Archbishop of Sydney

On the occasion of the Solemn Mass and Liturgical Reception
as Eighth Archbishop of Sydney

Saint Mary's Basilica, Sydney

By + George Pell
ARCHBISHOP OF SYDNEY
10 May 2001

Tonight we are in the birthplace of the church in Australia. The first bishop for any church in Australia was installed here. He was John Bede Polding, shortly afterwards the Archbishop of Sydney. The first bishop in a young church, in a new land, on an ancient continent. With Polding a fresh branch of the apostolic succession was created and tonight is renewed.

In Australia the 166 years since the coming of Polding seem a long time a our nation is only this year celebrating the Centenary of Federation. Our calendar which marks time from Our Lord's birth tells a different story a 2000 years is a long time even in the history of monotheism, which originates with our Father in Faith, Abraham, 1900 years before Christ himself.

As we pray tonight for God's continued blessing on this archdiocese and on my office of worship, service and leadership as the eighth archbishop, the three historical reference points remind us of the brief period of time allotted to each one of us in the swift succession of the generations.

Tonight therefore, I ask you, the people of Sydney, not only for your support and friendship, but also for your constant prayers so that together we may discern and follow the Holy Spirit and seize our opportunities to consolidate and expand the Kingdom of God among us, building on what we have received from the past. At this point, may I thank my predecessor, Cardinal Edward Clancy, and commend him for his splendid contribution to building up the Body of Christ here in Sydney and in the wider Church.

Opportunities abound in many different areas. For as long as we have been on this continent, the Catholic Church has embraced these opportunities for service and helped construct the social capital, the fund of decency, at the core of Australian life. A central part of that core has been a multitude of lay faithful, married and single, who have lived out their baptismal promises in the love of Christ. A central challenge that still remains is reconciliation with the original inhabitants.

Most Australians do not enjoy the steady rainfall we receive in Sydney. Much of our continent is dry, so we Australians understand the imageryof water, its life-giving power. Like the early Christianswe understand what is being claimed of the streams of crystal clear water issuing from the throne of the Lamb to nourish the tree of life.

For over two hundred years the different Christian traditionshave watered the heartlands of Australian life, served the battlers, built communities, brought compassion to the suffering. It matters little whether the Catholic community isbest compared to the Murray or the Murrumbidgee or the Darling River, but we are a river, a source of life, beside the other Christian rivers.

Our task is to ensure that these spiritual waters continue to run strong and deep; that the source is not blocked;that the flow does not fall awayto a trickle; that the water does not turn sour and brackish; that not too much is lost into billabongs, closed backwaters without escape, where the water can only eddy in circles, as it evaporates or seeps into the sand.

Contrary to some claims, the Catholic Church is not about power and prestige, but about worship and service. We are more than a service club; certainly not a political party.

We are a community of individuals and families, united in worship around the one true God and the Lamb, the scriptural term used to describe the Son of God, who wasborn of Mary the Virgin, who died to redeem us and rose again as our personal Saviour.

Our source of grace, of the spiritual energy, which, for example, inspired more martyrs to give their lives for the Faith last century than in any other century, is Jesus of Nazareth, incarnate Son of God,who was born in a stable in Bethlehem, refugee in Egypt, missingin the Temple as a teenager, hidden from history until he began his three year ministry as a teacher and healer of sins and sickness; who wept over Jerusalem, condemned the hypocrites and exploiters, consoled the women on the way to Calvaryand was helped by a stranger, Simon of Cyrene.He is our model. He isour Messiah. Loved by many, followed by some, hated by a few, he was crucified, buried and rose again. We call this man-God, Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour.

It is our sacred dutyto hand on this torchof Faith, this sustaining conviction of the centrality of Jesus Christ to allpeople young and old. This Faith we offer to the wider community, where the collapse of denominational prejudice offers new opportunities as many seekfor meaning and a sense of direction in their lives.

Allcultures have struggled to approach and to reverence the Transcendent, which has moulded human development in a bewildering variety of ways. But for Christians the first commandment will always be to love God, that eternal Mystery of Love, Beauty and Truth, ever ancient and ever new. The good God and his only Son must notbe shunted from centre stage by any human good or activity; not by life issues, or family or social justice work or inter-religious dialogue.

It ishere we have our central challenge. The most significant religious change in Australia over the last fifty years is the increase of people without religion, now about one-fifth of the population; more among young people.

All monotheists, Christians and Jews, Moslems and Sikhs, mustlabour to reverse this. We must not allow the situation to deteriorate as it had in Elijah's time, 850 years before Christ, where monotheism was nearly swamped by an aggressive paganism, by the followers of Baal.

Please God this challenge will be answered in many ways among ourlay faithful and religious orders. We know the HolySpirit will continueto flow where Hewills, but one constant in all Catholic history is the need for priests, for vocations to the ministerial priesthood. Our Lordhimself appointed the twelve, called forth the shepherds, the fishers of men. St Paul underlinedthe importance of ambassadors for Christ.Without priests our parishes will wither and die.

These stark realities should not be hidden from young Catholics, from young parents. A priestless parish is a contradiction in terms, because there is no parish without the sacraments, without baptism, eucharist, reconciliation. We should pray tonight that in the years ahead a sufficient number of young men will be on a wavelength that enables them to hear Christ'scall to the priesthood, to join those gallant priests expending themselves in faithful service and prayer in the Archdiocese and elsewhere.

Let me turn now to our Gospel reading; not a passage chosen for the installation of every bishop! It illuminates a significant area ofChristian moral struggle, personally and communally.

Christian teaching on sexuality is only one part of the Ten Commandments, of the virtues and vices, but it is essential for human wellbeing and especially for the proper flourishing of marriages and families, for the continuity of the human race.

In contrast with these scripturalperspectives, one or two local writers seem to suggest that sin is a recent Sydney invention; "Sin City" or "Tinsel Town"has a contemporarylocal resonance! However, human weakness also flourishes in other parts of Australia and the beautiful passage from StJohn's Gospel reminds us that human perfidy is as old as the Garden of Eden. To a greater or lesser extent we all bear the markof Cain; we all need a Redeemer, and Christian compassion encompasses every group of persons, especially those trapped in prisons not of their choosing.

Any genuine religion has two important moral tasks;firstly, to present norms and ideals, goals for our striving; and secondly, to offer aids for our weakness, forgiveness and healing for every wrong doerand sinner who repents and seeks forgiveness.

This Gospelpassage demonstratesthese criteria.It represents a supreme teaching moment, highlightingthe delicate balance between Our Lord'sjustice in not condoning the sin and his mercy in forgiving the sinner.

Unresolved questions cloudthe incident.Why did the mob bring the woman to Jesus? It was probably a trap, where they hoped to accuse him of harshness and cruelty if he went one way, or of breaking the Mosaic Law if he was kind.

Had a vengeful husband set up the incident and the witnesses?What did Jesus write in the sand?The best known tradition isthat Jesus wrotethe sins of the would-be executioners; another that he exposed the husband's role in the incident.

Whatever of that, her accusers fledone by one and Jesus was left alone with this fearful, wretched woman. There was no one to condemn her; certainly Jesus did not.But he did not praise her nor endorse her way of life.Instead, he urged her quietly, "Go and sin no more".

Spiritual integritycan always be regained by repentance; God would always wipe the slate clean for genuine sorrow and amendment, even for the men determined to executeher.

The Church at her best has always struggled, however imperfectly,to diminish fear. Especially today it is fear, not doubt, which is the polaropposite of Faith.

The widow in Elijah's story conquered her fear of dying and took that further step to give from the little she had for herself and her son. Her faith and generosity prefigure Mary, the mother of Jesus. This cathedral is under her patronage and only last week we Catholic bishops rededicated Australia to her protection.FromMary, Help of Christians, Patron of Australia, I ask for special help as I begin my work as Archbishop of Sydney.

God is good. We are destined for heaven. Suffering can be transformed and occasionally bested.Christ will come again in glory.All shall be well. All manner of things shall be well.

This is the Christian message to our world, as it has been for two thousand years.

As eighth Archbishop of Sydney I rededicate myself tonight to believe, live and teach these simple, beautiful truths.So help me God.