Religion News Australia 2010 - 12 (Mar 28

Religion News Australia 2010 - 12 (Mar 28 - Apr 4)

(03 April 10)
by Greg Spearritt

Religion News Australia

Mar 28 – Apr 4, 2010

Religion news stories from Australia

(Research: Greg Spearritt)

abuse / anglican church / arts & entertainment / catholic church / international stories / judaism / politics / religion & society / uniting church / other

ABUSE

Church abuse victim wants royal commission (ABC News)

Mar 31 - Child sex abuse victims of New South Wales Hunter Valley Catholic priests say a full-scale probe into the church's handling of abuse cases will further help the healing process.

Bishop says 'vast' tally of sexual abuse yet to emerge (Sydney Morning Herald)

Apr 1 - THE Catholic Church has a turbulent future as probably a much smaller church in the West, with a ''vast amount'' of sexual abuse cases yet to emerge, according to a retired Australian bishop.

Abuse victim echoes clergy royal commission calls (ABC News)

Apr 1 - The only clergy abuse victim to give evidence to the Wood Royal Commission has added her voice to calls for an independent probe into child sex abuse within the Maitland-Newcastle Catholic diocese.

ANGLICAN CHURCH

Parishioner had taste for blondes: pastor (Sydney Morning Herald)

Mar 31 - A parishioner at a Sydney church had a penchant for blondes and didn't believe Christian women should have to forgo sex before marriage because there weren't enough husbands to go around, his pastor says.

Anglicans warn of lonely heart at the centre of glittering city (Sydney Morning Herald)

Apr 1 - IF SYDNEY were a person, she would have a loud laugh but a lonely heart.

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Catherine Deveny: God is Bullshit (The Age, Melbourne)

Apr 1 - "ATHEISTS aren't arrogant — we're smug," says Catherine Deveny, clad in a red, black and shiny dress.

CATHOLIC CHURCH

Outback priests fight for Wilcannia-Forbes diocese (The Australian)

Mar 29 - A dispute between rural priests and the Catholic Church hierarchy has emerged over the diocese of Wilcannia-Forbes, which covers central and western NSW.

Also: Priests fear diocese shake-up (ABC News)

Mar 30 - Local priests in the Wilcannia-Forbes diocese are unhappy with a proposal by the Catholic Church to dissolve the district.

New rebels join religious renewal (Sydney Morning Herald)

Apr 3 - IN A society where sex is everywhere and you can buy drugs online, members of Generation Y have to work hard to be rebellious. So Greg Morgan, 23, and Christian Irdi, 26, have defied 21st century culture in a novel way: by joining the priesthood.

INTERNATIONAL STORIES

Abuse

Vatican may face sex suits around the world (The Australian)

Mar 29 - ROME: Revelations about Pope Benedict XVI's alleged role in covering up accusations of sexual abuse by Catholic clergy has exposed the Vatican to the risk of lawsuits around the world.

Pope's faith to get him through abuse scandal (ABC News)

Mar 29 - Pope Benedict, facing one of the gravest crises of his pontificate as a sexual abuse scandal sweeps the Church, has indicated his faith would give him the courage not to be intimidated by critics.

Also: Pope defiant over sex abuse scandal (The Age, Melbourne)

Mar 30 - POPE Benedict, facing the worst crisis of his papacy as a sexual abuse scandal sweeps the Catholic Church, has declared he will not be ''intimidated'' by ''petty gossip'', angering activists who say he has done too little to stamp out paedophilia.

Also: Pope Benedict XVI 'will not be intimidated' (The Australian)

Mar 30 - ROME: A defiant Pope indicated yesterday he would not be intimidated by the clerical sex abuse crisis engulfing the church and threatening to undermine his authority.

Vatican reform vital in abuse crisis (The Australian)

Mar 30 – (Opinion: William Rees-Mogg) THE pedophile abuse cases have become a big crisis for the Catholic Church.

Twenty priests accused of sex abuse (Adelaide Now)

Mar 30 - A GERMAN Roman Catholic diocese says 20 of its current and former priests have been accused "in recent weeks" of sexual abuse as a scandal embroiling the Church widened.

A church adrift (Sydney Morning Herald)

Apr 1 - IT'S only a quarter over, but mark down 2010 as a bad year for the Vatican.

Church prays for the miracle of PR to save it (Sydney Morning Herald)

Apr 1 – (Opinion: Maureen Dowd) IT DOESN'T seem right that the Catholic Church is spending Holy Week practising the unholy art of spin.

Pope struggles to convey message on abuse scandal (The Age, Melbourne)

Apr 1 - THE Vatican has been ramping up its defence of how Pope Benedict XVI and the church have handled a growing sexual abuse scandal.

Lawyer wants to quiz Pope on sex abuse cases (ABC News)

Apr 1 - In a bold move against the Catholic Church hierarchy, a United States lawyer has filed a legal motion to have the Pope questioned over child abuse.

Swiss bishops urge legal action for victims (ABC News)

Apr 1 - Roman Catholic bishops in Switzerland have admitted they underestimated the extent of sexual abuse committed by priests and have offered an apology.

Pope played role in bringing abuses to light: cardinal (Sydney Morning Herald)

Apr 2 - ROME: The head of the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, has defended Pope Benedict for ensuring the investigation and prosecution of sexual abuse cases.

Catholic abuse scandasl casts pall over Easter (The Australian)

Apr 2 - THE pedophile priest scandals rocking the Catholic Church have cast a pall over pre-Easter celebrations as Pope Benedict XVI avoided direct references to the crisis.

French priest admits child abuse (ABC News)

Apr 2 - A French Catholic priest has admitted sexually assaulting a minor and sees his arrest as a "deliverance" after years of private torment, his lawyer said.

Abuse furore continues as Catholics observe Easter (ABC News)

Apr 3 - Pope Benedict has presided over Easter ceremonies, as Catholic leaders defend the 82-year-old over criticism of his handling of the Church's widening sex abuse scandal.

Abuses a trauma for Catholics: Williams (The Age, Melbourne)

Apr 3 - The Archbishop of Canterbury has said the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland has lost all credibility because of the scandal over children abused by priests, a newspaper reported on Saturday.

Pope Benedict marks Good Friday under cloud (The Age, Melbourne)

Apr 3 - Pope Benedict XVI marked Good Friday, the Christian world's most solemn day, with the Roman Catholic Church under a dark cloud, battling pedophile priest scandals.

Christians losing faith amid abuse scandal (The Australian)

Apr 3 - THERE was standing room only as clergy renewed their ordination vows at the Chrism Mass at St Peter's Cathedral in Belfast.

Redemption is indeed the real message of Easter (The Australian)

Apr 3 – (Opinion: Editorial) THIS year, the eternal Easter message should carry special meaning for the leaders of our churches.

Sins of the fathers will be purged (The Australian)

Apr 3 – (Opinion: Angela Shanahan) HOLY Week is traditionally a time of reflection, penitence and expectancy. This year it has been marred by the unrelenting avalanche of clerical sex abuse scandals in the church

Scandals revive Left fantasy (The Australian)

Apr 3 – (Opinion: Christopher Pearson) THE past few weeks have been a busy time for militant atheists, in concert across the Anglosphere.

Abuse furore continues as Catholics observe Easter (ABC News)

Apr 3 - Pope Benedict has presided over Easter ceremonies, as Catholic leaders defend the 82-year-old over criticism of his handling of the Church's widening sex abuse scandal.

Rome waited to ban pedophile priest (Sydney Morning Herald)

Apr 3 - The future Pope Benedict XVI took over the abuse case of an Arizona priest, then let it languish at the Vatican for years despite repeated pleas from the bishop for the man to be removed from the priesthood, according to church correspondence.

Irish Catholic Church 'losing all credibility' (ABC News)

Apr 3 - The Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, says the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland is losing all credibility following the surfacing of child-sex-abuse allegations.

Also: Anglican leader regrets attack on Catholic Church (ABC News)

Apr 4 - The leader of the world's Anglicans has expressed "deep sorrow and regret" for saying the Catholic Church in Ireland was "losing all credibility" over the paedophile priests scandal.

Victims, Jewish groups slam Vatican's anti-semitism remarks (Sydney Morning Herald)

Apr 3 - A Jewish group and victims of Catholic clergy abuse have expressed alarm over a Vatican official who they said hurled a provocative insult by equating the church paedophilia scandal with anti-Semitism.

Also: Jews outraged at Vatican scandal comparison (ABC News)

Apr 4 - Jewish groups around the world have reacted with shock after Pope Benedict's personal preacher compared attacks on the Church and the pope over a sexual abuse scandal to "collective violence" against Jews.

Also: Pope's preacher fuels ire (Sydney Morning Herald)

Apr 4 - POPE BENEDICT XVI prepared yesterday to hold an Easter vigil in St Peter's Square, as fallout grows over the Church's response to paedophile priests.

Also: Fresh criticism of Vatican clouds Easter weekend (The Age, Melbourne)

Apr 4 - The Vatican on Saturday defended the pope's personal preacher over remarks that likened attacks on the pontiff over paedophile priests to anti-Semitism, as the new row marred Easter weekend.

Abuse hotline crashes as 'humiliated' church prays for a new start (Sydney Morning Herald)

Apr 4 - AN ABUSE hotline set up by the Catholic Church in Germany crashed on its first day as more than 4400 alleged victims of paedophile and violent priests called to seek counselling and advice.

Catholic Church

Bishops condemn Easter whippings, crucifixions (ABC News)

Mar 29 - Roman Catholic bishops in the Philippines have criticised the traditional Easter rituals of people publicly whipping themselves or having themselves crucified.

Don't make shroud a spectacle (The Australian)

Apr 1 - ROME: Catholic authorities in Turin have condemned plans to sell 3-D spectacles to pilgrims viewing the Holy Shroud when it goes on display after Easter.

Islam

First Muslim online sex shop (The Australian)

Apr 1 - IT'S not quite the Kama Sutra or The Joy of Sex but it does offer a similar kind of assistance: the first online sex shop for the Islamic world has opened in The Netherlands.

Judaism

Israel wants to ban fur (The Australian)

Mar 30 - ISRAEL could become the first country to ban the wearing of animal fur, a move campaigners hope will encourage other countries to follow suit.

Religious Violence

Black Widows martyr themselves to avenge deaths (The Australian)

Mar 31 - THE bomb blasts on the Moscow metro that killed 39 people marked a troubling return of the female suicide bombers who sent a spasm of fear across the Russian capital less than 10 years ago.

Not guilty pleas for US militia suspects (Sydney Morning Herald)

Apr 1 - Not guilty pleas were entered on Wednesday in Michigan on behalf of eight members of a Christian militia that prosecutors say plotted to kill police officers and spark a violent revolt against the US government.

Also: Extremists spurred by black president (Sydney Morning Herald)

Apr 1 - DETROIT: The actions of the Christian militia group raided in Michigan are part of a growing trend of militant activity across the US because of the weak economy and an African-American president, experts and a civil rights group say.

Also: US extremists deny kill conspiracy charges (ABC News)

Apr 1 - Eight members of an extremist militia group accused of conspiring to kill law enforcement officers as part of a wider war on the US government have pleaded not guilty in a federal court.

Also: Christian revolutionaries refuse to speak (Adelaide Now)

Apr 3 - NOT-GUILTY pleas have been entered on behalf of eight members of a Christian militia who US prosecutors say plotted to kill police officers and spark a violent revolt against the US Government.

Abortion doctor's killer gets 50 years (Adelaide Now)

Apr 2 - A BORN-AGAIN Christian who said he killed a prominent US abortion doctor to save the lives of unborn babies has sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 50 years.

Jihad Jane friend faces terror charges (The Age, Melbourne)

Apr 4 - A SECOND woman has been charged in relation to the terror suspect dubbed ''Jihad Jane'', after she flew back to the United States and surrendered to authorities.

Other

'Door to Afterlife' found in Thebes (Adelaide Now)

Mar 29 - A LARGE red granite false door from the tomb of an ancient queen's powerful vizier has been discovered in Luxor, the site of the former ancient Egyptian capital of Thebes.

Penis-gourds define porn debate (The Australian)

Mar 30 - THERE are plenty of Indonesians who dislike the idea of the new anti-pornography law, but few have as much to lose as the penis-gourd wearers of West Papua.

Technology and shroud give Christ a new face (The Age, Melbourne)

Apr 1 - DIGITAL artists have recreated the face of Jesus - and he's nothing like the man depicted in Renaissance paintings, British reports say.

There's nothing like a dunking in dirty water (Sydney Morning Herald)

Apr 3 - ONE of the best places to observe miracles these days is on the banks of the River Jordan, where, the Bible says, John baptised Jesus Christ and declared him the Messiah.

Holy Fire lights up Jerusalem church (ABC News)

Apr 4 - Bells, drums, ecstatic chants and flaming candles lit from the tomb of Jesus has brought Easter to a joyful climax in Jerusalem for Palestinians and thousands of Orthodox Christian pilgrims from around the world.

JUDAISM

Restaurateur looks to his bond in pantry agreement for Passover (Sydney Morning Herald)

Mar 30 - FOR the next nine days, the restaurateur and political aspirant Peter Doyle will own the contents of the pantries in many Sydney Jewish households.

POLITICS

Church slams Abbott's 'chilling' asylum message (ABC News)

Apr 2 - The Uniting Church's president has described Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott's language on asylum seekers as "extreme".

RELIGION & SOCIETY

RBA chief Glenn Stevens opens up (The Australian)

Mar 31 - RESERVE Bank boss Glenn Stevens is a guitar-playing churchgoer and pilot whose wife collects new banknotes with his signature on them.

Giving thanks (The Age, Melbourne)

Apr 2 – (Opinion: Barney Zwartz) Gratitude changes everything, and not only in literature. Some atheists say religion begins in fear and ignorance; I suggest it begins with gratitude.

Nanny rules stripped bare (Herald-Sun, Melbourne)

Apr 2 – (Opinion: Andrew Bolt) I'D have thought stripping was the last thing you'd do in a country called Iceland, and now it is.

Who's afraid of 4500 boatpeople? (The Australian)

Apr 3 – (Opinion: Peter van Onselen) I find it disappointingly inconsistent that both of our political leaders, Rudd and Tony Abbott, wear their religion on their sleeves, yet neither of them practises the compassion that Christianity extols when it comes to boatpeople.

Atheism / Belief

Faith and unbelief aren't what they used to be (The Age, Melbourne)

Apr 2 – (Opinion: Editorial) There used to be a stand-off between believers and sceptics. Now there are dogmatists on both sides.

Christian leaders attack atheism in Easter messages (ABC News)

Apr 2 - Religious leaders have used their Good Friday sermons to launch an attack on what they call a recent surge in atheism.

Thank God we're not all atheists, bishop says (Sydney Morning Herald)

Apr 2 - GODLESSNESS and secularism led to Nazism, Stalinism, mass murder and abortion, according to Anthony Fisher, the new bishop of Parramatta, who has used his inaugural Easter message to launch a scathing attack on atheism, while ignoring the sex abuse scandals besieging the Catholic Church worldwide.

Atheists hit back at clergy criticism of non-belief (The Australian)

Apr 2 - ATHEISTS have hit back at criticism by religious leaders, claiming the clergy have made non-believers a scapegoat for declining church congregations.

Atheists are believers who hate God: Anglican Archbishop Peter Jensen (The Australian)

Apr 3 - RELIGIOUS leaders have used their Easter sermons and messages to condemn the rise of atheism, with Sydney Anglican Archbishop Peter Jensen describing the philosophy as an "assault on God".

Atheists respond to church leader attacks (The Age, Melbourne)

Apr 4 - ATHEISTS have hit back at Easter attacks by church leaders, saying claims they ''hate God'' are nonsense, because God does not exist.

Peace be with you, from the lion and the lamb (The Age, Melbourne)

Apr 4 - IT WOULD be neither fair nor accurate to compare him to a Richard Dawkins, but Dale Stephenson knows what it's like to be that rare species - the evangelising atheist.

Easter

Easter, when a Kindle surprise turns into a curate's egg (Sydney Morning Herald)

Apr 1 – (Opinion: Elizabeth Farrelly) It's Easter and I'm cross again. What's that? No. God no, not that sort of cross.

No room for Jesus at Easter Show (ABC News)

Apr 1 - The New South Wales Bible Society says its application to have a Jesus: All About Life stall at Sydney's Royal Easter Show has been knocked back for dubious reasons.

God, the Christian socialist and the mad monk (ABC News)

Apr 1 – (Opinion: Chris Uhlmann) Over Easter the Prime Minister and the Opposition Leader will participate in rites that many see as ridiculous.

Christians urged to reach out (News.com.au)

Apr 1 - CHRISTIANS are being urged to reach out to society this Easter to ease an epidemic of loneliness in the community.

Has the bell tolled on Easter's meaning? (The Age, Melbourne)

Apr 2 – (Opinion: Peter Craven) It would be a tragedy to lose a story of such power and illumination.

There are good people in the other faiths, believe it or not (The Age, Melbourne)

Apr 2 – (Opinion: Hugh Mackay) Belief sustains us, inspires us, motivates us and sometimes transforms us. But it also brings out the worst in many of us.

Australian church leaders' Easter messages (The Australian)

Apr 2 - EASTER 2010 messages from major Australian church leaders.

Easter gives us the chance to take on change (Adelaide Now)

Apr 2 – (Opinion: Editorial) EASTER holds different meanings for different people.

Easter faith: a reason for believing (The Age, Melbourne)

Apr 2 – (Opinion: Editorial) You don't have to have attended the Global Atheist Convention in Melbourne last month to regard the claims of Christianity as highly improbable.

Easter is time for everyone (Herald-Sun, Melbourne)

Apr 2 - EASTER can be as valuable to non-believers as it is to the religious, according to Melbourne church leaders.

Bishops unite in Easter message (ABC News)

Apr 3 - The Catholic Archbishop of Sydney is using his Easter address to remind Australians of the important work Christians do for the community.

Easter's gifts (Herald-Sun, Melbourne)

Apr 3 – (Opinion: Editorial) THE Royal Children's Hospital Good Friday Appeal has much in common with the beliefs that make Easter the most solemn occasion on the religious calendar.

Church leaders unite against 'idolatry' of atheism (The Australian)

Apr 3 - THE creeping forces of secularism and materialism were addressed by several religious leaders during their Good Friday messages yesterday, with Sydney Anglican Archbishop Peter Jensen condemning atheism as a form of self-worship.

Easter is a time for hope and forgiveness, Christian leaders say (Adelaide Now)

Apr 4 - PRACTISE forgiveness, live with hope and give thanks for life are the key Easter messages from Sydney's Christian leaders today.

UNITING CHURCH

Flying padre moves on (ABC News)

Mar 30 - Services provided by the flying padre in far west New South Wales will be no more, as Revered John Blair takes up a new position as the pastor of another church.

OTHER

Man found guilty of murdering popular drag performer (The Courier-Mail, Brisbane)

Mar 29 - A MAN raised in a religious cult murdered an adult shop worker and popular Brisbane Drag King for just $650 in a violent armed robbery, a court heard today.