The Catholic Weekly 6 September 2020

catholicweekly.com.au 2 NEWS 6, September, 2020 FROMPAGE1 “Knowing sexual abuse is a rec- ognised underlying factor for gender dysphoria in children, this legislation also risks im- pacting issues of child protec- tion.” In addition to criminal sanc- tions, the lawalso gives the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribu- nal the power to issue orders against any adult who fails to comply, and order redress and compensation. The law defines sexuality or gender identity conversion practices as “a treatment or other practice … the purported Assisted suicide deaths explode purpose of which is to change a person’s sexuality or gender identity”. The only exception to the ban is practices to support a person who is undergoing or considering a gender transition. There is no protection un- der the law for adults who do not wish to encourage a child in their care to undergo or con- sider gender transition at the child’s request. Dr John Whitehall, a pro- fessor of paediatrics and child health, said the law as it per- tained to ordinary families was “draconian”. “It restricts ordi- Instead of Premier Daniel Andrews’ estimated ‘dozen or so’ deaths, 154 people have died under Victoria’s assisted suicide law. nary human rights but it also negates the concept of protec- tion of children from experi- mentation [under gender tran- sition treatments]. “The concept that the state can stop you from travelling to another jurisdiction to get a second opinion, and even en- ter your house if it believes you are counselling a child [against gender transitioning], is un- precedented.” Abuse survivor and former gay rights activist James Parker said both ACT and Queensland bans, both passed last month, reliedona single “deeplyflawed report” fromLa Trobe Universi- ty, Preventing Harm, Promoting Justice . “The report’s authors inter- viewed a mere 15 people who claim to have had negative ex- periences with conversion ther- apy,”Mr Parker said. “However, they failed to in- terview even one person who had experienced lasting change fromtherapy.” Archbishop Prowse said that the Catholic community’s con- cerns were “not an issue of re- ligious freedom” but about “pa- rental rights and the protection of children”. ¾ ¾ Marilyn Rodrigues I n this edition News Streaming Archbishop’s homily World Opinion, comment 1-7 8-9 14-15 11,17-19 20-21 12 SYDNEY GETS ITS OWN CAMINO EDITOR Peter Rosengren (02) 9390 5400 REPORTERS Marilyn Rodrigues (02) 9390 5410 David Ryan (02) 9390 5408 SUBSCRIPTIONS Rita Ng (02) 9390 5411 ADVERTISING AND MARKETING Steve Richards (02) 9390 5404 DESIGNERS Renate Cassis Mathew De Sousa Our story begins in 1839 with the Australasian Chronicle, continuing with the Freeman’s Journal in 1850. Level 13, Polding Centre, 133 Liverpool Street, Sydney, NSW 2000. Phone (02) 9390 5400 | Vol 73, No 5149. The Catholic Weekly is published by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney ABN 60 471 267 587 and is printed by ACM Australian Community Media, 159 Bells Line of Road, North Richmond NSW, 2754. LEAVE A GIFT Archdiocese of Sydney Catholic CHARITIES Order your FREE Wills and Bequests Guide today 1800 753 959 or [email protected] myWill SUPPORTINGTHE MINISTRIES OF THE CATHOLIC ARCHDIOCESE OF SYDNEY Leaving a gift in a Helping build a brighter future for children and families in crisis. Dunlea Centre 35A Waratah Road Engadine NSW 2233 Phone 02 8508 3900 AUSTRALIA'S ORIGINAL BOYS' TOWN A place for change... www.dunleacentre.org.au Celebrating loved ones for over 90 years Trevor Lee & Son is a family business that has helped families celebrate and remember their loved ones for over 90 years. ♦ Intimate and personal funeral services ♦ Professional, compassionate staff, available 24 hours a day ♦ On site or in the comfort of your own home ♦ Servicing all areas of Metropolitan Sydney and Country NSW ♦ Pre-Paid Funerals available Contact Bernadette (nee O’Hare), Trevor or Darren Lee on 9746 2949 to arrange an appointment. Gender law ends parents’ rights AS TASMANIA’S parliament debates an extreme euthanasia bill, the Victorian government revealed it had approved 124 deaths in its first year of its as- sisted suicide scheme. That number blows apart Victorian Premier Daniel An- drew’s much-publicised pre- diction of “a dozen” deaths in the first 12months. The state’s Voluntary Assist- ed Dying Review Boardmissed its August deadline to present its 1 January 2020 to 30 June 2020 operations report to the public, lodging it in parliament on 1 September. It revealed there were 67 deaths in the months from December 2019 to June 2020, bringing the total deaths by le- gal assisted suicide in the state to 124. In the second six month pe- riod there were 97 instances of lethal drugs being dispensed, bringing the total for the first year to 154. A quarter of the people who died saw just 11 days pass from their application until death. Anti-euthanasia advocate and director of HOPE Branka van der Linden said the num- ber of deaths was “alarming” as well as the speed at which they seem to be occurring. “Half of those who applied for lethal drugs made their fi- nal request for euthanasia less than three weeks after they first requested it,” Ms van der Lin- den said. “That’s not a lot of time for reflection, for alternative options to be offered and ex- plored, or for the necessary support to be provided.” Melbourne’s Archbishop Peter A Comensoli said the numbers were “heartbreaking”. “The whole state is making sacrifices to protect people from COVID-19 while on the other hand public hospitals are encouraging assisted suicide,” he said. “The contradiction is baf- fling for many doctors.” Victoria’s Health Minister Jenny Mikakos was contacted for comment but had not re- plied by The Catholic Weekly’s print deadline. In Tasmania, independent Upper House member MIke Gaffney introduced his assist- ed suicide bill to parliament on 27 August. Tasmania’s Archbishop Julian Porteous said its pro- visions “go further than exist- ing legislation in Victoria and Western Australia” yet it has received “no expert scrutiny through an independent in- quiry process”. The local branch of the Aus- traliaMedical Association also opposes the bill. “We don’t agree that a doc- tor should do any action with the primary purpose of ending a person’s life,” its president Dr Helen McArdle told media. Spokesperson for Live and Die Well, Ben Smith said Tas- mania was at risk of enshrin- ing “the most expansive laws concerning assisted suicide and euthanasia in Australia”. The Tasmanian govern- ment says the bill contains im- portant safeguards. MONICA DOUMIT - P11