" PAST " N.S.W/ CATHOLIC BISHOPS.....MINUS ONE :"DON'T VOTE FOR THE GREENS"

 

Cardinal George Pell Archbishop of Sydney

Led by His Eminence Cardinal George Pell and Bishop Anthony Fisher O.P.the Bishops of the Province of New South Wales have urged their people not to vote for the Greens in the 26th March State Election.

This unusual collective demonstration of what is being called in American cases "Episcopal Spine" is a direct response to the Greens policies advocating aggressively : same sex marriage, abortion, homosexual behaviour,embryonic stem cell research and euthanasia. In addition they are pushing for changes to Government assistance to private ( including Catholic) schools which will severely adversely affect Catholic schools.

The holdout Bishop is Bishop David Walker of Broken Bay - Shame on him when his tree hugging principles seem to trump his concern for Catholic Doctrine on fundamental issues - Shame!

The election is universally tipped to see the resounding demise of the present Labor Government and many would assume that a lot of the Labor voters might not bring themselves to vote for the conservative Liberal/National Coalition and might vote   Green instead - perhaps enabling the Greens to win a seat or seats in the Parliament.The Bishops' Statement is therefore politically very significant. About 25% of voters are nominally Catholic and a goodly percentage of them are historically Labor voters.

Bishop Walker should have an interesting time in Rome at October's Ad Limina Visit.

* PAST * NEW BISHOP FOR PARRAMATTA - "INFORMED" PREDICTIONS CONFOUNDED

 

 NEW BISHOP FOR PARRAMATTA -  "INFORMED" PREDICTIONS CONFOUNDED

 

                                                     BISHOP ANTHONY FISHER O.P.

 

On Friday 8th January, 2010 the Holy See announced that the Holy Father has appointed as Bishop of Parramatta, Bishop Anthony Fisher O.P. until now Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney. So much for recent Blog predictions he was bound for Canberra-Goulburn , supposedly to replace Archbishop Mark Coleridge when he would,so the story went, replace Cardinal Pell in Sydney and the good Cardinal would have been off to the Curia in Rome!So the venerable bloggers in the Cloisters must return to the drawing boards.

The appointment is a great blessing for the Diocese of Parramatta, but perhaps a mixed blessing, certainly a challenge, for Bishop Fisher. Who would envy him the problem of the hideous new cathedral and the history of the Diocese' Catholic Education Office in recent years?  Parramatta Diocese is the centre of the population growth in the Sydney region, and has a diverse population and an equally diverse clergy. There are many opportunities and many burdens. Bishop Fisher and his Diocese deserve our prayers.