Despite the political risks of taking a stand, some urge these leaders to move beyond mere words and show decisive support for the constitutional change.

Francis Sullivan, who formerly led the Catholic Church's Truth, Justice and Healing Council, minced no words in his call for action.

"This is not a time for dilly-dallying. This is a time for leadership," Sullivan declared.

He expressed concern that the constitutional change's legal intricacies are muddying the waters, causing some church leaders to waver despite their earlier, unequivocal support for the Indigenous Voice.

Sullivan weighed in saying, "This is a moral issue for the church, not a legal one."

The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference has already endorsed the Indigenous Voice in writing, but Sullivan is pushing for that endorsement to be backed by concrete actions before the referendum deadline.

Voice vote a "hell of a mess"

Fr Frank Brennan SJ, a long-time advocate for Indigenous rights, recently spoke at a gathering in Victoria.

Brennan described the Voice referendum as "a hell of a mess," but is still urging people to vote "yes".

"I'm one Australian who stood up and said, ‘I don't think the wording is perfect, I don't think the process has been perfect, but we're left with an invidious choice,'" Brennan said.

"Do we choose some wording which may not be perfect, or do we say No and we put this off to another day?"

Brennan says Catholic social teaching and decades of papal support for Australia's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples provide strong grounds for Catholics to vote Yes on 14 October, he said.

Religious community divided

However, the religious community remains divided on the issue.

While Anglican leaders have voiced support for the constitutional change, some within the church are cautioning that the "view from the pew" may not align with the bishops' stance.

"I think the bishops will find that they have been singing in their own bathroom on this one," Fr Peter Macleod-Miller, the rector of St Matthews Anglican Church in Albury.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese recently attended a Uniting Church service in Sydney, pledging bipartisan oversight for the Voice's legislative setup if the majority votes in favour.

Simon Hansford, a Uniting Church minister, argued that Christian teachings inherently support the Voice, as they call for aiding those who are marginalised.

Despite considerable support from its member councils and other Islamic leaders, the Australian Federation of Islamic Councils has yet to reach a consensus and the Australian Christian Lobby has yet to declare its stance on the matter.

Sources

• SMH
• The Catholic Weekly

In a recently released letter, Archbishop Coleridge (pictured) encouraged all Australians to educate themselves on this crucial matter, advocating for a shift in focus from potential losses to the nation's potential gains.

Coleridge highlighted the profound significance of this impending decision, framing it as a critical juncture in Australia's history.

The Archbishop acknowledged Australia's accomplishments since European settlement and stressed that the referendum's importance transcends mere historical reflection. Increasingly, Australians are recognising the deep-seated damage inflicted upon Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island communities due to European colonisation.

Drawing attention to historical context, the Archbishop invoked the words of Australia's first Catholic bishop, John Bede Polding, who decried the devaluation of Indigenous lives in the mid-19th century. Polding wrote, "The life of an (Aboriginal) human being is valued no more than the life of a kangaroo, and far less…than that of a bullock."

Archbishop Coleridge noted that Polding's writings are a stark reminder of the injustices that prevailed during that era, and his assertion that the First Nations peoples had a legitimate claim to the land remains poignant.

The status quo is untenable

Emphasising the importance of listening to Indigenous voices, the Archbishop cited Pope Francis's approach to engaging with the Indigenous peoples of the Amazon.

"They are our principal dialogue partners, those from whom we have the most to learn. Their words, their hopes and their fears should be the most authoritative voice at the table. Otherwise the result would be, once again, ‘a plan drawn up by the few for the few'."

The status quo, Coleridge declared, is untenable. The disparity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians continues to widen, demanding immediate attention. He implored every citizen to vote with a Gospel perspective, emphasising that commitment to addressing Indigenous disadvantage and fostering reconciliation must remain unwavering, regardless of the referendum's outcome.

The Referendum on the Voice is being held on October 14 2023. If successful, it will be the first constitutional change in Australia since 1977 and the first one to directly affect Indigenous peoples since 1967.

Correction: When first published, this article claimed the Voice Referendum was happening in 2024. The error has been corrected.

Sources

Catholic Leader

Catholic Outlook

CathNews New Zealand

Father Frank Brennan (pictured), a Jesuit priest and human rights lawyer, blames leadership on both political sides for not seeking common ground.

He hopes a "reconciling spirit" will blow through parliament's chambers during the next three weeks while elected leaders lay the groundwork for the three-month campaign.

He says he'd like some changes made to the federal government's proposed Indigenous Voice referendum question.

It's too broad, he says. Its reference to the Voice making representations to executive government will attract many legal challenges.

He suggests changing the wording from "executive government" to "ministers of state" could broaden support for the referendum.

However, given all major political parties' reluctance to consider any proposed Constitutional amendments, the wording of the change "might not be perfect," he says.

Stating his case in Rome

On Saturday, Brennan will deliver a lecture on the referendum at the Pontifical Gregorian University.

His draft lecture notes say he proposes discussing a contemporary Australian perspective on recognising Aboriginal rights.

He will also urge Australians to recommit to "deep inner listening" towards each other and the land.

This will include reminding Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton of their responsibility for the debate's tone.

"Neither side of the parliamentary chamber has done what was needed to bring the country together, to bring reconciliation in our land, to bring the country to ‘Yes'," Brennan's notes say.

"The government has assured parliament that it would have the power to legislate whether and how representations by the Voice need to be considered by the executive government, and should "tweak the words" to ensure that public servants performing routine administrative tasks will not be required to consider representations by the Voice."

Voters will face a stark choice in the referendum, his lecture notes continue.

"We can vote ‘No' to a constitutionally enshrined Voice either because we continue to think that all constitutional entitlements should be held ‘in common with all other Australians' or because we are not convinced that the Voice will work effectively," the notes say.

"Or we can vote ‘Yes' because, whatever the imperfections of the wording and the risk of future complications, we think it is high time that Australia's First Peoples were recognised in the Constitution in a manner sought and approved by a broad cross-section of Indigenous leaders."

He also plans to tell his audience that only eight of 44 referendums have succeeded in Australia since the federation and he hopes "this one will be the ninth".

Papal gift

Brennan presented a copy of his new book, "An Indigenous Voice to Parliament: Considering a Constitutional Bridge", to Pope Francis this week.

His dedication on the gift says he is "hoping and praying for an Indigenous Voice to Parliament."

"May the Australian people bring the country to ‘Yes', recognising the rights of our First Peoples who have occupied the Great South Land of the Holy Spirit for tens of thousands of years," he says.

Source

• WAToday

Police in Kokopo said the men were arrested and charged for threatening workers at a conservation land area in Pomio.

The men had stopped the company from logging their conservation area and typical of village boys, they were carrying their bush knives during that time but did not harm anyone.

According to village leader Jacob Samo, an open forum was held at the Palmalmal District Office to discuss the demarcation of a conservation area within the Ralopal and Pomata Concession areas. 
The meeting was attended by district and lands officers.

Source

• tokstret.com/Post/Courier
• Image: Greenpeace

Lawyer Leulua'iali'i Olinda Woodroffe who accompanied the delegation to the meeting said the prime minister has promised to write to the Elders in Brisbane and Utah.

One of the delegates, Anne Siakisina Hakula, said they were never told the reason for the ban directly.

"We only knew of the ban when one of the Elders was a guest at one of our festivities," she said.

"There, the Elder gave a speech and at the end of it said ethnic languages will no longer be used in services without giving any reasons for the decision."

"There were no talks or negotiations between the stakes and the Elders over the issue," she said.

When they disputed the ban "they threatened to remove our names from the list of LDS members."

The members then turned to the Human Rights Court and no more threats were issued.

Source

• Talamua online
• Image: Talamua online

'The presence of this foreign company in the district of Mimika has not resulted in any improvements in the conditions of the local people,' said Wiem Maury, secretary of the PGGP. He said that in addition to this, the very presence of Freeport in the area has always been a very serious problem for the people.

'The welfare of the people who are the true owners of the rich natural resource continues to be a matter of great concern. Nor is there any guarantee about security in the area either,' he added.

Source

• www.scoop.co.nz
• Image: wn.com