Barry Hickey

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Barry James Hickey, OAM (born 16 April 1936 in Leonora, Western Australia) is the current Archbishop of the Roman Catholic Church archdiocese of Perth, Western Australia.

Hickey was ordained as a priest in Rome by Paolo Cardinal Giobbe on 20 December 1958. He attained a Licentiate in Theology from the Pontifical Urbaniana University in 1959 and undergraduate and Masters degrees in Social Work from the University of Western Australia in 1973. He was Parish Priest of Sacred Heart Parish, Highgate at the time of his ordination as Bishop of Geraldton in 1984.

In 1977 he was awarded a Membership of the Order of Australia (OAM) for his involvement in marriage, family, counselling, ethical issues in relationships and the spiritual dimensions of counselling.

He was installed as Archbishop of Perth on 27 August 1991.[1]

[edit] Controversy

On June 5, 2007 Archbishop Hickey made a controversial statement, by saying that if the Catholic state MPs did not oppose the The Human Reproductive Technology Amendment Bill, which would allow expansion of stem cell research, then they could be refused holy communion or face excommunication as a last resort. For this stance he was criticised by both Catholic and non-Catholic MPs. Hickey reportedly said that he did not consider that he had made a threat. He also later said that he would not refuse communion. [2]

Catholics who vote for the cloning of embryos destined for destruction are acting against the teaching of the church on a very serious matter and they should, in conscience, not vote that way, but if they do in conscience they should not go to communion. - Archbishop Hickey[3]

His comments mirror that of Cardinal George Pell, Archbishop of Sydney.

[edit] References

  1. ^ 'Barry Hickey - biography of Archbishop Hickey on his installation as Archbishop of Perth' Sower (Geraldton) Aug. 1991, p. 1,
  2. ^ MPs to probe Archbishop stem cell threat, written by AAP, published by The Brisbane Times online, 7th of June, 2007. - retrieved 8th, June, 2007.
  3. ^ Hickey's stem cell threat to be investigated., written by AAP, published by The West Australian online, 7th of June, 2007. - retrieved 8th, June, 2007.


[edit] External links


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