The Catholic Weekly 13 June 2021

$2 13, June, 2021 THIS ISN’T CATHOLIC EDUCATION MANTILLAS MAKE A COMEBACK P13 TheCatholicChurchhas been running cemetery services for over 150 years, the government has no right topush religious organisations out of the burial of the dead.” Chris Minns, NSW Labor leader THE OPERATOR of Sydney’s Catholic cemeteries wel- comed a backflip by the NSW government on its decision to dismantle and amalgamate it with four underperforming cemetery trusts. “While we have been very disappointed by this whole situation, we’ll set that aside and look forward to entering these discussions in good faith to come to a sensible conclusion,” said the gover- nor of Catholic Metropolitan Cemeteries Trust’s Danny Casey. Mr Casey said that Water, Property and Housing Min- ister Melinda Pavey had not engaged with the trust about the three options presented by a statutory review to re- solve a lack of burial space, pricing inconsistencies, in- efficiencies and liabilities across Sydney’s cemeteries. All were issues that were ei- ther not applicable to or were being addressed by the Catho- lic trust, including through its new cemeteries planned at Varroville and Wallacia. “It just doesn’t make sense to unwind the one trust that is recognised across Australia as the best performing, and the only one in Sydney that has a fully funded perpetual care fund,” Mr Casey told The Catholic Weekly. “I think it’s disappointing the minister has cut us out of consultation and has dis- counted the other two options without explanation. CONTINUED ON PAGE 2 Burials breakthrough Premier directs Minister to renegotiate with Catholic Church over management of NSWburials ¾ Marilyn Rodrigues Honouring Him, they come Catholics turned out in droves for processions and adoration o f Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament on the feast of Corpus Christi P8-9, P14-15 P20 NSW Labor Leader Chris Minns. PHOTO:AAP, DEAN LEWIS PHOTO: GIOVAN NI PORTELLI