‘Under the Southern Cross:’ Why Australia’s bishops are renewing call to welcome migrants

CNA Newsroom, Aug 22, 2025 / 09:00 am (CNA).

Amid rising tensions, Australia’s bishops have renewed their call for the compassionate welcome of migrants, marking the 75th anniversary of a landmark pastoral letter that helped shape the nation’s migration response.

The Bishops’ Commission for Evangelization, Laity, and Ministry released “Under the Southern Cross: A Journey of Faith and Unity” on Aug. 21.

The letter commemorates the 1950 pastoral letter “On Immigration” that urged Catholics to exercise “great generosity” toward displaced Europeans seeking refuge after World War II.

“Their words remain just as applicable to us today,” the anniversary letter reads. “Once again, our nation serves as a sanctuary and refuge for thousands seeking a new life — whether fleeing hardships in their homelands or pursuing the opportunities, freedom, and prosperity that Australia offers.”

The original 1950 letter, read aloud in churches nationwide, called on Australian Catholics to extend “patience, kindliness, sympathy, and practical help” to new arrivals, particularly war refugees. It described Australia as becoming “a sanctuary, a shelter, a home for thousands of the homeless, stateless, persecuted peoples of the old world” through “divine providence.”

Archbishop Christopher Prowse, commission chair, said Catholics remain called to “welcome, support, and embrace” those arriving from other lands. “Migrants have made an enormous contribution to our nation,” Prowse said.

“All of us benefit from their diverse cultural traditions, stories, deep wisdom, and experience they bring.”

The anniversary letter notes that around a third of Australia’s population — 8.2 million people — were born overseas.

Australia’s diverse Catholic community

Over recent decades, migration to Australia has shifted, now differing markedly from the predominantly European influx of the 1950s. 

Official Australian Bureau of Statistics data shows that in 2023-24, the country welcomed 667,000 arrivals from nations including China, the Philippines, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Myanmar.

These numbers reflect Australia’s continuing role as a destination for those seeking new opportunities.

The Catholic community itself reflects this diversity. 

According to the 2021 Australian Census, Catholics number 5,075,907 people — representing 20% of Australia’s total population. 

This marks a decline from 22.6% in 2016, confirms the National Center for Pastoral Research, the Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference research agency.

Significantly, 21.4% of Australian Catholics were born in non-English-speaking countries, according to the Catholic Church’s own statistical analysis. 

This cultural diversity reflects the bishops’ historical welcome, with Vietnamese, Arabic, Chaldean, and Italian among the 42 languages in which Mass is now celebrated across Australia.

The bishops acknowledge migration experiences have not always been positive and warn of bias against some communities.

“Despite significant progress in fostering a multicultural society, prejudice persists among some of us who view others as being ‘different’ or ‘other’ within our nation,” the letter states.

The anniversary comes amid contemporary tensions as “conflicts from abroad spill into our own nation,” creating “growing tensions, division, and unrest” threatening community harmony.

The bishops ground their call in Scripture, citing Matthew 25:40: “Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.” They also reference St. John Paul II’s challenge: “How can the baptized claim to welcome Christ if they close the door to the foreigner who comes knocking?”

A ‘second spring’ 

Australia’s Catholic community is experiencing what Sydney Archbishop Anthony Fisher recently described as a “second spring” of faith, with the Archdiocese of Sydney welcoming a record 384 adult converts at Easter 2025, a 30% increase from the previous year. 

Many of these new Catholics come from migrant communities, particularly Chinese and Indonesian backgrounds.

The bishops emphasized migrants’ continuing contributions and the “diverse cultural traditions, stories, and deep wisdom” that have made Australia “a more welcoming, vibrant, and flourishing society.” 

The letter concludes by invoking Pope Leo XIV’s recent message calling Catholics to “become a living witness to hope” and build communities where migrants can “express their talents and participate fully.”

Source: https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/266099/under-the-southern-cross-why-australia-s-bishops-are-renewing-call-to-welcome-migrants