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July 11, 2008
They're Here,
and It's Cold
Media Distracted by Scandals and Peskiness By Catherine Smibert SYDNEY, Australia, JULY 10, 2008 (Zenit.org).- One can't help but notice that World Youth Day is upon us here in Australia as tens of thousands of pilgrims arrive to our shores, with colorful flags flying high and numerous stands erected across the city to distribute pilgrim packs. The visitors for the international event Down Under are identifiable by their uniforms, which are usually interpretations of the World Youth Day logo matched with the crests or logo of their own diocese or community. This makes the young people easy to spot as they were being picked up by numerous and equally distinguishable welcoming parties, ranging from singing groups of young Neocatechumenates, home stay parents or staff of Harvest Pilgrimages. The youth groups have arrived in time to participate in the pre-event Days in the Dioceses activities across Australian and New Zealand cities, regional centers and remote towns through Monday. A feature of every World Youth Day, Days in the Dioceses is held the week before the youth day to give pilgrims the chance to celebrate their faith on a local level, meet local communities, relax and do some sightseeing. "Pilgrims have started arriving over the last few days and they're absolutely loving Australia," said Father Mark Podesta, World Youth Day spokesman. "We are putting on a pretty good show," he added, "with many hosts creating great Aussie welcomes for our guests including sheep-shearing demonstrations, getting up close to koalas and kangaroos, good old Aussie BBQs and sometimes just familiarizing our visitors from Oceania with cold weather!" I'll be the first to admit that it is a particularly cold Australian winter at an average of 16 degrees Celsius per day (60 degrees Fahrenheit). And for those who either forgot that Australia is in the opposite hemisphere, hence being in winter, or for those who just "didn't think it would get this cold," there are a number of parishes and community groups organizing blanket and coat drives. It's true Christian giving in action, so as to not let the poor, unsuspecting pilgrims freeze. * * * Cardinal Under Fire Predictably, a perfectly timed scandal has arrived involving the archbishop of the host city, Cardinal George Pell. The cardinal has found himself embroiled in an accusation that he mishandled a sexual abuse complaint against a priest in 2003. Anthony Jones, now 54, filed the complaint accusing Father Terrence Goodall of sexually abusing him in 1982. Goodall resigned on July 25, 2003, at Cardinal Pell's request. Cardinal Pell had threatened to use Church law to remove him. The cardinal told Jones in a letter, however, that he found evidence of rape insufficient. New evidence of a taped telephone conversation that surfaced this week records Goodall admitting to Jones that the encounter wasn't consensual. In light of the Goodall's comments, Cardinal Pell released a statement Thursday saying he has "formally referred the matters raised this week to an independent consultative panel established under Towards Healing protocols." It states the panel -- chaired by retired New South Wales Supreme Court judge Bill Preistley -- will advise Cardinal Pell on the options open to him. The panel consists of a senior priest as well as lay people from law, business and psychiatry. In response to this, young Australians have set up a series of pro-cardinal blogs and forums throughout a series of social networking sites offering their prayers and support for the leader who candidly spoke to them just a week ago at a Theology on Tap event about the importance of honest leadership. * * * Shew! Don't Bother Them Sydneysiders have been asked politely, or maybe not so politely, to avoid annoying or inconveniencing World Youth Day pilgrims. Pesky merchants or protestors, or mere nuisances, could be penalized with fines of more than $5,000. Australian civil rights campaigners are set to challenge the regulation in federal courts. The Combined Community Legal Centers Group has warned that police powers could be used inappropriately during World Youth Day So to just push the issue, the NoToPope Coalition, which includes members of Sydney's atheist, gay and environmental communities, held an "annoying" fashion show this week outside the New South Wales Parliament, in which they paraded in T-shirts sporting messages contrary to the teachings of the Catholic Church. Although only 20 people gathered for the protest, it received international coverage. The coalition says it also plans to stage similar protests and hand out condoms as the pilgrims head to Randwick Racecourse on for the youth day vigil July 19. The state government said the regulation is necessary to ensure the smoothness of the event, which will culminate with an open-air Mass on July 20. Some 500,000 people are expected at the event. Coalition spokeswoman Rachel Evans said the "peaceful protest" would condemn the Pope's stance against condoms, homosexuality and abortion. One young Catholic leader in the archdiocese and co-coordinator of the "Love and Life Site," Jovina Graham, laughed at the thought of such a scenario, saying, "such protestors obviously are unaware of the peaceful fortitude of these young people while en masse marching to meet the head of the Church!" * * * Days in the Diocese Roundup Close to 2,000 international pilgrims will be based across the Wollongong Diocese in New South Wales from over 20 countries including the United States, Italy, Germany, England, France, Poland, Syria, Latvia, The United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Columbia and Brazil. Great local activities include 40 stalls of Australian food and craft, amusement rides, face painting and balloons, indigenous art and dancing, whip cracking and sheep shearing demonstrations, koala and kangaroos on display as well as a number of cricket, rugby and Australian rules football clinics. The Parramatta Diocese has already taken its Polish groups for a ride on the ferry under the Sydney Harbor Bridge, and for a walk in the Blue Mountains. Wilcannia-Forbes, located in northwestern New South Wales, will host 300 pilgrims from Idaho and St. Louis University in the United States, as well as pilgrims from Germany, Russia, Canada and France. They will take them to visit an Alpaca farm and give them a sausage sizzle by a bonfire. Melbourne, in the southern state of Victoria, has 22,000 international pilgrims joining 18,000 local youth during the week. The Catholic Group, Oblate Youth, will be welcoming to Melbourne some 850 pilgrims from 38 countries, including the only pilgrims from Turkmenistan. A commissioning mass will be held at Telstra Dome Friday for 50,000 pilgrims. In the Ballarat, also in Victoria, 130 pilgrims from Ireland, East Timor, Portugal, Canada, USA, and Macau will be joining in the local festivities. 10,000 international pilgrims from 40 countries are arriving in a much warmer Brisbane, located north of Sydney in the state of Queensland, with the largest groups coming from the United States, Canada, Germany, Italy and France. Darwin, Northern Territory, is welcoming 600 pilgrims from Canada, Italy, France, Germany, and the pilgrims from East Timor, accompanied by their bishop. They will be holding processions throughout the city, and participate in indigenous art and faith workshops. Another 600 pilgrims are being welcomed in Perth, in the state of Western Australia, over these two days in great tents set up for feasts and song and prayer down the central esplanade. To share the experience visually, be sure to register in www.wydcrossmedia.org, which we will be uploading daily. * * * Catherine Smibert is a freelance writer in Sydney, Australia. |