The Catholic Weekly 30 January 2022

catholicweekly.com.au 2 NEWS 30, January, 2022 FROM P1 proposed legislation it is “the hierarchy that makes that decision rather than an indi- vidual Catholic who has rec- onciled their faith and their gender identity or their sexu- ality,” Rice said. Bishop Edwards struggled with the barrage of questions, ultimately concluding that “It’s freedom for all of us, as Catholics, to have freedom of association with people who believe …” “But they [LGBT Catholics] believe!” Rice interjected. “… in the same way that we do. They don’t have to as- sociate with me or with other Bishops,” Bishop Edwards said. Pratt, who repeatedly inter- jected and interrupted other Senators during the hear- ing, asked Bishop Edwards whether statements in the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference document Don’t Mess With Marriage would constitute protected doctrinal statements or vilification. “One thing we’ve learnt is that that negative title was not helpful, and we wouldn’t express ourselves that way again,” Bishop Edwards con- ceded. “But should you be allowed to?” Pratt asked. The Catholic representa- tives did not enjoy a reprieve from Liberal Senator Andrew Bragg, who joined Rice and Pratt by asking, “are teachers who are same-sex attracted in your schools removed from their employment, to your knowledge?” “No, not at all. It’s our in- tention in Catholic schools to employ teachers of Catholic faith or those who adhere to Experts, Senators divided over Discrimination Bill’s ‘orthodoxy’ Church fronts second inquiry Christian values,” Egan said. She and Bishop Edwards add- ed that Catholic schools em- ploy gay teachers who teach in accordance with the ethos of the Church, and that gay students should not be re- moved. Students who “come out” at Catholic schools are treat- ed with an “inclusive posture”, McInerney said. “[W]e do not seek to weap- onise someone’s personal circumstances in our own set- tings—not at all. It’s not our policy,” he added. “[A]lthough you might have very good and progres- sive policy in this space, oth- ers may not,” Bragg said. “That’s right, and that’s one of the aspects of freedom of religion — that is, there are things that other people do in their faiths that are not the MPs may not be against the concept of protection for religious rights but they seem concerned pro- posed law could see LGBTQI students and teachers suffer at the expense of religious institutions. same as what we do in our faith,” Professor Reynolds re- plied. During the last two weeks of inquiries into the proposed legislation, questioning has been dominated by the ar- gument—explicit or implicit —that protecting the right to religious freedomwill come at the expense of LGBT people by legalising what would oth- erwise be anti-LGBT discrim- ination. After years of redrafting and the elimination of the most controversial provi- sions of the Bill, such as the so-called “Folau clause”, ex- pert opinion remains bitterly divided on whether any pro- tection of religious freedom is permissible in contemporary Australia. Legal experts are also at odds over whether the bill conforms with Australia’s ob- ligations under International Human Rights Law to protect religious freedom. The hearings saw a sharp divide between senior lawyers and academics supportive of the Bill, and those critical of it, as to whether it is “orthodox” anti-discrimination legisla- tion or poorly-drafted, uncon- stitutional, and likely to end up in the High Court. Public hearings from both the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee and Par- liamentary Joint Committee on Human Rights have now concluded, and both commit- tees are due to report back on 4 February. Further divisions over the bill are likely, with the two committees unlikely to both advise the legislation be passed by Parliament. I n this edition News Movies, books Archbishop’s homily Editorial & Letters 1-11 8-9 17 20-21 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 Adam Wesselinoff (02) 9390 5400 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 Our story begins in 1839 with the Australasian Chronicle, continuing with the Freeman’s Journal in 1850. 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