Statements from Catholic organisations

Statements from Catholic Organisations

Catholic groups in Australia have long been strong advocates for social justice and equality. We have gathered statements from various organisations within the Australian Catholic Church on the proposed Indigenous Voice to Parliament.

Should your Catholic organisation wish to submit their own statement on the Voice to Parliament, please use the form at the bottom of the page.

In their May 2023 Media Release, the Australian Catholic Bishops encouraged “everyone to read and discuss the Uluru Statement from the Heart, which we endorsed in 2021 and the Fifth Plenary Council of Australia endorsed in 2022” to help shape a respectful and productive debate on the referendum.

The establishment of a First Nations Voice will give Indigenous communities a way of informing policy and legal decisions that affect their lives. With Reconciliation Australia, we believe that the establishment of the Voice will not only recognise the special place of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia’s history, but also ensure that it can’t be shut down by future Governments.

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

The Voice will support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in determining their own lives. Ultimately it will make a contribution towards shaping a society in which Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and other Australians can join hands together, acknowledging the past and looking to the future.

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.

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.

Catholic Religious Australia (CRA) has issued a media release calling for the enshrinement of an Indigenous voice in the Australian Constitution. The release comes after the government abandoned plans for a constitutionally-enshrined voice to Parliament in July 2019. The CRA supports the creation of a “First Nations Voice” that would allow Indigenous Australians to have a say in policy decisions that affect them. The release states that such a voice is necessary for true reconciliation and would demonstrate Australia’s commitment to honoring its First Nations peoples. The CRA has urged the government to act on this issue and take steps towards constitutional recognition.

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.

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!

The Sisters of Saint Joseph support the initiatives undertaken by ACBC and CRA in relation to the Uluru Statement from the Heart and Voice to Parliament. The Sisters’ prayers continue to be with you in your endeavours.

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 Australian1partners and communities across our land. We fully support the call for Voice, Treaty and Truth.

The MSS stand with all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in their call for a First Nations Voice to Parliament enshrined in the Australian Constitution. And we accept the invitation in the Uluru Statement from the Heart to walk together with First Nations people in a spirit which encompasses voice, treaty and truth-telling to ensure a better future for all.

We support the Uluru Statement from the Heart to achieve justice, recognition and respect for First Nations people and a referendum to enshrine a First Nations Voice in the Constitution. We accept the invitation contained in the Statement to walk together with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in a movement of the Australian people for a better future.

Brigidines sisters stand with the First Nations of Australia. We believe that we can never be truly ‘at home’ in this land until we listen and respond to the Voice of our country’s first peoples and enshrine them in the Constitutions.

Authentic and meaningful recognition of First Nations people in the Australian Constitution is a critical step along Australia’s path towards reconciliation. Through the Uluru Statement from the Heart, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples are seeking that recognition through a Voice to Parliament that will provide a practical way to represent their views and interests.

All Christians, their pastors included, are called to show concern for the building of a better world. This is essential, for the Church’s social thought is primarily positive: it offers proposals, it works for change and in this sense, it constantly points to the hope born of the loving heart of Jesus Christ.” Marist Schools Australia supports a First Nations voice to parliament.

Mercy Works proudly supports the “Yes” vote in the upcoming referendum to constitutionally enshrine an Indigenous Voice to Parliament. In the spirit of reconciliation Mercy Works acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the lands on which we walk, live and work. We join our First Nations people in honouring these lands as sacred.

We, the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart of Jesus of the Australian Province welcome the opportunity to support the Uluru Statement from the Heart, and the desire of First Nations Peoples to have a Voice that will be acknowledged and listened to, enshrined in the Australian Constitution.

The 2017 Statement From the Heart speaks to all Australians. It invites us to reconcile with our past and work today on structures and attitudes for which future generations will express gratitude and pride… The AMPJP recognises the importance of hearing the voices of our people: staff, volunteers and those that we serve. Therefore, we support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who put forward the principle: “nothing about us, without us”.

St John of God Health Care is proud to accept the invitation of the Uluru Statement from the Heart and participate in the movement for a better future for all Australians. We gladly take the opportunity to respond to the call for recognition of the First Nations peoples and respectfully acknowledge the ancient, sacred and ongoing connection to the land and unbroken sovereignty that goes back more than 60,000 years.

As Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart, with Mary, moving forward in the Spirit and called to be ‘His Heart on Earth,’ we stand in special solidarity with NATSICC (National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council) whose vision is to ‘promote and celebrate the cultural identity of our peoples across the nation by living and expressing in all its endeavors the spirituality of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’.

CatholicCare Victoria wholeheartedly support the establishment of an Indigenous voice to Parliament. Recognizing and amplifying the voices of Indigenous peoples is essential for fostering genuine reconciliation, inclusivity, and respect in our society.

Marymead CatholicCare Canberra & Goulburn has proudly joined a network of 70 organisations in a resolute commitment to reconciliation and the First Nations Voice movement. This collective effort aims to foster a reconciled future for Australia, promoting respect, understanding, and unity among all Australians As part of this powerful network, Marymead CatholicCare Canberra & Goulburn stand alongside organisations from diverse sectors across the nation, all of whom share a common goal of creating a fairer, more inclusive society. As members of a network of 2,450 organisations with Reconciliation Action Plans (RAPs) impacting the lives of approximately 4 million Australians daily, this unified front symbolises a substantial force working towards positive change.

Sacred Heart Mission strongly support the Uluru Statement from the Heart and its key proposals of Voice, Treaty and Truth-telling. Our purpose is to build people’s capacity to participate more fully in community life, by addressing the underlying causes of deep, persistent disadvantage and social exclusion. The Voice to Parliament aims to do the same by providing a path to better self-determination. We know that when people have a meaningful say in decisions that are made about them, the outcomes are always better.

We, the leaders and members of 16 Catholic organisations advocating for a just Catholic Church and just Australian and New Zealand nations, have meditated on the Uluru Statement from the Heart in the spirit of Aboriginal dadirri (inner deep listening and contemplative awareness). The Statement seeks “a movement of the Australian people for a better future

Working in true partnerships for development with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples requires an equal voice for all First Nations Australians. The JPO fully supports the Uluṟu Statement from the Heart, and its generous invitation to journey together to a new future. We support The Voice to Parliament and its follow-on shared work towards Voice, Treaty and Truth, to permanently acknowledge and celebrate the oldest culture on Earth.

The story of the Good Samaritan reminds us to show love and respect, reach out with compassion, and hear all voices, especially those that have historically been unheard. The Voice provides a chance to listen and ultimately improve outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, including in health, a vital component of closing the gap.”

We endorse the Uluru Statement from the Heart and its calls for voice, treaty and truth-telling. We stand behind First Nations groups and communities calling for Constitutional recognition and a Voice to Parliament in the October 14 referendum. ACSL recognises that disadvantage, marginalisation and disempowerment put children and adults at greater risk of abuse and discourages victims, survivors and witnesses from seeking help or healing. We believe that a Voice to Parliament and appropriate Constitutional recognition are just, and that when Indigenous Australians are listened to and empowered, Indigenous children and adults at risk will be safer.

The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council (NATSICC) expresses our support for a constitutionally enshrined Indigenous Voice to Parliament. 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.

Submit Your Statement

Should your Catholic organisation wish to submit their own statement on the Voice to Parliament, please use this form.