The Catholic Weekly 27 September 2020

catholicweekly.com.au 2 NEWS 27, September, 2020 Call 02 9649 6423 or visit www.catholiccemeteries.com.au Consecrated lawns and chapels Sydney’s only Catholic crematorium Monthly mass for the Repose of Souls Funeral directors available for a Catholic service Bereavement pastoral care Serving the Catholic community for over 150 years FROM PAGE 1 Bishop Mackinlay said Catho- lics understood the need for limitations in general. “Our communities appre- ciate the great pressures fac- ing the government in these rapidly-changing circum- stances and we are willing to make the contribution need- ed of us alongside other sec- tors of society. “However, there is no rea- son for religious gatherings to continue facing restrictions that are more burdensome than those imposed on com- parable gatherings in other venues.” Melbourne Archbishop Peter Comensoli said it was essential that the Government “not treat faith communi- ties as an afterthought to the opening up of other sectors”. “If pubs and restaurants can open, then places of wor- ship should be open under similar conditions and num- bers,” the archbishop wrote in a pastoral letter. “Our churches are loca- tions for communities of care and essential service, and must be treated fairly and rea- sonably.” He said the deprivation in sacramental life had “been a profound loss” for Catholics. “As well as all the other suf- ferings of the pandemic, the sense of estrangement from Rule is illogical InVictoria, restaurants and pubs can have up to 20 patrons indoors and 50 outdoors. Churches, however, can only have 10. Catholics are questioning Premier Andrews’ logic on the matter. I n this edition News Movies, streaming Archbishop’s homily World Opinion, comment 1-7 8-9 16-17 20-21 24-25 20 DROPPING POETRY A FATAL MISTAKE 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 5152. 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 TWO LEGAL academics have revealed their concerns over Victoria’s state of emergency laws, saying unchecked pow- er given to health department bureaucrats risk “unforetold” consequences. Iain Benson, professor of law at the University of Notre Dame Australia, Sydney, said there is evidence of govern- ment overreach in the state as well as jurisdictions overseas in their responses to the COV- ¾ ¾ Marilyn Rodrigues Experts warn on powers ID-19 pandemic. “In most proper emergency scenarios there has to be prior scrutiny of these executive decisions,” Professor Benson said. “You can’t just have some- one operating as a lone ranger, and there are some very dis- quieting things happening in Victoria in relation particularly to the curfew.” Premier Daniel Andrews admitted this week that a crip- pling overnight curfew was his decision, andnot a recommen- dationof either healthor police authorities. A ban last week on priests visiting the dying to of- fer their final sacraments was only reversed after Archbishop Peter Comensoli intervened. Dr Rocque Reynolds, dean of the St Thomas More School of Law at ACU, said that “just about anyone” at certain lev- els within the Department of Health and Human Services could be responsible for mak- ing public health directives which “are not subject to any scrutiny”. She said “there are no limits, really to what they can do ... When this first started we were all understanding that we had to take some actions that we didn’t like and were very supportive. “I think many people these days think that things have gone too far, that there isn’t a balance being considered be- tween the rights of people. “I’m not sure the right peo- ple are making these decisions and taking into account the ap- propriate checks and balances that are normally taken into account.” the Eucharist has been a par- ticular struggle,” he added. It was also an anxious time for many Catholic families as well as those families of chil- dren awaiting their first sac- raments or adults wanting to enter the Church, he said. Fr Marcus Goulding, an as- sistant priest in Melbourne’s outer western suburbs and the Secretary of the Australi- an Confraternity of Catholic Clergy, blasted the Victorian government for unjustly dis- criminating against churches in its much-lauded ‘roadmap’ out of lockdown. The continuing severe re- strictions “has nothing to do with the best scientific health advice and is an egregious affront to people of faith”, he said. “I will not be silent about the spiritual, emotion- al and psychological anguish being inflicted upon us and that I am seeing my people suffer first-hand,” he said. “Our social and cultural re- sponse to this pandemic will stand as a shameful lesson to our children for centuries to come.” President of the Catholic Women’s League for Victo- ria and Wagga Wagga Jane Munro said she was “very sur- prised” the Premier viewed Christian worship as an ob- stacle to recovery from the pandemic, “since the Chris- tian community has complied with all the regulations to the letter of the Law”. “One of humanity’s deep- est needs is for community,” she said. “Our Churches provide that need in a loving and caring manner, which helps overcome the current fear en- gendered in everyone by the virus.” FRMARCUS GOULDING - P20