Paul just as I have had to you must confront this issue that poster considers only his thoughts to be true.
I doubt any other poster could find any protection of the Catholic Church in your or your party,s actions.
In fact think an effort to divert us from the real intention of the thread is barely hidden.
We know our country indeed the western world guarantees freedom to practice religion.
Is it rude to demand the same rights for us who do not believe?
I want no religion to have any influence on any country,s government, indeed politics

Belly,

Then we can take it that you as well as Paul object to the Catholic Church interfering with the political rights of some of our fellow citizens?

I know that I object strongly to the Church interfering in our internal politics; welcome aboard!

We have a long history of religious involvement in politics in Australia. From the very beginning of European settlement, the first to be politically active was the Anglican minister Samuel Marsdon who arrived in 1794. The Catholic religion was strongly suppressed in the early colony as it was seen as the religion of the rebellious Irish (convicts). During WWI and the burning issue of conscription, something both the Labor Party and the Catholic Church in Australia opposed. One of the leading opponents of the referendums held on the issues was the Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne Daniel Mannix, who had a strong influence on Australian politics for over 50 years. The next big religious involvement in Australia was the Labor split of the 1950's. This seen the "Catholic" section split from the ALP to form the DLP as there was a strong belief that the Labor Party had been taken over by the atheistic communists. The Catholic Church spent the next 20 years working hard to keep Labor out of office. B.A (Bob) Santamaria was the leading Catholic mouth peace in opposition to Labor. Some may recall his weekly TV commentary 'Point of View'. I don't believe there has ever been a more influential non politician in Australia than Bob Santamaria and that includes Rupert Merdoch. Over the pass 30 years the churches have remained very influential in Australian politics, the Catholic Church in the form of Archbishop Pell has in my view an over say in Australian Politics. This has also been self evident in the states, NSW politics for example has been very much influenced by the likes of the Reverend Fred Nile and his CDP over many years.
I see church involvement in Australia as an unwelcome intrusion into our secular affairs. With their innate conservatism the churches retard development within society.
footnote; The Rev Fred, 80, just remarried to a woman (55) who was 5 years old when Fred was 30. Some might say strange dirty old man.
Another footnote; The Catholic Church has also over the years been heavily involved in the Australian union movement.

Paul1405 I guess you are right in some respects. I remember Mannix speaches on the Radio on Sunday. I was too your to know what it was about, of course, Mum & Dad listened to them. Then I also heard Bob Santamaria. The man responsible for the influx of Southern Mediterranean immigrants in the 50's with the Colombo Plan. Mind you what he had to say made sense.

In the 60 the Communist Party had a big influence in Australia. We even had a Communist Party Member of Parliament, from Collinsville, where they ran the Catholic Priest out of town on a rail. (true) The Communist Party was very active in the Meat Industry, The Waterside Workers & the Building Industry. I suppose any influence the Catholic Church had in the Unions was to blunt the influence of the Communists. I even had to front a Meatworkers Court because I refused to donate 10/- the Communist Party. The Red Donation slip was on the end of the Union Ticket. I'd paid for my ticket but tore the red Donation slip off & gave it back. I remember all the signs, slogans & Bill Board were Hammer & Sickle & anti Pope & Catholic Church.

Still I don't think there was too much actual interference in day to day Politics as there is today. that I remember. Don't forget everyone was much more Conservative than they are to day. Even our most Conservative Politicians today would outrage the Pollies of the 50' & 60's. You could not even go out without a hat in those days. You were just not dressed.

As for Fred Nile, well he has been the laughing stock of Australian Politics long before the Greens took his place.

Oh yes, &, "This..., I believe." ;-)

Very good post, Paul, and I agree with you, however it doesn't answer the question about the Pope's direct interference and the pressure that the Church puts on some people to stop them exercising their rights as citizens of Australia.

Either you support the Papal stance or you don't.

Which is it?

Is Mise, I'll answer you for the last time on this subject. You need to be clearer in what you say a term like "its general knowledge", very hard to answer you unless you present facts, which as yet you have not put up anything to substantiate what you claim. Did you Google the name "Bergoglio" knowing who he is may add clarity for you to my answer. Remember a link or three to back you claim would be helpful. If everyone knows about it, then someone would have written about it...still waiting.
Jayb, thanks for the comments and the insight, I can't agree with "As for Fred Nile, well he has been the laughing stock of Australian Politics long before the Greens took his place." For some Fred was taken very seriously, (as are The Greens). I met Fred again during the last State campaign in NSW, he is quite a nice old bloke, the same day Kristina Keneally turned up, it was easy to gauge that the position of Premier had gone to her head, a very snobbish person was she, where as Fred was just the opposite, very friendly.
At the same election there was a Labor Party candidate running around distributing an anti Greens letter from none other than Archy Pell himself. Compared to other candidates from all other parties I have ever met, this Labor bloke was an out and out nutter. Fortunately he didn't win. I even said to a well known state Labor minister at the time. "Where did you get this nutter from." Her short answer was "Don't know, he's just in to make up the numbers, thank god!"
One bloke I became very close to during the early 70's with my involvement with the metal workers union was a true red if ever there was one, Laurie Carmichael, he was someone who could be relied upon to back the workers through thick and thin. Laurie was a very intelligent person to boot, who made plenty of enemies both in and out of the union movement for his beliefs.

http://workinglife.org.au/2013/11/15/the-wit-and-wisdom-of-laurie-carmichael/