Pope John Paul II’s Alice Springs speech marks 40th anniversary

Catholics across Australia are being encouraged to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Pope John Paul II’s landmark speech to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Delivered at Blatherskite Park in Alice Springs on November 29, 1986, the address is regarded as a transformative moment in the history of reconciliation.

The speech inspired numerous dioceses to establish Aboriginal Catholic ministries as part of their pastoral outreach. The National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council (NATSICC) and the Bishops Commission for Relations with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples are urging local parishes and schools to mark the occasion through community-appropriate reflections.

NATSICC chair Shirley Quaresimin noted that the address was a pivotal moment for the entire Australian Church, calling for an honest assessment of progress made and challenges remaining. Archbishop Timothy Costelloe, President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, emphasized that the Church is called to joyfully receive from Aboriginal cultures, which he noted as places where the Gospel could take deep root.