ARCHBISHOP John Bathersby of Brisbane has called on Catholics in the archdiocese to express their support for the traditional view of marriage by contacting their local Members of Parliament.
The campaign follows a recent Australian Greens motion successfully pass-ed calling on all Federal parliamentarians to gauge their constituents’ views on ways to achieve equal treatment for same-sex couples, including marriage.
Archbishop Bathersby on December 8 sent two letters to all priests and pastoral directors – one a covering letter explaining the campaign; the other a letter which concerned Catholics can send to their local MPs.
In the covering letter the archbishop notes: “In a society that today can so easily overlook the importance of marriage the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference at its recent meeting in Sydney encouraged its members to ask their priests and lay people to promote its importance.
“That is precisely what I am trying to do.”
The second communication is a document entitled “Open Letter from members of the Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane to members of the House of Representatives”.
It is this letter which Archbishop Bathersby suggests parishioners sign and send to their Members of Parliament.
The letter in part states: “Given the variety of domestic arrangements currently available in Australia, I request that you protect the unique institution of marriage as traditionally understood and actually lived as the complementary love between a man and a woman.”
Archbishop Bathersby suggested this “enclosed letter on marriage could be duplicated and left at the door of the church (to be) used in a suitable manner”.
The archbishop in his cover letter gives a website which contains information on politicians to be contacted. It is http://apps.aec.gov.au/esearch
