Australian archbishop 'astonished and alarmed' by discrimination charge
November 16, 2015
Archbishop Anthony Fisher of Sydney has decried as “astonishing and truly alarming” a move to bring another Australian archbishop before an anti-discrimination commission because of a pamphlet defending marriage.
Archbishop Julian Porteous of Hobart is the target of a discrimination complaint filed with a government commission in the state of Tasmania. The complaint is based on the archbishop’s distribution of a pamphlet prepared by the Australian bishops to encourage support for marriage.
“Fair-minded readers of the bishops’ statement on marriage would see it was a very carefully worded and indeed compassionate statement, not designed to provoke or hurt anyone,” Archbishop Fisher said. He observed that Australia guarantees freedom of religion, and argued that a bid to punish a prelate for voicing his beliefs would be a violation of that freedom.
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Further information:
- Move against Archbishop Porteous ‘astonishing’ and ‘alarming': Archbishop Fisher (Catholic Weekly)
- Australian bishops are target of anti-discrimination suit because of defense of marriage (CWN, 11/13)
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