Pornography worst fruit of free-market-capitalism tree, Australian
Jul 12, 2006
Pornography is the worst fruit of tree of free-market capitalism, targeting children, destroying marriages and families and luring sexual addicts deeper into dependence, said an Australian cardinal.
SYDNEY, Australia (Catholic Online, 7/11/2006) – Cardinal George Pell of Sydney, in a July 9, 2006, pastoral letter, called for greater public awareness of sexual addiction as a “major social problem and public health issue” and offered support of a multi-million dollar Australian government initiative to fight pornography.
The letter, entitled “Sexual Sickness,” appeared on the Web site of the Archdiocese of Sydney.
“Sexual addiction is real,” said Cardinal Pell, who was a member of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and currently is chairman of the Australian bishops' Committee for Doctrine and Morals. “Only recently has public attention begun to focus on compulsive and disordered sexuality. It is still among the least understood of all the addictions.”
“The Internet has now become the fastest growing source and forum for sexual addicts, because it is available at any time of day or night, is isolated and secret, rich in fantasy and endless variety,” the cardinal said, adding that sexual addiction can take the form of multiple affairs, exhibitionism, voyeurism, compulsive masturbation, rape and sexual abuse of children.
While sexual addicts are only a minority of the population, he said, “the spread of pornography is feeding these addictions” and reaching out to the public at large.
He pointed out that some Australian cities, including Sydney, are “among the highest users in the world of pornographic material.” Cardinal Pell noted that 40 percent of the adult male population (9 million) in the United Kingdom logged onto sex Web sites in 2005, four times the number in 2000, and that 1.4 million women downloaded Internet pornography last year, an increase of 30 percent.
“It is not surprising that 40 percent of couples with marital difficulties say Internet pornography is at least partly to blame,” he said.
As well, the cardinal said, children are a target.
“Pornography is marketed aggressively to those who are searching for it,” Cardinal Pell said, quoting a 2003 Australia Institute report that revealed more than 80 percent of boys and 60 percent of girls using the Internet experienced unwanted exposure to sexual material.
He supported the recent announcement by Australian Communications Minister Helen Coonan that $116 million (AUS; about $87 million USD) will be spent to combat pornography, especially among children, offering free Internet filtering software to every Australian family and requiring the blocking of public library terminals to X-rated Web sites.
“Public awareness must continue to grow as pornography is the worst fruit of free market capitalism,” the cardinal said.
Pornography worst fruit of free-market-capitalism tree, Australian