Former German World Cup winning captain, Franz Beckenbauer, has returned to the Catholic faith after a meeting with Pope Benedict that he describes as the "most important experience of his life". Catholic World News reports that Beckenbauer, who
The value of Catholic hospitals
15-Jan-2007
Over the last few weeks Catholic hospitals have been the target of disgruntled doctors and misguided politicians. The upshot has been yet another round of "anti-Catholic" bashing and the projection of an erroneous perception that Catholic health
Oldest Chinese priest is like fine wine
15-Jan-2007
Before the ferry anchored, a Trappist monk with a long, white beard was already waving from the pier. Fr Nicholaus Kao Se-tsean then greeted each person as the visitors landed. An hour-long journey by boat had brought them from downtown Hong Kong to an
Top officials from Holy See agencies are meeting today with leaders of the Catholic Church in China to discuss challenges for the Church in the world's most populous country, including unity of the official and unrecognised churches. AsiaNews reports that
Toowoomba diocese social justice coordinator, Dr Mark Copland, has welcomed an about-face by Tamworth Regional Council over an earlier decision to refuse to relocate Sudanese refugee families to the north-western NSW centre. ABC News reports that
Vinnies launches drought appeal for NSW farmers
15-Jan-2007
With drought now affecting 93 per cent of NSW, the St Vincent de Paul Society has launched an urgent appeal for drought victims who face stress and "are also feeling the knock-on effects of the drought." The NSW branch of the Society has set up
Gold Coast parish farewells murdered mum
15-Jan-2007
Murdered teenage mum, Rachael Myring, who was killed by a client at the real estate office where she worked, was buried yesterday after a moving funeral at Mary Immaculate church at Ashmore on Queensland's Gold Coast. Funeral celebrant, Fr Paul Chandler,
Australia could one day have a Catholic king or queen if Irish Anglican primate, Bishop Alan Harper, who says it's time to "move on" from a 1701 law forbidding a Catholic British monarch, has his way. The BBC reports that Bishop Harper in an
Kenyan AIDS widows say no to wife inheritance
15-Jan-2007
Mildred Akinyi, a HIV positive widow from western Kenya, and other members of her St Monica's Widows Group, have stunned members of their local community, by refusing to be "inherited" under traditional cultural practices. The Kenya Times reports
Saddam's execution demeans all
08-Jan-2007
The appalling images and stories from Saddam Hussein's execution chamber in Baghdad was irrefutable proof that execution dehumanises not just its victims but its perpetrators. The Catholic Church opposed the execution of Saddam Hussein on principle. The
A Disturbing Influence
08-Jan-2007
Bob Santamaria maintained that "penetration" or "permeation" of outside bodies was a legitimate pressure-group tactic for him and his Catholic followers, akin to Fabian socialist influence on the British Labour Party. Opponents saw it as
Pope Benedict has accepted the resignation of Warsaw Archbishop Stanislaw Wielgus hours before his official installation after the Polish prelate admitted that he had "damaged the Church" over his links with the former communist regime. Radio
Abbott returns fire over pregnancy counselling
08-Jan-2007
Health Minister Tony Abbott has defended his decision to award a contract to operate a 24-hour pregnancy counselling hotline to Centacare following protests that a Catholic agency would not be able to offer objective advice. According to a Herald-Sun
Toowoomba bishop in call for ordination dialogue
08-Jan-2007
Telling a Brisbane newspaper that he was grieved that he could not ordain women or married men to the priesthood, Toowoomba Bishop William Morris has expressed hope for a change in Church policy through "dialogue". However, Bishop Morris
Catholics largest group in new US Congress
08-Jan-2007
Catholics form the largest religious group among the newly inaugurated US Congress with 29 per cent of members of the Senate and House of Representatives, which also includes its first Muslim congressman, according to media analyses. The Washington Post
A Sri Lankan bishop says that there was only one rebel soldier who was on leave among 16 Christian civilians killed and 35 wounded in an attack last week on a Sri Lankan village by four airforce bombers. The 16 dead included seven children under ten years
Cowra family in last minute immigration reprieve
08-Jan-2007
A family of Taiwanese origin whose children attend the local Catholic school in Cowra, central NSW, have won a last minute review of an Immigration Department decision ordering the family to leave the country because their small organic farm is not profitable
Holiness and happiness
08-Jan-2007
We long for happiness more than for anything else in life. Acknowledging this, we are led to the assumption that everyone knows what happiness is. And yet the truth is that this question is somewhat elusive. Books have been written about attaining
A Franciscan voice against human trafficking
08-Jan-2007
Almost no country is immune to the scourge of human trafficking, despite the many international laws and United Nations standards condemning it. Just ask the Franciscan men and women who live with and serve the poor in many of the countries where it
Time to end scandal of hunger, Benedict says
08-Jan-2007
Giving his annual new year address to the Vatican diplomatic community, Pope Benedict yesterday condemned a worsening "scandal of famine" which he said is "unacceptable in a world which has the means and knowledge to tackle it". ANSA
From Parish of Our Lady of The Way, North Sydney & Lavender Bay. The first Mass of the day on YouTube. 
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