OCEANIA/AUSTRALIA - Catholics called to take active part in politics using discernment: in view of federal elections this Autumn, Justice and Peace Commission of Brisbane archdiocese issues call, following Statement by Catholic Bishops of Australia

Friday, 23 July 2004

Brisbane (Fides Service) - The Justice and Peace Commission of the archdiocese of Brisbane has issued a call to Catholics to take active part in the next elections exercising discernment. A copy of the message was sent to Fides. The diocesan call follows a Statement issued by the Australian Bishops at the end of Plenary Assembly earlier this year in May. “Our people must take the opportunity to be directly involved in examining political and social questions in the light of the Gospel ”, Rick Sheehan, head of the JP Commission told Fides.
With its call the Commission also distributed material including the Bishops’ statement underlining key questions to be examined with Christian discernment: education; Australia’s role on the international scene; the question of refugees and asylum seekers; scarcity of water in many urban and rural areas.
In view of federal elections in November the Conference of Religious Superiors also launched a campaign “Vote for the Common Good”, stressing that the concept of “common good “ is a pillar of Catholic Social teaching. The government must work for the common good, whereas “many of our people are excluded from it by unemployment, poverty, lack of housing and other factors” the Superiors said.
For their part, in the statement 'Having Faith in our Democracy: Building a Better Australia' the Catholic Bishops of Australia list the main challenges facing the country:

Building a Culture of Life - which is a gift of God and responsibility of man. Bishops refer to problems relative to bio-ethics, abortion, euthanasia
Building a Culture of Love - giving more importance to the family, care for children prevention of child abuse
Building a Culture of Knowledge- quality education
Building a Culture of Health - improving health care services
Building a Culture of Care - caring for the poor and the needy
Building a Culture of Reconciliation - reconciliation between Indigenous peoples and the rest of the Australian community
Building a Culture of Hospitality - respects human dignity of migrants, asylum seekers and refugees
Building a Culture of Peace - striving for better distribution of the world's resources and just resolution to international conflicts
Building a Culture of Creation - Care for the environment
The Bishops conclude by saying: “we do not wish to be politically partisan nor to compromise the freedom of Catholic voters. Within a democratic process where expediency or party politics can at times obscure key principles and issues, we want to encourage people to consider their vote in the light not only of their personal interests, but of wider concerns as well”. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 23/7/2004 lines 49 words 521)


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