The Catholic Weekly 14 June 2020

catholicweekly.com.au 11 14, June, 2020 to pressure to follow suit. But it is similarly hard to imag- ine that any MP who might be inclined to push for such a change to the law won’t now take a moment’s pause and consider whether Catholics in NSWmight not again stand united and vocally oppose a law that would seek to attack the sanctity of the sacramen- tal seal. With euthanasia legalised in Victoria and Western Aus- tralia, and being pushed in Tasmania, South Australia and Queensland, NSWmight soon be “out of step” with the pro-death push of the oth- er states across the country. We know that despite Pre- mier Berejiklian’s insistence that there not be any more divisive debates following the legalisation of abortion, MPs are waiting in the wings to try to push it through. I wonder if these recalcitrant MPs might now be so brazen with this latest reminder that Catholics in NSW are a vocal bunch! And with recent reports that the promised religious freedom reforms at a fed- eral level have been quietly scrapped, the state-based bill tabled by Mark LathamMLC (which I wrote about in this column three weeks ago) will become increasingly import- ant. Its passage will hope- fully be assisted by the unity demonstrated by Catholics and other religious groups in lobbying for equal treatment for people of faith with re- spect to COVID-19 restric- tions, and result in increased protection for all of us. Too often we fight and lose, and that’s okay. But this week, it is important that we pause for a moment to not only celebrate this latest win, but to also appreciate how it might have improved our standing in the fights to come. Time to be thankful - and also prepared L ast weekend, I took advantage of the eased restrictions for intrastate travel and the long weekend and head- ed down to the south coast for a few days. Walking in to Sunday Mass – my first Sun- day Mass since March – there were signs on the church doors that read: “Welcome Home.” An initiative of the Diocese of Wollongong, everyone heading to Mass over the weekend would have been greeted as family re- turning home. I had registered to attend over the phone and was greet- ed by name as I entered. A team of volunteers marked off names, conduct- ed temperature checks and cleaned seats and other parts of the church to make sure that they were ready to wel- come people safely to one of the four Masses held over the weekend, twice the usu- al number in order to ensure as many people as possible could attend. This scene and process was repeated in parishes across New South Wales over the weekend, the first weekend in which 50 people could be at Mass at the same time. I share the frustrations ex- pressed at the permissiveness with which protests were al- lowed over the weekend while everything else remained subject to substantial restric- tions, but I don’t think that should overshadow the joy of the return to Sunday Mass for so many after so long. Nor should it detract from the sig- nificant “win” it was. On 22 May, it was an- nounced that from 1 June, cafes and restaurants, pubs and clubs in New South Wales would all be allowed to accept 50 patrons at a time, providing they complied with social dis- tancing requirements. It was expected that places of wor- ship would be included with- in this phase of the lifting of restrictions, but after some in- quiry it became clear that this was not an oversight: church- es were intentionally exclud- ed because of the perceived advanced age of parishioners and clergy, as well as the ap- parent increased risk of trans- mission caused by congrega- tional singing. It would have stayed that way, but a petition launched by the Archdiocese of Sydney to challenge that decision gar- nered some 20,000 signatures within a day of it going on- line, and within a day of that, the NSWGovernment had revised its ruling and agreed to treat churches equally with places of business. I don’t want you to under- estimate what an extraordi- nary achievement that was. The change in heart of the government was directly at- tributable to the willingness of so many to speak up and highlight the blatant double standard in the way places of worship were being treated. Not only did your voices manage to reverse a decision that was manifestly unfair, they also demonstrated that Catholics united are a force to be reckoned with. It meant that we could re- turn to Holy Mass a lot ear- lier than projected, and also stands us in good stead for fu- ture encounters we may have with our parliamentarians. For example, with other states having moved or mov- ing to abolish legal protec- tions for the seal of confes- sion, it is hard to imagine that NSWMPs will not be subject Parishioners at St Peter Chanel and St Joseph Church in Berala, including Fr Thomas Kurunthanam - second from left - campaign for NSW restrictions to be eased. PHOTO: GIOVANNI PORTELLI It’s great Catholics stood up for their equal right to Mass - but other issues may be looming T o the point with Monica Doumit Not only did your voices manage to reverse a deci- sion that was manifestly unfair, they also demonstrated that Catholics united are a force to be reckoned with. It meant that we could return to Holy Mass a lot earlier than projected ...” Rev Professor Mark R. Francis, CSV, President of the Catholic Theological Union, Chicago, will visit Australia virtually this July to explore the fascinating interaction between liturgy and culture. Learn about Liturgy and Culturewith a world-expert Liturgical Inculturation Professional Learning Seminar 6, 7, 9, 10 July 2020 | 9am-12.30pmAEST Join lectures and discussions led by Professor Francis on topics such as the cultural evolution of the liturgy, inculturation in Australia, and Pope Francis’ insights on culture and the liturgy. The seminar can serve as PD hours for teachers. Register here: www.acu.edu.au/LitIncultSemFrancis Free Public Lecture: The Challenge of Intercultural Liturgy in the Era of Pope Francis 20 July | 10-11.30amAEST Registration is essential by 15 July at: www.acu.edu.au/LectureFrancis Contact and more information www.acu.edu.au/CentreforLiturgy [email protected] 02 9701 4751 The ACU Centre for Liturgy is pleased to host this renowned expert in liturgical inculturation and author of Local Worship, Global Church: Popular Religion and the Liturgy. All events will be hosted live via Zoom.