Australia’s Catholic bishops have urged politicians to resolve the divisive debate on proposals to redefine marriage. A Senate report on holding a popular vote on marriage was tabled today.

In a submission to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee for the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, the Chair of the Bishops Commission for Family, Youth and Life, Archbishop Anthony Fisher, asked senators to uphold the traditional understanding of marriage.

“Marriage is a fundamental institution for all societies because of its importance in uniting spouses as potential parents and in providing for the upbringing of their children”, said Archbishop Fisher. Continue reading →

Kimberley landscape, the location of the Australasian Catholic Press Association (ACPA) conference in September 2015

A very warm welcome, endless hospitality and a buzz of energy marked the 60^th anniversary of the Australasian Catholic Press Association (ACPA), celebrated in the Diocese of Broome last week, 8-11 September.

From the bishop to the diocesan staff, the elders to the missionaries, the people of Broome ensured that every journalist and communications specialist was made to feel welcome and encouraged to learn about this unique part of Australia during the annual conference. Local support and generosity was in abundance to help ACPA celebrate its diamond jubilee.

The 35-degree days of warmth and humidity gave the event a tropical feel with delegates donning their shorts and hats for the conference excursions. Professional cameras and iPhone selfies were in abundance during a visit to Broome’s famous Cable Beach to watch a sunset.

Continue reading →

Dr Maria Harries AM

Pope Francis has appointed Dr Maria Harries AM as an independent auditor at the 14^th General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, which will take place at the Vatican in Rome next month. This means Dr Harries will contribute to the Synod discussions on the family as a Catholic laywoman.

Dr Harries is Chair of Catholic Social Services Australia and a member of the Truth, Justice and Healing Council.

She will join Archbishop of Brisbane, Mark Coleridge, and Bishop of Darwin, Eugene Hurley, who were elected to represent the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference at the Ordinary Synod on the Family.

Prefect of the Vatican Secretariat for the Economy, Cardinal George Pell, will also attend the Synod, which takes place from 4 – 25 October 2015. Continue reading →

Cheryl Curnow gathered with colleagues at the ACBC Secretariat for a farewell dinner

The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference hosted a special thank you dinner and bid farewell to Mrs Cheryl Curnow, Program Manager of Natural Fertility Australia (NFA), this week.

Over the last twenty years, Cheryl combined her strong work ethic, a commitment to her family and her faith, with her career at NFA.

Dedicated to raising her family, Cheryl gave up a promising career to care for her children, something she and her husband saw as a shared vocation. She describes the Curnow family as ‘very close’.

Cheryl returned to the paid workforce after more than a quarter of a century spent nurturing her family. Continue reading →

Genevieve Bryant performing at ACYF, Melbourne in 2013

‘Where can we see God?’, a simple question that triggered a young song writer to compose the lyrics chosen as the theme song for the Australian Catholic Youth Festival (ACYF) this year.

Taking the theme of the Festival, ‘Blessed are the pure of heart for they shall see God’, Genevieve Bryant asked herself, ‘where can we see God?’

The question prompted a deep musical response in singer-song writer Genevieve. ‘When our eyes are truly opened we see God as the poor and thirsty, the heart of justice, the lost and searching.’

Continue reading →

Bishop of Sale Pat O’Regan, Auxiliary Bishops of Melbourne Mark Edwards OMI and Terence Curtin.

VICTORIA’S newest bishops are currently in Rome attending a seminar for recently ordained bishops, often fondly referred to as ‘baby bishop school’.

Bishop Pat O’Regan from the Sale diocese and Melbourne auxiliary bishops Terry Curtin and Mark Edwards OMI are attending the seminar, which includes a personal audience with Pope Francis for each bishop.

125 new bishops are participating in the seminar run by the Congregation for Bishops from Monday 7 to Wednesday 16 September. Bishops Curtin and Edwards have both graciously provided some lovely, interesting, and even humorous, reflections on their time at the seminar in Rome. Continue reading →

Criticisms of the economics of Laudato Si’ are without foundation, a new paper by the Australian Catholic Council for Employment Relations (ACCER) states.

The paper titled, The Economics of Laudato Si’ – no surprises here, clearly demonstrates that what Pope Francis has said on economic issues is sound and is perfectly consistent with earlier Catholic social teaching on economic issues, including the operation and regulation of markets.

Brian Lawrence, Chairman of the ACCER said, ‘the encyclical’s analysis and consideration of economic issues has been criticised in some quarters. Prominent attacks on the encyclical, and Pope Francis personally are unjustified’. Continue reading →

The Prime Minister’s announcement that Australia will be taking an extra 12,000 refugees from Syria and Iraq on a temporary basis is a generous response to the refugee crisis we have been watching on our television screens over the past few weeks.

The journey of a refugee is chaotic and risky. From the moment of departure, there is the risk of injury, starvation, separation, persecution, imprisonment and even death.

Such desperation and human misery invites us to respond with compassion, solidarity and generosity.

The increasing global movement of people and our nation’s response mean it is timely for us to reflect on this important issue, which is why Australia’s Catholic bishops on Wednesday, 9 September launched our Annual Social Justice Statement on justice for refugees and asylum seekers. Continue reading →

Introducing reforms to the legal structures around marital nullity, Pope Francis published two apostolic letters motu proprio on Tuesday 8 September 2015. The letters are known as Mitis et misericors Iesus   and  Mitis Iudex Dominus Iesus.  

The first is a reform of the canon law procedure on marriage of the Oriental Churches and the second on the reform of the procedure on marriage in the Code of Canon Law for Latin Churches.

During a press conference launching the documents, Pope Francis made the distinction that we do not speak of “annulments” as the Church does not make marriages null but rather discovers facts, which show that a particular union is Null.

Continue reading →

Cathy & Matt Bourke with their four children, Michael, Joel, Trinity & Sebastian

We believe it takes a village to raise a child and so much of our village is the Catholic Church, Cathy and Matt Bourke told the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference (ACBC) recently.

‘Raising families is an extremely vulnerable time of life and possibly the hardest job to get right. It is the most important vocation in manifesting the domestic church’, the couple explained.

Matt and Cathy believe a vibrant Catholic family community is also vital in the faith journey to share values and life’s challenges with other families. Continue reading →