‘Submit unto your husbands’: Archbishop hits back at parents after controversial reading choice

Archbishop Julian Porteous has hit back at parents after they criticised a controversial reading, which was a selected for a school mass. Read what he said.

The Archbishop of Hobart has used his homily to hit back at parents who criticised the selection of a reading which suggested wives submit to their husbands for a special school mass.

The passage which was supposed to be read at the St Mary’s College graduation mass, from Ephesians 5:22-24, included the quote “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.”

It left some students of the catholic girls school and parents outraged and the reading was later changed.

On Sunday Archbishop Julian Porteous spoke about the saga following a reading which reflected on being humble.

“One area in which this can apply for us, important today is our willingness to humble ourselves to the lord in respect to our approach to sacred scripture,” he said.

“It’s not unusual the teachings of the sacred scripture to be at variance with the attitudes and ethos of our age.

“We have more recently the case where parents have protested about the use of a text from St Pauls’s letter to the Ephesians because they felt this text offended their understanding of the role of women in marriage.”

Archbishop Julian Porteous of Hobart in St Mary's Cathedral, Hobart. Picture: Matthew Newton

He defended the passage, saying it was taken out of context.

“St Paul’s statement about women being subject to their [husbands] reflects the culture of the day but again presents a radical vision of marriage,” he said.

“He calls on husbands to sacrifice themselves for their wives as Christ sacrificed himself for the church.”

He said Catholics and Christians were being persecuted for their beliefs, drawing parallels between the saga and former Essendon boss Andrew Thorburn.

“We now found ourselves as Catholics and Christians being criticised and persecuted because we believe what the scriptures teach and we desire to live by its imperatives, even when they are at variance with the ethos of our times,” the Archbishop said.

“The recent case of Andrew Thorburn who was forced to choose between his Christian faith and his new role as chair of the board of Essendon football club is a case in point.

“Because his church stood by scriptural teachings about abortion and the nature of marriage, he was considered unsuitable to be chair of a board of a football club.

“This tells us our society is becoming increasingly hostile to scared beliefs found in sacred scripture.”

‘Submit unto your husbands’: Message to Catholic schoolgirls slammed

Students and parents at a Hobart college were left outraged after a bible passage which said wives should submit to their husbands was set to be read at a special mass, but the school has since backflipped on its decision.

The controversial verse was supposed to be read at the St Mary’s College graduation mass.

The passage from Ephesians 5:22-24 includes the quote “Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.”

Twitterati, what do we think of this as the reading selected by the #archdioceseofhobart for the gradution mass of Hobart's premier Catholic girls' college? (overriding objections from the students and their parents) #CatholicNews#CatholicEducation#archbishopporteouspic.twitter.com/qVYEWBaYGq

— Sarah Ferguson (@DuchesssNewTown) October 16, 2022

Students at the school were outraged by the decision and some were even considering walking out of the mass when the passage was to be read.

A parent of a student at the school, who wished to remain anonymous said they were appalled by the reading.

“It’s so out of touch with current values in society,” they said.

“I can’t believe someone didn’t say ‘hang on, this isn’t appropriate’.

“We have a closed parental Facebook group, everyone had the same reaction.”

Easter service at St Marys cathedral in Hobart. Picture: Patrick Gee

In the Facebook group, parents were told the school was not allowed to change the reading.

“Unfortunately this reading is the reading of the day for the 25th of October 2022,” a staff member at the school told parents in the group on Saturday evening.

“The college is not permitted to choose the readings for any of our masses.

“We are obliged to use the readings which the church sets for us each day.”

They said the passage was a metaphor for the relationship between the church and Christ.

“By including this reading in our graduation mass, the college is not saying that this is how we see modern relationships between husbands and wives,” they reassured parents.

The parent who spoke to the Mercury said the reading could be changed.

“But there is a proviso that you can change them if there is a parish need, you need to write to the bishop,” they said.

On Monday afternoon, following inquiries from the Mercury, students learned another reading had been selected.

“Although the cycle of readings has been established by the Church, there is room for choice depending on the occasion,” a spokesman for the archdioceses of Hobart said

“On return from the term break (Monday) St Mary’s College sought advice and guidance with regard to the readings of the day for the forthcoming graduation mass.

“The Archbishop offered readings from the Feast of St John Paul II which the college accepted.”

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