Sydney’s Catholic Weekly newspaper is refusing to run an advertisement for an event at which former Irish president Mary McAleese will speak.
The reasons cited by Catholic Weekly editor Peter Rosengren are Ms McAleese’s views on homosexuality and the ordination of women.
Ms McAleese is the guest of Catholic think-tank, Catalyst For Renewal, and will give the Rosemary Goldie lecture at the Sydney Town Hall on September 7.
The organisation’s aim is to “prompt open exchanges among the community of believers”.
But Mr Rosengren told Sydney’s Irish Echo newspaper that “No matter how admirable a person she is it places me in some difficulty as editor of the Catholic Weekly.”
He said that neither he nor the Church “see homosexuality as a sin”, but added that male and female gender have meaning in God’s creation.
“Having previously employed an openly same-sex attracted columnist on an official Catholic newspaper I feel quite entitled to make these observations,” he added.
Up to October last year, Mr Rosegren was the editor of Perth’s archdiocese’s newspaper The Record, which has since closed down.
On the subject of women priests, Mr Rosengren said “I think it’s quite clear that men got the consolation prize with the priesthood – only a woman could be the mother of God.
“As a married man in the . . . Catholic Church, I do not have the right to be ordained either, but I don’t campaign on it as a matter of equality.”
Catalyst For Renewal president Kevin Grant said he was “disappointed” the advert was refused.
Mr Rosengren said he “quite admired” Ms McAleese’s reported views on abortion and divorce “both of which I understand she opposes”.
Sydney archdiocese had recently rebuked Ms McAleese for criticising Cardinal George Pell for his appointment of Sydney archdiocese business manager Danny Casey to his Rome office.
Ms McAleese said the position had not been openly advertised and it looked like “the gravitational pull of the old boys’ club”.
Former Sydney auxiliary Bishop Geoffrey Robinson will introduce Ms McAleese at the lecture, which is part of Catalyst for Renewal’s twentieth anniversary programme.
Earlier this year, Ms McAleese said having a synod on the family, at which only the opinions of celibate males would be canvassed, is “bonkers”.
Sources