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Coming Across to the Other Side

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Coming Across to the Other Side Coming Across to the Other Side Pope Francis’ reflections in Laudato Si’ regarding climate change apply even more to the experience of the COVID19 pan- demic: “We need to strengthen the conviction that we are one single human family. There are no frontiers or barriers, politi- cal or social, behind which we can hide, still less is there room for the globalization of indifference.” (Laudato Si’ 2015 p. 31) We have all now shared experiences of vulnerability and uncertainty in the face of a global pandemic. Our ability to man- age a sustainable recovery will depend on how well, and how equitably, we maintain the combination of informed science, safe physical distancing and social solidarity. We ARE all in this together, but so far over a million people have been left out of support programs provided from the common pool of taxpayers’ money – asylum seekers and refugees, temporary visa holders, international students and casual workers. There is a lot more work to be done if we are to really be Better Together. The COVID19 pandemic has been described as one of the greatest crises to affect the whole earth and all levels of human society since the two world wars, the great depression, and the flu epidemic that followed WWI. And as we have moved through this crisis, many have been calling for an end to the war over science’s role in helping us to understand how to prevent devastation across our whole world. Because science has been central to planning a way to prevent a global tsu- nami of infections, and to develop a vaccine for future protection. JUSTICE AND PEACE OFFICE June-July 2020 VOL 12 NO 4 A word from the JPO...Bending Back Together “There is one challenge for the future leaders of our nation which I would particularly emphasise. It is the challenge of justice and truth. The challenge never to be indiffer- ent in the face of injustice or falsehood. It encompasses the challenge to advance truth and human dignity rather than to seek advantage by inflaming ugly prejudice and intolerance.” (Governor General, Sir William Deane at a Uni of Qld Degree Award Ceremony 29 May 2003) Secular heads of state can emphasise moral virtue equally alongside church lead- ers, and both need to keep open to the infiltration of darkness into our midst. Fr Frank Brennan made this observation in his book The People’s Quest for Leadership in Church and State, when he quot- ed from American philosopher Alisdair MacIntyre’s After Virtue, despairing of dark forces moving across North America and Europe in 2007. A crucial turning point (in the declining years of the Roman Empire) occurred when men and women of goodwill turned aside from the task of shoring up the Roman imperium (ie. the authority of the top commanders) and ceased to identify the continuation of civility and moral community with the maintenance of the imperium. What they set themselves to achieve instead was the construction of new forms of community within which the moral life could be sustained, so that both morali- ty and civility might survive the coming barbarism and darkness. MacIntyre, Alisdair, After Virtue: A Study in Moral Theory (Uni of Notre Dame Press, 2007, p. 263) As we reflect on the sort of higher good principles we have all seen in our communities during the pandemic, and while we wait for virus to pass, a lot of us are concerned that the talk of “Snap Back” could mean a return to the darker days when prioritizing the economy over our communities meant a large and growing number of people were left behind. While we know that around two million people have missed out on the Federal Government’s COVID support programs, indications are that those numbers could swell massively if COVID supports suddenly disappear and our economy crashes even fur- ther into recession. Fr Frank Brennan’s observation 13 years ago remains salient today: “If we are to make prudent judgements and take ap- propriate action in relation to issues such as climate change, security, migration and economic growth in a globalized world, we need leaders who can appeal to the public’s finer nature, idealistic selves, and longer term vision. Short term electoral gain by appealing to individualistic self-interest or collective fear of the ‘other’ just won’t cut it.” We need to find the ability to come back better together, by bending to hear the needs of those most vulnerable, rather than snapping back with the loudest hailers. We can repeat the marketing mantra that “we are all in this together,” but it is what we do, not what we say that matters right now. Blessings, JPO Team JUSTICE AND PEACE OFFICE June-July 2020 VOL 12 NO 4 Reflections -Dr Robbie Lloyd, JPO Over the past two months the whole world has been thrown into a crisis af- “Over and over the Scriptures encour- fecting every level of society through COVID19, and people of all faiths share age us to welcome and care for the the same shock, of suddenly living in complete uncertainty about our health “strangers” among us. Excluding asy- and safety. Yet at the same time we have seen wonderful solidarity and sup- lum-seekers and temporary protection port in local communities, as humans have responded with mutual encour- visa holders from government assis- agement and practical support for their neighbours. And we have seen peo- tance is not only inhumane and unwor- ple reaching to medical science to help protect our public health, as well as thy of a decent society, it is also dan- rapidly developing a vaccine to protect humanity. gerous to public health at this time.” The challenge for Catholics in this context is to remember the most vulnera- Bishop Vincent Long, ble, as Jesus would have, and make ourselves part of the solution. Bishop Message for Feast of St Joseph the Vincent Long reinforced this in his message for the Feast of St Joseph the Worker Worker, “Social Solidarity in a Time of Social Distancing.” Over and over the Scriptures encourage us to welcome and care for the “strangers” among us. Excluding asylum-seekers and temporary protection visa holders from government assistance is not only inhumane and unworthy of a decent society, it is also dangerous to public health at this time. Similarly, international students and non-residents on working visas are not eligible for income support. Would a good host, who invited guests to contribute to the economy by purchasing educational services or filling skills gaps, simply turn a blind eye to their needs at a time like this? This major shock to our community, and our economy, could provide an opportunity to reset our thinking about how we support the poorest, most marginalised, and most vulnerable members of our community. Some people may feel overwhelmed about how to respond to this challenge. The answer may lie in our own backyards. As noted in the Arch- bishop’s May newsletter Ad Clerum: “In line with the vision that every parish and Eucharistic community become a centre of Christ’s commis- sion to ‘make and form disciples’ in Christ, the heart of the developing plan will be practical strategies, resources and ideas for parishes to strengthen the discipleship of those active in the life of our parishes, invite baptised Catholics back into engagement with the Church, and reach out to those who do not know Christ.” This time of crisis is an opportunity to rediscover our hands-on work for and with God. Finding out about the most vulnerable people in your local neighbourhood, and providing practical support those who have missed out on government support programs will be a direct expression of what our church leaders are recommending. And as we hopefully head “to the other side” of COVID19, there are priorities to put back onto our agenda that have largely slipped from view on the recent political landscape. One of those is the importance of listening to the science of ecology in protecting our Mother Earth. As Arch- bishop Mark Coleridge said about Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation Querida Amazonia (Beloved Amazonia), “The Amazon is remote from us but the issues are not.” As president of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, he said the two critical issues addressed during the Synod and in the Pope’s exhortation were indigenous culture and an integral understanding of ecology, which must be front and centre in the Australian context as well as around the globe. “The Amazon has a unique place in the planet’s ecological footprint and its abuse in various forms is having and will continue to have an im- pact on the connection between humanity and the planet, our common home. Here in Australia we see, at times dramatically, the damage done by abuse of the natural world – not only to the environment but also to wildlife, to communities and countless individuals. The Church has a God-given duty to care for our common home, made clearer than ever in Pope Francis’ encyclical letter Laudato Si’. Querida Amazonia builds on the papal teaching and applies it boldly in one particular situation.” JUSTICE AND PEACE OFFICE June-July 2020 VOL 12 NO 4 Catholics for Refugees -Catholics for Refugees, JPO While many Australians have been given a safety net during COVID19, over one million people holding tem- porary visa holders, including people seeking protec- tion, have been left adrift. One response has been the petition on change.org (Catholic petition) titled “We Won't Leave Anyone In Our Community Behind During COVID-19 Pandemic” which Jesuit Refugee Services (JRS) is sponsoring.
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