State action a victory for religious freedom
Sept 27, 2007
Cardinal George Pell of Sydney called it "a victory for religious freedom" when a legislative committee rejected a motion to declare him in contempt of the state Parliament for criticizing a bill authorizing research to promote therapeutic cloning.
SYDNEY, Australia (CNS, 9/26/2007) – "To witness to a Christian point of view is not an offense against anyone," the cardinal told reporters in mid-September after the Upper House Privileges Committee of the Parliament of New South Wales rejected the contempt motion.
When the state Parliament was considering the human cloning bill in June, Cardinal Pell described it as grotesque and said it would authorize the creation of human-animal hybrids. He also warned Catholic legislators that voting for the bill would have consequences on their standing in the church.
Several legislators, including some Catholics, objected to Cardinal Pell entering the debate and introduced a motion seeking a declaration of contempt against him.
Cardinal Pell spoke of the debate and the passage of the bill with reporters visiting Australia in preparation for the July 2008 celebration of World Youth Day.
The cardinal said it was important to speak to young people about the Catholic position on social and moral issues, "but one must understand what comes first: the horse or the cart. ... It seems to me that conversion to Christ must come first. We call young people to follow Christ; then when they have been converted, some will enter the battle for social justice (and) others will fight for the family, for life."
Occasionally, he said, young people will become involved first in social justice work, then embrace Christianity, "but this is not the norm."
As Australia prepares to host hundreds of thousands of young people for the 2008 gathering with Pope Benedict XVI, Cardinal Pell said, the Australian church is focusing on forming youth leaders and strengthening the basic faith commitment of Australian Catholic youths.
"For us, World Youth Day is not a celebration lasting a few days, but rather it is a process," he said. "We will prepare, celebrate and hope that afterward the conversion will continue.
"This means that when there is conversion, we must offer an opportunity for formation to help them understand in their daily lives the consequences of following Christ: in their families and marriage, (or regarding) sex, cloning, justice for the poor, war and peace," he said.
State action a victory for religious freedom