger and you welcomed me’ (Matthew 25:35). It represents a summary of 100 years of Catholic social teaching on the issue of migration.
Speaking ahead of the launch, Fr Maurizio Pettenà, National Director of the Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office (ACMRO), said the Catholic Church has a well-defined teaching on asylum and migration, which the pamphlet summarises.
“We want to make the Catholic Church teaching on the issue widely accessible, through the pamphlet, to Australian Catholics and those interested in what the church is saying on this particularly controversial issue,” Fr Pettenà said.
“Sadly the treatment of people arriving on our shores seeking protection and safety has drifted far from the ideals proclaimed by the Church in its teaching and based on the dignity and rights of the human being.
“For too long in Australia, the debate around asylum seekers has focused narrowly on policy and political concern. For the Catholic Church, this is a human issue. The focus should be on the respect deserved by every human being,” he said.
Guest speakers at the launch included Najeeba Wazefadost; Winner of the 2011 Young Woman of the West Award, Aloysious Mowe; Director of the Jesuit Refugee Service, and Bishop Gerald Hanna; Australian Catholic Bishops Delegate for Migrants and Refugees. The pamphlet will be distributed to Catholic parishes and agencies, educational institutions and politicians across Australia.
You can also download a copy on the ACBC Media Blog.
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That’s it for this week’s headlines, thanks for listening. For more details of those stories or for more Catholic talks, interviews and programs visit cradio.org.au.
Music Credit: Waking Up Instrumental – Dexter Britain
