HARNESSING THE ENERGY FOR REform
Australasian catholic coalition for Church reform
(ACCCR)
Ending poverty is cheaper than keeping it. So why don't we?
Mark Gaetani
This article was first published in EUREKA STREET, 13 November 2025
Australia is a nation rich in resources, opportunity and social ideals, yet today, around 3.93 million people, including one in six children, live below the poverty line.
This appalling figure in one of the world’s wealthiest countries forces the question: why does poverty persist in a social democracy built on “a fair go”? What does this reveal about our social contract and our willingness to tackle the roots of disadvantage, particularly as the language of “cost-of-living pressures” stifles the moral urgency to take collective action against poverty?
Mark Gaetani is National President of the St Vincent de Paul Society.
Priests and Synodality in Australasia
ACCCR – Garratt Publishing webinar 6 November 2025
Speakers: Joe Grayland and Brendan Reed
Moderator: Tricia Gemmell
Responder: Carmel Pilcher RSJ
With the conclusion of the Synod on Synodality a year ago, the focus has turned to implementation. However, the commitment to making synodality a prominent feature of Church activity and Catholic life generally in Australia and New Zealand seems to be sporadic at best. Few parishes have made it a priority and the concept is still neither understood nor accepted at parish level to any significant extent.
Joe Grayland is a priest of the Palmerston North diocese, New Zealand, where he has worked in several parishes. He currently lectures at the University of Wurzburg, Germany, specialising in liturgy and sacramental theology.
Brendan Reed has been a priest in the Archdiocese of Melbourne for over thirty years. He has held leadership roles in Catholic Education, and continues to lecture at Catholic Theological College, Melbourne. He is currently the parish priest of the Brunswick and Moreland Catholic Mission- an amalgamation of four parishes.
Carmel Pilcher, Sister of St Joseph, is a Liturgy and Culture Consultant and Educator, based in Sydney, Dharug and Gundungurra country. In recent years she taught liturgy and sacraments at the Pacific Regional Seminary in Suva, Fiji.
Patricia Gemmell is a wife, mother and grandmother, and semi-retired teacher with a Masters degree in Theology. She is a member of the Grail and WATAC, and a founding member of Australian Women Preach. She is active in her parish community.
Time for Catholic Bishops to speak up for Palestine
Catholics for Justice and Peace for Palestinians
20 May 2025
An open letter to Catholic Bishops. Please speak up.
As Catholics we urge all bishops to take whatever action is available to help end the genocidal acts in Gaza.
The late Pope Francis was very clear on his great love and concern for the Palestinian people. He has described the humanitarian situation in Gaza as shameful and likened the war to terrorism.
Whilst Pope Francis has been living out the Gospels in caring for the oppressed and vulnerable our Bishops have said not nearly enough.
Catholics for Justice and Peace for Palestinians is a group of Australian Catholics who have come together to highlight the plight of Palestinians and encourage action. The group includes Clare Condon, Chris Sidoti, Marilyn Hatton, Francis Sullivan, Claire Victory, John Warhurst AO, Patty Fawkner and John Menadue AO.
Faith and Public Policy
Francis Sullivan
17 April 2025
Easter is as good a time as any to be reminded that Christianity has a contribution in the formulation of public policy.
An emphasis on values and virtues will go a long way in ensuring that our social fabric remains strong. Helping shape the public conscience is never redundant. Our challenge is to place mercy and truth at the head of the queue when considering the promotion of social order and security.
From its outset, Christianity has attempted to engage the prevailing culture with a deep humanism based on compassion and justice. It has fumbled these attempts at times, but overall it has left the dual markers of the preservation of human dignity and the promotion of the common good as the litmus test for a decent society. The upshot has been the promotion of more inclusive and co-operative communities that have had an eye to the downtrodden and disadvantaged.
What the bishops chose not to say
John Warhurst
13 April 2025
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Those Catholics and other ‘people of goodwill’ who notice the Bishops’ federal election statement for May 2025 will be puzzled and exasperated: puzzled by its modest aspirations and exasperated by its narrow contents and lack of energy and engagement. Issued under the title “Called to Bring Hope in the Year of Jubilee” the statement references the coincidence of the election with the Holy Year of Jubilee, themed ‘Pilgrims of Hope’. It was produced under the banner of the Bishops Commission for Life, Family and Public Engagement, chaired by the Archbishop of Melbourne. |
ACCCR calls for Justice and Compassion in the Federal Election
Media release 28 March 2025
As Australians prepare to cast their votes in the upcoming Federal Election, ACCCR urges voters, political leaders, and policymakers to prioritise social justice, compassion, and integrity in governance.
As a coalition committed to reform within the Catholic Church and broader society, ACCCR calls on all political candidates to commit to policies that reflect fundamental values of human dignity, fairness, and care for the vulnerable.
Key concerns for ACCCR in this election include:
- Social and Economic Justice – Ensuring policies that reduce inequality, provide a fair living wage, and strengthen the social safety net to support those in need.
- First Nations Justice – Commitment to real action on reconciliation, including implementing the Uluru Statement from the Heart and policies that improve the well-being of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
- Climate Action and Care for Creation – Addressing the urgent climate crisis with strong policies that reduce emissions, support renewable energy, and protect the environment for future generations.
- Human Rights and Refugee Protection – Ending inhumane offshore detention, ensuring humane and fair treatment of asylum seekers, and upholding Australia’s commitment to international human rights obligations.
- Integrity in Politics – Advocating for transparency, accountability, and a strong federal anti-corruption commission to restore trust in democratic institutions.
Faith communities play a critical role in shaping a more just and compassionate society. We encourage all voters, especially Catholics and other people of faith, to consider these moral and ethical principles when deciding their vote.
ACCCR calls on political leaders to lead with courage, integrity, and a commitment to the common good. The choices we make in this election will shape the future of our nation and determine whether we become a more inclusive, compassionate, and sustainable society. In this context, we hope for a respectful campaign free of personal attacks, wilful exaggeration and misinformation.
In the last week of the campaign, ACCCR will circulate an assessment of the policies being proposed.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Eleanor Flynn, Co-chair Kevin Liston, Co-chair
Email. Acccr.reform@gmail.com Email. Acccr.reform@gmail.com
Phone. 0412 347 811 Phone. 0411 197 829
SYNOD ON SYNODALITY: For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, Mission
Final Document: Official English Translation
“With the Final Document, we have gathered up the fruit of years – at least three – , during which we set out to listen to the People of God, in order to have a better understanding, by listening to the Holy Spirit, of how to be a “synodal Church” in these times”.
From Pope Francis’ closimg address.
On Promoting Theology
Pope Francis places human experience at the heart of the foundations of theology, and so, of spirituality. alongside scripture and tradition. The action of the Spirit and sense of faith is unique for every person.
Analysis of Church Reform Priorities: CCCG Priorities matched to Synod on Synodality
This analysis is a key resource as we seek implementation of the aspirations of the Synod on Synodality. There is a great deal of potential and grounds for hope but actualising it will be a major task. There is little enthusiasm among either bishops or parish clergy!
The analysis provides a much needed framework for developing appropriate responses and using it to inform ourselves as well as to promote movement in our own situations and circumstances.
