Catholics must regain their confidence in the Church’s social and political doctrine if they are to be a voice of moderation in a polarising world, the CEO of Catholic Schools NSW, Dallas McInerney, said this week. Source: Catholic Weekly.
“The Australian Church needs to regain more of the confidence it once had,” Mr McInerney said.
“Perhaps we self-censor. We’d surprise ourselves on the upside if we were to have a bigger voice in the public square on key issues.”
Mr McInerney was a speaker at the forum held on Monday night, co-hosted by ACU’s La Salle Academy and Catholic Schools NSW, alongside NSW MPs Susan Carter (Liberal) and Julia Finn (Labor), ACU academics Br David Hall and Dr Sandie Cornish, and Kathleen Burrow Research Institute research fellow Dr Damien Freeman.
Drawing from ACU Professor Greg Craven’s 2021 PM Glynn Institute monograph, Shadow of the Cross, the six speakers discussed the foundational principles of Catholic Social Teaching (CST) – solidarity, human dignity, subsidiarity, and the common good.
They introduced educators, leaders and other interested Catholics to a more robust interpretation of the Church’s teaching, capable of traversing what Mr McInerney describes as “the most fractious, contested public square we’ve ever had”.
Social media, alongside a range of other “intermediating” influences on children and communities – plus a media that “monsters” Australians who profess faith publicly – means that teachers and other leaders need to be intentionally identified and supported, he said.
“There are so many good, faithful teachers throughout our schools. Sometimes they lack the confidence to stand up and profess a faith, and teach it,” he said.
“We’ve got to nurture that, we’ve got to encourage that, we’ve got to call and identify them.”
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Church must regain its former confidence: CSNSW CEO (By Adam Wesselinoff, Catholic Weekly)
