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LETTERS: Market-Place readers have their say
By Market Place
February 13, 2008
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Market-Place readers are invited to respond to articles and raise new issues of concern through the ‘Letters’ page.
By Market Place
February 13, 2008
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Market-Place readers are invited to respond to articles and raise new issues of concern through the ‘Letters’ page.
* Article's innaccuracies ...
* Article's misconceptions ...
* Signs of irritation ...
* Where's the violence? ...
* Earthiness and humour ...
Article's innaccuracies
Dear Editor,
Louise Greentree's article 'Confusing abuse with misconduct' (Market-Place Dec 07) refers to a "recent real case". Regrettably the facts as described in the article contain so many inaccuracies as to be misleading.
I believe that "disguised to protect identities" could have become 'twisted and manipulated to make a particular point'.
The problem for Professional Standards Directors is that confidentiality often prevents the correction of such distortions.
Those who are responsible for drafting or administering Church procedures are always glad to debate whether the rules of the Church are appropriate and fair.
However, in my view, it is not helpful to attempt to air the merits of particular cases where not all sides of the story can be told (Proverbs 18:17).
One error can be clarified. The suggestion that a person who is not a Respondent (such as the "young woman" allegedly "at the heart of the accusation") could some how end up on the National Register is just plain wrong.
Yours faithfully,
Philip Gerber LL.M., M.Crim.
Professional Standards Director
Anglican Church Sydney
Article's misconceptions
Dear Sir,
I refer to the article 'Confusing abuse with misconduct' by Louise Greentree (Market-Place, 12 December 2007). Ms Greentree believes that in establishing the National Register the National Church is confusing the protection of children from abuse (which she says is the function of the State criminal system) with personal sexual misconduct that is not unlawful but is against the Code of Conduct (which she says equates the personal misconduct of the ordinary parishioner to an offence instead of a simple pastoral issue, or a crime instead of a sin).
Ms Greentree's article contains a number of misconceptions. The Anglican Church is in no different position to all other organisations in providing services to children.
It has a duty to protect those children from the risk of abuse. Apart from endangering children, it would expose the Church to legal liability not to have in place a system that will enable those making appointments to have access to current, accurate and relevant information. Leaving the protection of children from abuse to the State is not an option.
The National Register legislation was a passed in the context that a great deal of ministry in the Anglican Church is undertaken by lay persons. It is for this reason that Faithfulness in Service, the National Code of Conduct, applies to both clergy and church workers; however, it does not apply to "an ordinary parishioner".
There are various types of personal misconduct which, while not unlawful and against the Code of Conduct, cannot be categorised as "a simple pastoral issue." One example is where a member of the clergy or church worker engages in consensual sexual activity with a child over the age of 16 years or an adult where there is a pastoral relationship. This is sexual exploitation and an abuse of the pastoral relationship.
Information of the type that will be entered its the national Register currently exists and is disclosed in an informal manner that lacks transparency and accountability.
The word "blacklist
If information of this type had been available in the past, some cases of abuse in the church would have been prevented.
The National Register legislation contains stringent safeguards to prevent information from being used for an improper purpose. One safeguard is the removal of information where a complaint of sexual misconduct or child abuse is determined to be false, vexatious or misconceived, or is found not to have occurred.
The Professional Standards Commission will be monitoring the implementation of the National Register to ensure that it fulfils its object "to assist in providing for the physical, emotional and spiritual welfare and safety, and the protection from the risk of abuse, of all people having dealings with clergy and church workers."
Yours faithfully
Garth Blake S.C.
Chairperson, Professional Standards Commission
Signs of irritation
Dear Sir,
As an Anglican living in Sydney, I am frequently irritated by the pseudo-amusing posters that regularly appear outside our churches.
The current offering is "This church is not full of hypocrites...th
I find this bewilderingly offensive and have to wonder just who is expected to be attracted by such a message.
Of course this may explain a lot about some of our current leadership.
Mary Purnell
Revesby, NSW
Where's the violence?
Dear Sir,
Stuart Lawson's letter describing as a form of 'violence against women' my argument that women should not perform the ritual part of the Eucharist is surely a fanciful exaggeration (Market Place, December 2007).
The ritual of the Eucharist (viz 'He took bread, blessed it, broke it, gave it' etc) needs bread and wine to represent the elements of the original Supper, just as a male priest is needed to represent the male Christ. No violence against women is being advocated.
All other parts of the service of Holy Communion can be conducted by women.
Mr Lawson's other point, that the maleness of the original twelve apostles is no argument for exclusive male participation in the Eucharist, has been accepted for most of the last 2000 years. The twelve were also Jews, and the church has no more restricted communion to males any more than it has to Jews.
Still, I am grateful to Stuart for opening up these lines of argument, although I cannot accept them.
David Wetherell
Hon. Fellow in History
Deakin University, VIC
Earthiness and humour
Dear Editor,
The December Market Place was another exciting and far reaching edition.
What with Sentamu's collar cutting; Schori facing a forced march to depose a brother bishop; and an HSC student (NSW) explaining the Christian understanding of marriage in an exam with this answer, "Sexual intercourse may not be performed once the marital ceremony is completed"
These and a dozen other issues encourage readers to grapple with the earthiness and humour of the 'pneuma' market place where Jesus is.
Nevertheless the most valuable article for St Stephen's Gardenvale was Peter Burke's page on The Mission-Shaped Op Shop ( p.11).
Spontaneously the Parish Secretary photocopied and laminated two copies and placed one in the Narthex notice board and arranged with the manager of the Op Shop attending the 9.30am Eucharist for the installation of the other one when it opened.
There were about a dozen Op Shop volunteers in attendance that Sunday morning and all were delighted and affirmed by Peter Burke's valuable and clear demonstration of a significant Christian interface with the community outside a church building and not on a Sunday.
I see in your footnote he works under the Anglicare umbrella of South Australia. It would be helpful to know if this is also a general policy of Anglicare in other states, because Op Shops are big business all over Australia and have multi functional appeal, as both the Salvos, the Brotherhood and St Vincents know.
David Chambers
(Former Archdeacon and Consultant in Community and Welfare, Melbourne)
Woodend, VIC
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LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:
Market-Place readers are invited to respond to articles and raise new issues of concern through the ‘Letters' page. Letters of 250 words or less will be given preference. Letters will edited for clarity or space unless otherwise specified. Name, address and a contact phone number (for verification only) must be supplied.
Letters may be sent to :
market@ix.net.a