The Catholic Weekly 5 July 2020

catholicweekly.com.au 5 5, July, 2020 Second term at CDF POPE FRANCIS has ap- pointed Archbishop An- thony Fisher OP to a sec- ond five-year term on the Congregation for the Doc- trine of the Faith. The CDF is the top Vatican body for promulgating and defend- ing Catholic doctrine. Appointment to the CDF, which the Archbish- op has held since 2015, is an acknowledgement of an individual’s deep profi- ciency and expertise in the Catholic faith. The position also rec- ognises Archbishop Fish- er’s expertise in fields such as bioethics where, even as a priest, he was widely regarded as one of Australia’s top experts. In 2019 the Archbishop was also appointed to the Congregation for the Ori- ental Churches and serves as amember of the Pontif- ical Academy for Life. ARCHBISHOP ANTHONY Fisher OP has announced that a further easing of restrictions in NSWwill allow every parish to welcome greater numbers of worshippers in his seventh pastoral letter in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Beginning from 1 July, lim- its on the numbers of people allowed in indoor venues in NSW were to be determined by the ‘one person per 4 square metre’ rule. Archbishop Fisher said this means every church will reo- pen and several Sydney par- ishes could accommodate as many as 100 people indoors while St Mary’s Cathedral could hold up to 600. “It is with great joy, as we return to liturgical ‘Ordinary Time’, that our lives are also slowly reverting to their more ‘ordinary’ state,” wrote the archbishop in the 2 July letter. “With the easing of COVID- Safe restrictions from 1 July, we can return to church in significant numbers, like the children of Israel returning to the Temple in Zion.” The archbishop reiterated social distancing guidelines and outlined a number of oth- er precautions for churches. They included the suspen- sion of congregational sing- ing and the need to continue registering online or leaving contact details when visiting Masses, prayer gatherings or other events. He urged parishes to con- sider celebrating multiple Pastoral rejoices From this weekend parishes can hold biggest congregations since lockdown began Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP celebrates mass at St Mary’s Cathedral. PHOTO: UNDA Masses or using larger spaces such as school or town halls, and said planning should re- sume for other sacraments including confirmations and weddings which had been put on hold. While the availability to Catholics of livestreamed Sunday Masses “had its up- sides, we knew it was second best”, he wrote. “The hunger we’ve expe- rienced should make us ap- preciate the Eucharist all the more, as we realise better than ever how important it is to gather with our brothers and sisters in Christ and receive Him together.” Archbishop Fisher paid tribute to the “inspiring” cre- ativity and collaboration of clergy and laity in response to the pandemic to provide an “explosion” of online Catho- lic content, from livestreamed Masses to virtual parish meet- ings and prayer groups since ¾ ¾ Marilyn Rodrigues In brief Serving the Sydney community since 1892 Our experienced Funeral Directors are committed to providing a personalised and meaningful service for your loved one. Prepaid funerals available. Newtown | Chatswood | Parramatta | Miranda 9519 5344 | wnbull.com.au the March state-wide lock- down began. It had demon- strated that despite all obsta- cles, the clergy and faithful are “deeply committed to en- suring that the Gospel is pro- claimed and worship offered to God”, he wrote. However the dispensation from the obligation to attend Sunday Mass still applies to Catholics – except for priests – but those who are at low risk of infection and able to do so are exhorted to “take all reasonable steps” to attend. The archbishop urged thosewho cannot attendMass due to illness, high risk or the social distancing rules to keep Sunday holy with activities such as prayer at home, scrip- ture reading or watching Mass on television or online. When announcing what is the largest easing of re- strictions in NSW since the pandemic began, Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the community had “worked in- credibly hard over the past few months” to prevent the disease taking hold and urged people to not let their guard down. The Director of Schools, Diocese of Wollongong invites applications from suitably qualified and experienced Catholic educators for the following significant leadership positions commencing January 2021: RELIGIOUS EDUCATION CO-ORDINATOR – PERMANENT St Thomas More Catholic Parish Primary School, Ruse (333 students) St Therese Catholic Parish Primary School, West Wollongong (354 students) St Mary’s Star of the Sea Catholic Primary School, Milton (121 students) Applicants are to complete an online application briefly addressing the essential criteria. To confidentially discuss your application or general interest please contact Gayle McMahon, Team Leader - Leadership and Professional Growth on 4253 0935. Closing date: 27 July 2020 at 5pm To apply now please refer to https://www.dow.catholic.edu.au/employment LEADERSHIP VACANCIES CATHOLIC EDUCATION DIOCESE OF WOLLONGONG It is with great joy, as we return to liturgical ‘Ordinary Time’, that our lives are also slowly reverting to their ... ‘ordinary’ state.” Archbishop Fisher OP NEWS