AUSTRALIA
The Australian
FROM the time its founder walked the dusty lanes of the Middle East more than 2000 years ago, Christianity has been a religion of light and darkness.
Each Christmas and at Easter, it renews its promises of love, generosity, hope and, for those who accept its teachings, redemption. Forgiveness and atonement are also an intrinsic part of the Christian message, an acknowledgment that weakness of character, sinfulness and sometimes evil are part of the human condition. This Christmas, after years of appalling publicity over their mishandling of child sexual abuse, it is the mainstream Christian churches themselves, and other institutions, that have been forced to confront their failures and seek forgiveness from the wider society.
In the midst of one of its darkest hours, however, Christianity has again shown its resilience and capacity for renewal, with the emergence of Pope Francis as a popular figure on the world stage. For some within the Catholic fold, some of his more unpredictable statements and decisions have created unease, but in reaching out to atheists, non-Christians, homosexuals, prisoners, the disabled, the disfigured and those disenfranchised from his own faith with spontaneous gestures of compassion, he has won the respect and affection of many who previously had little, if any, time for the church. Prudently, the Pope has also accepted the advice of his group of eight cardinal advisers, including Australia’s George Pell, in establishing a Vatican commission to oversee and strengthen efforts to combat the sexual abuse of children by church personnel.
In Australia, the harrowing stories of many who have so far related their experiences to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse won’t be forgotten. With revelations to come, it is impossible to gloss over the issue during one of the two main Christian festivals of the year. While such crimes are more prevalent among families than in any other sphere, the betrayal of trust by those in positions of spiritual leadership has left many people deeply disillusioned.
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