Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne: Church in Melbourne, Australia

Special Features

Mary

Pray for Rain

2008 Papal trip to USA

New book debunks atheists’ claims

Tuesday 17 June 2008

Much of what atheists pass off as fact in their charges against God and religion is really based on myth, says Legionary of Christ Fr Thomas D. Williams, author of"Greater Than You Think: A Theologian Answers the Atheists About God."

In this interview, ZENIT asked Father Williams, a theology professor in Rome and Vatican analyst for CBS News, to explain some of the common fallacies perpetuated by atheism that he addresses in his book.

Conscience rights under threat

Monday 2 June 2008 The attempt to limit religion to the purely private sphere is a major area of conflict in many countries. One of the areas of battle involves Christians and Church-based institutions active in health care.
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Can we afford family breakdown?

Monday 19 May 2008

The disintegration of family life is costing taxpayers a bundle. A report released in April put the cost at an annual $US112 billion, just in the United States alone.

"The Taxpayer Costs of Divorce and Unwed Childbearing: First-Ever Estimates for the Nation and All 50 States," was released by four policy and research groups -- Institute for American Values, Georgia Family Council, Institute for Marriage and Public Policy and Families Northwest.

Dorothy Day's Duty of Delight

Wednesday 14 May 2008 Seventy-five years after Dorothy Day co-founded the Catholic Worker Movement in the United States of America, and more than 25 years after she died, her diaries have been published for the first time.
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Where religious liberty suffers

Monday 12 May 2008

On 2 May the US Commission on International Religious Freedom released both its 2008 Annual Report and its recommendations to Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on countries of particular concern.

The commission was created by the International Religious Freedom Act of 1998. The act also requires that the United States designate as countries of particular concern (CPC) those states whose governments have engaged in or tolerated systematic and egregious violations of religious freedom.

Wednesday 30 April 2008 Cardinal George Pell, Archbishop of Sydney, gave an address on the call for an Australian charter of rights to the Brisbane Institute in Queensland last night. "If anyone was in doubt about a charter of rights being back on the agenda for Australia, the 2020 Summit held earlier this month provided some much needed clarification," Cardinal Pell said.
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Life at Four Cells Old

Monday 14 April 2008 Stem cell research using material taken from human embryos continues to be hotly debated. Advocates of using embryos maintain that at such early stages, the cells cannot be considered a human person. However, a recent book by two philosophers argues the contrary.
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John Paul II: Of our times, for our times

Friday 11 April 2008

By Jaime Septién

Pope John Paul II was a man of our times and for our times, affirmed an internationally renowned scholar of his thought.

ZENIT spoke with Rodrigo Guerra on the occasion of the third anniversary of the Polish Pontiff's death. Guerra, a professor, author and member of the Pontifical Academy for Life, tells why John Paul II is a point of reference for the third millennium.

A day to remember Terri Schiavo

Tuesday 1 April 2008

By putting a face on the evil of euthanasia, Terri Schiavo has saved the lives of others, says her brother, Bobby Schindler.

In this interview with ZENIT, Schindler, the executive director of the Terri Schindler Schiavo Foundation, talked about the first annual "Terri's Day" celebrated yesterday on 31 March, the third anniversary of Terri's death.

The future of religion

Monday 31 March 2008 By Father John Flynn, LC With the July date for World Youth Day approaching, the event brings to the fore again the question of how best the Church can convey the Gospel message to young men and women.
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Pope Benedict XVI on the Easter Triduum

Wednesday 19 March 2008 "Love Is Stronger Than Hate, It Has Triumphed" Here is a translation of the greetings Pope Benedict XVI gave today to students participating in the international UNIV congress who had gathered at St. Peter's Basilica, and the catechesis he gave afterward during his weekly general audience in Paul VI Hall.
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Human dignity in the balance

Tuesday 26 February 2008

By Father John Flynn, LC

A proposed new law regulating in-vitro fertilization in the United Kingdom is under fire from the Church and bioethics groups, who are concerned over the loosening of regulations regarding the procedure. The Human Fertilization and Embryology Bill has finished its passage through the House of Lords and will be debated in the Commons in the near future.

The bill concerns “profound questions of human life and dignity,” warned a pastoral message released 19 February by Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor on behalf of the bishops of England and Wales.

Kids in conflict

Tuesday 19 February 2008

It's time to penalise those who use children in conflicts, the UN Security Council was told in a recent debate. On 12 February the council held a daylong session on the question of child soldiers.

In his address to the meeting the UN secretary-general's special representative for children and armed conflict, Radhika Coomaraswamy, complained about the lack of action against those who use children as combatants during wars, reported a UN press release 12 February.

Thursday 14 February 2008

Interreligious dialogue isn't a business deal or a political negation, but rather something more similar to a pilgrimage of going out of yourself to meet persons of other faiths, said Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran.

The cardinal was appointed president of the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue last June. In this interview with ZENIT he comments on the challenges and goals of this dicastery, and particularly, advances in dialogue with Islam.

Jesuit Scholar on Spe Salvi - Part two

Monday 4 February 2008

The greatest embarrassment to the world today is that the most intelligent voice it confronts is coming from the papacy, says Fr James Schall.

The Jesuit professor of political philosophy at Georgetown University is the author of "The Order of Things," and "Another Sort of Learning," both published by Ignatius Press.

In Part 2 of this interview with ZENIT, Father Schall comments on how Benedict XVI serves both the mind and soul through his explanation of the last things in his recent encyclical, "Spe Salvi."

Jesuit scholar on Spe Salvi - Part one

Friday 1 Febrauray 2008

Even though the modern world talks of the hope in terms of progress and social justice, these concepts are "inhuman" aberrations of the true meaning of the theological virtue, says Fr James Schall.

The Jesuit professor of political philosophy at Georgetown University is the author of "The Order of Things," and "Another Sort of Learning," both published by Ignatius Press.

In Part 1 of this interview with ZENIT, Fr Schall comments on how Benedict XVI, in his encyclical "Spe Salvi," defends the theological virtue of hope by showing that without God human fulfillment and happiness is impossible.

A return to barbarity

Tuesday 29 January 2008

The quest for a perfect child is leading to the increasing use of techniques to discover possible health problems in the unborn. Normally this is not done with a view to healing, and results in the deaths of embryos considered imperfect.

It Italy court decisions are in effect undoing a legal prohibition against the use of such screening programs, known as preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD). A 2004 national law vetoes screening embryos before they are implanted in the mothers' womb.

Families feuds, continued

Tuesday 15 January 2008

Family issues were at the centre of many heated debates last year in a number of countries. The coming year, in all likelihood, will see continued conflict over matters such as divorce laws, same-sex unions, and government support, or the lack of it, for married couples.

Marriage and the family has been a frequent topic for Pope Benedict XVI since his election, and the Christmas period saw this pattern continue. During his Angelus message on 30 December, the liturgical feast of the Holy Family, the Pontiff recalled the words of Pope John Paul II, who said that the good of the person and of society is directly linked to the health of families.

Monday 14 January 2008 In a timely message for the New Year, Benedict XVI urged the world to rediscover the Christian virtue of hope. In his homily during the 31 December vespers to mark the end of 2007 the Pontiff referred to the lack of hope and trust in life prevalent in modern Western society, calling it an "obscure" evil.
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Capital punishment on death row

Tuesday 8 January 2008

The international campaign to stop the death penalty had success last year with a nonbinding vote 18 December by the U.N. General Assembly of the United Nations in favour of suspending executions.

"This is further evidence of a trend towards ultimately abolishing the death penalty," said U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in a press release the day of the vote. Previous attempts to adopt a resolution asking for a moratorium, in 1994 and 1999, had failed.

The Killing Fields of Spain

Tuesday 11 December 2007

Once again questionable practices at abortion clinics have made the headlines. In Spain authorities are investigating four clinics after accusations they carried out abortions beyond the legal time limit, reported London's Times newspaper, 30 November.

The Barcelona clinics were frequently used by British women according to the article, and carried out abortions up until the 8th month of pregnancy. The Times noted that Spanish law permits abortion only up until the 22nd week. In their investigations police discovered machines attached to the drains, used to crush the bodies of aborted babies, thus destroying the evidence.

Friday 23 November 2007

The study of the human embryo is one point where the dialogue between faith and science is both possible and important, said organizers of a conference that brought together experts to discuss the beginning of human life.

The Science, Theology and the Ontological Quest project (Project STOQ), a venture sponsored by the Pontifical Council for Culture, held a conferencelast week called "Ontogenesis and Human Life" at Rome's Regina Apostolorum university. Ontogenesis refers to the development of the individual, from embryonic formation up through adulthood.

God and Caesar seen from Down Under

Monday 19 November 2007

How to reconcile moral principles with the political and social demands of a secularised society is one of the main underlying fault lines in many contemporary debates. Some valuable reflections on the subject are contained in a book just published by Cardinal George Pell.

The scourge of poverty

Wednesday 7 November 2007 The poorest countries need help, and the more developed countries need to come to their aid, the Vatican has been insisting of late. Almost 10 million children below 5 years of age die each year from preventable illnesses, denounced Archbishop Celestino Migliore, permanent observer of the Holy See to the United Nations.
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Why Dads Matter

Monday 5 November 2007

Children need more than ever the presence and guidance of fathers in family life. According to a recent collection of essays, a significant body of scientific research clearly documents the vital role a father plays in the formative years of a child's life.

The book is titled Why Fathers Count: The Importance of Fathers and Their Involvement with Children (Men's Studies Press). Sean E. Brotherson and Joseph M. White, the editors and authors of the first chapter, set the tone for the book with an overview of arguments regarding the importance of fathers for children. The presence of a father has a positive impact in many ways, they note, as children with fathers have fewer behavioural problems, obtain better academic results, and are economically better off.

Electronic media benefits and dangers

Tuesday 23 October 2007

An explosion in media technology means both parents and society need to be more alert to the dangers children face. This was the warning contained in the 15 October report entitled Good Servant, Bad Master: Electronic Media and the Family, published by the Ottawa, Canada-based Vanier Institute of the Family.

Escaping poverty

Wednesday 17 October 2007

Intelligent use of the economy, market and culture is needed to attain objectives coinciding with our values as Christians and members of the human family, says a Holy See representative.

In this interview with ZENIT, Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, Apostolic Nuncio and permanent observer of the Holy See to the Office of the United Nations and Specialized Institutions in Geneva, spoke of the necessary avenues to help developing nations escape poverty.

Why technology needs ethics

Tuesday 9 October 2007

Technology without ethics is like a Ferrari without a steering wheel, according to Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragán.

The cardinal is the president of the Pontifical Council for Health Care Ministry, which recently co-sponsored a congress with the Acton Institute titled "Health, Technology and the Common Good."

In this interview with ZENIT, the 74-year-old cardinal comments on the definition of health and the development of health care technologies.

Abortion law in Victoria

Wednesday 26 September 2007

By Fr Kevin McGovern

A recent move in Victoria to decriminalise abortion invites reflection on this issue. In this article, I review the history which has led to the present situation, and then offer four comments.

Dignity in life and death

Tuesday 25 September 2007

The issue of euthanasia came to the forefront of news again recently, with the publication of a note 14 Sept. by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. The statement, written in reply to questions sent to the Vatican by US bishops, stipulated that providing nutrition and liquids to people who are in what is often termed the vegetative state is, with rare exceptions, morally obligatory.

Monday 24 September 2007 There has been progress toward reducing religious persecution and discrimination in the world, according to the latest annual report from the US State Department. The 2007 Annual Report on International Religious Freedom was published 14 September. The 800-page report covers the 12-month period up to 30 June 2007.
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Silent Genocide: Selective Abortions Take High Toll of Girls

Tuesday 18 September

By Father John Flynn, L.C.

Fears of a demographic crisis are mounting in India, where many years of female feticide have severely skewed the makeup of the population. Ironically, one of the latest warnings came from Ena Singh, a representative of the U.N. Population Fund -- itself responsible for promoting abortion.

Singh told the news agency Reuters, in a report published Aug. 31, that the lack of women could lead to an increase in sexual violence and child abuse. According to the United Nations, an estimated 2,000 unborn girls are illegally aborted every day in India.

Monday 17 September 2007

Here is a commentary issued Friday 14 September 2007 by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on "Responses to Certain Questions of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops Concerning Artificial Nutrition and Hydration."

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The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has formulated responses to questions presented by His Excellency the Most Reverend William S. Skylstad, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, in a letter of July 11, 2005, regarding the nutrition and hydration of patients in the condition commonly called a "vegetative state."

Men and the abortion aftermath

Thursday 30 August 2007 One man's sharing gives other men permission to examine their own role in abortion and the impact it has had on their lives, said counsellor Kevin Burke. In this interview with ZENIT, Burke discusses the type of wounds men experience when they have been involved in an abortion, avenues for healing, and how to help the women they love also find healing after an abortion.
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Law from a Catholic lens

Monday 27 August 2007

Kevin Lee, a professor of law at Campbell University, North Carolina, USA shared with ZENIT the contours of a distinctively Catholic understanding of US law, and how Catholics may productively contribute to the law's development.

Monday 27 August 2007

Aggressive relativism is the newest form of fundamentalism, according to author Deacon Daniel Brandenburg, and Catholics are called to stand up and do something about it.

In this interview with ZENIT, Deacon Brandenburg, who will be ordained a priest of the Legionaries of Christ this December, comments on his book The New Fundamentalists: Beyond Tolerance, recently published by Circle Press.

The Parish - a new mission field

A speech given by Most Rev. Diarmuid Martin, Archbishop of Dublin and Primate of Ireland in Melbourne on 11 July 2007.
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The Christian in the Public Square

Some challenges from the Catholic Social Justice Tradition

As orated by Most Rev. Diarmuid Martin, Archbishop of Dublin, Primate of Ireland, on his speaking tour of Australia, July 2007.

An address given by Cardinal Edward Cassidy at the Jewish Holocaust Museum and Research Centre, Elsternwick on 24 July 2007.
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The Subsisting Church of Christ

Tuesday 10 July 2007

Some 30 years after the Second Vatican Council, the Holy See is reminding the faithful of an "essential" conciliar teaching. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith released today the document titled "Responses to Some Questions Regarding Certain Aspects of the Doctrine of the Church." The brief text clarifies what Vatican II meant when it said that the Church founded by Christ "subsists in the Catholic Church."

In this interview with Vatican Radio, Dominican Fr Augustine Di Noia, undersecretary of the doctrinal congregation, discusses the major issues concerning this document.

Here is the oration delivered by Archbishop of Denver, Colorado, USA, + Charles Chaput, OFM Cap on Wednesday 4 July 2007 at the Cardinal Knox Centre, East Melbourne.

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I'd like to start with a proposition. Here it is: To be a Christian is to believe in history.

Now, what do I mean by that? Well, I can tell you what I don't mean. I don't mean the history of progress, which has been the guiding faith in the West for many years. The cult of progress claims that things are getting better all the time. That thanks to science and technology, the human condition is constantly improving. That our future is open to unlimited material achievements.

Friday 29 June 2007

In a campaign to promote matrimony the US bishops are asking couples, "What have you done for your marriage today?"

Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver, the chairman of the US bishops' committee on marriage and family, this week introduced public service announcements and an internet campaign to highlight the value of marriage and provide support for engaged and married couples.

Stem cells, God and polemics

Church-state boundaries came under close scrutiny in Australia recently, with a no-holds barred debate over stem cell legislation. At the end of May the Labor Party in New South Wales announced legislation to overturn a previous ban on the cloning of embryonic stem cells for medical research.
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From convert to Church leader

A love for the liturgy attracted former-Anglican Peter John Elliott to the Catholic Church, a love which he will carry over into his activities as an auxiliary bishop.

Bishop-elect Elliott, 63, of Melbourne, is the third Australian prelate to have an Anglican background. He converted to the Catholic Church during his studies at Oxford. He will receive his episcopal ordination 15 June.

In this interview with ZENIT, Bishop-elect Elliott discusses his new mission as a Church leader, and the challenges of secularisation and religious formation in Australia.

Beyond the Ash-heaps: A Priest, Two Popes and the Church

Archbishop Mark Coleridge, Archbishop of Canberra and Goulburn, delivered the inaugural Walter Silvester Memorial Oration at Australian Catholic University, Melbourne on Tuesday 22 May 2007.

Here is the full text of that lecture.

On wars thought holy

There is little similarity between the extremist concept of jihad as a holy war and the Christian Crusades, says a historian of the Middle Ages.

Marco Meschini, a professor at the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Milan, Italy, explains in his new book Il Jihad e La Crociata (The Jihad and the Crusade) published by Edizioni Ares, says that jihad and the Crusades are asymmetric. In this interview with ZENIT, he explains why.

Freedom of conscience and