catholicweekly.com.au 6 NEWS 24, May, 2020 Stay safe and happy at home with holistic home care packages Discover our range of in-home services 1300 216 675 $2 At UNDA's recent Religious Liberty Conference in Sydney Professor Keith Thompson called state governments' treatment of the Seal of Confession the "litmus test" for religious freedom in this country." AS A tumultuous year draws toacloseCatholics inAustral- ia will need to prepare to face ongoing and fresh legal and politicalchallenges in2020. Threats to religious free- dom, the Sacrament of Rec- onciliation, to the rights of parents in the care and ed- ucation of their children, to the unborn, people with dis- abilities, theelderlyand those who treat them–aresponse to all this and more will require carefuldiscernment, faithand action on the part of all the faithful. In doing so they would be well-advised to follow the ad- vice of St Ignatius of Loyola: to pray as though everything depends on God and work as though everything depends on them. On 31 January the current consultation on the Federal Government’s second ex- posure draft of its religious freedom legislation package, including the Religious Dis- crimination Bill 2019, will close. The Bills are expected tobe tabled inParliamentand passed in the first half of next year. Meanwhile, an inquiry by the Australian Law Reform Commission into removing protections for religious free- dom in other anti-discrim- ination acts is currently un- derway with a report due in December2020. At the University of Notre of Dame Australia’s recent annualReligiousLibertyCon- ference in Sydney, Professor Keith Thompson called Aus- tralian state governments’ treatment of the Seal of Con- fession the“litmus test” forre- ligious freedom in this coun- try. The state of NSW will see increasingpressure toabolish the Seal under law as every stateandterritory inthecoun- try except for Queensland, WA and NSW has already outlawed recourse to the pri- vacy of religious Confession incasesofallegedchildabuse and the trend is flowing in fa- vour of this direction in these remaining states. As Queens- land has an inquiry into the Confessional Seal underway with submissions closing on 6 January,andasWAhasdraft legislation prepared it looks like it may fall to NSW Catho- lics tohold the lineon theSac- rament in the country in the secondhalfofnextyear. However Australian Church leaders such as Arch- bishop Peter Comensoli of Melbourne have vowed they are ready to go to jail to pro- tect theSacrament. CONTINUEDP2 We can help reform Numerous legal and political challenges for Christians loom around Australia in the coming year ¾ Staff writers TONY CRANNEY and Phil Lesmond,bestmates formore than 30 years, became a little closer this year. The plumb- ers from the Sutherland Shire became the sort of friends we should all aspire to be, when Tony selflessly offered up a lifesaving kidney donation for his friend. Facing daily dialysis and the high chance of a prema- ture death, Phil's spirits were lowandhishealthwas failing. Tony knew what he had to do. "I could see Phil going downhill pretty quickly and I couldn't just stand by and watch, I had to do something about it," saidTony. "There was never a ques- tion of if I would do it, it was justaquestionofhow soon." PHOTO:ALPHONSUSFOK REPORTP3 Men share the precious gift of life 29, December, 2019 WELCOME THE LITTLE FLOWER 2019 A BIG YEAR FOR FRANCIS P10 Compassionate, holistic aged care, delivered with Catholic values. 1800 778 767 |
[email protected] | www.svcs.org.au If your loved one needs additional support, talk to us – one of Australia’s leading Catholic aged care and retirement living specialists. P20 FROM PAGE 1 Living by the motto “for it is in giving that we receive”, the re- luctant hero said while it was nice to be recognised, he just hoped it helped raise aware- ness for the many people struggling in our community. “I like doing fun things, and appearing on TV really was a bit of fun but at the end of the day if it raises the profile of those in need well I’ll do what- ever is needed,” he smiled. “I always think about St Mary MacKillop’s quote ‘Nev- er see a need without doing something about it’, so at the moment I am very busy. “The other day while driv- ing from one job to another I felt an emotion of sadness come over me and realised I had tears coming from my eyes and rolling down my cheek. “I had just finished talk- ing to a subcontractor who had eight staff and four big machines ... with a very high Tony pays favour forward likelihood he will go bank- rupt. “I pulled over to the side of the road and read anoth- er email requesting assis- tance for $2,000 back rent or an eviction notice would be served on a mum who hasn’t even finished her chemo- therapy treatment. I cried some more, as though I was praying the Five Sorrowful Mysteries or walking the Sta- tions of the Cross. “And then I got a call from a mum so thankful I had helped her purchase a laptop for her son that I kept crying but this time they were tears of joy having been able to make a real difference. “That’s why I do it, because people need support and I think if you are in a position where you can help then you should.” Tony first came to The Catholic Weekly’s attention late last year after hemade the ultimate sacrifice for a mate and donated a kidney to long- time friend Phil Lesmond. Inseparable for more than 30 years, the two plumbers had shared every major event in the other’s life … marriage, kids, divorce, grandkids and death. However, the donation of an organ to save the others life was something that has taken their friendship to the next level. Once the story was pub- lished, messages of praise and thanks flooded in from those Tony has helped over the past 30 years including the recipi- ent of his kidney. “He really is a modern day Saint, and 6-months-on I’m still struggling to come to terms with the incredible gift he has givenme,” a tearful Phil said. “Who else would go into hospital with absolutely noth- ing wrong with them and go through excruciating pain just to help a friend? “I love him like a brother and I’m bloody lucky to be able to call himmy best mate.” Vinnies has launched a food drive of non-perishable foods and toiletries, which can be dropped off at any of six locations found at www. vinnies.org.au/fooddrive while expressions of interest from new volunteers are also being sought on their website at www.vinnies.org.au/kind- nessrevolution Tony Cranney and mate Phil Lesmond were featured on the front page of The CatholicWeekly in 2019. Sunday consecration of nation to Mary THE AUSTRALIAN Catho- lic Bishops Conference an- nounced last week that they will be consecrating the coun- try to the care of Mary Help of Christians on her feast day, 24 May. In a message entitled A word of encouragement to the Catholic people of Australia , the bishops noted that the country “has certainly suf- fered because of the pandem- ic, but not as grievously as some other countries”. “For that we thank God and we congratulate public health authorities and governments on their prompt and prudent responses,” the bishops wrote. “Australians in general have also shown the solidarity and ¾ ¾ Benjamin Conolly good sense, the generosity and kindness needed in such a time. “In our healthcare workers particularly, we have seen an exceptional spirit of self-sac- rifice, and for that we are all grateful “In thismonth ofMay, Pope Francis has urged us to look to her to intercede for us in this time of affliction; and to Mary we will entrust our homeland later this month, looking to a mother’s unfailing love. “May she who is Health of the Sick and Help of Chris- tians pray for us now, that we may see Jesus with her eyes, the eyes of Easter, and love him with her heart, which is the heart of faith.” The bishops urged the faithful to continue to ad- here to government and medical advice regarding social restrictions, noting the collaboration between those authorities and Catho- lic leaders to support the re-opening of churches and the staged resumption of public worship. May she who is Health of the Sick and Help of Christians pray for us now, that we may see Jesus with her eyes ... and love himwith her heart ...” Message from ACBC A statue of Mary Help of Christians stands in St Mary’s Cathedral in Sydney.