Social Justice Sunday is observed on the final Sunday of August. The Catholic Church has had a long tradition of commemorating Social Justice Sunday. Since 1940 Catholic bishops across Australia have joined together to issue a major Social Justice Statement nearly every year, this is in addition to other statements they make on social and ecological justice throughout the year.
This year the statement calls out Respect: Confronting Violence and Abuse and points out that the roots of domestic and family violence “lie in the abuse of power to control and dominate others” and that “this stands in contrast to the relationships to which God calls us”.
We know that most often those who suffer violence and abuse in homes and families, in workplaces, and in communities, are women and children while the perpetrators are most often men. The Church supports women in calling for respect in relationships; their lives and those of their children are sacred.
The Statement affirms the belief that respect, dignity and justice, transformation and hope are possible.
Finally, it calls for faith communities to support and believe those going through violence and abuse, to hold perpetrators to account and work towards individual and social transformation.
The social justice remarks are made on behalf of the entire bishops’ conference in time for Social Justice Sunday. These declarations are issued with the hopes of provoking thought and action throughout the year.
The 2022-2023 Social Justice Statement is available to download.
Source: Social Justice Catholic
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