Catholic Church

With a spotlight on divisions and resistance within the Catholic Church, some readers are questioning the worth of the institution as a whole. Meanwhile, what to make of that Albo speech?

On crisis in the Catholic Church

Maggie Galley writes: The Australian Church has a great opportunity to demonstrate by actions that are proposed by Bishop Long. He is smart enough to know that concrete action to redress the wrongs will allow the Australian population — that includes a lot of lapsed Catholics — to commence the building of respect for the Church and its teachings. I myself am still waiting for the leaders of the Catholic Church to call the Australian government to sign the treaty to ban nuclear weapons. Now that would be a bold and courageous step.

Anthony Bendall writes: For many Catholics, myself included, the institutional Church is beyond rebuilding and beyond redemption. The arrogance and callousness with which these atrocities have been handled is simply unforgivable.

Peter Wileman writes: Thank God I’m an atheist! No one will convince me that the perpetrators of sexual abuse in the church (and the others that covered up for them) truly believe in the teachings of Jesus, or in God, heaven and hell. If they did they a) wouldn’t do it, and b) know that they are destined to spend eternity burning in hell. So which one is it, boys? 

 

On what to do about Albo

Vasco writes: Albo is the great red hope of Labor… good grief, is that all there is? Trouble is he’s been an insider for all his political life. He’s never going to be the maverick we all need.

Wallywonga writes: Disputes between party factions seems as tokenistic as the economic debate going on between the major parties. No one seems to really want to talk about wealth disparity, wage stagnation, that are the fundamental roots of our economic woes. A left faction Labor politician is giving a message to be nice to companies, when the only reason we have wage stagnation is because they won’t be nice to their workers. It doesn’t make any sort of sense, or am I missing something?

Robert Graham writes: I read his speech and thought he is doing two things. One: trying to be Australia”s Tony Blair. Two: trying to be News Ltd pin-up pollie. Margaret Thatcher was right about politicians like Albanese: middle-of-the-road economics will get you run over.

 

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