Category Archives: ACBC agency news

National Fertility Conference to focus on Infertility in the Year of Mercy

screen-shot-2016-09-14-at-3-42-47-pm_200 Bishop Mark Edwards, a member of the Bishops Commission for Family, Youth and Life will deliver the opening address at the National Fertility Conference in Melbourne this weekend, 16-18 September 2016.

On Friday evening, Bishop Edwards will address a public forum on the topic, ‘Infertility in the Year of Mercy- a Pastoral Response’.

The journey of infertility is a difficult one affecting one-in-six couples. Our technological culture promotes treatments like IVF which, unfortunately, have a low success rate and bypass the underlying cause(s).

Couples who prefer to conceive naturally, because of their religion or a desire for a healthier outcome, may struggle to find medical assistance, which aims to restore their fertility and offer hope.

In recent years, the number of Australian health care practitioners dedicated to a restorative approach to solving infertility has grown. The network includes doctors and members of the three national fertility awareness agencies*. Since 2014, they have met annually to promote therapies for infertility which are respectful of physical, mental and spiritual health, relationships and embryonic life. Continue reading →

Call for communities of compassion as population ages

As more and more Australians are living longer, we should celebrate the great ‘success story’ of our ageing population and, as a fair and compassionate nation, foster solidarity among all generations, Bishop Antoine-Charbel Tarabay from the Australian Catholic Social Justice Council said today.

‘Australia must protect older people who are most vulnerable to hardship and who are at risk of feeling they are a burden on society.’

Bishop Tarabay was speaking at the launch of the Australian Catholic Bishops 2016-2017 Social Justice Statement, entitled ‘A Place at the Table: Social justice in an ageing society’.

The Statement highlights the significant contribution that older people continue to make to the life of the community. The number of Australians aged 65 and over will more than double from 3.6 million today to 8.9 million by the middle of the century. Around 75 per cent of men and 85 per cent of women are reaching retirement in good health and with around 20 years of life ahead of them. Continue reading →

Scale of migration from Syria is staggering, Bishop Rabbat told Colloquium on Christian-Muslim relations

Bishop Robert Rabbat

The sixth annual Bishop Joe Grech Memorial Colloquium has been held in Melbourne, at Australian Catholic University. This year, the Australian Migrant and Refugee Office (ACMRO) convened the Colloquium, in association with ACU.

Father Maurizio Pettena, Director of the ACMRO, introduced the speakers, His Eminence Bishop Robert Rabbat, the Eparch of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church of Australia and New Zealand, Mr Bayram Aktepe, President of the Islamic Council of Victoria, and Scalabrian priest Father Fabbio Baggio, a dean and professor at the Pontifical University in Rome.

The theme for the 2016 Colloquium was ‘Ethics and Migration’, with the topic, ‘Christian-Muslim relations in a persecuted region and the impact on immigration.’ In his introductory remarks, Father Pettena reminded the audience that this week is the week leading up to the 102nd World Day for Migrants and Refugees on Sunday 28 August.

Pope Francis has chosen the theme for this year’s World Day: ‘migrants and refugees challenge us – the response of the gospel of mercy’. Justice without mercy, says Pope Francis, does not constitute true and lasting justice. Continue reading →

Migrants and Refugees challenge us to enact a culture of encounter, welcome and acceptance, says Bishop Long

ACBC_Op In this Year of Mercy, with many newly arrived migrants and refugees in Australia, we must enact a culture of encounter, welcome and acceptance in practical, personal and communal ways, says Bishop Vincent Long Van Nguyen OFM Conv.

Speaking ahead of Migrant and Refugee Sunday on 28 August 2016, the Bishops Delegate for Migrants and Refugees drew attention to the example set by Pope Francis on his way back to the Vatican from the Greek Island of Lesbos in April this year, ‘he brought with him 12 Syrian refugees, all of whom are Muslim and had their homes destroyed by war’.

‘This is the international context for this year’s Migrant and Refugee Sunday, which will be celebrated on 28 August in Australia. Although we are far removed from the crisis, we are challenged to open our hearts to the sufferings of others.

‘Compassion – which literally means to suffer with – is the hallmark of Christianity. In keeping with the Jubilee Year of Mercy, the Holy Father has chosen as its theme: Migrants and Refugees challenge us: The Response of the Gospel of Mercy.’ Continue reading →

Migration Colloquium to Focus on Christian-Muslim Relations in a Persecuted Region

Bishop Robert Rabbat

On Thursday 25 August, the sixth annual Bishop Joe Grech Memorial Colloquium will draw attention to Christian-Muslim Relations in a Persecuted Region and the Impact of these relations on Immigration.

Keynote speakers; Bishop Robert Rabbat, Melkite Catholic Eparch of Australia and New Zealand, Mr Bayram Aktepe, President of the Islamic Council of Victoria, and Fr Fabio Baggio, a missionary of the Scalabrinian Congregation, will present different perspectives on Christian-Muslim relations and debate the impact of such relations on immigration.

Hosted by the Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office (ACMRO), the Colloquium will take place at the Philippa Brazil Lecture Theatre, Australian Catholic University, Melbourne. Commencing at 7pm, the Colloquium is open to the public and free to attend. A questions and answers session will follow the keynote addresses. Continue reading →

How Catholic Women Can Escalate Their Leadership Capacity In Just Two Days

2016-PSU-CACW-colloquium_poster_thumb How do we make more space for women in decision-making, leadership and lay pastoral ministry in our Church? This is the focus for the Council for Australian Catholic Women’s Colloquium from 17 to 18 September at Mary Mackillop Place, North Sydney.

The Colloquium theme, Women as Witnesses to the Joy of the Gospel will set the scene for theological and pastoral reflection on Pope Francis’ call to “create still broader opportunities for a more incisive female presence in the Church” (Evangelii Gaudium 103).

The keynote addresses and workshops will examine this theme, Dr Maria Harries, Adjunct Professor at Curtin University will lead a keynote address considering the issues facing ‘Women in the Family’. Dr Michele Connolly, RSJ, Lecturer of New Testament Studies at the Catholic Institute of Sydney, will explore the issues facing ‘Women in the Church’. Dr Megan Brock RSJ, member of Catholic Religious Australia and a psychologist working in private practice, will deliver the final keynote address on ‘Women in Society’. Continue reading →

Fair Work Commission’s error prejudices low paid workers

Minimum wage

The Australian Catholic Council for Employment Relations (ACCER) has discovered an error in the Fair Work Commission’ s Annual Wage Review decision of 31 May 2016 that appears to have been the reason for its decision not to provide greater support for low paid workers.

Figures used by the Fair Work Commission that suggested that the living standards of low income families had improved were a significant factor in the wage review decision to award a 2.4 % increase this year, the lowest increase in 5 years. But, in fact, the correct figures show that there has been no improvement in the living standards of low income families as concluded by the Fair Work Commission, and that many low paid workers and their families are still living in unacceptable levels of poverty. Continue reading →

Why do we need faith in order to lead effectively?

Archbishop Costelloe

Opening Reflection by Archbishop Timothy Costelloe, Chair of the Australian Catholic Bishops Commission for Catholic Education at the NCEC conference on Sunday 19 June 2016.

Good afternoon everyone. My name is Archbishop Tim Costelloe and it is my great pleasure and honour to welcome you all to the National Catholic Education Commission Conference for 2016. I do so in my capacity as the Archbishop of Perth, as Chair of the Australian Catholic Bishops Commission for Catholic Education, as a proud and passionate supporter of our Catholic schools and as a fellow disciple of Jesus Christ with all of you. And so to you all, locals and visitors alike, leaders, teachers, and students in our schools and Education Offices, laity, religious and clergy, special guests and presenters, friends of Catholic education, and all of you brothers and sisters together as God’s holy people, welcome. Continue reading →

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Latest media releases and statements by the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference