Any change to marriage law must include protections for religious freedom

Archbishop Denis Hart

Parliament must work to unify Australians by respecting different views on marriage, Australian Catholic Bishops Conference president Archbishop Denis Hart said today in the wake of the result of the Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey.

“The Catholic Church, and many others who sought to retain the definition of marriage as it has been understood for centuries, continues to view marriage as a special union between a woman and a man, which allows for the creation and nurture of children,” Archbishop Hart said. Continue reading →

Last chance to participate in Catholic Media User Survey

Time is running out for you to take part in the first ever Australian Catholic Media User Survey.

The Australian Catholic Media Council, under the auspices of the Bishops Commission for Evangelisation, is looking to hear about where and how Australians find their news of the Church in a new survey, which launched in late September and must close by November 30. Continue reading →

Australian Youth Ministers to Gather in Western Sydney in 2018

The Australian Catholic Bishops Office for Youth and the Diocese of Parramatta will host the Australian Catholic Youth Ministry Convention (ACYMC), from 21-23 September 2018, at Rooty Hill RSL.

The ACYMC will explore the call of Pope Francis to ‘Open New Horizons for Spreading Joy’ and going out to the peripheries to support young people in finding their place in the world.

Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP, Archbishop of Sydney and Bishops Delegate for Youth, shared his hopes about the fourth ACYMC. Continue reading →

30 days until Australian Catholic Youth Festival Office for Youth | 7 November 2017

With only a month to go, Sydney is gearing up to play host to more than 18,000 young Catholics from around the nation for the Australian Catholic Youth Festival.

The 3-day event of concerts, workshops, social events, forums and worship at Sydney’s Olympic Park from 7-9 December boasts a stellar line up of international and home-grown presenters and performers including world renowned Canadian Christian singer and headline act, Matt Maher. Continue reading →

Catholic women on a mission

Newly appointed staff of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, Andrea Dean and Rachelle Smith, discussed details of the leadership program when they met with Bishop Michael McCarthy in Sydney recently.

The two year program, a blend of online learning and residential experiences, is a project of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference in partnership with Catholic Mission and Australian Catholic University to cultivate future women leaders.

Rachelle Smith, who comes to the position of coordinator of the Leadership for Mission program with extensive experience in youth ministry and event coordination in Tasmania, said: “I’m thrilled to part of this visionary initiative and I look forward to working with the candidates over the next two years.” Continue reading →

Don’t miss having your say on Catholic media Australian Catholic Media Council

Australian Catholics are being urged to have their say on Catholic media by participating in a survey developed by the Australian Catholic Media Council, under the auspices of the Bishops Commission for Evangelisation.

The Australian Catholic Media User Survey, which closes on November 30, will help inform the Commission about how and where people get their Catholic news and information. Continue reading →

First joint Plenary Council meeting Monday October 23, 2017

Bishops Commission for the Plenary Council meeting

The first joint meeting of the Bishops Commission for the Plenary Council, the Executive Committee and the Facilitation Team was held on October 19-20 at St Joseph’s Retreat Centre in Baulkham Hills, Sydney.

It was an important step on the journey toward Plenary Council 2020 which was announced by the Bishops of Australia earlier this year.

The purpose of the meeting was to allow the three groups to meet each other and to share personal stories and hopes for the Plenary Council.  It was also a time to start building a shared sense of the Council journey with its three phases – preparation, celebration and implementation.  Prayer was interwoven through the two-day program with input and sharing sessions in small groups. Continue reading →

Australia’s economy must serve every one of us Australian Catholic Social Justice Council

‘Australia now has the second-highest net worth per person in the world. But we cannot justify this wealth if, in accumulating it, we have left behind those who are most in need’, says Bishop Vincent Long Van Nguyen, the Chairman of the Australian Catholic Social Justice Council (ACSJC).

Bishop Long writes this in his foreword to the latest publication from the ACSJC, An Economy that Works for All by Joe Zabar, Senior Director, Strategic Operations and Economic Policy at Catholic Social Services Australia. Continue reading →

World Mental Health Day Message from Bishop Terence Brady

Mental Health Week logoWorld Mental Health Day is observed annually today (October 10). This year, the Church has sought to celebrate this day as an opportunity to encourage a truly pastoral view that embraces our total community as the living Body of Christ.

To be authentic, this view must include every member of the community acknowledging their call, their gift and their presence. We cannot claim to be truly disciples of Jesus unless we are totally engaged in honouring His presence in each one and in building and nurturing this community to be a living witness of that presence. Clearly this is a revealed truth that is fundamental to our sense of our own real value. Just as clearly this truth should be so evident in our lived experience that others are drawn to know, understand and experience the Father’s love that Jesus reveals. Continue reading →

Women deserve better: Doctors debate future of reproductive medicine at Melbourne conference National Fertility Conference 27-28 October

Press Release from the Australian Institute for Restorative Reproductive Medicine (AIRRM):

Untitled design (11)Renowned Chilean gynaecologist Professor Pilar Vigil and the University of Newcastle’s Laureate Professor John Aitken examine the future of reproductive medicine at the Australasian Institute of Restorative Reproductive Medicine’s National Fertility Conference on October 27 and 28.

A free public forum opens the conference wherein a frank discussion will take place around the ever increasing use of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) as women delay pregnancy and seek quick solutions.

“We need to understand this headlong rush into ART is going to have a long-term impact on the
health and wellbeing of future generations,” Professor Aitken warns.

Restorative Reproductive Medicine (RRM) offers a re-focused approach to diagnosing the underlying causes of infertility. Unique to RRM is the goal to restore optimum health allowing conception to occur naturally. Continue reading →