REPORT TO THE BIENNIAL CONFERENCE Ecumenical Commission Archdiocese of Hobart Ecumenism and Interfaith Relationships in Tasmania Although Tasmania does not have a large interfaith community, there is some interaction between the various faith communities. The Christians interaction with other religious groups has tended to be on an individual rather than a representative basis, because of the difficulties that some churches/individuals have with dealing with non-christian groups. Considerable ecumenical dialogue and interaction takes place between the Christian Churches, through the Tasmanian Council of Churches and local Ministers' Fraternal groups. Jewish community Since the early days of settlement, there has been a small Jewish community in Tasmania. Its members were scattered throughout the State but centred at different periods in either Hobart or Launceston. In fact, the Hobart synagogue is listed as the oldest National Synagogue and there is also one in Launceston, though at times one or other has been closed, depending on the location of the members. When there have been insufficient male members to reach a quorum of twelve, as required for a resident rabbi, a rabbi has visited from Melbourne on a monthly basis. Islamic community The Islamic community has been strong in Hobart since the early 1970 s, having its original base among students at the University of Tasmania, but extending now beyond the University. A similar situation exists in the north of the state, where currently in Launceston there is an Islamic community of about fifty residents and students. The community in Launceston is somewhat transient, as it is drawn mainly from international students at the University of Tasmania and the Australian Maritime College. Hindu people Residents of Indian or Fijian background are either Christian or Hindu, but as this group is small, and mainly associated with the tertiary education institutions, there are few Hindus in Tasmania. Buddhist faith In the early days of settlement in Tasmania, there were some Chinese immigrants who established a small Buddhist community in Launceston. In 2002, a group of Buddhist monks came to Launceston and have purchased a former Uniting Church to use as a meditation centre. It is open daily for a short period mornings and evenings for this purpose. Among people searching for spirituality, there seems to be some interest in Buddhism as a form of prayer and meditation. In Hobart, a group of Buddhists is active in the Sandy Bay area. Some of these have connections with students at the University, but 1
the Buddhist community extends well beyond the University and includes a number of western Buddhists. Other groups The Bahai faith has attracted a number of people who promote peace and non-violence. Recently, the Bahai group in Hobart invited the President of the Tasmanian Council of Churches to read a scripture passage at a Bahai gathering on peace. Various groups have been concerned with issues such as refugees, reconciliation or peace The former General Secretary of the Tasmanian Council of Churches was active in the local branch of the World Conference on Religion and Peace, and other members of the Council and Catholic Commission also attended a number of their meetings. A number of other community churches, mostly Christian in basis, have commenced in the past few years. Lifestyle and practices seem to be the attraction to some these groups, rather than a strong doctrinal or theological basis. Orthodox Christians The Greek Orthodox Church is located in Hobart and is part of the Melbourne Diocese. Recently, two Russian Orthodox priests have established offices in Tasmania, but there are very few Russian people in Tasmania. Christian Churches Tasmania s early religious history was marked by bigotry and division, partly due to the political and civic situation that prevailed. The Tasmanian Council of Churches was established over fifty years ago, at a time when a new vision of Christian Unity was emerging, following the formation of the World Council of Churches. The Tasmanian Council is an autonomous body, but it has strong links with the National Council of Churches in Australia. Much hard work and effort by a number of key people has resulted in an active Council encompassing the majority of the mainstream Christian Churches. The Lund Principle, which urged Christians to "act together in all matters except those in which deep differences of conviction compel them to act separately", has given direction to both the Tasmanian Council of Churches and the Catholic Ecumenical Commission. Accordingly, most of the work of the Tasmanian Catholic Ecumenical Commission is done through participation in the Council of Churches, its executive and commissions. For the past two and a half years, a member of the Catholic Commission has been the President of the Tasmanian Council of Churches. Other Commission members are executive members and Catholic members hold active, key roles in the various commissions and networks. Some of the areas where active collaboration occurs include the following: 2
Christian Education in State Schools The Commission on Christian Religious Education in State Schools fosters ecumenical religious education activity in Tasmanian State Schools. The work is coordinated by Sr Barbara Hately, who is on secondment from the Catholic Education Office to carry out this role and to assist in the training and accreditation of the voluntary teachers. The commission has also established and oversees Chaplaincies in Secondary Schools and Colleges. The TCC, through this Commission, plays a vital role in facilitating the acceptance by the Tasmanian Education Department of these forms of religious activity in schools. Theology The Commission on Ecumenical Spirituality, Theology and Education provides a forum for representatives of the Churches to reflect on doctrinal matters to seek understanding and reconciliation. The group is under review and is likely to operate on a regional basis in future to widen the opportunity for input and discussion. The group also promotes theological educational opportunities for Tasmanian Christian. Pastoral Care and Welfare For some time now, the main welfare agencies (Centacare, Anglicare, Salvation Army and City Mission) have worked together in an attempt to rationalise resources. For example, financial counselling is undertaken by Anglicare, while Centacare operates employment services. Currently, the member churches of the TCC are involved in the Decade to Overcome Violence. In the event of a major disaster, the State Government Community Recovery Committee has indicated that it prefers to deal with a coordinated church body. Accordingly, the TCC formally recognised the Catholic Diocesan Emergency Response and Recovery Committee as its voice in the Tasmanian emergency area. Australian Church Women is a body that promote cooperation, understanding and reconciliation between men and women and provide opportunities for sharing worship and service. The group is an associated body of the TCC and has links with the Catholic Women s League. The Industrial Chaplaincy body, ITIM, is associated with the TCC and has some Catholic members. Ecumenical support groups exist among various chaplaincy bodies (e.g. the Health and Welfare Chaplains). There are also groups supporting Seafarers; some of these are denominational, but others, such as the Mission to Seafarers at Bell Bay, operate on an ecumenical basis. In country and isolated areas, such as King Island, Flinders Island and the East and West Coasts, ecumenical collaboration is important. Pastoral workers are very much part of all local community activities, including ministry to the sick, dying and bereaved and the conduct of funeral services. Services, such as ANZAC Day services, are usually ecumenical. 3
Prayer and retreat opportunities In March each year, ecumenical services are held throughout the State to commemorate the World Day of Prayer. Various parishes also combine for services during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity in June. The various Catholic Prayer and Retreat Houses around the State (Maryknoll Blackman s Bay; Loculus Collinsvale; Emmanuel Newstead and McKillop Hill - Forth) offer opportunities for a variety of group or individual spiritual experiences, some of which are ecumenical, while others are denominationally-based. The Quakers have also recently opened a House that is available for use by individuals or groups. In December, four local Churches from the West Tamar Parish, supported by Fusion Australia, staged an Advent Pageant through the streets of Beaconsfield. An outdoor Ecumenical Way of the Cross was held on Good Friday, incorporating people from Bellerive, Rokeby, Lindisfarne and Risdon Vale an extensive area covering several large eastern Shore parishes in Hobart. Exploration of key issues The Commission on the Gospel and Human Relationships conducts public forums each year to facilitate reflection on issues relating to gender, human sexuality, bioethics and general ethical behaviour. This year s topic was Stewardship: The Use and Abuse of Resources and Means, while the 2002 topic was Punishment. The Commission also held discussions with an Iman from the local Islamic community on the topic of intercultural/inter-faith marriages. Justice issues Commission on World Justice and Development promotes activities and programmes for justice and development, including the Christmas Bowl and ForceTen. Justice issues, local, national and international, are also explored through the Social Justice Network (which links with the Catholic Archdiocesan Social Justice Commission) and the Reconciliation Network. Preparations are underway for the celebration of the bicentenary of white settlement in Tasmania and efforts are being made to ensure that such celebrations are sensitive to the original custodians of our island. Tasmania continues to receive refugees, particularly from the Sudan and other parts of Africa, with more than 300 expected this year. Approximately 15 church groups are supporting these refugees and assisting them in the settlement process. Jane Franklin Hall For many years, Jane Franklin Hall has operated under the auspices of the TCC as an independent Residential College of the University of Tasmania in Hobart. Catholic representatives have been members of Council, Principal, Fellows and Honorary Chaplains. 4
Mass Media The Commission on the Mass Media is concerned with developing strategies to enable Churches to relate to the broadcast and print media. Ms Penny Edman of Catholic Media Tasmania is the convener of this commission, but it has been in recess for some time. Local Opportunities Earlier in the year, a Pastoral Ministry course on Ecumenism and the Catholic School was conducted by Bishop Michael Putney. The course was arranged by the Catholic Education Office as part of the professional development and accreditation process for teachers in Catholic Schools. Teachers and other interested people will have an opportunity to develop their understanding of other Christian denominations at a further series of lectures in July, Understanding Christian Churches. Ministers from the Uniting Church, the Baptist Church, the Anglican Church, the Lutheran Church, the Christian Reformed Churches and the Salvation Army will explore the basic beliefs and practices of their particular group. The Reverend Dr Peter Millar, a Church of Scotland minister, will conduct a series of talks, based on his books, Finding Hope Again: Journeying through Sorrow and Beyond. TTC at a Crossroads As we are aware, there is a movement away from mainstream institutional churches, most of which have decreasing numbers, few young people and few clergy. Though they may consider themselves to be religious or spiritual people, an increasing number of people are no longer active participants of these Churches or claim to adhere to no religion. Some of these people relate to the Church in other ways through supporting some aspect of charitable or voluntary work, for example. At the same time, there is a multiplication of new community churches, some Pentecostal in origin, others based on the desire for fellowship, peace and healing, rather than theology and/or doctrine. What should be our relationship with these groups? Reactions are mixed. There are some positive elements: some of the adherents are very committed, prayerful people, with a deep trust in God and living authentic Christian lives. Other individuals or groups are more aggressive and forceful in their interactions and efforts to impose their beliefs on others or to recruit young people from other Churches; these approaches trigger fear and mistrust in the community. The TCC is facing a challenge: how do we relate to these groups? Do we invite them to become members of the Council? Should we be reaching out and making effort to learn about, understand and work together with these groups? There have been some attempts at dialogue with some of these groups and the recently-appointed President of the TCC is keen to explore the possibilities for further dialogue. 5
Generally, relating to other non-christian groups has been given little consideration, partly due to our relative isolation from other cultural and religious groups. An unexpected reaction occurred following the Port Arthur massacre and the September 11 events. In such times of crisis, we have witnessed a need for people to come together beyond the boundaries of race or religion - in solidarity and compassion with others, to pray, to grieve and to offer support. However, there were some objection raised concerning the inclusion of non-christians in the service for the victims and their active participation within a Christian church. Another aspect of ecumenical work is more mundane, but nevertheless real. The pace of life and commitments of work and family are such that people do not have free time to commit to extra activities on behalf of the Churches. Finances are needed if individual Churches are to carry out some of these activities themselves or contribute towards collaborative ventures. Both aspects are increasingly difficult if fewer people are contributing financially to the Churches. Despite these challenges, there is a strong commitment to continue to work towards that unity for which Christ prayed. May they all be one. (Sr) Elizabeth Vagg Chairperson Hobart Archdiocesan Ecumenical Commission Member of Executive, Tasmanian Council of Churches 6