Australia has much to celebrate.
From our beautiful fertile land to our (mostly) functional and (mostly) stable society and political order, Australia is a great place to live and raise a family.
There are problems and challenges, but nowhere is perfect.
Getting things as good as we can is something we all work on, in our own way, in our own domains. It’s why groups like The Movement exist – to bring about the Good.
Bringing about the Common Good is an ongoing work that will never end. In such endeavours it’s natural to focus on what needs to change or be improved.
However, that’s exactly why it’s important to acknowledge and celebrate the Good things that happen. It reminds us that there’s more to life than struggle.
Today I want to draw your attention to two good things in Australia that are in the news.
The first is the big news that Australia finally has a cardinal to fill the shoes of the late great George Cardinal Pell – himself a close friend of The Movement and our founder B.A. Santamaria.
While The Movement is not religious, and includes men and women of good will, from many faiths and none, it is no secret it arose from Catholic Action and the Catholic intellectual world of the 1930s. As such, the happenings of the Catholic Church in Australia are always of interest.
The cardinal-designate was a complete surprise and this has led to a lot of commentary. Instead of picking a Roman/Latin Catholic bishop, the Pope chose Mykola Bychok, a bishop of the Ukrainian Catholic Church who is responsible for the eparchy (or diocese) of Saints Peter and Paul of Melbourne which covers the whole of Australia, New Zealand, and Oceania.
Bishop Mykola is an excellent choice. He is widely regarded as a faithful and pastoral bishop, focused on the welfare of his flock in this life and the next. He takes his responsibilities seriously and is dedicated to ensuring his Church lives out its Gospel mission and its historic Byzantine patrimony.
We were privileged to attend the Divine Liturgy at St. Andrew’s Ukrainian Catholic Church in Sydney after this year’s Democratic Conference, celebrated by the eparchy’s Vicar-General, the Very Rev Mitred Archpriest Fr. Simon Ckuj – himself an old friend of the Thomas More Centre. I acknowledged then how amazing it was.
As a result I have no doubt that any bishop dedicated to such an approach to faith will bring tremendous blessing on the Church, on Australia, and on the world.
Warmest congratulations to the bishop, or as my Ukrainian Catholic friends say, “Many Happy Years!”
The second item to celebrate is the imminent arrival to Australia of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on a royal tour of the nation, including a community BBQ in Western Sydney.
King Charles follows in the footsteps of his mother in his dedication to duty and service. Elizabeth was exceptional in her devotion to all her people throughout the Commonwealth. Charles maintains this devotion while also recognising the importance of culture and history, as can be seen in his recitation of Gerard Manley Hopkins’ poem God’s Grandeur.
The Movement has never been exclusively monarchist or republican. We have, however, always taken the view that the system we have is a very good one, and that efforts to change it should be considered very carefully.
Our current political system maximises the opportunities for all Australians to be involved in the political process at every level in a wide variety of ways, while also ensuring that there are checks and balances to ensure that no one section automatically has centralised power.
We were lucky enough to inherit – without the bloodshed – the end results of all the experiments Britain tried with governance, as well as lessons from the Americans and the rest of the world.
As a result, we have relative stability and the opportunity for all Australians to have a role in our governance.
Part of this is the role played by the Crown as the centre of our system, meaning no particular section of our government can claim more than partial power and authority.
Maybe some wise republicans can devise a system that replicates this unique balancing act without ending up with a political appointee or a populist counterbalance to parliament.
I won’t hold my breath.
Until then, God Save the King!
The Movement has been forming and informing Australians for over 85 years, so we can actively participate in our democracy in a principled way.
Our Australian democracy provides many ways to participate and make a difference.
Let’s celebrate and give thanks for this – despite the struggles we might face.
Featured image of King Charles III from Wikimedia Commons.
