Misleading figures are being thrown about regarding the supposed assets of the Catholic Church in Australia, with recent reports vastly inflating the Church’s wealth.
An ongoing campaign from various segments of the media, some minor political parties and other influencers and activists to strip the Church of its religious protections, charitable status and tax exemptions has caused some concern and dismay among Catholics.
In a bid to combat this inaccurate reporting, the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney today unveils its first, in a series of videos, highlighting the irreplaceable services the Catholic Church provides to Australians through its extensive network of healthcare, education and welfare across the country.
The video provides a brief overview of the scale of the Church’s outreach, including:
- operating 68 hospitals and 414 nursing homes
- educating some 765,000 students in 1,736 primary and secondary schools
- employing 220,000 Australians
- providing outreach to the needy and support to families
Importantly, it also considers the effect on society if these services were to be diminished or eliminated.
The video illustrates why Catholic social services are vital and explains why the buildings in which they operate are not really ours to sell, because generations of Catholics have entrusted the material wealth of the Church to us to build these properties of hope and health so we can serve the real wealth of the Church – people in need.
If you think this video would be useful to assist those in your networks in combating some of the misinformation being spread about the Church’s wealth, please share it on your platforms as appropriate. We will keep you updated with further releases.