On behalf of the JPII Chapter in Sydney, I’d like to wish everyone a very happy Easter time!
As President of the Sydney Chapter, I was asked by my parish priest to speak to the congregation on the state of the Catholic faith in Australia and why it was necessary for the John Paul II Foundation to exist here.
There is a strong undercurrent of anti-Catholicism in the country. This is not helped by the fact that only 12% of self-proclaimed Catholics attend Mass every Sunday. It is only natural then, that lacking this deep formation of faith, society has lost its spiritual soul. For that reason, we made the mission of our Sydney Chapter to pray for an end to the Culture of Death, and a return to the Christian principles our country was founded on (this we do every month at Holy Mass, followed by the Rosary and Adoration).
The state of Catholicism in Australia is woeful. Polls show a majority of Catholics support gay marriage. A whopping 75% of Catholics support euthanasia. Many Catholics still use birth control, contrary to Catholic teaching. 45% of Catholics in Australia support abortion.
Just recently in the US, a bill was signed in NY to allow mothers to kill their child up until the moment of birth. In Virginia, they’re debating whether babies that survive a failed abortion are entitled to basic food and water to keep them alive! As America goes, so goes the rest of the world. Australians are already lining up to debate this gruesome practice here.
The news is painful to hear. There is a lot to do. We face an uphill battle. But we are the Church Militanthere on earth, and with our weapons in hand (the Sacraments, the Rosary and Prayer), we forge ahead – in union with other Chapters around the world – praying to turn the secularized society into one that respects life, promotes true human dignity and follows God’s laws. This is the goal of the Sydney Chapter of the John Paul II Foundation.
Shirley Fernandez, president
