Catholics "called again to extend the hand of welcome to migrants": Bishops

"This year marks the 75th anniversary of the release of On Immigration, the Pastoral Letter issued by the Australian Archbishops and Bishops in 1950, offering a timely opportunity for us today to reflect on our attitudes towards those seeking a new home in our country...

In Australia in 2025, just as Catholics were called in 1950, we are called to welcome, support, and embrace those who arrive from other lands. We must “regard it as a solemn duty to help in the placing and absorbing of immigrants into our community and in making them feel at home amongst us”...

This timeless call to hospitality and generosity remains as vital today as it was seventy-five years ago. In Pope Leo’s words, this call today is for us to become a living witness to hope and to build a community that recognise migrants and refugees as brother and sister, part of a family which they can express their talents and participate fully in their new community life."

•   Read the complete 2025 pastoral letter, Under the Southern Cross: A Journey of Faith and Unity here