For more than 160 years a Catholic newspaper has
been published in NSW, beginning with The Australasian Chronicle,
which underwent several name and management changes (The Morning
Chronicle, The Chronicle, Sydney Chronicle). It was succeeded
in 1850 by The Freeman’s Journal, which was printed on
an old hand-turned “mangle” in the gallery of St
Mary’s Seminary, in a building adjacent to the first St
Mary’s Cathedral.
The Freeman’s Journal was not an “official
organ” of the Church, but a general newspaper with a focus
on Catholic and Irish affairs with an unashamedly Australian
outlook. It was able to draw on the best minds of the day to
become an eminently intelligent source, one that was never out
of touch with what was happening in the local community. One
of its greatest achievements was its work for Catholic education
and its tireless (although unsuccessful in its time) crusade
against unfair discrimination of denominational schools.
In November 1895, a new Catholic newspaper — The
Catholic Press — began, arising from a meeting some months
earlier of Sydney clergy who desired to take up the call of Pope
Leo XIII for Catholic newspapers to “counteract the appalling
efforts of torrents of infidel filth that deluge the homes of
our people, that desecrate the sacred sanctuary of family life,
that poison the fountain-springs of society”.
The Press promised in its first editorial to offer
a “sound healthy Catholic opinion on the great questions
of the day”. The two papers remained vigorously independent
and often had editorial positions that were notably divergent,
especially on such questions as conscription during World War
I. The Freeman adopted the style of the condescending, older
and more authoritative journal, habitually referring to The Press
as “our junior contemporary”.
In early March 1942, several weeks after the last
issue of The Freeman had appeared, The Press also announced that
it would cease publication. From these two a new publication
arose, The Catholic Weekly, as the official organ of the Archdiocese,
to provide a single editorial voice for the Church in Sydney.
The new paper, with its bright, modern look, was able confidently
to describe the life of Sydney’s Catholics with its own
mix of local and international news, with special features, regular
columnists and supplements. The Weekly did not back away from
engaging in the often gritty politics of the day, especially
regarding issues that challenged the rights of Catholics to practice
their faith or uphold their Christian principles. The Weekly
continued to serve its community well, with a peak circulation
of 63,000 during the 1950’s.
Now in a new century, The Weekly assumes a new
image and feel, with a new look in recognition of a growing younger
Catholic population. The Weekly seeks to take on a broader reach
beyond the white Anglo-Celtic Catholic to the wider, truly universal,
contemporary Church in Sydney.
