News from around the Catholic world for the week ending 13 December
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• Pope Francis is named Time Magazine’s person of the year
• South African Cardinal reflects on the legacy of Nelson Mandela
• High Court rules to shut down ACT marriage laws
• Royal Commission puts spotlight on the Towards Healing program in Queensland
• Newcastle couple is awarded Church’s highest honour
• Australian Catholic Youth Festival wraps up in Melbourne.
TRANSCRIPT
BOBBIE: Pope Francis has this week been named Time Magazine’s person of the year.
The Holy Father joins his predecessors Blessed John Paul II and Blessed John XXIII among those who the Magazine considers history’s most influential figures.
Among this year’s runners up were Edward Snowden and Miley Cyrus, but, according to the magazine, the speed at which Pope Francis has captured the world’s imagination was a decisive factor.
Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said although Pope Francis does not seek accolades, he is happy that the Gospel message, which he tries to embody, is in the spotlight.
Fr Lombardi said, “the fact that one of the most prestigious awards to be attributed by the international press should go to someone who promotes spiritual, religious and moral values as well as call for peace and greater justice in an incisive manner is a positive sign.”
“It is pleasing to the Pope that this service should appeal and give hope to women and men. And if this choice of ‘Person of the Year’ should mean that many people have understood this message – at least implicitly – the Pope is really happy about this,” Fr Lombardi said.
More information via news.va and Time Magazine.
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Church leaders have joined the millions of mourners who turned out for Tuesday’s memorial service to honour former South African President Nelson Mandela, who passed away last Thursday at age 95.
Mandela has been remembered for his efforts in ending the apartheid, an official system of racial segregation in South Africa, and his commitment to democracy and reconciliation.
Among those who attended the service at Soweto Stadium in Johannesburg were Cardinal Peter Turkson, President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, and Cardinal Wilfrid Fox Napier of the Durban Archdiocese.
Cardinal Napier spoke to Vatican Radio about what Nelson Mandela has done for the people of South Africa.
CARDINAL NAPIER: I think one of the great feelings of South Africa is a sense of gratitude for what Mandela – fondly known as Madiba – stood for in himself; but especially what he did for his country and his people and their future. Namely, breaking ranks with his own party in order to begin the negotiations, then entering those negotiations with a very clear vision of the kind of South Africa that he wanted to emerge after those negotiations. Namely, a country where everyone would be respected, accepted, and even loved as a brother or sister.
BOBBIE: A state funeral will be held for Mr Mandela this coming Sunday.
Details via news.va
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Here in Australia, The High Court has unanimously voted to overturn the ACT’s “Marriage Equality Act this week, ruling that the legislation is inconsistent with Federal laws.
The judgement was announced just after 12pm on Thursday after a week of deliberation.
A statement from the High Court reads “Today the High Court decided unanimously that the Marriage Equality (Same Sex) Act 2013, enacted by the Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory, cannot operate concurrently with the federal Marriage Act 1961. The Court held that the federal Parliament has power under the Australian Constitution to legislate with respect to same sex marriage, and that under the Constitution and federal law as it now stands, whether same sex marriage should be provided for by law is a matter for the federal Parliament.”
Pro-marriage groups have welcomed the decision, including NSW Upper House MP Rev. Fred Nile, who praised the decision on Twitter.
Many pro-marriage groups have blasted the ACT Assembly for their decision to permit same-sex “marriages” last weekend, given that it was highly likely the High Court would overturn the law. Australian Christian Lobby Managing Director Lyle Sheldon expressed concern for those whose marriages will now be deemed invalid.
“Understandably they will be disappointed at the decision handed down today and it is unfortunate they were put in this position,” Mr Shelton said.
Mr Shelton added that the debate about changing the definition of marriage has had a fair go with nine parliamentary attempts to change it.
“Like the republican debate, the public and parliamentarians have had plenty of time to evaluate it and it is now time to move on,” he said.
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The Catholic Church’s Towards Healing process for handling cases of child sex abuse has been under the spotlight this week in the year’s fourth and final public hearing for the Royal Commission Into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
The hearing, which began on Monday, will focus on the experiences of four Queensland residents who were abused by priests in the Archdiocese of Brisbane and the Diocese of Lismore and by Marist Brothers in two Queensland schools in the late 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s.
Mr Peter Gray SC, appearing on behalf of the Church, opened Monday’s proceedings with a lengthy statement in which he apologised for the past failures of the Church in handling cases of abuse.
“Today is a necessary day of reckoning for the Catholic Church,” he said.
“This is a time for truth. The Church is committed to the pursuit of that truth.
“The Council and, through it, the Church are here today, and for as long as it may take, to hear the voices of victims from whom the Church has much to learn and to whom it has not listened as well as it should in the past; to make known and to explain the role of the Church in the history of these events but not to excuse it; to search for and help reveal the truth and not to hide it; to admit what has happened in the past and to commit to do everything possible in the future to protect and ensure the safety of children,” Mr Gray said.
The hearing will continue throughout next week, calling on a number of witnesses from the Marist Brothers and Catholic Church Insurances.
For more information visit the Royal Commission and Truth Justice and Healing Council website.
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A Newcastle couple has this week been awarded the highest honour that can be awarded to lay people by the Holy Father.
Carl and Judy Nolan of Corpus Christi parish, Waratah have been recognised by Pope Francis with the “Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice” Cross of Honour in recognition of their many years of dedication to serving God through their parish community.
The couple, who have been married 60 years, have served in music ministry, Special Religious Education, the St Vincent De Paul Society and wherever else needed for most of their lives.
Carl described himself and his wife as “two cogs in a wheel that keeps the Church going”.
Carl said, “we’re up to our use-by date now but we’d love younger people to step forward to offer their gifts”.
During the Year of Faith, Bishop Bill Wright, Bishop of the Newcastle-Maitland Diocese, petitioned the Holy See to bestow the award upon Carl and Judy in recognition of their devoted, effective and distinguished service to the Church.
The award was presented to them at Mass on Tuesday evening by Cardinal Cassidy, President Emeritus of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity.
Details via the Diocese of Maitland and Newcastle website.
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In other news, The Australian Catholic Youth Festival in Melbourne has come to a close with a final Mass celebrated by Archbishop Dennis Hart last Saturday evening.
The festival marked the first event of its kind by the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, hosting over 3000 attendees and nearly 50 speakers including Hobart Archbishop Julian Porteous, American musician Steve Angrisano, and Collective Shout founder Melinda Tankard Reist.
ACBC Communications Officer Beth Doherty spoke to us in Melbourne about one of her favourite moments at the festival.
BETH: I was very touched when Archbishop Prowse got up, and started talking about those three points of St Ignatius of Loyola which were: what have I done for Christ; what am I doing for Christ; and what will I do for Christ? It really just put the impetus on the young people to think “OK… maybe I haven’t done much in the past, maybe I’m not doing much now, but there’s always the future and there’s always that hope.” So I think it’s a real sending forth.
Music Credit: Waking Up Instrumental – Dexter Britain
