THE Australian Catholic Bishops Conference (ACBC) has called on Australia to review its stand on refugees and asylum seekers with ‘a sense of urgency, justice and compassion’.
ACBC president Archbishop Francis Carroll of Canberra and Goulburn, releasing the statement on March 26, said Australians needed to be more sensitive to the plight of these people.
‘Many of them have experienced hardship and pain most of us would find difficult to comprehend,
he said.
‘There needs to be a more determined effort to recognise the human dignity and rights of our brothers and sisters from other countries to enable them to live with dignity and in safety as valued members of the human family.’
The statement calls on the Federal Government to reconsider policies such as arbitrary and long-term detention and to abandon the ‘unconscionable’ Pacific Solution.
‘The challenge, however, is not only for the Government but for the whole Australian community,’ Archbishop Carroll said. ‘The Catholic Church pledges its continuing support for these suffering people.’
