Skip to content
The Catholic Leader
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute
No Result
View All Result
The Catholic Leader
No Result
View All Result
Home News Australia

Catholic MP says Vic Govt wants to “crush Catholic influence” with same-sex adoption

byEmilie Ng
18 November 2015 - Updated on 1 April 2021
Reading Time: 2 mins read
AA
Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
Same-sex adoption
Speaking out: Catholic politicians believe religious freedom will be harmed if parliament denies a religious exemption amendment on same-sex adoption bill which passed the Upper House last week.

CATHOLIC Liberal politician Bernie Finn suspects backlash against a religious exemption on Victoria’s new same-sex adoption law is an “ongoing war on Christianity”.

Same-sex adoption became legal when Upper House passed the legislation on November 12, but with an exemption for faith-based agencies.

The exemption is at the heart of a debate between the state’s Liberal-National coalition, which voted in favour of faith-based agencies retaining their freedom to reject same-sex couples, and the opposed Labor party.

The amended passed bill would cull Clause 17, which would remove the existing same-sex adoption exemption for faith-based agencies, including Catholic organisation CatholicCare in Melbourne.

Mr Finn, who told Victoria parliament he would be voting against the clause and against the bill for the rights of children, told The Catholic Leader the government was “arrogant” in forcing Christians to go against their conscience.

“Section 17 is an ongoing war on Christianity,” he said.

“I have never heard such arrogance in a government telling the Church what they can do as though they have more authority than the Pope.

“The government has a clear agenda and that is to crush Catholic influence.”

The pro-life supporter said the welfare of children compelled him to vote against the bill.

“Despite what the rainbow fascists said, I don’t hate anyone, I don’t hate homosexuals,” Mr Finn said.

Related Stories

Cathedral green packed with families for festival day

Marymount College claims historic girls’ rugby league Confraternity title

Murdered Nigerians found suffering at foot of cross, bishop says at funeral

“But I came to the view a long time ago that the welfare of the child trumps everything else.

“I am not convinced a child without a mum or a father would be better for it, and to change that does throw the equilibrium out the window.”

Victorian MP Bernie Finn
Speaking out: Bernie Finn, pictured at this year’s Rally for Life in Brisbane’s CBD.

While Mr Finn agreed that not every heterosexual couple were “great parents”, it was “important where at all possible that the child has a mother and a father”.

Melbourne’s CatholicCare chief executive director Fr Joe Caddy, said the exemption outcome showed respect to members of the community with differing rights and viewpoints.

“The parliament voted to allow same sex adoptions, but also to retain an exemption so that religious organisations would not be forced to act in ways contrary to their deeply held traditions,” he said.

“This outcome respects the rights and viewpoints of the whole community.”

By Emilie Ng

ShareTweet
Previous Post

New Queensland seminary building to school future priests in mission

Next Post

Saintly inspiration for ACU Brisbane students

Emilie Ng

Emilie Ng is a Brisbane-based journalist for The Catholic Leader.

Related Posts

Cathedral green packed with families for festival day
QLD

Cathedral green packed with families for festival day

4 July 2022
Marymount College claims historic girls’ rugby league Confraternity title
QLD

Marymount College claims historic girls’ rugby league Confraternity title

2 July 2022
Murdered Nigerians found suffering at foot of cross, bishop says at funeral
World

Murdered Nigerians found suffering at foot of cross, bishop says at funeral

21 June 2022
Next Post
ACU's new St John Paul II statue

Saintly inspiration for ACU Brisbane students

Nikki Limpin

Nikki's sharing the beauty and peace of the Cathedral

Regents Park Catholic Loretta Anderson

God is Loretta's conductor

Popular News

  • Plans for indigenous elements, memorials to trauma, to complement Catholic liturgy

    Plans for indigenous elements, memorials to trauma, to complement Catholic liturgy

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Mass with signs of indigenous respect launch historic Plenary Council assembly

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • ‘For the moment, no,’ – Pope Francis dismisses resignation rumours in wide-ranging interview

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Called to share the message of Jesus at mission school

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
  • Future First Nations teachers honoured with Rome scholarship

    0 shares
    Share 0 Tweet 0
Search our job finder
No Result
View All Result

Latest News

‘For the moment, no,’ – Pope Francis dismisses resignation rumours in wide-ranging interview
Vatican

‘For the moment, no,’ – Pope Francis dismisses resignation rumours in wide-ranging interview

by Catholic News Agency
5 July 2022
0

POPE Francis has said he has no plans to resign soon and that his knee injury is...

Plans for indigenous elements, memorials to trauma, to complement Catholic liturgy

Plans for indigenous elements, memorials to trauma, to complement Catholic liturgy

5 July 2022
Spirit of Mission: A group of young people including university students, seminarians and ministry workers present at the Xavier School of Mission held June 20 to 24. The mission school hosted guest speakers and workshops to encourage people to go out and proclaim the Word. Photo: Joe Higgins

Called to share the message of Jesus at mission school

4 July 2022
Cathedral green packed with families for festival day

Cathedral green packed with families for festival day

4 July 2022
Fr Mike Schmitz’s next podcast Catechism in a Year starts New Year’s Day

Fr Mike Schmitz’s next podcast Catechism in a Year starts New Year’s Day

4 July 2022

Never miss a story. Sign up to the Weekly Round-Up
eNewsletter now to receive headlines directly in your email.

Sign up to eNews
  • About
  • Advertise
  • Contact
  • Contribute
  • Jobs
  • Subscribe

The Catholic Leader is an Australian award-winning Catholic newspaper that has been published by the Archdiocese of Brisbane since 1929. Our journalism seeks to provide a full, accurate and balanced Catholic perspective of local, national and international news while upholding the dignity of the human person.

Copyright © All Rights Reserved The Catholic Leader
Accessibility Information | Privacy Policy | Archdiocese of Brisbane

The Catholic Leader acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the First Peoples of this country and especially acknowledge the traditional owners on whose lands we live and work throughout the Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane.

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
    • QLD
    • Australia
    • Regional
    • Education
    • World
    • Vatican
  • Features
  • Opinion
  • Life
    • Family
    • Relationships
    • Faith
  • Culture
  • People
  • Subscribe
  • Jobs
  • Contribute

Copyright © All Rights Reserved The Catholic Leader

0
    0
    Your Cart
    Your cart is emptyChoose another Subscription
    Continue Shopping