Media Release, September 5, 2013.

Caritas Australia, the Catholic Church’s international aid and development agency, has expressed deep disappointment and concern over the proposed Coalition plan to cut $4.5 billion from Australia’s foreign aid program over the next four years.

This is the latest blow to Australia’s foreign aid program, which has experienced a string of cuts, diversions and delays over the past two years.

“Australian politicians continue to treat life-saving overseas aid dollars like a blank cheque to help balance the books for domestic policies,” said Caritas Australia Acting CEO Helen Forde.

“Australian foreign aid saves lives. It is not a treasure chest to be raided to help make domestic savings when politicians feel like it.

“We are extremely disappointed at this announcement, particularly given that it’s come at a symbolic time as Australia has taken over the presidency of the UN Security Council.” Continue reading →

Ratiba Awad with her 4-year-old daughter Ahraa. They are two of the over 20 Syrian refugees who are living in an abandoned cow shed in Lebanon’s Bekka Valley since having to flee Syria. (Photo: Eoghan Rice / Trócaire)

Catholics are being urged to join Pope Francis today for a day of prayer and fasting for peace in Syria, in the Middle East and throughout the whole world.

President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, Archbishop Denis Hart, said Australia’s Catholic bishops are joining the Pope’s call, with dioceses and parishes across Australia organising to pray with the Pope over the weekend.

“Australians have been very concerned to see the civil war in Syria develop over the past year and a half to a point where it appears poisonous gas may have been used in a chemical attack last month,” said Archbishop Hart.

“There can be no justification for the use of poisonous gas.

“More than six million Syrians are now refugees in neighbouring countries, fleeing the fighting.

“Australia has a special role as president of the United Nations Security Council, to help try to find a way to end the armed conflict.

“We need to pray for the more than 100,000 Syrians who have been killed in this conflict. We need to pray for the maimed, the homeless and the destitute. We need to pray for the armed groups in this conflict, that they can negotiate a peaceful settlement. And we also need to pray for the members of the United Nations Security Council, that they act with wisdom. Continue reading →

Ratiba Awad with her three children, Ouday (5), Ahraa (4) and Batoula (7 months), in the abandoned cow shed where they live with over 20 other Syrian refugees since having to flee their homes due to the war in Syria
(Photo: Eoghan Rice / Trócaire)

As leaders of Christian Churches in the ACT we reject the current government policy on the processing of asylum seekers who arrive by boat. Furthermore we reject the asylum seeker policies of both the major political parties.

Current asylum seeker policies for boat arrivals and those proposed by both major parties are unjust, inhumane and a selective, questionable application of Australia’s commitment to the UN Refugee Convention.

As leaders of faith communities who profess to follow the way of Jesus of Nazareth, we call on all candidates in the forthcoming election to reject the current inhumane policies and to embrace policies that protect the human rights of each and every person who seeks asylum in Australia, regardless of the means they use to arrive in Australia.

We call on all political candidates in the forthcoming election to embrace compassionate asylum seeker policies, to fully support Australia’s obligations to the UN Refugee Convention, to permit the processing of asylum seekers on the Australian mainland however they arrive, to expedite as soon as practical the processing of asylum seeker’s claims, to ensure legal advice is available to all asylum seekers who require it, to ensure that no children spend time in detention and to offer successful claimants of asylum permanent residency in Australia.
Continue reading →

MEDIA RELEASE 2 September 2013

Catholic Mission’s 2013 World Mission appeal – “I will build my Church” – focuses on the world’s youngest Catholic Church in Mongolia

Many people would not associate the vast expanses of Mongolia with the Catholic Church, but that is about to change. This year’s Catholic Mission World Mission Month appeal in October will focus on the world’s youngest Catholic Church which was established in Mongolia just over twenty years ago following the fall of communism.

In 1992, Bishop Wenceslao (Wens) Padilla, a Filipino from the Italian Congregation of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and two fellow missionary priests, travelled to Mongolia to build the Church ‘from scratch’ in a country known to other missionaries as the ‘hardship country’. Bishop Wens recalls that when he first arrived, the country, which was mostly comprised of nomadic herders, had no knowledge of Christianity, and was struggling with alcoholism, domestic abuse, minimal government social services and extreme poverty. Continue reading →

As you are aware, the Holy Father announced during the Angelus last Sunday a Day of Prayer & Fasting for peace in Syria, in the Middle East and throughout the whole world, next Saturday, 7th September. On that same day, the Pope will preside at a Prayer Vigil in St Peter’s Square from 19.00 hrs until midnight.

it is His Holiness’ fervent desire that the whole Church be united with him in the Day of Prayer & Fasting. Individual Bishops are invited to take the most appropriate initiatives, in order to promote the participation of the faithful throughout their Dioceses. As Pope Francis has already indicated, non-Catholics may also be involved in such initiatives with the possibility of joint-acts of prayer.

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3 September 2013, Media Release

The Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office express great sadness as the coalition announced on Sunday they will withdraw legal assistance to people seeking asylum in Australia who arrive by boat.

“Asylum seekers do not commit any offence by coming here. Under the Universal Declaration of Human Rights every person has the right to seek asylum in any territory they can reach” said Bishop Gerald Hanna, Australian Catholic Bishops Delegate for Migrants and Refugees.

Bishop Gerard Hanna

“It is a dismal reflection of the state of the politics around this issue that commentators frequently refer to asylum seekers arriving by boat as “illegals”. This is just not true. As for “queue-jumping”, leave aside that there is no queue where boat people come from, the etiquette of the checkout at the supermarket is not how it works when you are running for your life” said Bishop Hanna.

“We must stop treating asylum seekers as if they are the enemy. We do not fail when people turn up unexpectedly and ask us for help, we fail when we refuse to offer help” he said.

“The Coalition should not forget that the Liberal government of Robert Menzies was instrumental in drafting the 1951 refugee Convention and was one of the first governments to sign the convention” said Fr Maurizio Pettenà, National Director, Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office. Continue reading →

The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference has developed the following election site www.catholicsvote2013.org.au. The site includes a statement “A Vote for the Common Good” to help Australian Catholics discern how they will vote in the 2013 Federal Election. You can download a copy to your apple or android device or read a plain text version. The statement can also be watched on the High Definition YouTube clip.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVKv5g9HZVk&feature=share&list=UUPR3WmzwBvrHbNnWel2PQJg

Media Release, 28 August, 2013

Christopher Saunders, the Bishop of Broome and Chairman of the Australian Catholic Social Justice Council, has called on all eligible voters to remain attentive to issues of justice at the next Federal Election.

“Each voter shares a responsibility to keep alive the critical faculty, to analyse carefully all policies put forward by the various political parties and individual candidates, and to judge carefully the moral worth of all proposals, before casting a ballot in the September 7th election. Continue reading →

Truth, Justice and Healing Council Logo

The Truth Justice and Healing Council is currently engaging with church and other stakeholders as prepares its submission to Royal Commission’s third issues paper on child safe institutions.

Submissions to the paper close on 11 October and the TJHC’s will be distributing a consultation document to Church stakeholder on Friday 6 September.

Francis Sullivan, CEO of the Council, said the Council’s submission would represent the whole Church and would be a comprehensive statement on the current church environment and include recommendations for reforms.

“The process the Royal Commission is going through in calling for submissions to various issues will ultimately paint a picture of how different institutions across the country have responded to child sexual abuse,” Mr Sullivan said. Continue reading →