Fr Asaeli Rass SVD and Sr Philippa Murphy FDNSC, both members of the Catholic Religious Australia (CRA) Council and leaders of religious congregations in ministry with indigenous communities, have outlined their support for the Voice to Parliament.

CRA has long been a vocal supporter of the Uluru Statement from the Heart and an advocate for a constitutionally protected voice, truth-telling and treaty and last year made a submission to the Indigenous Voice Co-Design Process calling for enshrinement of the Voice in the Australian Constitution through a referendum.

In a recent media statement, CRA said the Catholic Social Teaching principle of subsidiarity holds that all people have a right to participate in decisions made about their lives and that decisions should be made by those closest to, and most affected by, the outcome.

Many of CRA’s Members have lived and worked alongside indigenous people for years, sometimes decades, including Fr Rass, the Provincial of the Divine Word Missionaries.

“Like the Uluru Statement from the Heart, the Voice to Parliament is an important stepping stone on the path towards respectful engagement, treaty-making and truth telling,” Fr Rass said in the CRA media statement.

“The failure of previous governments to close the gap is a strong reminder that the cries of some of the most vulnerable peoples on earth have not been heard,” he added.

In further comments provided to In the Word, Fr Rass said the SVDs “recognise the complexity regarding a constitutionally enshrined voice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples versus the desire for a Treaty campaign”.

“The current conflict-ridden campaigns on both sides while causing a lot of uncertainty is a call from the deep for unity amongst indigenous elders and a compassionate response from all walks of life.  The violent acts and anti-social behaviour in Alice Springs and the failures of previous governments to close the gap is a strong reminder that the cries have not been heard,” he said.

“Like the Uluru Statement, their desire for a voice to parliament is a stepping-stone of guiding principles for respectful engagement and hopefully a treaty at the end of the day.

“Why wouldn’t you enable one of the most vulnerable peoples on earth to provide advice and tell their truth to Parliament on policies and projects that impact their lives?

“The truth behind this unfinished business in relation to our indigenous Australian will only surface when civil leaders begin to realize that behind every voice is a neglected Aboriginal child of God with a face and heart weeping in the corridors of power”.

Sr Philippa Murphy FDNSC, Provincial Leader of the Daughters of Our Lady of the Sacred Heart said in the CRA statement that while supporting the establishment of a Voice to Parliament, the government needs to provide better education and increase community engagement on the issue, especially with the people who will be most affected by the changes. 

“I am concerned that not enough education has been provided around the changes proposed,” Sr Philippa said.

“Some of our Religious Sisters working in remote Indigenous communities have expressed concern that the people don’t know enough about how the Voice will bring meaningful change to their lives.

“The Voice is a complex issue but many CRA Members, such as our congregation, believe it is the most effective way to enable voices of First Nations people to inform and shape the policies that affect their lives.”

The federal government has now released the question to be put to the Australian people at the referendum to be held later this year, along with more information surrounding the proposal.