Yes some how in the scheme of things I get sent an obnoxious newsletter Inside "catholic" via the said BIG Deal Hudson.

christian fascism/psychosis and phoney intolerant "moral" self-righteousness are very much the content of this newsletter. There is nothing "catholic" (meaning universal) at all to be found there.

Is this in fact correct: "Under our charity law, the church here is in the same position as the US church. All churches are in effect “supernatural charities” eligible for tax-exempt status because to “advance religion” is legally deemed to be a form of charity."?

Australia is quite different from the US in that donations to churches are not tax-deductible here, except for specific approved funds for education or humanitarian care. This applies to only a small percentage of the churches' overall income, and certainly not to any income used to "advance religion".

Clarification please, Max?

It must surely come as no surprise to to pretty well everyone with a modicum of intelligence - let alone the author of 'The Purple Economy'!- that the Catholic church in common with every other (alleged) 'church', places cash before principle - not to mention also before the well-being of their misguided believers. Cash is what it is all about - always will be.
How anyone can believe the nonsensical rubbish espoused by the various churches is utterly beyond me - yet, both individually and collectively, they continue to fill the coffers.

An incisive and well-written essay, but everyone who isn't wilfully blind to the Vatican's motives already knows it prizes corporate power above its professed principles.

So Christians are hypocrites. Who would have guessed?

The Director of the Australia New Zealand National Secular Association lamenting that the Vatican is not fundamentalist enough. What is this if not hypocrisy?

Max I really can't see why you are surprised by the Catholic Churches position on abortion, and the role of money and power entwined in the whole issue.
Abortion is legal at present anyway, so I can't see the point in the article anyway?

'Would politicians who vote for decriminalisation of abortion lose votes? Yes, if the vast majority of women in their electorate find out they voted against it, they will.'

We are a democracy in Australia the last time I looked. If there is a majority of votes counted for a politician/political party, then they will be in power.
The fact that abortion is allowed under certain circumstances in this country shows that the majority of people support it. So there's an end to it!