Chair of the Catholic Church’s peak social services body said today that reports Sydney Church leaders are calling for parishioners to be able to attend religious services regardless of their vaccination status are very concerning.
Francis Sullivan, Chair of Catholic Social Services Australia (CSSA), has called on all community leaders, including leaders of the Catholic Church, to back in the advice of public health officials regarding the importance of vaccination.
“The most important message that church, community and other leaders can send is that we must all join together to make sure we can get out of the Covid mess we are in,” Mr Sullivan said.
“For months now communities across Australia have made huge sacrifices as we have followed health advice in the fight against Covid.
“We can’t now have church leaders suggesting that at some point in the future it will be OK to have vaccinated and non-vaccinated people mixing indoors. That is not the health advice, the health advice is clear, get vaccinated.
“We can’t have mixed messages particularly in disadvantaged communities where vaccine hesitation is a real problem. There is only one message, the price of participation is vaccination.
“Too many people have struggled for too long and obeyed the rules for too long to have this fall apart,” Mr Sullivan said.
CSSA members deliver a range of social services, including disability support. CSSA have previously called on the government to prioritise vaccines to people with disability and the support workers providing them care.
Media Contact: Michael Salmon | 0417 495 018
GPO Box 1947, Canberra ACT 2601. T 02 6285 1366 | E admin@cssa.org.au