Rain interrupts service

Press, 9 April 1979, Page 6

Rain interrupts service

Rain cut short an open-air Palm Sunday service in Cath. edral Square yesterday attended by more than 7000. Just as the collection was being taken up. the rain negan to fall and turned into a heavy downpour. The crowd dashed into the Cathedral for cover. It was the second time that an. open-air Palm Sunday service had been held. About 1000 more attended than last year. Many of the children were dressed in national costume or robes like those worn on the original Palm Sunday. Pastor D. Barton began the service with an address. Later inside the Cathedral, two industrial chaplains, the Rev. S. Horrill and the Rev. D. O’Connor, spoke about “Christ in the workplace.” The Rev. J. Consedine told the crowd that capitalism was the greatest social sin in society and that Christians had to see it as being incom-

patible with the teaching* of the Gospel. Capiiahsm wu evil, lie said, because it put profirs before people, ihe individual before the community, competition before co-operation, materialism before virtue, and status before equality "1 think the system is rotten and corrupt because it rewards the few at the direct expense of many.” said Father Consedine. “Jesus, who is God. stood for ’he exact opposite: He plaiei .people ahead of everything |else.” Father Consedine said he rejected atheistic communism just as much because of the lack of recognition t gave to the spiritual side of people and the importance it placed on material goals. “Any ideology which has purely material goals is unacceptable to a follower of Jesus Christ." he said. “Capitalism and atheistic communism can be rejected lor 'that reason alone."