Australia Archives

Australian Cardinal Cassidy, former Vatican official, dies at 96

Apr 10, 2021

Australian Cardinal Edward Cassidy died on Saturday at the age of 96.

Pope encourages Australians affected by severe flooding

Mar 24, 2021

Pope Francis sent words of encouragement to Australians in the state of New South Wales, where some areas received two-thirds of their yearly rainfall in less than a week.

By Catholic News Service

Sydney archbishop urges ‘deep breath’ after news of artificial embryos

Mar 22, 2021

After a prominent Australian university announced it had made artificial human embryos from skin cells, an Australian archbishop with a doctorate in bioethics asked, “Is this really such a good thing?”

By Catholic News Service

Same-sex union blessings ban upsets gay Catholics in Oceania

Mar 16, 2021

The Vatican’s edict that same-sex unions cannot be blessed because they are sinful was met Tuesday with criticism by rights activists and gay Catholics in parts of the Asia-Pacific region as inconsistent and out of step with contemporary community standards.

By Rod McGuirk

Ethicists must call out unethical behavior in health care, Sydney archbishop says

Mar 12, 2021

The coronavirus pandemic has multiplied the number of ethical dilemmas that health care workers, health care systems, governments and individuals face which require the specialized assistance ethicists can provide, Sydney Archbishop Anthony Fisher told the Catholic Health Association of the United States.

By Benjamin Conolly

Palliative care in Australia on life support, says new report

Mar 6, 2021

Australia has only half the number of palliative care doctors needed to provide good quality care for chronically and terminally ill patients, despite increasing demand, according to new research.

By Marilyn Rodrigues

Australian bishops release working document for October Plenary Council

Feb 25, 2021

The need for “deep, spiritual conversion of all members of the church stands out” as a key theme of the “instrumentum laboris,” the working document for Australia’s Plenary Council, due to begin in October, said one of its authors.

By Benjamin Conolly

Opponents: Australian bill on ‘conversion’ practices is attack on freedoms

Feb 10, 2021

Groups across a wide spectrum reacted with dismay and concern to passage of a law in the Australian state of Victoria to ban “conversion” practices. Some called it an attack on freedom of religion and speech.

By Catholic News Service