Hobart Archbishop Julian Porteous has written a pastoral letter to the faithful of Tasmania expressing concern over threats to religious freedom posed by “certain ideological positions” imposed “by means of legislation”. Source: Hobart Archdiocese.
He also expressed concern over “an existential threat” to Catholic schools posed by the Albanese Government’s proposed changes to legislation.
We Are Salt to the Earth, dated May 2, outlines the Catholic vision of the human person as “created by an act of God” and “personally loved by God”.
“From the outset because we believe that God has revealed the truth about the human person, we attest to the fact that truth is objective and verifiable,” Archbishop Porteous wrote.
“We do not accept the postmodern view that truth is subjective, that reality is a merely political construction and morality meaningless.”
The sexual complementarity of male and female was a gift from God, Archbishop Porteous said, hence the Church’s teaching on sexual morality and the indissolubility of marriage.
“These well-known Catholic teachings are now the subject of rejection by many within our society, and we are experiencing efforts to curtail our freedom to live by and teach these essential truths about the nature of human life.”
The letter refers to the many ways ideology is currently being foisted on Australian society, including through the liberalisation of abortion laws, the introduction of euthanasia laws, the redefinition of marriage in 2017, and a ‘woke’ movement pushing for transgender rights and conversion therapy laws.
“What we are now witnessing in our Australian society is the imposition of certain ideological positions on social and moral questions by means of legislation,” Archbishop Julian wrote.
“It is not impossible in the coming years that the very expression of Catholic belief on certain matters could be essentially made illegal.”
Read Archbishop Porteous’ pastoral letter, We Are Salt to the Earth
FULL STORY
‘We Are Salt to the Earth’: Pastoral Letter on religious freedom (By Catherine Sheehan, Hobart Archdiocese)
