Archbishop of Sydney Warns of 'Law War' against Christians
Speaking to CatholicNewsAgency.com (10 June), Fisher pointed to the instrumentalisation of the legal system to harm the enemy ("lawfare") and "many other examples of legislative or policy moves in our federal and state governments that are hostile to religion".
The pace has accelerated markedly in recent years, with the regime even targeting silent prayer in public.
"When we look at life issues, in recent years we have seen the complete decriminalisation of abortion, with some states requiring medical professionals with conscientious objections to refer a patient to an abortion provider anyway."
Abortion has been given "special protection, with even silent prayer within 500 feet [150 meters] of an abortion clinic now a crime in many states".
"At the other end of life, euthanasia has also been legalised, and while doctors are not required to participate in euthanasia and assisted suicide, Catholic nursing homes in three states are required to host on-site death teams to provide lethal drugs to a patient."
Pointing to the regime's forced takeover of the Catholic-run Calvary Hospital in Canberra in 2023, Fisher described the case as the most blatant interference with the Church's mission in recent times.
In Australia, one in five students attends Catholic schools, but so-called "anti-discrimination" [=anti-religion] laws are being used to prevent them "from operating in accordance with the Catholic ethos". This affects their ability to employ staff and present Catholic teaching without reservation.
In addition, there have been recent bureaucratic recommendations such as stripping religious institutions of their charitable status. This would devastate the Church's ability to provide educational, health and social services.
Picture: Anthony Fisher, Facebook.com, #newsVuljlqdtdi