Archbishop of Sydney

His Eminence,
Cardinal George Pell
Cardinal Priest of the Title of S. Maria Domenica Mazzarello

See also:

See also: About the Archdiocese


Home > Our Archbishop > Sunday Telegraph Column 2002 > Article	Printable Version

Anzac Day 2002

By + George Pell
ARCHBISHOP OF SYDNEY
28 April 2002

ANZAC Day is our most important national day. Historically it was a major source of national identity for the new Federation of Australia which had only come into being in 1901. After the First World War those in Australia with English blood, Scottish, Irish and Welsh blood were welded together by a common suffering into a new level of unity. This national feast day deepened in significance during the Second World War which witnessed a titanic struggle against the forces of evil in which the defenders of freedom, the Allies, emerged victorious. Of course many, many people today have no personal memory of that great struggle.

What are we doing on every ANZAC Day? Are we glorifying war? We are doing nothing of the sort. Catholics and all Christians are opposed to war, as we should be opposed to adultery. Few, if any groups, are as opposed to war as ex-servicemen because they know first-hand of the sufferings of body and mind which accompany and follow these terrible struggles.

Once in a while we hear of people espousing peace at any cost, people unable to think of any cause for which they would die. There have been Christian pacifists, heroic Christian pacifists, but it is not my option. From the earliest years the Christian tradition has recognised the right to self-defence. It is completely true that without the people who were prepared to risk their lives, in fact to give their lives for us, especially in the Second World War, we would not have our freedom today.

ANZAC mythology is close to the Christian teaching on redemptive suffering and redemption even through human failure. There was no medal struck for Gallipoli because it is not a British tradition to strike medals for defeats. Yet in some ways defeats are at the centre of Australian mythology. First of all and pre-eminently Gallipoli, but even events like the Eureka Stockade and more controversial topics like Ned Kelly. Christians believe that unless the grain of wheat dies there is no harvest.

War is always a cancer but like cancer war can sometimes produce heroism and remarkable self-sacrifice. Until we have equalled for a better cause the enthusiasm and the sacrifice of those men and women who died to defend us, we certainly have no right at all to disparage their achievement or to deny our debt to them. So I believe that whether we are young or old, whether we might be tempted to be a war monger or a pacifist, patriot, nationalist or self-seeking cynic, this epitaph on the cliff-face at Gallipoli is still correct:

Bow and listen. This is where an age sank.

This quiet mound is where the heart of a nation throbs.

Many years ago I was preparing to celebrate a Mass for ANZAC Day and was talking with the young altar servers. One of them said to me, "Father, I don't think I could hack a war". It was an honest and beautiful comment. My prayer on every ANZAC Day is that young Australians will never again have to die for our country. I am not sure this prayer will be answered.