Melbourne Archbishop Denis Hart has requested some Catholic primary and secondary schools in Melbourne send home anti-gay marriage leaflets with their students, according to The Age.
In the 15-page booklets, Hart allegedly claimed that the inevitable redefinition of “the meaning of marriage” was a matter of urgency, in a text that lobbied Catholic school parents to reject same-sex marriage in Australia.
Pardon me.
Which is a fairly rich statement, it goes without saying, coming from an institution accused of child sex-abuse scandals.
A portion of the booklet reportedly warns of the “far-reaching” consequences of same-sex marriage, saying: “All marriages would come to be defined by intensity of emotion rather than a union founded on sexual complementarily and potential fertility.” The move by Archbishop Denis Hart was criticised by groups such as the Safe Schools Coalition.
Meanwhile, Archbishop Denis Hart has defended George Pell amidst calls for the Australian Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church to step down, following allegations of Pell covering up a sex abuse scandal dating back to 1983 – through reports from a Royal Commission last month. On 3AW radio
The news of Hart’s anti-gay marriage booklets comes in a landmark week for marriage equality in Australia, with the Labor party’s same-sex marriage bill being introduced (to a virtually empty House of Representatives), and a LNP backbencher announcing his future cooperation with Labor leader Bill Shorten over legalising same sex marriage.
Australia’s not quite there yet. But it’s only a matter of time.
Via The Age.
Image by Kristian Dowling via Getty.
