ONE JOURNEY, TOGETHER.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are advised that this website may contain images, voices and videos of deceased persons.

At the heart of the upcoming Voice to Parliament Referendum is the recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, the world’s oldest continuing culture, in the Australian Constitution. As Catholics, we have a responsibility to listen to the voices of First Australians and to work towards a more just and equitable society.

Our mission is to educate and inform our fellow Catholics on this pivotal moment in Australia’s history. We have collated and created statements and resources – grounded in the principles of Catholic Social Teaching – to help you on your process of discernment.

The Voice to Parliament Referendum provides all Catholics with a unique opportunity to come together as a community and draw upon our faith and moral grounding to make an informed decision.

One Journey, Together.

Host a Kitchen Table Conversation

Hosting a Kitchen Table Conversation (KTC) is a wonderful opportunity to bring your community together to listen, learn and reflect on the Indigenous Voice to Parliament referendum that will be held in the coming months.
Get together as a group of friends, family, Parish community or colleagues to start the conversation.

NATSICC is the peak advisory body to the Australian Catholic Bishops. Established in 1992, the council has been a voice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholics for over 30 years. In that time NATSICC has supported and empowered our First Nations communities to bring together their culture and faith as well as educate the wider Catholic Church on the gifts that Australia’s First Peoples bring to the Church.

We acknowledge that the Indigenous Voice represents a significant stride towards empowering Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in addressing the deep-seated inequities prevalent in numerous social, economic and health indicators. By working in tandem with truth-telling, a robust First Nations Voice will serve as the bedrock for the journey towards reconciliation. This journey may encompass treaties, sovereignty, and various opportunities that the First Nations Voice can explore and advocate for.

Dear Lord
We pray for a bright and just shared future for all who call Australia home.
We ask that Your grace of acceptance and compassion will guide us.
Let the Creator Spirit lead our journey with the
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples of this land.
May we share Your Spirit more deeply; celebrate the gifts You have given us.
Help us appreciate true harmony and peace just as our Old People did;
Keep us strong, make us resilient and remember us in this time.
Now is an opportunity to change our Nation’s history for the better.
Walk with us as we write a new chapter together and
may we be one in Your love.
Amen.

The Society has a longstanding position of supporting constitutional recognition for Australia’s First Nations peoples. The National Council of Australia therefore supports the Uluru Statement from the Heart including Constitutional Recognition and The Voice to Parliament. Our position mirrors the Australian Catholic Bishops and advances the principles of Catholic social justice.

Jesuit Social Services

MacKillop Family Services actively supports a constitutionally enshrined Voice to the Commonwealth Parliament as articulated by the Uluru Statement from the Heart. We believe having a Voice shaping national policy is integral to reconciliation and self-determination, and we recognise the critical importance of truth-telling and Treaty to this process

MacKillop Family Services

There are a number practical and systemic changes that need to be taken to embrace the aspirations of our First Nations Peoples to take their rightful place in Australian society and gain true equality. One core mechanism to enact the work of reconciliation and common good is through the addition of a constitutionally enshrined Voice to Parliament. The urgency of this referendum to make this possible is palpable — in 1986 Pope John Paul ll addressed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples pronouncing “Certainly, what has been done cannot be undone. But what can now be done to remedy the deeds of yesterday must not be put off till tomorrow.” We must not wait another moment!

Catholic Social Services Victoria

We believe that the Uluru Statement offers a historic opportunity to create a fuller expression of Australia’s nationhood. And we have an historic opportunity to support justice for First Peoples. Each of our organisations has pledged its support to the three key elements outlined in the Uluru Statement from the Heart: truth, treaty and voice. As part of that pledge, our organisations support the call for the establishment of a First Nations Voice enshrined in the Constitution to empower First Nations peoples.

Catholic Social Services Australia

St Francis Social Services (SFSS) accepts the gracious invitation from First Nations people presented in the Uluru Statement from the Heart. SFSS wholeheartedly supports the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Voice to the Australian Parliament. SFSS says YES to the First Nations Voice because self-determination will enable First Nations communities to thrive. We say YES because our vision is for a society which recognises the dignity, equality, human rights and humanity of all people.

St Francis Social Services

St Vincent de Paul

We stand in solidarity, alongside our First Nations peoples, in their calls for a Voice and acknowledgment enshrined in the Australian Constitution. We believe that our future as a nation must be based on justice and liberation and that our First Nations peoples are entitled to the democratic right to have a voice in decisions that affect them.

Edmund Rice Education Australia

The Uluru Statement from the Heart invited all Australians to walk together towards justice. Caritas Australia wholeheartedly accepted this invitation, and walks in union and solidarity with our First Australian1 partners and communities across our land. We fully support the call for Voice, Treaty and Truth.

Caritas Australia

Translations

The Uluru Dialogue has partnered with SBS Radio to translate the Uluru Statement into many of Australia’s multicultural languages and 20 Aboriginal dialects.

CST's for the Journey

Catholic Social Teaching principles (CSTs), with an accompanying series of discussion questions and a prayer to spark contemplation, dialogue and action towards the goals of First Nations recognition, truth-telling, equity and reconciliation.

The Voice Prayer

The members of NATSICC came together to develop a prayer to guide our journey to the Indigenous Voice to Parliament Referendum. We invite all Christians to use the prayer.

Dean Parkin Indigenous Voice to Parliament Keynote – MOHMV Conference

Yes23 Campaign Director Dean Parkin provided his keynote presentation at the 2023 Catholic Mission MOHMV Conference in Sydney. Dean spoke of the long journey that has preceded the proposed Voice to Parliament Referendum and the important role that Catholics will play when it comes time to vote on ‘the Voice’.