Artistic freedom, religious freedom, and the sacred

Recent controversy surrounding Sydneyโ€™s Divine Playhouse has reopened an enduring and vexed question within liberal democracies: Should artistic freedom extend to the deliberate parody of religious symbols held sacred by millions of believers? Responding to performances and promotional material that appropriated Catholic imageryโ€”including references to the Eucharist and the sacrament of confessionโ€”Archbishop Anthony Fisher argued …

On the power and fragility of public protest

Part of the huge police presence at today's Town Hall Square protest rally in Sydney. Photo: Rod Benson Attending the protest rally against Israeli President Isaac Herzogโ€™s visit to Australia was not part of my plans for this evening. I left work at my city office around 4.15 pm and headed to Gadigal Station to …