The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference release a
Social Justice Statement in September every year
In the 2024 – 2025 Social Justice Statement, “Truth and Peace: A Gospel Word in a Violent World”, Australia’s Bishops scrutinise the signs of our own troubled times, observe the violence around us, and ask why it is so. They also ask what is needed if there is to be peace. In a world full of pessimism, they put their faith and hope in the possibility of peace.
Bishop Paul reflects on the statement:
Bishop Paul’s statement can be downloaded here.
The Ballarat Diocesan Social Justice Commission held a
Reflection Day on Saturday, September 7, 2024, in celebration of
the launch of the
Australian Catholic Bishops’ Social Justice Statement 2024-2025
“Truth and Peace:
A Gospel Word in a Violent World”
The Facilitator for the day was writer and educator,
Michael McGirr
Michael McGirr is the mission facilitator and manager
of community engagement at Caritas Australia.
He is a regular contributor to The Age,
The Sydney Morning Herald, The Canberra Times,
Australian Catholics, Madonna and Eureka Street.
His many books have been published in both Australia and
overseas and include Bypass (the story of a road),
Ideas to save Your Life (Text) and, most recently,
Every Day is New (Garratt). He is married to Jenny
and they have three young adult children.
The Statement was launched on Tuesday, August 20 with Bishop Vincent Long and Associate Prof Joel Hodge and can be watched below:
Prayer for the Social Justice Statement 2024-2025
Adapted from Pope Francis’ Fratelli Tutti
O God, Trinity of love,
from the profound communion of your divine life,
pour out upon us a torrent of sisterly and brotherly love.
Grant us the love reflected in the actions of Jesus, in his family of Nazareth,
and in the early Christian community.
Grant that we Christians may live the Gospel,
discovering Christ in each human being, recognising him crucified
in the sufferings of the abandoned and forgotten of our world,
and risen in each sister or brother who makes a new start.
Come, Holy Spirit, show us your beauty, reflected in all the peoples of the earth,
so that we may discover anew that all are important and all are necessary,
different faces of the one humanity that God so loves. Amen.