It has been a year since the Voice to Parliament referendum was defeated but the journey toward reconciliation and unity as a nation continues, writes National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council’s Craig Arthur.
The greatest tragedy we face as a nation is to hold on to resentment and disagreements, allowing them to fester and divide us further.”
This was our message a year ago following the failed Voice to Parliament referendum, and it remains our hope today.
Some have lamented and grieved the outcome, others celebrated its defeat, and many have sought to analyse and understand the reasons behind the result.
Through it all, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities have continued to face challenges, striving for survival and for our voices to be heard.
Yet, in every challenge and disappointment, there is opportunity. We are guided by the wisdom of James (1:2-4): “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
At NATSICC, alongside our Aboriginal Catholic Ministries across Australia, we persevere, renewed and strengthened by the knowledge that over six million Australians voted Yes, and that 30 Catholic organisations and groups, along with several of our bishops, joined our One Journey, Together initiative.
Thousands of Catholics visited www.indigenousvoice.church to learn more about the referendum and to listen to the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholics. This engagement is itself a blessing and a testament to our shared responsibility as Catholics to love and care for one another.
The referendum now rests in the annals of history, but the journey toward reconciliation and unity as a nation continues.
We must walk this path with unwavering faith and determination. The challenges ahead are not insurmountable, and with the collective strength of our communities, guided by faith, we can envision and work towards a brighter future for all.
Craig Arthur serves as the National Administrator of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council
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It’s been a year (NATSICC)
