PERTH, WA: November 2, 1989
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NO SUCH THING AS A MORAL RIGHT TO DO MORAL WRONG A statement by Archbishop Foley on homosexuality and the of a cceptance homosexuals.
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The Catholic Church has always maintained the distinction between the morally reprehensible practice of homosexuality and the welfare of persons involved. The Church condemns the violence and the malice that some sections of society inflict on homosexuals and is concerned that homosexual persons be enabled to live as complete a life as their homosexuality permits. Love and lifestyle The Church does not believe that a homosexual lifestyle should be treated as a valid alternative lifestyle and is against its portrayal as a possible normal lifestyle in the sexual education of young people in the schools. In taking this position the Church reflects the view that while there is a possibility that the homosexual/lesbian condition can be an acquired preference, then the young must be protected. It is the Church's view that the sexual expression of true love has its proper place in the family. The Church commends those homosexuals who choose to live chastely as by so doing they confirm the personal dignity and worth of the individual. Major studies have shown that from 30 to 50 per cent of homosexual men who have undergone psychotherapy for their condition have
been returned to comheterosexual plete normality.
It is not the role of law to be a moral policeman, and add legal veto and penalty to every kind of immoral behaviour.
The role of law The Church would never approve of legislaYet it remains true that tion that would authorise law can and should the unjust violation of forbid those moral privacy. wrongs which are a However, we believe it public threat to sound should be possible to education, to a proper have good law which. preparation of the young while condemning for a stable and strong homosexual practices, married life, to the does not condone the protection of the instituinvasion of privacy. tion of marriage and the We would hesitate to family, and to public support the decriminali- decency in community sation of homosexual life.
onlosexua it Archbishop Foley has sent a message on homosexuality to all members of the West Australian Parliament because "I believe acts in private between Law should not conconsenting adults if this done or approve homowould be interpreted as sexual practices. But publicly condoning such when such acts are acts. between consenting Our view would remain adults in private, law that the acts were need not write the immoral, even though proscribing of such not illegal, and detrimen- behaviour into the crimtal to the proper develop- inal code. ment of family life in a The law should legislate healthy society. against public advertisAt the same time we see ing and soliciting for no good purpose in homosexual practice. keeping repressive legislation on the statute It should legislate books, which even theo- against the use of the retically could be used to education system as a authorise the invasion of vehicle for homosexual of propaganda, or for advothe privacy cating homosexual pracindividuals.
you have a right to know what the Catholic Church thinks of the issues being canvassed. The statement is a summary on
the issue as the Church sees it, and I hope that it will be a useful contribution to the formation of a conscientious decision."
tice as a socially normal and acceptable lifestyle.
And even more impor- those who engage in tantly, will the legislation homosexual practices in proposed protect our the privacy of their own young people from homes. proselytisation and the Any proposed changes misuse of the education system to portray homo- in the law could achieve sexual and lesbian lifes- that limited objective tyles as normal alterna- without legalising such practices. tive lifestyles?
Law should not grant legal status to homosexual unions, or in any way regard them as the equivalent of valid marriage. There is no such thing as a moral right to do moral wrong. Hence all propaganda in favour of so-Galled homosexual rights is misplaced, when it envisages a claim for a right to homosexual practice, and for public and legal acceptance of such practice.
Judgement contemplating In changing the legislation it is necessary to measure the maturity of our society. Our politicians should ask themselves whether the general public would see the legislation as society condoning the activities of homosexuals; and whether, if that were the case, the homosexual community would refrain from the more outrageous public activities already evidenced in such events as the so-called "gay mardi gras" in Sydney.
These are matters of judgement and of conscience and our politicians should be permitted freedom by their parties to vote according to their own assessments. My own view is that no good purpose is served by making criminals of
The law must ensure that there is no question of the corruption of young people under the age of 18, and that it does not accept and condone homosexual practices as normal in any program purporting to educate young people.
Happy twist to an old story LONDON: Cardinal Hume said he is grateful the case a gainst three men and a woman in the 1974 Guildford pub bombings has been dropped.
1980 and had become "absolutely convinced of his innocence", and so he "developed profound doubts about the justice of the Maguire convictions".
The Cardinal has taken a leading part in the effort to convince the legal authorities that Patrick Armstrong, Gerald Conlon, Paul Hill and Carole Richardson were wrongly convicted and that the conviction of seven members of the Maguire family for the associated offence of preparing explosives was also a miscarriage of justice.
His doubts spread to the connected cases of the Guildford Four, and after many private representations the Cardinal led a deputation to the Home Secretary in July 1987 in which he was joined by two former law lords, Lord Devlin and Lord Scarman, and two former Home Secretaries, Mr Roy Jenkins and Mr Merlyn Rees.
He had visited Patrick Conlon, one of the convicted Maguire family, several times before his death in prison in
Their submission contained a point of law and fresh evidence.
The Home Secretary called in a deputy chief constable of another force to investigate the new evidence. Cardinal Hume wrote again to the Home Secretary in November 1988 on behalf of the same distinguished deputation referring to further matters which had come to light, re-emphasising continuing doubts, and urging the Home Secretary to refer the case to the Court of Appeal. In April of that year the Archbishop of Canterbury also wrote to the Home Secretary in the same vein, expressing his "deep sense of unease" at the convictions. In January of this year the Home Secretary announced that the Court of Appeal would review the case.