Australians have been urged to consider the essential role that families play in our society, in the Social Justice statement to be released today by the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference.

The bishops called on the community "to think how we can strengthen and support them. We are called to give special consideration to those families in our midst that face particular difficulties in their efforts to stay together and nurture each other," the statement said.

It is particularly significant that this Statement, titled The Gift of Family in Difficult Times: The social and economic challenges facing families today, is being issued during the Year of Grace in Australia, said Christopher A Saunders, Bishop of Broome and Chairman, Australian Catholic Social Justice Council.

"The Year of Grace is a time for us all ‘to heal relationships, deepen our unity and forge a future full of life in Jesus Christ’ – exactly the things we all hope for in our own families as they grow and change. Change, after all, is what family life is: families are the environment in which we are born, mature and grow old, and it is only through grace that we can adapt to this change.

"In the 21st century, Australia’s families confront new pressures. Our workplaces are changing: more and more workers are employed on a casual basis, many of them forced to find two or more jobs just to make ends meet," Bp Saunders added.

"As we seek guidance and grace to find ways to strengthen and unite families, we look to the example of Jesus, Mary and Joseph. We pray that all families will be strengthened as intimate communities of life and love – the very foundation of our society."

MEDIA RELEASE AND SOCIAL JUSTICE STATEMENT IN FULL

www.cathnews.com/uploads/doc/2012/09/ACBC%20Social%20Justice%20Statement.doc