Archbishop Anthony Fisher outraged over 'provocative' use of Sydney cathedral in LGBT concert ads
The City of Sydney ordered the removal of an image of St Mary's Cathedral from advertising of an LGBT concert after Sydney's Catholic Archbishop described it as "frustrating and upsetting".
Key points:
- The City of Sydney said the cathedral had now been removed from advertising imagery
- Archbishop Anthony Fisher said he was "frustrated" the church had been used to promote a LGBT event
- Lord Mayor Clover Moore said there was no place for hate or intolerance in Sydney
Events group Heaps Gay will stage a "Live and Queer" variety show on Saturday night in the St Mary's Cathedral forecourt as part of an outdoor performance series being run by the council.
In a Facebook post yesterday, Archbishop Anthony Fisher wrote that because Cathedral Square was council land, "the decision about the content of the concert and its advertising is unfortunately not ours to make".
"We have asked City of Sydney that the Cathedral image be removed from the advertising," he wrote.
"It is frustrating and upsetting that St Mary's Cathedral, the mother church of Australia, has been used so provocatively to promote this event and such little sensitivity shown to people of faith.
"In this great season of Lent, we need to pray to ask the Lord that in our great and 'tolerant' city of Sydney, that religious belief will be respected and protected and that we will all rediscover an appreciation for what is sacred."
A City of Sydney spokesperson confirmed on Wednesday night that advertising material using the cathedral image had been removed to "avoid any confusion".
The spokesperson defended the council's decision to stage the concert series, which they said would help support Sydney's economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
"In the lead-up and throughout the staging of the Sunset Piazza concert series, the City consulted and liaised closely with St Mary's Cathedral representatives," the spokesperson said.
St Mary's Cathedral is considered the "spiritual home" of Sydney's Catholic community and it stands on the site of the first Catholic Chapel in Australia.
On its website, the church is described as a "welcoming place of reflection ... for members of the diocese and visitors from throughout Australia and the world at large".
Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore said Sydney prided itself on diversity and inclusion.
"There is no place for hate, intolerance or the sowing of division," she said.
"We have made great strides toward equality, but it is sadly clear there is much work left to ensure LBGTI communities live free from discrimination."
Archbishop Fisher urged parishioners to vote "no" in the same-sex marriage postal survey in 2017, arguing it would "deconstruct" marriage and family in Australia.
He has also denounced same-sex couples as parents and claimed it is best for children to have a mother and a father.
The office of the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney and Heaps Gay were approached for comment.