At the Welcome the Asylum Seeker Parish Support Program Forum on April 16 in his Keynote speech Bishop Vincent Long OFMConv DD, Chairman of the Australian Catholic Social Justice Council, called for Australia to reclaim its welcoming and generous spirit towards people seeking asylum. He reminded us that Christians have a 'mandate to care' for people in need. We a need a broader base of support for people seeking asylum to put an end to the 'globalised indifference' referred to by Pope Francis. We need to look to refugees not with fear, but with respect.

Our 2016 professional Development Program for Leaders in Catholic social services is now underway.

Pope Francis’ most recent document Amoris Laetitia (The Joy of Love) is the Church’s formal response to the insights from the 2015 Synod of Bishops on the Family. In this document Pope Francis affirms Church teaching on family life and marriage, but strongly emphasises the role of personal conscience and pastoral discernment. He introduces the document himself in Paragraph 5 which says: “This Exhortation is especially timely in this Jubilee Year of Mercy. First, because it represents an invitation to Christian families to value the gifts of marriage and the family, and to persevere in a love strengthened by the virtues of generosity, commitment, fidelity and patience. Second, because it seeks to encourage everyone to be a sign of mercy and closeness wherever family life remains imperfect or lacks peace and joy.” 

The attached paper, by Michael Yore, explores whether Catholic social welfare services bring an enriched quality of services and advocacy to their work. It includes discussion questions, making it useful in for orientation program in a Catholic agency.