I was deeply moved by the outpouring of love and gratitude from around the world following the passing of Pope Francis. His life of humility, compassion, and unwavering faith touched millions and left an extraordinary legacy of leadership and service.
It has also been heartening to witness the warm and positive global embrace of Pope Leo XIV upon his inauguration as the 267th Pope. After the immense love shown for Pope Francis, seeing such unity and hope carried forward in Pope Leo’s welcome is a great blessing for the Church and a powerful sign of renewal for our global Catholic community.
Amid these global moments of reflection and renewal, we also acknowledge developments closer to home. We warmly welcome the Hon Jason Clare MP’s reappointment as Minister for Education and congratulate him on his re-election as the Member for Blaxland. Minister Clare’s reappointment brings valuable continuity to national education leadership, and we look forward to continuing our productive partnership with the Government and its commitment to Catholic education—particularly in maintaining existing arrangements for non-government schools.
The inclusion of Catholic education in key national initiatives such as the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement, student wellbeing programs, and sector-neutral efforts like teacher workforce initiatives is vital. We look forward to working together on shared priorities, including strengthening the teacher workforce, supporting quality teaching, and addressing cost-of-living pressures on families.
Finally, elections for commissions and advisory bodies were held last week during the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference plenary meeting in North Sydney, bringing a few changes to the Bishops Commission for Catholic Education (BCCE). Read more here
Jacinta Collins
Executive Director
National Catholic Education Commission
Photo: Students from St Dympna’s Parish School, Aspley, Qld.