Archbishop Anthony Fisher at the Australian Catholic Youth Festival. Young Catholics must set the world on fire with their Faith, Sydney Archbishop Anthony Fisher told about 20,000 young people gathered in a former Olympic Stadium.
“You must be spiritual flamethrowers. You must have the awesomeness of an Australian bush fire, without the destruction,” he said at the opening of the Australian Catholic Youth Festival.
The opening of the three-day event included US Catholic singer Matt Maher getting bishops dancing in the aisles with young people.
Australian Aboriginals sang and danced, Maronite Catholic drummers mesmerised the crowd and Father Rob Galea, a popular Australian singing priest, challenged any bishop who was brave enough to join him on stage for some spiritual “surfing”.
Sydney Auxiliary Bishop Richard Umbers accepted the challenge and joined Fr Galea, jumping side to side in surfer poses as they belted out lyrics glorifying God.
Archbishop Fisher, the Australian bishops’ delegate for youth, told reporters: “Right from the start you could sense the Holy Spirit among them (young people). A lot of them have doubts and questions and probably struggles in their lives, but you really saw a good side of young Catholic Australia this morning.”
An hour earlier, Archbishop Fisher’s speech to the opening plenary was interrupted repeatedly by cheers.
He said many people who knew Mary would have wondered at her claims of being visited by an angel, her out-of-wedlock pregnancy and what might seem like religious fanaticism.
History
“You’d have to say this girl’s life won’t amount to much,” he told the packed stadium. “Actually, she’s the most famous woman in history.”
He told the youths that by saying yes to God, as Mary had, young people could also allow God to make something great out of them, too.
He reminded them of Pope Francis’ challenge to young people at the last World Youth Day in Poland to have a faith that “opens new horizons for spreading joy”.
“To every young woman and man here this morning I say: Open your eyes and hearts and minds to new horizons,” Archbishop Fisher said.
This comes as a bill recently passed in the country changing the legal definition of marriage from being between “a man and a women” to “between two people”.
The parliamentary vote came after a two-month postal survey which concluded last month, with nearly 80% of Australia’s voting eligible population participating. Of the 12.7 million people who voted, 61% voted in favour of same-sex marriage.
The poll was legally non-binding, but it did initiate the introduction of a bill in parliament. Last week the piece of legislation was passed through the upper house, the Senate, 43-12.