ACU Interfaith Breakfast

The Australian Catholic University (ACU) held its sixth Federal Parliamentary Interfaith Breakfast at the National Press Club, Canberra, on Thursday 24 November. Over 150 guests were present, including dozens of parliamentarians and leaders from a wide diversity of different faiths.

The event was a valuable opportunity for religious and faith leaders from across Australia to come together with federal parliamentarians and reflect on the important role faith plays in the lives of the Australian community.

ACU Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Zlatko Skrbis said to those present, “This annual gathering serves as a unique opportunity to provide a space for open dialogue, where conversations can take place that concern our democracy, our community, our culture, and the role that faith plays in our everyday lives.” 

Prayers and reflections were shared by a number of faith community leaders for the occasion. Faith leaders from five religious communities and representative bodies closed the event by reading prayers from their respective traditions were: 

• Venerable Tenpa Bejanke Dium, Chairperson, Australian Sangha Association
• Ms Elizabeth Stone, General Secretary, National Council of Churches in Australia
• Sardar Vickram Singh Grewal, Vice-President, National Sikh Council of Australia
• Mr Kazuhiro Fukui, Regional Director, Sukyo Mahikari
• Most Reverend Mykola Bychok CSsR, Bishop & Eparch, Ukrainian Catholic Church in Australia and New Zealand

NCCA General Secretary, Liz Stone (pictured right), was honoured to be a part of the proceedings, reading THE RAINBOW PRAYER (reprinted below) during the breakfast.

Guests also heard addresses given by federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton, Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus and renowned journalist and academic, Professor Stan Grant.

Professor Grant said love for neighbour, even in the midst of evil, had the power to unify all people no matter what their beliefs. “Love is the first lesson I learned in the little mission church in Griffith where I was raised.” 

Federal Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus  said, ‘This Government will always stand for a genuinely inclusive society in which everyone belongs and everyone can participate.”  

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton made reference to the growing faith communities in Australia, saying  “Religious tolerance is... in our national DNA but it is being tested. We must call out religious intolerance wherever it manifests, regardless of the faith it is targeting.”

ACU Chancellor Martin Daubney emphasised that everyone in a society such as Australia’s has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion.  

Watch the two-minute highlights video of the event 

Download the program from the 2022 event (PDF, 11.5MB)

THE  RAINBOW  PRAYER 

Dear Loving Lord, Creator of all,

you created us all in your own image,

one image – many colours,

one image – many cultures.

You made us come together like a rainbow,

Separate parts but coming together in one creation.

Help us to see the beauty you have created in each and every one of us.

Dear Loving Lord, we are your creation,

hear the cries of your people.

You gave us ears to hear and eyes to see,

open our eyes to what you want us to see,

help us always to look to you to see the wisdom of your ways.

Dear Loving Lord, Creator of all,

you gave us hearts to love and minds to reason.

Help us to understand our differences and grow in love for each other.

Help us to come together as the rainbow comes together,

many colours, shining as one creation over all the earth

as you intended us to be.

In the name of your dear Son, Jesus Christ.

Amen.

^{(c) Rev Robyn Davis, National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Anglican Council. In Pilgrim Prayer 2021, WCC Publications, p 199.}