Sydney
31 August 2003
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They ‘need our prayers’
By Chris Lindsay
Priests, religious and lay people who regularly visit immigration detention centres and work with refugees and migrants in our community “need our prayers and practical support”, says Bishop Joseph Grech.
In a statement marking Refugee and Migrant Sunday (August 31), he said: “We thank God for the diversity of peoples in our nation - we celebrate this diversity.”
Bishop Grech, who is chairman of the Bishops Committee for Migrants and Refugees, said the Church, like the nation, is made up of peoples from many different countries, with different languages and customs.
“There are many passages in Scripture which tell us that we are all God’s children, no matter what our origin,” he said.
“In today’s second reading (22nd Sunday of Ordinary Time), St James reminds us: ‘By his own choice,
God has made us his children’, and in the Responsorial Psalm we hear: ‘Lord, who shall dwell on your holy mountain? ... He who does no wrong to his brother, who casts no slur on his neighbour’.”
The bishop said the immigration (non-humanitarian) program for 2003-04 allows for more than 100,000 migrants from many countries, including 40,600 close family members and 63,300 skilled people.
The humanitarian program allows for 12,000 refugees from Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the Americas.
“We will also give Temporary Protection Visas to those who land on our shores seeking our protection and who are able to satisfy our immigration authorities that they meet the requirements for Australia’s protection,” he said.
“These refugees and asylum seekers present a great challenge to us as a Church as we try to assist them in the most appropriate manner, always conscious of their human dignity.
“A lot has already been achieved, nevertheless much more still needs to be done. We acknowledge with deep gratitude the sterling pastoral ministry exercised by so many priests, religious and lay people who regularly visit immigration detention centres and work with refugees and migrants in our community.
“They need our prayers and practical support.”
Bishop Grech said many parishes and individuals made a generous response on Refugee and Migrant Sunday last year to a pledge to enable asylum seekers to live in the community, outside detention centres.
“The ‘pledge’ proposal was placed before the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs, Philip Ruddock, but he declined to accept it,” he said.
“Despite this setback, we as a Catholic community pledge to continue to do what is possible to help our refugees and asylum seekers.”