Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Sunday

For many centuries in the known worlds of Europe and Asia and Africa there were theories that there must be a great southern land: a land mass that was not yet discovered and even though it had not yet been chartered many ancient maps of the world made provision for this unspecified land mass. It became known as Terra Australis- Latin, meaning South Land. The Spanish who were great explorers referred to it as La Australia del Espíritu Santo– the Southern land of the Holy Spirit.

Even though they had never visited the place the Spanish certainly had a great insight – this land that we know now as Australia was indeed a very ancient and spirit filled land. With 40,000 years of human culture and history- there were people, customs, tribes, music, love, struggle and an intimate way of living in harmony with the earth and the seasons- these ancient people had an understanding of their land as filled with the spirit. They knew their place in this land – they expressed it in their dreamtime stories. 

Terra Australis is indeed- the great southern land of the Holy Spirit. With European settlement a new aspect to that spirituality was brought – the story of Jesus- the Gospel. For the ancient custodians of the land here at last was a story of God as human flesh and blood that complemented their stories and their discernment of the Holy Spirit – and a great many of the indigenous people listened to those stories and embraced Jesus. They still do- in the twenty years from 1991-2011 the Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander Catholic population grew from 62,000 – 125,000 an increase of 102%- in the same period the overall Catholic population grew by only 18%

But unfortunately that embracing of a new religious culture and understanding has been one way only. Too often the new settlers have brought not only Christ but a dominating culture that has been unable to complete an exchange of learning.- The new arrivals have said “here is Jesus “but there has been too little reciprocal listening and learning. And so the new settlers have not had access to an evangelisation of the Spirit which could come from the first inhabitants of the land. Often Western customs and ways with all their noise and pace and commercialisation have been too busy and preoccupied to hear the gentle movements of the spirit from the dream time and the stories of belonging to an ancient land that our indigenous brothers and sisters could offer us- you can’t dream if you never slow down and sleep. 

We know what pain this has caused for our original inhabitants, many are dispirited and dispossessed – victims of forced separation of parents and children- loss of language, story and connection to the land all this had taken a terrible toll. Like Jesus in our Gospel this morning their message is ignored and even despised in their homeland.  And for this we are all impoverished. We have all lost the opportunity for connection to the land: As bearers of Christ we miss out on an evangelisation in the Spirit through an ancient culture that can tap into the Holy Spirit of this land.

In his document on the Joy of the Gospel Pope Francis quoted the Bishops of Oceania when he said all missionaries must “work in harmony with indigenous Christians so as to ensure that the faith and the life of the Church be expressed in legitimate forms appropriate for each culture”. The pope went on to say “It is an indisputable fact that no single culture can exhaust the mystery of our redemption in Christ” of course we will only understand this and grow in faith when we can conform more closely to the prophetic theme and message of this Sunday for National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and appreciate that we all stand on Sacred ground and together we can learn, respect and celebrate in order to ‘Heal Country’.  This theme draws on Pope Francis Laudato Si.

As I read back over the now famous address of John Paul II to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people at Alice Springs in 1986 is reads as fresh for me today as it did then.  It also occurs to me that the message is not just for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders.  We are all called to make our contribution to the future face of the Church in Australia.  Here is what John Paul said back then:

“The old ways can draw new life and strength from the Gospel. The message of Jesus Christ can lift up your lives to new heights, reinforce all your positive values and add many others, which only the Gospel in its originality proposes. Take this Gospel into your own language and way of speaking; let its spirit penetrate your communities and determine your behaviour towards each other, let it bring new strength to your stories and your ceremonies. Let the Gospel come into your hearts and renew your personal lives. The Church invites you to express the living word of Jesus in ways that speak to your Aboriginal minds and hearts. All over the world people worship God and read his word in their own language, and colour the great signs and symbols of religion with touches of their own traditions.  Why should you be different from them in this regard, why should you not be allowed the happiness of being with God and each other in Aboriginal fashion?

As you listen to the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, seek out the best things of your traditional ways. If you do, you will come to realize more and more your great human and Christian dignity. Let your minds and hearts be strengthened to begin a new life now. Past hurts cannot be healed by violence, nor are present injustices removed by resentment. Your Christian faith calls you to become the best kind of Aboriginal people you can be. This is possible only if reconciliation and forgiveness are part of your lives. Only then will you find happiness. Only then will you make your best contribution to all your brothers and sisters in this great nation. You are part of Australia and Australia is part of you. And the Church herself in Australia will not be fully the Church that Jesus wants her to be until you have made your contribution to her life and until that contribution has been joyfully received by others.” 

John Paul II, Alice Springs, 1986

By Fr Brendan Reed