'It's almost as if authorities don't want to know'

Unstable and unmarried relationships are causing kids harm, says Perth archbishop.

By Mark Reidy

There is reluctance in today’s culture to admit children need something better than “unstable relationships and unmarried and uncommitted cohabiting parents”, Archbishop Barry Hickey said in a recent online video.

The archbishop was speaking about the findings of the report, tabled in federal parliament by Kevin Andrews, Shadow Minister for Families, Housing and Human Services last September.

The report links what the archbishop called “the dramatic deterioration of the welfare of children” over the past ten years to “the rise of de facto couples, violent and unstable relationships and divorce.”

“One would expect some action to help stabilise families and provide better conditions for children,” Archbishop Hickey said.

“Instead, we have silence. It is almost as if authorities do not want to know what is happening because if they did they would have to challenge the present culture of co-habitation and take measures to help families cope”.

The prevalence of non-marital family arrangements was justified as “some sort of freedom of choice,” the archbishop said.
Since 1998, the number of reported cases of abuse and neglect of children had tripled, the archbishop said, with double the number of children in care and a 66 per cent increase in the rate of hospitalisation for self-harm.

The archbishop warned the situation would deteriorate further if voices advocating true and lasting marriage were not heard above those pushing for damaging alternatives such as same-sex marriage and in-vitro babies for singles.

“Please do not be seduced by the lie that any form of relationship is suitable for children,” he said. “Only marriage is the most stable, safe and nurturing environment for bringing up children.”

The archbishop made the comments in the second of a series of videos, entitled The ArchbishopSpeaks, released on the website of the archdiocesan evangelisation initiative, The Faith Centre, each Friday.

Existing and future episodes can be viewed at www.thefaith.org.au.

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