The Catholic Archbishop of Sydney, Anthony Fisher, has delivered a sermon saying the state has not right to tell people who they can love, and should “stay out of the bedroom”.

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Delivering his homily to parishioners at Sydney’s St Mary’s Cathedral the Archbishop said that while there were many kinds of friendship, the only one the government should be recognising formally was heterosexual marriage.

The Archbishop said there were many other kinds of friendships; “and we are right in general to honour these, but the state has no business telling us who we should love, and how, sexually or otherwise, and for how long, let alone for life, to be validating, registering, upholding or divorcing those relationships.”

“Governments should in general keep out of the friendship business, and out of the bedroom.” Archbishop Fisher said. “The only kind of friendship the state has a proper interest in recognising and regulating is heterosexual marriage – because that’s what leads to children.”

Archbishop Fisher said there was a real possibility that allowing same sex marriage would lead to people losing their jobs for simply holding a belief.

“If overseas experience is anything to go by, if marriage is redefined it will be very hard to speak up for real marriage anymore — in schools, at work, socially,” he said.

“Traditional believers will be vulnerable to discrimination suits and other kinds of bullying for their beliefs. Some may lose their jobs, promotions, businesses, political careers.”

OIP Staff

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