Bishops of Australia on Immigration "We must “regard it as a solemn duty to help in the placing and absorbing of immigrants into our community..." FULL TEXT
Under the Southern Cross: A Journey of Faith and Unity
Commemorating the 75th Anniversary of the 1950 Pastoral Letter on Immigration
This year marks the 75th anniversary of the release of On Immigration, the Pastoral Letter issued by the Australian Archbishops and Bishops in 1950, offering a timely opportunity for us today to reflect on our attitudes towards those seeking a new home in our country.
In response to the unprecedented influx of migrants from southern and Eastern Europe which occurred in the period between 1945 and 1965—resulting in two million migrants arriving on Australian shores in that time—the Australian Archbishops and Bishops urged Catholics to embrace their responsibility to welcome and support these new settlers, as an opportunity to “spread the Kingdom of Christ within this Continent that was once called the land of the Holy Ghost”.
The bishops called for “great generosity” and “true unselfishness” to be the “guiding lights” for Catholics as they assisted the new settlers to build a home “beneath the Southern Cross”.
The letter, issued in January 1950, with the instruction that it “be read in all Churches on the First Sunday of February” called on Australian Catholics to exercise their moral duty to extend kindness, practical assistance, and hospitality to new arrivals, especially those who had been displaced by war and persecution. The bishops highlighted the importance of treating immigrants as fellow Australians, and urged Australians to help them overcome language barriers, understand their customs, and integrate them into parish and community life:
“To the thousands of new Catholics, seeking home and shelter in our Land, the welcoming hand of their fellow-Catholics and brothers in Christ must be readily extended. Patience, kindliness, sympathy and practical help must be rendered to all unfailingly and in God’s name.”
And never forgetting that “the future of the Church is in Her children”, every endeavour was to be made “to give our thousands of new children that Christian education in our own Catholic schools that is at once the strength and the glory of the Australian church”.
Their words remain just as applicable to us today. 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, and we are called again to extend the hand of welcome to migrants; “patience, kindliness, sympathy and practical help must be rendered to all unfailingly and in God’s Name”.
Today, around a third of our population—8.2 million people— have been born in a country outside Australia. The origins of migrants have expanded to include countries from around the globe, such as China, the Philippines, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Myanmar, among many others.
Unfortunately, the lived experience of migrants in Australia has not always been a positive one. Despite significant progress in fostering a multicultural society, racism still persists among some of us who view others as being ‘different’ or ‘other’ within our nation. And in today’s political climate, as conflicts from abroad spill into our own nation, we are witnessing growing tensions, division, and unrest, which are threatening the harmony of our communities.
And yet the bishops’ message from 1950 continues to echo across the decades, reminding us once again of the eternal call to welcome Jesus in welcoming the stranger. “Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did it to me.” (Matthew 25:40)
As Saint John Paul II exclaimed:
“How can the baptised claim to welcome Christ if they close the door to the foreigner who comes knocking? ‘If anyone has the world’s goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God’s love abide in him?’” (1 Jn 3: 17)
In Australia in 2025, just as Catholics were called in 1950, we are called to welcome, support, and embrace those who arrive from other lands. We must “regard it as a solemn duty to help in the placing and absorbing of immigrants into our community and in making them feel at home amongst us”. As St Paul reminds us, we should “not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it” (Hebrews 13:2)
Migrants have made an immeasurable contribution to our nation, shaping and enriching our society in profound ways. We are the beneficiaries of their diverse cultural traditions, stories, and deep wisdom, as well as the resilience and lived experiences they bring. Their presence has not only strengthened the fabric of our communities but has also deepened our understanding of what it means to be human. Through their contributions, Australia has become a more welcoming, vibrant, and flourishing society.
This timeless call to hospitality and generosity remains as vital today as it was seventy-five years ago. In Pope Leo’s words, this call today is for us to become a living witness to hope and to build a community that recognise migrants and refugees as brother and sister, part of a family which they can express their talents and participate fully in their new community life.
SOURCE: Catholic Bishops' Conference of Australia
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