In the Gospel, Jesus compels us to welcome the stranger (Matthew 25:35). Welcome in this context involves both an attitude and an action. It is our attitude which constantly needs to be assessed in light of the Gospel to ensure that we are carrying out the Lord’s commandment to love our neighbour as ourselves.
Laudato Si’ Week, a celebration of Pope Francis’ encyclical on caring for our common home is taking place 16 May – 24 May this year. The ACBC Office for Justice, Ecology and Peace has created resources for individuals and groups to use throughout the week.
The first Commonwealth Closing the Gap report has been released after the National Agreement on Closing the Gap in 2020. The National Agreement focuses on prioritising partnerships between governments and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders Community-Controlled Organisations with four priority areas. There are also 17 socio-economic outcomes, four of which were on target.
The Federal government released their 2022-2023 budget after the election. Although there is new funding available to speed up visa processing which is years behind, and there is a review on Australia’s multicultural policies and more support for people learning English, there was no commitment to permanency for those on temporary visas and no increased refugee intake.
Pope Francis released a message on the International Day for People with Disability. In it he spoke of people with disability’s role in teaching the rest of the church about their own experience, on building a welcoming, warm and inclusionary church as well as gift of their strength and faith to the church. He said, “with regard to the disabled – there can be no us and them, but a single us, with Jesus Christ at the centre, where each person brings his or her own gifts and limitations.”
On 25 November, the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference’s Office for Justice, Ecology and Peace worked with ACRATH, Jesuit Refugee Service and Small Steps 4 Hannah to provide an online workshop to advocate for the elimination of violence against women and girls, and against domestic and… Read More »WATCH: International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women Event
On November 28-30, the Laudato Si’ Inspired Conference: Our Ocean Home will take place online from 3-5pm each day. This event includes “storytelling, reflection, practical theology, scientific exploration and dialogue from across Oceania in preparation for the 2023 Federation of Catholic Bishops’ Conferences of Oceania (FCBCO) Assembly in Fiji”. Registrations are open.
Join us on November 25 at 3pm AEDT for an online event for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, highlighting the Bishops 2022-2023 Social Justice Statement, Respect: Confronting Violence and Abuse. Speakers include Bishop Vincent Long, Miichael Jeh, an Ambassador for Small Steps 4 Hannah organisation, Sr Christian Carlan from ACRATH and Shatha Jago from JRS. Registrations now open.
A group of eight Torres Strait Islanders have gone to the United Nations to bring a complaint against the Australian Government for failing to protect their human rights in the face of rising sea levels. With rising waters effecting their food gardens, cemeteries and coast lines, the group successfully argued their point and the UN supported their complaint. An in-depth article by SBS goes into detail on the process and the climate heroes involved.
Amnesty International has released an anti-racism ally guide that is available for all to read and reflect on free of charge. The guide is for people who want to stop racism and support the anti-racism efforts they see around them. It says allies are people who make a lifelong commitment to learning, listening and taking action, led by people of colour. It presents six steps as key and urges the amplification of marginalised voices.