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ABORIGINAL CATHOLIC MINISTRY CHALLENGES CHURCH

On the occasion of Pope John Paul II's apology for the Church's failings, Melbourne's Aboriginal Catholic Ministry has written an open letter to parishes, challenging the Church to follow the direction given to it by its own tradition of social teaching.
    The letter said that it is no longer possible to plead ignorance of the past, now that much of it has been exposed during the past 'Decade of Reconciliation'. It said aboriginal people expect the Church to take a more active role in exposing human rights violations, given its status and resources, in the face of opposition to reconciliation from governments and powerful lobby groups.
    It said that the contribution of aboriginal people to the life of the Church must be 'joyfully received' by the rest of the Church. "Underlying the joyful reception of this contribution is the need to recognise the rejection of Aboriginal spirituality as a true expression of the work of the Creator Spirit in this land."