Australia

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Amid transgender pressure, Australian medical conference to defend Christian vision

May 28, 2020

By Kevin J. Jones

The stakes are surprisingly high for the Australian Catholic Medical Association as it holds an online conference this Saturday on... Read more

Cardinal George Pell meets with child sex abuse victims at the Hotel Quirinale in Rome, Italy on March 3, 2016.

Australian journalists face court date over Pell trial coverage

May 26, 2020

A judge in the Australian state of Victoria has proposed a trial date to prosecute journalists and media outlets for... Read more

Cardinal George Pell in the Vatican, 2014.

Australian High Court to issue Cardinal Pell decision next week

Apr 2, 2020

The Australian High Court announced Thursday that a decision would be issued in the case Pell v. The Crown on April 7... Read more

St Joseph's Primary School in Melbourne, Australia.

Australian bishops keep schools open as churches close

Mar 19, 2020

Catholic schools in Australia will remain open after pressure from the federal government and the intervention of the Archbishop of... Read more

Cardinal George Pell arrives at Melbourne County Court on February 27, 2019 in Melbourne, Australia.

Pell awaits decision after final Australian appeal

Mar 11, 2020

Cardinal George Pell remains in prison while the seven justices of the Australian High Court consider his petition for special... Read more

Our Lady Queen of Peace Cathedral in Broome, Australia.

Australian bishop steps aside during Vatican abuse investigation

Mar 11, 2020

Australian Bishop Christopher Saunders of Broome has temporarily stepped back from his duties following allegations of historical sexual abuse. The Vatican... Read more

Supporters of Cardinal Pell gathered outside the High Court in Canberra, Australia.

Pell’s lawyers make final case in High Court appeal

Mar 10, 2020

The legal team for Cardinal George Pell laid out their case for appeal before Australia’s High Court Wednesday.  Read more

Patient in a hospital bed. Via Shutterstock

Assisted suicide applications higher than expected under new Australian law

Feb 20, 2020

A total of 52 people in the Australian state of Victoria ended their lives by doctor-assisted suicide in the first... Read more

Archbishop Mark Coleridge of Brisbane speaks at a Vatican press conference, Oct. 19, 2015.

Head of Australian bishops' conference in Rome ahead of plenary council

Feb 20, 2020

Archbishop Mark Coleridge of Brisbane, president of the Australian bishops’ conference, is in Rome for high-level discussions ahead of the... Read more

Australia's disability inquiry told of mistreatment of people with Down syndrome

Feb 19, 2020

Parents of persons with Down syndrome are pressed to procure abortion, and their healthcare is negatively affected throughout their life,... Read more

Cardinal George Pell. CNA file photo

Date set Cardinal Pell's last chance appeal hearing

Feb 15, 2020

Australia’s High Court has set a date for the final appeal of Cardinal George Pell, who was convicted in 2018... Read more

Parliament House, Canberra.

Australian bishops: religious discrimination bill has merit, but flaws should be fixed

Feb 14, 2020

Australia’s Catholic bishops have welcomed changes to a proposed religious discrimination bill to protect religious believers and institutions from discrimination... Read more

Bush fire in Australia.

New disaster relief initiative unveiled in Australia

Feb 1, 2020

Catholic leaders in Australia have announced the creation of a new disaster response initiative to aid those affected by devastating... Read more

Emergency personnel respond to a bushfire on the outskirts of Bilpin, Australia.

US bishops offer prayers after Americans killed fighting wildfires in Australia

Jan 25, 2020

Committee leaders at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops voiced prayers and sorrow at the deaths of three American crew... Read more

Australian bushfire.

As fires continue to burn, Australian bishop calls for prayer, support

Jan 5, 2020

As fires throughout parts of Australia continue to worsen, the Archbishop of Melbourne called for prayers and encouraged Catholics to... Read more

St. Mary's Cathedral in Sydney, Australia.

Revisions announced to Australia religious freedom bill 

Dec 12, 2019

Following religious groups’ criticism of an Australian bill intended to protect religious freedom, Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Attorney-General Christian... Read more

Australia's bishops protest national move to force priests to reveal confessions

Dec 2, 2019

Australia’s Catholic bishops support “nationally consistent” reporting standards for the abuse of minors, but cannot support new national legal standards... Read more

Cardinal George Pell.

UPDATED: Australian High Court refers Cardinal Pell's appeal of sex abuse conviction

Nov 13, 2019

The Australian High Court announced Wednesday that Cardinal George Pell has been granted leave to appeal an August decision by... Read more

Australia proposes face-recognition program to fight underage porn access

Oct 28, 2019

A government department in Australia has proposed the use of a face recognition system to curb underage access to online... Read more

Parliament House, Canberra.

Christian think tank warns of flaws in Australian religious discrimination bill

Oct 1, 2019

Freedom for Faith, a Christian legal think tank, expressed concerns last week over unintended consequences of the Australian government's religious... Read more