Shepherds Protect Your Flock!

Note: If you would like to promote this petition in hard copy, please contact us at [email protected]

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We, the undersigned Australian Catholics, profess loyalty to our Holy Mother the Church, to the Vicar of Christ Pope Benedict XVI, and to the Australian episcopacy as it strives to build up the Body of Christ.

We acknowledge that there is a drastic shortage of priests and religious serving the Catholic Church in Australia.

We submit that this stems predominantly from a systemic undermining by dissidents, over several decades, of Catholic principles in the areas of theology, philosophy, spirituality, liturgy and catechetics.

We deplore those efforts of dissident or poorly catechised Catholics to suggest the ordination of women as a solution to the current crisis in ministry. Such open defiance of the magisterium is scandalous and demoralising. We request of you at this time a strong reaffirmation that the Church "has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women and that this judgement is to be definitively held by all the Churchs faithful." ( Ordinatio Sacerdotalis )

We believe that, rather than resort to superficial and bogus measures, the only effective way to respond to this crisis is to attack its root cause. We urge the prompt removal of dissident Catholics from positions of influence in Catholic institutions across the nation, and their replacement with suitably qualified men and women of faith.

We note as a 'sign of the times' that vocations to the priesthood and religious life are languishing in those institutions which have compromised their Catholicity, whereas vocations are flourishing in authentically Catholic institutions in Australia and worldwide.

Sincerely yours,