‘News From The Pews’ Issue No. 4, 10 July 1998, St Stephen’s Cathedral |
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‘News From The Pews’ Issue No. 4, 10 July 1998, St Stephen’s Cathedral |
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Archbishop Bathersby Responds …
Cathedral-goers will be interested to know that a response to "News From The Pews" ("NFTP") has been received from His Grace Archbishop Bathersby. The letter, dated 29 June 1998, is reproduced in full below, as is a further response on behalf of NFTP.
Archbishop’s Letter |
"News From The Pews" Response |
| Dear Mr Pemble-Smith, Thank you for your recent correspondence to Archbishop Bathersby. His Grace has asked me to respond to your enquiry concerning the Cathedral Shrine: "The Human Search for God." The Archbishop has directed me to make the following points. It would be appropriate that you reprint his response in its entirety in any further editions of your newsletter. The Archbishop has asked me to thank you for your prayers and support. Yours sincerely in Christ. (Signature) Father K. Howell ARCHBISHOP’S SECRETARY |
Your Grace, Thank you for the letter on your behalf, via the good offices of Fr Howell. As you no doubt appreciate, the questions raised in relation to the shrine are concerned with the shrine’s meaning and spiritual significance, concerns which are common to Church law and teaching and which are not specific to any particular context, whether geographical, ethnic, cultural or other. Please be assured of the continuing support in prayer of myself and those many people who frequent St Stephen’s Cathedral who are concerned about this issue. Yours Sincerely, Tim Pemble-Smith |
| In response to the requests of Mr Tim Pemble-Smith for information concerning the Cathedral Shrine: "The Human Search for God", Archbishop Bathersby has asked me to reply on his behalf. His Grace has asked me to make the following points: | (NFTP No.3 had posited the question: how did the shrine get to be where it is?) |
| The Holy Father spoke
passionately of the rich and enduring spiritual orientation of the Aboriginal People in
his address to Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders in Alice Springs in 1986: "You lived your lives in spiritual closeness to the land…[where] you touched the sacredness of man’s relationship with God, for the land was the proof of a power in life greater than yourselves." [4] Some of the stories from your Dreamtime legends speak powerfully of the great mysteries of human life, its frailty, its need for help, its closeness to spiritual powers and the value of the human person. They are not unlike some of the great inspired lessons from the people among whom Jesus himself was born. It is wonderful to see how people, as they accept the Gospel of Jesus, find points of agreement between their own traditions and those of Jesus and his people. [5] |
(Completing the wording of [4]:"..
with its animals, birds, fishes, water holes, rivers, hills and mountains. Through your
closeness to the land, you touched.."). Agreed in full. It seems reasonably evident, for example, that "points of agreement" between indigenous and Christian traditions can provide pathways to Christ and that "man’s relationship with God" is sacred. It is not clear to NFTP exactly what the use of this quote is meant to establish in terms of the issues associated with the shrine "The Human Search For God". Perhaps the use of this quote is intended as support for a proposition that the shrine in question is "sacred art". Is this what is being proposed? |
| These passages point to the Church’s recognition of Aboriginal people’s spirituality and their authentic search for God. | Agreed. |
| The acknowledgment of these realities has motivated the inclusion in the renovated St. Stephen’s Cathedral of aboriginal art that would form part of the overall concept of this particular Chapel entitled: "The Human Search for God." | Motivations aside, as outlined in previous NFTP issues, the presence of this shrine in St Stephen’s Cathedral represents a breach of the first commandment and of Church law on the part of the responsible parties within the Church. |
| Archbishop Bathersby has particularly noted Pope John Paul’s recent Encyclical Letter "Tertio Millennio Adveniente" on the Year of Great Jubilee where he speaks of the Synod for Oceania and the Holy Father’s hope that it will study in particular the encounter of Christianity with what he describes as "the most ancient forms of religion, profoundly marked by a monotheistic orientation" [p.52] His Grace says that the Pope is obviously referring to Aboriginal religion. | The Holy Father here is
recognizing a monotheistic "orientation", not monotheism itself. No doubt many indigenous Australians would have been offended had the Holy Father said that the Aboriginal religion is monotheistic. As traditional Aborigines have an entitlement to the integrity of their religion, so do Catholic Christians. That is why the issue is one of Catholic integrity. |
| The Archbishop affirms that, in the light of the Pope’s statements, the small space in the Brisbane Cathedral is entirely in harmony with the wishes of the Holy Father. | NFTP would be surprised were the Holy Father to approve of the presence of this shrine in St Stephen’s Cathedral. |
| Archbishop Bathersby also added that in his time as Archbishop of Brisbane, he hasn’t been aware of any long term controversy regarding this Shrine in the Cathedral. It is situated in one small, enclosed, corner space of the Cathedral and in no way takes away from the major Shrines and places of devotion within St. Stephen’s. The Archbishop noted that the overall concept of the chapel is still to be completed. | These considerations, to the
extent that they have some merit, are secondary given the specific and, to date, un-denied
breaches of the first commandment and of Church law. It is noted that the letter of response appears not to have directly addressed the core questions. |
| However, he said that he is
"very happy that it is there. It is a fitting tribute to the Aboriginal people who
originally owned the land on which the Cathedral is built. As well it acknowledges the
Aboriginal people’s search for God." Father K.M. Howell Secretary to the Archbishop 29 June 1998 |
No reasonable Catholic could object to the presence within St Stephen’s of indigenous art which meets the requirements of Church law. NFTP has no general objections to Aboriginal art. There are many fitting ways to acknowledge indigenous people, their culture and history. The enshrinement of the specific symbols and representations incorporated into this particular shrine is not one of them. |
Your Grace,
Thank you for raising the matter with those responsible for the installation of the shrine "The Human Search For God". Unfortunately, the points contained in the response do not appear to have directly addressed the core issues.
Perhaps the responsible parties could be prevailed upon to provide you with a full disclosure of the meaning and spiritual significance of the symbols and representations incorporated into the shrine. As part of a disclosure, it would be appropriate that the following be specified:
Naturally, the responsible parties will be prepared to confirm in clear language that the shrine does not contain ambiguity, that there is nothing in it pertaining to magic, superstition, spiritism, or vengeance, and that there are no sexual connotations. If satisfactory answers are available, no doubt the responsible parties would have no objection to the release of this information to the people of St Stephen’s Cathedral.
Yours Sincerely,
Tim Pemble-Smith
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Indooroopilly Q 4068
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