Australia’s incoming Prime Minister Tony Abbott says his Catholic faith does not determine his politics in any way.
Mr Abbott spoke frankly about the role of faith in his life to journalist Annabel Crabb on the ABC’s light entertainment program Kitchen Cabinet on September 4.
The purpose of religious faith, Mr Abbott said, was to “assure people that it’s not entirely meaningless” and that “regardless of what happens, there will be some solace and comfort at some point”.
“I’m a pretty traditional Catholic, Annabel,” Mr Abbot said.
“I’m not an evangelical, a charismatic Christian, I’m not. I try to attend Mass. I certainly don’t get there every Sunday any more, I wish I did, but I don’t.
“Faith has certainly helped to shape my life but it doesn’t in any way determine my politics.”
In a pluralist democracy, there are numerous passionately-held views, he said, describing as “bizarre” the idea that anyone could make those private views mandatory.
“This is why I think that it is essential that someone of faith understands that while faith is a splendid thing in private life it can often be quite a misleading guide in public life,” he said.
Mr Abbott also provided intimate insight into his discernment as a 29-year-old, fourth-year seminarian, that he was not cut out for the priesthood.
During his schooling, the Jesuits had instilled him the idea that everyone was called to be “a man for others”. In his mid-20s, he thought the best way he could do that was to become a priest.
“I discovered pretty soon that I was a bit of a square peg in a round hole at the seminary. I persisted nevertheless for quite some time until eventually working out, I’m afraid I just didn’t have what it took to be an effective priest so I gave it away, probably to the great relief of the-then Archbishop of Sydney,” Mr Abbott said.
Asked if there was a particular moment of realisation, he nominated a discussion with a friend who told him he would not be able to make a planned catch-up the following week because he had to travel to the UK to sign a 1.5 billion pound deal.
“I was 29-years-old. I’d been the president of the [Student Representative Council] at Sydney University. I had degrees in economics and law. I’d been a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford.
“I thought, if he’s doing something like that, I am wasting my time writing 500 word essays on the Desert Fathers and I thought, at that moment, I’ve got to do something that’s a better use of the rest of my life… That was the moment.”
Mr Abbott said that he was much more “conscious of shades of grey” than he was 30 years ago but that his underlying values were very similar. He said he hoped he was less judgemental than he was as a young man.
“That’s one of the things about growing up. I think most things are understandable if you understand the reason why,” he said.
The interview was the second time in as many months Mr Abbott has explicitly addressed the question of religion at length.
On August 6, Mr Abbott addressed a largely-Muslim gathering in Libcombe, telling the crowd that Australia’s ethnic and religious diversity ought to be celebrated, saying he wanted everyone to become “stronger citizens”.
“I want to say to you that I am the sworn enemy… of anyone who seeks to divide Australian from Australian over things that can’t readily be changed. Over class, over gender, over birth place and particularly over faith.
“Our faith is special to us. And we have to respect the specialness of every person’s faith to that person. I believe that a good god smiles on all who sincerely seek the truth. I believe that religious faiths, all religious faiths seek to come to grips with the complexity of the human condition.”
“They help us, all of them help us, to come closer to being our best selves and to love and to care for others as we all know in our hearts we should,” Mr Abbott said.