Last week, the Australian Capital Territory’s overlords announced their plan to strip Calvary Hospital – an establishment of the Sisters of the Little Company of Mary – of its Catholic ownership in favour of the non-faith-based agency Canberra Health Services. The rationale, though unstated, is, nonetheless, sufficiently clear: the hospital’s refusal to procure abortions and its opposition to euthanasia legislation symbolises a public rejection of the sacramental liberalism.
It is a decision which has sparked major uproar within Catholic and conservative circles. Former prime minister Tony Abbott criticised the move in no uncertain terms: “Quite apart from being evidence of overbearing and arrogant government this looks like yet another assault on the Church.” Federal leader of the Liberal Party Peter Dutton also weighed in, calling it an ideological attack on religion. Meanwhile, Catholic leaders have pledged to fight the proposal, vowing that the Church “will not be lying down”.
