JUNE 29, 2019

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Even without our four-part investigation into the pathology of predatory priests, this week was rocked by statements of faith.

First, we published a piece that articulated the case for freedom from religion. Then Israel Folau’s high stakes, made-for-TV stoush with Rugby Australia picked up even more speed. The Folau saga has brought the Australian Christian Lobby’s Martyn Iles into the spotlight, prompting us to peek into his background.

Lastly, if you missed it during the week, take the time to dig into our first INQ series, which investigated how the Catholic Church allowed priests to prey. It talks to current and former priests, psychologists, activists and whistleblowers. It helps answer the question, why are these men like this?

As always, let us know what you thought of the week’s news by emailing boss@crikey.com.au.

Have a great weekend,

Bhakthi Puvanenthiran
Managing Editor

INQ launches

Inside the mind of the paedophile priest

SUZANNE SMITH 16 minute read

Almost 1900 child sexual abusers have been identified in Australian Catholic churches. The average victim was under 12. What led people to commit such horrible crimes on such a staggering scale?

The Marist Brothers and a secret list of 154 accused child sex offenders

SUZANNE SMITH and GEORGIA WILKINS 12 minute read

One hundred and fifty-four brothers have been accused of sexually assaulting students at Marist schools, but their identity and whether they are still teaching remains a secret.

Celibacy and obedience: life inside a seminary

AMBER SCHULTZ 14 minute read

INQ visits a modern seminary, historically obscured from public view, and speaks to priests in training — as well as to some who opted out — to find out about the changing reality and day-to-day lives of those on the path to priesthood.

Protection from ‘on high’

SUZANNE SMITH and KISHOR NAPIER-RAMAN 8 minute read

Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? Who will guard the guards? For centuries, the Catholic church has been self-policing, but now there are those fighting for reform.

Morrison rummages for leadership in the garbage bin of neoliberalism

BERNARD KEANE 4 minute read

Scott Morrison's reform agenda is a reheat of neoliberal cliches that he doesn't even have the courage to push for himself.

The religious freedom debate isn’t a debate at all

BRIAN MORRIS 4 minute read

The religious right are in full cry, but where are the opposing voices? The age-old taboo of not questioning religion has been reasserted.

What is left in the wake of a mining bonanza?

PATRICK MARLBOROUGH 4 minute read

'As a West Australian I’d like to remind Queensland, and the nation at large, that the mining industry is better at digging holes than it is at fulfilling promises.'

What follows from Folau

GUY RUNDLE 4 minute read

The Israel Folau religious freedom stoush has greater ramifications than many want to admit.

This story should be front-page news, every single day

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There is a melancholy settling across the world, as the consequences of decades of inaction — and a seeming inability to halt or even slow the most obviously stupid and destructive policies, from land-clearing to over-fishing to emissions — reverberate. In Australia, this is from top to bottom, from actually having an emissions policy to the simple act of protecting a piece of “charismatic fauna” like the koala. — Guy Rundle

There is a melancholy settling across the world, as the consequences of decades of climate inaction reverberate. What can be done to place the impending cataclysm back at the centre of everyday life?

Martyn Iles, the youthful face of the Christian right

KISHOR NAPIER-RAMAN 4 minute read

Martyn Iles stepped in when GoFundMe dropped Israel Folau's campaign. Who is the new face of the Australian Christian Lobby?

Great disappearing act: ABC to shutter public access to thousands of regional stories

EMILY WATKINS 4 minute read

"To see these patterns of increasingly centralised media, it's particularly concerning" said a former ABC producer.

The spectacular failure of the Australian Conservatives

RACHEL WITHERS 5 minute read

Even for a politician as self-assured as Cory Bernardi, it’s hard to put a positive spin on this. How did it go so wrong?

‘Punitive’ public housing tenancies are pushing people into the streets

JESSE NOAKES 6 minute read

Western Australia's use of fixed-term tenancies is "fundamentally unethical" say advocates, and in some cases it's breaking families up.

How the media plays Canberra games instead of serving voters

BERNARD KEANE 4 minute read

The parlous state of economic debate in Australia is demonstrated by the lack of interest, or informed analysis, of the Prime Minister's major speech on economic reform.

The failures of Iraq remain embedded in Australian politics

BERNARD KEANE 4 minute read

The conditions that enabled the Howard government to lead Australia into the Iraq debacle remain in place as another Middle Eastern war looms.

Can Labor actually expel John Setka?

KISHOR NAPIER-RAMAN 3 minute read

Labor leader Anthony Albanese wants John Setka gone but the long-time union boss has vowed to fight any attempt to expel him from the ALP in court. What happens next?

Australia’s border loophole: no right to privacy

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While we tolerate these conditions for bag searches, our luggage doesn’t contain anywhere near the amount of private information as our devices. Bag searches are also performed in front of us, so we know exactly how our personal items are being treated. This is not the case when it comes to our phones and laptops. — Josh Lake

Normally if the authorities want to search your phone, they need to jump several legal hurdles. At the border, all it takes is an immigration officer acting on a whim.

Friendlyjordies, the comedian who wants to ‘inoculate’ Australia’s youth

KURT JOHNSON 6 minute read

Jordan Shanks has clocked up more than 50 million views on his videos taking on BuzzFeed, the Liberal Party and the ABC. What exactly is he raging against?