Australian Catholic Bishops Welcome the

Responding to yesterday's launch by John Paul II of the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesia in Oceania, (The Church in Oceania), President of the Australian Catholic Bishops' Conference Archbishop Francis Carroll said " We are very pleased that the Pope has issued the Apostolic Exhortation on the anniversary of the opening of the special Synod for Oceania. We awaited this document with great anticipation. While we are naturally disappointed that the Holy Father was not able to be present in person among us, we are grateful for the release of this Exhortation via modern technology.

"We are delighted that Pope John Paul II has taken up the cause of the indigenous peoples of Oceania and reiterated the forgiveness that we ask of our brothers and sisters for the shameful injustices of the past."

Ecclesia in Oceania, promulgated in Rome by the Pope, follows up the 1998 Synod attended by the bishops of Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, and the Pacific.

The document reads in part "The Church expresses deep regret and asks forgiveness where her children have been or still are party to these wrongs. Aware of the shameful injustices done to indigenous peoples in Oceania, the Synod Fathers apologized unreservedly for the part played in these by members of the Church, especially where children were forcibly separated from their families."(n28)

Archbishop Carroll today said "Ecclesia in Oceania brings together many of the thoughts and issues raised by the Bishops of Australia at the 1998 Synod. This document also addresses key issues that are of concern in this region both for the community life of the Church and its mission in the wider society. "

Pope John Paul II sent a copy of the exhortation to each bishop within the Oceania region via the Internet. Unable to travel to the southern hemisphere, the Pope chose to utilize new technology to publish the papal document.

Click on one of the links below to view the full text of Ecclesia in Oceania. Click here to view the Apostolic Exhortation Ecclesia in Oceania web site.Click here to download a pdf version of the file. (File size: 377KB) You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view this file.

For further information and comment, contact: Rev Brian V Finnigan 02) 6201 9845 (w) or, 02) 6201 9860 (ah).