Catholic Telecommunications

Vatican	HOLY SEE OPENS DIPLOMATIC TIES WITH COOK ISLANDS The Vatican has announced the establishment of formal diplomatic relations with the Cook Islands.	11:43am 30/4/99
Rome	POPE SUPPORTS 'AUTHENTIC HUMANISM' Pope John Paul II yesterday told an academic audience that "authentic humanism" must be the foundation upon which every "educational and cultural function" of university life is built.	11:34am 30/4/99
Indonesia	MOSQUE BOMBING HITS CATHEDRAL MASS ATTENDANCE Daily Mass attendance at Our Lady of Assumption Cathedral in downtown Jakarta has dropped after the recent bombing of the nation's main mosque, which located nearby.	11:18am 30/4/99
Melbourne	HONOUR FOR PROMOTERS OF 'SACREDNESS OF THE BODY' Natural Family Planning pioneers Drs John and Lyn Billings have been awarded the honour of Doctor of the University by the Australian Catholic University.	11:01am 30/4/99
Melbourne	RADIO TALKBACK PRIEST APPOINTED CATHEDRAL DEAN Father Gerard Dowling, who has presented The Family Counsellor on Melbourne radio for over 25 years, has been appointed Dean of the city's St Patrick's Cathedral.	10:51am 30/4/99
Social Welfare	NEED TO RECLAIM LOST FATHERHOOD: RELIGIOUS PSYCHOLOGIST Clinical Psychologist and Marist Brother Eugene Dwyer has regretted the effect on society of the loss of what he calls the "fatherhood script".	10:34am 30/4/99
UK	SCOTTISH CARDINAL BACKS CONSERVATIVE POLITICAL PARTY While the Catholic Church in Scotland denied this week that its bishops were divided over the wording of a controversial pre-election statement, Cardinal Winning has told friends that he is privately backing the Scottish National Party.	10:21am 30/4/99
Indonesia	NUNS FACE SECURITY THREAT WITH MARTIAL ARTS Indonesian nuns from several congregations in Malang diocese, eastern Java, have completed martial arts training to prepare them to defend themselves and others if necessary.	10:13am 30/4/99
Kosovo Crisis	MILOSEVIC CLOSES BORDER TO CARITAS A Caritas delegation en route to Belgrade with aid for NATO bombing victims has been turned back at the Yugoslavian border.	10:05am 30/4/99
Social Welfare	CENTACARE FINDS INTELLECTUALLY DISABLED DENIED SERVICES A project conducted under the auspices of Centacare in the Brisbane North region has found that people with psychiatric disabilities are missing out on government services which should be readily available to them.	4:59pm 29/4/99
Vatican	HOLY SEE APPOINTS SECURITY PANEL The Vatican has established a committee to toughen security during next year's Jubiilee celebrations, according to the Italian daily Il Messagero.	3:30pm 29/4/99
Social Welfare	DON'T IGNORE UNEMPLOYED SAYS SOCIAL JUSTICE COUNCIL The Australian Catholic Social Justice Council has called on Catholics to be more sensitive to people who are unemployed.	1:32pm 29/4/99
Kosovo Crisis	PRAYER AND AID MUST GO TOGETHER: CARITAS Catholic aid organisation Caritas has made it clear that healing the human heart through prayer is an integral part of its effort to assist in the Kosovo war zone.	10:35am 29/4/99
Russia	FIRST PRIESTS SINCE 1917 REVOLUTION The Russian Catholic Church's first new priests since the 1917 revolution will be ordained next month.	10:26am 29/4/99
Kosovo Crisis	BELGRADE ARCHBISHOP REJECTS RUMOR OF PAPAL VISIT Archbishop Franc Perko of Belgrade has dismissed a rumor that Pope John Paul II will visit the Yugoslavian capital on his return trip to Rome after visiting Romania early in May.	11:44am 28/4/99
Indonesia	MORE DEATHS IN INDONESIA CHRISTIAN/MUSLIM CLASHES Fighting has continued in Indonesia's Maluku Islands with at least 35 people dead in two days of fighting last weekend, according to a government spokesman.	11:37am 28/4/99
Vietnam	NEW DECREE ENSURING RELIGIOUS FREEDOM The Vietnam government has issued a new decree on religious affairs guaranteeing religious freedom as long as it is in the interest of the state.	10:53am 28/4/99
Kosovo Crisis	CARITAS AIDS KOSOVO RELIEF EFFORT Caritas Australia has sent $400,000 to Caritas organisations operating on the ground, for refugee relief assistance in Albania, Macedonia and Montenegro.	3:23pm 27/4/99
Welfare	CHURCH SERVICE ATTEMPTS TO PLUG REFUGEE GAP The Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) has moved to plug some of the gaps left by the reduction in Federal Government support for services to refugees and asylum seekers.	3:06pm 27/4/99
National	BISHOPS DISCUSS SECULARISATION WITH JEWISH LEADERS The Australian Catholic Bishops' Committee for Ecumenical and Interfaith Relations has met with leaders of the Australian Jewish community to discuss common concerns including the secularisation of Australian society.	2:14pm 27/4/99
National	BISHOP WARNS SEX ABUSE STRATEGY MUST BE UNIFIED Individual Catholic dioceses and religious institutes tackling sexual abuse must surrender some of their autonomy for the sake of the common good, according to Chairman of the Church's National Committee for Professional Standards Bishop Geoffrey Robinson.	2:00pm 27/4/99
NSW	'UNSAVOURY INCIDENT' TURN-OFF FOR PARISHIONERS The Bishop of Maitland NSW has expressed regret that an "unsavoury incident" had turned people away from the parish and the Catholic Church.	11:54am 27/4/99
India	COURT REFUSES TO BAN "FOREIGNER" FROM POLITICAL OFFICE The high court of southern Andhra Pradesh state on Friday dismissed a plea to prevent opposition Congress party president Sonia Gandhi -- of Italian Catholic origin -- from becoming a member of Parliament, Prime Minister, or President of India.	11:33am 27/4/99
East Timor	DECOMPOSING BODIES FOUND ON BEACHES East Timor Catholic leaders in the district of Suai have claimed that decomposing bodies had been washing up on beaches in Suai.	11:26am 27/4/99
Indonesia	CHURCH LEADERS WARN AGAINST SATANIC WORSHIP Catholic and Protestant leaders in Sulawesi have warned the local Christian faithful against activities allegedly practiced by a Satanic cult.	11:18am 27/4/99
India	COMMISSION FINDS RIGHT-WING HINDUS CAUSING ANTI-CHRISTIAN VIOLENCE An independent commission investigating recent attacks on Christians in Gujarat state has found that right-wing Hindu groups were responsible, and in some cases organised the outrages.	11:01am 27/4/99
Sierra Leone	REBELS RELEASE KIDNAPPED MISSIONARY An Italian missionary priest kidnapped by Sierra Leone rebels more than two months ago has been released and has reached safety in Conakry, Guinea.	10:38am 27/4/99
Kosovo Crisis	NATO BOMBS STOP CONVENT'S REFUGEE ASSISTANCE Because of damage inflicted by NATO bombs, a monastery of Orthodox nuns in the neighbourhood of Rakoviza in Belgrade can no longer feed or house 16 refugee families from Bosnia and Krajna.	10:27am 27/4/99
Russia	JESUITS' REJECTION WORRIES CATHOLICS IN RUSSIA The Russian Federation's prohibition of the Society of Jesus from establishing communities on its territory is not limited to the Jesuits is likely to affect all Catholic orders and congregations in Russia.	10:18am 27/4/99
Vatican	JOHN XXIII BEATIFICATION LIKELY NEXT YEAR Pope John XXIII's beatification cause is in its final phase, with canonisation likely during next year's Jubilee celebrations if investigations continue at their present rate.	10:10am 27/4/99
Vatican	HOLY SEE BECOMING IMPATIENT WITH YUGOSLAVIA A leading European cardinal has denounced the forced expulsion of ethnic Albanians from Kosovo. Observers view his stance as a sign that the Church is hardening its position against Yugoslavia's crackdown on the southern province.	9:57am 27/4/99
Vatican	WAR POSTPONES TALKS WITH ORTHODOX CHURCH The Vatican has announced that the war has set back planned talks between Roman Catholics and the Orthodox Church on theological differences. The talks were scheduled to be held in early June in Baltimore in the US.	9:53am 27/4/99
Vatican	ISRAEL INVITING POPE TO HOLY LAND Israeli Foreign Minister Ariel Sharon is to invite Pope John Paul II to visit the Holy Land during the coming millennium year when the two men meet this week in Rome.	9:42am 27/4/99
Vatican	POPE DEMANDS ANSWERS FROM GUATEMALAN PRESIDENT ON BISHOP'S MURDER Pope John Paul has requested clarification from Guatemalan President Alvaro Arzú of circumstances surrounding the murder of human rights champion Bishop Juan Gerardi.	9:38am 27/4/99
Vatican	REPORTS OF NEW PADRE PIO MIRACLE Just days prior to the beatification of Padre Pio an Italian newspaper has reported another apparent miracle attributed to the intercession of the Capuchin monk.	11:54am 23/4/99
Poland	PAPAL CROSS TO REMAIN AT AUSCHWITZ Poland's Senate amended a law on former Nazi death camps on Thursday to allow a giant cross erected in 1988 to remain by the Auschwitz museum, but to remove some 200 smaller crosses planted around it over the past year.	11:39am 23/4/99
Indonesia	CHURCH CONDEMNS CHRISTIAN ATTACK ON MOSQUE The Catholic Church immediately condemned the attack on a mosque earlier this week, saying it has been "an irresponsible act, whether it was committed by delinquents or for political reasons".	10:41am 23/4/99
Vatican	POPE ADDRESSES YOUTH PROBLEMS The education of youth, and the avoidance of violence, drugs and suicide, "requires infinite patience and affection," as well as proper "spiritual, human and psychological formation," according to Pope John Paul II.	10:34am 23/4/99
East Timor	CATHOLIC STAFF ON HIT-LIST The staff of key Catholic organisations in East Timor are on the pro-Indonesian militia's hitlist, according to Caritas Australia's East Timor Project Manager, Ms Anne Wigglesworth.	2:58pm 22/4/99
Sydney	CHURCH INSTITUTIONS ASSESSING STORM DAMAGE More than a week after large hailstones left a trail of devastation through Sydney, religious institutions are still assessing the damage.	1:39pm 22/4/99
East Timor	PAPAL NUNCIO CALLS EAST TIMORESE TO WORK FOR PEACE Apostolic nuncio to Indonesia Archbishop Renzo Fratini has called on both sides of the conflict in East Timor people to forgive each other.	12:17pm 22/4/99
Vietnam	GOVERNMENT WARNS RELIGIOUS SUBVERSIVES Vietnam's Communist government has issued a new decree on religious rights that includes fresh warnings for those who would use religion to harm the state.	11:49am 22/4/99
USA	DENVER BISHOP SEEKS MERCY FOR KILLERS In the wake of the worst case of school violence in the country's history, the Archbishop of Denver has highlighted God's mercy.	11:14am 22/4/99
Queensland	QUEENSLAND BISHOP CONSIDERS CLERGY SHORTAGE Bishop Raymond Benjamin of Townsville has told the ABC that the Australian Catholic Bishops are considering options for overcoming the shortage of clergy.	11:01am 22/4/99
Vatican	POPE APPEALS TO COLOMBIAN HIJACKERS Pope John Paul II appealed to Colombian rebels Wednesday to release the passengers and crew members of a hijacked Avianca airliner.	10:37am 22/4/99
Europe	GERMAN COURT ORDERS CLASSROOM CRUCIFIX REMOVED A federal court ordered a school in predominantly Catholic Bavaria to remove a classroom crucifix on Wednesday after a couple claimed it violated their 10-year-old daughter's rights.	10:31am 22/4/99
Rwanda	BISHOP DENIED BAIL A Rwandan court yesterday denied bail for a Catholic bishop whose arrest last week on genocide charges has upset ties with the Vatican and the country's Catholic clergy.	2:55pm 21/4/99
India	BISHOPS CLAIM VIOLENCE HELPED FAITH The Indian Catholic bishops' standing committee says recent atrocities against Christians have helped make the religion better known in the country and strengthened its members' faith.	11:02am 21/4/99
Indonesia	MUSLIMS BURN CHURCH IN RETALIATION A mob of Muslims burned a Catholic church in eastern Indonesia yesterday in apparent retaliation for the bombing of the country's largest mosque.	10:51am 21/4/99
Kosovo Crisis	POPE'S LETTER TO ARCHBISHOP OF BELGRADE Pope John Paul II has written to Archbishop Franc Perko of Belgrade to express his profound sorrow about the deteriorating humanitarian situation.	10:42am 21/4/99
Vatican	HOLY SEE SEEKS UN PROTOCOL TO PROTECT CHILD SOLDIERS Vatican permanent observer at the UN headquarters in Geneva Archbishop Giuseppe Bertello has called for a protocol to prohibit the use of children in armed conflicts along the lines of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.	10:16am 21/4/99
East Timor	BISHOP BELLO SEEKS MORE DETAIL ON KILLINGS BEFORE RESUMING DIALOGUE Bishop Carlos Belo says he will not lead a peace dialogue unless the Indonesian government provides more information about the recent killings of pro-independence activists in a church compound.	9:56am 21/4/99
India	CHRISTIANS RELIEVED AS GOVERNMENT FALLS The Indian Prime Minister, who has been charged with allowing the escalation of anti-Christian violence to occur during his rule, has been forced to resign.	1:24pm 20/4/99
Feature Kosovo Crisis	CATHOLIC RELIGIOUS HAVE REMAINED IN KOSOVO Catholic parish priests and men and women religious of Kosovo have decided to stay in their country despite the expulsion of their inhabitants by Serbian police and paramilitaries.	12:25pm 20/4/99
Guatemala	THREATS AGAINST CLERGY HOLD UP MURDERED BISHOP INVESTGATION Some priests are continuing to receive threats designed to block the search for truth in the 1998 murder of Auxiliary Bishop and human rights defender Juan Gerardi.	12:15pm 20/4/99
Italy	RATIONALITY AS A WEAPON FOR CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY STUDENTS Milan's Cardinal Martini has proposed to students of the city's Catholic University that they can use their capacity for rational thought to contribute fight against the war in Yugoslavia.	12:01pm 20/4/99
Vatican	POPE'S SUPPORT FOR COURT BEING UNDERMINED SAYS FORMER AUSTRALIAN MINISTER Former Federal Minister for Justice Michael Tate claimed at a Tasmanian seminar last week that some senior Vatican officials are undermining the Pope's support for an international criminal court.	2:29pm 19/4/99
Germany	RATZINGER SAYS GERMANY FACES RELIGIOUS CRISIS German Catholics no longer have a common point of view on moral and religious issues, the prefect of the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, has said in a press interview.	11:48am 19/4/99
UK	CATHOLIC LEADER SUFFERING FROM CANCER Leader of Roman Catholics in England and Wales Cardinal Basil Hume revealed on Saturday that he has an advanced case of cancer.	11:38am 19/4/99
Feature: Kosovo Crisis	KOSOVARS PREFER TO REMAIN CLOSE TO HOME The Italian Catholic Community of St Egidio says the refugees do not want to go to countries which have offered them entry, but that they prefer to stay in Kukes because they hope to return to their homes.	11:13am 19/4/99
India	CHRISTIANS JOIN FORCES TO FACE HINDU THREAT Christian leaders in Kerala have issued a pastoral letter denouncing the efforts of Hindu fundamentalists to make Hinduism the sole religion of India, sidelining Christianity and Islam as foreign religions	11:05am 19/4/99
Rwanda	MISSIONARIES SAY BISHOP'S ARREST INTENDED TO DISCREDIT CHURCH The Comboni Missionary Order's news agency MISNA believes Rwandan Bishop Misago arrested recently "is a clear victim of a judicial system intent on discrediting the image of the Catholic Church."	10:59am 19/4/99
Kosovo Crisis	PATRIARCH OF MOSCOW TO VISIT BELGRADE Following the Holy See's initiative to send its highest diplomatic representative to speak with Yugoslavian president Milosevic, the Patriarch of Moscow wishes to make a similar gesture.	10:47am 19/4/99
Macao	MISSIONARIES TO REMAIN AFTER HANDOVER Foreign missionaries will be able to continue their pastoral work in Macao after 20 December this year, when the Portuguese colony will revert to Chinese jurisdiction.	10:41am 19/4/99
Feature: Netherlands	NEW LIFE FOR DUTCH CATHOLICISM Bishop Adrianus van Luyn of Rotterdam has said that a religious awakening is taking place in Holland in the wake of the desert left by secularism.	10:14am 19/4/99
Vatican	MARCELLIN CHAMPAGNAT CANONISED Marist Brothers founder Marcellin Champagnat is one of three new saints canonsed yesterday by Pope John Paul II before thousands of pilgrims in St Peter's Square.	10:06am 19/4/99
Indonesia	BISHOPS ASK CATHOLICS TO VOTE OPTIMISTICALLY In the wake of continuing sectarian clashes, Indonesia's bishops have called on Catholics to build up solidarity with like-minded groups.	9:51am 19/4/99
Colombia	CATHOLICS MURDERED BY ULTRA-RIGHT A three-year-old boy is among 18 people of Christian peace communities massacred by ultra-right wing paramilitaries in Colombia in a number of recent attacks.	3:07pm 16/4/99
Pakistan	DIOCESE REJECTS PROTEST STRATEGY FOR BISHOP'S ANNIVERSARY The Diocese of Faisalabad has decided to mark the first anniversary of the self-inflicted protest death of its bishop John Joseph without provocative actions.	12:13pm 16/4/99
Vatican	CHURCHES SEEN AS CRUCIAL IN POST-WAR BALKANS A Vatican official has said that Christian churches will have a key role to play in the restoration of the Balkan region after the current war.	11:52am 16/4/99
Vatican	RWANDA BISHOP'S ARREST CONCERNS HOLY SEE The Vatican has described the arrest of a Augustin Misago accused of having a role in Rwanda's 1994 genocide as "an act of extreme gravity".	11:33am 16/4/99
National	AUSTRALIAN BISHOPS SIGNAL URGENT NEED FOR DISCERNMENT The Australian Bishops have issued an important pastoral letter on what they identify as a "crisis of faith" in the Australian Catholic Church.	10:43am 16/4/99
Ireland	BISHOPS HIT OUT AGAINST RACISM Irish Catholics have been urged by their bishops to see and welcome Christ in immigrants, asylum seekers and refugees.	9:37am 16/4/99
Indonesia	CATHOLICS URGED TO FORGIVE The Archbishop of Jakarta, Cardinal Julius Darmaatmadja SJ has urged the country's Catholics to "build a new life based on the spirit of mutual forgiveness and reconciliation toward harmony, fraternity and peace."	10:57am 15/4/99
Rwanda	BISHOP ARRESTED FOR GENOCIDE A Catholic bishop was arrested on Wednesday for his alleged participation in Rwanda's 1994 genocide.	10:47am 15/4/99
Vatican	POPE RECEIVES MINIATURE MENORAH Pope John Paul II received a miniature menorah today, given in memory of the 6 million Jews who died in the Holocaust and in tribute to the pope's efforts to fight anti-Semitism.	10:43am 15/4/99
Vatican	HOLY SEE EXPRESSES CONCERN ABOUT NAZARETH VIOLENCE The Holy See has expressed concerns to the government of Israel over the recent violent confrontations in Nazareth.	10:32am 15/4/99
Kosovo Crisis	GERMAN BISHOP CRITICISES NATO'S "ACT OF DESPAIR" Bishop Franz Grave of Essen, Germany, has described the NATO attacks as an act of dispair, noting the action is being carried out by NATO, rather than the UN, to avoid the veto of the Security Council.	10:27am 15/4/99
Kosovo Crisis	JOINT CATHOLIC-ISLAMIC PLEA FOR PEACE The Pontifical Council for Inter-Religious Dialogue and the International Islamic Organisations have published a joint communiqué appealing to the parties of the conflict and the international community to put an end to the hostilities.	10:15am 15/4/99
Mexico	BISHOPS AVOID POLITICAL DIMENSION OF SOCIAL JUSTICE The Catholic Bishops have said that "fidelity to the Gospel" is at the heart of social justice, and that the Bishops should not pretend to do the work of politicians, sociologists, economists and psychologists.	10:07am 15/4/99
Vatican	POPE TO CANONISE "MARTYR OF CHARITY" On Sunday John Paul II will canonize Livia Petrantoni, a Daughter of Charity, who dedicated her life in service to the sick.	9:56am 15/4/99
Vatican	WORKING TOWARDS CODE OF TOURIST ETHICS A Vatican observer at the World Tourist Organisation meeting says the Church hopes human and Christian values will not be compromised by modern tourism.	9:48am 15/4/99
Vatican	POPE'S SUPPORT FOR COURT BEING UNDERMINED SAYS FORMER AUSTRALIAN MINISTER Former Federal Minister for Justice Michael Tate claimed at a Tasmanian seminar last week that some senior Vatican officials are undermining the Pope's support for an international criminal court.	2:29pm 19/4/99
Germany	RATZINGER SAYS GERMANY FACES RELIGIOUS CRISIS German Catholics no longer have a common point of view on moral and religious issues, the prefect of the Vatican Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, has said in a press interview.	11:48am 19/4/99
UK	CATHOLIC LEADER SUFFERING FROM CANCER Leader of Roman Catholics in England and Wales Cardinal Basil Hume revealed on Saturday that he has an advanced case of cancer.	11:38am 19/4/99
Feature: Kosovo Crisis	KOSOVARS PREFER TO REMAIN CLOSE TO HOME The Italian Catholic Community of St Egidio says the refugees do not want to go to countries which have offered them entry, but that they prefer to stay in Kukes because they hope to return to their homes.	11:13am 19/4/99
India	CHRISTIANS JOIN FORCES TO FACE HINDU THREAT Christian leaders in Kerala have issued a Lenten pastoral letter denouncing the efforts of Hindu fundamentalists to make Hinduism the sole religion of India, sidelining Christianity and Islam as foreign religions	11:05am 19/4/99
Rwanda	MISSIONARIES SAY BISHOP'S ARREST INTENDED TO DISCREDIT CHURCH The Comboni Missionary Order's news agency MISNA believes Rwandan Bishop Misago arrested recently "is a clear victim of a judicial system intent on discrediting the image of the Catholic Church."	10:59am 19/4/99
Kosovo Crisis	PATRIARCH OF MOSCOW TO VISIT BELGRADE Following the Holy See's initiative to send its highest diplomatic representative to speak with Yugoslavian president Milosevic, the Patriarch of Moscow wishes to make a similar gesture.	10:47am 19/4/99
Macao	MISSIONARIES TO REMAIN AFTER HANDOVER Foreign missionaries will be able to continue their pastoral work in Macao after 20 December this year, when the Portuguese colony will revert to Chinese jurisdiction.	10:41am 19/4/99
Feature: Netherlands	NEW LIFE FOR DUTCH CATHOLICISM Bishop Adrianus van Luyn of Rotterdam has said that a religious awakening is taking place in Holland in the wake of the desert left by secularism.	10:14am 19/4/99
Vatican	MARCELLIN CHAMPAGNAT CANONISED Marist Brothers founder Marcellin Champagnat is one of three new saints canonsed yesterday by Pope John Paul II before thousands of pilgrims in St Peter's Square.	10:06am 19/4/99
Indonesia	BISHOPS ASK CATHOLICS TO VOTE OPTIMISTICALLY In the wake of continuing sectarian clashes, Indonesia's bishops have called on Catholics to build up solidarity with like-minded groups.	9:51am 19/4/99
Colombia	CATHOLICS MURDERED BY ULTRA-RIGHT A three-year-old boy is among 18 people of Christian peace communities massacred by ultra-right wing paramilitaries in Colombia in a number of recent attacks.	3:07pm 16/4/99
Pakistan	DIOCESE REJECTS PROTEST STRATEGY FOR BISHOP'S ANNIVERSARY The Diocese of Faisalabad has decided to mark the first anniversary of the self-inflicted protest death of its bishop John Joseph without provocative actions.	12:13pm 16/4/99
Vatican	CHURCHES SEEN AS CRUCIAL IN POST-WAR BALKANS A Vatican official has said that Christian churches will have a key role to play in the restoration of the Balkan region after the current war.	11:52am 16/4/99
Vatican	RWANDA BISHOP'S ARREST CONCERNS HOLY SEE The Vatican has described the arrest of a Augustin Misago accused of having a role in Rwanda's 1994 genocide as "an act of extreme gravity".	11:33am 16/4/99
National	AUSTRALIAN BISHOPS SIGNAL URGENT NEED FOR DISCERNMENT The Australian Bishops have issued an important pastoral letter on what they identify as a "crisis of faith" in the Australian Catholic Church.	10:43am 16/4/99
Ireland	BISHOPS HIT OUT AGAINST RACISM Irish Catholics have been urged by their bishops to see and welcome Christ in immigrants, asylum seekers and refugees.	9:37am 16/4/99
Indonesia	CATHOLICS URGED TO FORGIVE The Archbishop of Jakarta, Cardinal Julius Darmaatmadja SJ has urged the country's Catholics to "build a new life based on the spirit of mutual forgiveness and reconciliation toward harmony, fraternity and peace."	10:57am 15/4/99
Rwanda	BISHOP ARRESTED FOR GENOCIDE A Catholic bishop was arrested on Wednesday for his alleged participation in Rwanda's 1994 genocide.	10:47am 15/4/99
Vatican	POPE RECEIVES MINIATURE MENORAH Pope John Paul II received a miniature menorah today, given in memory of the 6 million Jews who died in the Holocaust and in tribute to the pope's efforts to fight anti-Semitism.	10:43am 15/4/99
Vatican	HOLY SEE EXPRESSES CONCERN ABOUT NAZARETH VIOLENCE The Holy See has expressed concerns to the government of Israel over the recent violent confrontations in Nazareth.	10:32am 15/4/99
Kosovo Crisis	GERMAN BISHOP CRITICISES NATO'S "ACT OF DESPAIR" Bishop Franz Grave of Essen, Germany, has described the NATO attacks as an act of dispair, noting the action is being carried out by NATO, rather than the UN, to avoid the veto of the Security Council.	10:27am 15/4/99
Kosovo Crisis	JOINT CATHOLIC-ISLAMIC PLEA FOR PEACE The Pontifical Council for Inter-Religious Dialogue and the International Islamic Organisations have published a joint communiqué appealing to the parties of the conflict and the international community to put an end to the hostilities.	10:15am 15/4/99
Mexico	BISHOPS AVOID POLITICAL DIMENSION OF SOCIAL JUSTICE The Catholic Bishops have said that "fidelity to the Gospel" is at the heart of social justice, and that the Bishops should not pretend to do the work of politicians, sociologists, economists and psychologists.	10:07am 15/4/99
Vatican	POPE TO CANONISE "MARTYR OF CHARITY" On Sunday John Paul II will canonize Livia Petrantoni, a Daughter of Charity, who dedicated her life in service to the sick.	9:56am 15/4/99
Vatican	WORKING TOWARDS CODE OF TOURIST ETHICS A Vatican observer at the World Tourist Organisation meeting says the Church hopes human and Christian values will not be compromised by modern tourism.	9:48am 15/4/99
Kosovo Crisis	AUSTRALIAN CHURCH OFFERS CARE IF REFUGEES ARRIVE	2:17pm 14/4/99
National	BISHOP LAUNCHES PRAYER CAMPAIGN FOR EAST TIMOR	1:23pm 14/4/99
Kosovo Crisis	VATICAN TAKES STAND ON RAPES	12:13pm 14/4/99
National	AUSTRALIAN BISHOPS STUDYING RESEARCH ON CHURCH WOMEN	11:26am 14/4/99
France	PARIS CARDINAL LISTS MOTHER IN RECORD OF HOLOCAUST DEAD	10:27am 14/4/99
Kosovo Crisis	VATICAN'S 'LABORATORY OF PEACE' GAINING GROUND IN BELGRADE	10:21am 14/4/99
Vatican	POPE LOOKS FOR 'FRIENDLY' MEDIA	10:15am 14/4/99
Feature: Religious	CANONISATION OF MARIST BROTHERS' FOUNDER	10:06am 14/4/99
Vatican	FRENCH POPE INSPIRES JOHN PAUL II'S PEACE MESSAGE	10:02am 14/4/99
Social Welfare	INTERNATIONAL CHURCH WORKERS ALERTED TO TB/HIV-AIDS CONNECTION	9:56am 14/4/99
Kosovo Crisis	MOTHER TERESA NUNS PRAY FOR PEACE	9:44am 14/4/99
National	OPEN HOUSE FOR CATHOLICS AT FORMER SEMINARY	3:40pm 13/4/99
Kosovo Crisis	AUSTRALIAN CATHOLIC CHURCH READY TO ASSIST	12:28pm 13/4/99
Kosovo Crisis	AUSTRALIAN BISHOPS ECHO POPE'S CALL FOR CIVILISED DIALOGUE	12:20pm 13/4/99
Social Welfare	BISHOPS WELCOME GOVT. ANTI-DRUGS FUNDING BOOST	12:11pm 13/4/99
Ethics	DESIGNER ORPHANS: MELBOURNE EXPERTS DISCUSS HUMAN CLONING	11:39am 13/4/99
Kosovo Crisis	CATHOLIC ORGANISATIONS IN RELIEF FRONT LINE	10:50am 13/4/99
Feature: Church in Europe	SPANISH CATHOLICISM ENDURES SECULARISATION	10:45am 13/4/99
Entertainment	JOHN PAUL II'S MUSIC CD A WORLDWIDE SUCCESS	10:38am 13/4/99
Vatican	POPE PREPARES EXAMINATION OF CONSCIENCE OF EUROPEAN CHURCH	10:34am 13/4/99
Taiwan	FOREIGN MINISTER REJECTS RECALL OF AMBASSADOR TO VATICAN	10:00am 13/4/99
East Timor	PROTEST AT SLAYING SITE	9:52am 13/4/99
Vatican	MISSIONARY TASK OF THE ELDERLY	10:20am 12/4/99
Sri Lanka	MARIAN SHRINE FREED FROM MILITANTS	10:12am 12/4/99
Nicaragua	CATHOLICS COMPLAIN OF HARASSMENT ON GOOD FRIDAY	10:00am 12/4/99
Ireland	BISHOP APPEALS FOR IRA TO REVEAL GRAVE SITES	9:57am 12/4/99
East Timor	BISHOP BELO'S CONVOY ATTACKED	9:49am 12/4/99
Kosovo Crisis	POPE CALLS FOR PEACE IN BALKANS	9:43am 12/4/99
Chile	HUMAN RIGHTS CARDINAL DIES	9:37am 12/4/99
Brisbane	CATHOLICS AVOIDING INDIVIDUAL CONFESSION	2:02pm 9/4/99
Feature: Kosovo Crisis	U.S. MEDIA DOWNPLAYS POPE'S MESSAGE	9/04/99 10:27:44
East Timor	BISHOP WARNS VIOLENCE GIVES LEGITIMACY TO FURTHER ACTS	9/04/99 9:36:53
Kosovo Crisis	POPE MEETS UN REFUGEE COMMISSIONER	8/04/99 10:42:18
Kosovo Crisis	KOSOVO CATHOLICS ESCAPING WORST TREATMENT?	8/04/99 10:39:37
Sudan	GOVERNMENT BOMBS TARGET CHURCH	8/04/99 10:36:27
Israel	NAZARETH PILGRIMS LOCKED OUT	8/04/99 10:28:09
East Timor	BISHOP CLAIMS EAST TIMOR MASSACRE	8/04/99 10:23:08
Kosovo Crisis	AUSTRALIAN CHURCHES SUPPORT KOSOVO RELIEF EFFORT	7/04/99 2:44:28
Communications	EASTER MASS NET VIDEO A HIT	7/04/99 2:21:55
National	PUBLIC FORUM PLANNED TO SUPPORT BISHOPS	7/04/99 1:41:57
National	CATHOLIC ABORIGINAL BODY LIKES PREAMBLE BUT NOT PROCESS	7/04/99 1:31:28
Sri Lanka	BISHOP SAYS ARMY USING REFUGEES AS SHIELD	7/04/99 10:42:31
Papua New Guinea	GOVERNMENT ACCUSES CHURCH OF INCITING UNREST	7/04/99 10:36:39
Feature: Kosovo Crisis	CATHOLIC MOBILISATION IN FAVOUR OF KOSOVO REFUGEES	7/04/99 10:33:00
Kosovo Crisis	U.S. CARDINALS CALL FOR CEASE-FIRE	7/04/99 10:28:02
Kosovo Crisis	POPE URGES HELP FOR REFUGEES	7/04/99 10:25:27
National	FOUNDATION TO PRESERVE ORDER'S SPIRIT	7/04/99 10:13:31
Cuba	CATHOLICS CELEBRATE EASTER WITH NEW OPENNESS	6/04/99 10:28:26
Papua New Guinea	CATHOLIC BISHOP CALLS FOR PM TO RESIGN	6/04/99 10:24:43
Easter in Jerusalem	LOVE IS THE ONLY RESPONSE TO VIOLENCE	6/04/99 10:18:22
Kosovo Crisis	JOHN PAUL II ASKS FOR A HUMANITARIAN CORRIDOR TO KOSOVO	6/04/99 10:15:03
East Timor	JOSEPHITES AID EAST TIMORESE	1/04/99 11:29:21
Feature: Kosovo Crisis	EUCHARISTIC ADORATION AMIDST SIRENS: ARCHBISHOP OF BELGRADE INTERVIEW	1/04/99 11:19:10
Kosovo Crisis	VATICAN TELLS AMBASSADORS: END KOSOVO WAR	1/04/99 10:11:25
Kosovo Crisis	POPE SENDS DIPLOMATIC MISSION TO BELGRADE	1/04/99 10:06:38
Welfare	GOVT MUST PUT ALCOHOL EDUCATION BEFORE SELF-INTEREST	31/03/99 4:23:54
Welfare	CATHOLIC EMPLOYERS URGED TO WATCH FOR SEXUAL ABUSE	31/03/99 3:41:23
National	CATHOLIC UNI HONOURS GOV-GENERAL	31/03/99 3:22:48
Vatican	CHINA AND VATICAN WILLING TO IMPROVE BILATERAL RELATIONS	31/03/99 2:36:54
Kosovo Crisis	ORTHODOX LEADERS CALL FOR END TO NATO STRIKES	31/03/99 2:09:39
Kosovo Crisis	KOSOVO CATHOLICS REPORT ATTACK ON CHURCHGOERS	31/03/99 2:03:44
Education	CATHOLIC SCHOOLS MORE POPULAR THAN EVER	31/03/99 9:50:50
Research	AUSTRALIANS PREFER GOD TO DOGMA	30/03/99 1:44:00
Sydney	CULTURE OF DEATH DENIES HUMAN INSTINCT: CARDINAL	30/03/99 12:23:51
National	TIME IS RIPE FOR SYNOD: LEADERS
Welfare	GREATER ROLE URGED IN AGED CARE
Vatican	AUSTRALIAN BISHOPS WARNED AGAINST COMMUNAL CONFESSION
Indonesia	CHRISTIANS DISAPPEAR FROM CABINET POSTS
Ireland	IRISH ARCHBISHOP CALLS FOR INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION
Kosovo Crisis	FRANCISCANS MISSING AS SERB MILITARY OCCUPIES MONASTERY
Queensland	BISHOP WARNS AGAINST SECT
Research	'INDEPENDENT' CATHOLICS DOCUMENTED
Brisbane	DEATH OF BISHOP CUSKELLY
Vatican	POPE CELEBRATES WORLD YOUTH DAY IN ST PETER'S
Kosovo Crisis	IT'S NEVER TOO LATE TO NEGOTIATE - POPE
Vietnam	'FRIENDLY' TALKS BETWEEN VATICAN AND VIETNAM
Philippines	CHURCH TEAM CONVINCES LEFTIST LEADERS TO RELEASE CAPTIVES
East Timor	CHURCH ROLE "DECISIVE"
Sydney	ASYLUM SEEKERS BECOMING SUICIDAL AS GOVERNMENT CLAMPS DOWN
NSW	MELBOURNE PRIEST APPOINTED BISHOP
Sydney	'BLACK SANTA' REMEMBERED
Welfare	LOW INCOME EARNERS VICTIMS OF GST
Television	EASTER PILGRIMAGE THROUGH HOLY LAND