ARCHBISHOP John Bathersby of Brisbane has asked the religious orders involved in the controversial Womenspace community centre at Kedron to thoroughly examine its operations after allegations that the centre has held meetings or distributed material related to witchcraft or New Age practices.
The archbishop has also called for an urgent review of the centre’s management structure.
His response to the controversy is contained in a December 20 statement after an investigation of the allegations by archdiocesan vicar for religious, Sister of Charity Patricia Scully.
At his request, she investigated the involvement of Mercy and Presentation Sisters in the centre.
Archbishop Bathersby said Sr Scully’s examination of Womenspace did not find evidence that the Sisters of Mercy and Presentation Sisters are supporting ‘happenings’ which might seem routine at a New Age, pagan or witches’ gathering.
However, ‘the public perception of the Catholic people of the Archdiocese of Brisbane is that the sisters are accountable for the operation of Womenspace’, and Canon Law would seem to support this perception, he added.
‘The continued operation of some activities at Womenspace do, I believe, damage the reputation and Christian mission of the religious orders and of the Church itself.’
Allegations about the centre’s activities were revealed in a November 10 article in Brisbane’s Courier-Mail newspaper. The premises were bought by the Presentation Sisters and is funded by them and the Sisters of Mercy.
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