Bishop: Anti-foreign influence law could silence Australian Catholics

January 30, 2018 CNA Daily News News Briefs 0 Print

Toowoomba, Australia, Jan 30, 2018 / 04:23 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- An anti-foreign influence bill being considered by the Australian government could end up silencing the Catholic Church in the country, a local bishop warned this week.

“The Church is a strong supporter of transparency when there is advocacy on behalf of a foreign government, but this legislation risks silencing our voice on behalf of the young and the old, the poor and the marginalized,” said Bishop Robert McGuckin of Toowoomba, according to the Australian.

Bishop McGuckin spoke ahead of the Jan. 30 parliamentary hearing, where a joint committee on intelligence and security discussed the Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme Bill.

Introduced on Dec. 7, 2017, the legislation would require those acting on behalf of a foreign power to register their status. It would also strengthen penalties for treason, espionage, and secret-sharing.

However, Bishop McGuckin said the bill may require “every Catholic who invites a politician to an event” or “writes for an MP’s support” to fill out paperwork. These extra steps could risk silencing the Church in its fight for social justice issues, such as its opposition to the Voluntary Assisted Dying Bill 2017 passed in Australia’s state of Victoria.

And while the bill would offer exemptions for religious groups, they would not extend to priests and nuns, who may be required to register as foreign officials working for Vatican City.

“The exemption for religion proposed in clause 27 is drafted based on the incorrect belief that the Catholic Church in Australia acts on behalf of a foreign government, i.e. Vatican City State,” wrote the Australian Catholic Bishop’s Conference in a submission to the committee.

“Given the Catholic Church in Australia does not act on behalf of a foreign government, the clause would confer no exemption on members of the Catholic Church in Australia.”

Affecting not only religious organizations but universities, human activists, and media agencies, Bishop McGuckin said the bill could negatively impact “one in five Australians.”

The legislation is currently in the early stages of the review process. Attorney-General Christian Porter did not comment on any specific concerns, but said the critiques would be taken into consideration.

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Christian leaders unite to oppose assisted suicide in Australia

August 2, 2017 CNA Daily News 0

Melbourne, Australia, Aug 2, 2017 / 02:11 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Catholics and Christian leaders from several denominations have joined forces in the Australian state of Victoria to decry a bill in favor of assisted suicide, expected to be proposed and voted on later this year.

“Euthanasia and assisted suicide represent the abandonment of those who are in greatest need of our care and support,” read the letter, which was printed in The Herald Sun July 31.

The statement was written by leaders from the Greek and Coptic Orthodox churches, as well as Anglicans, Lutherans, and Catholics, including Anglican Archbishop Philip Freier, Orthodox Bishop Ezekiel of Dervis, and Catholic Archbishop Denis Hart.

The bill is expected to be introduced to Victoria’s parliament later this year, and is among the more strict in terms of protocol.

An expert panel chaired by the former president of the Australian Medical Association, Brian Owler, included 68 safeguards in his recommendations for the bill, making it one of the most conservative proposals in the world.

If the legislation is passed, assisted suicide would be a three-step process in the state of Victoria, with at least 10 days between the initial and final request. It would begin with a vocal request, a written request, and end with a final verbal request.

Despite this, no “’safeguards’ will ever guarantee that deaths under the proposed laws will be completely voluntary,” the Christian leaders said in their statement Monday. “There will always be a risk of error, fraud or coercion.”

“When euthanasia or assisted suicide is an ever-present – even if unspoken – option, how long will it be before the option becomes an expectation?”

In their letter, the leaders appealed to members of their faith, citing the 2.8 million Christians in Victoria, including 1.4 million Catholics and 530 thousand Anglicans, according to a 2016 statistic.

Last year, a cross-party committee of Victoria’s Members of Parliament recommended that a law be drafted to legalize assisted suicide, and a debate is expected to follow the bills introduction later this year.

With an exception to the Victoria’s Green party, all Victorian MP’s will not have to vote along party lines, but may vote according to their conscience.

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