The Catholic Weekly 30 May 2021

$2 With the loss of our charitable status as a not-for-profit operator, I think the price of burials will go up and could be up by a third or around $9000 for a burial plot alone” Greg Smith, Catholic Metropolitan Cemeteries THE COST of burials is like- ly to rise in NSW by as much as $9000 under a radical Gov- ernment plan to disband the state’s largest faith-based cemetery operators. The move has angered and shocked religious communi- ties around NSW. Chairman of the Catho- lic Metropolitan Cemeteries Greg Smith said that taking Sydney’s largest cemeteries out of the hands of religious operators, would see savings of $500 million lost over the next 50 years due to the loss of their charitable status. “We’re very disappointed by the decision of the Govern- ment to basically dismiss the Catholic Cemeteries Board,” he said. “We feel very badly let down in fact. “We’ve been operating for more than 150 years and the Church wanted us to continue. “It’s a mission matter for us as a not-for-profit and we rep- resent all faith groups who have entrusteduswith their practices of burying their people. “We frankly don’t think the Government will do it as well we do it. “And with the loss of our charitable status as a not- for-profit operator, I think the price of burials will go up and could be up by a third or around $9000 for a burial plot alone.” A spokesman for Sydney Archbishop Anthony Fish- er OP said how the Church cared for the dead and their families was “at the heart of the Church’s teaching and practice” . CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Burials up by $9000 Unilateral NSW government takeover of cemeteries slammed by Muslims, Jews and Catholics ¾ Marilyn Rodrigues 30, May, 2021 I SHOULDN’T REALLY EVEN BE HERE P6 UniqueAussie bicentenary as Catholic schoolsmark 200 years Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP poses with students from Catholic schools in the Archdiocese of Sydney on the steps of St Mary’s Cathedral on Monday. The Archbishop concelebrated a special Mass on the feast of Our Lady Help of Christians – Australia’s national feast day – marking 200 years of Catholic schools in Australia. The event was marked around the nation. STORY PAGE 3 PHOTO: GIOVANNI PORTELLI A VERY DANGEROUS LITTLE LADY P18 PHOTO: CNS,THE COMPASS