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Pope Francis

A well attended Catholic Mass, from the back of the church looking towards the altar.

No One Can be Saved Alone

Peter Arndt, Director of the Office reflects on Advent and particularly on seeing God with us each day. The hustle and bustle of this time of year can stop us seeing and hearing God in our day-to-day lives. He urges us to keep Christ in our celebrations of Christmas by remembering and including people excluded from society and our brother and sisters in the environment in our celebrations. Peter farewells Patrice Moriarty who is moving on from her support of the Office.

A women with down syndrome is reading something from her laptop in a modern apartment.

Pope Francis’ Message on the International Day of People with Disability

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.”

A view of a table from overhead. A present is wrapped with recycled green paper, brown rope thread and a red Christmas tree stamp.

Living Laudato Si’ at Christmas

How do we continue to seek ecological conversion during Christmas a time that can easily become about consumption and materialism. This reflection gives you ideas for how to have a Laudato Si’ Christmas. “Invite Christ who became human just like us to replace our longing for stuff with a longing for a simple and sustainable life, for justice and peace in our world and for a commitment to caring for our common home.”

Laudato Si Action Platform Logo

The Laudato Si’ Action Platform Celebrates Its First Anniversary

The Laudato Si’ Action Platform is celebrating its first anniversary this week. The platform is a brilliant opportunity for families, parishes, schools, businesses, hospitals and organisations to work towards total sustainability and collate this information across the world. It is easy to pledge and receive the information needed and get to work in whatever your context. The first anniversary was celebrated with an online event available to watch anytime.

Anti-Poverty Week logo on an aqua background. Text reads "16-22 October 2022. Anti-poverty week. 20 years action on poverty."

Anti-Poverty Week

Anti-Poverty week (16-22 October) is being observed this week, and we are being called on to raise awareness and taken action against poverty and organisations such as Vinnies Australia are calling on all parliamentarians to halving child poverty by 2030. Recent reports show 761,000 children live below the poverty line. Pope Francis’ message for World Day of the Poor (Nov 13) states, “This is the moment for us not to lose heart but to renew.”

The five front-liner advocates showcased in The Letter stand together against a stone wall.

The Letter – Ground-breaking Laudato Si’ Film and Prayer Campaign

The Letter is a documentary showcasing the stories of frontline champions and promotes the message of Pope Francis’ letter to the world – Laudato Si’ Caring for Our Common Home. “Hello everyone. My name is Bilal Seck. My home has been affected by rising sea levels.” There is also a 40-day Laudato Si’ Prayer Campaign in the lead up to 14 November which marks when Laudato Si’ Planning Guides and all related materials will be published.

The silhouette of a person putting a ballot in a ballot box.

Bishops Call for a Better Kind of Politics

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The Australian Catholic Bishops have released a new election resource highlighting key issues for consideration this election. The guide doesn’t assign ratings to candidates or parties, but rather gives a background on the different issues that could affect the election and information on these issues from a Catholic perspective.

The text "Signs of Our Times" is in the middle of the image with blue, yellow, green and pink as a background.

Signs of Our Times Soft Launch

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The Signs of Our Times Project had its soft launch on 30 November where Bishop Vincent Long welcomed the project “as a means of going deeper in our appreciation of the tradition of social teaching and action and engaging in it.” The project which started from living out Pope Francis’ call for a Culture of Encounter has produced resources parishes and schools can use to reflect on our times as we pray with scripture, reflect on CST and share our stories.

Stylised globe with the text "UN climate change conference UK 2020"

Now is the Time to Act

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In his message to COP26, Pope Francis said that “now is the time to act, urgently, courageously and responsibly.” Dr Sandie Cornish suggests that rather than being a cause for despair, the modest outcomes of COP26 should serve as a call to renewed action by every part of society. She reflects on COP26 and enrolling in the Laudato Si’ Action Platform.