Blog by Francis Sullivan, CEO, Truth, Justice and Healing Council. 25 September, 2013

“I see the church as a field hospital after battle. It is useless to ask a seriously injured person if he has high cholesterol and about the level of his blood sugars! You have to heal his wounds. Then we can talk about everything else. Heal the wounds, heal the wounds.” Pope Francis

Pope Francis’ words have again inspired me in my work with the Council. The Pope spoke last week about finding a “new balance for the Church”. He spoke about the importance of not simply following a set of Church rules, but in putting a human face on the Church and addressing the needs of an individual first and foremost. This has always been our goal with the Royal Commission to respond to the needs of victims and survivors above anything else.

As part of our commitment to assisting and supporting the Royal Commission, the Council continues this week in developing important Issues Papers relevant to the work of the Royal Commission.
As a large Church, with over five million members, we participate and have a wealth of knowledge and expertise across a number of these issues. We have a valuable contribution to make and we want to be part of this critical process in making all Institutions safer places for children. Continue reading →

Media Release, 3 October, 2013

The leadership of the Catholic Church in Australia has endorsed the development of a reform agenda which could see the most significant overhaul of the Church’s approach to clerical sexual abuse in its more than 200-year history in Australia.

Francis Sullivan, CEO of the Truth Justice and Healing Council, said the reforms are now being fully developed and will be presented to Church leaders in the first half of 2014.

“These proposals recognise that we must do better when we are dealing with victims of sexual abuse and as we work to make sure our institutions are as safe as possibly for children,” Mr Sullivan said. Continue reading →

Media Release
1 October, 2013

The Holy Father Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of Bishop Brian Heenan of Rockhampton. The Bishop turned 75 in August 2012.

Bishop Brian Heenan was born on 4 August, 1937 and grew up in Ashgrove, Brisbane. He was educated at Marist College and attended Pius XII Seminary in Banyo.

Bishop Heenan was ordained to the priesthood on 29 June 1962. He was appointed Bishop on 23 July 1991 by Pope John Paul II and on 25 September was ordained by Archbishop Francis Rush in St Joseph’s Cathedral in Rockhampton.

Archbishop Denis Hart, president of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, spoke warmly of Bishop Heenan.

“Since 1991 Bishop Heenan has used his special gifts with compassion for many people in Rockhampton and beyond. He has shown great generosity and friendship to me and to the bishops in working for the people of Australia. We wish him every blessing for the future”, he said.
Bishop Heenan speaks well of his time in the Diocese, and found his ministry was enriched by the people he served.

“The Diocese of has three major coastal cities, Bundaberg, Rockhampton and Mackay, with larger regional centres at Emerald and Longreach, and with many smaller vibrant communities.

“Getting to know the different aspects of the Diocese was extremely interesting. From the rural areas of agriculture, the cattle and sheep industries, across to the coastal belt with its focus on the sugarcane industry, and with the mining industry touching many parts of the Diocese I have learned so much”, he said.

“There has been an incredible variety of activity in the diocese. The wonderful people in all of those areas simply taught me so much about their lives, their own ministries and their love for the church and their communities.”

Bishop Heenan served on a number of Commissions of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference and remembers these with fondness.

“The last Commission I served on was Church Ministry. I was also on the Commission for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People. My final work was as the Chair of the Commission for Church Ministry, which has in its portfolio the Office for the Participation of Women, Professional Standards, Clergy Life and Ministry and Lay Pastoral Ministry. These were all areas in which I have had a special interest in. I was assisted by the wonderful people who work for those offices, and I hope that I was able to serve faithfully in this role”, he said.

Bishop Heenan will retire to Brisbane to be closer to his family.

For Media Enquiries, Please contact Beth Doherty on 0407 081 256

St. Mary’s Cathedral, Sydney
By + Cardinal George Pell
Archbishop of Sydney
13 September 2013

We gather together tonight for the second annual Memorial Mass for the Unborn, remembering all those hurt by abortion. We remember the young lives taken so unjustly and the mothers, fathers and families who mourn them. We entrust these little ones to Mary, our Mother, and through her to the merciful heart of God our Father, from whom “every family in heaven and on earth is named” (Eph 3:15).

The 82 candles that we will light this evening will commemorate the unborn children lost to abortion today in New South Wales. Each candle represents one tragic story drawn sometimes from indifferent and uncaring society. A woman’s capacity to bear life is seen too often as a problem and a burden for others, rather than a gift that must be respected and supported. Each candle is a reminder of the neglect on the part of our public authorities and the failure of the law to prevent or even deter this child’s death. But the light that will burn for these children is also a sign of the eternal light of God’s mercy that will shine on them. Continue reading →

BISHOP GREGORY O’KELLY SJ AM DD
Bishop of Port Pirie, 11 September 2013

On behalf of Australia’s Catholic Bishops, let me thank John Menadue and Helen Forde for their eloquence in launching this year’s Social Justice Statement. I would also like to thank the many people who have been involved in the consultations and drafting of the document and in its design and production.

The foundation of this year’s Statement is one of Jesus’ great parables: the story of the poor man Lazarus, who lies unnoticed at the gate of the rich man. This is the Gospel reading for Social Justice Sunday this year. Please recall that this statement, the 66th Social Justice Statement of the Australian bishops, is unanimously endorsed by all the bishops of Australia in conference, and is therefore a very powerful statement to our Australian church.

There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day. And at his gate lay a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores, who longed to satisfy his hunger with what fell from the rich man’s table; even the dogs would come and lick his sores. The poor man died and was carried away by the angels to be with Abraham. The rich man also died and was buried. In Hades, where he was being tormented, he looked up and saw Abraham far away with Lazarus by his side. He called out, ‘Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am in agony in these flames.’ But Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that during your lifetime you received your good things, and Lazarus in like manner evil things; but now he is comforted here, and you are in agony …’ (Luke 16:19–31)

Like all of Our Lord’s parables, this story presents us with a poignant challenge. It asks us directly: Where am I in this story: who am I in this story? The parables of Jesus are not allegories: they invite us to enter them at the level of our own imagination. When Christ spoke these parables he was looking at his hearers. How do I respond to his gaze?

None of us can hear this story without being reminded that on our streets – the streets and roadsides of every nation on earth – are men and women like Lazarus. We sometimes walk past without seeing them.

And that, it seems, is what the rich man in the parable did. He didn’t directly make Lazarus poor. He didn’t rob Lazarus or cheat him. Lazarus was just there, at the rich man’s gate, and the rich man ignored him. It was the sin of indifference, of omission rather than commission: Jesus asks us to go beyond that which is simply required legally. Continue reading →

Given by HELEN FORDE
Acting CEO, Caritas Australia, 11 September 2013

On behalf of Caritas Australia, I would like to acknowledge the Cammeraygal people, the traditional owners and custodians of the land on which we now stand.

It is a delight to be here today at the Australian Catholic University, to join in the launch of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference 2013–2014 Social Justice Statement, Lazarus at our Gate: A critical moment in our fight against world poverty.

We have been very eloquently reminded of the history of our treatment of Australia’s First peoples. It is a sobering thought that up to 30,000 Aboriginal children, women and men were killed in the cause of occupying Australia. It is humbling to realise that Lebanon is providing protection to one million Syrians and that Pakistan hosts two million refugees.

It’s just four days after the election and there are huge changes afoot across our nation. We stand at a crossroads in the fight against global poverty. As our Bishops say, we face A Critical Moment in the fight against world poverty.

As Catholics, and as the broader Christian community, in this moment we pause… We pause – and reflect – on the gift of life and the face of Christ. We pause – and reflect – Who is the rich man and who is Lazarus? This is the moment to hear the call of Jesus.

Australia is a rich, prosperous nation with a strong economy. Unlike the rich man, we must ask, ‘Who is at our gate?’ Who is Lazarus and where do we find him? Continue reading →

Given by
John Menadue AO
11 September 2013

This statement follows the proud tradition of the Catholic Church in Australia since 1940 of calling Catholics and all Australians to act for social justice. The 65 statements issued over the years cover a great range of social justice issues – poverty, violence, peace, environment, Indigenous people, ageing and inequality. Many years ago GK Chesterton referred with admiration to the practice of Australian Catholics in their Justice Sundays and annual statements.

This year is no exception with the call to fight global poverty. The famous parable of Lazarus and the rich man calls all Christians to a commitment to work for the poor and the marginalised. As the statement says, whilst progress against world poverty has been made, major problems still remain.

• By 2015 almost a billion people will be living on an income of less than $1.25 per day.
• Over a quarter of a million women in our time die in childbirth.
• Eight million children die every year from malnutrition and preventable disease.

As the statement so eloquently puts it, with 20% of the world’s poor living in our region ‘Australia is the rich man and Lazarus is at our gate’. Unfortunately our politicians keep slashing our ODA budget.

It is an honour for me to launch this statement. Let me congratulate the authors and designers who have drafted this excellent and timely statement. We are in your debt.

The Catholic Church remains for me the greatest influence for good in the world.

That influence is part of what Cardinal John Henry Newman described as the great beauty of the Catholic Church and not just in the lives of its saints or in its art. Continue reading →

Passing on the Faith Parish Kit This parish kit is presented as a resource to encourage ‘Parents Passing on the Faith’ in the family. It is designed for Sunday October 27th 2013, in solidarity with the ‘International Pilgrimage of Families to the Tomb of Peter’, led by Pope Francis as part of the Year of Faith.

However, the material could be used on any other Sunday appropriate for your parish. The kit includes:

A leaflet which can be easily copied and handed out at mass;
Bulletin clips;
Homily and liturgy notes for the 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year C;
The Year of Faith helps to remind us of the joys and challenges in developing our own faith and passing it on to others. These materials focus particularly on the role of parents in passing on the faith to the home.

All resources are at www.acmfc.org.au

Media Release
17 September, 2013

‘The Joy of Faith’ is the theme of an ‘International Pilgrimage of Families with the Holy Father to the Tomb of Peter’. Convened by the Pontifical Council for the Family, it will be led by Pope Francis in Rome on October 26th to 27th.

In solidarity with the Rome pilgrimage, parishes around Australia have been sent a Parish Kit with the theme Passing on the Faith Parish Kit. It contains a handout with motivational suggestions for parents in their role as prime nurturers of the faith. The kit the work of the Australian Catholic Marriage and Family Council (ACMFC), an advisory body for the Bishops Commission for Pastoral Life. Members of the ACMFC met in Sydney recently to discuss trends and issues in family life.

“The Rome Pilgrimage was just one of a wide number of many activities discussed”, commented Chair Couple, Ron and Mavis Pirola. “There are many difficulties facing families today and these need to be addressed. But it is important not to lose sight of the joy of faith and family. Joy is an important part of the evangelising role of the family.” Continue reading →

12th September 2013

Dear People of God in the Archdiocese of Canberra & Goulburn,

You have been waiting patiently for the Holy Father to send you a new Archbishop. Your beloved Archbishop Mark Coleridge was transferred to the Archdiocese of Brisbane about 18 months ago. Thank you for your prayerful watchfulness and intercession.

To my great surprise, His Holiness, Pope Francis, has appointed me as your Archbishop of Canberra & Goulburn. I thank the Holy Father for his trust and confidence in me to be your new Archbishop.

Totally relying on the Lord Jesus’ grace and mercy, I accept humbly and wholeheartedly this appointment.

It happens in the Year of Faith. May this appointment be seen as a way of strengthening our faith in Jesus, our Lord and Saviour.

I come to you as a simple pilgrim in Christ. We are largely unknown to each other. Yet, already we know each other in a certain way by the bonds that unite us together in our Catholic faith. We have much time ahead to “encourage one other and build up each other” (1Thess.5/11). Continue reading →