Archbishop calls on laypeople to promote Church's vision of joy and hope
Document Type
Media Release
Publication Date
Winter 10-6-2011
Publisher Name
The University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle Campus
Publication Place
Fremantle
Abstract
"You are called to create families of love, neighbourhoods of friendliness and cooperation, workplaces where human dignity is respected, businesses that are honest and relationships that are respectful. In other words - a culture of life and love." – Archbishop of Perth, Barry Hickey
The Archbishop of Perth, Most Reverend Barry James Hickey, has called on laypeople to build up God's Kingdom on Earth to promote the Church's message of joy and hope around the world.
At the latest in the lecture series, Bishops Speaking Out, held at The University of Notre Dame Australia's (UNDA) Fremantle Campus on Tuesday, 7 June, Archbishop Hickey invited the audience to open their eyes to the reality of evil and confront it with courage and inspiration.
The title of the lecture was; The Church and the Modern World – taken from the Vatican II document Gaudium et Spes.
Its central theme was to enhance the Church's connection with the world by promoting the joy and hope Jesus offered.
Gaudium et Spes was released in response to social and cultural changes sweeping the world in the 1960s. It painted a hopeful and positive view of the Church's relationship to modernity.
Archbishop Hickey says laypeople need to be fully involved in the life and worship of the Church to reinvigorate a global understanding of Jesus' messages.
"In your family life, cultivate an awareness of the world around you and help your children to understand that they too are called to make a difference in the world to build up the sort of world Jesus wants," Archbishop Hickey said in his presentation.
"The Kingdom of God in the world will not be complete in your lifetime, but it may be close to completeness in you as you grow, like Christ, in love, in peace, in courage and true inner freedom."
UNDA Vice Chancellor, Professor Celia Hammond, said the goal of the lecture series was to invite Australia's bishops to speak out on issues close to their hearts, including education, health care and community life.
"His Grace is well placed to present his talk on The Church and the Modern World," Professor Hammond said. "If you have read His Grace's book, Living Biblically, you will be aware that while he has seen much change in the world throughout his lifetime, he firmly believes that there are many signs of hope that Christians can meet the challenges posed by the modern world."
Media Contact: Leigh Dawson (+61) 8 9433 0569, Mob (+61) 0405 441 093
Recommended Citation
Dawson, Leigh, "Archbishop calls on laypeople to promote Church's vision of joy and hope" (2011). Media Release Archive. 54.
https://researchonline.nd.edu.au/media_release/54