AUSTRALIAN Catholics are being called to cultivate peace in their hearts, their own families and their communities.
This is the message of the Australian Catholic Bishops’ Social Justice Sunday Statement for 2004 which was launched on September 22 and which will be available in parishes around the nation this weekend.
The statement, titled ‘Peace Be with You: Cultivating a Culture of Peace’, highlights the role of family life and the rights of children to a peaceful home life as cornerstones of world peace.
Australian Catholic Social Justice Council chairman, Bishop Christopher Saunders of Broome, said the statement counselled continued development of a peaceful culture in Australia.
He said the areas identified include reconciliation with indigenous Australians, development of ecumenical and interfaith dialogue, and prayer and the spread of true democratic and multicultural values.
The family is singled out by the statement as the ‘primary agent of a future of peace’.
The 15-page statement encourages personal approaches to peace while identifying the areas where such efforts can be made.
