Official Year of Mercy logo

“It’s appropriate that Fr Richard should begin his mission on wheels here at St Joseph’s, East Maitland, because it’s where Fr John Therry began his mission back in the 1830s.”

Bishop Bill Wright was speaking at the Mass during which he commissioned Fr Richard Shortall sj to begin his ‘ministry on wheels’ in the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle. Only last week, Fr Richard, whose Jesuit community is in Melbourne, was instructed and commissioned by “fratello mio” (my brother), Pope Francis in Rome, along with some 700 other Missionaries of Mercy. These priests are central to the celebration of the Jubilee Year of Mercy announced by Pope Francis last year. Continue reading →

Human trafficking and slavery is a terrible consequence of economic and social exclusion, according to a submission from Australia’s Catholic bishops to a Senate inquiry.

“Exclusion is the result of a number of factors,” said Bishop Terry Brady, Chair of the Bishops Commission for Pastoral Life. “It is the result of not recognising the human dignity of each person, so people are treated as an object or a means to an end.

“It happens because people are in poverty and don’t have access to adequate education or employment. It is caused by putting money and not people at the centre of the economy.”

The Commission made the submission to the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Law Enforcement last month. Continue reading →

For the first time, the Diocese of Broken Bay will host the Proclaim Conference, a national conference on parish evangelisation.

PROCLAIM 2016 will run across three days from 1-3 September, 2016 at The Concourse Chatswood, in Sydney’s northern suburbs.

Being held for the third time, this important initiative of the Bishops Commission for Evangelisation is expected to draw together over 500 participants to discuss, exchange and learn fresh ways in which parishes can become evangelising communities of the twenty-first century, filled with missionary disciples that announce the profound joy and mercy of the Gospel. Continue reading →

Emeritus Bishop of Townsville, Reverend Raymond Benjamin

Emeritus Bishop of Townsville, Reverend Raymond Benjamin, passed away on Monday, 7th March 2016. Fr. Michael Lowcock, Diocesan Administrator of the Diocese of Townsville, informed the Catholic community and beyond.

Bishop Benjamin turned 91 on the 24^th of February this year. He was born in Rockhampton in 1925 and was educated at Our Lady’s Infant School and later at the Christian Brothers College, West Rockhampton. After completing his training at the Pius XII Provincial Seminary in Brisbane, he was ordained by the Most Rev. Andrew Tynan, Bishop of Rockhampton on the 25^th of July, 1949.

As a Priest, he served in many parishes in the Diocese between 1950 and 1984 when he was elected as Fourth Bishop of Townsville on the 14^th of February 1984.

Bishop Benjamin was consecrated as Bishop of Townsville on the 9^th of May at an outdoor Ordination at the Dean Park Soundshell by Most Rev. Francis Rush, Archbishop of Brisbane.

The Diocese of Townsville will be live streaming the Vigil and Funeral for Bishop Benjamin. Both services will be available on the following links.

Vigil and Sharing of Memories – Wednesday 16th March from 7.00pm (AEST) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Kwy0TaZJ34

Mass of Christian Burial – Thursday 17th March from 11.00am (AEST) –https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XS1TxlUMtCg

Continue reading →

“Asylum seekers should never be used as pawns in defence of Australia’s borders,” said Marcelle Mogg, CEO Catholic Social Services Australia.

Speaking in response to participant discussions on Australia’s response to the current global refugee crisis at the Review, Reimagine, Renew Conference in Melbourne, Ms Mogg said that Australia must stop using people fleeing conflict as a deterrent to others seeking asylum in this country.

“Australia’s political leaders have accused people seeking asylum of base motives such as placing children at risk in their efforts to secure a place in Australia. Yet our policies of deterrence do just this: we retain children in detention indefinitely, turn back boats at sea, and detain people off-shore who have every legal right to claim asylum in Australia. And we do this all in the name of ‘deterrence’.

“Australia’s response to people seeking asylum must reflect our regard for their humanity, dignity and vulnerability. Continue reading →

John L. Allen Jr.

Three pillars of Pope Francis’ papacy provide ‘a Magna Carta for Catholic Social Services’, Vatican Reporter John L. Allen Jr. told leaders gathered today at the joint Catholic Social Services Australia and Catholic Social Services Victoria, national mission conference.

Keynote speaker Allen, Associate Editor of Crux, said, this Magna Carta includes; firstly the Holy Father’s passion for those on the peripheries namely the poor, refugees and homeless among others. Secondly, his deep missionary concept of the Church, ‘to get out of the sacristy and onto the streets’, and finally, his focus on mercy and being merciful.

‘Knowing these three pillars, you will understand 90 per cent of what Pope Francis is saying during his papacy.’

‘There is a Francis effect at the grassroots level of our Church. This Holy Father has been tremendously bold and dynamic in drawing attention to social justice issues. I think this means that Catholic Social Services have the wind at their back now. Pope Francis has given these issues a new lease of life.’

‘The face of mercy shown by Pope Francis is the blueprint for Catholic social services. A papacy like this may not happen again for a long time, don’t let it go to waste.’ Continue reading →

Public forum hosted by Catholic Social Services Australia and Catholic Social Services Victoria during ‘Review, Reimagine, Renew’, mission conference 2016.

Donella Johnston, Director of the National Office for the Participation of Women

The issue of family violence cannot be relegated to just another social justice issue that we need to pay attention to, Paul Linossier, Chief Executive of Wesley Mission, told church leaders at a public forum addressing family violence on Wednesday 24 February.

‘We are talking about men’s violence against women, physical and sexual violence. We are talking about the litany of controlling behaviours that exclude and denigrate and over time demoralise, abuse and marginalise women.

Family violence is a factor in most cultures on our globe but it is clearly present and strong in Australian culture.’

Gathered at the Australian Catholic University, Melbourne, Linossier told the leaders that this is ‘an uncomfortable conversation if it goes far enough because it drives to the heart of our culture, the heart of our social arrangements and our view of the human person’. Continue reading →

Australia’s Catholic bishops say surrogacy, both commercial and altruistic, is flawed, offends human dignity and that it would be intolerable to argue harm minimisation to allow the development of a commercial surrogacy industry in Australia.

The bishops acknowledged the pain and sadness couples face when they cannot have children because of infertility or the inability to carry a child to full term, but pointed out surrogacy can transfer sadness from the infertile couple to the surrogate mother.

The bishops’ comments were made in a submission from the Bishops Commission for Family, Youth and Life to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs, which is holding an inquiry into surrogacy.

“Surrogacy is not undertaken with the priorities and interests of the child in mind, but rather the interests of the adults who want a child,” said bishops delegate for life issues, Bishop Peter Comensoli.

“The act of surrogacy denies the child the right to be conceived, carried, born and brought up by his or her genetic parents. Continue reading →

Bishop Max Davis, Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of the Australian Defence Force, has been found not guilty of all accusations and charges relating to claims of historical incidents which were dealt with by the District Court of Western Australia during the period from 8-15 February 2016.

Bishop Davis stepped aside from his role as bishop of the Catholic Diocese of the Australian Defence Force on 30 June 2014. He will now take some time to decide whether to return to public ministry.

The Catholic Diocese of the Australian Defence Force strongly encourages any victim of abuse by clergy or staff within the Catholic Church, or any other agency or person, to report the matter to the police and to seek assistance through the dedicated legal and support services.

Within the Church there are a number of established services for victims and survivors of sexual abuse including, Towards Healing and the Melbourne Response.

No further statement on this matter will be made at this time.

Media queries, please contact 0450 348 597 or media@catholic.org.au