Pet theories
Fearless investigative reporters for a Jesuit magazine become wary when their lords and masters hit the daily newspapers. Of course, those who pack the scrum shouldn’t complain about a bit of aggro, but you do feel a bit aggrieved when Jesuit magazines kick own goals, as did La Civiltà Cattolica recently in an article on animals as pets. Writing sceptically about pets and their owners is an own goal in any code, even if the article was for animals and only against treating them as human. But the assault on feeding the moggie caviar and hibernating the family python in designer electric blankets restarted old wars between Jesuits and Friars, between the intellectuals and the workers in the church. Thundered Fr Canciani, a blesser of pets: ‘The average theologian is almost always solitary, and closed in his ivory tower.’ Historians will note that hostilities began on the Feast of St Francis of Assisi.
No dice
You could be forgiven for thinking that the Department of Immigration, Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs cribs most of its refugee determinations from a Monopoly ‘chance’ card: go directly to jail, do not pass go, do not collect $200. Refugee and asylum seeker issues in Australia shows there is more to it than that. The booklet, produced by the Ecumenical Migration Centre of the Brotherhood of St Lawrence, gives clear and detailed answers to questions such as ‘What is the difference between a refugee and an asylum seeker?’, ‘Why are the onshore and offshore programs linked?’, ‘What are bridging visas?’, ‘What happens when a refugee’s TPV runs out?’, and ‘What are the arguments for and against using the current system of immigration detention?’
The writing is straightforward and open, aiming to explain rather than persuade. The booklet could be used as a resource by anyone who wants more information, including asylum seekers and refugees who want to understand their own legal situation and the options open to them. It doesn’t assume any previous knowledge, and the direct style allows for people who have recently learnt English as a second language. The complexity of immigration issues is always acknowledged, however. It is a calm, decent and sensible response to emotional issues.
This valuable publication is available through the Ecumenical Migration Centre, (03) 9416 0044.
Go fish!
Experts from the universities of Edinburgh, St. Andrews and Leeds have discovered something remarkable—no longer will fish be perceived as one of the least intelligent species