Per the first issue of ‘News From The Pews’, Cathedral-goers will recall that on March 12 a letter was sent to His Grace Archbishop John Bathersby pointing out that enshrined in St Stephen’s Cathedral as ‘The Human Search For God’ were precisely the sort of pagan symbols and representations described in Sacred Scripture as an abomination before God.

Cathedral-goers were asked to pray for Archbishop Bathersby, that the Lord would give him the light and the strength to do what has to be done. To date, there has been no response. Please continue to keep His Grace in your prayers.

Cathedral-goers will also recall that the plaque at the relevant shrine states:

What is this "spiritual tradition"? According to Djiniyini Gondarra, in "Aboriginal Spirituality", edited by Anne Patel-Gray, Harper Collins Australia Pty Ltd, 1996, at page 43,

In short, the aboriginal "spiritual tradition", that is, the aboriginal religion, incorporates –

multiple false gods, totemic idols, the invocation of magical powers (witchcraft, sorcery and divination), nature worship, and recourse to ancestors. Such beliefs and practices are common to the general run of pagan religious systems. Further, because the aboriginal spiritual tradition involves secret rites and practices, the aboriginal spiritual tradition qualifies as an occultic religion, (derivation, the Latin for "hidden" or "covered over").

What does scripture tell us about these things? Among a great many references are:

Item 4: Significance Of Fiona Foley’s Work

The seven panels in the St Stephen’s shrine ‘The Human Search For God’ are the work of aboriginal "installation" artist Fiona Foley. Fiona Foley describes herself as an aboriginal first, a woman second and an artist third. Near Ramingining, she has participated in in aboriginal women’s ceremonies. The dingo is her Totemic animal according to Bajtala tradition.

In the video-recording "Boomalli: Five Koori Artists", Fiona Foley describes how traditional aboriginal art has different levels of meaning. She shows how in her art, there is an "outer" meaning and a hidden or "inner" meaning. For example, the outer meaning of a work might be "my travelling to Hervey Bay in an aeroplane" and the hidden inner meaning might be "women’s fertility". Fertility is the subject of much secret ritual in the aboriginal spiritual tradition, as is the recourse to hidden occultic power.

To the aboriginal believer, the "dreaming" is not just the past; it is here and now and into the future. The very act of creating a ritual object or symbolic painting can be a spiritual act in its own right, accompanied by invocations to spirits and other ritual or magical procedure.

The beliefs and practices of the aboriginal spiritual tradition are very important to Fiona Foley. They are also a central element of her work as an artist, as are the use of symbolism and the expression of meaning, including coded meaning in her work. She is opposed to mere superficial influence in this regard. Cultural and personal authenticity matter to her.

Fiona Foley’s works in St Stephen’s Cathedral, displayed untitled, clearly evidence the symbols and representations of her pagan aboriginal spiritual tradition. Present are:

• the lone dingo, which is her totemic animal ("sacred emblem" or idol, related to ancestor beliefs and veneration);

• the symbols of fertility and aboriginal conception beliefs;

• the representations of the ancestors; and

• the moon in various phases, significant both to aboriginal spirituality and to the occult generally;

• etc.

Contained in the ‘Human Search For God’ are the symbols and representations of a living, pagan, occultic aboriginal spirituality. As indicated previously, these are precisely the sort of pagan symbols and representations which in Sacred Scripture are described as an abomination before God, and detestable in His sight.

The presence of this shrine in St Stephen’s itself represents an apparent breach of the first commandment, a challenge to the Catholic and Christian integrity of the Brisbane archdiocesan authorities.

The ‘Human Search For God’ is, by its own designation, a shrine. In the Catholic Church, a shrine is a sacred place set aside for devotion to God. There is no legitimate role for pagan superstition in such a place.

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