CATHOLIC JUSTICE AND PEACE COMMISSION OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF
BRISBANE
Catholic Centre
Media Statement
G 20 Leader’s Summit 13th
November 2014
On the eve
of the G 20 Summit in Brisbane Pope Francis has written a letter to Prime
Minister Abbott offering his prayerful encouragement
for the deliberations and outcome of the Summit.
In his letter Pope Francis recognizes the importance of the
deliberations and a focus on efforts to relaunch a sustained and sustainable
growth of the world economy. He reminds participants that at the centre of
their deliberations must be the world’s poorest and most vulnerable people and that
a more realistic and complete view of the human and the earth must be at the
centre of economic theory and practices.
At the centre of economic principles and policy must be people’s
wellbeing through a more inclusive economy that welcomes the participation of
the poor, which honours the dignity of all people, improves the quality of life
for women and children, promotes access to decent and quality jobs for all and promotes
access to education.
It is hoped that through this G20
Summit the voices of the world’s most vulnerable are heard – child workers,
trafficked women, Indigenous peoples, refugees, those living with hunger and
poverty, those without work, Pacific Islanders whose homes are being inundated
by rising seas and many more. Such an inclusive economy must also hear the cry
of the earth for justice.
The leaders gathering at this G20
Summit not only have an economic imperative but have a deeply moral imperative and
that moral imperative is not only to respond
to the voices of the world’s poor but to invite and welcome them in to the
centre of the deliberations and actions.
In the lead up to this G 20 Summit the Catholic Justice and Peace
Commission has joined with Queensland Churches Together in prayer vigils to
pray for those whose voices need to be heard if there is to be economic justice
in the world . In
addition, Christians will be asked to consider fasting from food or something
else important to them and praying for the needs of marginalised people and the
earth from the morning of Saturday 15 November to the afternoon of Sunday 16
November. A prayer service to mark the conclusion of this period of
fasting will take place on Sunday 16 November at 4 p.m. at St Francis College
Chapel, 233 Milton Road, Milton (enter via Baroona Road).
During this Summit let us continue to pray with Pope Francis that the
leaders of the world gathering together will have the courage and conviction to
place the human being back into the heart of economics and politics.
Rick Sheehan
Chair
Catholic Justice and Peace Commission
For further information, please contact Peter
Arndt on (07) 3336 9173 or 0409 265 476.
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