Building Bridges collects the Social Justice Sunday Statements of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference 1988 – 2013. It is a beautifully produced reference book with an excellent index – and I wrote an introduction highlighting the major themes and consistent concerns of this body of local Catholic Social Teaching. The… Read More »Social Justice Statements Collected
The National Council of Priests of Australia have backed the Bishops’ 8 May 2014 statement on Australia’s asylum and refugee policies. They say:
Like our Bishops, many of us have seen the faces and heard the stories of these people and cannot hide our shame at the way some are being treated.
Here is the full text of their 14 May 2014 statement…
Read More »Asylum Policy Extinguishing Hope
The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference has issued a statement pleading with those in Government and the whole Australian community to have respect for the rights of asylum seekers. They denounce current policies as ‘institutionalised cruelty’, ask for an examination of conscience concerning racism and for an end to the dehumanisation… Read More »Australian Bishops Plea: Respect Asylum Seekers’ Rights
The Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference Delegate for Migrants and Refugees, Bishop Gerard Hanna, has spoken out against the axing of funding for legal assistance to asylum seekers. “Whenever a person’s life is threatened, it is just and fair that they should be able to make a valid application for protection.… Read More »Asylum Seekers Need Legal Advice: Australian Bishops
The Australian Catholic Bishops’ agency for people on the move, the Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office, has produced a short pamphlet outlining key Church teachings on asylum and migration. Read it here.
How would you describe the requirements of basic human solidarity? How would you like to be treated if you were a stranger or seeking protection?