Catholics From Australia

"The aggressive promotion of the commercial side of Christmas has seen a shift where some people are even unaware of its Christ origins."

"I note that a common but faulty view is that, like a satellite navigator, conscience gives us directions from outside our own moral reasoning. The classical Christian conception of conscience is of the natural perception of basic moral principles, their application in particular circumstances, and the final judgment about what is to be (or has been) done. Without shared objective principles, "conscientious" belief becomes window-dressing for the raw expression of preference or power. But conscience must be both well-informed and well-formed if it is to be a reliable guide to action."

"World Youth Day is always a wonderful opportunity for young people from around the world to build bridges of friendship and hope between continents, peoples and cultures."

"In recent decades, the staffing of the Catholic Schools in my area is almost totally carried out by lay people. In the main, our staff are dedicated to the schools and their Catholicity. This demands not only a competence in the area of teaching and communication but also a lifestyle which is in keeping with the Catholic teachings and doctrine taught."

"The developed countries are called to accept the care for refugees, without measures that inflict harm and suffering."

"In theory, the prevailing pedagogy declares that a sound religious education should "educate the whole person". In practice, however, it is mainly the affective and the conative powers which are educated in "Christian values", with many beautiful results. But the cognitive powers are religiously underdeveloped. Intellect, reason, memory, imagination - these are severely undereducated in Catholic doctrine and thought."

"Oceania needs saints. We need to recognize and listen to the "Saints" in our midst."

"We begin by acknowledging one another's humanity, we begin by getting to know one another as human beings well before we move on to talking about history and theology."

"It is the Eucharist that invites us to be part of the mission of Christ. We need life in the Sydney Church to flourish."

"while we believe in the democratic process, the best decisions are made when we do the right thing for the right reason."

"I can be a liturgical Agony Aunt, so be it."

"As bishops, as presbyters and as deacons we're all invited in that ministry to bombard Heaven with our prayers. And each day as you speak with the Lord in prayer, like the prophets of old, you as new young prophets, you share in the ministry of your bishop and intercede unceasingly before God for your people."

"At this time our Church is weighed down and under intense scrutiny because of failures in being true to the Gospel by individual members of the Church. This affects us all and could have caused me to hesitate in accepting this call to be your Bishop. However, I found hope and encouragement."

"I will always remember the joy of getting to know the people, baptising their children, and then later being the celebrant at the wedding, being a shepherd to them during their times of trial but also rejoicing with them."

"Our Catholic religion is about God who is love. Often, we can mistake weakness for love and strength as a lack of love. Compassion cannot be exercised at the cost of objective truth. We must strive to correct erroneous consciences, especially in those who call themselves "Catholic". Dissent against the Teaching Church is widespread. The Teaching Church, however, has the authority and the responsibility to articulate the faith of the whole Church."

"I speak of the Bishops' need to hear the voice of the priests, even if simple answers cannot be found. I refer to some of the problems priests experience. I wish that the essential place of the priests in the Church be emphasised in the Synod and that discussion of their difficulties be open."

"We need never be afraid to speak the truth. Authentic ecumenism requires that we speak the truth to each other lovingly, and love each other truthfully. Inter-church families must be a special focus of our concern. We ought offer them our friendship, respect their experience and try to find new ways to respond to their needs."

"We are united not only by the vast waters of the Pacific Ocean but also by faith in Jesus Christ. This faith which we share as brothers and sisters is what brings us here today to proclaim our profound faith in our Saviour Jesus Christ...We see the end of missionary efforts and we too have become missionaries to take part in the new evangelisation united with the Holy Father."

"Our wonderful story of pioneering religious women and men, who opened hundreds of schools in the outback should never be forgotten. Alongside the pioneering priests and bishops, they were the backbone of religious education for more than a century. Now disappearing from the school scene, they have left a major gap."

"We always like to think what our future will be, and that's hopefully heaven, but we just get in and do what you're called to do. If you're doing your normal ministry, if you’re serving God's people and getting involved in the life of the Church, then I suppose these callings can follow."

"We promote all the vocations."

"Unity and peace are important words in the teaching of Jesus. Events in history at times made it difficult for Christians to live in agreement. Pope John Paul II left us documents which lay the foundation for our efforts to build closer relations with one another. Pope Benedict confirms this message. If we fail to go in this direction we would ignore what the Church is proclaiming today. This pact is a call to continue our mutual activities and find new ways of involvement for the future. It is a challenge for our respective communities to enter into closer relationship with other believers in Christ."

"The beginnings of the Church in Oceania were the actions of the providence of God. Reflecting on our present and preparing for the future benefits from recalling the elements of the beginning of the Church in Oceania. A methodology is needed to achieve this. The method of "lectio divina" could provide the basis of such a methodology. The path of the Church to be opened by Christ will become clear when there is meditation and contemplation upon the situation of the Church."

"Australia is a country with great tradition of Christian faith and even strong in sending missionaries ad extra to carry out the work of evangelization. Today we are experiencing a profound transition, where the old patterns and identities of the past are replaced by new challenges and new issues. Even the Christian faith is in a phase of rebirth. We need a new evangelization and new vitality and energy in proclaiming the Gospel: we are asking ourselves how we can do it. The change affects the Australian Church but society as a whole. It is necessary to read and draw from the past, which was a time of grace, to project into the future. The danger is introversion, folding back on oneself. As Bishops we clearly say that it is time to "put out into deep water" to deal with new forms and new frontiers of mission."

"I am certain that every pontiff brings with him his personal qualities but I also believe the role can shape the person. The Pope will continue to preach the teachings of the Church and, as one of the architects of Vatican II, he will strive to spread the message of Christ and the joy, happiness and dynamism which come with it."

"The Church needs young people for the present and the future. Today the Church is not attracting them as it should, and yet research indicates that young people are just as ready as they have ever been to respond to noble causes. In Christ's vision of the Kingdom, the Church has the most noble cause imaginable, if only it can link this vision with the Church. If young people are to be treated with seriousness, they must be included in the forums of the Church at every level."

"Children are all important in Papua New Guinea's culture. Special care is given to their education in customs to ensure that tradition is handed down from one generation to the next. Since Christmas celebrates the birth of the Child, it fits well into the PNG mindset. For all our children the Child Jesus is a model and a friend."

"The Catholic Church is present and active right across Australia and each diocese has its own characteristics and history, and its own unique challenges and opportunities, all underpinned by our common faith. There really is unity in diversity among the bishops and the choice of the Archbishop of Perth as the new president demonstrates this."

"There's a universal feeling across the church in Australia that we have begun a way of being the church in Australia that we cannot now go back on. So we have launched ourselves into this journey. When we started, the notion of a synodal church hadn't yet emerged so clearly in the thinking of the pope, but that is in fact what we were doing."

"In some parts of Oceania, it's the secularist mentality that wants to exclude religion from public life. While it's common to all, it's particular to Australia and New Zealand. In other parts of Oceania, it's political instability and corruption in some governments; the breakdown of traditional morays, which creates a vacuum. The old is gone and the new has not emerged. This becomes a great opportunity for the church and confers a great responsibility too."

"Not enough has been said about the needs of the poorer and more disadvantaged members of society. Poverty has to be an election issue."

"It has always been the view of the Catholic Church that human beings such as asylum seekers should be treated as human beings, not as political footballs. This policy sounds as though it could be quite punitive toward asylum seekers who have left their countries of origin because of dire and dangerous situations. It is important to focus on the problem of people smuggling while not holding asylum seekers responsible for this phenomenon."

"We are a big organsaiton, a big employer and we need to be efficient and accountable. But we should never forget that our core business is to preach the Gospel, whatever goes on must be at the service of that."

"Priesthood still is the most marvelous gift and mystery – there is no end to the wonder of it; it's a joyful life."

"I never felt my priesthood was a private possession. I always felt I was a priest for people."

"Australians have a right to know, the basis upon which Australia went to war in Iraq."

"I was in fact there and I was very proud to march in solidarity with those gay and lesbian members of my community."

"I want to unite the country. I think people have had enough of division, what they want is to come together as a nation and I intend to lead that."

"Papua New Guinea can always count on Australia, as we counted on them in our darkest hour. We share a future, and together we're building a partnership that will deliver peace, prosperity and opportunity for our people and for our region."

"I will work every day to bring Australians together. And I will lead a government worthy of the people of Australia. I can promise all Australians this no matter how you voted today, the government I lead will respect every one of you every day."

"It's bigger than the territory of Germany or Poland. The European bishops think I'm mad."

"All the great moments of advance in Christian history have been spurred on by a challenge or a danger. Recent events and controversies leave us in no further doubt that one of these moments is upon us now. To pretend otherwise is to shirk our responsibilities as members of the Church and fail in our mission to the world of the third millennium."

"The person that prevents us from shooting those crocodiles shall be dragged into a courtroom and held to account for the deaths of North Queenslanders."

"No, I'm not interested, don't lead me into your rubbish, don't you keep taking us on your flights of fancy. Your city lily pad lefty map mindset."

"Maybe I know nothing about politics, but if this is getting you votes, I am a Martian astronaut!"

"I mean—you know—people are entitled to their sexual proclivities, you know, I mean let there be a thousand blossoms bloom as far as I'm concerned, you know—but I ain't spending any time on it because in the meantime, every three months, a person is torn to pieces by a crocodile in North Queensland."

"Treasurer, cannot the Clean Energy Finance Corporation—a development bank ready-to-go—fund industry and infrastructure, Australia builds its way out of the COVID depression—manufacturing, industry, agriculture. North Queensland shovel-ready and COVID-free. Hells Gates, Galilee rail line, CopperString electrification. Not absorb-money but make-money projects, to show you and I are trendy—back in black highway to hell. Um, Treasurer, cough, cough up, the money, make money, make money."

"The general conclusion of history is that whenever the Church becomes reliant upon governments for money she loses a certain amount of her freedom. It’s difficult to speak truth to power at the best of times, but even harder when the civil power is also the Church’s banker."

"Respect doesn’t mean that you don’t have a sense of humor! On the contrary, the fact that you can share a joke means you respect them, you’re disarming yourself and letting them know that you are not all that different to them."

"I was a cradle Anglican. The Anglican Church taught me the Christian faith and nurtured and sustained me through many joyful and difficult periods in my life. I firmly believed that the priests of the Anglican Church were Catholic priests, but when “developments” began to occur, such as the ordination of women, I realized that once this had occurred, the priesthood to which women aspired to belong, no longer existed. This “development” opened the way for the liberalization of the Church’s worship, doctrinal belief and the acceptance of a more secularist set of moral and ethical principles. I felt abandoned because it was as if my “mother” had died, but this grieving has been alleviated by the warmth of the welcome and the support I have encountered from members of the Catholic Church."