Australian Bishops Statement: Politics in Service of Peace
Drawing attention to the needs of those who are poor or vulnerable
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Date Posted:
02-May-2019
We will open our hearts to the cries of the poor using our energies, gifts and resources to address violence and discrimination especially for women and children, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, displaced persons, minority groups, the homeless, those suffering hardship because of poverty and those affected by injustice within the Church. (Chapter Statement).
The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference statement for the 2019 Federal election draws attention to the needs of those who are poor or vulnerable, such as those who are homeless or are survivors of child sexual abuse, people with disability, asylum seekers and refugees, and those requiring aged or palliative care.
It calls for a renewed commitment to closing the gap between Indigenous Australians and the rest of the population, and for “an integrated approach to combatting poverty, restoring dignity to the excluded and at the same time protecting nature.”
The statement presents key principles of Catholic Social teaching to be considered and offers a prayer for the election (p6).
Download the Statement here.