In my first article for the Spectator, I argue that "the Voice" is fatally flawed because it is a national, top-down solution to issues that are local and need answers from the ground up.
I conclude by saying, "...if the Parliament is listening, there is no need for ‘the Voice’. If Parliament isn’t listening, ‘the Voice’ will be futile."
https://www.spectator.com.au/2023/01/another-fatal-flaw-in-the-voice/
Cardinal George Pell was a paradoxical figure. His life and work will give ammunition to those who admired him and those who hated him, as we see in the conflicting articles about him in the media.
While he rightly deserved criticism for his treatment of a number of victims of child abuse, he was the first Catholic leader in Australia to initiate a proper redress program for victims.
The Melbourne Response has been an influential model for Catholic and non-Catholic programs worldwide.
A boxer and footballer as a young man, he brought a confrontational and pugilistic personality into the public arena. But in person, he was honest, warm, caring, and genuinely interested in people.
As seen in his connection to “David’s Place” in Sydney, he was a model of compassion to the poor, the marginalised, and the mentally ill.
He was fiercely loyal to the Pope, yet outspoken when he saw the need.
In a recent interview, he was highly critical of the Vatican’s secret treaty with the People’s Republic of China.
He saw no gain in the treaty for Catholics and noted that persecution of people of faith were getting worse. He also criticised the secrecy of the agreement.
To read more, please go to https://www.theepochtimes.com/legacy-of-the-controversial-cardinal-george-pell_4987428.html
Much has been written about the late Cardinal. I think this letter is the best.
"Before he became Pope, a Mexican colleague of mine and her family saw Cardinal Ratzinger near the Vatican. They introduced themselves, and he graciously took the time to get to know them. He then asked them a series of questions about the Church in Mexico.
My colleague remarked on the depth of his questions and his eagerness to learn from people “on the ground.”
Then he showed his characteristic humility when the family asked for a photo. He took the camera and suggested the best angle from which he could take their picture. When they said they wanted him in the photo, he could not understand why they thought he was that important.
In an age afflicted by the cult of personality, Benedict was a genuinely humble man and the opposite of so many of today’s “celebrities.” ...
To read more, please see my article at this link
Prior to the Protestant Reformation, many European Christians believed that they could buy their way out of punishment in the afterlife. It was reputed that some sellers of indulgences used the jingle, “As soon as the coin in the coffer rings, the soul from purgatory springs.”
As much as that was a caricature of Christian faith, there were worse practices.
One of them was “proxy penance,” a process in medieval times by which “a powerful man, rich in friends” could avoid his own punishment by paying other people to take on his penance. ...
... We may laugh at such medieval practices until we realise that, in our supposedly enlightened society, we are doing the same thing.
We are told that we can cover up our “environmental sins” by purchasing carbon credits, by paying special taxes and levies, and by sending our waste off for recycling....
To read more, please see my article at the Epoch Times, via this link.
It was an absolute honour to catch up with these great Australians, Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price and Trish Botha - Liberal for the Se...
