David Smith (Bean, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It is with both sadness and gratitude that I rise today in this place to pay tribute to the life and legacy of one of the great figures of our times, His Holiness Pope Francis. I do so as someone who represents an electorate with a strong and generous Catholic community, and I do so, too, as someone who, while an imperfect Catholic myself, knows the power that faith can have in shaping lives, communities and a better world.

I begin this reflection by reflecting that we are in a time of first speeches. Over the last fortnight, this place has been filled with the extraordinary stories of the journeys of new parliamentarians to this place. We have heard stories of struggle, resilience and hope. Elections can well be a time of grief, but they are also times of renewal and hope and opportunity.

His Holiness, in his first, brief address—this first leader of the Catholic Church from the Southern Hemisphere and from the Americas—provided a simple message of hope and fraternity, inviting us to join him on 'a journey of brotherhood in love, of mutual trust'. Then, in his first homily, His Holiness spoke of the importance of walking in faith, building faith and professing faith, recognising that this is not easy and that there will always be something pulling us back. There will always be buts, but to truly walk, build and profess takes courage and grace.

His Holiness Pope Francis led a papacy which was marked by his unflinching commitment to social justice and peace. He was the first pope from Latin America and, as such, the first pope born and raised outside of Europe since the eighth century.

The approach of Pope Francis to his time in office was a marked change from that of some of his predecessors. Where there was once stiff formality, Pope Francis adopted a position of informality. Pope Francis reached for clarity and sought to open the doors of the church to all. Pope Francis in particular sought to be a pope for the poor, the dispossessed and the marginalised. He understood the immense influence his position afforded him and he sought to use that power to help and heal.

He was also committed to opening the decision-making process of the church. Pope Francis worked for an expanded role for women and lay people in the life of the church—work which I trust will continue. His commitment to interfaith dialogue and connection was also unshakeable. In particular, the visit of Pope Francis to Indonesia comes to mind. He was also committed to using his role in a way that was both contemporary and relevant to the greatest challenges which face humanity today. His two great encyclicals laid bare the climate crisis and the urgent need for action.

But the office of Pope has both a spiritual and a political role. Pope Francis was very much a pope suited to his times. He faced a world marked by conflict, division and crisis. His commitment was to peace, not the peace which follows the absence of conflict but the peace that is a consequence of the presence of justice. He decried that millions of people worldwide continue to suffer from malnutrition, citing armed conflict and climate change, with the resulting national disasters, as key culprits. He said:

Mass displacement, in addition to the other effects of global political, economic and military tensions, undermines efforts to ensure that people's living conditions are improved on the basis of their inherent dignity. It bears repeating time and again: poverty, inequalities, lack of access to basic resources such as food, drinking water, health, education, housing, are a serious affront to human dignity!

Pope Francis called for peace in every instance of conflict, and he had a particular focus on the violence and suffering in Gaza. As it does all of us, the scale of violence and destruction deeply troubled Pope Francis. He made a daily phone call to Father Gabriel Romanelli of the Holy Family Church, Gaza's only Catholic church. The church had recently been badly damaged in an Israeli strike.

I'm drawn to the 2025 Easter message of Pope Francis, essentially his final statement to the world. In his message, Pope Francis drew a powerful link between the hope of Easter and the urgent need for peace and justice around the world. He called for peace in Gaza, saying:

… I think of the people of Gaza, and its Christian community in particular, where the terrible conflict continues to cause death and destruction and to create a dramatic and deplorable humanitarian situation. I appeal to the warring parties: call a ceasefire, release the hostages and come to the aid of a starving people that aspires to a future of peace!

As we stand here and reflect upon that towering legacy of Pope Francis, it is incumbent on all of us to move beyond mere words. As we witness immense suffering and violence not only in Gaza but around the world, we must turn to the example of Pope Francis. If we truly care about respecting his spiritual leadership and the consequences of that leadership, we need to act on his powerful words and deeds. Let all of us recommit ourselves to bringing the kind of peace Pope Francis reached for, a just and lasting peace, to not only Gaza but to all corners of the world. We can do good and lend a hand. Let our recommitment to the peace be the legacy of Pope Francis, a peace he knew relied on freedom of religion, freedom of thought, freedom of expression and respect for the views of others.

Pope Francis invited world leaders to join him and, in his words, 'emerge from the dark night of wars and environmental devastation in order to turn our common future into the dawn of a new and radiant day'. That is the invitation Pope Francis provided to all of us, not just those of the Catholic faith. This is the invitation that we need both courage and grace to accept.

Michael McCormack (Riverina, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was deeply honoured, as a Catholic, as a parliamentarian, as an Australian, to be asked to represent the nation and its people at Pope Francis's funeral on Saturday 26 April. I want to thank, from the outset, the Australian Ambassador to the Holy See. He was the Ambassador to the Vatican Designate at the time, as he hadn't presented his credentials because, sadly, the Pope had passed away, but he has since done that with the new Pope, Pope Leo—Keith Pitt, the former member for Hinkler. And I want to also thank the head of mission, the Ambassador of Australia to Italy, Julianne Cowley, for the arrangements they both put in place for the Australian delegation. The delegation comprised the Governor-General, Her ExcellencySam Mostyn, AO; her husband, Simeon Beckett; senior government minister the Hon. Don Farrell; his wife, Nimfa; and myself.

In a break from what often happens with papal burials, Pope Francis asked to be buried in a simple wooden casket, something Pope John Paul II also insisted on before he passed away in 2005, when he was 84, after a 26-year papacy, the third longest in history. Pope Francis's casket said much about how he lived his life, and it was a powerful symbolic choice reflecting the very essence of his papacy. The late pope explicitly requested a single zinc-lined wooden coffin, breaking away from the usual opulence of traditional papal burials. Unlike the triple layered coffins often is used in many previous papal funerals—cypress wood sealed in lead and then enclosed in oak—Pope Francis's casket consisted of just one layer of plain, untreated wood, lined with zinc for preservation. Not only was this a departure from ritual but a deliberate spiritual statement: humility in death as in life. The wood bore no gold trim, no ornate embellishments, just a simple cross below which there was Pope Francis's official coat of arms, deeply linked to the Society of Jesus, the religious order to which he belonged. In the centre, the Christogram HIS, the first three letters of Jesus's name in Greek, was visible. This was accompanied by a cross over the central letter and three nails below, all surrounded by a sun. The symbol is the Jesuits traditional emblem, evoking the centrality of Christ and the evangelising mission, and Pope Francis did live his mission. Beneath the Christogram, the coat of arms included an eight-pointed star, representing the Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church, and a spikenard flower, alluding to Saint Joseph. Both were key figures in Pope Francis's spirituality. Below the coat of arms, the ribbon with the motto 'Miserando atque eligendo'—'He looked at him with mercy and chose him'—no doubt summaries Pope Francis's vocation marked by service to the world's most humble.

The casket design honoured Francis's lifelong rejection of luxury, echoing his decision to reside in a modest guesthouse rather than the lavish Apostolic Palace during his pontificate. Both in meaning and material, the casket embodied Pope Francis's teachings—people over protocol, service over status. This was Pope Francis. It was not just a vessel but a message to the world that even the most prominent religious figure on Earth bowed to simplicity, reminding everyone spiritual wealth far outweighs worldly possessions.

Pope Francis was ordained a priest on 13 December 1969. He was consecrated as a bishop on 27 June 1992. He was created a cardinal by John Paul II on 21 February 2001. He was the 266th pope. He passed away on Easter Monday, 21 April, at 7.35 in the morning in Vatican City. He was aged 88; he was the third oldest pope in history.

There are some interesting aspects about his papacy, about his life and about who he was. He served as the visible head of the Roman Catholic Church since 2013 after Benedict XVI announced his resignation. Benedict cited a length of strength of mind and body due to his advanced age. He was the first pope to stand aside since Gregory XII in 1415 and the first without what was termed 'external pressure' since Celestine V in 1294. So Francis came into the role in interesting circumstances. The call to his papacy was made, and he stepped up. And, as we've heard, he did so much good for so many people, but he was the first pope raised outside of Europe since the eighth-century Syrian pope Gregory III.

A lot of people have asked me, since my return, what it was like being at the Pope's funeral. It began at 10am. The cardinal who said the mass was Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, 91 years young. He's the Dean of the College of Cardinals. He officiated, and it was a memorable service—14 white-gloved members of the pontifical household, who support ceremonial activities of the Vatican, carried Pope Francis's casket, leading a procession of priests, bishops and red-robed cardinals. It was an unforgettable sight. There in St Peter's Square, a quarter of a million mourners waited in total silence as their cherished former pope arrived for his final mass. You can just imagine a quarter of a million people in the one large place and nothing, just pure, peaceful silence. It was quite amazing.

Security was intense, given there were 50 heads of state and 10 monarchs attending. There was a no-fly zone that had been established over Rome. There were a lot of snipers on the roofs and a lot of people with long-lens cameras too. There were 4,000 officers on the ground, counter unmanned aircraft system teams and an air defence guided-missile destroyer off the coast. That said, there was a buzz of official drone cameras over St Peter's, but, at the start, there was just nothing at all.

Cardinal Re's homily began a little more than five minutes into the 1¾ hour service, and it lasted not quite 20 minutes, but I counted on at least nine separate occasions during this inspirational address a reverberation of respectful and spontaneous applause, starting at the very back of the square. It rippled its way forward like a wave, becoming louder and louder until it reached the pulpit, and I was not very far from the pulpit—about from here to the member of Hunter away, where the member Hunter sits at the dispatch place opposite. It was not very far at all. I had a third-row seat into an amazing historic event.

The first ovation came 11 minutes into the homily, when Cardinal Re spoke of the late pope's first journey to Lampedusa in the Mediterranean Sea, an island that symbolises the tragedy of emigration. Less than a minute later, when Cardinal Re spoke of a mass Pope Francis celebrated on the border between Mexico and the United States, the rapturous clapping resumed. The timing and intensity of that applause, given that the homily was delivered in Latin, was perhaps lost on a certain world leader in a blue suit seated in the front row amongst a sea of black and navy. You don't need to be Einstein to work out who I'm referring to. Cardinal Re said:

Faced with the raging wars of recent years, with their inhuman horrors and countless deaths and destruction, Pope Francis incessantly raised his voice, imploring peace and calling for reason and honest negotiation to find possible solutions. War, he said, results in the death of people and the destruction of homes, hospitals and schools. War always leaves the world worse than it was before: It is always a painful and tragic defeat for everyone.

The level of influence of the Vatican, a truly global institution, demonstrates once again why Australia's embassy to the Holy See is essential. I thank Mr Pitt for making the arrangements for this visit, and I look forward to seeing his progress in that position. But this is about the pope.

Pope Francis left a lasting legacy that we all admire, we all respect and we all love. For a Catholic educated boy from the tiny Riverina village of Marrar—my mother, Eileen, was raised by the Presentation Sisters at Mount Erin, Wagga Wagga, after being orphaned at the tender age of nine, and she lived such a faith filled life, dedicated to the church and its gospel. It was a journey I dedicated to her. I also thank the local bishop at Wagga, Mark Edwards, for sending me to Rome with a lovely cross and some artefacts which I attended the funeral with and made sure I brought home. They will have a special place in either St Michael's Cathedral or the nearby McAlroy House, which is the head of the church in Wagga Wagga. Vale, Pope Francis.

Matt Burnell (Spence, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Today I speak with a heavy heart on behalf of the people of Spence to mark the passing of a truly extraordinary man, His Holiness Pope Francis—a man of deep humility, boundless compassion and unshakable moral courage. Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Buenos Aires in 1936, he lived a life of quiet service long before he wore the white robes of the papacy. He worked as a janitor, bouncer and chemist. He lived among the people. He listened to them; he understood them. And that never changed, even when he rose to become the first Jesuit pope, the first from the Southern Hemisphere and the first to take the name Francis.

He was inspired by St Francis of Assisi. He chose a path of simplicity and modesty over splendour and of mercy over judgement. He reminded the world that the church is a place welcoming of all people, and, for so many, Catholic or not, Pope Francis was the embodiment of hope—hope for a more inclusive church that welcomes the poor, the displaced, the excluded, the LGBTQ+ community and the forgotten; hope for a world where climate justice and human dignity walk hand in hand; and hope that the ancient and seemingly closed-door institution of the papacy could evolve, not by erasing or bypassing tradition but by reawakening its spirit for the 21st century.

His was a papacy of firsts, but, more importantly, it was a papacy of principle. He visited prisons, refugee camps, war zones and slums, not for photo opportunities but to listen to the people. He washed the feet of Muslim migrants and spoke softly to the child refugees. When others offered condemnation, he offered compassion. 'Who am to judge?' he often asked, in one of his most quoted remarks. But it wasn't a shrug with a lack of care; it was an affirmation of humility. In doing so, he cracked open the doors of an ancient institution, letting in light, letting in air and letting in love.

I know that many in the electorate of Spence will be grieving his loss, particularly our Catholic community and anyone who looked to Francis as a moral compass, not just as a religious figure but as a man of peace in troubling times. He was a champion for the voiceless when many chose to shout and a friend to those on the margins of society to invite them back in. Pope Francis believed that politics, at its best, was a form of charity—'one of the highest forms of love', he once said. He urged world leaders to govern with tenderness, with wisdom and always with the needs of the poor and struggling at heart. He reminded us time and again that behind every statistic is a soul, and I think that's what made him so powerful in this century of apathy.

He listened, he noticed, he cared. He didn't preach from a throne or an ivory tower; he walked among the people and greeted each one the way you would a close friend. It is impossible to capture his full legacy in words, but, if I had to choose one, it would be 'mercy'. In a world that can be so easily turned harsh, defensive and divided, Pope Francis chose mercy time and time again. In his teachings, his actions, and even in his silences, he taught us the strength of tenderness. He showed us that faith is not meant to wall us off from the world but to root us more deeply in its, that true holiness is not about retreat but engagement and that we are never more fully human than when we care for the most vulnerable among us. I hope that legacy is not just remembered but lived by priests, by politicians, by young people seeking purpose, by all of us.

It's rare for one person to unite people across faiths, ideologies and borders, but Pope Francis did—not by diluting his message but by returning to its essence: love thy neighbour, feed the hungry, shelter the stranger, clothe the poor, forgive those who have wronged you and, above all else, never forget that each person is made in the image of God. His Holiness lived those words every day not just in Vatican declarations but in quiet acts away from the cameras, in places most of us will never see. And so today we mourn, but we also give thanks for the life of a man who led not from above but from beside; who reminded us that change is not only possible, it is necessary; and who in the twilight of his life still dreamed of a world healed by compassion.

Vale, Pope Francis. May you rest in eternal peace. This world is a better place because of your actions.

Melissa Price (Durack, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Science) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise today to pay my respects following the death of His Holiness Pope Francis and to honour a life of humility, conviction and extraordinary service not only to the Catholic Church but to all of humanity. Pope Francis was the son of Italian immigrants to Argentina and was born in December 1936. He felt called to the church at an early age, entering the Jesuit order in 1958 and being ordained as a priest in 1969. He took his final vows in the Jesuit order in 1973 and subsequently served as superior of the Jesuit province of Argentina until 1979. He later became the Archbishop of Buenos Aires in 1998 and was consecrated as a cardinal in 2001.

His humility was well known before his election to the papacy. During a period of economic crisis in Argentina beginning in the late 1990s, Francis lived in a simple downtown apartment rather than the archbishop's residence. He also travelled using public transport or by foot rather than in a chauffeured limousine. He finally became Pope in 2013 following the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI. He was the first South American pope, the first Jesuit pope and the first to take the name Francis. The papacy did not strip Francis of his humility nor his desire to be a champion for the poor. Despite his high office, Pope Francis continued to live simply and frugally and carried out the ethos of Catholic social justice.

As the first non-European pope in over a thousand years, he was devoted to the global nature of the church. This was exemplified through His Holiness's visiting nations in our own region, including Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste and Singapore. As Pope, Francis sought to promote unity between Catholics, non-Catholics and non-Christians, as well as act as a voice for peace and conflicts broke out. Pope Francis also sought to address the dark history of sexual abuse within the church through public apologies to survivors and his urging of bishops to reach out to them. As the former leader of the opposition pointed out at the time of his passing, His Holiness, above all else, was driven by Christ's values of mercy and forgiveness. He emphasised those values in his last Christmas address, saying:

God's mercy can do all things. It unties every knot; it tears down every wall of division; it dispels hatred and the spirit of revenge.

My mother scrimped and saved to provide my siblings and I with a Catholic education in Kalgoorlie. This experience has helped to shape the values I hold dear to this day—those values of service, dignity, discipline, family and care for the vulnerable. These are values that Pope Francis not only preached but lived, and they are deeply embedded in the Catholic community of my own electorate of Durack.

According to the most recent census, Catholicism is the largest religious denomination in Durack, with nearly 34,000 believers. The magnificent St Francis Xavier's Cathedral in Geraldton, built in 1916, stands not only as a beacon of spiritual life but as a testament to the resilience, beauty and unity of our region's Catholic community. It draws tourists, locals and parishioners alike, serving as a centrepiece of faith, art and architectural heritage. Designed by the famous monsignor John Hawes, it took 22 years to build—and let me tell you, it is magnificent. I'd like to acknowledge and give thanks to Bishop Morrissey, the Bishop of Geraldton, for his leadership and pastoral care for the needs of our local community members.

For those families of faith, Pope Francis passing is not only a global moment of mourning; it is personal. It is a moment of loss—the loss of a spiritual leader who spoke directly to the heart of the everyday believer. These are moments in history we must pause and reflect upon, much like the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, as these are moments that remind us of what dignified leadership looks like. Just as Her Majesty in her final days fulfilled her duty in appointing Liz Truss as the new Prime Minister of Great Britain, Pope Francis defied his doctors' orders to visit inmates of a Roman prison. These actions are emblematic of two lives defined by faith, duty and quiet strength. Both did their duty right to the end, and both served as leaders we should all look up to.

Census data makes clear that more Australians are turning away from organised religion. While this may be so, whether you are a person of faith or not, I believe we can all learn from the example of Pope Francis, and may he rest in peace. I'll conclude my remarks by extending my best wishes to the new pontiff, Pope Leo XIV. May he lead with wisdom, compassion and strength as he leads the church in to a new era. I thank the House.

Emma McBride (Dobell, Australian Labor Party, Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

On behalf of my community on the Central Coast of New South Wales, I rise to join others speaking on the condolence motion for Pope Francis and to pay my respects to a man who dedicated his life simply to humble service. Pope Francis was born Jorge Mario Bergoglio on 19 December 1936 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. In 1958, as a young man, he took inspiration from a priest while attending confession and began years of study at his local seminary. In 1969 he was ordained by the archbishop and joined the priesthood.

Over the years, he rose through the Catholic Church in South America before assuming the role of archbishop. True to his nature, which the world would come to know years later, Bergoglio undertook significant reforms across the archdiocese to reduce exorbitant spending, instead connecting the church with poor and disadvantaged communities. He regularly celebrated Holy Thursday by washing the feet of people in local jails, hospitals, retirement homes and slums. In 2001, Pope John Paul II made Bergoglio a cardinal.

His humble lifestyle meant he spent most of his time in South America, and, unlike many of these fellow cardinals, he would only visit Rome for short periods of time, commonly known in Catholic circles as lightning visits. In 2005, as a cardinal, Bergoglio took part in the papal conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI. At the time, he himself was considered a frontrunner for the papacy. In 2016, Benedict announced that he would resign—the first pontiff to stand down in 600 years. On 13 March 2013, the papal conclave elected Bergoglio as the Bishop of Rome, the new Pope. Stepping out onto the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica to the celebrations of Catholics across the world, the new Pope would be known as Francis—a name he chose because, like Francis of Assisi, who he honoured, he had a special place in his heart for ministry for the poor, the disenfranchised and those facing injustice. Francis stood on the balcony in white wearing a simple iron cross he'd had for many years, substantially different to the gold worn by his predecessors. Throughout his papacy, Francis brought the Catholic Church into the 21st century, modernising it and opening it up to more believers and people of faith around the world. His ability to connect with people, understand them and offer mercy led to him being respected and revered far beyond followers of the Catholic faith. In my community on the Central Coast of New South Wales, Francis was widely respected for his simple, humble life of service and his approach, through social justice, focused on supporting disadvantaged people and protecting the planet for future generations.

Father Raul, on behalf of the Wyong Catholic Parish, said of Pope Francis: 'Remembering a man of God who touched the hearts of millions of the people around the world, a man of deep faith with a unique way of leading the Catholic Church, inspiring even non-Christians and non-believers.' Father Raul goes on: 'He was a man of humility, compassion and mercy, especially for the marginalised and those living on the periphery of society.' He continues: 'One thing that makes him so special as well is when he took the name of Francis, the only pope to do so, because, like Francis of Assisi, he was a man of the poor and he cared so much for the environment.' Lastly: 'He was a man of hope. He encourages each and everyone of us to be pilgrims of hope as he declared this year Jubilee of Hope.' He finishes: 'Who can ever forget this lovely and full life of service to God, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio, who, at the very last moments of his earthly life, wanted to serve God and his people.'

My parents raised my brother, sister and I on the teachings of the Catholic Church, and I attended the local Catholic primary school, St Cecilia's in Wyong, and then went on to Mater Dei College and Corpus Christi College—now St Peter's Catholic College in Tuggerah. When my mother, who is on the parish council, contacted Father Raul for some quotes for today, he was offering mass in the local high school. Now, I see my nieces and nephews growing in their faith. My niece, Arna, recently celebrated her first holy communion, and my nephew, Oscar, will have his confirmation tomorrow night. I'm disappointed that I can't be there, but he is taking on the name of John as his confirmation name.

As a Catholic, I reflect, today, on the humble life of service of Pope Francis. My godson, Gabriel, sent me today his favourite quote of Pope Francis to share with us: 'Rivers do not drink their own water. Trees do not eat their own fruit. The sun does not shine on itself, and flowers do not spread their fragrance for themselves. Living for others is a rule of nature. We're all born to help each other. No matter how difficult it is, life is good when you are happy but much better when others are happy because of you.' After years of humble service as a priest, bishop, archbishop, cardinal and pope, Francis now rests in eternal life with the Lord. May he rest in everlasting peace.

Barnaby Joyce (New England, National Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Catholicism—I suppose, Christianity—is a funny thing. As the good Lord said, its two main commandments are to love your god with your whole heart, your whole mind and your whole being and to love your neighbour as yourself—not better than yourself, not less than yourself but as yourself. These speeches, which I rarely do on condolence motions, are incredibly important because of the role of Catholicism and the role of Christianity in the world and what it does.

It only took 1,272 years to get to the next pope outside of Europe. Pope Gregory III was from Syria. It was a bit of a long haul, but they finally got there, and not only did they do that but they found themselves the first Jesuit pope. For the record and for my sins, I was educated at secondary school by the Jesuits, and I always found that the Jesuits were a bit like a religious Diogenes. The other side within the big Catholic family of mine was Opus Dei, which is like a religious Friedrich Nietzsche. This form of what Pope Francis took, I believe, to the world is similar to what I saw as the instrumental people in my life.

I remember going to morning mass with a gentleman who was an astrophysicist called Father Drake. He really only had one sermon. It was the same, and that's why it resonates with you. People can have glorious orations, but when an incredibly clever person just says the same thing over and over again each time they give a sermon, it sticks in your head. It was basically that airs and false graces are the work of the devil, which is a funny way of saying, 'Don't get full of yourself. Just be humble.'

If there's a Jesuit culture, I think it's that. To put it into the Australian lexicon, it's this: be smart; don't act it. Don't act what you aren't, and make sure that you try and inform yourself as best you can, but do not use it to intimidate or belittle others. You'll see it in other people who have been educated by the Jesuits, to be quite frank. Tony Abbott is a classic example of it. He is an incredibly clever person, but he never used it. His machismo at the beach was not his egoism when he was speaking to you. He accepted people and spoke to people on their level, and that was very much the Jesuit ethos. So it was with a great sense of pride that the Jesuits had Pope Francis.

Pope Francis had a pretty good run at it. He was born in 1936, so he had a pretty full life. All the way through, his life was one of challenge and success. That's also something that we should gather up and try to apply as best we can to our own lives.

It being 1,272 years since Pope Gregory III, he also talked about where the Catholic Church is taking a vital but obvious step: the Catholic Church is moving on from Europe. European Catholicism will be in the minority, if it isn't already. Catholicism is now so vibrant in Africa. Even in my local area, the southern Indian community is incredibly involved. Our priests are from the southern Indian community. There is the Philippine community and, obviously, the South American community. There is Timor-Leste. This is where the church is going. It's strength is growing and growing and the culture of Catholicism is moving. In the past, it was influenced, I suppose, by Ireland and the Italians. It is now moving, to be influenced more by India, the Philippines and Africa. We've had Nigerian priests at home—I'm a practising Catholic; I don't pretend to be a good one. Pope Francis was probably the first step towards that, and now I believe, and I hope, that those steps go on, because that's a good thing.

Catholicism, by its very nature, is termed the 'universal church'. It's not the European church. It's not the Irish church. It's not the Italian church. It's the universal church. The pope we have now is another step towards that. He is yet another non-European pope. We do see that there are still vestiges that they hold on to. The heritage of Pope Francis was Italian, so there was still that connection, but the connection and tether is growing more tenuous. That umbilical cord will be cut, and we look forward to a time—although I might not be there—when we have a Philippine or Chinese pope. The Catholic community in China is massive. Most of it is underground, but it is massive.

This is where the church will go. You can't stop Christianity, because it offers hope. What it offers is that you put yourself in equivalence with but never above people. You treat people with respect and as though they are on the same level as you. You don't have to treat them as though they are above you; you don't have to treat them as though they are below you. You treat them as though they are on the same level as you. Love your neighbour as you would yourself—not better, not worse.

On that evolution of Catholicism, in the past we had a very parochial, partisan Australia, and you never saw that parochialism in a more vibrant form than in my seat of New England. It's not called New England for nothing! She was a tough game! I'm the first Catholic member for New England; it only took 113 years! And even that required a lot of explanation to people. And now I've got a very strong vote; I hope it's not because I'm Catholic! I'm absolutely certain it's not.

Just to give you an example, my very good mates, guys I've played footy with—I think football broke the ice—would quite openly say, 'Catholics are not allowed in our house; absolutely not.' If Catholics did go to their houses they'd be going in through the tradesmans door, not the main door. Catholics were not allowed into certain social events and not allowed to be part of certain races or sporting events, and—here's the big one that is part of the unfortunate history of where I live. At the start—this is from people I respect, who'd know the history—when the major properties moved in, the Aboriginals were poisoned out, as were the Catholic settlers. That's part of the unfortunate history of Australia. Things have moved on; that's a great thing for Australia.

In the past, the idea that I would be in the National Party and a Catholic was highly, highly unusual. People, when they'd had a few drinks, would mention, 'It's amazing you're a Catholic.' I say that so that people understand the history of Australia and the evolvement of global Catholicism, which works hand in glove with the evolvement of Australian Catholicism.

The very important thing about having a condolence motion for Pope Francis is to not make it a wallowing motion for Pope Francis, because he's in heaven; that's the game plan. If you get to heaven, things are all right. If you have a faith and you believe there's something beyond our comprehension, which in our very simple terms we call heaven—if we can't comprehend the power of the Almighty, if we can't comprehend the vastness of the universe, if we can't comprehend the mathematics of how it all sticks together, if we can't comprehend all the complexities that would go into making a leaf, if we can't do it ourselves, then I don't believe we can comprehend God; it is beyond our comprehension. So we come up with very simple terms for very complex outcomes, but in those very complex outcomes resides Pope Francis. I always go for a really simple thing, without getting too deep: if man—or a binary term that we can call everybody—didn't exist, we wouldn't know the universe exists. It would be something that's invisible. Our knowledge of it is the only reason that it exists for any purpose. In that vastness are people trying to explain the spirituality of who we are.

A pope is incredibly important. I don't think for one second it's just the Pope that has that understanding; I think anybody who delves deeply into the spiritual inevitably has not a perfect insight—no-one has perfect insight—but a greater insight than others which is always worthwhile to listen to. And a pope, especially someone of this acumen, which he was, as a Jesuit—it's not because he was a Jesuit but because of the culture of the Jesuits to try and get you to advance yourself. For Jesuits, your duty is to get yourself to the highest level not for yourself but to help others; that is why you do it. That's precisely what Pope Francis did; he was a man for others. He advanced himself not for himself, and all the time, in his appearance, he acted with humility; if you do otherwise, you're putting yourself above those you serve. That was a great example to us.

I do this out of respect for Pope Francis. I commend the role that a pope has. When you look at it, you say, 'How do you divine what actions you should do, to try and filter out things that sometimes get thrown into, but are not, Christianity and Catholicism?' I think the best way is Matthew 25:35-40, which goes like this. They're saying, 'How do you get to heaven?' He says:

For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.

It goes on and it basically says:

… whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.

It doesn't say a whole heap of other things—you prostrated yourself on the ground every day and did this or you paraded around. It doesn't talk to a whole range of things that later on get meshed into it. It's quite simple: look after other people. To get to heaven, it's not about you; it's about you looking after other people. Now, why is that important? It is because I believe that's the creed that Pope Francis lived and I believe that's the message he was leaving others. Look after others and, by looking after others and meeting people at their level, not presuming they're above you nor below you—they're at your level—that will put you in the best capacity to have an insight into something that's way beyond your comprehension but exists, which is the Almighty.

Matt Keogh (Burt, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Veterans’ Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's my honour to be able to take this opportunity to stand in the parliament to formally express on the record my condolences on the passing of His Holiness Pope Francis. His passing was something mourned by me, my family, by many of my Catholic brothers and sisters across the world and, indeed, by many non-Catholics as well, recognising the important leadership role globally that Pope Francis provided not just as a faith leader for the many Catholics across the globe but also for his moral leadership in many complex issues confronting people of all backgrounds across the earth.

Francis's papacy was one clearly of humility, of progress, of fighting corruption and of a love for those that are less fortunate. Indeed, one of the things that really set him apart when he became Pope was the way in which he chose to forgo many of the traditional trappings of the office of the Bishop of Rome. It was through that humility and simplicity that he gained not just love but respect from those across the globe—and not just those of the Catholic faith. Pope Francis compelled us, though, to focus on the common good as a central and unifying principle of our social ethics. He had a compassion that embraced all humanity and he urged all of us to see Christ in our neighbour.

That focus on the concept of the common good and on social justice, as a Catholic, is something that I have borne with me not just as a core teaching of the Catholic Church but also as a guiding principle in my engagement with politics. It is something that I think has led me to why I am a member of the Labor Party. Indeed, it's something that I think we have seen in the impact that he had across the globe, being able to talk to and encourage people across the globe to focus on what we have in common with one another and how acting in the common good is in all of our interests.

There is a seminal teaching in the Catholic Church from the late 19th century, Rerum novarum, which is probably the most classic exposition of social justice teaching. Regularly, popes have issued their own, similar encyclicals, and Pope Francis issued his in Laudato si'. In it he said many things, but there is one part I want to place on the record as encapsulating that concept of social justice and our shared humanity and the work that it is incumbent on all of us here. He said:

157. Underlying the principle of the common good is respect for the human person as such, endowed with basic and inalienable rights ordered to his or her integral development. It has also to do with the overall welfare of society and the development of a variety of intermediate groups, applying the principle of subsidiarity.

…   …   …

Society as a whole, and the state in particular, are obliged to defend and promote the common good.

It is those concepts that I think leave a lot for all of us in this place as we act as representatives of our communities and act in the interest of the nation as a whole; they can provide us with guidance in the work that we do. For that, we thank him and we recognise his important leadership role not just as a faith leader in the Catholic Church, not just as a head of state on the international stage but as a moral leader across the globe. We acknowledge and we support this condolence motion.

May eternal rest be granted to him, O Lord, and the perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

Dan Tehan (Wannon, Liberal Party, Shadow Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

It's a privilege to stand here today and follow the fine words of all the speakers on this condolence motion for Pope Francis. Pope Francis was the first Jesuit pope, and, as someone who was educated by the Jesuits, I always followed his time in office with a great interest. One of the things that really struck me about Pope Francis was that he truly did practise what he preached. When it comes to those especially who are in positions of power who want to offer spiritual guidance to us all, there is no greater attribute than practising what you preach. On behalf of all the Catholics in Wannon and on behalf of everyone in Wannon, I offer condolences to his family and thank Pope Francis for his service to the world and to the broader Catholic community.

I think it's fitting that the first Jesuit pope and first pope from the Americas should come from Argentina and should come from Buenos Aires. For those who've been to Buenos Aires, for those who know and understand Argentina, you know and understand the importance of the Catholic Church to that nation. Growing up in and around that would have given him an extraordinary understanding of the power of Catholicism and the power of spiritual teaching. It also would have given him a very clear understanding of the challenges that still face the globe when it comes to making sure that we spiritually serve those who are well off and those who aren't. The fact that Pope Francis, even when he was in the highest position in the Catholic Church, still deemed it appropriate that he lived in a small unit and that he prepared his own meals said a lot about what he brought to the office.

I think it is also incredibly fitting that he always remembered his origins, and that's why he made it part of his responsibility to always be showing, though his leadership, that he knew and understood those origins and the importance of them. We've heard from many speakers of the times when he would wash the feet of those young people who had been incarcerated in and around Rome. It's that sort of messaging that I think is still incredibly important today for the church. When you visit Rome, like you see when you see parts of Buenos Aires, it's very opulent, and you can be left with an impression that this is all about power and wealth. But Pope Francis would have none of that. He knew and understood that proper spiritual teaching was directed, and should be directed, to everyone, especially the most unfortunate and worst off. That is what he saw, that is what he focused on and that's what he knew was very much central to his calling.

Pope Francis was identified for his calling by someone who, I think, knew and understood the importance of that and also the importance of the church being a world leader; that was John Paul II, someone who, through his own actions in a very different way, showed the important role the Catholic Church could take. I think he was an incredibly astute judge when he was identified Pope Francis as someone who was deserving of higher office. It is hard to know, but even maybe at that time he knew and understood that Pope Francis would in many ways make a great leader of the Catholic faith.

It's an honour to speak on this motion. I conclude as I started: I offer my condolences, my prayers and my thoughts to all Catholics globally, to Pope Francis's family and to everyone that knew him. Most importantly, I offer my condolences to those poor, those underprivileged, those who needed help and support at times of great difficulty and those incarcerated who were touched by Pope Francis. I know he would have left a lasting legacy on them.

Madeleine King (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Northern Australia) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I join with the Prime Minister and other members, including the member for Wannon, with his fine words, in offering condolences to the family and friends of the late Holy Father Pope Francis, the bishop of Rome, and to Catholics right around the world.

I was truly sad to hear of the passing of Pope Francis on Easter Monday earlier this year. Pope Francis was the leader of over one billion Catholics around the world. From Argentina, he was the first non-European pontiff for more than a thousand years and the first Pope from the Americas. He was, as has been noted by many before me, the first Jesuit Pope and the first to take the name of the Saint of the Poor, Francis. Pope Francis was born on the exact same day as my mother, Diana Morris. They were at opposite ends of the earth but had a shared faith; they were both from the Southern Hemisphere, though! It was a link that meant a great deal to my mum, as a convert to the Catholic faith later in life before she married my dad.

Pope Francis drove important reforms in the church over 12 years, promoting openness and inclusion. Born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Argentina, he was ordained a priest in 1969 and rose to become the Archbishop of Buenos Aires. He was well loved in Argentina, where he had a well-deserved reputation for humility and compassion. He lived in a simple apartment, cooked his own meals and was known to travel on public transport. His official Vatican biography features his famous quote: 'My people are poor, and I am one of them.' Those words sum up his character and approach to his role as a spiritual and pastoral leader.

It was Pope John Paul II who appointed Pope Francis as a cardinal in 2001. In 2005, Pope Francis took part in the conclave that elected Pope Benedict XVI. Following Benedict XVI's resignation due to ill health, Francis was elected Pope on 13 March 2013. As I mentioned before, significantly for Australians, he was the first Jesuit Pope. Many in this place would be very well aware of the role Jesuits have played in shaping our nation through their commitment to education. Indeed, my father, John Morris, was educated by the Jesuits at Stonyhurst College, near Clitheroe in Lancashire, in the United Kingdom, a college established by the Jesuits in 1593, demonstrating their commitment to a Catholic education in Britain—which was a place of not so many Catholics at that time. Teachings of social justice are the basis of Jesuit beliefs but, importantly, with an emphasis on turning those beliefs into action. Jesuits such as Pope Francis view the world through the eyes of the poor and the marginalised. He chose the name Francis, as he said, inspired by the words of his friend Cardinal Claudio Hummes, who said to him, 'Do not forget the poor.' Of Saint Francis of Assisi, Pope Francis said:

…he is the man of poverty, the man of peace, the man who loves and protects creation; these days we do not have a very good relationship with creation.

It is well acknowledged that Pope Francis adopted a more progressive approach on a number of issues. Pope Francis famously said, when asked about homosexuality:

Who am I to judge?

It was an important step in a less judgemental and more merciful, forgiving and inclusive Catholic Church.

He was renowned for his compassion and humanity. Catholics, like me, around the world will miss Pope Francis, and, of course, we pray for him and his successor, Pope Leo XIV. The passing of Pope Francis and the election of Pope Leo was a sad but hopeful time for the many Catholics right across the country and, of course, in my electorate of Brand. I was deeply honoured to attend mass for Pope Francis at St Mary's Cathedral in Perth—as it happens, where my parents were married in 1959—and also a mass at the church where I bid my mother farewell over two years ago, Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Parish in Rockingham. Pope Francis's passing and the election of Pope Leo XIV was a significant event for all Catholics across the electorate—those at St Vincent's Catholic Church in Kwinana, St Teresa of Calcutta parish in Baldivis and Saint Bernadette's Catholic Church in Port Kennedy. I joined with parishioners of my local churches in praying for Pope Francis for his eternal rest and for Pope Leo XIV as he leads the Catholic Church into the future.

I also want to take this opportunity to acknowledge the work of the former member for Hinkler and former minister for resources, Keith Pitt, who is now serving the Australian community again in his role as Ambassador to the Holy See. Ambassador Pitt joined Governor-General Sam Mostyn, trade minister Don Farrell and the member for Riverina, Michael McCormack, in Rome for the mass to mourn and celebrate the life of Pope Francis. Ambassador Pitt, of course, also hosted and accompanied Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at the inauguration mass of Pope Leo XIV's pontificate in May earlier this year. I do wish the former minister for resources and member for Hinkler all the very best in a very important ambassadorship at a very important time for Catholics right around the world but particularly here, of course, in Australia.

Pope Francis lived a life of service, faith and vocation. He taught us to fill our lives with love and love for others. His life was a reminder—and a reminder, always, of my mum—that we should look beyond our material things to seek to improve our community and our world. Pope Francis will be missed. Vale.

Tony Pasin (Barker, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I congratulate my colleague for her contribution. It was a fine one. I've oscillated as I've sat here about whether I would make a contribution, and, on balance, I've determined that I will. That reluctance is a product of a couple of things, but, principally—it might not surprise you, given my Italian heritage, that I am a member of the Roman Catholic Church. Like the member for New England, I don't propose to be the model parishioner, but one thing about my faith is that it is deeply personal and something that I don't often share or, indeed, talk about. That's not in a public sense but in a private sense as well. But, on behalf of Catholics living in my electorate of Barker, I think it incumbent on me to make some comments. I appreciate that I'm standing between this chamber and its adjournment, so I'll be relatively brief.

My reluctance to speak is probably best described by an experience my sister had, and it perhaps speaks to our familial attitude to religion. My brother was—and indeed all of my siblings were—educated by Marists, but, when it came to going to university college, the only option was a university college run by Jesuit priests. Of course, we've heard the reference to Pope Francis's order. My brother, the eldest in the family, happily accepted into university college and was to be followed, two years later, by my sister, or at least we thought so. It was my sister who was interviewed by the Jesuit priest responsible for the college, and she was asked, 'Angela'—the name of my sister—'can you explain or discuss your relationship with God?' Her response was perhaps not what the Jesuit priest was expecting: 'That's none of your'—expletive—'business.' Understandably, my sister wasn't admitted to the university college and was required to make an application at the nondenominational college down the road, which she was happily accepted into. But Father Overberg, who was the Jesuit priest of the day, learnt his lesson I think.

One of the requirements of staying at Aquinas College as it was in North Adelaide at the time—and I say this is as someone who some nine years later went to the college. By that stage, you weren't required to be interviewed—maybe it was the Father Overberg's experience with my sister—but you were required to attend mass on a Sunday morning. There was an incentive to go to mass on Sunday morning because mass was at about 11 and lunch wasn't served until mass was concluded, so you either sat in your room and waited for the kitchen to open or you went to mass and then went to lunch. My sister—dogmatic as she can be—spent all of her first year at university dutifully walking from the nondenominational college to Aquinas College to sit in the front row in the chapel at mass and eyeball Father Overberg. I tell this story simply to say that we in my family like to keep our religious beliefs to ourselves. But, of course, it is important, on behalf of the Catholics of Barker, to make a contribution.

Jorge Mario Bergoglio was, of course, the 266th successor of St Peter as the Vicar of Christ and the Bishop of Rome. It's perhaps not a surprise to anyone in this place, certainly not to me, that he took the name of Pope Francis. St Francis of Assisi was an Italian Catholic friar and preacher who founded the Franciscan order. He's known for his love of nature and animals. He's the patron saint of ecology, animals and merchants. He lived a life of poverty and service, emphasising love and compassion for all creatures, and was well known for his humility. I think the most appropriate thing to say about the life of service of Pope Francis is that his beliefs aligned with those of St Francis, and, more than that, he lived them, particularly in the very stark spotlight that is being the Vicar of Christ, the Bishop of Rome and, indeed, the Pope.

People in this place understand my particular ideology, and you might not be surprised to learn that it lines up more closely with the predecessor of Pope Francis, Pope Benedict, than Pope Francis—the member's contribution earlier mentioned him being well known for his progressive approach to these things. Having said that, the one quality I absolutely admired in Pope Francis was his humility. His was arguably one of the most important positions globally, yet I'm confident—and there are very many proof points—that, from the young priest who was Bergoglio through to cardinal and to pope, there wasn't a change in attitudes, behaviours, temperaments and these things, and that is an amazing thing. It speaks to his grace. As someone who believes deeply in the importance of humility, particularly given the roles that we have the great privilege of holding, I have to say that his book is one that all of us in this place could take a significant leaf out of. I've often thought that, in politics, hubris is kryptonite. Pope Francis was the most humble of men.

As a very young person, I had the privilege of visiting Assisi. I did it in the company of one of my father's cousins, who is himself a Catholic priest living in Italy. He was preaching in Assisi and we had the privilege of accompanying him. Now, Franciscans were in Assisi. I don't remember much—I was very young—but something has always struck me about there being an Australian Franciscan on sabbatical in Assisi. Of course, this was a place of deep reflection and of deep prayer. I'd been warned by my father's uncle that we weren't to speak while on the island, but I couldn't help myself. I was a young lad with a pretty strong Australian accent in a place like Assisi, and one of the Franciscan brothers broke his vow of silence and spoke to me, a young child. I don't recall a single thing from that trip to Italy in the company of my parents, but I can remember that experience like nothing else, and I've always had a fascination with the Franciscan order as a result.

I'll make a couple of points. I think it's remarkable that it took the Catholic faith 265 predecessors to land on a pope from the Americas. That's the first thing I think is remarkable. But, more than that, there were 265 predecessors before the Jesuit order, which is such a strong order within the Catholic faith, had one of their number elected at a conclave. I don't know what the Jesuits had done, but they have, of course, now broken that cycle.

I just want to conclude by saying that the Franciscan order, and St Francis in particular, is credited with what I think is perhaps one of the most beautiful prayers of the Catholic faith. It is, of course, the prayer for peace, the prayer of St Francis of Assisi. I certainly wasn't planning this but, with the indulgence of my friend opposite and noting that I'm about to conclude my contribution, I might do this in honour of Pope Francis, who, of course, took the name of Francis as pope. Let me recite the prayer of peace:

Lord, make me an instrument of Your peace.

Where there is hatred, let me sow love;

where there is injury, pardon;

where there is doubt, faith;

where there is despair, hope;

where there is darkness, light;

where there is sadness, joy.

O, Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console;

to be understood as to understand;

to be loved as to love;

For it is in giving that we receive;

it is in pardoning that we are pardoned;

it is in dying that we are born again to eternal life.

Pope Francis lived a life of duty and of service. He did it with the deepest of humility. I offer my condolences and the broader condolences of the people, particularly Catholic parishioners, in my electorate. His was a beautiful funeral, and I wish the 267th Vicar of Christ and Bishop of Rome all the very best as he continues the work and legacy of that long lineage all the way back to St Peter.

Zaneta Mascarenhas (Swan, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I understand it is the wish of honourable members to signify at this stage their respect and sympathy by rising in their places, and I ask all present to do so.

Honourable members having stood in their places—

Libby Coker (Corangamite, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

by leave—I move:

That further proceedings be conducted in the House.

Question agreed to.

Federation Chamber adjourned at 18 : 51