“Snatching the land, building, staff, and operations of a Catholic hospital was really just fast-tracking the same end to which these smaller, subtler strikes are aimed,” the archbishop said.
The battle over religious schools
In a country where one in five students attend Catholic schools, the prelate expressed deep concern over legislative efforts to curb the impact of Catholic institutions, especially their ability to evangelize.
“Those who object to the Church having any space in the public square are effectively being invited to engage in lawfare against our schools,” he said, adding this constituted “using anti-discrimination laws as a sword to stop us from operating in accordance with the Catholic ethos.”
Addressing the Australian Law Reform Commission’s recommendations imposing restrictions on religious schools’ ability to hire staff and present Catholic teachings without caveats, Fisher warned that such measures would fundamentally alter the nature of these schools.
“If its recommendations are implemented, Catholic schools will be largely indistinguishable from their public counterparts,” he warned.
Fisher also warned about risks from recent bureaucratic recommendations, such as stripping charitable status from religious institutions.
Such a move, the prelate warned, could devastate the Church’s ability to provide education, health, and welfare services.
The notion that religious institutions might no longer qualify for charitable status in such a way was “absurd,” Fisher asserted.
Human rights and Christian dignity
The archbishop pointed to the profound philosophical clash underpinning these legislative and bureaucratic actions.
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He told CNA that modern attempts to claim certain human rights while denying the existence of inherent human dignity — particularly as articulated by Christian anthropology — are fundamentally flawed.
“But this is as wise as building a house on sand; without the firm foundation of the infinite dignity of the human person the house of human rights will ultimately fall,” Fisher emphasized.
Steadfastness and a spiritual path forward
Looking ahead, the Sydney archbishop expressed hope that elected officials would recognize the significant contributions of religious believers to Australian society. He called on the Church and its faithful to remain steadfast in their mission, regardless of restrictive legislation and policies.
“We must be very serious about proclaiming the truth of marriage and family by the way we live our lives,” Fisher told CNA.
The Australian prelate also called on Catholics to take spiritual action: “The best thing we can do to protect religious freedom is to be serious about being saints for our time, committing ourselves to prayer, service, and the sacramental life.”
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