Social Justice Statements

Social Justice Statements are an important part of the Catholic Church’s mission to promote human dignity, compassion, and the common good. Each year, the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference release a statement to reflect on key social and economic issues affecting our communities s, grounded in Catholic Social Teaching and guided by the values of the Gospel. These statements invite Catholics to consider how their faith calls them to respond to injustice, inequality, and suffering, helping move us beyond awareness to meaningful action through prayer, advocacy, and practical support for those most in need.

They remind us that living our faith means standing in solidarity with others, especially the vulnerable, and working together to build a more just and inclusive society. 📥 Download the resources now and explore how you can get involved.

The Cost of Our Living: Economic and Social Justice for the Common Good

Across Australia, the rising cost of living is forcing families and individuals to make impossible choices—between paying for food or medicine, keeping a roof over their heads or investing in their children’s education. Those who are most vulnerable often carry the heaviest burdens, yet their struggles can go unnoticed. The 2026 Social Justice Statement invites us to see Christ in every person, to affirm the dignity of every human life, and to live out the Catholic Social Teaching principles of solidarity and the common good. It challenges us to respond with compassion and courage, to stand alongside those in need, and to take practical steps toward building communities where hope, mercy, and justice flourish. Read the statement, reflect on its message, and discover how you can make a difference in your community today. Download the statement

Signs of Hope on the Edge: Serving Homeless People with Mental Ill Health

Australia is facing a growing crisis: over 273,000 people sought help from homelessness services last year, many also struggling with mental illness, while services are stretched beyond capacity. This year’s Social Justice Statement calls us to follow Jesus’ example—seeing, listening to, and caring for those on the margins of society.

Through powerful stories of people like Michael, Sally, Carol, and Luis, the statement highlights the human face of homelessness and mental illness, reminding us that everyone deserves to be seen, heard, and loved. The Bishops urge practical action—affordable housing, stronger mental health support, and policies that leave no one behind—but also call each of us to respond with compassion, courage, and hope.

We are challenged to move beyond charity: to encounter, befriend, and walk alongside those in hardship, bringing dignity, healing, and hope to our communities. Download the statement

Truth and Peace: A Gospel Word in a Violent World

In the 2024–2025 Social Justice Statement, Australia’s Bishops reflect on the violence in our world and explore what is needed for lasting peace. Drawing on Scripture, Pope St. John XXIII’s Pacem in Terris, and Pope Francis’ Fratelli Tutti, the statement reminds us that true peace is rooted in Christ, the Prince of Peace, and in the dignity of every person. It calls us to a “culture of encounter,” dialogue, and seeing everyone as our sister and brother, while offering practical actions to foster peace in our communities and beyond. Download the statement

Listen, Learn, Love – A New Engagement with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples

In 2023, Australians will have the opportunity to vote in a referendum on constitutional recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples through a Voice to Parliament. Australia’s Bishops, guided by listening to First Nations voices, encourage all Australians to engage with this process in a spirit of love, humility, and dialogue.

The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council (NATSICC) shares both the challenges and achievements of their communities, highlighting ongoing injustices while supporting the Voice as a positive step forward. The Bishops invite Catholics to walk together with First Nations Peoples, fostering encounter, mutual respect, and healing, and to inform themselves through open, respectful dialogue. Download the statement

Respect: Confronting Violence and Abuse

The statement Respect: Confronting Violence and Abuse highlights that the roots of domestic and family violence lie in the abuse of power, which contradicts the relationships God calls us to—marked by equality, respect, and freedom. Women and children are most often the victims, while perpetrators are most often men. We support women in calling for respect in relationships; their lives and those of their children are sacred.

The statement also addresses spiritual violence, including how religious teachings can be misused to control or manipulate others. It calls on faith communities to support survivors, hold perpetrators accountable, and work toward dignity, justice, and transformation, showing that hope and respect are possible for all. Download the statement

Cry of the Earth, Cry of the Poor

The 2021–22 Social Justice Statement, Cry of the Earth, Cry of the Poor, calls for a change of heart, mind, and behaviour in how we care for creation and respond to the needs of the disadvantaged. Drawing on Scripture, Catholic Social Teaching, and the wisdom of the First Nations, it provides a theological foundation for ecological sustainability and social justice.

The Bishops invite the Catholic community to embrace Pope Francis’ seven-year journey guided by the Laudato Si’ Goals, encouraging families, communities, and organisations to listen, reflect, and take practical steps toward caring for the Earth and its people. Download the statement

To Live Life to the Full: Mental Health in Australia Today

The Social Justice Statement To Live Life to the Full highlights the impact of COVID-19 and other challenges on mental health across our communities. The Bishops call on parishes, schools, and organisations to be places of care, acceptance, and healing, rejecting stigma and exclusion.

The statement underscores the need for well-funded community mental health services and attention to social factors like poverty and housing, while recognising the experiences of First Nations people, refugees, people who are homeless, and those in prison. All people living with mental ill-health are part of the Body of Christ, and we are called to support them, advocate for just policies, and work for transformation in both society and the Church. Download the statement

Making it Real: Genuine Human Encounter in Our Digital World

The 2019–20 Social Justice Statement, Making it Real, explores the opportunities and challenges of our digital world. While digital media can foster connection, encounter, and solidarity, it also carries risks such as information overload, social isolation, marginalisation of the vulnerable, consumerism, and fake news.

The Bishops call us to be active, responsible citizens online, promoting love, truth, and human dignity. Inspired by the Good Samaritan, we are challenged not just to inhabit the digital world, but to shape it as a space of genuine human encounter, understanding, and hope. Download the statement

A Place to Call Home: Making a Home for Everyone in Our Land

The 2018–19 Social Justice Statement, A Place to Call Home, highlights the growing crisis of homelessness and housing insecurity in Australia. Census figures show that over 116,000 Australians are homeless, with many more struggling to afford rent or mortgages. Drawing on the parable of the Good Samaritan and the example of Pope Francis, the Bishops remind us that safe, secure housing is a human right. The Statement calls on governments, communities, and individuals to take action so that everyone has a place to call home. Download the statement