13 March 2015
Your news from across the Archdiocese of Perth
Edition #22
Fischer speaks on faith and politics By Marco Ceccarelli FORMER Deputy Prime Minister and Australian Ambassador to the Holy See, the Hon Tim Fischer AC, last week engaged in a discussion with more than 200 men on faith, politics, war and his 1,000 days as the first resident of Rome, Australian Ambassador to the Holy See. Mr Fischer’s speech, titled My Faith in the Public Square was part of the menALIVE Catholic Man Breakfast Series, held at the Duxton Hotel. After a warm welcome by Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB and a formal introduction by menALIVE event organiser Kim Metcalf, Mr Fischer focused on his career in Australian politics and diplomacy within the Vatican City walls. Mr Fischer was transparent about what had supported and strengthened him throughout his career and pointed to his JudeoChristian background as a constant source of inspiration in his decision making. “I am a less than perfect Catholic and Christian,” he said, “but I did view the decisions I had to make in my life, right through and including being Ambassador to the Holy See, working through the issues of food security, people smuggling, of UN Security Council campaigns, through that JudaeoChristian prism which was instilled in me,” he added. Dwelling on some of the EDITION #22 | 13 MARCH 2015
The Hon. Tim Fischer AC delivered an insightful talk on faith, politics, war and his 1000 days as the first resident of Rome, Australian Ambassador to the Holy See at last week’s menALIVE Catholic Man Breakfast Series. PHOTO: JAMIE O’BRIEN
high points of his time as Ambassador, Mr Fischer recalled the role he played in welcoming more than 8,000 Australians to Rome for the canonisation of St Mary MacKillop – an event he refers to as “The Canonisation of an Aussie
of his travels to Mount Nebo in Israel. “When I stood on this mount where, arguably, Moses stood,” he said, “I could see the dead sea to my left, the hills around Bethlehem in the distance, Jerusalem to the west, Jericho
On Mt Nebo I had an epiphany, of joy and serenity, this episode reawakened the fundamentals of my faith! Battler” in the eleventh chapter of his book, Holy See, Unholy me: 1000 Days in Rome. Intent on explaining how he managed to espouse his Christian faith with his responsibilities as a diplomat, Mr Fischer shared a life-changing experience which took place during one
and the Jordan River to the right, further right: the riches around the Sea of Galilee, and suddenly I had an epiphany, of joy and serenity, and the testaments of the Bible fell into place in a way which has given me strength to counterbalance the incense, the bells and Basilicas of Rome. “This episode reawakened
the fundamentals of my faith!” he said. Mr Fischer went on to speak of the upcoming Anzac Centenary, marking 100 years since our nation’s involvement in the First World War, and praised the work of Australian military commander Sir General John Monash, “a man who was not afraid to live his faith in the public square”, Mr Fischer emphasised. He concluded by stating that he is proud to be a baptised Catholic and to endorse a faith that has been “a guiding light through the 101 decisions, public and private, that I made in the course of my life, and I plan to continue that way”. Full Text available at
www.therecord.com.au