index

In early April 2008 Bishop Patrick Dougherty established a Diocesan Justice-Peace-Ecology Commission.

Commision members appointed by the Bishop are Fr Carl Mackander, Sr Kath Luchetti, Sr Patricia Powell, Mr Michael Dickson, Miss Suzie Lawson and Fr Paul Devitt. Each of these Commission members brings a wealth of experience and knowledge in the social justice arena to the work of the Commission. As well, each has extensive networks of contacts from which to draw advice and support in fulfilling the work of the Commission.

Fr Paul Devitt Chairs the new Commission. He is the Diocesan Contact for the Australian Catholic Social Justice Council. He was member of the ACSJC for 9 years and had significant input into all annual social justice statements published by the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference and other publications of the ACSJC - Justice Trends, issues papers, social justice series, submissions to government, background papers etc. Fr Paul still acts as a reference person for the ACSJC on their published information in the area of Catholic Social Teaching and is a regular Justice Matters columnist for Diocesan paper, The Catholic Observer.

Much work has been going on throughout the Diocese for years. The time was right now, however, for establishing this co-ordinating body to further facilitate the work already in progress. The Commission will promote the cause of Social Justice in the Diocese and wider community by encouraging current efforts for justice wherever they are to be found and by opening up new possibilities for thought and action.

The context and vision of the Commission comes from the vision of Jesus himself and the teaching of the Church. Jesus outlined his own vision of his life’s work in the synagogue at Nazara:

The Spirit of the Lord is upon me,
for the Spirit has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor,
to proclaim liberty to captives,
sight to the blind,
to let the oppressed go free,
and to proclaim a year of favour from the Lord.
(Luke 4:16-21)

The world’s Catholic Bishops firmly placed the necessity and centrality of work for justice as integral to the life of all followers of Jesus:

‘Action on behalf of justice and participation in the transformation of the world fully appear to us as a constitutive dimension of the preaching of the gospel’
(Justice in the World: Synod of Bishops, 1971)

The Popes of the 20th century, especially John Paul II, consistently reminded us that true peace will not be achieved unless right relationships are established and maintained with ourselves, our God, our neighbours, and our environment.

The Commission’s Mission

Spirituality: promoting a spirituality of justice....through the teaching of the Scriptures on justice and the Social teaching of the Church

Study: researching and analysing particular issues of injustice....to empower people of the diocese with the necessary skills of social analysis and reflection to understand the forces at work in issues of injustice

Solidarity: building links with those marginalised through injustice....to listen to people of the diocese and wider afield (especially poor or disadvantaged) to try to understand their life situations

Education: educating the faith community for action by enabling the study of.... Scriptural information as basis of justice work; Catholic Social Teaching; Tools for analysing injustice situations; And by continuing to provide guest speakers, prophetic/challenging leaders and ‘doers’ of justice from our local area and from
outside the Diocese

Leadership: providing leadership in action for justice.....to take appropriate and informed action, in partnership with those affected by unjust structures and situations, to challenge and change these structures; link with key diocesan bodies and personnel in the work of social justice.

The Ecological Dimension of the Commission will link in with the tasks and responsibilities of Catholic Earthcare Australia at a Diocesan level - eg…