Church News

Conscience rules on marriage

melb_ang09 Sep 2016
The Primate has written to Australia’s Anglican bishops about the proposed same-sex marriage plebiscite. Here is the text of the letter.

Dear brothers and sisters,

The proposed plebiscite on same-sex marriage has been one of the more contentious topics in 2016. Individual Anglicans have adopted a variety of positions taken in good conscience based on their Christian understanding of the principles and issues, and this is right and proper.

Personally, I welcome the plebiscite, though with strong reservations that we must guard the tenor of the debate, and keep it positive. The Government promised a plebiscite in campaigning for the July election and, having been elected, they have the reasonable expectation of honouring this commitment. Further, those who oppose same-sex marriage will surely find it easier to accept it becoming approved in law if they have been given a vote. It is of course, far from certain at the present time that the measures will gain parliamentary approval.

If the plebiscite does happen it will be important that Christians – and others – vote according to their conscience and their view of what is best for society, and that the Government brings legislation to enact the will of the people. It is proper to expect that the Parliament should honour the results of the plebiscite.

Should the vote be in favour of same-sex marriage as suggested by the opinion polls, the Church must accept that this is now part of the landscape. We can still stand for and offer holy matrimony between a man and a woman as a sacred ordinance given by God, while accepting that the state has endorsed a wider view of marriage – as, indeed, the state has endorsed de facto relationships by legislating similar protections to those offered by marriage for people in such relationships.

The doctrine of the Book of Common Prayer remains unchanged, that marriage is between a man and a woman, under God, forsaking all others until death parts them. I do not believe that the Anglican Church in Australia is likely to revise its doctrine of marriage.

But that said, the Church also understands the desire of two people to express their commitment of love and self-sacrifice to each other, and that Christians have not always shown the respect or perspective they should. I am very concerned that the discussion does not become harsh or vilifying – on either side, for it is not only Christians who have sometimes failed on this score.

We understand that this is not a theoretical issue for many people, but one that directly impinges on their lives. We understand that sometimes gays, lesbians and others have felt judged and rejected, even ostracised, inside the Church and that we have to be much more pastorally sensitive in future.

Whether this is the threshold event that many in our church think or whether the widening of marriage happened many years ago and further widening is inevitable remains to be seen. What does matter is that we approach this question with prayer, confidence in the Church’s teaching as well as kindness in our speech towards those with whom we disagree.

Grace and peace in Christ Jesus

Clergy sexual abuse in Newcastle : Statement by the Primate of the Anglican Church of Australia, Melbourne Archbishop Philip Freier

 

THE MOST REVEREND DR PHILIP FREIER

BAppSc  Dip Ed  BD  MEdSt  PhD  FAICD

ARCHBISHOP OF MELBOURNE AND PRIMATE OF AUSTRALIA

melb_ang

 

July 21, 2016

Clergy sexual abuse in Newcastle

 

Statement by the Primate of the Anglican Church of Australia,

Melbourne Archbishop Philip Freier

The allegations on ABC TV’s 7.30 last night of clergy sexual abuse and predatory behaviour in the Anglican Church in Newcastle, going right up to a former bishop, are shocking and distressing.

As Primate of the Anglican Church of Australia, I welcome the very complete examination these matters – and others to do with the diocese – will receive at the public hearing of the Royal Commission, due in a fortnight. It is important to bring such matters into the open.

The Anglican Church and its officers will give their full cooperation to this inquiry.

No system can ever guarantee to keep out all predators, but the Church has worked hard to improve its protocols and practices in the past few years, and we are very open to advice from the Royal Commission.

In Victoria, the Church responded immediately to recommendations by the Victorian Parliamentary Inquiry into how the churches responded to abuse. One measure was incorporating the dioceses so that they could be responsible under law.

We express our solidarity with and prayers for Newcastle Bishop Greg Thompson and his officers who have worked diligently to end the culture of abuse and silence within the diocese.

 

A prayer offered at this time by the Primate of Australia, Dr Philip Freier

Dear God, who knows of human suffering in Jesus Christ,

We bring before you those who suffer from child sexual abuse,

be with them in their pain and grant healing in body and mind.

We Bishops of the Anglican Church of Australia, come before you in deep sorrow and humility as we join together in prayer,

keeping at the forefront of our prayers, the survivors of abuse with their families and friends. Comfort and guard them as their betrayal and suffering is relived.

We thank you for Bishop Greg, John Cleary the Director of Business Services and Michael Elliott the Director of Professional Standards, the three men who appeared on the ABC’s 7.30 last night, that they would be protected and upheld as they undertake their role in bringing forth truth for justice and compassion.

We ask your care of the ABC staff as they engage with the trauma of child sexual abuse and the deceit and betrayal of the perpetrators.

We pray for the perpetrators of abuse and those involved in covering up this criminal behaviour that they might acknowledge the evil and damage that they have done and be brought to justice with repentance and a will to change their lives.

We pray for the Royal Commission to be held next month that it will discover the truth and bring forth knowledge to protect children that all children will live free of the evil of sexual abuse.

Finally, we prayer for ourselves as we continue to engage this evil and its tragic consequences, and for wisdom as we seek to understand and respond to survivors and those directly involved and for our wider constituencies.

All this we ask in the name Jesus Christ.

Amen.