By Anthony Barich
UP to 20,000 signatures have been submitted to WA Federal MPs in response to the Australian Bishops’ call to Catholics urging them to protect marriage, according to the Australian Family Association (AFA).
The Bishops distributed a petition opposing the legalising of same-sex marriage in December in response to Federal Greens MP Adam Bandt’s successful motion asking members of the House of Representatives to “gauge their constituents’ views on ways to achieve equal treatment for same-sex couples, including marriage” over the Christmas parliamentary break.
The AFA has urged that the petitions and letter writing continue until the ALP national conference in November, saying there are lobby groups actively working towards changing the definition of marriage, “so it is most important for us to continue to keep up the pressure on our legislators”.
Bunbury Bishop Gerard Holohan was one of the first to distribute the petition throughout his diocese, while Archbishop Barry Hickey mobilised the AFA in January, asking for “the ready cooperation” of all Archdiocesan priests and deacons when approached by the lobby group.
With 30 years’ experience as a national political lobby group for family interests, the AFA estimates that, with the support of every Bishop, up to 200,000 signatures were likely to have been collected nationally, with the WA figure constituting about 10 per cent.
While it is understood some priests did not believe the Church should get involved in politics, AFA workers and volunteers collected up to 500 signatures in parishes like Dianella and Bateman, while many others were in the 400s and 300s.
With the AFA estimating an average of 200 signatures per parish, “20,000 is not an underestimate, when you take into account Geraldton, Bunbury and Broome, who all distributed the petition in their parishes,” a WA AFA spokesman told The Record.
Some priests took their own initiative to write explanations of the Church’s teachings based on logic rather than theology as many parishioners read the parish bulletin during Mass, and by the end of Mass many were ready to sign up.
“From feedback we received, parishioners were very appreciative of the information given in the talks and on the ‘marriage facts’ sheets provided,” the AFA said. “Not only did this encourage them to sign the petition but it also provided them with the ammunition necessary to visit and discuss the issue with their Federal representative.”
Applecross parish priest Fr Peter Whitely said he encouraged his parishioners to write letters to MPs as “it’s more effective than signing petitions”.
The AFA said that Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s 20 March declaration on Sky News that marriage rights for same-sex couples are incompatible with Australian culture also indicates that Catholics’ voices have been heard – though she made similar statements last year. The Greens’ Sarah Hanson-Young from Adelaide introduced her Marriage (Equality) Amendment Bill into the Senate on 29 September despite the same Bill being defeated 45-5 in February last year with only her party supporting it.
“The Greens and far-Left members of the ALP have over-reached themselves this time in pushing for same-sex marriage, because it has brought people out of the woodwork who are outraged about what they are trying to do,” the AFA said.
Other lobby groups with thousands of members have also united for the cause, contacting MPs, including the National Marriage Coalition consisting of the Australian Christian Lobby, the AFA and the Dads4Kids Fatherhood Foundation; plus FamilyVoice Australia and Salt Shakers. A multi-denominational group also founded The Canberra Declaration with an online downloadable petition to protect religious freedom, marriage and family and the sacredness of human life.
Tasmanian Liberal Senator Guy Barnett also garnered over 16,500 signatures in a petition promoted online since its 4 February launch.
The AFA also received letters of support from WA MPs from both sides of politics who also stated that they were opposed to any move to redefine marriage. These included Senator Mathias Cormann, Member for Hasluck Ken Wyatt, Member for Tangney Dr Dennis Jensen from the Liberals and from the ALP, Member for Brand Gary Gray and Senator Mark Bishop.
“There are currently approximately 4.5 million married couples in Australia compared with 22,000 same-sex couples – a small minority of whom have expressed a desire to marry,” the AFA said. “One wonders at the logic of seeking to redefine the meaning of marriage to suit such a small number of people who, by their very definition, are unable to carry out one of the primary aims of marriage.”