Adjudication No. 694 (January 1994) [1994] APC 3

ADJUDICATION No. 694 (January 1994)

The Australian Press Council has dismissed a complaint by Mr William H Smith concerning an article in the Courier-Mail on 2 October 1993 by Malcolm Holland critical of the then forthcoming Papal encyclical, Veritatis Splendor . The article, provocatively headed "Sex, sin and the tired SHEPHERD", claims that the Pope's uncompromising moral stance was drawing blood from the Catholic Church even before the encyclical was officially released. "The shepherd, according to many, is out of step with his flock," Holland claims.

Mr Smith wrote a strong letter of protest to the Courier-Mail, which was not published, describing the newspaper as an anti-Catholic organisation. The Courier-Mail denied this, pointing to Catholics among its senior staff and the publication 11 days later of a letter critical of Mr Holland's article as well as an article by Father Ron McKeirnan.

The published letter also expressed the view that the encyclical was not a particularly enlightening document. The article by Father McKeirnan, co-ordinator of Faith Education Services of the Brisbane Archdiocese, headed "CRISIS OF TRUTH" was a defence of the encyclical rather than a reply to Mr Holland's article.

Mr Smith argues that the publication of Father McKeirnan's article does not satisfy the requirements of Press Council principle 10. This states:

"If material damaging to the reputation or interest of an individual, corporation, organisation or specific group of people is published, opportunity for prompt and appropriately prominent reply at reasonable length should be given by the newspaper concerned, wherever fairness so requires."

The Press Council believes that Father McKeirnan's article provides the balancing view that this principle requires.