The Diocese of Parramatta recently hosted the launch of the Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference’s (ACBC) 2024-2025 Social Justice Statement: ‘Truth & Peace: A Gospel Word in a Violent World’.
A hundred people gathered at St Pauls Catholic College, Greystanes, on 20 August to reflect on this year’s ACBC Social Justice Statement. An additional 40 people joined online via the livestream, which has since had around 500 views.
In the Statement, Australia’s bishops scrutinise the signs of our 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.
The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference’s 2024-2025 Social Justice Statement during its official launch at St Pauls Catholic College, Greystanes. Image: Alphonsus Fok/Diocese of Parramatta
The Statement addresses the erosion of truth in today’s world due to reasons including:
- competing truth claims and ‘fake news’ on social media, which leads to misinformation and conspiracy theories.
- the absence of generally accepted authorities to assess truth claims and the demise of traditional gatekeepers of factual information.
- a promotional culture geared to self-image and branding, rather than truth.
- a generalised atmosphere of social distrust.
Chair of the ACBC’s Commission for Social Justice, Mission and Service, Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv, Bishop of Parramatta, delivered an address at the event, calling all believers in Jesus Christ and everyone of goodwill to work together to build peace around the world.
“All who love truth need to show the world that there is a realistic way to peace, a genuine peace built upon speaking truth and building trust,” Bishop Vincent said.
Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv, Bishop of Parramatta, speaks during the launch of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference’s 2024-2025 Social Justice Statement at St Pauls Catholic College, Greystanes. Image: Alphonsus Fok/Diocese of Parramatta
After sharing his personal story as a refugee fleeing a war-torn state 44 years ago, Bishop Vincent echoed the powerful words of renowned poet Judyth Hill and implored the world to “wage peace”.
“May we all reject the logic of guns and bombs and wage peace with the logic of encounter, of dialogue and friendship, and of love,” he said.
Australian Catholic University National Head of School of Theology Associate Prof Joel Hodge delivered an engaging keynote address about factors that affect truth, peace and justice in today’s troubled world.
“As GK Chesterton said, ‘When people stop believing in God, they don’t believe in nothing. They believe in anything.’,” he said.
“There are many ideologies and conspiracies that try to fill the void about what it means to be human, and they do so with power messages and social techniques.
ACU Associate Professor Joel Hodge speaks during the launch of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference’s 2024-2025 Social Justice Statement at St Pauls Catholic College, Greystanes. Image: Alphonsus Fok/Diocese of Parramatta
“And that’s always dangerous, and it’s always something that goes against the Gospel message … This is a false peace,” he said.
“If we can recognise that God comes to us as our forgiveness, as our love; then perhaps we have a chance of peace.”
ACBC’s Director of the ACBC Office for Justice, Ecology and Peace Peter Arndt and Executive Secretary Greg Baynie invited attendees to discuss and share their reflections on the Statement, in the spirit of building peace in our community.
Participants in conversation during the launch of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference’s 2024-2025 Social Justice Statement at St Pauls Catholic College, Greystanes. Image: Alphonsus Fok/Diocese of Parramatta
Special thanks to all who attended including City of Cumberland Mayor Lisa Lake, who shared her reflections on the Statement; Member for Prospect Hugh McDermott MP; Sr Susan Connelly RSJ; and representatives from Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney, Catholic Diocese of Broken Bay and Catholic Diocese of Wollongong; Caritas Australia; Jesuit Social Services; Josephite Justice Network; Marist180; International Justice Mission Australia; Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese; Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; and parish social justice groups.
Resources
- Download a one-page overview of the 2024-2025 Social Justice Statement
- Download the full 2024-2025 Social Justice Statement: ‘Truth & Peace: A Gospel Word in a Violent World’.
- Watch the livestream on our YouTube channel.
A prayer for peace
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.
– Adapted from Pope Francis’ Fratelli Tutti.
View images from the Social Justice Statement launch here or below:
