The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference release a
Social Justice Statement in September every year

SOCIAL JUSTICE STATEMENT 2022-2023:

Bishop Paul Bird talks about this year’s statement, titled Respect: Confronting Violence and Abuse below:

SOCIAL JUSTICE STATEMENT 2022-2023:

The Australian Catholic Bishops have released their annual social justice statement – a practice dating back to the 1940s. This year’s statement, titled Respect: Confronting Violence and Abuse, addresses the scourge of domestic and family violence in society. Australian Catholic Bishops Conference president Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB writes in the statement’s foreword that “The teaching of Christ urges us to promote relationships marked by respect and freedom rather than coercion and control. The message of the Gospel is not a message of domination of one person over another but a message of mutual esteem and kindness.”

The Social Justice Statement is attached here, and can also be found on the Office for Justice, Ecology and Peace website. Other resources, including images, prayer and liturgy material, newsletter notices and multimedia files, can also be found on that website.

The Respect: Confronting Violence and Abuse Social Justice Statement has been published ahead of the Church’s celebration of Social Justice Sunday on August 28.