News

20 October 2019 – Australian families trapped in Syria must be rescued while there is still time –

Statement from Pax Christi Australia to Australian Government _ Fr Claude Mostowik

Australian women and children are trapped in al-Hawl, a desolate camp in north-eastern Syria for families of Islamic State fighters. Some 20 women and at least 44 children are held in the camp which houses more than 70,000 family members of Isis fighters, 11,000 of whom are foreigners from close to fifty countries…..

The moral imperative is beyond dispute. When Australian children are exposed to the terrifying force of violent conflict and abject squalor, their suffering cannot be allowed to continue because of the sins of their parents.

A humane and responsible Australian government would intervene without delay or prevarication to alleviate their medical circumstances and ensure their future well-being.

Read the full Statement Here

13 October 2019 – NSW Pax Christi Convenor’s Report

The Convenor’s Report includes information on a number of activities throughout the previous month by members of Pax Christi Australia NSW Branch.  The report includes:

Statement of Solidarity with Human Rights Defenders, Religious People and Other Leaders Accused of Sedition in the Philippines:

September 3 Launch of the 2019 Social Justice Statement, Mary McKillop Place, North Sydney _ Making it Real: Genuine human encounter in our digital world. Read the full report Here

6 October 2019 – Let Priya and Nades and their family stay

Media Statement – 18 September 2019

A coalition of NSW justice and peace organisations today continued their campaign to bring the Tamil family currently being held on Christmas Island back to the Australian mainland.

See full Media Statement Here

Signatories and Contacts

NSW Ecumenical Council – The Reverend Dr Raymond Williamson OAM (President), and the Very Reverend Fr Dr Shenouda Mansour (General Secretary) – 0418 713 733

Grandmothers Against Detention of Refugee Children, NSW – Gaby Judd (Coordinator)

The Edmund Rice Centre for Justice and Community Education – Phil Glendenning, Director – O413 013 758

Pax Christi Australia – Fr Claude Mostowik – 0411 450 953 and Wies Schuiringa (Co-Convenors NSW Ecumenical Council Peace and Justice Commission)

Church Council, Pitt Street Uniting Church, Sydney

Missionaries of the Sacred Heart Justice and Peace Centre – Fr Claude Mostowik – 0411 450 953

The Josephite Justice Network (Sisters of St Joseph) – Sister Jan Barnett

9 September 2019 –Why is Greta Thunberg so triggering for certain men? How can a 16-year-old girl in plaits, dedicated to trying to save the planet, inspire such incandescent rage.

Jennifer O’Connell The Irish times September 7, 2019

Thunberg’s trip was an act of protest, not a sacred commandment or an instruction manual for the rest of us. Like all acts of protest, it was designed to be symbolic and provocative. For those who missed the point – and oh, how they missed the point – she retweeted someone else’s ‘friendly reminder’ that: ‘You don’t need to spend two weeks on a boat to do your part to avert our climate emergency. You just need to do everything you can, with everyone you can, to change everything you can.’  Read Full Article Here.

28 August 2019 – Statement of Solidarity with Human Rights Defenders, Religious People and Other Leaders Accused of Sedition in the Philippines.

Pax Christi Australia expresses deep concern and outrage at the condemnation of leaders in the Philippines such as lawyers, human rights defenders and bishops, priests and other religious leaders who have been charged with sedition and accused of terrorist links for speaking truth to power. We object strongly to framing any kind of activism or holding a contrary opinion as an attempt to overthrow the government. There are grave implications of red tagging or labeling individuals and groups as subversive, left leaning or as terrorists because they express dissent. Association with any organisation and belief in the principles it espouses is an exercise of the right to freedom of thought, assembly, and association. Curtailing this and may affect all other rights such as the right to free speech, expression, and movement among others. Fr Claude Mostowik Pax Christi Australia, President. Read full statement here

By Dennis Sadowski
Catholic News Service

Zokovitch, 51, told Catholic News Service he wants to connect young people driven to respond to climate change and gun violence with the older generation of peacemakers who have sustained the organization for five decades since stepping up during the Vietnam War and responding to the rising threat of nuclear weapons.

Read full article here

4 August 2019 – It is time to support the people of Hong Kong in their hour of need – Statement from Pax Christi Australia – Fr Claude Mostowik

The courageous people of Hong Kong are showing us what it means to be engaged in the struggle for freedom, democracy and human dignity. Yet, our government, always eager to advertise its credentials as upholders of these values, has been shamefully silent and inactive.

With such large protests, it is always possible that a few hotheads will resort to unfortunate conduct. But the Chinese authorities would be well advised to concentrate less on these relatively minor misdemeanours, and focus instead on the legitimate demands of the peaceful citizens of Hong Kong. Their demands are simple but profound:

• the complete withdrawal of the extradition bill;
• waiving charges against those arrested;
• an end to descriptions of protests as “rioting”;
• an independent inquiry into the unrest;
• and the resumption of political reforms.

Read full statement here

2 August 2019 – Church must address ‘existential threats’ 

Prof Joseph Camilleri interview reported in The Southern Cross Living Catholic

The Catholic Church in Australia is not taking full advantage of the work of Pope Francis in addressing issues of peace, justice and ecology, despite the “state of unprecedented emergency” that the world is in today. That’s the view of Emeritus Professor Joseph Camilleri who was in Adelaide last month to speak at the launch of Just Peace SA.

With a 40 year career teaching international relations at Latrobe University and a long involvement with the Pax Christi peace movement, Professor Camilleri was one of the driving forces behind a recent conference in Melbourne on Just and Ecologically Sustainable Peace .   For more information on Just Peace SA, contact justpeace_sa@adam.com.au  Read full interview

7 August 2019 – New Pax Christi presidents look to elevate church’s nonviolence teachings by Joshua J. McElwee

Pax Christi International, a global Catholic peace organization that raised its profile in recent years with two Vatican conferences on Christian nonviolence, has changed its leadership for the first time in nearly a decade.

At a general meeting of 12 regional sections of the organization in late June, members elected two new co-presidents: French Bishop Marc Stenger and Kenyan Sr. Teresia Wamuyu Wachira. They replace South African Bishop Kevin Dowling, who had served since 2010, and American activist Marie Dennis, who had served since 2007.  Read full article

 

30 July 2019 – Independent Peaceful Australia Network (IPAN)

Media Release: New US naval base proposed at Glyde Point 40 km from Darwin despite just one month ago saying there were no plans for this.

Independent and Peaceful Australia Network (IPAN) Spokesperson Justin Tutty said we have conflicting views coming from the Defence Minister Linda Reynolds and asks what are we are to believe from the government?
Just last month the ABC revealed that secret planning had begun for a new commercial port facility just outside Darwin which could eventually help US Marines operate more readily in the Indo-Pacific.
Following the report, Australia’s Defence Department insisted it had “no plans for the development of a new naval facility in the Northern Territory”, while Northern Territory Chief Minister Michael Gunner denied any knowledge of such a proposal. Read Full Statement Here

 

28 July 2019 – Independent Peaceful Australia Network (IPAN)

Media Release Increase Newstart Allowance, Not military spending for US wars

Over 700,000 Australians struggling on $40 dollars a day to meet basic needs $200B of Australian Defence Budget over 10 years, largely supporting U.S. wars

“In the past 5 years government spending on social and community services has been severely cut back while the Australian governments’ military spending on supporting US offensive wars and the military-industrial complex has increased exponentially.  Read full statement here

4 July 2019 – Pax Christi International welcomes new Deputy Secretary General Dirk Broos

Mr. Broos was born in Mechelen, Belgium and in the past was a bio-engineer. He is educated in accountancy, financial management and analysis, audit and labor law.For the past 29 years, he has been the financial director at the Flemish section of Pax Christi, Pax Christi Vlaanderen.

“I hope to be able to contribute to the development of a financially stable and healthy organisation at Pax Christi International,” stated Mr. Broos. “I look forward to broadening my horisons through international contacts.”

1 June 2019 – Just Comment  – Meritocracy –How fair is the ‘Fair Go’?A publication of the Edmund Rice Centre

‘Meritocracy’, first coined in 1958, is a social system where advancement in society is based on one’s abilities and merits rather than on the basis of family, wealth or social background. Coupled with capitalism and egalitarian values, it has allowed people from low status groups to dream of improving their social status, economic class, and place in the hierarchy. The impression is that everyone can succeed if they develop the necessary abilities. Meritocracy and equality of opportunity are championed by all kinds of politicians to achieve a fair society. People want to believe they live in a ‘fair’ society where hard work can achieve anything, regardless of their social position at birth. This is simply not true. Read More

 

28 May 2019 – Colonising First Nations: From the Killing Times to Reserves to Incarceration

Paul Gregoire Sydney Criminal Lawyers May 25, 2019

The British colonisation of the continent now referred to as Australia was based on terra nullius, meaning the land was neither owned nor occupied. As the High Court of Australia acknowledged in 1992, this was a lie, which was obvious to the First Nations peoples and the invaders at the time.

The problem for the British as they pursued their takeover of the land was that it was already being occupied by the locals. So, in order to deal with this setback, the invaders undertook policies of genocide, segregation and then incarceration: a measure still being utilised to this day.

Soon after the arrival of the British ships in the Warrang/Sydney region an outbreak of smallpox struck down around 90 percent of the local First Nations population, which some assert was an act of biological warfare, with the disease purposefully being deployed   Read More

9 May 2019 – Politics in Service of Peace

A STATEMENT BY THE CATHOLIC BISHOPS OF AUSTRALIA FOR THE 2019 FEDERAL ELECTION

Christian faith is not a private matter. It shapes how we live our lives in public,
as well as how we relate to God.
Politics can be the object of criticism, even scorn, but it is an arena in which we can express our faith and therefore the truth of our humanity.
As citizens who are Catholic, we have the opportunity to participate in the electoral process, to use our voice and our vote for the benefit of the whole community.
As bishops, we offer this statement as a way of sharing key points of Catholic teaching that you  may want to reflect upon as we  prepare for the federal election.

 

 

6 May 2019 – NSW Pax Christi Convenor’s Report

Fr Claude Mostowik reports on the activities in April 2019. Read full report here

Fr Shenouda, Fr Claude Mostowik and Rev John Barr share their reflections at the Palm Sunday Rally. held on Sunday 14th April 2019

 

 

 

 

 

23 April 2019 -“Statement issued by the members of “Religious and Priests for Human Rights – RPHR”

Why they had to die in vain ?

April 23, Tuesday 2019 was declared a ‘day of national mourning’ by the Sri Lankan government, with the call to remember those who lost their lives and suffered injuries for nothing. Read Full Statement

 

 

16 April 2019 – Pax Christi International mourns the death of International Board member Fr. Neles Tebay of the Papua Peace Network

6/4/19 – It is with great sadness that Pax Christi International shares the news of the death of Fr. Neles Tebay, a member of our International Board and the coordinator of the Papua Peace Network. Fr. Neles, who suffered from bone cancer, had been in intensive care for the last few weeks at St. Carolus Hospital in Central Jakarta. He died on Sunday, 14 April.  Read Full Article

 

 

 

 

4 April 2019 – Pope Francis: Countries that sell arms have no right to talk about peace

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Nations that actively engage in arms dealing and help foment war in other countries should not expect to find peace in their own lands, Pope Francis said……

Countries that sell arms, he said, “have no right to talk about peace. They are fomenting war in another country, and then they want peace in their own land.”…….Read complete article

 

 

 

 

4 April 2019 – Nuclear age: Humanity is flirting with extinction

The most stunning and frightening truth about the nuclear age is this: Nuclear weapons are capable of destroying civilization and most complex life on the planet, yet next to nothing is being done about it. Humanity is flirting with extinction and is experiencing the “frog’s malaise.” It is as though the human species has been placed into a pot of tepid water —  Read More