News from Vatican Information Service

VOTE LEADING TO ORDINATION OF WOMEN IN ANGLICAN CHURCH
VATICAN CITY, 8 JUL 2008 - Text of a communique released late this morning by the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, concerning recent events within the Anglican Communion.

"We have regretfully learned the news of the Church of England vote that paves the way for the introduction of legislation which will lead to the ordaining of women to the episcopacy.

"The Catholic position on the issue has been clearly expressed by Pope Paul VI and Pope John Paul II. Such a decision signifies a break with the apostolic tradition maintained by all of the Churches since the first millennium and is, therefore, a further obstacle to reconciliation between the Catholic Church and the Church of England.

"This decision will have consequences on the future of dialogue, which had up until now borne fruit, as Cardinal Kasper clearly explained when on 5 June 2006 he spoke to all of the bishops of the Church of England at the invitation of the Archbishop of Canterbury.

"The Cardinal has been invited once again to express the Catholic position at the next Lambeth Conference at the end of July".

STATISTICS CONCERNING THE CHURCH IN AUSTRALIA
VATICAN CITY, 8 JUL 2008) - Statistics for the Catholic Church in Australia have been published as an interestins sideligdht to the 23rd World Youth Day July 12-21

The information, updated to 31 December 2006, comes from the Central Statistical Office of the Church.

Australia has a population of 20,700,000 of whom 5,704,000 (27.56 percent) are Catholic. There are 33 ecclesiastical circumscriptions, 1,390 parishes and 109 pastoral centres of other kinds. Currently, there are 65 bishops, 3,125 priests, 7,950 religious, 40 lay members of secular institutes and 8,192 catechists. Minor seminarians number 83, and major seminarians 244.

A total of 736,288 children and young people attend 2,252 centres of Catholic education, from kindergartens to universities. Other institutions belonging to the Church, or run by priests or religious in Australia include 58 hospitals, 5 clinics, 407 homes for the elderly or disabled, 164 orphanages and nurseries, 210 family counselling centres and other pro-life centres, 480 centres for education and social rehabilitation, and 24 institutions of other kinds