Who can forget the words of Archbishop John Bathersby in St Stephen’s on the evening of Tuesday, 13 October 1998?

The occasion was the mass in support of the Christian Brothers at a time when the brothers were facing considerable adverse media attention. There were many of the brothers supporters in attendance and it was standing room only.

After noting this as "an age of accountability", the archbishop went on to commend the Christian brothers for moving to be more "honest and open".

In retrospect, the great irony of the archbishop’s words was that at that very moment he was himself resisting calls for accountability, openness and honesty - in his own Cathedral - about the shrine to Lucifer.

Over the past 19 months, News From The Pews has systematically revealed that ‘The Human Search For God’ shrine in St Stephen’s, is in reality a shrine to Lucifer and an affront to traditional Aborigines.

Despite all the evidence, Archbishop Bathersby’s only response has been evasion, and, for the most part, silence. The archbishop continues to resist the need for an independent enquiry.

By his inaction, the archbishop has assumed the mantle of protector, not only of the shrine itself but also of those responsible for installing it.

His Grace’s refusal of responsibility has become an issue in its own right. But, is this refusal part of a broader pattern?

There have been other examples of Archbishop Bathersby's refusal to accept the responsibilities of office, not the least of which was his refusal of responsibility regarding the recent local clerical paedophilia scandals.

In an article which appeared in the Courier Mail of 7 November 1998, it was said:

"… a spokesman for Archbishop John Bathersby, said the Church’s reaction to sex offenders among clergy in the past had been inadequate. What was done in the past, not only by the Church but also by society, we would judge looking backwards to be less than adequate."

Such a rationale falls a long way short of the minimum standard required for those who would give moral leadership to society. There are no excuses, legal or moral, for the fact that church authorities failed to live up to their responsibilities - then or now. It should not have required the activities of offended citizens, the media, the police and the courts to force action on the part of the Church.

Soft propaganda efforts in the Catholic Leader can not undo that sort of damage.

Ironically, one of the recent soft propaganda pieces in the Catholic Leader has unwittingly provided some clues into why His Grace has done nothing about the shrine to Lucifer.

The article set out Archbishop Bathersby's priorities for the archdiocese of Brisbane. His top priority is spirituality. It is interesting to note that His Grace uses the term 'spirituality' rather than devotion.

The hallmark of Christianity, of course, has always been devotion to Christ. ‘Spirituality’ on the other hand, covers a much broader field, allowing scope for a potentially endless range of practices. ‘Spirituality’ can and does provide scope for the occult. The spiritualism practiced by Aleister Crowley is a form of spirituality.

Of course, there is nothing necessarily wrong with His Grace’s adopting the term ‘spirituality’ and making it a priority for the archdiocese. There is a proviso, however: the spirituality must be compatible with devotion to Christ. Clear guidelines are essential for the people of the archdiocese, setting out what forms of spirituality are acceptable and what forms are not.

There are many and various forms of ‘spirituality’ currently being promoted and practiced around the archdiocese. The necessary guidance appears to be almost completely lacking. In many cases, people appear to be unaware of the often subtle differences between true devotion and occult practices, some of which are known to entail risks of psychological harm.

Archbishop Bathersby is a former spiritual director of Banyo seminary. He enjoys a reputation for being something of an expert in matters of spirituality. Few would understand better than he the need for clear guidelines in spiritual matters.

The fact that such guidance is lacking can only amount to a serious dereliction of duty on his part as Archbishop of Brisbane. It is difficult to overstate the level of irresponsibility involved in the promotion of the ‘spirituality’ agenda in this archdiocese.

As archbishop of Brisbane, His Grace has a very clear responsibility to promote the Catholic faith in Brisbane. Yet, from the range of spiritualities being vigorously and recklessly promoted throughout the arch- diocese, it almost appears that the object is to dilute rather than promote the faith.

For Archbishop Bathersby, the excuse of ignorance or naivety in such matters is simply not open. The reasons why His Grace uses the term ‘spirituality’ rather than simply devotion to Christ are plain enough.

From the confused and confusing spirituality scene in the archdiocese, it is also readily apparent why there is so much moral confusion abroad. And the inevitable consequence of moral confusion is paralysis of authority. This is what we have today in the archdiocese of Brisbane.

As Archbishop Bathersby himself recently said in the Catholic Leader, "Faith without commitment is useless". Little wonder secular media commentators remark upon the Catholic Church in Brisbane’s squandering of its moral authority. If the church is to exercise moral authority in the future, that moral authority is going to have to be rebuilt. This cannot be done with cheap apologies, only with genuine contrition and a firm purpose of amendment.

Could it be that His Grace’s ‘radically inclusive’ approach to religion and spirituality helps explain why he does nothing about the shrine to Lucifer in his own Cathedral?

One thing is certain. In refusing an independent enquiry into ‘The Human Search For God’ shrine in St Stephen’s, Archbishop Bathersby is inevitably setting the Church and himself up for further public ignominy.

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