Australia’s Catholic bishops say peace is possible if people commit to speaking the truth and redouble efforts to end war. The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference has released the Social Justice Statement for 2024-25, titled Truth and Peace: A Gospel Word in a Violent World. Every year, the bishops seek to make a substantive comment on a key social issue and this year the focus is on the promotion of peace and the need for truth in public life.
Australian Catholic Bishops Conference
Help for those accompanying Catholics facing end-of-life decisions
Australia’s Catholic bishops have released a new document to guide priests, chaplains and pastoral workers who are asked to provide pastoral support to Catholics who are considering accessing voluntary assisted dying schemes.
Voice to Parliament: Faith Leaders’ Open Letter
This morning, Leader’s of Australia’s major religious and ethno-religious organisations have called upon all Federal parliamentarians to support a First Nations’ voice to parliament, called for through the 2017 Uluru Statement from the Heart.
Distinctive Catholic voices in the election campaign
John Warhurst is an Emeritus Professor of Political Science at the Australian National University. He has written the following article for Eureka Street, which is reproduced with permission.
On the occasion of World Interfaith Harmony Week in 2017, Parliamentary Friends of Multiculturalism in Partnership with the Canberra Interfaith Forum and Religions for Peace Australia presented Emeritus Professor John Warhurst of Australian National University who gave the address on the topic of Government, Leaders and Faith in Australian Politics at Australian Parliament House Canberra, on Wednesday 15 February 2017.
There are many different types of Catholics with quite distinct Catholic voices in this election campaign. When the Church speaks we should expect diverse content despite the unifying force of Catholic Social Teaching (CST). The Plenary Council consultation has shown us where we stand as a diverse community, and further analysis shows that Catholics occupy the full spectrum of political opinion from the Greens and Independents, via Labor and the Coalition, to One Nation and the United Australia Party.
Australia has ‘moral duty’ to take 20,000 more Afghan refugees, Catholic bishops say
Australia’s Catholic bishops have called for a special intake of 20,000 refugees from Afghanistan, saying the country has a “moral duty” to do more. As part of its election statement, the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference said the country had an obligation to take more refugees from Afghanistan because of the support shown to Australian military forces.
Attorney general defends religious schools’ right to sack teachers for views on sexuality
The Attorney General’s department also says changes to Sex Discrimination Act protecting gay students will be delayed until after religious discrimination bill. Michaelia Cash’s department also says changes to Sex Discrimination Act protecting gay students will be delayed until after religious discrimination bill.
Bishops to release Catholic Church response to royal commission
AUSTRALIA’S Catholic bishops will release the Catholic Church response to the child abuse royal commission “as soon as possible” after an extraordinary meeting in Melbourne next week.
