In a voice that reverberated around the stone walls of the cathedral crypt, Dr Pell claimed the highest office of Australian Catholicism by restating Vatican opposition to homosexuality, the ordination of women and safe heroin injecting rooms. He said the ordination of women went against 2,000 years of Christian teaching, but insisted the Catholic Church gave more leadership opportunities to women than any other institution in the world. Dr Pell said there would be no radical about-turn on the way religious education was taught in Sydney Catholic schools, an issue that has caused considerable controversy in Melbourne Catholic circles. It is not every day of the week that somebody comes from Melbourne to Sydney to be Archbishop. He is expected to take up the post within two months.
Modern society is very mobile.
Although he had visited Sydney many times, he did not know enough about the city, he said. Melbourne is a good place for Catholics and unbelievers and my understanding is that there are not as many unbelievers in Sydney and that probably the Anglican and Protestant churches are stronger here. Dr Pell reacted testily to criticisms of the former Australian Human Rights Commissioner, Mr Chris Sidoti, who said the appointment would take the Church back to medieval times. In this section Carr sools police on to suspected drug houses Nine's struggling, One.