Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has sought to explain why he did not use a Bible during his official swearing in ceremony at Government House.
Most MPs use a Bible during the process, but Albanese, who identifies as Catholic, chose to make a secular affirmation—just as he did during his previous term.
“For me, that’s a personal decision, other people who swear on the Bible or the Koran in [Labor MP] Anne Aly’s case, is perfectly up to them,” Albanese told the The Sydney Morning Herald’s Inside Politics podcast.
Albanese said he believed in the separation of church and state.
“I’ve always chosen to do an affirmation because I think that, as the Australian prime minister, I represent people of every faith and no faith.”
Albanese frequently mentions his Catholic upbringing during official engagements and press conferences.
His comments come as the Australian leader attends the inauguration of Pope Leo XIV on May 18, and joined other world leaders in St Peter’s Square at the Vatican.
“Great to meet [Albanese] the only world leader who can discuss spirituality, the global economy, Vegemite hygiene, and how Go-Jo was robbed at Eurovision—in one go,” said Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on X.
Incidentally, The Epoch Times editorial series, “How the Spectre of Communism Is Ruling Our World,” explains that the notion of separating church and state has been used by radicals to keep conservative, Christian-aligned values out of politics.
“Nowadays, when religious people criticise behaviors, ideas, and policies that depart from the divine, or when they speak out against abortion or homosexuality, communists in the United States or the militant Left go on the offensive.
