In This years Social Justice Statement, Australia’s Bishops invite us to renew our engagement with the First Peoples of Australia. They have come to this view through much listening to the First Peoples and they encourage us all to listen to them in a spirit of love and humility.
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.
Director Peter Arndt shares some information on a global survey of over 17,000 Catholic women about their experience of the Church and what they want to change.
Respect: Confronting Violence and Abuse points out that the roots of domestic and family violence “lie in the abuse of power to control and dominate others” and that “this stands in contrast to the relationships to which God calls us”. Our relationships should be “marked by equality and reciprocity rather than domination and violence, respect and freedom rather than coercion and control”. We reject the manipulation of religious teachings to justify violence and abuse. We support women in calling for respect in relationships; their lives and those of their children are sacred.
A personal, on the ground reflection from Catholic Schools Diocese of Lismore Mission team on what Laudato Si’ means to them. They share their experience of ‘Standing on Holy Ground’ as they support each other to clean up after the floods and rebuild after catastrophic flooding where over 12 of their schools had damage to half of its buildings, and three completed inundated. You can support with prayers and responding to their appeal.
The Australian Catholic Council for Employment Relations (ACCER) has written a submission calling for an increase to the minimum wage.
The Feast of St. Joseph the Worker is 1 May and the message for this year focusses on First Nations employment.
Laudato Si’ Week is a time to re-commit ourselves to the ecological conversion to which Pope Francis invited us in Laudato Si’. The Office has produced new resources for the week focussing on listening to the ecological wisdom of Indigenous Peoples.
The International Day against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia, IDAHOBIT Day, is May 17.
In time for National Sorry Day, Sunday 26 May, the Office has a new resource for those who want to learn more about the Stolen Generations and to take action.
World Refugee Week is an opportunity for us to re-commit ourselves to accompanying refugees at a time when Government policy is becoming increasingly harsh.
In collaboration with NATSICC, to support the ongoing message at the heart of the 2023 Social Justice Statement our office will be producing a series of resources more deeply exploring the ongoing impacts of the forcible removal of First Nations children over many years
New legislation introduce to Parliament this week has sparked concerns due to its broad and vaguely defined powers granted to the Minister.
As we prepare to celebrate Easter, it’s essential to consider the impact of our chocolate choices. By opting for slave-free chocolate, we send a powerful message to the industry that exploitation has no place in our celebrations.
Ongoing trade negotiations with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have caused concerns for human rights, labour, and environmental organisations over the UAE’s record on human rights.
