Media Release, 5 August, 2013

Prisons must contribute to building a safe and just society, by rehabilitating prisoners, and successfully reintegrating them into the community on release.

As the Victorian Government considers Expressions of Interest to build and operate a new prison at Ravenhall in the Western suburbs of Melbourne, the Interchurch Criminal Justice Taskforce has called on the Victorian Government to ensure that the new prison is focused on these key areas.

The Government requirements around the new prison include maximising rehabilitation, and the provision of high quality mental and general health services ,and effective transitional support. Potential providers have been asked to outline how they would approach these and other issues.

“The Government must provide a prison that incorporates best practice in all of the key areas of operation and responsibility”, according to Denis Fitzgerald, chair of the taskforce. “This will require that it take the best of the ideas that are put forward by the various bidders.”

“Investment in good health and rehabilitation is cost effective for the community in the longer term, with reduced crime rates, and increased productivity – cutting costs can jeopardise the building of a safer community.”

“To maximise community safety, the ideas that emerge for best practice must also be incorporated into existing prisons in Victoria.”

The involvement of private operators in running the new prison brings added risks. The longer-term safety of the community may be compromised in the search for financial efficiencies and higher profits.

The Taskforce is also very concerned that the focus on new prisons comes at the expense of a broader efforts to improve community safety by tackling the causes of crime.

Enquiries to Denis Fitzgerald, Chair, Victorian Interchurch Criminal Justice Taskforce 0418 136 372

MEDIA RELEASE: August 5, 2013

Caritas Australia, the Catholic Church’s international aid and development agency that helps some of the world’s poorest people, is extremely disappointed the Australian Government is once again taking much needed overseas aid money to fund the growing costs for their asylum seeker processing policy.

With the Federal Election called at the weekend for September 7, the government also announced a new deal to reportedly permanently resettle a “modest” number of boat arrivals in the small Pacific Island of Nauru.

Caritas Acting CEO, Jamie Davies, called on all political parties to commit to the aid budget rather than continuing to raid its coffers.

“The aid budget is not like a blank cheque, it’s a finite amount of money that the most marginalised around the world rely on,” Ms Davies said.

“We call on the Federal Government to be fully transparent and specify how the cuts and re-allocations are targeted.

“Our aid dollars work hard to improve lives by tackling poverty, injustice and instability – often addressing the conditions that cause families to seek asylum in the first place. Continue reading →

This blog first appeared on the website of the Truth, Justice and Healing Council

By Francis Sullivan

Last week results from a study on more than 3400 telephone calls to the Adults Surviving Child Abuse helpline revealed some heart breaking results.

It reaffirmed much of what we already know: that while abuse within the home represents a very substantial proportion of all cases, abuse within religious settings is still far too prominent.

The research found 63 per cent of callers said a family member had abused them, while eight per cent of respondents were abused in religious settings.

It is terribly sad that so many people have been abused by those closest to them. However, the comparatively low number of sexual abuse allegations in religious settings is absolutely no defense for the Church.

As a church we must continue to work as hard as we can to ensure all children within our organizations are safe and looked after. Continue reading →

The following are some tidbits and reflections from WYD. Follow the links to read more!

This first article first appeared on the Darwin Diocese’s WYD blog

Benita de Vincentiis from Darwin reflects on the Vigil of WYD, where her iPhone was stolen and she ends up praying for the person who stole it!

…..And then the Pope offered some words: “The Cross of Christ is felt here, in Brazil. The Cross of Christ invites us to be smitten by his love, to look upon others with mercy and love.” There it was. And more. “Who are you like, pilate? Simon? or Mary? Jesus is looking at you right now. Do you want him to carry the cross? How do you answer? Let us bring our joy/suffering/tears to the cross of Jesus, to love each person with the same love.” Continue reading →

From Fr Brian Lucas – 25 July 2013

Dealing with historical complaints which came forward in the early 1990s was often complex, challenging and difficult.

There was little in the way of regulation or established procedures and I think it is clear that we underestimated the complexities around offender behaviour and did not appreciate the full impact on victims of such unspeakable and damaging conduct and the difficulties that they encountered bringing their stories forward. The respect given to the wishes of the victims was, in some circumstances, overstated. We should continue to do more to make it easier for Victims to take complaints to the police. Continue reading →

Media Release, 23 July, 2013

The National Catholic Education Commission has today welcomed the commitment of all state and territory Catholic education Commissions to the Commonwealth Government’s funding arrangements now known as the ‘Better Schools Plan’.

This ongoing constructive engagement with the Australian Government enables planning to commence to implement the ‘Better Schools Plan’ funding arrangements arising from the Australian Education Act which was passed on 26 June.

Catholic schools will now have greater clarity on Commonwealth funding in 2014 and will be able to plan accordingly.

Catholic education is confident that under this legislation no school will be worse off and these funding arrangements will deliver significant increases over time for every child in the Catholic system. Continue reading →

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

In 2006, the inaugural Young Catholic Women’s Interfaith Fellowship began. Seven years later, another group of 17 women are getting formation in this revolutionary and radical program run by the Australian Catholic Church. Check out this short clip to see what they are up to! More information at www.opw.catholic.org.au

22 July 2013
Media Release

The Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office call for Australia’s asylum seeker policies to be inspired by the centrality of human dignity and the obligation to care for our brothers and sisters who, in their desperation, ask for our welcome and assistance.

“Each and every one of us must rise above indifference and have the courage to open our hearts to asylum seekers, to listen to their hopes, to empathise with their despair, and to welcome them into our community.” said Bishop Gerard Hanna, Australian Catholic Bishop’s Delegate for Migrants and Refugees. Continue reading →

The announcement of the Holy See that Pope Francis has appointed me as the new Archbishop of Hobart occurs while I am attending World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro. I regret that I cannot be in Australia at this time.

I receive the news of my appointment as the eleventh bishop of Hobart with joy and expectation.
My years as priest and bishop have been within the Archdiocese of Sydney. I look at my appointment to Tasmania with the intention of making this beautiful island my home and its people my people.

As Archbishop I embrace the call of Blessed John Paul II at the turn of the millennium to “start afresh from Christ”. I invite you to join me in the time ahead to seek a deeper relationship with Christ that he may shape our thoughts, words and actions. Christ is our sure foundation and the hope that inspires us to embrace and live our Catholic faith to the full. In and through Christ the Catholic faith is our treasure and our joy.

The great mission of the Church in our time is the New Evangelisation. All Catholics are called to discover our task in the world of enabling individuals and cultures to be transformed by the power of the Gospel. I want to make the New Evangelisation the pastoral strategy to my service among you. Continue reading →

Media Release
Embargoed until 8:00pm EST, 19 July, 2013

Bishop Julian Charles Porteous, until now an Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney, has been named Archbishop of Hobart by the Holy Father Pope Francis.

Archbishop Adrian Leo Doyle has led the Tasmanian Archdiocese since 1999, and is deeply loved by the people of Hobart.

“It has been a great privilege for me to have been the Archbishop of Hobart for the last 14 years, and I am grateful for the friendship, loyalty and support given to me during that time”, said Archbishop Doyle.

President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference Archbishop Denis Hart welcomed the announcement on behalf of the Bishops.

“I warmly welcome the appointment by Pope Francis of Bishop Julian Porteous as Archbishop of Hobart.”

“Since his priestly ordination Bishop Julian has shown great zeal for the spread of the faith, outreach to youth and fostering of vocations through rallies, seminars and constant teaching.” Continue reading →