Parramatta Bishop’s pastoral letter on the National Referendum on the Voice to Parliament

Vincent Long Van Nguyen OFM ConvIn his letter to the Catholics of the Parramatta Diocese, Bishop Long says the referendum “will be a critical moment in the life of our nation. It will have implications for what kind of society we want ourselves to be”. Bishop Long said, “Enabling our First Nations People to have a say on the issues that affect them is a matter of the heart, common sense and justice”.

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Darwin Bishop Expresses His Support for a ‘Yes’ Vote in the Upcoming Referendum on the Voice

Darwin Bishop Charles GauchiDarwin Bishop Charles Gauchi has spoken on the important topic of the Voice and the referendum. This is an important matter that needs a lot of reflection. It needs a lot of soul-searching. Bishop Gauchi tells, ”For some time now, I have been convinced that I will cast a ‘Yes’ vote in the upcoming Referendum on the Voice“.

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Tension over church stances on Voice

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Liberal MP Julian Leeser
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Liberal MP Julian Leeser (left) visit the Uniting Church in Ashfield for a service by Bill Crews before the launch of the Uniting Church’s Yes23 campaign on Sunday. Photo Credit:EDWINA PICKLES

Church leaders are being urged to prove their support for the Indigenous Voice despite the political risk of taking sides in the closing weeks of the referendum, amid concerns that some leaders are “hedging” after strongly backing the change earlier in the year.

The new call highlights questions over whether the nation’s peak faith groups will throw their active support behind the change to the Constitution when early voting begins next week, as some of their communities campaign for the Yes side.

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South Australia: Interfaith Matters Forum

Hope's Cafe - Interfaith MattersThe Interfaith Matters Forum for September will be held on Wednesday, 27 September at the Pilgrim Church Hall, Adelaide, commencing at 6pm, The topic for this forum is Reflecting on The Spirit and The Voice – how do our values guide our intentions?

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Muslim Celebrity Preachers Must Be Held Accountable not Rewarded for Their Harmful Views

Mohamed HoblosDr Adis Duderija is a Senior Lecturer in the Study of Islam and Society, School of Humanities, Languages and Social Science ; Senior Fellow Centre for Interfaith and Intercultural Dialogue, Griffith University, Nathan, Queensland, Australia. Here, Dr Duderija shares an opinion piece about a Celebrity Muslim Preacher, Mohamed Hoblos.

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Inspiring Faith, Hope, and Transformative Action to Accelerate Progress Towards the SDGs

Trilateral Partnership of Regional Faith-based Networks for the SDGs, from Africa, Asia-Pacific, and Latin America and the Caribbean

The UN Secretary-General has convoked an International Summit on the Sustainable Development Goals. Religions for Peace will be participating. We are delighted to extend our warm invitation to the forthcoming High-Level Meeting during the 2023 SDG Summit. The event, entitled “Inspiring Faith, Hope, and Transformative Action to Accelerate SDG Progress,” will take place on Monday, September 18, from 1:30 pm to 6:00 pm at the Baha’i International Community (BIC) located at 866 United Nations Plaza, Ste. 120, New York.

Your attendance may be virtual, or it may be In Person at the New York premises of the Baha’i International Community, 866 United Nations Plaza

This event aims to review and reflect on the challenges faced and lessons learned from regional faith-based networks; accelerate transformative action that can be taken by faith-based and religious communities; strengthen collaboration among the Trilateral Partnership, regional faith-based networks for the SDGs and their member organisations, United Nations agencies, governments, and other stakeholders; and provide a platform for sharing stories of resilience, highlighting the transformative power of faith and hope in driving SDGs efforts.

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“A case for YES Referendum” – INTERVIEW WITH NOEL PEARSON – on behalf of Australian Faith Communities

Hindu Council of Australia logoOn 15 September 2023, Dwayne Jeffries of Hope Media on behalf of Better Balanced Futures, representing the faith communities in Australia, interviewed Indigenous Elder Noel Pearson. During the interview, the Hindu community, Islamic communities, Buddhist communities and many others are referenced with regard to supporting First Nations Australia.

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Imagine a day when the whole planet was at peace

 UN International Day of Peace 2023
Bishop Philip Huggins writes, The UN International Day of Peace is next week, September 21st. It is a day for rekindling our noblest aspirations. Imagine even a day when the whole planet was at peace. A day when our most attractive power, our capacity to love, was all one could see. A day when not one person was killed by hateful violence. A day when no one was fearful for their loved ones.

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Supporting a Voice to Parliament: Brotherhood of St Laurence

Brotherhood of St. Laurence LogoThe Brotherhood of St. Laurence supports the Uluru Statement from the Heart and a ‘yes’ vote in the forthcoming referendum on a First Nations Voice to Parliament. The Brotherhood of St Laurence provides a significant resource detailing the Uluru Statement from the Heart and the Voice to Parliament.

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