The Catholic Weekly 19 July 2020

catholicweekly.com.au 2 NEWS 19, July, 2020 Call 02 9649 6423 or visit www.catholiccemeteries.com.au Consecrated lawns and chapels Sydney’s only Catholic crematorium Monthly mass for the Repose of Souls Funeral directors available for a Catholic service Bereavement pastoral care Serving the Catholic community for over 150 years A CHINESE bishop, a Nige- rian teenager and an Italian missionary sister are among six people killed for their faith who have been honoured in Aid to the Church in Need Australia’s latest campaign. The Modern Martyrs: He- roes of the faith campaign highlights the fact that more Christians were killed for their faith in the 20th century than in the previous 19 centu- ries combined. Last year 2983 Christians were martyred according to the 2020 World Watch List. Yet in Australia and inmost of the Western world “this is not a reality we know”, said ACN Australia national direc- tor Bernard Toutounji. “Thanks be to God, Chris- tians are not hunted down here, but perhaps this free- dom also explains to some degree why the Christian faith in theWest has lost much of its power and witness,” he said. “We have been blessed to live out our faith freely but given such freedom many have moved into an apathy that cares little for matters of faith or eternity.” ACN Australia has released six videos about the recent martyrs, including video foot- age of events surrounding the deaths and interviews with people who knew them. They are Bishop Stefano Li Side, 17-year-old Nigerian choir member Sarah Yohan- na Madaki, Italian missionary Sister Leonella Sgorbati, Jesu- it Father Frans van der Lugt, Chaldean Catholic priest Father Ragheed Ganni, and 16-year-old Pakistani Catho- lic teenager Akash Bashir. Accounts will help raise support for global persecuted Church ¾ ¾ Marilyn Rodrigues Site focuses on martyrs’ stories The campaign aims to raise funds for projects in coun- tries experiencing religious persecution and poverty including forming seminar- Komash and Ramish Bashir hold a photo of their brother Akash, a security guard who died preventing a suicide bomber from entering the church of St John in Youhannabad, Pakistan, on 15 March 2015. PHOTO:ACN ians, supporting religious sisters, training catechists and rebuilding damaged and destroyed churches. It also invites Australian Christians I n this edition News Streaming Archbishop’s homily World Opinion, comment 1-7 8-9 14-16 11,17-19 20-21 12 MIRACLES OF GRACE BEHIND BARS EDITOR Peter Rosengren (02) 9390 5400 REPORTERS Marilyn Rodrigues (02) 9390 5410 David Ryan (02) 9390 5408 SUBSCRIPTIONS Rita Ng (02) 9390 5411 ADVERTISING AND MARKETING Steve Richards (02) 9390 5404 Paul Desmond (02) 9390 5406 DESIGNERS Renate Cassis Mathew De Sousa Our story begins in 1839 with the Australasian Chronicle, continuing with the Freeman’s Journal in 1850. Level 13, Polding Centre, 133 Liverpool Street, Sydney, NSW 2000. Phone (02) 9390 5400 | Vol 73, No 5142. The Catholic Weekly is published by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney ABN 60 471 267 587 and is printed by ACM Australian Community Media, 159 Bells Line of Road, North Richmond NSW, 2754. LEAVE A GIFT Archdiocese of Sydney Catholic CHARITIES Order your FREE Wills and Bequests Guide today 1800 753 959 or [email protected] myWill SUPPORTINGTHE MINISTRIES OF THE CATHOLIC ARCHDIOCESE OF SYDNEY Leaving a gift in a to pray that their own faith be strengthened. For further details see aid- tochurch.org/martyrs CHRISTIAN ‘EXTINCTION’ P16 *SOURCE: 2020WORLDWATCH LIST

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