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CA HO IC V LIFE Diocese of Lismore Tweed Coast to Camden Haven www.lismorediocese.org December 2014 Vol.12 No.4 ADVERTORIAL WCA Financial Planning wins ‘Lonsdale Planner of the Year’ Tony Bazzana of WCA Financial Planning has been judged on the basis of the practice’s value proposition named “Planner of the Year” at the Lonsdale and IOOF to clients, exemplary compliance record, commitment Alliances Annual Conference, competing against four to professional development of staff within the other finalists on a national basis for the prestigious title. organisation and professionalism exhibited within The award is the highest individual honour given the broader financial planning industry and general to a planner who can demonstrate excellence in community. advice, community involvement via contribution to Tony said “It was a great achievement for WCA to be both the Lonsdale network and the greater industry, a personal commitment and investment to their own recognised at a national level” acknowledging the firm’s professional development, strong communication and long standing history as a trusted professional services client engagement skills and exhibit a strong desire to firm within both the local and broader community. genuinely make a difference to their clients financial Mark Stephen said of Tony Bazzana: “Tony and WCA LONSDALE CEO Mark Stephen, WCA Director Tony wellbeing. are a valued member of the Lonsdale network and Bazzana and Head of IOOF Alliances Craig Joscelyne “I am honoured to receive this recognition on behalf of consistently deliver an exceptional level of service and WCA,” Tony said when accepting the award. “I would advice to their clients.” Tony and WCA like to recognise the support from Lonsdale, my fellow The award was presented in October at the gala dinner principals and our staff whom have provided enormous during the Lonsdale and IOOF Alliances National are a valued support to achieve this recognition”. Conference. member of the A Lonsdale and IOOF panel of industry professional’s – “Lonsdale network including technical, compliance, business management and the leadership team, judged the award. Mark and consistently Stephen, Chief Executive Officer, Lonsdale confirmed deliver an there was some fierce competition from the entire network of planners. exceptional level Mark Stephen said: “With more than 120 practices in of service and our dealer group Australia wide, sitting on the panel reviewing this category was quite a task as there were advice to their so many planners who were deserving of this award. clients.” The firm’s Solution Driven approach was also WCA Financial Planning staff: Kate Forbes, recognised with WCA being nominated as a finalist Melissa Rosolen, Janice Gallagher, Lucy Gannon & LONSDALE CEO for Lonsdale Practice of the Year Award. This award is Jodie Nommensen The Bishop Writes The recent installation of Archbishop Anthony Fisher in St Mary’s Cathedral, Sydney, as our Province’s ninth Metropolitan Archbishop was an occasion as joyful as it was memorable. On behalf of all the clergy, religious and faithful of the diocese of Lismore I was able to express our welcome to him and the assurance of our prayers. aving known the new Archbishop since his days as a Dominican student friar, I have been able to trace the in some cases for admission to Holy Communion and the path along which he has come to this appointment of need for further reflection on how the Church should view such significance for the Church in this State and indeed those who are committed to same-sex relationships. in our country. Among all his qualifications, however, I As far as the secular media was concerned, these latter believe his best is as a pastor, an approachable and kindly seemed to be the only questions of interest and worthy shepherd of the Lord’s people. of its emphasis. It seemed to have a subtext that Pope Young people especially are attracted by his warmth Francis may have been more on the side of discordant and wisdom and by his clear stand for truth and goodness. voices, seeming to open up matters of doctrine previously Their response is to be seen in the energy of the expanding regarded as closed, than he was to the Church’s established youth movements in the Diocese of Parramatta and prior teaching. It is not to be wondered that the secular reportage to that in the ongoing fruits of the 2008 World Youth Day and comment on church matters generally is beguiled by in Sydney which he organised when he was the Auxiliary the Pope’s more informal style in discharging his office, Bishop. In his installation homily Archbishop Fisher used his distancing from some old Vatican protocols and words which every bishop would seek to echo to his own his determination to bring new and more efficient and young people: “To the young people of Sydney I say with accountable order to church governance. special affection: open your hearts to the adventure of the But is Pope Francis being a little romanticised by the Gospel. In my bill of appointment you heard tonight the media and sections of public opinion in the same way that Holy Father refer to you as spesEcclesiæ, “the hope of the St John XXIII was in the aftermath of the Second Vatican Church.” I am depending on you to lend me all your energy Council, both in contrast to their immediate predecessors? and idealism. Never buy the lies that nothing is true, all is Is there a certain superficiality in the way much of the relative, your ideals illusory, your good works in vain. With media assesses Pope Francis as being more in tune with God on your side, my young friends, who can be against secular modernity than the popes who preceded him? Why you?” is it that some things that Pope Francis says and does are While I was on my recent annual leave, which included broadcast with approval, but others, such as his constant some time in Rome, like many of you I followed closely and sometimes threatening references to the Devil are the course of the Third Extraordinary Synod of Bishops, allowed to fall into silence? devoted to the family in today’s world. It certainly had There was an interesting example recently, following its moments of excitement, as one would expect in the two statements made by Pope Francis in his address on atmosphere of openness and honest speaking which Pope 28th October to the Pontifical Academy of Science. “The Francis encouraged, telling the bishops to speak as the Lord Big Bang, which today we hold to be the origin of the inspired them, without hesitation or polite deference and world, does not contradict the intervention of the divine for all to listen with a similarly open heart. creator, but rather, requires it.” The work of the Synod was summed up in the Holy A second statement also drew the attention of the media. Father’s concluding address and in the final document “Evolution in nature is not inconsistent with the notion of which was voted on by the bishops on 18th October. creation, because evolution requires the creation of beings These texts are easily accessible on the internet. They that evolve.” reveal the ongoing and steady concern of the Church to Certain media outlets proclaimed these to be “provocative, care pastorally for those in fragile or troubled marriages, progressive statements,” that “could be aimed at healing a to present a clear understanding of the indissolubility of rift between science and religion.” marriage, of its relation to Christ and to openness to life and of the truth and beauty of family life. The need was The secular presumption is that the Catholic Church is seen for better preparation for marriage, the formation of intellectually backward and somehow engaged in a battle priests to give true Christian accompaniment at the parish against science. Its default position seems to be that the level to people in the early years of marriage and for better Church is blindly attached to ideas and doctrines that no pastoral approaches towards single parent families. enlightened person could regard with anything but ridicule. It was among these challenges identified by the bishops The fact is that the scientist who developed and that we find the questions presented by the situation of proposed, in 1931, the most important theory of modern remarried divorcees, the question of a possible exception Continued over page Catholic Life, December, 2014 3 The Bishop Writes Continued from previous page cosmology, known to us as ‘the Big While it is easy for us to lament as seeming to be more sympathetic Bang,’ was a Belgian priest and protégé the ignorance of the secular mindset to positions that preoccupy them and of Albert Einstein, Monsignor Georges of our real position in many areas, much of the modern world, than the Lemaître (d. 1966). Its priestly origin we should also ask if we are not succession of Popes before him. What and the reception by the Church of the somewhat to blame. The same will be their reaction when finally he Big Bang theory demonstrates how ignorance can be found among many disappoints them, when finally they free the Church is to theorise about Catholics, even among those whom realise that the pope will always be causation and change in the cosmos we could reasonably expect to know the Pope and the Church will always as a whole. By contrast, it was the better. The way in which we present be the Church? to young minds today, in our own old Soviet Union, committed to an Catholic educational institutions, the Let us pray constantly for Pope atheistic view of the world’s origins, interaction of reason and faith and of Francis as he has asked us to do and that opposed the Big Bang theory science and religion, with precision for our new metropolitan, Archbishop until the 1960’s.