Catholic Outlook October 2016

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NEWS & EVENTS New ACN Secretary General visits By Elizabeth McFarlane and Jordan Grantham A NUMBER OF DECADES ago, a South American priest on a study tour in Germany visited the international headquarters of Aid to the Church in Need. This priest went on to become a bishop, whose diocese received support for aid projects from Aid to the Church in Need. Today, that priest is Pope Francis and he continues to hold Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) close to his heart. Philipp Ozores is ACN’s new Secretary General and on a recent visit to Australia he shared his experience of Pope Francis’ support with Catholic Outlook. In a private audience in June, the Holy Father agreed to film a message supporting ACN’s Year of Mercy campaign. “The Pope said … let’s just do it now. So Fr Hans Stapel (ACN Brazil’s President) pulled out his iPhone and the Holy Father recorded a message off the cuff,” Philipp said. Prior to becoming Secretary General of ACN, Philipp Ozores was Assistant to the Chief Financial Officer for the Order of Malta’s massive operations in Cologne, which is perceived in Germany as “like the Red Cross in a Catholic way”. The Secretary-General of ACN, Philipp Ozores with National Director Phillip Collignon (right). Photo supplied. Aid to the Church in Need is now the Church’s largest pastoral charity, annually receiving the equivalent of $A175 million for aid projects, primarily for the poor and persecuted Church around the world. Support for Middle Eastern countries increased significantly in response to the chaos of the ‘Arab Spring’ and violence of ISIS. Aid to the Church in Need’s approach is to support local projects through the existing structures of the local Church. This saves money and uses local expertise. Last year, 6200 projects were funded, an increase on the 5600 projects funded in the previous year. “The standard in ACN’s program is very hands on for pastoral needs. But it also could be very specific – it could be a car for a priest, it could be building or renovating a church or chapel,” Philipp said. The Australian Office of Aid to the Church in Need has one of the network’s most efficient fundraising operations. It is led by the National Director, Phillip Collignon, who manages the operations from an office located in Seven Hills. Aid to the Church in Need Australia raises about $4 million each year, from 10,000 benefactors. The Mirror is ACN’s newsletter and it is the main fundraising tool. Stories about the varied projects and incredible challenges of Catholics across the globe regularly engage readers. For World Youth Day Krakow this year, ACN launched the app version of DOCAT, the new youth catechism on Catholic Social Teaching. It aims to energise a million young Catholics in building a more just and compassionate society. The book was free to download. The DOCAT app includes a quiz after each section and links to Facebook forums for further questions. This takes ACN’s mission into the era of social media and engages a new generation in their vital aid work. To support the work of ACN please go to the Australian website www.aidtochurch.org or contact the office tel (02) 9679 1929. Bishop Vincent enjoyed a ‘John the Beloved Disciple’ moment with Pope Francis. Photo supplied. The Pope who came to dinner GUESS WHO SAT NEXT to Pope Francis at the dinner table during a recent retreat organised by the Vatican’s Congregation for Bishops? Parramatta’s Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv was on a retreat in Italy with fellow bishops from 2-16 September when the Holy Father paid a visit. “I spent two weeks in a mountain near La Verna, which is the place where St Francis received the sacred stigmata,” Bishop Vincent said. “While I did not witness the Transfiguration or receive the stigmata, I can assure you that it was wonderful to be there. The retreat was hosted by the Sisters of the Divine Master and preached by three wise Jesuits. “It was bookended by the canonisation of Mother Teresa at the beginning and the Papal Audience at the end. I got lucky when, unwittingly, I was given a prime position (well, a bit of quick thinking and pushing helped). I got the best seat in the dining room at Santa Marta. “While enjoying my ‘John the Beloved Disciple’ moment (pictured), I spoke to his Holiness about a few things close to my heart. I introduced myself to him as Bishop of Parramatta and a former boat person. I raised the issue of asylum seekers in Australia and our government’s harsh offshore detention policy. “The Holy Father commended the way Italy handles the asylum seeker crisis and grieved the cold-heartedness with which some other countries act towards them. “I also spoke to him about the opposition both from within the Church and the secular forces in respect of his leadership on a number of issues such as climate change, the person-centred economy and concern for the marginalised. “His simple answer and his gesture left a deep impression on me: ‘I seek to be authentic.’ “Pope Francis made me feel completely at home and without fear. When he asked me if I wanted wine and then poured it into my glass, it was as though the Servant Jesus came to life for me there and then. “It was a privileged moment and an unforgettable experience. I thank God for it and I am more determined to follow the example of the Servant Leadership of Pope Francis.” Celebrate the Holy Year of Mercy by supporting priests, religious sisters and brothers wherever the Church is poor, persecuted or threatened A priest visiting the sick in Peru * 4 CatholicOutlook | OCTOBER 2016 www.catholicoutlook.org
SOCIAL JUSTICE 2016-17 SOCIAL JUSTICE STATEMENT Call for communities of compassion as population ages AS MORE AND MORE Australians are living longer, we should celebrate the great ‘success story’ of our ageing population and, as a fair and compassionate nation, foster solidarity among all generations, Bishop Antoine-Charbel Tarabay from the Australian Catholic Social Justice Council said at last month's launch of the Australian Catholic Bishops 2016-17 Social Justice Statement, A Place at the Table: Social justice in an ageing society. "Australia must protect older people who are most vulnerable to hardship and who are at risk of feeling they are a burden on society," Bishop Tarabay said at the launch in Sydney on 6 September. The statement highlights the significant contribution that older people continue to make to the life of the community. The number of Australians aged 65 and over will more than double from 3.6 million today to 8.9 million by the middle of the century. Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv is the Chairman of the Australian Catholic Social Justice Council. In the statement, Bishop Vincent said the journey into old age presented both challenges and opportunities. "Retirement, changing health and altered living conditions can be confronting for individuals and their families. Our society, too, needs to adjust as it deals with a community with an increasingly higher proportion of older people and comparatively fewer people of working age. "However, these changes bring gifts too, and this is the time for families, communities and society as a whole to explore them. In the words of Pope Francis, old age is a vocation, not a time to ‘pull in the oars’, but ‘our societies are not ready, spiritually and morally, to appreciate the true value of this stage of life’. "We are seeing a new vision of ageing, one where many people enter their 60s and 70s in good health and with plenty of skills and energy to offer our communities. Indeed, governments have seen this change and have started calling for people to remain in the workplace beyond the traditional retirement age. "For many, that is a realistic expectation; but for it to be realised, governments and employers must recognise the true capacities of older people. They must also acknowledge that not all older people are healthy or well-off. "Old age and frailty will come to us all eventually, and we will need the help and support of others. This is a time when we must see a just society in action. We must challenge the individualism and consumerism of modern society that gives rise to what Pope Francis calls a ‘throwaway’ culture. Stereotypes of older people as doddering, out of touch or dependent are false and dehumanising. "People are not commodities, to be valued only for their productivity or purchasing power. They are human beings in the fullest sense, precious in their own right, possessing a dignity that was given them by God. Furthermore, their wisdom and lived experience are priceless treasures that can enrich our lives. "At this time in Australia, we face a threefold challenge: to work for an inclusive society that brings older people into the heart of the community; to ensure the dignity and care of people who are frail and most vulnerable to neglect or abuse; and to foster solidarity among all generations, recognising the special affinity that exists between young and old. "We must never forget that the older person before us is a spouse, a parent, a brother or sister, a friend and, most importantly, a son or daughter of God. All of us are created in the image and likeness of God, and are called to have our rightful place at the table he has prepared." About 75% of men and 85% of women are reaching retirement in good health and with about 20 years of life ahead of them. However, there is a risk that a society ill-prepared for demographic change may assess these trends as an economic threat. Already, we hear divisive terms such as ‘intergenerational theft’ or invidious comparisons between ‘productive workers’ and ‘burdensome retirees’. Our community must ensure that both the costs and the great benefits of an ageing population are shared equitably. Where policies encourage longer working lives, we must ensure that vulnerable groups share the benefits of employment and are protected from poverty in their later years. Where aged-care sectors are being opened to market competition, we must ensure that those with limited means receive the dignified and adequately funded care all are entitled to. The statement points out that particularly vulnerable people can be exposed to loneliness, ageism and elder abuse. The bishops challenge a ‘throw-away’ a place at the table SOCIAL JUSTICE IN AN AGEING SOCIETY S o c i a l J u s t i c e S t a t e m e n t 2 0 1 6 – 1 7 Australian Catholic Bishops Conference culture that casts older people as being burdensome or even dispensable. They strongly affirm the sanctity of life and call for a culture of compassionate care that values and protects people in their final years. The bishops call for communities that foster solidarity among the generations and ensure older people have their rightful place at the table. The 2016-17 Social Justice Statement can be downloaded from the Australian Catholic Social Justice Council website: www.socialjustice.catholic.org.au www.catholicoutlook.org CatholicOutlook | OCTOBER 2016 5
Page 1 and 2: CatholicOutlook The official public
Page 3: NEWS & EVENTS Dr Susan Timoney from
Page 7 and 8: www.parrafamlife.org.au @parrafamli
Page 9 and 10: PASTORAL PLANNING So what are paris
Page 11 and 12: Moving together - Towards a Culture
Page 13 and 14: www.parra.catholic.edu.au @Catholic
Page 15 and 16: www.ccss.org.au CCSSParramatta CATH
Page 17 and 18: C16 M0 Y13 K0 #daede2 - Mint Fashio
Page 19 and 20: CatholicYouthParra @cyp_parramatta
Page 21 and 22: DIOCESAN NEWS Celebrating the Journ
Page 23 and 24: NEWS & EVENTS OCTOBER CALENDAR 5 'C

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