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Essendon Football Club, the pride of Melbourne’s Australian rules football scene, has drawn a harsh rebuke from the archbishop of Melbourne after they ousted their CEO over his religious affiliation. Andrew Thorburn was made to choose between a promising new career and his Christian faith, after a nearly 10-year-old sermon from a pastor at his Christian church was found to be contrary to the team’s views.
The problems arose when Thorburn’s position as board chair of City on a Hill Church was thrust into focus. Someone found old sermons from a pastor that disparaged homosexuality and abortion. In particular, one 2013 homily, titled “Surviving Same-Sex Attraction as a Christian,” has been held over Thorburn’s head.
"Inclusive"
ESPN reports that Thorburn was asked to step down just hours after he was appointed CEO of Essendon, a team also known as the Bombers. In a statement, Dave Barham, President of Essendon, explained that Thorburn’s position as board chair at the church could not be reconciled with his position as the Bombers' CEO:
Barham went on to write that the team is “committed to providing an inclusive, diverse and a safe Club, where everyone is welcome and respected.” However, Archbishop Peter A Comensoli of Melbourne is wondering if this spirit of inclusivity extends towards those of the Christian faith.
Archbishop's response
In a Facebook post, Archbishop Comensoli questioned whether the Bombers have any respect for diversity at all. He called the entire situation “outrageous”:
ESPN noted that Thorburn was “really upset” about the sudden firing. For his part, Thorburn has dealt publicly with the situation with professionalism. In his statement, provided by AFL, Thorburn expressed his disappointment with the organization but maintained his stance on inclusivity:
Thorburn, who is not a Catholic, concluded by expressing his belief that “freedoms of thought, conscience and belief” are the barest requirements for a ”truly diverse, just and respectful community." Archbishop Comensoli, in taking the part of Thorburn and all who hold strong religious beliefs, mused whether now was the right time to find a new team. The archbishop wrote:
