The Catholic Weekly 6 June 2021

catholicweekly.com.au 2 NEWS 6, June, 2021 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 “It also lacks the support of reli- gious groups across the state. “To be frank, the decision makes no sense at all.” Sydney Catholic Fil Pen- sabene was happy to sign the petition despite encountering mistrust of faith leaders’ posi- tion that the management of cemeteries is a spiritual mis- sion. “This is a situation that has really concerned my husband and I, as with the purchase of our crypts we know that there is to be perpetual care of the site and knowing that this has been managed by the Catholic Cem- eteries Trust eased our minds,” Mrs Pensabene told The Catho- licWeekly . “Now we are concerned that ongoing care will be affected by theGovernment takeover.” Another social media user wrote that “this cannot happen”. “The service we received when my parents passed away recently was beyond care and compassion to think that this will be taken away is not right and [is] inhumane.” Archbishop Fisher told The Catholic Weekly he was grateful to those signing the ‘Save Our Graves’ online petition, saying it was wonderful to see the strong level of community support. “Caring for the dead and those who love them is not a Government service to be ar- ranged through the Service NSW app; it is a spiritual mis- sion that is at the heart of what faith operators in the cemetery sector do every day,” he said. “The support provided through Catholic Cemeteries and Crematoria, for example, covers not only one-on-one support for people grieving a loved one, but also education and training on grief, loss and bereavement to the general public,” he said. “A government ‘This makes no sense at all’ department could never pro- vide that same support to peo- ple of faith. “So this is not simply a con- cern of our Catholic communi- ty, but one we share with other Bureaucrats will be clueless about distinct burial customs, critics of Premier Berejiklian’s cemeteries grab have warned. faith groups across the Jewish and Muslim communities as well who also see thismove as a fundamental attack on religious freedom. “Like us, these faith commu- nities follow very distinct burial customs which would not be readily understood by secular bureaucrats.” Last week CMCT board chairman Greg Smith slammed the decision as “terribly dis- respectful” and an attack on religion. He told The Catholic Weekly that the takeover would meana rise in the cost of burials and a gradual loss of $500 mil- lion in tax deductions that the trust wouldgenerate through its charitable not-for-profit status. DORIN’SWORLD P19 I n this edition 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 5187. 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. EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Michael Kenny (02) 9390 5348 EDITOR Peter Rosengren (02) 9390 5400 REPORTERS Marilyn Rodrigues (02) 9390 5410 Debbie Cramsie (02) 9390 5396 SUBSCRIPTIONS Rita Ng (02) 9390 5411 ADVERTISING AND MARKETING Steve Richards (02) 9390 5404 Katie Clarke (02) 9390 5402 DESIGNERS Renate Cassis Mathew De Sousa Faith in the trajectory of life catch it now at: thiscatholiclife.com.au News Movies, books Archbishop’s homily Editorial & Letters 1-7, 10-13 8-9 18 24-25 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 Caring for the dead and thosewho love them is not aGovernment service tobe arranged through the ServiceNSWapp ...” Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP