Archbishop of Sydney

Christmas 2001

By + George Pell
ARCHBISHOP OF SYDNEY
16 December 2001

This feast of Christmas is a reminder that Christianity is not just about good and evil. Most people no longer believe that Christians are primarily interested in prohibitions or limits on sexual behaviour. But some can still think that the Church is useful only to give youngsters some grounding in right and wrong, or to remind politicians about the need for social justice, or to educate public opinion.

More important than morals is the search for meaning; deciding or recognising what is the point or purpose of our existence. Believers call this faith or belief. A Christian is not a good person, because many types are good. A Christian believes in Christ and should be good. Some Christians, genuine believers, are bad.

Pagans are those who do not believe in the one true God. Ancient pagans often believed in many gods, sometimes cruel, often capricious. The new pagans do not believe in any god, thinking that the cosmos is a gigantic fluke, that humans are a bit like froth on a wave.

All this is not the Christian story, because Christians have a number of strange and wonderful beliefs. We not only believe that there is a Supreme Intelligence governing creation and sustaining the universe, but that this Invisible, all powerful Creator is more Love than Intelligence; that this unique God, the mover and judge of evolution and history, is well disposed towards each one of us, especially if we are in trouble.

So well disposed that He sent his Son, the Eternal Word, to come among us as a young baby, born in a stable in Bethlehem over 2000 years ago.

This is a fantastic claim. To accept it is to be like a blind person seeing the light for the first time. The Christian task is to tell others of God's love, and point them to the simple challenging life of Jesus.

So ours is not a safe secular Christmas, a kindly festival of gifts and goodwill for the children, which temporarily creates a dream world, where problems and sickness and strife are put to one side. We believe that the Christ child grew up to be a great man, teacher and healer, who redeemed us; set us on the path which brings human fulfilment.

Seventy percent of Australians are Christians and there is very little anti-Christian sentiment. All groups are accorded religious freedom.

It is therefore a great pity that so few Christians choose to use Christian symbols for their Christmas decorations. A am not against giving, much less receiving gifts. Indeed to give is deeply Christian. A am not even opposed to Father Christmas, although a think he only became popular about the 1920s, after a Coca Cola advertising campaign. A can understand non-Christians using only holly and reindeers.

But why do Christians avoid the crib with Mary and the Christ Child in their business advertising?

In the Philippines you would never think Santa was the main person at Christmas; Mary and Jesus have central billing there.

a wonder what our Christmas decorations tell us about our Christianity in Australia.