Letters

from: From David Orr osb via email, 2 July

Following your article on the ACLRI Conference recently held in Brisbane, I wish to make the following response.
I attended the Conference and was an active participant in the discussion following the Eucharist celebrated in the Cathedral of St. Stephen, presided over by the Apostollic Nuncio, Archbishop F. Canalini. There certainly was a diversity of opinions expressed in the discussion - some of which related to the Homily of the Archbishop (which was not heard by many in the congregation) and to the Liturgy (as it appeared to over-ride the usual community that gathered for that evening Eucharist.) It was also an opportunity for members to raise the difficult questions of Liturgy in the Catholic Church today. In each of these various areas there was passion. With regard to the content of the Archbishop's homily, the meeting left it in the hands of the President to continue to liase with the Archbishop. I believed that the meeting explicitly agreed not to be confronting in this area.
On reading your article, I believe that your magazine has compromised the position of ACLRI in its relationship wih the Apostolic Nuncio, unnecessarily. I am further saddened that your magazine,which could fulfill a necessary place in Catholic theological discussion, has compromised its position by not investigating the opinions raised by some members of ACLRI before publication. I presume the standard of your magazine is intended to be much higher than that reflected in this article.
Peace

from: Brian Haill, Australian AIDS Fund Inc, Frankston VIC, 1 July

A Melbourne-based Catholic AIDS agency, we condemn the stance of a Ugandan cardinal against the use of condoms to protect uninfected marriage partners from HIV infection. The report, "Catholics, condoms and Africa" is carried on the online Catholic news service, Cath News, July 1, 2004.
As the founder/president of The Australian AIDS Fund Incorporated, an agency that's worked with the church for over 15 years in caring for people living with HIV/AIDS, we find the cardinal's position absolutely indefensible, fully warranting condemnation.
I urge the Australian Catholic Church to take the lead in dissociating the church from the stance of the Kampala cardinal.
It is an affront to every accepted norm of human decency let alone those enshrined and valued in Christianity or any other faith that has a declared regard for the sanctity of human life.

Submit your letter to the editor