Deputy Principal

Inclusive Community

On Monday 21 April we arrived in Rome on the same day that Pope Francis died. It was surreal, yet special, to enter Rome on the day that the Holy Father had passed away. We prayed several times throughout the day, and we reflected on the work of Pope Francis. 

Pope Francis was a humble man who made it his mission to be inclusive. He did this by continually working with the marginalised. He accepted all people regardless of their race, religion, sexual orientation, or family structure. He worked hard to modernise the Church while respecting its traditions. A Pope that challenged modern conflicts and encouraged us all to ‘Care for our Common Home’ – the environment. 

What does it mean to be in an inclusive community in our modern world? How do we stand up against those who try to oppress the marginalised? 

For me, it has been interesting watching the attempted dismantling of the global economic system from afar being on the Italian Study Tour over the break. When you travel, you realise that you are a part of a global community. How is it then that the so-called leader of the free world, the President of the United States, can make decisions that make no economic sense, nor do they have a moral compass?

I am not going to go on to explain the economic damage that is done by placing restrictive tariffs on economies. You can read the analysis from the International Monetary Fund who have published their analysis of a global economic slowdown. If you have been following the news, I am sure you are across it. To say that he was going to place reciprocal retaliatory tariffs upon nations who have imposed them on America due to trade imbalances is plainly just a lie. As he would say, ‘FAKE NEWS’. To then change his mind daily, not only does it undermine business confidence (as those of you who run your own business know how important confidence in the economy is), it also will have the impact of increasing inflation in the US economy. So, to protect his own constituents, he will charge them more. Notice the constant backtracking as he continually demonstrates that he does not understand basic economics.

What we have seen is nothing more, nothing less than a bully trying to use his power to say to the rest of the world ‘it is my way or nothing.’ There has been no diplomacy, no care for anyone other than himself and what he believes in - the self-interest of the American economy. If this type of bullying behaviour were to occur in a normal workplace, the person would be sacked. If it were to occur in the playground, as parents, you would expect the school to step in to resolve the bullying that was occurring, and we would.

It is not for me to judge the American people. At the end of the day, they voted for a president who repeatedly has proved to be a bully. If you disagree with him, he disparages you. If you are parts of communities that he disagrees with, he marginalises them, such as the transgender person, LGBTQI and migrant communities. If you are a woman, it is okay to be objectified. None of this is FAKE NEWS, there are numerous examples to back it up. 

Even as he took in his final day, Pope Francis continued to be humble and meet the US Vice-President. Two days before he passed the Pope wrote in response to Trump policies that: ‘The act of deporting people who in many cases have left their own land for reasons of extreme poverty, insecurity, exploitation, persecution or serious deterioration of the environment, damages the dignity of men and women and of entire families, and places them in a state of particular vulnerability and defencelessness’. 

So, this weekend when, as adults, we get to vote in our Federal election, remember that the onus is on all of us to ensure our vote stands for inclusiveness. As Christians we cannot pick and choose when to be inclusive. We must stand up for choice in education, we must stand up for those that are marginalised, we must stand up for all Australians. The Gospels tell us of numerous stories of Jesus helping/curing the marginalised. Jesus did not walk past those who were less fortunate, he walked with them and included them in his journey.

The word inclusive may start with the letter I, however, I prefer to focus on the ‘us’ in the middle of the word. Over the last 40 years or so, Australia has tended to vote for themselves as individuals rather than for all of us. We do not want our politicians to turn into bullies like we see in the US. Politicians should not be judged by who can shout the loudest or by who can win an argument by disparaging their opponent. I hope that after this weekend, Australians use their individual voices to send a strong collective message to the rest of the world that we look after those who are less fortunate and that we will walk together with our First Nations peoples and other marginalised communities. Like Pope Francis, we welcome everybody into our Church where together, we are stronger when we think of not just the individual, but for all of us as Australians.

Adrian Byrne

Deputy Principal