Speaking at the opening Levin, Mayor Mr Bernie Wanden, (pictured) described the Centre as "a wonderful venture for our community."

Wanden observed that Levin probably has the lowest rating for household income in New Zealand.

He said the St Vincent de Paul Centre is "providing a real presence and a help for our social needs.

"It is so needed."

Wanden's comments were echoed by Vincentian Conference President Bernard Hanaray.

"In our current times we see many devolving into deeper hardship and need, brought about by prohibitive costs of living - food, warmth, housing, travel - with few if not non-existent solutions currently evident," said Hanaray.

"We hope our Centre will go some way to meet these needs."

Hanaray noted the Levin St Vincent de Paul Conference was established 20 years ago with small numbers and few resources.

The tradition of helping others is long, though.

"Our ancestors provided the base for today's wider community to offer practical and effective personal support to those in need".

The new Prouse Street complex has a Vinnies Shop, a space for sharing and enjoying time together over tea and coffee, meeting facilities and office space.

It will also have places for community activities, advocacy work, working with other local community agencies and as a drop-in Centre where people can get clothes and furniture.

The Centre's most important role though, is to enhance human dignity.

Vinnies has a three-year lease at the new site.

Dream realised

For many years Gerry Stevens, a parishioner of Pukekaraka and Kapi Mana Area President for Saint Vincent de Paul, dreamed of a Vincentian Centre that cares for people and enhances their dignity, a place that helps them in themselves and gives them ‘a step up'.

He is delighted his dream has been realised.

"It accords with the deeper values of St Vincent de Paul to be generous; seek integrity; be compassionate; show empathy; be responsive; provide advocacy and respect for each person," said Stevens.

"These values will be expressed in this new building where people can come in and feel at home, have a cuppa and share with one another."

As part of the support services, long time Vincentian Margaret Hannan is looking to set up space for craftwork, an exercise group and even a speaking group.

St Vincent de Paul President Terry Jordan said, "We are standing on the shoulders of our past when we showed care for one another. We can achieve this here in Levin too."

Karen Holland of Catholic Social Services Wellington said that the CSS will be available as needed to support the St Vincent de Paul Centre with its own expertise and with counsellors, strengthening the hospitality and training needed to provide excellent support.

Local Pukekaraka Chaplain and National Chaplain of St Vincent de Paul, Pa Alan Roberts, invited the 40 persons present to come through the building with him and, as he blessed it with holy water, to place their own blessing into the walls and rooms.

"Bless this building and all the guests and work that will be done here. May we learn from the example of the carpenter's son to transform the work of our hands into a blessed building up God's creation and enhance the dignity of each person," prayed Roberts.

According to a PBS report in CathNews, VoteCast declared that 50 percent of Catholics backed Trump, while 49 percent voted for Biden.

Many Catholics, like many other Christians, appear to be predominantly guided by their preferred political leaders, nationalistic tendencies, the culture, conservative or progressive leanings, their wallet and their often unconscious prejudices. These unhealthy tendencies are not conducive to building unity within Catholicism, nor overall Christianity. It doesn't have to be this way.

Let's really try to live our lives in such a way that everything we think, feel, say and do faithfully reflects what Jesus taught us as recorded in the four Gospel accounts of our Lord.

And let's also go the extra mile: Let's apply the words and actions of Jesus to the cultural, economic, and the political areas of our nation and world. Now you might be thinking how on earth - especially in today's highly fractured societies - can we possibly do this?

Well, let's consult the angel Gabriel. When this messenger from the Almighty visited the teenage Jewish woman Mary and conveyed to her God's desire to take on human nature by being conceived in her virgin womb, Gabriel put to rest her natural query saying, "For nothing will be impossible for God."

But while of course, this is true, we like Mary need to give our wholehearted "yes" to God. We need to cooperate with God's life of grace in order for grace to be fully operative in our lives - and by extension in our suffering world.

But how can we translate this into public policies and civil laws with so many different contrasting opinions?

Let's let the Gospel lead the way!

In the last judgment scene of Matthew's Gospel, Jesus rewards with eternal life those who have loved him by feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, welcoming the stranger, clothing the naked, consoling the sick and imprisoned.

And so, the Gospel mandate is for us to fully address the legitimate needs of the many Americans and countless human beings around the world lacking sufficient nutritious food and clean water, decent clothing and housing, quality comprehensive healthcare, humane restorative prison reform and a warm welcome.

It is necessary to remember that as important as it is for us to individually respond to these needs, it is also absolutely essential for governments to fully respond to these needs as well.

And certainly, Jesus' total nonviolent example calls us to convert our high tech swords into instruments of peace. Thus Catholics and all Christians - if we are to be faithful to the Gospel - need to take the Gospel of peace to heart.

Exactly what types of laws, budgets and public policies that need to be enacted is open to honest, respectful and compassionate debate. But that debate needs to lead to timely and fully adequate comprehensive solutions.

If each one of us starts and finishes with the Gospel mandate that every single human being - born and unborn - deserves not only to live, but deserves to live with dignity in a world where people come before profit, where the care of the earth outweighs corporate greed and where nonviolent solutions replace war, we will surely find ways to move governments, corporations and economies toward the right way - the Gospel way!

• Tony Magliano is an internationally syndicated Catholic social justice and peace columnist. He is available to speak at diocesan or parish gatherings. Tony can be reached at tmag6@comcast.net.

The state of Victoria's Voluntary Assisted Dying Review Board reported 124 deaths by assisted suicide and euthanasia since 19 June 19, 2019 when the procedure became legal.

There were 231 permits issued for the procedure that year.

The Board's report says 104 of those who died under the Voluntary Assisted Dying Act 2017 committed assisted suicide. A further 20 people were euthanized by a medical practitioner.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrew had predicted there would be ‘a dozen' deaths in the first 12 months."

Victoria Health Minister Jenny Mikakos, of the Australian Labor Party, also expected the number of people seeking assisted suicide or euthanasia to be low initially, and increase in later years. Like Andrew, she thought as few as 12 people would access the scheme.

"We anticipate that once the scheme has been in place for some time, we'll see between 100 and 150 patients access this scheme every year," Mikakos said shortly before the law took effect.

Applicants under the Voluntary Assisted Dying Act 2017 ranged in age from 32 to 100, with an average of 71 years of age.

Forty-four percent were female, 55 percent were male and 1 percent were "self-described."

Most applicants - 78 percent - had diagnoses of malignant cancer and 15 percent had neurodegenerative diseases.

Anti-euthanasia advocate and director of HOPE, Branka van der Linden, called the number of deaths and the rate at which they were occuring "alarming.

"Half of those who applied for lethal drugs made their final request for euthanasia less than three weeks after they first requested it," van der Linden said.

"That's not a lot of time for reflection, for alternative options to be offered and explored, or for the necessary support to be provided."

Archbishop Peter Comensoli of Melbourne said the number of suicides was "heartbreaking."

The attitude toward death contradicts the extreme cautionary measures being put in place for the coronavirus pandemic, he noted.

"The whole state is making sacrifices to protect people from COVID-19 while on the other hand public hospitals are encouraging assisted suicide," Comensoli told The Catholic Weekly. "The contradiction is baffling for many doctors."

Tasmania is currently debating a bill that would legalize assisted suicide for Tasmanian residents 18 years of age and older, who "have decision-making capacity, (are) acting voluntarily, and have a relevant medical condition."

Tasmania rejected a similar bill in 2013.

Source

• Catholic News Agency
• Image: ABC News

He had posted several tweets to Trump after Saturday's mass shooting in El Paso, Texas where 22 people were killed.

Garcia-Siller was one of many people who, in the aftermath of recent shootings (including the ones in Dayton, Ohio and Gilroy, California), connected the violence to Trump's political rhetoric.

In his tweets, Garcia-Siller called the president "poor" and "weak", said Trump had done "too much damage already" and told him "stop racism, starting with yourself".

"All individuals have God-given dignity and should be accorded respect and love as children of God, especially in our conversations and interactions," Garcia-Siller said on Tuesday after deleting the tweets.

"We should be aware of this in our discourse about the Office of the President of the United States, which is due our respect."

Tweets focusing on the issue in Garcia-Siller's Twitter account include several alluding to the dangers of racist rhetoric.

One mentions the "selfishness of many in power" that has led to "destruction and pain".

The archbishop also released a video statement on Facebook.

In the video he recalled a statement from the US Bishops, "The Enduring Call to Love: A Pastoral Letter Against Racism;" "Every racist act—every such comment, every joke, every disparaging look as a reaction to the color of skin, ethnicity or place of origin—is a failure to acknowledge another person as a brother or sister, created in the image of God".

Pointing out that no one has the moral right to make racist statements, García-Siller said "There is growing fear and harassment, and at times American public discourse uses rhetoric that instigates fear against foreigners, immigrants and refugees....

"We do not need more division, but rather, we need to move forward in freedom to discuss these topics more deeply in light of the Gospel."

Source

• Fox Network
• America Magazine
• Image: Heavy.com

His comments came on Friday at a UN conference on nutrition hosted by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation.

The Pontiff condemned speculation in food commodities and greed, saying they undermined the global fight against poverty and hunger.

"It is also painful to see that the struggle against hunger and malnutrition is hindered by market priorities, the primacy of profit, which have reduced foodstuffs to a commodity like any other, subject to speculation, also of a financial nature", Pope Francis told delegates from over 170 countries.

The Holy Father told delegates that a fairer distribution of food "cannot remain in the limbo of theory".

Calling on rich nations to share their wealth and denounce waste, excessive consumption and unequal food distribution, the Holy Father highlighted the "paradox of plenty"; where enough food is produced globally for everyone, but not enough for all to eat.

"The hungry remain at the street corner and ask to be recognised as citizens, to receive a healthy diet. We ask for dignity, not for charity".

The UN estimates that a third of all the food that is produced is lost to waste and spoilage.

Sources

• La Stampa
• Associated Press
• Reuters
• Image: Yahoo

This is the uncomfortable underpinning of the Police Minister's proposed register for the close monitoring of sex offenders in the community.

Anne Tolley has, however, struck the right balance in, first, piloting the monitoring system with about 300 convicted child abusers and, second, keeping the names secret.

Offenders against children present by far the greatest reoffending risk.

Other sex offenders judged likely to reoffend could be added when the system has been thoroughly tested.

The secrecy question is more problematic.

Parents want to know if a convicted paedophile lives nearby.

Expatriate New Zealander and broadcaster Derryn Hinch, twice jailed for breaching Australian child sex offenders' suppression orders, makes a strong argument for parent power.

The proposal, for officials to identify paedophiles to members of the public only on a "need to know" basis, may be too limited.

For instance, people in a workplace would probably not be told a new colleague is an offender - but what about the office family picnic or offer to babysit the kids? Continue reading.

Source: The Listener

Image: kirontv.info

Jobs in the fast food industry are often a young person's first taste of working life - from slinging burgers after school to delivering pizzas on the weekend.

The hours are flexible, and while the pay is usually minimal, the social side of it can be fun.

But full- or part-time, young workers spoken to for The Wireless agree - theirs is a tough job.

Physically and mentally, there's a lot to deal with: overwhelming heat in kitchens; demanding, sometimes abusive customers; standing all day, and the monotony of doing the same thing, shift after shift.

It's all go, and while the industry prides itself on creating career opportunities, moving through the ranks isn't for everyone.

Of people spoken to both on and off the record about their experiences in fast food work, responses were almost equally divided between enjoying the work, and despising it.

None were particularly interested in careers within the fast food industry.

McDonald's employs over 9000 people in New Zealand, the majority aged under 25.

The Only Option

Taarira Kiro-Paewhenua, 23, worked in the Whangerei Burger King for two-and-a-half years, spending the whole time in the kitchen making the burgers; in the end she found the job "sickening".

The job was her only option at the time and she didn't want to go on a benefit, she says.

Supporting herself in her own flat, she lived on the minimum wage of $13.50 an hour, usually working 40 hours to cover her rent, bills and food, leaving only $20 a week to spend on socialising. Continue reading.

Source: The Wireless

Image: Fanpop

"Money has to serve, not to rule," he told a group of diplomats.

He called for ethical financial reform that would "benefit everyone" and for the world of finance and economics to make people a priority and take into account the importance of ethics and solidarity.

Highlighting the root causes of today's economic and social troubles, the Pope pointed to policies and actions that stem from a "gravely deficient human perspective, which reduces man to one of his needs alone, namely, consumption".

In this "culture of disposal", he said, "human beings themselves are nowadays considered as consumer goods which can be used and thrown away".

The Pope criticised economic inequality caused by "ideologies which uphold the absolute autonomy of markets and financial speculation, and thus deny the right of control to states, which are themselves charged with providing for the common good".

In the absence of adequate economic regulation or oversight, "a new, invisible and at times virtual, tyranny is established, one which unilaterally and irremediably imposes its own laws and rules".

Ethics, like solidarity, is seen as "a nuisance" and rejected, he added. Ethical principles and policies of solidarity are "often considered counterproductive, opposed to the logic of finance and economy".

Pope Francis said a major reason behind the increase in social and economic woes worldwide "is in our relationship with money and our acceptance of its power over ourselves and our society".

"The worship of the golden calf of old has found a new and heartless image in the cult of money and the dictatorship of an economy which is faceless and lacking any truly human goal," he said.

Pope Francis called on the world's political and financial leaders to consider the words of St John Chrysostom: "Not to share one's goods with the poor is to rob them and to deprive them of life. It is not our goods that we possess, but theirs."

Sources:

Catholic News Service

Vatican Information Service

Image: Vatican News