Web, TV poisons youth

Tag : Kangaroo Skins

THE Pope has warned of the "poison" of sex and violence on theinternet and television in his first major address at World YouthDay in Sydney. About 150,000 pilgrims gathered at Barangaroo on Sydney Harbourlast night to hear Pope Benedict XVI speak of how the community hadbeen scarred by the worship of violence.
Sydney is having another big day today with tens of thousands ofpilgrims gathering in the CBD to watch the Stations of the Cross,where actors recreate the biblical account of Jesus Christ's lastdays.
He will also have lunch with 12 hand-picked pilgrims, includingbashing victim Lauren Huxley.
'Exploitation'
Last night the crowd listened in silence as the Pope said the useof sex and violence in entertainment was dangerous.
"I ask myself, could anyone standing face to face with peoplewho actually do suffer violence and sexual exploitation 'explain'that these tragedies, portrayed in virtual form, are consideredmerely 'entertainment'?" he said.
The exaltation of violence and sex presented as entertainment weredangerous and "a poison to corrode what is good, reshape whowe are and distort the purpose for which we were created".
The 81-year-old reaffirmed the church's stand against abortion andeuthanasia and said God was as relevant as ever to people's lives.
"Our world has grown weary of greed, exploitation anddivision, of the tedium of false idols and piecemeal responses andthe pain of false promises," the Pope said.
"Our hearts and minds are yearning for a vision of life wherelove endures, where gifts are shared, where unity is built, wherefreedom finds meaning in truth and where identity is found inrespectful communion."
His address was lost on thousands of those who had waited hourswhen the speaker system cut out in almost one quarter of the area.
But the atmosphere reached fever pitch as the Pope passed pilgrimsin his popemobile, with police worried the barricades wouldcollapse under the weight of the happy-clapping crowds chanting"Benedicto".
Sydney Harbour's foreshore erupted in frenzied scenes as thousandsof World Youth Day pilgrims gave the Pope a welcome reserved for arock star.
The MV Sydney 2000, the city's largest and most luxurious cruiseship, took the 81-year-old Pope Benedict XVI on a spectacular"boat-a-cade" tour of the southern shore of SydneyHarbour before he alighted to the huge crowd of supporters atDarling Harbour.
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The 45-minute trip from Rose Bay marked his official entrance intoWorld Youth Day celebrations on what has been dubbed "SuperThursday".
The Pontiff was greeted by a sea of flags and cheers beforereceiving a traditional Aboriginal greeting at the giant Barangaroostage by dancers clad in kangaroo skins.
The Pope, in his first homily on Australian soil, interrupted by aniggling cough, said it was a delight to greet the pilgrims atBarangaroo, "on the shores of magnificent Sydney Harbour withits famous bridge and Opera House".
But he also used the speech to address a number of serious issuesand criticise the plundering of the world's natural resources.
"Perhaps, reluctantly, we come to acknowledge that there arescars which mark the surface of our Earth - erosion, deforestation,the squandering of the world's mineral and ocean resources in orderto fuel an insatiable consumption," he said. "God'swondrous creation is sometimes experienced as almost hostile to itsstewards, even something dangerous.
"How can what is good appear so threatening?"
The Pope took time to praise Australia's commitment toconservation.
"I note that Australia is making a serious commitment toaddress its responsibility to care for the naturalenvironment," the Pope said.
"Likewise, with regard to the human environment, this countryhas generously supported international peace-keeping operations,contributing to conflict resolution in the Pacific, in South-EastAsia and elsewhere."
The Pope said the "social environment" was also underthreat, warning pilgrims against the scourge of drugs and alcoholabuse, and the exaltation of sex and violence.
"I ask myself, could anyone standing face-to-face with peoplewho actually do suffer violence and sexual exploitation, explainthat these tragedies, portrayed in virtual form, are consideredmerely entertainment?"
Pope Benedict also said faith was a defining characteristic ofstrong individuals and strong societies.
Earlier, he met Governor-General, Major-General Michael Jeffery andPrime Minister Kevin Rudd at Government House, where he praisedAustralia's commitment to indigenous reconciliation, care for thenatural environment and peace.
"Thanks to the Australian Government's courageous decision toacknowledge the injustices committed against the indigenous peoplesin the past, concrete steps are now being taken to achievereconciliation based on mutual respect," the Pontiff said.
"Rightly, you are seeking to close the gap between indigenousand non-indigenous Australians regarding life expectancy,educational achievement and economic opportunity."
After the service concluded, the Pope left Barangaroo for a tour ofSydney's streets in his Popemobile.
The 20-deep crowd cheered and waved, pressing close to thebarricades as the special Mercedes V8-powered vehicle fitted withbullet-proof glass drove slowly past under a shower of confetti.
The smiling, waving Pontiff sat in the back of the vehicle, flankedby security guards on foot, as pilgrims sat on each other'sshoulders to get a glimpse of the Holy Father, extending theircameras to capture the moment.
The Popemobile is the centrepiece of a 20-vehicle motorcade, whichwill wind its way from around the foreshore and past the RoyalBotanic Gardens before delivering the Pope back to St Mary'sCathedral.
His arrival at the cathedral about 5.45pm capped a long day for thePontiff, who had celebrated a private mass before his officialwelcome at 9am. The Pope's first stop was a visit to the shrine ofMary MacKillop, who must be documented as performing one moremiracle before she can be confirmed a saint.
When the Sisters of St Joseph gently pressed her case, the Popesmiled and said: "She will be canonised. We are waiting forthe miracle."
Sister Monica Cavanagh later summed up the feelings of the order,which has been waiting decades for the church hierarchy to approveMacKillop's sainthood.
"We hope canonisation will come in the not too distantfuture," Sister Monica said. "Certainly, we're probablycloser to seeing something go through than probably we werebefore."
MacKillop, who was born in Victoria in 1842, founded the Sisters ofSt Joseph in 1866 and died in North Sydney in 1909. She wasbeatified by Pope John Paul II in January 1995, but remains onedocumented miracle away from becoming Australia's first saint.
The Pope's sense of humour was also on show in an anecdote relayedby NSW Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione, who said the Pope hadblessed a Sydney policeman suffering skin cancer and brain andheart tumours.
As well as blessing the officer, the Pope donned his police hat ina light-hearted moment.
"It made his day," Mr Scipione said.
About 3000 Queenslanders are attending the festivities includingWorld Youth Day Brisbane committee member Greg Sunter who wasaboard the MV Sydney 2000, when the Pontiff boarded.
Mr Sunter said it was great to be so close to the Pope.