The Catholic Weekly 2 August 2020

catholicweekly.com.au 3 2, August, 2020 ARCHBISHOP ANTHO- NY Fisher OP is inviting the Catholic lay men of Australia to consider a special program dedicated to inspiring them to take up their unique place in the Church and the world. The national Catholic men’s gathering is an initia- tive of the country’s bishops to encourage men as they serve in their homes, workplaces, and parish and other commu- nities. Due to pandemic restric- tions original plans for one national gathering were swapped for smaller localised events and an online option of four hours of pre-recorded sessions available from 15 Au- gust. In Sydney gatherings will held on the same day at the parishes of Bonnyrigg, Chat- swood, Eastwood, Enfield, Menai, St Mary’s and Fairfield. Each will include an oppor- tunity for Mass, Eucharistic adoration and benediction, and small group discussions after the video presentations. Archbishop Fisher encour- aged all to register and at- tend in person if possible, “as we dive deep into the role of Catholic men for our world”. Director of Parish 2020 Daniel Ang said the event will address the relative absence of men from “somany areas of the Church’s life”. “To be honest, the faith lives and experiences of lay men in the Church are not often a focus of our Catholic conversations or high on the agenda in many forums and discussions of which I’ve been a part,” Mr Ang said. “It’s also an important conversation to be having be- cause we are losing so many men to suicide and addiction which I think are symptoms of an interior and existential cri- sis that must make a claim on our faith as Catholics. “The damaging and all too often fatal consequences of the isolation of men in our so- ciety, isolation not only from God and local communities like the Church but also from one another, has widespread impacts upon women, chil- dren, whole families and our broader social fabric.” Life, Family and Marriage Officer Chris Da Silva said it was sometimes “disheart- ening” to belong to the fast- est contracting cohort in the A RADICAL gender ideology program called ‘Multiverse’ is surfacing in early childhood learning classrooms in New South Wales - often without the knowledge and consent of parents and legal guardians. The Multiverse program – which is NSW Government accredited – is a pedagogy for alternative sexual and gender identities for young children but the age appropriateness of the content as well as the lack of transparency with parents over the content is causing community concerns. A member of the NSW Leg- islative Council, Mark Latham, told The Catholic Weekly he believes Multiverse is a harm- ful and inappropriate form of political indoctrination. “They run [Multiverse] on a closed Facebook group which obviously raises further con- cerns over what is going on,” said Mark Latham. “Schools are there to serve the parents not the other way around.” Mr Latham said he plans to present a Bill to the NSW Legislative Assembly to keep programs such as Multiverse away from early learning. “I am going to be moving a Private Member’s Bill in the Upper House that the NSW education system must have a standard in teaching. Ethics, morality, social and moral de- velopment must be consistent with the wishes of parents,” he said. Dr Kevin Donnelly, a Pro- fessor of Education at Aus- tralian Catholic University, likened exposing children to adult themes of sexuality as a form of child abuse and em- phasised the lack of respect Multiverse has for the express wishes of many parents to raise their children in line with ¾ ¾ Marilyn Rodrigues ¾ ¾ David Ryan Bishops urge men, take up your vocation Church, men aged under 45. “At least for me I know that one of the reasons God has allowed it is to wake up – to challenge - men like me who do still love Jesus and His Church to take on leadership and responsibility in leading others to the truth, beauty and goodness of Catholicism,” he said. “Perhaps in previous Archdiocese of Sydney staff Chris Da Silva, John Gresser,Michael Mendietta and Benjamin Conolly are all looking forward to the National Catholic Men’s Gathering. PHOTO:ALPHONSUS FOK generations men could drift along without striving for a ro- bust spiritual life or heroic vir- tue, and still get by as leaders in the Church and the world. “That has changed. “Now, with a world and a Church in chaos, drifting along is no longer an option.” The theme for the gather- ing is taken from Luke’s Acts: “They were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the oth- er Apostles, Brothers - what then must we do?” Four video modules will be posted online on August 15 with prayer, music, presenta- tions and follow-up discus- sion included in each. Archbishop Fisher invites all Catholic men to either view the program individually or considering gathering “as a small group within your par- ish, men’s ministry group or friendship group.” Register for a parish event at www.sydneycatholic.org/ mensgathering20 Register for the free online program at http://www. catholicmensgathering. com.au/ This program is not about stopping bullying but rather a radical agenda overthrowing the status quo ...” Dr Kevin Donnelly, ACU We are losing so many men to suicide and addiction which I think are symp- toms of an interior and existential crisis that must make a claim on our faith as Catholics.” Daniel Ang, Director of Parish 2020 Bill to protect kids their own beliefs. “Early childhood should be a time of innocence, play and joy,” he said. “Programs like this don’t have the right to indoctrinate young children against their parent’s moral and spiritual values.” Dr Donnelly re-iterated that bullying and discrimination have no place in the classroom but that the goals of Multiverse were more political indoctri- nation than anti-bullying. “Catholic teaching says there is no room for bullying and unfair discrimination but this program is not about stop- ping bullying but rather a rad- ical agenda overthrowing the status quo [and] this is a form of politically correct group- think where it is indoctrina- tion. I amverymuch against it.” Australian Family Associa- tion President Terri Kelleher said that normal childhood psychosexual development is being interfered with and that teachings on human sexuality should be guided by the wish- es of parents. “Human sexual identity is a very close, intimate and per- sonal matter dealt with by the parents first and foremost,” she said. “Normal psychosexual de- velopment is being interfered with. Children are exposed at a pre-school level and it’s quite insidious.” THE GREENS AND SRE P11 Looking for a new Job? www.catholicjobsonline.com.au ‘Safe Schools’maybe gonebut radical genderists are trying new ways to get at kids, MPwarns NEWS