A humanitarian crisis is unfolding on Manus Island following the closure of the Australian funded immigration detention centre on 31 October 2017. Bishop Vincent Long Van Nguyen is the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference spokesperson on asylum seekers and refugees. He made the following statement on 3 November. Bishop Long’s Statement… Read More »Manus Island Detainees Australia’s Responsibility says Bishop
On 29 November 1986 Pope John Paul II addressed the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in Alice Springs. Because of its historic importance, Catholics around Australia will celebrate the 30th anniversary on Sunday 27 November. The celebration calls for reflection on progress towards justice for indigenous Australians. Moreover, it… Read More »John Paul II’s Alice Springs Address 30 Years Later
In a 7 November 2016 statement Bishop Vincent Long calls on Australians to reject cruel refugee measures proposed by Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and Minister for Immigration, Peter Dutton. They intend to introduce legislation banning refugees and asylum seekers who have arrived in Australia by boat from 19 July 2013… Read More »Australian Bishop Blasts Cruel Refugee Measures
The Director of the Australian Catholic Migrant & Refugee Office has responded to reports of Tamil asylum seekers being intercepted at sea and handed over to the Sri Lankan navy by reminding the Australian Government of its duty to respect the principle of non-refoulement. Read more below [gview file=”https://social-spirituality.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/ACMRO-Media-Release-Process-asylum-claims-3-July-2014.pdf”].
Bishop Gerard Hanna, the Australian Catholic Bishops’ Delegate for Migrants and Refugees expressed deep sadness at the death of an asylum seeker detained on Manus Island. A riot at the Australian funded offshore detention facility left dozens of other asylum seekers injured. The Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office called… Read More »Australian Bishop Mourns Asylum Seeker Death
This recording was made at the Pitt Street Uniting Church in Sydney during an ecumenical service praying for refugees and asylum seekers.