Sydney Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP has defended Catholics’ right to publicly oppose performances that mock their faith, arguing that artistic freedom does not justify the denigration of beliefs held sacred by millions. Source: The Catholic Weekly.
In a new statement responding to the controversy surrounding the Divine Playhouse arts venue in Sydney’s CBD, the archbishop said freedom of speech includes not only the right to create and perform, but also “the right, and at times the responsibility, to say plainly when something is inappropriate, offensive, wrong”.
The comments come after weeks of public debate over the Divine Playhouse, a temporary arts venue established in a deconsecrated former Catholic Church on Kent Street.
The venue, which received a $100,000 Create NSW grant, drew widespread criticism over promotional material and performances that incorporated Catholic imagery, including events titled “Sunday Mess” and “Unholy Confessions” and imagery depicting McDonald’s fries as the Eucharist.
Thousands of people signed a petition calling on the NSW Government to withdraw its support for the venue and apologise to Christians who believed their faith had been ridiculed.
While acknowledging the long tradition of satire and criticism in public life, Archbishop Fisher distinguished criticism from what he described as “the deliberate appropriation, sexualisation, and denigration of symbols and rituals specific and sacred to the Catholic faith.”
“For Catholics, the Eucharist is not a cultural motif available for parody,” he wrote. “It is the sacrament at the heart of our worship.”
The archbishop also rejected claims that Christian objections were directed at the LGBT community or artistic expression itself.
“The objection is to the deliberate ridicule of beliefs and practices Catholics hold sacred,” he wrote, arguing that “a genuinely pluralist society protects artistic freedom, religious freedom and freedom to protest peacefully alike.”
His comments come as Divine Playhouse has been ordered to vacate the Kent Street premises after its landlord terminated the lease, citing provisions relating to “offensive trade”.
The venue’s organisers have indicated they intend to challenge the decision.
FULL STORY
Archbishop Fisher: Artistic freedom should not come at the expense of the sacred (By Marilyn Rodrigues, The Catholic Weekly)
