Griffith Catholic Priest Father Grace sat down with The Area News to explore some key concerns.

The Church, while encouraging it's community to vote "no" in the plebiscite, Father Grace and Archbishop Christopher Prowse, wish to reaffirm it's attitude of mutual respect.

“It needs to be stressed that our love and care for people in our parishes, communities and neighborhoods who are same-sex attracted is reaffirmed. This will be a vulnerable time for some and we need to reiterate once more that we are walking alongside each other in mutual respect,” Archbishop Prowse said.

“We want to make this point very firm: To insist that marriage is a relationship between a man and a woman is not a criticism of other kinds of relationships,” Father Grace said.

An report by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse recommended failing to report information about child sexual abuse disclosed in confession should be made a criminal offence.

The commission puts the church at odds the responsibility of community protection and the 'transformative' and 'redemptive' power of the Sacrament of confession.

“The absolute confidentially of the “seal” of confession is to be maintained and never be compromised for any reason,” Archbishop Prowse said.

Father Grace details a personal experience with Confession.

“Personally in my early 20’s I suffered a broken relationship when I was at university and I went off the rails so to speak, but through confession, it brought me back to my faith and gave me tremendous peace. The power of confession transforms lives... I’ve seen it happen so much in my 16 years in the priesthood, and if people only realised it’s a true encounter with Jesus...It is a gift from God.”

Archbishop Prowse says this matter raises significant issues pertaining to the rights of freedom and Religion and speech.

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