At this year’s Red Mass to mark the opening of the legal year, members of Melbourne’s legal community were invited to pause and remember the sacred character of their vocation. Source: Melbourne Catholic.
In his homily, Cardinal Mykola Bychok CSsR drew upon the wisdom of the Beatitudes, and urged those in the law to pursue justice with humility, compassion, and integrity.
In a time of social tension and uncertainty, he called on the profession to be a steadying presence – upholding truth, protecting the vulnerable, and strengthening the bonds that hold society together.
Hundreds of judges, magistrates, barristers, solicitors and parliamentarians gathered at St Patrick’s Cathedral on Tuesday for the annual Votive Mass of the Holy Spirit. This year, as is customary in a Red Mass, the gifts of the spirit – wisdom, understanding, counsel and fortitude – were invoked with the stirring reminder that “justice, at its best, is an act of love”.
Cardinal Bychok told the assembled members of the judiciary and legal profession that their pursuit of justice is a “sacred task, one that touches the dignity of every person and shapes the moral character of our nation”.
“The law gives structure and order, but it is your humanity that gives it life,” Cardinal Bychok said.
“Justice, in the biblical sense, is never harsh or indifferent. It is firm, but it is also compassionate. It seeks what is right while remembering the human person standing before it.”
The Gospel reading of the Beatitudes, from Matthew 5:1-12, formed the core of Cardinal Bychok’s message. He argued that these principles offer a vital guide for contemporary legal practice, especially in Australia.
“Australia faces significant challenges – growing social fragmentation, polarisation in public debate, pressures on families and communities, and a loss of trust in institutions,’ he said.
“In such a climate, the work of the legal profession becomes even more vital. You help hold together the fragile bonds of our society.”
Cardinal Bychok said “society needs voices that speak with clarity but also with charity”.
“It needs people who can disagree without demeaning, who can uphold principles without hostility, who can seek justice without losing sight of mercy.
“You, in your daily work, have the opportunity to model this balance. You can show that justice and compassion are not opposites but partners.”
FULL STORY
‘Justice is an act of love’, lawyers told at annual Red Mass (Melbourne Catholic)
