Church caught in crossfire of public’s unholy war
Michael Duffy; 5/7/08
This week I started a blog on the Herald’s online site. As a columnist you’re usually happy to see a couple of letters published about something you’ve written, but life is clearly more hectic in cyberspace: Wednesday’s blog received 550 responses. The subject was World Youth Day, and it strikes me that this is an interesting snapshot of how Sydneysiders feel about the event. So what did they say? The sample was, of course, not representative of the entire community. Not the least reason for this was that readers were responding to an article criticising the Iemma Government’s regulation banning behaviour that might annoy pilgrims at World Youth Day events. They had been asked, tongue in cheek, to suggest creative ways of annoying pilgrims. (You might have seen some of their innovative T-shirt slogan suggestions in the Herald on Thursday.) So presumably it mainly attracted people who disagree with the regulation.
Mixed message on faith a turn-off
Chris McGillion; 5/7/08
When it was revealed, back in 2005, that the organisers of Sydney’s bid to host World Youth Day were exploring the possibility of having Mel Gibson stage the crucifixion of Jesus as one of the highlights of the event, alarm bells should have gone off in Catholic circles about what playing host to this religious jamboree would mean for the church in Australia. It was not just that Gibson’s 2004 movie The Passion Of The Christ had divided even Catholic opinion over its alleged anti-Semitism and its heavy emphasis on violence. No, the problem with involving Gibson was that he had long been identified with an ultra-conservative brand of Catholicism whose adherents believe the modern church is a corruption and that its engagement with the world is a direct cause of the dwindling numbers of practitioners and of clerical pedophilia. No surer hint was needed that World Youth Day was more likely to cause controversy among Australian Catholics than to be supported by them.
See: http://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/mixed-message-on-faith-a-turnoff/2008/07/04/1214951039332.html
Put the Pope on track
Why doesn’t Morris Iemma kill two birds with one stone? Drop a V8 into the Popemobile and give the Pope pole position in the Homebush supercar race. The Olympic stadium is right there for the papal Mass. What a wonderful sight it would be to see the Pope mount the winner’s platform and spray holy champagne on the masses. In a country where the car is god, it is an opportunity too good to miss; Greg Thomas; Annandale
- It should be fairly obvious that the venue for the V8 gas guzzlers should be the well-known and popular Randwick Racecourse. This has the additional benefit of attracting a large Government subsidy; Peter Ferry; Wentworth Falls
By George, I think we’ve got it bad
Given Cardinal Pell’s support of peaceful protests and his assurance that he did not ask the Government for the anti-nuisance regulations (Letters, July 4), may we ask how he fared when he pressed the Government to withdraw them? Glen Coulton; Marmong Point
- Now tell me we don’t need a bill of rights; Tony Lyons; Gawler East (SA)
When World Youth Day is over I am looking forward to planning a non-denominational Old Fogies Day, protesters welcome; Vicky Marquis; Glebe
- Hallelujah! Yes, I have seen the light. I will open my heart and home to the pilgrims. And no, it has absolutely nothing to do with the fact that six 22-year-old French mademoiselles are being billeted next door. That’s right - six! Err, I mean, Praise the Lord.; Michael McHugh; Potts Point
See: http://www.smh.com.au/letters/index.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap2
Tags: Australia, Christianity, WYD