Media Release

The jury of the Australian Catholic Office for Film & Broadcasting has awarded it annual prize to Jonathan Teplitsky’s The Railway Man.

“This deeply moving film about war, love, revenge, retribution and forgiveness was a standout in regard to promoting the best of human values which our prize enshrines”, said jury chair, Fr Richard Leonard.

Opening with a group of ageing former soldiers sitting in a veteran’s club in a Scottish town by the sea, Eric Lomax (Colin Firth) is actually never far from the Thai-Burma railway during World War II where, at the hands of his Japanese gaolers, he undergoes imprisonment, degradation and torture. Continue reading →

Media Release, 12 November 2013

Parish priests around Australia have been called on to acknowledge the start of Royal Commission hearings into Towards Healing on December 9 by reading the Catholic Church’s child sexual abuse commitment statement at Mass over the coming weeks.

The statement, which has been endorsed by Church leaders across Australia, acknowledges the damage sexual abuse has done. It acknowledges past failings including cover-ups, failures of leadership and not believing victims. Continue reading →

Truth, Justice and Healing Council Logo

Calls for a national mandatory accreditation and data collection system for all institutions working with children are part of the Catholic Church’s submission to the Royal Commission on child safe institutions.

The CEO of the Catholic Church’s Truth Justice and Healing Council, Francis Sullivan, said the core responsibility of religious and other Catholic organisational leaders is to ensure the safety of children entrusted to their care.

“There is no fail-safe method that can identify people who are unsuitable to work with children,” Mr Sullivan said. Continue reading →

Media Release, 1 September, 2013

The fourth Bishop of Wagga Wagga, William Brennan, died at 3pm yesterday (31 August) after a long illness.

William John Brennan was born on 16 February 1938 at Arncliffe, NSW.

Son of John Joseph Brennan and Elvie Margaret (nee Barton) from Forbes. William was the second eldest of six children, the others being Therese, John, Joan, Terence and Colleen.

He was educated by the Ursuline Nuns at Ashbury and the Christian Brothers at Lewisham (Sydney).

William Brennan trained for the priesthood at Saint Columba’s College, Springwood; and Saint Patrick’s College, Manly; and The Pontifical Urbaniana University, Rome. He did further studies at Sydney University and the University of New England. He held a Bachelor of Arts (Syd), DipEd(UNE), MLitt [Philosophy and Psychology] (UNE), STL (Urbaniana).

After his ordination to the priesthood on 21 December 1960, he was appointed Assistant Priest at Forbes and then Broken Hill, then Director of Schools for the Wilcannia-Forbes Diocese.

Following this he was Parish Priest of Nyngan and then Wentworth, combining that role with that of the Vicar of Education in the Wilcannia-Forbes Diocese.

William Brennan was appointed Bishop of Wagga Wagga on 16 January 1984 and his Episcopal Ordination took place on 1 March 1984.

In addition to his episcopal duties in the Wagga Wagga Diocese, Bishop William Brennan held various positions on the Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference, including Chairman of the Bishops’ Committee for Industrial Affairs, the Australian Catholic Social Justice Council, Deputy Chairman of Caritas. He was also part of the NSW Catholic Education Commission. Continue reading →

Media Release
22 August, 2013

More than 85 Catholics, mainly women, from around Australia attended the Office for the Participation of Women’s (OPW) and the Council for Australian Catholic Women’s (CACW) Colloquium Wisdom at the Gate on 16-17 August, 2013.

Held at the resting place of Saint Mary of the Cross MacKillop, the gathering brought together mostly women from dioceses around Australia for dialogue, reflection and renewal.

Also present was the Bishops’ Delegate for the CACW Bishop Peter Ingham who was inspired and challenged to understand better the perspective of women about the Church.

Director of the OPW Donella Johnston said that the event aimed to give people from around Australia an opportunity to develop friendships, dream for the Church and engage in “sacred conversations”. Continue reading →

Media Release, 5 July, 2013

As the peak Indigenous advisory body to the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council (NATSICC) is proud launch a National Consultation into Indigenous Inculturation of the Catholic Church in Australia.
It is a timely announcement, given that this Sunday – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Sunday – will see Indigenous and non Indigenous Catholics sit side by side to celebrate the gifts that Australia’s first people bring to the Church in Australia.

In collaboration with Aboriginal and Islander Catholic Ministries, councils and communities, the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference and the National Liturgical Council, the consultation aims to discover what can be done by Indigenous Catholics to bring to life the immortal words of Pope John Paul II in Alice Springs 1986:

The Church herself in Australia will not be fully the Church that Jesus wants her to be until you have made your contribution to her life and until that contribution has been joyfully received by others. Continue reading →

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1gDmj9KiAQ

Media Release
3 July, 2013

Catholics are being urged to engage in the political process in the lead up to the coming federal election and to vote for the common good.

This week Australia’s Catholic bishops have written to the more than 1300 parishes across Australia to ask them to consider the bishops’ Vote for the Common Good election statement. The statement is available today for parishes and the general public at www.catholicsvote2013.org.au

“As bishops we want to focus your attention on some key issues of vital concern to the Australian community,” the statement says.

“We encourage Catholics to look beyond their own individual needs to apply a different test at the ballot box – the test of what we call the common good. The good of the individual and the good of society as a whole must be brought together in harmony. When they are, we have the common good.”

Archbishop Philip Wilson, Vice President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference said today that aware of the turbulent political situation, the Bishops saw the importance of outlining some key areas which might inform consciences, while leaving it to voters to make their final decision.

“The principles of social teaching cross party political boundaries and Catholics may, in good conscience, form different opinions on the candidates and parties standing for election.”

“As Catholics, we need to take our democratic freedoms seriously and become involved in the political process.”

Focussing on principles of Catholic Social Teaching, the Bishops outline a range of issues including positions on the poor and vulnerable, marriage and family, life, child protection, migrants and refugees, indigenous Australians, education, health, ecology and sustainability and peace and development.

“The statement draws on our rich tradition of social teaching and upon the Church’s long experience of serving all people without distinction through our work in a broad range of areas including health care, education and social services”, he said.

The statement is available for download from www.catholicsvote2013.org.au as a PDF as well as in eBook format. A short video is available also on the website which can be used in parishes and schools where appropriate.

For media enquiries, please contact Beth Doherty on 0407 081 256 or media@catholic.org.au

Francis Sullivan, photo by Beth Doherty

CEO of the Truth Justice and Healing Council, Mr Francis Sullivan, has welcomed comments from Cardinal George Pell and the Archbishop of Melbourne Denis Hart that the Church has been involved in cover-ups and mishandling of child sex abuse in the past.

The comments came as both faced intense scrutiny at the Victorian Inquiry into church sexual abuse which concluded this week.

Mr Sullivan said it is incumbent on the Church to be open and honest about its history of sexual abuse.

“This is the only way that the community can trust the Church will fully embrace these inquiries, including the Royal Commission hearings later this year, fairly and justly. Continue reading →

www.caritas.org.au

CARITAS Australia, the international aid and development organisation of the Catholic Church, has expressed disappointment that the government in its Federal Budget has not followed through on its long-standing commitments to increase the foreign aid budget to 0.5% of Gross National Income.

Caritas CEO, Jack de Groot said they’ve delayed this bipartisan agreement twice now, which means that Australia was continuing to break international commitments. Mr de Groot added that Australia is lagging behind in its ability to be a responsible international citizen and breaking promises that quite simply save lives.

However, Mr de Groot welcomed the announcement of $390.9 million to accelerate progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in the Asia-Pacific region. Continue reading →