Youths Must 'Stand Their Ground'

REAL GIFTS from INTER-FAITH EDUCATION on SCIAF keep Carol concert relationships giving after for World must start Christmas. Child Cancer. at home. Pages 12-13 Pages 4-5 Page 3 No 5543 VISIT YOUR NATIONAL CATHOLIC NEWSPAPER’S WEBSITE AT WWW.SCONEWS.CO.UK Friday November 8 2013 | £1 Vatican seeks your views on Church teaching THE Vatican is asking Catholics around the world for their views on contraception, same-sex ‘marriage’ and Communion and support for divorced and remarried couples. In preparation for next year’s Extraordinary Synod on the Family, which Pope Francis announced last month, the Vatican has sent a questionnaire to the world’s bishops to disseminate among priests and people. The Scottish bishops discussed how best to disseminate the questionnaire among their flock when they met this week. Copies have now been passed to each diocese by the general secretary of the conference and the bishops will arrange for them to be circulated to parishes. The Eng- lish and Welsh bishops have set up a website on the survey. The responses to the questionnaire will be analysed as part of the prepa- rations for the synod, which will run from October 5 to 19 next year on the theme: Pastoral challenges of the family in the context of evangelisation. The questions, which were sent out by Italian Archbishop Lorenzo Baldisseri, the Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops, cover some of Youths must ‘stand their ground’ the most contentious issues in the Church. The archbishop has asked the world’s bishops’ conferences to I distribute the poll ‘immediately as Bishops inspire, inspired by young Catholics at national Mass ending the Year of Faith widely as possible to deaneries and parishes so that input from local By Ian Dunn Underscoring the importance of the celebration, Archbishop Leo Cushley and his brother bishops cele- sources can be received.’ Bishop Hugh Gilbert of Aberdeen, Bishop Joseph Toal brated Mass at St Mary’s Cathedral, Edinburgh, with young The first part of the consultation of Argyll and the Isles, Auxiliary Bishop Stephen Rob- people from Scotland’s dioceses on Sunday ARCHBISHOP Leo Cushley has said the end PIC: PAUL McSHERRY asks: “Describe how the Catholic of the Year of Faith must be the ‘starting point’ son, Archbishop Emeritus Mario Conti, Bishops Emer- Church’s teachings on the value of the for young Scottish Catholics to ‘stand their iti Joseph Devine and Ian Murray all joined end for many of the young Catholics present as they family contained in the Bible, ground’ for their Faith. Archbishops Cushley and Tartaglia for the Mass. had been together at Gartmore House for the annual Gaudium et Spes, Familiaris Consor- “The world tells you not to bother to search for National Youth Event. tio and other documents of the post- God, to fall in love instead with money and sex and Catholic teaching “Almost 60 young people attended and the week- conciliar Magisterium is understood the culture of death,” he told the congregation at the Archbishop Cushley said that young Catholics had end had the Rio World Youth Day theme: Go and by people today? What formation is thanksgiving Mass for the young Catholics of Scot- greatly impressed him with their ‘goodness in the face make disciples of all nations,” Fr Stephen McGrattan, given to our people on the Church’s land, which marked the end of the Year of Faith in of all the temptations you must confront and of your Galloway Diocese’s youth chaplain, told the SCO. teaching on family life?” The ques- the Church. “But again and again, you look at this willingness to search for God.’ “Bishop Gilbert was the keynote speaker and he tionnaire also asks what kinds of ques- barren landscape, you look at the shallow, pointless “[You] want to love God, to serve Him and to lead shared his experience of accompanying the Aberdeen tions divorced and remarried couples life the world offers and you say: ‘No: I want some- a happy, coherent life in harmony with people and diocesan group to Rio de Janeiro for World Youth Day ask about the Sacraments and whether thing better than that.’” with all God’s good creation,” he said, before adding in July. His observations were faith-filled, interesting, a simplification of the annulment The Mass brought together many members of the that he had been very pleased to learn that during the and often humourous.” process could help in ‘solving the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland, current and retired. Year of Faith ‘a lot of work has been done in our The young people were very involved in the Mass problems of the persons involved.’ Their president, Archbishop Philip Tartaglia of Glas- parishes and schools to unpack a substantial but very to close the Year of Faith, with ‘four participants from It also quizzes local churches over gow, said it had been ‘a year in which Faith has been useful touchstone of our Faith: the Catechism of the the National Youth Event addressing the congregation, what pastoral attention can be given tested and strengthened.’ Catholic Church.’ giving witness to the four pillars of the Catechism of to people who are in same-sex part- “I got a copy of it for precisely one dollar from Abe- the Catholic Church: what the Church believes, cele- nerships and what can be done to Year of Faith books.com when I worked in New York, so don’t think brating and sharing faith, how we live the Christian help the adopted children of such In his homily at the Mass at St Mary’s Cathedral in you’ll break the bank by tracking one down,” he said. faith, and how we pray,’ Fr McGrattan said. unions to be formed in the Faith. Edinburgh last Sunday, Archbishop Cushley spoke of “It is also something that should be on everyone’s shelf. The issue of contraception is also the highs and lows of the Year of Faith. If you want to know about the beauty of our Faith, if Scotland on the synod agenda. “The year has been an opportunity to unpack you want to know why we are here and what we ought The Year of Faith saw many local initiatives across something of our rich, deep faith, a very old faith, but to do about it—you could do a lot worse than go and the country in addition to national events, such as the I Continued on page 6 always new as well,” he told the congregation. buy a copy of the Catechism, even just to have it there St Andrew’s Conference in Glasgow with Cardinal “Some have seized that opportunity; others have let on the shelf as a point of reference. It should be like George Pell of Sydney and George Weigel; the visit it slide. Are you curious yet? Are you enthusiastic or having the Bible and a good dictionary in the house: it of Archbishop Gerhard Müller; the launch of the St joyful about your faith? Have you learned to stand should be unimaginable not having one handy.” your ground? Be joyful in your faith. And above all, I Continued on page 3 don’t be half-hearted. The prayers of all of us accom- Youth Event pany you on your journey of faith.” The Mass was the culmination of a spiritual week- I More on National Youth Event, page 2 SCO, 19 Waterloo Street, Glasgow G2 6BT I tel 0141 221 4956 I fax 0141 221 4546 I e-mail [email protected] 2 WHAT’S ON SCOTTISH CATHOLIC OBSERVER FRIDAY NOVEMBER 8 2013 By Dan McGinty his brother priests as he celebrated the 25th priesthood in Scotland. anniversary of his ordination at his parish of Bishop Toal of highlighted the challenges Silver Jubilee The director of Priests for Scotland usu- St Joseph’s in Tollcross and was joined by and joys faced by all priests in their ministry ally spends his time working, in his three bishops—Archbishop Emeritus Mario as he preached the homily. parish and beyond, to foster and encour- Conti, Bishop Joseph Toal and The bishop particularly noted the chal- age vocations for Scottish dioceses. The Bishop Stephen Robson—for his lenges and joys Fr McKenzie sees in his spotlight, however, fell on to him and jubilee Mass on the Solemnity of All Saints ministry—combining parish life in Tollcross for Scotland’s last Friday. with the national effort to support and his own priestly ministry as he was joined by his family, friends and well- The clergy who concelebrated Mass with encourage those discerning a vocation. wishers at Mass last Friday in Thanks- Fr McKenzie came from across Glasgow giving for the silver jubilee of his Archdiocese and beyond and stood as a fit- I Fr McKenzie on vocations, see page 23 priests’ priest ordination. ting gathering for the priest charged with Fr Andrew McKenzie was surrounded by working for the cause of vocations to the I [email protected] PICTURE OF THE WEEK Archbishop Philip Tartaglia of Glasgow blessed the What’s On 8-foot cross unveiled on Saturday in honour of the A weekly guide to upcoming Church events founding fathers of Celtic Football Club. The cross was commissioned by Celtic SUNDAY NOVEMBER 10 Cecilia, 7.30pm-9pm, Greyfri- I Graves Society. Archbishop Mary’s Meals Day, Glasgow ars Convent, Elgin. All wel- Tartaglia was aided at the Royal Concert Hall, doors come. cermony at St Peter’s open at 1pm. Hosted by BBC Cemetery, Dalbeth, by Fr Tom Radio presenter Shelagh Foga- SATURDAY NOVEMBER 16 I White of St Mary’s, Calton.

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