CATH NEWS REPORT:
Father Maurizio Pettená CS
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Pope Benedict has appointed the director of the Australian Catholic Migrant and Refugee Office, Father Maurizio Pettená CS, as a consultor to the Pontifical Council for Migrants and Refugees, said reports in the Catholic Weekly and Zenit.
"This appointment will give the Church in Australia the opportunity to bring the wealth of their pastoral experience in the service of migrants and refugees to the wider Church," he said in the Catholic Weekly.Fr Maurizio, a member of the order of Scalabrinians of Charles Borromeo, brings to this new position more than 20 years of pastoral experience from work in countries such as Italy, Argentina, the Philippines and Australia.
Fr Maurizio said he was honoured to have been appointed to the post, and hopes that it will give more prominence to issues facing migrants and refugees in Australia.
"The Church in Australia is without doubt a multicultural church," he said. "The impact of migration is more and more visible especially in parish life, and in the priests serving the dioceses and in the membership of religious congregations,"
Fr Maurizio dedicated his appointment to the late Bishop Joseph Grech, who was the Australian Catholic Bishops delegate for Migrant and Refugee issues.
"Migrants and refugees are an ongoing hot-button issue in Australian politics. Prior to his death, Bishop Joe Grech intervened frequently on issues pertaining to the welcome of asylum seekers and refugees, and two other Australian bishops (Bishop Eugene Hurley and Bishop Christopher Saunders) have also come out in defence of asylum seekers since Bishop Joe's death.
The pontiff named several new members for the Pontifical Council for Migrants and Travellers and appointed five consultors, including Fr Maurizio, according to a report in Zenit.
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