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The Forum > Article Comments > Cardinal Pell bans free speech and makes the Church look ridiculous > Comments

Cardinal Pell bans free speech and makes the Church look ridiculous : Comments

By Kate Mannix, published 21/9/2004

Kate Mannix argues that Cardinal Pell's ban on Australian Reforming Catholics is against canon law and the interests of the Roman Catholic Church .

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Your article was good and fair comment.

Sadly around the world at the present time, we have political leaders like President Bush , and Mr Howard who are not very intelligent and at the same time are ultra - conservative.
Whether these men came to power through honest elections orelections that were rigged, is an open question.
But there is no doubt that Cardinal Pell was not elected by anyone, but rather appointed by someone like Cardinal Ratzinger.

Whatever, they are among the worst leaders we have seen, and we are not even sure if simply praying for better leaders will help much in the future.
It is good to have some sensible alternative opinions expressed on the internet. Indeed thank God for the internet
Posted by poetic, Wednesday, 22 December 2004 1:52:28 PM
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Thank Al Gore for the Internet.
Posted by Joe, Wednesday, 22 December 2004 2:00:58 PM
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As a lay Catholic with no theology degree my view is perhaps simpler than the author's. However I believe that she is wrong.

Love or hate the religion Cardinal George Pell was doing his job.

Australian Reforming Catholics' internet site makes it clear they do not accept some significant beliefs of the religion. Anti-Catholic views should not be presented at Catholic venues as Church teachings. This would make the Church appear to lack certainty and thus be unable to speak authoritatively in expressing the will of God.

The second Vatican Council aimed to enrich the religion not to overturn it. Way back when Elijah (on Mount Carmel);.said

"How long will you go limping between two different opinions? If the Lord is God, follow him, but if Baal, follow him...; And the people did not answer him a word. Then Elijah said ...the God who answers by fire, he is God."; I Kings 18 vs 21 and 24

it was plain that the prophet taught that God does not want us to replace our religious beliefs with secular views and we should choose one or the other not try to combine some of God's will with the spirit of the times. It is clearly human nature to hedge our bets but not God's will. That is not the Catholic religion.

The Cannon Law quoted refers to the "faithful". Again I don't have a degree in theology but I would have thought that "faithful" would refer to people who accept rather than reject the faith. Thus I struggle to see how the Cannon Law applies.

Rather than making the Church look ridiculous a clear committment to ethical principles enhances rather than detracts from credibility. A wishy washy indecisive attitude to faith and ethics is unlikely to be taken seriously. My strong suspicion is that the will of the Holy Spirit is to have an identifiable religion that people can follow not a babble of conflicting ideas. If I am correct then the Holy Spirit expresses this will through Cardinal Pell and the Cardinal is doing his job properly.
Posted by mjpb, Tuesday, 11 July 2006 9:44:44 AM
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