Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Catholic News

Home

Home
Catholic
Religion News
Church in Oceania concerned over Australian asylum policy

Church in Oceania concerned over Australian asylum policy

Last updated on: March 7, 2014 at 7:04 am by CNA Daily News

Church in Oceania concerned over Australian asylum policy 2014-03-07T07:04:00+00:00 CNA Daily News

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Canberra, Australia, Mar 7, 2014 / 12:04 am (CNA/EWTN News).- Church leaders in both Australia and Papua New Guinea are voicing discontent with Australia’s policy of processing asylum seekers at offshore camps with conditions condemned by human rights groups.

Asylum seekers, many of them from Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, Iraq and Iran, travel by boat from Indonesia and are intercepted by the Australian navy before reaching land. They are then sent to camps in Papua New Guinea and Nauru, a small Micronesian nation.

Reza Berati, an Iranian asylum seeker, was murdered Feb. 17 at Papua New Guinea’s Manus Island detention center, and more than 77 others were injured in a spark of violence.

The bishops conference of Papua New Guinea and Solomon Island stated their condolences and solidarity with the victims of violence Feb. 28, and asked: “how it could be right, in the light of the Papua New Guinea constitution's protection of freedom, to bring into our country and imprison people who have not broken our laws?”

The bishops expressed their concern that the “rhetoric of a righteous campaign against people smugglers actually seems to be more a question of political convenience.”

Australia and Papua New Guinea signed an agreement in 2013 establishing the policy, citing the need to fight human trafficking. It was agreed that refugees will be settled in Papua New Guinea, and that all other asylum seekers will be deported to their home countries.

“We don’t know if the two governments are serious about it, or it’s just a strategy to discourage anyone else from trying to illegally reach Australia,” Fr. Giogio Licini, secretary of social communications for the Papuan bishops, stated.

He added that Papua New Guinea “is in an awkward position. Riddled by corruption and frequently depending on Australian aid, our government could not deny ‘help’ to Australia when requested by the Rudd cabinet to scare off the boat people by hosting them on Manus Island.”

The Papuan bishops added their indignation that “settlement in Papua New Guinea was presented in such a negative light so as to act as a deterrent to asylum seekers.”

Human rights groups have noted inadequate conditions at the detention center — including the U.N. Human Rights Commission, which has “consistently raised issues around the transfer arrangements and on the absence of adequate protection standards and safeguards for asylum seekers and refugees in PNG … including lack of national capacity and expertise in processing, and poor physical conditions.”

“Manus is the wrong answer to a real problem,” said Fr. Licini. “Australia should make an effort at rethinking the whole issue.”

He mourned that in the meantime, “Manus will continue to be a dangerous place.”

Archbishop Francesco Panfilo of Rabaul visited Manus Island last month, meeting with asylum seekers and local administrators, reporting that he sensed humanitarian issues as a major concern at the detention center.

He observed that representatives of local churches were not allowed to enter the center, except for volunteers from the Salvation Army, and stressed the need to provide for the asylum seekers’ “right to worship according to their belief, and the right of the mainline churches to reach out to their members.”

Most Australians support the current policy toward asylum seekers, or wish it to be more harsh, according to a December poll by UMR Research. But a website, “Sorry Asylum Seekers,” has been set up for Australians to express solidarity with the detained who are seeking a better life than what they can find in such places as Iran and Afghanistan.

Catholic Religious Australia, a collection of more than 180 religious orders, has initiated a “National Lament” campaign in response to the asylum seekers to last through the Easter cycle, including both the seasons of Lent and Easter.

The campaign is Christian and “human response” to those seeking asylum in Australia, rather than viewing them as a problem to be solved.

“Many people throughout Australia are disturbed by the punitive and harsh policies and conditions to which people seeking asylum in Australia are being subjected,” Catholic Religious Australia said in a March 3 statement.

“We are taking our inspiration from the words of Pope Francis visiting asylum seekers refugee camp on the Italian island of Lampedusa,” the group said, citing the Roman Pontiff’s statement that “we have fallen into globalized indifference. We have become used to the suffering of others: it doesn’t affect me; it doesn’t concern me; it’s none of my business!”

The program will focus on prayer and penance made on behalf of the asylum seekers, as well as writing to government officials for a change in the policy of offshore detention.

It will conclude with a novena from Ascension to Pentecost, being focused on prayer and prophetic presence for those seeking a better life in Australia.

Asia - Pacific

Previous Post

March 7, 2014

Vatican appointments may signal new role for state secretariat

Next Post

March 7, 2014 Disney ends Boy Scout donations due to gay leader ban

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Americas Asia - Pacific Europe Middle East - Africa Uncategorized US Vatican

Select a Month November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

According to Paul, what is the "root of all kinds of evil"?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Love of learning Fear of God The love of money Worry