The Australian Bishops Conference, and Archbishop Julian Porteous of the state of Tasmania in particular, are under fire for one reason: they had the audacity to teach Catholics the truth about the nature of marriage—according to Catholic teaching. The Australian bishops declare the truth plainly and succinctly in their May 28, 2015, booklet on marriage, “Don’t Mess with Marriage”:
Marriage is the covenant of a man and a woman to live as husband and wife, exclusively and for life, and open to the procreation of children.
Reading this document, I found it to be exceptional for at least three major reasons:
1. It is succinct. At fifteen pages, unlike too many documents the Church publishes, it will actually be read.
2. It is fearless. It is refreshing to read a document from the Church that is unambiguous, clear, and popular in expression. The Australian bishops and Archbishop Porteous do not mince words.
3. It is packed. In six sections, the bishops:
- Dispel the discrimination myth that claims the Church is guilty of withholding a “right” of people with “same-sex attraction” (SSA).
- Separate truth from the irrational, emotionally based arguments that are no real arguments at all, constantly bringing the argument back to the simple definition of marriage mentioned above.
- Point out the devastating consequences of “messing with marriage,” which is “a basic cell of society” and “the nursery for raising healthy, well-rounded, virtuous citizens.” Both Church and state have compelling interest in supporting authentic marriage, because marriage represents the very foundation of civilization itself.
- In a section badly misrepresented by opponents of the Church’s position state, “Messing with marriage, therefore, is also ‘messing with kids.” Although the bishops were accused of a backhanded remark about pedophilia, the context is clear. The bishops are merely stating the truth that is backed up, as the document claims and documents, by “numerous studies”: authentic marriage has at its core the best interests of children who have a right to be raised by “a mum and a dad,” as well as the best interests of those suffering from SSA. To call a “marriage” something that is not is unjust to all involved.
- Call attention to the growing number of cases of discrimination against faithful Christians worldwide where homosexual “marriage” advocates have gained any semblance of power. This section in particular is a much-needed wakeup call for Christians.
- End with a “call to action,” encouraging faithful Catholics to “make [their] views known to [their] parliamentary representatives.”
Overall, this is a brilliant document that could serve as a model for bishops around the world.
So why would such a wonderful document draw heavy fire from the powers that be in Australia? I think you can already guess.
Enter Archbishop Julian Porteous
The media and the increasingly secular Western world do not seem to get it. Marriage was instituted by God. No bishop or bishop’s conference, not even the pope himself, has the power to change it. No amount of protests by zealots, or arrests and persecutions by governments up to and including putting Catholics to death (we’re not there yet, but . . .), will ever change this perennial and infallible teaching of our Catholic Faith. Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away” (Matt. 24:35). The Church is Christ’s herald. It can do nothing except proclaim His eternal word.
The Archbishop of Hobart (Tasmania), Julian Porteous, seems to be taking the brunt of the attacks against this magnificent document, resulting in him becoming the face of it for the bishops in general. He has become the target of a complaint filed with the “Anti-Discrimination Commissioner” in Tasmania.
In a nutshell, Archbishop Porteous’s decision to send “Don’t Mess With Marriage” to all Catholic schools in the Austalian State of Tasmania where he is archbishop (his title is actually “Archbishop of Hobart,” a city in Tasmania) has been viewed as “a possible breach on the state’s anti-discrimination laws.” And mind you, federal and state law in Australian law still defines legal marriage to be limited to one man and one woman. The foundation of the claim is rooted in section 17(1) of Tasmania’s Anti-Discrimination Act of 1998 that disallows any person “to offend, humiliate, intimidate, insult, or ridicule another person on the basis of their sexual orientation,” among other things.
One has to wonder: what will happen if the law does change in Australia? Perhaps there will no longer be a possible breach? It may well become a given that Catholic teaching will be considered to be against the law in Australia. I don’t know.
But what I do know is that the attacks against Archbishop Porteous have been vicious. Porteous and the bishops are being called “disgusting,” “malicious,” and more. One article I read accuses the bishops of presenting “propaganda” to children rather than truly “educating” them.
Really?
The good news is that the person who brought the complaint, a federal “Greens Party” candidate for office, Ms. Martine Delaney, was “heartened” by Archbishop Porteous’s response and call for conciliation. That conciliation is under way. And knowing the good Archbishop as I do (I have met with him on four different occasions on four trips Down Under), there could not be a better man to be in the conciliation. While you can rest assured the good Archbishop will never compromise the Catholic Faith, he is a man who is anything but contentious, a perfect gentleman who combines the wisdom of St. Thomas More with the orthodoxy of St. Charles Borromeo. We are in good hands there.
In fact, I believe Archbishop Porteous’s response to this that is nothing short of a crisis for the Church can be a model for all of us as we deal with the same issues here in the United States. At a press conference in Hobart, Archbishop Porteous said:
So the booklet was produced by the bishops and at that particular moment when the leader of the Opposition had suggested we have a debate and a vote in parliament [on same-sex marriage] and so we [the Australian Catholic Bishops] thought it was an appropriate time to distribute the booklet to help the Catholic people understand the meaning of the Church’s teaching about the nature of marriage.
Can I say very clearly it was never the intent of the document, nor of myself, to in any way cause any distress for people.
I realize there are people who are in situations that are highly sensitive and can feel hurt, but [it was] never the intention that we wanted to cause hurt or distress, any humiliation or insult.
Archbishop Porteous said the letter was not just a statement but also an explanation on why the Church does not support same-sex marriage.
Essentially what I tried to do is present, in my role as a bishop, and as a Church, to explain—not just to make statements but to explain—the reasons why the Church teaches what it teaches.
See also:
http://catholicleader.com.au/news/bishops-given-21-days-to-defend-pastoral-letter-on-marriage
Following in Archbishop Porteous’s footsteps
At Catholic Answers, we believe we must defend marriage in the same spirit of the Australian bishops and Archbishop Porteous. This is why, I believe, our upcoming conference, “Restoring Marriage Today,” will be our most important conference to date. With speakers like Bishop James Wall, Fr. Larry Richards, Dr. Ray Guerendi, Dr. Jennifer Roback Morse, Patrick Coffin, Jimmy Akin, Trent Horn, Christopher Check, and yours truly, this is one you are not going to want to miss, folks. We are not only going to tackle the tough questions surrounding the issues we face today concerning marriage, but we are going to give you the tools you need to be part of the solution to the crisis we face.
For more information on the conference, click here.
I hope to see you there!