Blessing and warnings

KEVIN Rudd was contacted by various church leaders after he assumed office last year, not just the Exclusive Brethren concerned that he had described that church as an "extremist cult". Hillsong Church senior pastor Brian Houston wrote a letter of congratulations, while Catholic cardinal George Pell took the opportunity also to warn against a charter of rights. But with Kev08 being an Anglican, the letter that carried most influence came from Anglican primate Phillip Aspinall, who was the first church leader to make contact and the first to get a personal reply. Aspinall gave Rudd his blessing and noted that as Labor had "won the support and trust of such a significant cross-section of Australians", it therefore had significant responsibilities and opportunities in government. "My prayer is that the new Government will embrace this opportunity to address inequalities and injustices within Australian society and to inspire in Australians a renewed sense of generosity, compassion, hopefulness and supportive community," Aspinall wrote on November27, in correspondence that has just been released. read more