The following transcription is a little easier to read:
My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
Secondly, I write to ask your co-operation with the appointed clergy of the parish during the Sacred Liturgy of the Mass. I understand that Masses at St. Vincent’s have sometimes been disrupted by people doing things without warrant in the liturgical rites and without permission of the clergy. I ask you please to ensure that this does not happen in the future, It is a matter for the Parish Priest, Pr Gerry, and his assistant, Fr Denis, to determine the style of the liturgies, placement of any liturgical furnishings, assistants at and near the altar and at communion time etc., in accordance with the liturgical norms.
I know that there are strong views and emotions around some of these matters. The Liturgy is not, however, the place to express such differences of opinion by defying the appointed celebrant of the Mass or the liturgical rites of the Church. The Mass should be the public demonstration of that unity which Christ prayed for at the Last Supper. Members of the congregation are of course always free to express their opinions in the usual way to their clergy or to attend Masses in other parishes more to their taste.
If there are further disruptions of the Mass I have directed Fr Gerry and Fr Denis to contact he Police and seek their assistance.
I want to thank your parish clergy for their generous service of the people of Redfern and entrust them to your care even as they care for you. With prayerful best wishes,
Most Reverend Anthony Fisher OP. DD BA LlB BTheol DPhil
Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney
‘Buruni’, 341 01d South Head Road, Watson’s Bay NSW 2030. AUSTRALIA
– Tel: (+61 2) 9337 2033 – Fax: (+61 2) 9337 2933 – afisher@sydney.catholic.org.au
One of the most striking things for me about Bishop Fishers letter was the contrast in addresses:
The people he was addressing: REDFERN
His location: WATSON’S BAY.
That in itself says something about his viewpoint, and indirectly, the viewpoint of the leaders of the Archdiocese.
Br Sean McManus
Melbourne, but who had the privilege of being a guest in Redfern parish around the time of the Bicentenary and of working for a week with Mum Shirl.
I find it even more striking that you think you have more of a right to comment when you were a mere visitor and Bishop Fisher was moved to Sydney to do a job and because he was doing it you had an issue with it?
Would you have the same issue of a doctor viewing a patients records for a college who’s practice was on the other side of the city if he was asked to make an analysis and acted on it? I think not.
After re-reading your comment over and over again I can’t really see what you are trying to say exactly?
Is it that his letter contained authodoxy Brother? Was the real reason that you were struck not that he was actually being obedient to Mother Church?
Loogle, actually living in Perth, moved from Melbourne originally from Brisbane, hang on should I be commenting.
Ah clearly