Annoying update...

Father Frank Brennan, a Catholic priest and lawyer, brands the "anti-annoyance" laws a "dreadfull interference" with civil liberties. In a rather acute observation Father Brennan says that the laws are contrary to Catholic teaching (contained in Pacem In Terris an encyclical released by Pope John in 1963)on human rights. Father Brennan further says:

As an Australian Catholic lawyer, I am saddened that the state has seen fit to curtail civil liberties further in this instance than they have for other significant international events hosted in Sydney," he said.

The rights of free speech and assembly should not be curtailed only because visiting pilgrims might be annoyed or inconvenienced in public places.

This as it emerges that the Church has discussed the relevant laws with the NSW government and, so it seems, backs its stance.

It is a joke. The Church seems to have little idea what a mockery it makes of itself with this rubbish. Dr. John Sweeney, of the Edmund Rice Centre, observed that Jesus paid a rather hefty price for "free speech" and then pointedly observed the following:

It would rather be like Jesus calling for a police escort on Palm Sunday. Obviously, he wouldn't and when Jesus went into Jerusalem people yelled out things the religious leaders in their time didn't like and they rebuked Jesus and he said he couldn't quieten his supporters.

Amen.

The law is a joke. The Catholic Church in this country, by remaining mute, makes a mockery of its own teachings.

If power corrupts and ultimate power corruts ultimately, what then of "God-given" power?