VICTORIAN INTERFAITH NETWORKS CONFERENCE (VINC) - DETAILS OF THE 2018 EVENT ARE BELOW

About the Conference:

The Victorian Interfaith Networks Conference (VINC) is a grass-roots conference which aims to help build the capacity and sustainability of existing multifaith/interfaith networks, bring people up-to-date with current multifaith/interfaith matters and provide networking opportunities.

Date: Sunday, November 18th 2018 Time: 12:00pm - 4:30pm

Location: St. Albans Community Centre - 309C Main Rd E, St Albans VIC 3021 (see Google Maps location)

Schedule:

• 12:00pm-1:25pm: Registration, networking, lunch and activities
• 1:30pm-2:15pm: Honoured guests and keynote speech on:
  
  The Social Costs of Gambling Harm: A Faith Response
  
  Keynote Speaker: Reverend Tim Costello
  Spokesman & Director Alliance for Gambling Reform & Chief Advocate of World Vision Australia
• 2:20pm-3:50pm: Workshops and plenary sessions (see below)
• 4:00pm-4:30pm: Summary & closing ceremony

Workshops & Plenary Sessions:

Enrolment for workshops and plenary sessions to be made on the day of event so please arrive early to enrol in your preferred workshop or session.

• Workshop 1: The Social Costs of Gambling Harm: A Faith Response
• Workshop 2: Freedom of Religion Vs Freedom of Artistic Expression
• Workshop 3: Living the Change: faithful choices for a flourishing world
• Workshop 4: Child Safe Standards and the Reportable Conduct Scheme

For more information on each workshop click here

Registration:To register for the event go to vinc.eventbrite.com.au and click on the green Register button.

Flyer:
Click here to view flyer

Travel to Venue - St. Albans Community Theatre (STACC):

STACC is located on Princess Street in St Albans – in the heart of Melbourne’s West – just 15kms from Melbourne CBD and 11kms from Tullamarine Airport.

Easily accessible by public transport, the Centre is adjacent to St Albans Train Station and served by bus routes 408, 418 Main Road East, Stop Errington Reserve, walk past playground to venue

Parking is limited; please allow plenty of time to find a park near the venue.

See Google Maps location

Further Information:

For more information please contact Mr Sandy Kouroupidis, Multifaith Officer, Faith Communities Council of Victoria, Mobile: 0412 670 369 | Email: officer@faithvictoria.org.au

This event is proudly supported by the Faith Communities Council of Victoria, Brimbank & Maribyrnong Interfaith Network, City of Brimbank, City of Maribyrnong, Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria, the Victorian State Government - Department of Premier and Cabinet, and the Commision for Children and Young People.

Make a Change with Children's Ground and Black Rock Band

BOOK YOUR TICKETS

It is my privilege to invite you to a very special celebration for our friends, family and community of supporters in Melbourne. Join Children's Ground and the Black Rock Band at the Melba Spiegeltent to "Make a Change" in 2018. Stand with Australia's First Nations communities during National Reconciliation Weekwho rise every day to create a better future for their children and families. Inspired by the dynamic and talented Black Rock Band, who will perform on the night, this will be a night for all generations. Share in the journey of Arrernte Elders who are leading the way for the next generation of children in Central Australia and the young Bininj men from the Black Rock Band (Kakadu West Arnhem) who have emerged as champions for social justice, navigating their own personal challenges to bring about change for their communities. We will celebrate all of you who make Children’s Ground possible. All are welcome so please share this invitation with friends, family and anyone you think may be interested as we are inviting new change makers to join us.

Head to our 'Make a Change' event on Facebook, click 'going', invite your friends and stay informed as we get closer to the date.  If you can't make in on the night, but want to stand with us and make a change, donate to Children's Ground via our website.  All proceeds go directly towards the work of Children's Ground - towards honouring the wisdom and talents in First Nations communities and supporting their leaders who are driving the change for their children and their families and future generations. We really hope to see you there.  With Love,  Jane Vadiveloo CEO, Children's Ground  Children's Ground: Make a ChangeatThe Melba Spiegeltent 35 Johnston Street, Collingwood, VIC 3066

Is The Vatican far too tricky in dealing with the issue of child sexual abuse?

Catherine Bonnet, French child psychiatrist and a member of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, gestures as she speaks during an interview with the Associated Press at Charles de Gaulle airport outside Paris, France, Sunday, Feb. 4, 2018. (Credit: AP Photo/Michel Euler.)

ROME - A former member of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors has charged that Pope Francis is not making the fight against sexual abuse a priority, and expressed her frustration with the procedures and limitations of the group, which she said led her to hand in her resignation last year.

The commission is an advisory body to the pope on the issue of safeguarding minors and vulnerable adults from sexual abuse. Its first three-year mandate concluded in December 2017, and appointments of new members, along with the confirmation of some previous members, came earlier this month.

French child psychiatrist Catherine Bonnet said she tendered her resignation letter in June to Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston, a member of the C9 group that advises the pope and the president of the commission, after she failed to convince the majority of its members to enact changes she perceived as necessary.

“I personally advocated that bishops and superiors of religious orders be required to report suspicions of sexual abuse of minors to civil authorities, which is already done in the United States, including for all members of the clergy,” Bonnet said in an interview with French news outlet L’Express.

“I had support, but when I saw in June that I was not going to be able to convince two-thirds of the commissioners, according to the rules, I wrote my letter of resignation.”
Francis reportedly did not accept her resignation, but when the commission’s term expired and was rebooted in February, Bonnet was no longer on the list of members. The new commission lineup was announced on Feb. 17 and includes nine new members, some of whom are also victims of abuse.

The relationship with abuse victims has been a recurring issue for the commission, with two clerical abuse survivors, Peter Sanders of the UK and Marie Collins of Ireland, resigning from the group and publicly criticizing the Vatican’s methods and approach.
“When [abuse victims] send letters, we do not answer them! Marie Collins found this point particularly unbearable,” Bonnet said, adding that in her 35 years of experience working in this field, the testimonies of survivors are essential.

The French psychiatrist stressed the importance of collaborating with other organizations and institutions that are active on this issue, such as Ending Clerical Abuse.
“We wanted to work with the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which is officially charged with pedophilia issues in the Vatican. But it was not easy,” she said.
While Bonnet seemed to praise certain decisions by the pope, such as appointing O’Malley to head the commission and replacing German Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller as the prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, she was critical of other aspects.

“The problem is that the pope did not come to our plenary meetings,” she said, echoing an issue that had been pointed out previously by other members of the commission, and stating that it’s important that the pope review the themes addressed by the group and participate in the conversations.

“Not to mention that we only meet once a week, twice a year! It is far too little,” Bonnet said. “Pope Francis must make the protection of children a priority now.”

In terms of holding bishops who cover up abuse accountable, Bonnet stressed the need for an ad hoc tribunal charged with treating these cases. In his 2015 motu proprio, ‘Like a Loving Mother,’ Francis opened up to the possibility of a disciplinary committee that would judge clergy charged with negligence in cases of sexual abuse.

This project was abandoned in 2016, officially in light of the slew of legal issues that were raised, and the pope urged officials to use already existing systems of accountability.
“We were not informed of the motives behind the change,” Bonnet said. “The most important thing was that something be done. But the motu proprio was supposed to be enacted in September 2016. Up till now, no cases have been heard.”

The child psychology expert pointed out that among the new members of the commission there are several law experts, including an African law professor, an Australian judge and a Polish specialist in constitutional and canon law.

“A commission such as this one must make recommendations, but not only. If you want to arrest criminals, there has to be a change of law, because that’s the only thing that scares them,” she said.

Bonnet also called for exempting cases of clerical sexual abuse from provisions of Church law related to pontifical secrecy, arguing that it’s important to inject transparency into the process.

Paul Kennedy & Chrissie Foster --- Hell on the way to Heaven: on ABC TV tonight

One of the greatest scandals facing the Christian churches in recent times has been institutional child abuse.  There is even a movie on the child abuse in Boston in the USA. Cardinal Bernard Law, under whose reign so many children were abused, was whisked away to The Vatican. It has been suggested that Cardinal Law spends his time shopping and doing afternoon teas.

Here in Ballarat where I live, numerous cases of child abuse have at last come into the cold light of date. Across Australia, case after case; church after church has been uncovered - even by clergymen long since dead.  Cases are still coming to light.  One of the most senior cardinals in this country was given a job in The Vatican. In the line of Vatican administration, he was No. 3.  That Cardinal has now been brought back to Australia from The Vatican and his case is now before the courts.  Because of this, I am limited in what I can say.  The newspaper I would suggest you stay in touch with is The Age.

Perhaps the saddest things from all this are the deaths, the sufferings, the lives ruined.  Clocks can't be turned back.  Many of the perpetrators are dead. The graves won't give them back to face retribution.

Relevant books:

Hell on the way to Heaven by Chrissie Foster with Paul Kennedy. 

Cardinal: the rise and fall of George Pell by Louise Milligan

Wikipedia entry:

Catholic sexual abuse cases in Australia

Please note:  The abuse of children is not confined to the Catholic Church. Many other Christian denominations are involved. Many other institutions and religions are involved. The abuse was not only perpetrated by priests but also by brothers.  The writer also knows of one case of sexual abuse that was carried out by a nun in an orphanage.  The writer wonders how it is possible to discern perpetrators. She thinks of one Catholic priest known to her and her extended family and was involved in celebratory events. One night he was spirited away from his parish.  He stood trial. Who would have thought?

Clergy sexual abuse, the seal of the confessional, troubled demographics and the United Nations

In all the historic child abuse cases in Australia, there seem to be two types of gatekeepers when it comes to reporting by victims.  There may be others in the gatekeeping chain as well. Please advise in the comments.

However, the two types which are evident even to those with poor sight or understanding are the priests in the confessional and the police who are receiving the confessions/allegations/evidence of victims.  Much has been written and discussed about the historic custom of priests keeping quiet about what is said in the confessional.  Of course, these priests can be discomforted when reminded that this "spiritual" silence has two quite dreadful effects.

The first is it comforts the perpetrator who is assured that the silence of the confessional will not be broken and the confession will be protected from police and anyone else.  It does nothing to stop or hinder the perpetrator.

The second is it knocks security from under the feet of the victim. The victim knows that the priest to whom this dreadful knowledge has been imparted will do nothing to assist in the matter if that priest has knowledge given him under the seal of the confessional.

Then there are the police to whom this knowledge is reported.  Many reports have gone to many police who, at least in the past, have chosen to ignore the reportee.  Perhaps because child and adolescent witnesses are, in the eyes of the police, low on the credibility scale.  Perhaps because the priests ensure there are no witnesses or such witnesses as may be are part of the pedophilia secret society.

The Roman Catholic Church has been facing the problem of paedophilia and paedophilia and the confessional for centuries.  Well, to be precise, it has not been facing the problem. It has been dodging it and so it remains in the sewers deep in the foundations of the Roman Church. Not to say that the Roman tradition is alone in this situation.  Many other denominations in the Christian tradition are as well, including traditions which don't practice the Sacrament of Confession.

The Roman Catholic Church is a powerful institution within many sectors of modern human society.  None less so than at the United Nations.  To read more about the relationship of Holy See and the UN please go here.

Even if it is a United Nations Women's Conference or Forum, the Holy See will have its representatives there. Women within the Roman Catholic Church can provide the Holy See with difficulties too.

UN human rights council in Geneva[edit]

In a statement, read out by Archbishop Silvano Maria Tomasi at a meeting of the UN human rights council in Geneva on 22 September 2009, the Holy See stated that the majority of Catholic clergy who had committed acts of sexual abuse against under 18 year olds should not be viewed as paedophiles but homosexuals who are attracted to sex with adolescent males.

The statement said that rather than pedophilia, it would "be more correct" to speak of ephebophilia; being a homosexual attraction to adolescent males ....... "Of all priests involved in the abuses, 80 to 90% belong to this sexual orientation minority which is sexually engaged with adolescent boys between the ages of 11 and 17."^[25][26]

The move angered many gay rights organizations, who claimed it was an attempt by the Vatican to redefine the Church's past problems with pedophilia as problems with homosexuality.^{[27]  (Wikipedia)}

It seems to The Editor of this blog

that, eventually, what will be needed

is something akin to the Nuremberg Trials. 

We need a place in the world where the victims can be recalled.

We need a place in the world where the perpetrators can be revisited, reviled.

Quaker Peace Action - Adelaide - to-morrow 12 July - 2.30pm-3.30pm - Torrens Parade Ground

This is the flyer for tomorrow's action in Adelaide, 

from 2.30 to 3.30 at the Torrens Parade Ground. 

Bring your peacemaking selves along.

NO MORE SILENCE TOUR - a community responds to its dark past

https://www.facebook.com/nomoresilencetour

There is a sneak peek video on the Facebook site

Also on the Facebook site is a post that links

to a ticketing site

***************

No More Silence is a vocal and physical exploration 

of what it means to be a survivor of child sexual abuse. 

With a script fully comprised of interviews 

conducted with 13 survivors in Ballarat, 

No More Silence examines how 

a community responds to its dark past #nomoresilencetour

Wendouree Performing Arts Centre: 

Friday the 7th at 6:30pm

Saturday the 8th at 2:30pm

Bairnsdale Forge Theatre: 

Saturday the 15th of July at 3:30pm

Geelong Potato Shed: 

Friday the 28th of July at 6:00pm

Choreography by Lewis Andrew

Music by Patrick Schnur

Directed by Fae O'Toole and Hannah Davies

Produced by Wordsmith Theatre Australia

Cast:

Brendan Faulks

David Gallagher

Iopu Auva'a

Lewis Andrew

Madeleine Dunkley

Patrick Schnur

Raymond Martini

Tess Walsh

RUNNING TIME: 60 MINUTES

All proceeds go towards supporting the

Ballarat Centre Against Sexual Assault

PLEASE NOTE:

THE PERFORMANCE HAS THEMES 

OF SUICIDE AND SEXUAL ABUSE

SPOTLIGHT ON DARK PAST

SKILLS TO HELP FIGHT ONLINE BIGOTS & HATERS

·      THE AUSTRALIAN ·      NOVEMBER 24, 2015 12:00AM

SKILLS TO HELP FIGHT  ONLINE BIGOTS & HATERS Children as young as 11 are being taught skills to identify and ­respond to online racism as a growing number of extremists take advantage of social media to promote messages of hate. The B’nai B’rith Anti-Defamation Commission runs Click Against Hate in more than 60 schools across Victoria for ­students in Years 5 to 10. “(The internet is) an ideal ­vehicle for those who want to disseminate hatred, bigoted rants, lies, bullying, conspiracy theories and even calls for violence, and thus provides a mask to individual users to unburden themselves anonymously,” chairman Dvir Abramovich said. “Now, every extremist has a platform and a megaphone through websites, Facebook or YouTube. Young adults are therefore more vulnerable than ever.” Dr Abramovich said anti-Semitism, Islamphobia, homophobia, misogyny and other cultural and racial prejudices were on the rise because there was an epidemic of internet hate which was easily ­accessible by students of all ages. He said the children were often exposed when there were no adults present and so young ­people must be prepared to stand up for each other. He said while schools had good intentions of combating racism and prejudice, it often wasn’t their top priority, or they didn’t have the resources to ensure that anti-bias and diversity education were an integral part of the school curriculum. “Cyber hate and extremist views migrate and are translated into conduct in the schoolyard ­because such material incites against minorities, and because students tend to verbalise and act out the racist views they absorb online on real-world victims,” Dr Abramovich said. “Hate material creates anger and occasionally promotes violent acts against people of other races and religions.” In southeast Melbourne, Stonnington Primary School Year 6 student Isabella said racism was a major problem that affected a lot of people but often seemed to be overlooked. She said that while she didn’t think it was very common for children her age to be affected by racism she thought they might come across it when they reached high school and became more ­active on social media. Fellow student Erin said she had witnessed online racism a few times, especially after the Paris ­terrorist attacks. “I feel like online bullying can be more common because you can hide behind a screen and don’t have to face people or suffer consequences,” she said. For more information about Click against Hate click here Our mailing address is: B'nai B'rith Anti-Defamation Commission 306 Hawthorn Rd Caulfield South, Vic 3162 Australia Add us to your address book 03 9272 5677 Website   Facebook    YouTube   Email

Brimbank & Maribyrnong Interfaith Network: Spiritual Care and Family Violence Forum for Chaplains and Pastoral Carers

Australian consciousness of family violence and violence against women and children is extending beyond the level where we have been for about forty years.  A major contributor to making us more aware is Rosie Batty, 2015 Australian of the Year. Our nation is the middle of a rethink and an extension of our knowledge.  Because of this, please consider this event.

The Brimbank and Maribyrnong Interfaith Network invites you to:

Spiritual Care and Family Violence Forum for Chaplains and Pastoral Carers

Date: Thursday 17 September 2015       Time: 9am - 3pm

Location: 

Reception Room, Maribyrnong City Council, 

Corner of Hyde and Napier Streets, Footscray 

(5 minutes’ walk from Footscray station)

The forum will bring together Pastoral Care workers and Chaplains in the community sector to consider the impact of family violence, appropriate spiritual care and the potential for healing and growth as we work with affected individuals and families.

Speakers:

• Dr. Robyn Gregory, CEO Women’s Health West – setting the scene
• Monique Toohey, Managing Director Nasihah Consulting – culturally appropriate responses
• Jen Allen, Executive Director of Victorian Institute of Counselling and Coaching - keys to recovery

Includes group discussion and consideration of the implications for your practice.  

Cost - $40, $30 for SCA members (includes morning tea and lunch)

 To register please download and complete the form and submit by 10 September 2015.

More Information: Geoff Wraight, Baptcare Pastoral Care, Telephone:  0409 314 626 | Email:gwraight@baptcare.org.au  OR Gareth Fuller, SASHS Chaplain, Telephone:  0487 921 641 | Email:gareth.fuller@aus.salvationarmy.org

Brought to you by: The Salvation Army, Brimbank and Maribyrnong Interfaith Network, Baptcare, Brimbank City Council, Maribyrnong City Council and Spiritual Care Australia.

Happy Mothers Day to all mothers in detention

Please copy this post to 

your Facebook, your Google+, Twitter - 

everywhere you can - 

so that mothers cruelly detained will know 

that there are Australian mothers, parents, grandparents, 

thinking of them and their children on this day.

Ministers of Religion and leaders in faith organisations: The Working With Children Check briefing on changes to the Working With Children Act 2005.

The letter and the attached poster have come to the B.I.N. email box this week and the B.I.N. social media editor is publishing the documents here to provide easy and public access for Ministers of Religion and leaders within faith organisations to whom the Working With Children Check applies. The information poster can be read from this blogpost or downloaded and printed direct from the blogpost.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Martin.West@justice.vic.gov.au	22 Oct (3 days ago)
to me

Good afternoon,

I am writing to invite you, or other representatives of your organisation, to an education session about recent changes to the Working with Children Act 2005. These changes broaden the legal obligation for ministers of religion to have a Working with Children (WWC) Check.

From 26 October 2014, all ordained or appointed religious leaders in Victoria (lay or ordained, paid or volunteer) are required to have the WWC Check, unless their contact with children is only occasional and incidental. 

The details of the education sessions are:

Date:	Wednesday 5 November
Times:	11:00am – 12:00pm and 7:00pm – 8:00pm
Location:	Herring Room Heritage on Lydiard 115 Lydiard Street North Ballarat 3350 Light refreshments will be provided.

We would be grateful if you could promote these education sessions with members of your network.

Please be aware there are penalties for non-compliance with the Working with Children Act 2005. For individuals, there are fines of up to $35,426.00 and / or up to 2 year imprisonment. For organisations there are fines of up to $177,132.00.

To register interest for these education sessions, please emailmartin.west@justice.vic.gov.au or call 03 8803 8574.

Kind regards,

Martin West
Public Interface Officer
Working with Children Check Unit
Community Operations and Strategy
Department of Justice
GPO Box 1915 MELBOURNE  VIC  3001
 
( 03 8803 8574  Ê (03) 8803 8504  
 
W: www.workingwithchildren.vic.gov.au 

Pope Francis says "World economic system is 'madness; "

The article below is republished from Australia's ABC News website.

Comment from The Editor of Beside The Creek:  And so say all of us???

World economic system is 'madness', 

puts money ahead of people, Pope Francis says

Updated Sat 14 Jun 2014, 1:36pm AEST

PHOTO: Pope Francis says the global economy puts money ahead of people and discards the young and old.(Reuters: Jack Guez, file photo)

RELATED STORY: Pope says Israeli, Palestinian presidents 'must respond' to yearning for peace

RELATED STORY: Pope in Bethlehem urges end to Middle East conflict

MAP: Holy See (Vatican City State)

Pope Francis has launched a sweeping attack on the world's economic system, saying it discards the young, puts money ahead of people and survives on the profits of war.

The 77-year-old leader of the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholics said some countries had a youth unemployment rate of more than 50 per cent, with many millions in Europe seeking work in vain.

"It's madness," the Pope said in an interview with the Barcelona-based Vanguardia daily's Vatican correspondent Henrique Cymerman.

"We discard a whole generation to maintain an economic system that no longer endures, a system that to survive has to make war, as the big empires have always done," he said.

"But since we cannot wage the third world war, we make regional wars.

"And what does that mean? That we make and sell arms. And with that the balance sheets of the idolatrous economies - the big world economies that sacrifice man at the feet of the idol of money - are obviously cleaned up."

Pope Francis says there is enough food to feed all the world's hungry.

The rich and the rest

French academic and economist Thomas Piketty talks to the ABC's PM about the world's growing inequality.

"When you see photographs of malnourished children you put your head in your hands, you cannot understand it," he said.

"I think we are in a global economic system that is not good."

The Pope says the people's needs should be at the heart of the economic system.

"But we have placed money in the centre, the god of money. We have fallen into the sin of idolatry, the idolatry of money. The economy moves by the desire to have more and paradoxically it feeds a disposable culture," he said.

The pontiff said the young were discarded when "the birth rate is limited" and the old were discarded when they no longer were considered productive.

"By discarding children and the old, we discard the future of a people because the young will pull us strongly forward and the old will give us wisdom," he said.

AFP