OCEANIA/AUSTRALIA - “World Youth Day will be a great opportunity and a response to the youth’s interrogatives” - Interview with Cardinal George Pell, Archbishop of Sydney, as he prepares to welcome the world’s youth

Thursday, 10 July 2008

Sydney (Agenzia Fides) – “In my country, the Church is having to face different situations and issues,” said Cardinal George Pell, Archbishop of Sydney, the host city of World Youth Day 2008, in explaining the situation of the Church in Australia, in an interview he granted Agenzia Fides. The Cardinal added, “Regarding religious practice, right now there is definitely a higher rate among the elderly, although there are movements that are growing. Among these, I could name the practice of the Way of the Cross, that has shown a growing participation among the youth in all the dioceses. They are signs that give us reason to hope.” Cardinal Pell’s interview forms a part of the Dossier on Australia that will be published in Italian on Saturday, July 12 by Agenzia Fides.

How are priestly vocations doing?

It depends on each diocese. In the Archdiocese of Sydney, we have 50 seminarians – a number that is fairly proportionate to our pastoral needs. In addition, in the seminaries of Melbourne and Wagga Wagga, there is a satisfactory number of members. Among the religious, however, there has been a decline. I think that is where it becomes evident that there is a difficult situation. There is also a high number of lay young people that decide to dedicate several years of their lives to the service of the Church. We have a large number of volunteers.

How are you responding to secularization?

Australia has many of the same problems as the other Westernized, wealthy, and developed countries. In response to secularization, we have placed our greatest efforts in improving our education system. 20% of Australia’s youth attend Catholic schools. I have tried my best to make sure that the youth have chaplains in their universities, to have them available and be able to talk with them. I have also replaced the religion class textbooks at all school levels, from elementary school to high school. I believe that the response is necessarily found in the education of the future generations. In this sense also, World Youth Day in Sydney will be a great opportunity and a response to the youth’s interrogatives.

Australia was a missionary territory for centuries. Today, what is its missionary
contribution to the world?

We have nearly 300 Australian missionaries on foreign missions. In the past, we had more, especially thanks to the religious in New Guinea, the Pacific Islands, and Asia. Among the most active missionaries have been the Irish Christian Brothers, now present mostly in Africa, carrying out a great service.

How do the Church and the State treat the issue of the aborigines?

26% of aborigines are Catholic, so they are our brothers and form an integral part of the Church. The Church has always been aware of their situation and has often defended them from the attacks of society and even from the State. Today the situation continues to be a difficult one, but we are trying to work for them just the same. The problem is not so much poverty as a lack of integration in the Australian culture. This leads to high levels in problems such as drug addiction, alcoholism, and pornography. In this sense, I should mention the fact that we also receive quite a bit of support from the Anglican Church and other Protestant communities.

What is expected to come out of WYD in Sydney?

I hope that the faith of our youth and of all the youth of the world will be strengthened and that they may recognize Christ as the center of their life. (AM) (Agenzia Fides 10/07/2008)


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