black theology, Vol. 12 No. 2, August, 2014, 96–116 Aboriginal Inculturation of the Australian Catholic Church Gabrielle Russell-Mundine and Graeme Mundine Aboriginal Catholic Ministry, Sydney Archdiocese, Australia This paper is written in the context of the fiftieth anniversary of the start of the Roman Catholic Church’s Second Vatican Council, known as Vatican II. Written from an Aboriginal Catholic perspective, this paper aims to examine the Church’s teaching on inculturation as it developed post-Vatican II and consider the implications for Indigenous Catholics. This paper also considers some of the challenges for Indigenous Catholics as they negotiate culture and faith within the Catholic Church structure and suggests some ways forward. keywords inculturation, Indigenous theology, Catholic Church Introduction It has been fifty years since Vatican II began and the Roman Catholic Church, at the highest level, discussed and debated its core issues. One key area that benefited from renewed focus and vigor was discussion about the relationship between culture and faith. Not a new area of debate by any means, but Vatican II served to clearly set out the Church’s thinking on these crucial areas. In the years since Vatican II, discussion and understanding of this relationship between culture and faith has continued to evolve, and inculturation is now a concept firmly entrenched in the Catholic Church around the world. Inculturation as an idea and as a practice has particular pertinence for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples1 of Australia. Since the early 1800s when the first missionaries came to Australia, the Catholic Church has been an important part of many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ lives. However, despite generations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholics embracing Catholicism, the nexus between culture and faith has been, and 1 It is accepted practice in Australia to refer to Indigenous peoples as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This acknowledges the two distinct groups. We acknowledge, however, that this terminology is problematic and does not reflect the diversity and uniqueness of the many different Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Nations. ß W. S. Maney & Son Ltd 2014 DOI 10.1179/1476994814Z.00000000024 ABORIGINAL INCULTURATION OF THE AUSTRALIAN CATHOLIC CHURCH 97 remains, an uncomfortable one to negotiate, particularly for non-Indigenous Catholics. In 1986, Pope John Paul II spoke to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of Australia about their place in the Church. In the decades since, this speech has become a rallying cry for the Church in Australia to ‘‘joyfully receive’’ the contribution of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the life of the Church. The Pope’s words contained an unequivocal message for those who may have harbored misgivings about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples expressing their faith in ways that are culturally rich and appropriate for them. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples can and should be Catholic in ways that speak to their own cultures. The Pope’s speech was a significant step in the journey from Vatican II, where the issue of culture and faith had been so explicitly addressed, to an ongoing dialogue and a deeper understanding of inculturation. Despite the clarity of the Pope’s message questions remain, however, about how inculturation has developed in Australia, specifically in an Aboriginal Catholic context.2 While the issues of inculturation are not confined to the Roman Catholic Church, in Australia or elsewhere, this paper will focus on the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church and how the specifics of this relate to the experiences of Aboriginal Catholics in an Australian context. The aim of the authors in writing this paper is to outline the Catholic Church’s teaching on inculturation and the implications of those teachings for Aboriginal Catholics and the wider Catholic community. This paper also aims to promote discussion about a way forward and reports on recent activity by Aboriginal Catholics who are seeking an authentic mode of inculturation. Vatican II and the Australian Aboriginal Context Contained within the Vatican II discussions and subsequent documents were the seeds of a new way of thinking which could potentially inspire a richer way for the Catholic Church to engage with Aboriginal peoples. In particular, the Church’s thinking at that time on issues of culture and the nature of missionary work were clearly set out and have since guided deeper discussion and engagement on issues such as inculturation. In Gaudium et Spes the idea that culture and Gospel can be in communion with each other was put forth: [T]he Church, sent to all peoples of every time and place, is not bound exclusively and indissolubly to any race or nation, nor to any particular way of life or any customary pattern of living, ancient or recent. Faithful to her own tradition and at the same time conscious of her universal mission, she can enter into communion with various cultural modes, to her own enrichment and theirs too.3 2 Graeme Mundine is Aboriginal and Gabrielle Russell-Mundine is non-Indigenous. Therefore we will refer only to Aboriginal people in this paper as we have no experiences or authority to speak about the experiences of Torres Strait Islander peoples. 3 ‘‘Gaudium et Spes, Pastoral Constitution on the Church in the Modern World,’’ in Walter M. Abbott, ed., The Documents of Vatican II (London: Geoffrey Chapman, 1966), 58. 98 GABRIELLE RUSSELL-MUNDINE and GRAEME MUNDINE In the Australian context this statement was potentially empowering. It was published at a time when Australian culture was still very much immersed in the ‘‘White Australia’’ mentality.4 Attitudes of the wider society towards Aboriginal peoples had moved from protectionism to assimilation and were embedded in perceptions of White racial superiority. The Church itself was heavily involved in missions and was a provider of services and homes to children subjected to removal policies, now known as the ‘‘Stolen Generations.’’ There was still little recognition in the public space at that time of the value or richness of Aboriginal cultures. However, the message of Vatican II was explicit: ‘‘This congregation of the faithful, endowed with the riches of its own nation’s culture, should be deeply rooted in the people.’’5 Clearly, engaging with local culture was considered to be essential. In ‘‘Ad Gentes, Decree on the Church’s Missionary Activity,’’ there were several statements from which Aboriginal Catholics could draw hope, although the language of the document is still orientated towards talking about missionaries who are from one culture going into another. One such example is: ‘‘[T]he specific purpose of this missionary activity is evangelization and the planting of the church amongst those peoples and groups where she has not yet taken root.’’6 This fails to recognize that by Vatican II a vast majority of Aboriginal people were touched by Christianity. Still today, almost three quarters of Aboriginal people identify as being Christian.7 Nevertheless, despite implying that missionary activity is external, the message of Vatican II was again clear: the Church should not force an alien culture on anyone. Rather they should recognize what is already there and: Let them share in cultural and social life by the various exchanges of human living. Let them be familiar with their national traditions, gladly and reverently laying bare the seeds of the Word which lie hidden in them.8 There are also directions for evangelizers to: know the people among who they live, and should establish contact with them. Thus they themselves can learn by sincere and patient dialogue to understand what treasures a bountiful God has distributed among the nations of the earth. But at the same time, let them try to illumine these treasures with the light of the gospel to set them free, and to bring them under the dominion of the God their Savior.9 4 Australia had a White Australia immigration policy from Federation in 1901. These policies restricted immigration to people from particular European countries. The dismantling of these racially based policies began after the Second World War and continued until 1973. 5 ‘‘Ad Gentes, Decree on the Church’s Missionary Activity,’’ in Walter M. Abbott, ed., The Documents of Vatican II (London: Geoffrey Chapman, 1966), 15. 6 Ibid., 6. 7 In Australia approximately 73% of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples identify as Christian, with a third being Catholic: Australian Bureau of Statistics, ‘‘Population Characteristics, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians, 2006,’’ cat. no. 4713.0 (Canberra: ABS, 2010), www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/mf/4713.0 (accessed April 2014). 8 ‘‘Ad Gentes’’, 11. 9 Ibid. ABORIGINAL INCULTURATION OF THE AUSTRALIAN CATHOLIC CHURCH 99 Again, there is an assumption that the people of the nations of the earth do not yet know God. However, contained in this statement are several significant points: that all cultures are treasures; that all cultures can be illuminated by the light of the Gospel; and that Disciples of Christ must engage in ‘‘patient and sincere dialogue’’ and learn themselves. In other words, it is a mutual exchange of understanding and learning. The Context of Aboriginal peoples and the Catholic Church Archbishop Bede Polding is often held up as an early Catholic champion of Aboriginal peoples. For example, in 1845 he appeared before a Parliamentary Select Committee on Aborigines and spoke of the injustice that he observed. In particular, he spoke of the harm that had been done to Aboriginal peoples as they were dispossessed of their land. Polding also commented that they had been ‘‘subjected to the grossest barbarities.’’10 It was also Polding who established the first Catholic Mission on Stradbroke Island in 1843, although that had failed by 1846.11 Despite Polding’s efforts the first official policy of the Catholic Church with regard to Aboriginal peoples was not released until 1885.12 After that it took almost one hundred years for the bishops to make any further statements about Aboriginal peoples, with a renewed effort coming in the 1970s. It is beyond the scope of this paper to detail the attitude of the Church towards Aboriginal peoples throughout the period of White colonization. However, Girola’s study of the Institutional Church’s attitude towards Aboriginal peoples shows that from the earliest days of the colony, the Institutional Church had little interest in Aboriginal peoples and their welfare. 13 They saw any such work as the responsibility of the religious orders and many missions failed, or did not even start, due to a lack of support.14 Girola makes the point that in the 1800s the prevailing thinking in Australia was that Aboriginal people were a ‘‘dying race’’ and indeed appeals to fund Aboriginal missions were poorly supported15 because Catholics, along with many other Australians, thought that Aboriginal people were racially inferior and doomed to extinction. The main focus of the Catholic Church as it established itself in Australia was to build schools. In keeping with the predominant attitude in the wider society, the Catholic attitude towards Aboriginal peoples was overtly racist, in many places. It was a Catholic priest, for example, who made comments that Aborigines were ‘‘a subhuman species that, since obviously not cast in the image of the Maker could possess no soul to save.’’16 These attitudes, as well as a focus on saving the souls of the faithful immigrants, were to be characteristic of the Institutional Catholic Church’s attitudes towards Aboriginal people for a very long time. 10 www.goodsams.org.au/who-we-are/history/john-bede-polding/ (accessed April 2014). www.sydneycatholic.org/about/key_dates_in_our_history.shtml (accessed April 2014). 12 S. Girola, ‘‘Rhetoric and Action: The Policies and Attitudes of the Catholic Church with Regard to Australia’s Indigenous Peoples 1885–1967’’ (PhD thesis, University of Queensland, St Lucia Qld, 2006). 13 Ibid. 14 Ibid., 35. 15 Ibid., 38. 16 Ibid. 11 100 GABRIELLE RUSSELL-MUNDINE and GRAEME MUNDINE It was not until the 1970s that the Australian Catholic bishops started to make positive statements about Aboriginal people. This was also a time when policy and attitudes started to shift in the general population following on from the successful 1967 referendum17 and the increasing visibility of the Aboriginal rights movement. It does seem that the actions and words of the bishops and the Institutional Catholic Church have, for the most part, over the past two hundred years reflected the general thinking of the day, rather than indicating any leadership in guiding public awareness about Aboriginal well-being and rights. It would be fair to say that the history of the Australian Catholic Church’s attitude towards Aboriginal people has ranged from indifference, to seeing them as subjects of missionary endeavors, and more recently as subjects of social justice issues. That is not to say that there have not been any positive and enriching relationships between some individuals and some parts of the Church, and Aboriginal people. However, at the institutional level, evidence that Aboriginal people are seen and treated as full and equal members of the Church has not been particularly obvious, despite the development of teaching on inculturation since Vatican II. Aboriginal Inculturation since Vatican II Inculturation occurs ‘‘when faith becomes culture, thereby synthesizing ‘man’s (sic) entire existence around Christ, the wisdom of God’.’’18 As Pope John Paul II explained, inculturation signifies ‘‘an intimate transformation of the authentic cultural values by their integration into Christianity and the implantation of Christianity into different human cultures.’’19 Francis George explains the relationship between culture and faith as outlined in Gaudium et Spes as follows: ‘‘people come to full humanity only through culture…but culture comes to its full value only through being restored and perfected in Christ.’’20 We can understand culture and faith therefore as a symbiotic relationship of two experiences and states of being that cannot exist independently from each other but which are also in a relationship which is mutually enhancing and creates a whole greater than its parts. They are at once inseparable but separate. The dual nature of inculturation is well understood: by inculturation, the church makes the Gospel incarnate in different cultures and at the same time introduces peoples, together with their cultures, into her own community. On the one hand the penetration of the Gospel into a given socio-cultural milieu ‘‘gives inner fruitfulness to the spiritual qualities and gifts proper to each people…strengthens these qualities, perfects them and restores them in Christ’’. On the other hand, the church assimilates these values, when they are compatible with the Gospel, to ‘‘deepened understanding of Christ’s message and give it more 17 The 1967 referendum allowed the Federal Government to make laws for the benefit of Aboriginal people; previously only States and Territories were able to address Indigenous issues. The referendum also resulted in the counting of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the census. 18 Francis E. George, Inculturation and Ecclesial Communion: Culture and Church in the Teaching of Pope John Paul II (Rome: Urbaniana University Press, 1990), 44. 19 John Paul II, Encyclical Redemptoris Mission, Dec 7, 1990, No 52. AAS 83 (1991) 300. 20 George, Inculturation and Ecclesial Communion, 49. ABORIGINAL INCULTURATION OF THE AUSTRALIAN CATHOLIC CHURCH 101 effective expression in the liturgy and the many different aspects of the life of the community of believers’’.21 The description of Malaysian De La Salle Brother, Anthony Rogers, puts it more simply, but powerfully, when he states that inculturation in an Asian context ‘‘means we learn to reflect the face of Jesus in an Asian way.’’22 Perhaps one of the most important concepts to grapple with in understanding inculturation in the Aboriginal context is that ‘‘faith and culture are therefore intrinsically linked through the human person who is both a believer in Christ and the creator of culture.’’23 Implicit in this concept is the understanding that the person synthesizing faith and culture does not exist in a vacuum, but must be of that very culture. However, much of the interpretation of inculturation is addressed to people, or discussed by people, who are not of the culture that is to be inculturated. Following the 1974 Synod on evangelization, Pope Paul VI released Evangelii nuntiandi, on evangelization in the modern world. In it he made the comment that ‘‘what matters is to evangelise man’s (sic) culture and cultures…always taking the person as one’s starting point and always coming back to the relationships of people among themselves and with God.’’24 As George explains: [T]he Gospel message itself is not culturally determined, but the persons who believe in the Gospel are all profoundly linked to their own cultures…links must be established through believers who can borrow elements of their culture for Gospel proclamation and who can work so that the Gospel comes to permeate their culture.25 It is clear that there is no disconnect between Aboriginal people integrating the gospel proclamation with their culture and expressing their faith in culturally appropriate ways. Certainly, Aboriginal people know this instinctively. Deacon Boniface Perdjert was the first Aboriginal Catholic married deacon ordained in Australia; he explains the interface between culture and faith thus: God has asked us to love Him with our whole mind, heart and soul. So I must give myself to God as an Aboriginal. That is what God wants or else he would not have made me what I am. Really it is the only way I can go about it. When I read the gospels, I read them as an Aboriginal. There are many things in the gospel that make me happy to be an Aboriginal because I think we have a good start. So many of the things that Christ said and did, and the way he lived, make me think of the good things in our way of life…We find it easy to see in Christ the great dreamtime figure, who, more than all the others gave us law and ceremony and life centres, and marked out the way we must follow to reach our true country... So it is not difficult to realize that Christ is with us always…the same yesterday, today and forever. We do not find it strange when he says He is the life, that we can and must live with His life, that in this 21 Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, Instruction on Inculturation and the Roman Liturgy, Rome, March 29, 1994, www.adoremus.org/doc_inculturation.html (accessed May 2014). 22 Anthony Rogers, ‘‘Human Promotion and Justice,’’ in James H. Kroeger, ed., Inculturation in Asia: Directions, Initiative, and Options, M.M. FABC Papers No. 115 (Hong Kong: Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences, 2009). 3–5. 23 George, Inculturation and Ecclesial Communion, 50. 24 Ibid., 59. 25 Ibid. 102 GABRIELLE RUSSELL-MUNDINE and GRAEME MUNDINE life of His we are one. In some way he lives in us and is us, so that what we do for each other we do for Him.26 Where the inculturation process has stalled is that too often there is the interference of a ‘‘middle man,’’ most often priests and bishops. These individuals are invariably non-Indigenous clergy who appoint themselves as the arbiters of all that is seen to be the correct expression of faith. As Graeme Mundine, the inaugural Chair of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council (NATSICC), has previously expressed: Some say we are the Church, but still we find that we are not able to make decisions, or do things how we want to because the Institution does not let us. It places rules and regulations on us that limit us. Some would say that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples have had self-determination – but this too is not true. We have never really had true self-determination. We have always been governed and financed by those outside.27 Pope Paul VI provides us with an example of how teaching about inculturation is more directed to, and sympathetic of, the people of those countries where leadership grows out of the particular culture and place. In 1969, Pope Paul VI addressed African Catholic Bishops and stressed that ‘‘First, your Church must be first of all Catholic,’’28 but he went on to say: The expression, that is, the language and mode of manifesting this one Faith, may be manifold; hence, it may be original, suited to the tongue, the style, the character, the genius, and the culture of one who professes this one Faith.29 Pope Paul VI’s focus was not the adaptation of the African culture to the Gospel and Christ but was clearly the mutual and enriching relationship between faith and culture, where true and deep relationship brings about the transformative nature of the Word. There is, however, an assumption, both explicit and implicit, in such exhortations. Those bishops to whom Pope Paul VI’s remarks were addressed were Africans themselves. And, while it is remiss to diminish the multiple cultures of the whole African continent to one, it is important to note that inculturation has at its core the understanding that this process can only be authentic when done by people of that particular culture. As was expressed in the Roman Synod of 1977, ‘‘The work of ‘inculturation’ will usually be done by those to whom the new forms for expressing the substance of the faith are co-natural, part ‘of their own cultural patrimony’.’’30 By extension, therefore, culture can only be truly integrated into the life of the Church when those who are in positions of power and decision making are also of 26 Boniface Perdjert, www.darwin.catholic.org.au/aboriginal-communities/sub-wadeye.htm (accessed April 2014). G. Mundine, ‘‘Are We on the Bus?; A Look at the Situation of Indigenous Australians Place in Church and Society through the Eyes of One who is Still Standing at the Bus Stop,’’ Speech delivered to the United Faculty of Theology, Melbourne, October 1, 2009, www.ncca.org.au/files/Natsiec/Are_we_on_the_Bus.pdf (accessed April 2014). 28 George, Inculturation and Ecclesial Communion, 52. 29 Pope Paul VI address to the bishops of African meeting in Kampala, Uganda, July 31, 1969, cited in George, Inculturation and Ecclesial Communion, 52. 30 George, Inculturation and Ecclesial Communion, 63. 27 ABORIGINAL INCULTURATION OF THE AUSTRALIAN CATHOLIC CHURCH 103 the culture. Otherwise every attempt at inculturation is perceived through the lens of the dominant culture. As Lee Miena Skye states, imperialism is alive and well in non-Indigenous understanding of inculturation.31 Here in Australia, the situation is very different to that in Africa and other places, and causes us to question whether in fact true Aboriginal inculturation of the Church is possible in this context. In Australia, although there are a number of Aboriginal laypeople, both men and women, in leadership roles in various forms of Aboriginal Catholic ministries, all bishops and priests are non-Indigenous men. There has been only one Aboriginal priest, and there are now about seven Aboriginal deacons, at the time of writing. This issue of non-Indigenous leadership among Aboriginal Catholics immediately causes barriers and highlights issues of power and inequity. Subash Anand, speaking of the Indian experience, identified the effect of this issue in that country: ‘‘for many centuries these Churches had bishops of foreign origin. This not only perpetuated the culturally alien image of these Churches but also made them colonies of foreign powers.’’32 In Australia, we too are struggling with the legacies of colonization. More relevant to this particular discussion, however, is to understand that nonIndigenous priests cannot know Aboriginal culture in the same way that Aboriginal people can. Non-Indigenous people can know about culture, they can appreciate it, they can support it, but it is questionable whether they can truly ‘‘know’’ Aboriginal culture. Is it possible, therefore, for priests and bishops to synthesize Aboriginal culture and faith in an authentic way? Perhaps they can only ever be empathetic tourists in the landscape of Aboriginal culture and faith. As Paulson says, the tendency is to start with principles: already shaped within a western denominational enculturation – and then asking what they mean for Indigenous people…There has been very little theological reflection that begins from an Indigenous mindset and engages more directly with biblical theologies and practices.33 Without the authentic participation of Aboriginal people in their own inculturation of faith it will be superficial, and there will always be the shadow of having to justify or explain their position. An interesting example of the challenges of this conflict about perceptions of authentic Aboriginal expressions of Christ can be seen in the ABC Compass documentary about the 1993 Melbourne Mass, held to mark the anniversary of the 1973 Liturgical Conference.34 Some non-Indigenous liturgy specialists who were interviewed for the program were scathing in their comments and said that because guitars were used and hymns were sung in English the Mass was not authentically Aboriginal. What these people were really passing judgment on was what they thought ‘‘real’’ Aborigines were like – according to their own 31 L. M. Skye ‘‘Australian Aboriginal Catholic Women Seek Wholeness: Hearts are Still Burning’’, Pacifica 19 (2006): 283–307 (288). 32 S. Anand, ‘‘Spirituality in Inculturation,’’ in James H. Kroeger, ed., Asia: Directions, Initiative and Options, M.M. FABC Papers No.115 (Hong Kong: Federation of Asian Indigenous Australians, 2009), 17–19 (18). 33 G. Paulson, ‘‘Towards an Aboriginal Spirituality,’’ Pacifica 19 (2006): 310–20 (311). 34 ABC, Compass, 1993. 104 GABRIELLE RUSSELL-MUNDINE and GRAEME MUNDINE perceptions of traditional culture. Aboriginal Catholics often receive similar judgments about culture, either overt or implied, every time a priest refuses to do a smoking ceremony or a water ceremony or allow other expressions of Aboriginal faith. Why is burning incense in a thurible seen to be legitimate but burning gum leaves in a coolamon is not? Reverend Dr Djininyi Gondarra expresses how he experiences this judgment when he says: I am getting sick of words such as ‘‘animalistic’’, ‘‘preliterate’’, ‘‘traditional’’, ‘‘ethnic’’, ‘‘heathen’’ or ‘‘savage’’ being used to refer to our religion. To me this is a kind of spiritual genocide. In other words it’s preventing Aboriginal Christian leaders from creating our own Aboriginal theologies.35 Aboriginal people themselves recognize clearly that they have a direct relationship to the creator that does not have to be mediated by the Church. The presence of the Creator is there in the tree, in the land, in each one of us. You don’t need to do a Pentecostal type service right? You just need to communicate with the Creator. And that Creator’s always been with Aboriginal People.36 The experience of Aboriginal peoples has been that the Creator was always with Aboriginal people and they have always had a relationship with God long before the White people came to the country. but remember before Jesus came along there was the Word. The Word is God. Before Jesus came along God was here, in my country where the Word is. That Word never changed, never deserted us.37 For Aboriginal peoples, drawing on their own cultural knowledge of God offers them a deeper and more consistent theology than that offered by the religion of the newcomers. Still, within the Australian Church, Aboriginal peoples encounter the perception that their spirituality is divorced from their Catholicism and that their understanding of the Word is inferior. Despite the fact that through baptism Aboriginal peoples are equal before Christ, it seems as if Aboriginal Catholics are most easily engaged with as social justice issues, or as subjects of mission, but less often as Catholics who might have something to say about the experience of being Catholic. In practical terms, in spite of what was proclaimed as a result of Vatican II, Aboriginal peoples are unable to fully express themselves as Aboriginal Catholics unless it is ‘‘approved’’ or ‘‘allowed’’ by someone of another culture. This is not due to Aboriginal lack of understanding of faith, or the Word, as is sometimes implied, but because the Church acts as a gatekeeper. All actions are viewed through the lens of Western, Eurocentric cultures of the Australian Church and deemed to be appropriate or inappropriate. 35 D. Gondarra, ‘‘Aboriginal Spirituality and the Gospel,’’ in A. Pattel-Gray, ed., Aboriginal Spirituality: Past, Present, Future, 41–53 (Blackburn, Victoria: Harper Collins Religious, 1996), 42. K. Gilbert, ‘‘God at the Campfire and that Christ Fella,’’ in A. Pattel-Gray, ed., Aboriginal Spirituality: Past, Present, Future, 54–65 (Blackburn, Victoria: Harper Collins Religious, 1996), 62. 37 Ibid. 36 ABORIGINAL INCULTURATION OF THE AUSTRALIAN CATHOLIC CHURCH 105 In terms of deciding what is appropriate cultural expression, Vatican II has not necessarily been helpful in enabling Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ role in decision making. It is generally perceived that Vatican II helped shift power away from Rome to a more local context, and in some areas, it is very explicit about how power is to be exercised. For example, it is stated that: Even in the liturgy, the Church has no wish to impose a rigid uniformity in matters which do not involve the faith or the good of the whole community. Rather she respects and fosters the spiritual adornments and gifts of the various races and peoples…Sometimes in fact she admits such things into the liturgy itself, as long as they harmonize with its true and authentic spirit.38 This point is significant and has real relevance to Aboriginal people; here is the Vatican acknowledging that their spiritual gifts can legitimately find a place in the liturgy. However, it also clear from Sacrosanctum Concilium that only the bishops are able to approve changes to the liturgy (see for example SC 22). Only bishops can decide whether these things ‘‘harmonize with its true and authentic spirit.’’ Any changes must only come about when the good of the Church requires them. The bishop’s role is explained further: The competent territorial ecclesiastical authority…must, in this matter, carefully and prudently consider which elements from the traditions and genius of the individual peoples might appropriately be admitted into divine worship. Adaptations which are judged to be useful or necessary should then be submitted to the Apostolic See, by whose consent they may be introduced.39 This process was followed in 1973 when the Australian Episcopal Conference approved the ‘‘Missa Indigena,’’ also known as the ‘‘Missa Kimberley.’’ Permitted changes to certain parts of the Mass included the introductory rite, offertory rite, communion rite and concluding rite. Since then, for these elements to be used, each group must get the permission of their own Diocesan bishop. Perhaps a current example will help to exemplify further how a lack of Aboriginal leadership among bishops and clergy can impact on inculturation. Following the 2012 Assembly held by the peak body the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council (NATSICC), a petition was sent to the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference regarding the use of symbols in liturgy. The response from the bishops showed a willingness to engage in dialogue on this issue. However, though this can be seen as the correct process and the bishops are open to this dialogue, their response highlights a key issue. The bishops have asked the Aboriginal people to tell them what their cultural symbols are.40 They do not know because they are not Aboriginal, which points to the fact that rather than the use of such symbols growing organically out of an authentic meeting of culture and faith, in fact those symbols are as foreign to the mainstream Church as the mainstream Church’s symbols can be to Aboriginal people. When Pope Pius VI 38 ‘‘Sacrosanctum Concilium, Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy,’’ in Walter M. Abbott, ed., The Documents of Vatican II (London: Geoffrey Chapman, 1966), 37. 39 Ibid., 40. 40 Letter to the authors from NATSICC . 106 GABRIELLE RUSSELL-MUNDINE and GRAEME MUNDINE exalted bishops to ‘‘preserve their culture’’41 we can see that in fact the Australian bishops are doing just that. The problem for Aboriginal Catholics is that the culture the bishops are preserving is different to theirs. There is also a dialogue ingrained in the concept of inculturation, which says that the Gospel transforms the culture: a ‘‘conversion of cultures’’ 42 takes place and as a result more negative aspects of culture will fall away or be transformed. This concept raises some interesting issues. For example, George, commenting on the 1974 Synod on evangelization, noted that there was much concern about the difference between adapting faith to culture and losing what was essential to faith. He interpreted the words of Archbishop Dermot Ryan to mean that ‘‘certain essentials in teaching, preaching and theologizing must be handed down from the historical origin of the Church and cannot be derived from any other culture or religion or philosophy.’’43 The crucial issue here is determining what is essential and transcends time and culture and what is cultural. Too often in Australia, the way we practice Catholicism, or what we see as essential, is bound up in a culture from another time and place: not that of Jesus, but that of Western Europe. Also, of even greater import is the fact that in the context of our complex colonizing history, the perception of Aboriginal people as less than White people will surely have ongoing implications for perceiving the legitimacy of significant aspects of their cultures. The concept and language used to describe transformation of culture can be problematic as it contains within it a belief that ‘‘some cultures have characteristics more conducive to Gospel living than others.’’44 Who makes that judgment? More often than not it is the people of the colonizing Western culture who make those decisions and judgments. Consider the words of Michael Connolly, who studied Indigenous contextual theology at Nungalinya College in Darwin. Up to then we were led to believe that our culture was of the Devil and we had to renounce our culture in order to be put right with God. With the benefit of hindsight we could see that we were so brainwashed in that area that we believed worshipping God only in Eurocentric fashion was true worship. Woe betides anyone who tried to introduce traditional Aboriginal worship into this style as they were in danger of hellfire! We had to be good little Europeans and displaying their culture to be accepted by God.45 Certainly, there has been little formal dialogue to address the issues of what is essential and what is cultural. Such a dialogue is complex. For those of us more used to seeing the way we do things as inherently human, rather than as peculiar to our own culture, it is hard to peel away and examine the multiple layers of culture and identity. Equally, it is hard for some non-Indigenous people to move from 41 George, Inculturation and Ecclesial Communion, 54. Ibid., 56. 43 Ibid., 57. 44 Ibid., 49. 45 D. Thompson and M. Connolly, ‘‘Clapsticks and Karaoke: The Melting Pot of Indigenous Identity,’’ Pacifica 19 (2006): 344–55 (350). 42 ABORIGINAL INCULTURATION OF THE AUSTRALIAN CATHOLIC CHURCH 107 perceiving Aboriginal people as people with no religion, or perhaps a paganistic religion, to people of deep spirituality and rich expressions of religion, in many forms. For people indoctrinated in the rituals and expressions of the ‘‘one true Church’’ it can often be hard to make a heartfelt leap to recognize the sacred in the rituals and symbols of another culture. For many, the idea of opening one’s heart to the cultured nature of much of our Catholic expressions of faith is difficult and requires deep prayer and reflection to understand that we can use different cultural expressions to mark essential truths. It seems that Aboriginal peoples have a much fuller and deeper understanding of inculturation than many of their non-Indigenous counterparts. Skye says of women from the Tiwi Islands that they are able: to pierce through the pre-inculturated layers of Christian doctrine and discover this true essence: a living relationship with the living God, and it is through this relationship that they interpret Christianity, if permitted…they ache to be freed from the effects of racism, classism, sexism, and naturism inherent in Christian colonialist inculturation theology and its legacy.46 The simple fact is that if a church is both populated and led by people of their own culture, then those people are more able to bring together faith and culture. How does inculturation work in a country, however, that has been colonized by a foreign culture? This is particularly pertinent, when, as in the case of Australia, Christianity arrived with, and remains intimately entwined with that foreign culture, and where the colonizers continue to be the dominant culture? Pope John Paul II believed that ‘‘Christ takes on a people’s culture as they learn to believe in him. Christ himself is never foreign,’’47 which supports the statement put forward in Ad Gentes: Christ and the Church which bears witness to Him by preaching the gospel, transcend every particularity of race or nation and therefore cannot be considered foreign anywhere or to anybody.48 In 1982, Pope John Paul II referring to the African context said that moving from a ‘‘missionary church to being a local Church necessitates evangelizing the culture’’.49 This concept really highlights the challenges we face in Australia where there is a plurality of cultures. There is the dominant non-Indigenous culture, which we might generalize and characterize as Western and European in origin. Increasingly, however, the Australian culture is less homogenous, and there are a multitude of Catholic communities drawing on different cultural traditions, such as Korean, Filipino, and Tongan, for example. So when we talk about inculturation in Australia what are we really talking about? In the context of the authors’ work at the Aboriginal Catholic Ministry (Sydney) we are concerned with Aboriginal cultures and how we can have a truly Aboriginal inculturated Church in the current context. We do not believe, however, that it is possible to have a 46 Skye, ‘‘Australian Aboriginal Catholic Women Seek Wholeness,’’ 292. George, Inculturation and Ecclesial Communion, 111. 48 ‘‘Ad Gentes,’’ 8. 49 George, Inculturation and Ecclesial Communion, 115. 47 108 GABRIELLE RUSSELL-MUNDINE and GRAEME MUNDINE meaningful dialogue about Aboriginal inculturation unless the Australian Church engages in dialogue about its own culture(s) and better understands the inherently cultural nature of its own Catholic expression. Until the non-Indigenous Church is able to effectively interrogate and identify its own culture there will always be the tendency to cast White, Western, Australian culture as normative against which all else must be measured. Dialogue between Aboriginal peoples and the Church will not be simple, nor will coming to a single solution be possible. Just one challenge is the multiplicity of Aboriginal cultures. What would be authentic inculturation for saltwater people on the east coast may be expressed differently by desert people of Central Australia, for example. In fact, much of the dialogue to date about culture has been undertaken by non-Indigenous people so it is not even clear that ‘‘culture’’ means the same thing to Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people. One study noted that for English speakers, ‘‘culture’’ is widely used to refer to many aspects of technology, behaviours, organisation, ideology, attitudes and underlying worldview…for Aboriginal people… ‘‘culture’’ has a much narrower focus, referring usually to the more overtly religious or spiritual aspects of life, particularly ceremonial observance, and concepts about the spiritual world related to this.50 How, then, do we accommodate difference in an environment where the hierarchical Church culture is leading us to greater uniformity, for example, through the new translation of the liturgy? According to Father Ary Roest Crollius S.J, as explained by George,51 there are three steps in the process of inculturating the faith. First, there is translation, when the culture comes in contact with the Gospel through an evangelizer from the outside. Second is the Gospel’s assimilation to the culture in question: the Gospel is inculturated. Third is transformation, when the Gospel speaks to the culture in terms that are native to that particular culture. People must conceptualize the Word in ways that are true to their culture and expressions of it, but there are barriers to achieving this and the work is not only for non-Indigenous peoples to undertake. In many ways the challenge for Aboriginal peoples is to unravel the mission legacy. The missions in Australia were very effective and did their job well in the sense that they both evangelized and inculturated Aboriginal people not only with the Word but also their Western culture. As Rosendale says, ‘‘We were all white orientated Christians. We understood God and the Gospel from the white point of view.’’52 Many Aboriginal Catholics need to examine their relationship and engagement with the dominant non-Indigenous culture and if necessary work towards divesting themselves of those things that do not give life to their Aboriginal cultures and cultural expressions of faith. 50 G. Anderson and P.J. Carroll, ‘‘Developing Theology Among Vernacular-Speaking Indigenous Australians,’’ Australian Research Theology Foundation, February 2005, 11. George, Inculturation and Ecclesial Communion, 202. 52 G. Rosendale, ‘‘Breaking Open the Word for Aborigines,’’ Compass: A Review of Topical Theology 37, no. 3 (Spring 2003), http://compassreview.org/spring03/2.html (accessed May 2014). 51 ABORIGINAL INCULTURATION OF THE AUSTRALIAN CATHOLIC CHURCH 109 According to Black theologian James Cone, people who have been oppressed have two alternatives: ‘‘1) to accept the oppressor’s value system and thus be contented with the place set for them by others or 2) to find a completely new way of looking at reality that enables them to fight against oppression.’’53 No one has given Aboriginal Catholics more hope for legitimately entwining their Aboriginality with their Christianity, and, in effect, endorsing a new way of looking at reality than the late Pope John Paul II when he visited Alice Springs in 1986. During this visit he gave a speech which continues to resonate within the hearts of Aboriginal people some twenty-seven years later. Graeme Mundine, reflecting on Pope John Paul II’s legacy at the time of his death in 2005, said that: Pope John Paul II was a great friend to Australian Indigenous Peoples... His words were a gift of great hope and inspiration to us. Indigenous Christians have been questioning whether the Indigenous contribution has been truly joyfully received. We have endured the flames, but have we been reborn? Can our hearts also burn with hope and a renewed sense of justice as we walk together on a new road?54 The Pope with great compassion and awareness addressed issues that have been significant for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples since the First Fleet arrived on Australian shores. He talked sympathetically about the impact and ongoing consequences of colonization and justice issues such as land rights. Significantly, Pope John Paul II made it clear to Aboriginal Catholics that they did not have to borrow the faith and life of Christianity, but rather ‘‘Jesus calls you to accept his words and values into your own culture. To develop in this way will make you more than ever truly Aboriginal.’’55 This speech inspired and affirmed what Aboriginal Catholics already knew to be true: that to be Catholic was to ‘‘express the living word of Jesus in ways that speak to your Aboriginal minds and hearts.’’56 Also contained within the speech was a significant statement that resonated with Aboriginal people but which also contained a strong message to the non-Indigenous Church. You are part of Australia and Australia is part of you. And the Church in Australia will not be fully the Church that Jesus wants her to be until you have made your contribution to her life and until that contribution has been joyfully received by others.57 Implicit in this comment is a reminder to the non-Indigenous Church that they must receive Aboriginal contributions by Aboriginal peoples who are strong in their culture and not pale shadows of an imported Western culture. Further, that Aboriginal Australians are part of the Church. No one has the right to exclude or 53 James H. Cone, God of the Oppressed (New York: Seabury Press, 1975), 33. G. Mundine, ‘‘Pope John Paul II – A Man of Hope for Indigenous Christians,’’ Media release, NATSIEC, 2005, www.ncca.org.au/archives/media-release-archives/93-2005/382-pope-john-paul-ii-a-man-of-hope-for-indigenouschristians (accessed April 2014). 55 Address of Pope John Paul II to the Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders, Alice Springs, Northern Territory, November 29, 1986, paragraph 12, www.vatican.va/holy_father/john_paul_ii/speeches/1986/november/documents/ hf_jp-ii_spe_19861129_aborigeni-alice-springs-australia_en.html (accessed May 2014). 56 Ibid. 57 Ibid., paragaph 13. 54 110 GABRIELLE RUSSELL-MUNDINE and GRAEME MUNDINE limit the contribution of Aboriginal people. Through baptism we are all equal and unique before God and no one has the right to appoint themselves as gatekeepers of what contributions are deemed to be worthy of joyful reception. The challenge for both Aboriginal and non-Indigenous Catholics is to draw on the authoritative teachings of Pope John Paul II, his predecessors, the documents of Vatican II, and subsequent instructions, and to bring them alive in the lived experience of Church. There remain many issues that need to be addressed, and Aboriginal people need to decide together on possible ways forward. Aboriginal Catholics have been discussing their needs and desires for decades. However, it seems that a renewed effort is required to move things forward. The Way Forward It is the long-held conviction of the authors that we need a new way of looking at reality, as suggested by Cone. To be content with anything less is in fact not in keeping with the teaching and the intent of Vatican II and subsequent instructions, as well as direction, from more than one Pope. Indeed, the great hope that accompanied Pope Francis as he took up his holy office in 2013 indicated that his South American sensibilities might illuminate a more permissive path to inculturation. While many of his challenges to the Church hierarchy and his engagement with the people are a breath of fresh air to the authors, it remains to be seen what his influence on inculturation will be and whether it will reach to the antipodes. There is certainly hope, as evidenced by one sermon Pope Francis gave recently. Using an analogy of salt he said: The Christian originality is not a uniformity! It takes each one as he is, with his own personality, with his own characteristics, his culture – and leaves him with that, because it is a treasure. However, it gives one something more: it gives flavour! This Christian originality is so beautiful, because when we want to make a uniformity – all salted in the same way – things will be like when the woman throws in too much salt and one tastes only salt and not the meal. The Christian originality is this: each is as he is, with the gifts the Lord has given him.58 Despite these sentiments from Pope Francis and those of his predecessors there is no illusion about the difficulty of authentic inculturation. Peter Smith, the second Chairperson of NATSICC, states that it is: our responsibility to teach theology our way, to teach our understanding of God, the creator spirit within the Christian context, and our relationship with God and the land… It will be easy to go along with things the way they are. Any dead fish can float downstream…there may be times when we will have to swim against the current. 59 58 Pope Francis, ‘‘Be Salt of the Earth,’’ Vatican Radio, http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/05/23/pope_francis_at_ mass:_be_salt_of_the_earth/en1-694853 (accessed April 2014). 59 Peter Smith, ‘‘Our Role in Liturgy, Ministry and Theology,’’ Milbi Dabaar. ABORIGINAL INCULTURATION OF THE AUSTRALIAN CATHOLIC CHURCH 111 Aboriginal people have long been swimming against the current and have attempted to engage the Church in dialogue. Graeme Mundine has highlighted the lack of support that Aboriginal people experience: As Indigenous Christians we look to our Churches to walk with us as we throw off those things that oppress us. But often, we encounter imperialism and colonialism there too. It is not always our experience that Churches are truly opening eyes and hearts to Indigenous cultures and peoples.60 Several ideas have been mooted over decades as to how to develop an Aboriginal inculturated Church. One example is the establishment of an Indigenous Ordinariate within the Catholic Church. Smith and Gertz suggested that an Indigenous Ordinariate would: N N N N be a way of allowing the Church to acknowledge the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander place within the Church; give Indigenous people a representative within the Church to which they can refer their matters of concern; allow the development of an Indigenous rite within the Church such as Indigenous prayers, reconciliation, Eucharistic prayer. be a way to keep Indigenous young people connected to the Church.61 In addition to an Indigenous Ordinariate other options to consider could be to create an Indigenous Personal Prelature to govern the Aboriginal rite. While these options have been raised in various fora over many years there is, as yet, no national consensus or formal steps taken to investigate these options in detail. Some of these issues were discussed in depth at a conference convened by the authors in June 2013 on Aboriginal Catholic Liturgy. The overwhelming desire expressed by the Aboriginal participants was for Aboriginal people to be able to do things ‘‘their way’’ and to be able to express themselves as Catholics through their own cultural practices.62 It was very clear, however, that there is no desire to break away from the Roman Catholic Church. Indeed, Aboriginal Catholics are insistent that they are, and want to be, part of the Catholic Church. Importantly though, they want to participate as Aboriginal people and not have to divest themselves of their culture as they walk through the door into Church: in fact, they want to remove the doors and the walls of the Church and bring Church outside! The key outcome of the Aboriginal Catholic Liturgy conference was a call for an Aboriginal Catholic rite. One of the dilemmas for Aboriginal Catholics is the inconsistency of what is allowed around the country. In some places they are able to incorporate many cultural aspects into liturgies, with the blessing of the bishop, but in other places, they are completely suppressed. The amount of cultural 60 G. Mundine, Workshop presentation: ‘‘Mission and Power,’’ World Mission Conference, Edinburgh, June 2–6, 2010, www.edinburgh2010.org/en/resources/papersdocuments230f.pdf?no_cache51&cid533880&did522344&sechash 56a4867a6 (accessed April 2014). 61 P. Smith and T. Gertz, ‘‘Reconciliation through Indigenous Participation in the Liturgy,’’ ‘‘ Dreaming from the Heart,’’ National Assembly of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council, Alice Springs, October 2006, 1–8 (6). 62 ACM Sydney, ‘‘Liturgy Conference Proceedings,’’ December 20, 2013, http://acmsydney.wordpress.com/2013/12/ 20/liturgy-conference-proceedings/ (accessed May 2014). 112 GABRIELLE RUSSELL-MUNDINE and GRAEME MUNDINE expression depends on the good will and cultural (and theological) competency of the local priest or bishop. In many places, since the introduction of the new translation of the Mass, this has become even more problematic as the Church moves to a greater uniformity. There is confusion, also, because while Aboriginal Catholics are being told that they can no longer incorporate Aboriginal cultural practices into the liturgy, this seems to contradict Vatican Instruction, even on the new translation. For example, the Fifth Instruction, which explains the use of vernacular languages in the liturgy, says in relation to inculturation: ‘‘it should be recognised that any adaptations introduced out of the cultural or pastoral necessity thereby become part of the Roman Rite, and are to be inserted into it in a harmonious way.’’63 It would seem that what Aboriginal people are asking for is entirely consistent with Church doctrine. It is proposed that an approved Aboriginal Catholic rite would help overcome uncertainty and confusion, as everyone would legitimately be able to use it and it would remove any fear about possible consequences of incorporating Aboriginal culture into the liturgy. Establishing an Aboriginal Catholic rite would also recognize that there are decades of traditions already in place: the use of the Aboriginal Our Father or penitential rites using water, for example. Essentially, the call for an Aboriginal Catholic rite arises from a desire to formalize and make consistent practices that have been happening for the past forty years or more, but are increasingly under threat. However, creating a universal Aboriginal Catholic rite is problematic given the diversity of cultures around the country. For example, although the ‘‘Missa Kimberley’’ has been in use since 1973, the language and customs used in that liturgy are relevant to one particular place: the Kimberley region. In other places Indigenous peoples have translated the Latin Mass into their own language (such as the Maori in Aotearoa/New Zealand).This is not possible, or desirable, in Australia given the multiplicity of Indigenous languages. A further complication is the fact that in the eastern states of Australia many are not able to speak their traditional language. In places like Sydney, there is more than one language group among the traditional owners as well as many Aboriginal people of different language groups living in the city. Most speak in English, or Aboriginal English. Consequently, Aboriginal inculturation is not as simple as translating the Mass from the Latin to the local language. Changes must recognize and allow for the cultures of each place. Additionally, inculturation is not just about translating language; it is also about the community, the style, the vestments, the way the Church is adorned, and so many intangible aspects. Many Aboriginal people are quite charismatic, for example. They are ceremonial people who like to sing and dance and use instruments: traditional ones such as clap sticks and yidaki, as well as more modern ones, such as guitars. Some groups already incorporate traditional dance in their worship and to see Aboriginal groups dance the Gospel, for example, is a profound experience and a most powerful expression of faith. 63 Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, paragraph 5. ABORIGINAL INCULTURATION OF THE AUSTRALIAN CATHOLIC CHURCH 113 Recognizing that one Aboriginal rite would be inappropriate, participants at the recent Aboriginal Liturgy conference proposed an eastern Aboriginal Catholic rite, one which sets out the common elements for East Coast Aboriginal people, but which remains flexible enough to allow for regional cultural variations. A related issue that was not discussed at the conference, but which does need consideration, is whether Aboriginal symbols and cultural practices can be used by non-Indigenous people. While Aboriginal people talk about wanting to see signs and symbols of their culture in Church, there are also problems with cultural appropriation, when the symbols are embraced and used by non-Indigenous people. It is simply inappropriate for non-Indigenous people to use some cultural symbols and perform some cultural practices. Clear guidelines will need to be established for those non-Indigenous people who may want to use Aboriginal cultural expressions in liturgies. Although an Aboriginal Mass and its various components is a good start for formalizing and further developing the inculturation of the Church, a rite can incorporate much more than the Mass, and other issues need to be addressed. As already discussed, the lack of Aboriginal leadership is an ongoing issue for authentic inculturation. Attracting men to the priesthood is not a challenge specific to Aboriginal people, however, but there are some cultural aspects which make it harder. One issue is leadership and Eldership. Often it is older people who are able and willing to take on leadership roles in the Church and this fits in with the culture of Eldership and traditional leadership. The idea of young men going into the priesthood does not necessarily fit with traditional leadership models. Another obstacle is celibacy. In Aboriginal culture having a partner and family is important and celibacy is not culturally embraced. The inability of women to become priests is also an issue. In traditional culture many ceremonies are run by women. Women have always held a place in leadership and ceremonial life and for most Aboriginal communities the idea of women as priests would not be problematic. Continual development of leadership, both lay and clergy, is an area that needs more attention. However, it is likely that although Indigenous clergy may contribute to greater inculturation, in itself, Aboriginal clergy will not be sufficient to ensure authentic inculturation. These are just some of the issues that the Australian Catholic community must address as we acknowledge the legacy of Vatican II following its fiftieth anniversary. Given the past fifty years or so of developing thought around inculturation and the fact that Aboriginal peoples have been baptized Catholics for around 170 years, it is timely to consider how Aboriginal people have been involved in the life of the Church, and whether the experience of Aboriginal Catholics is that they feel a part of the fabric of Catholicism in Australia. The lived experience of Aboriginal Catholics suggests that the answer is that on the whole they do not feel that they are integrated culturally in the heart of the Catholic Church. There have been progressive developments such as the implementation of Aboriginal Catholic Ministries and the NATSICC. The experience of Aboriginal Catholics, for the most part, is that they are not treated as equals, or even as Catholics, in the same way as that afforded to other groups and peoples. The continuing attempts to evangelize Aboriginal people, to treat 114 GABRIELLE RUSSELL-MUNDINE and GRAEME MUNDINE them as mission subjects or even as ‘‘window dressing’’ to events, remind us that there is still much work to be done before Aboriginal people can claim to be ‘‘joyfully received’’ in the Catholic Church. The aim of this paper was not to arrive at any particular conclusion as to the way forward. Rather, we have aimed to highlight that the Church’s teaching on inculturation since Vatican II should encourage us all to seek a better way. We recognize that there is a need for a great deal of dialogue to be undertaken to reach some conclusions and steps towards a way forward. First, Aboriginal peoples need to come together to talk about what their hopes, dreams, and aspirations are for themselves as Aboriginal Catholics. They need to explore their options and decide how they want to go forward. Only then can meaningful dialogue occur with the bishops. There are small steps emerging that will progress the dialogue. Launching a campaign for an eastern Aboriginal Catholic rite from the Aboriginal Liturgy conference will draw attention to the issue and encourage dialogue. In 2012, a petition was delivered to the Australian Bishops conference asking for consideration of the use of symbols in Mass and NATSICC is currently coordinating a response to the bishops on that issue. A week after the Liturgy conference concluded, a media release announced that NATSICC is also instigating a twoyear consultation process on inculturation. At the time of writing no details have been made available about the terms of reference or what that process will entail, but if done well, it will be a valuable contribution. Although it is often the non-Indigenous Catholics who are given space in the public sphere to discuss inculturation it is in fact Aboriginal Catholic ministries in their various forms around Australia who are leading the inculturation of the Catholic Church. It is Aboriginal people themselves who are instigating discussion on these issues. It is imperative that resources are given to enable them to strengthen their networks and support and to develop their leadership. This will necessitate the sharing of resources. They will need support from the nonIndigenous Church as they investigate and talk about their needs, desires, and aspirations. With patience, good will, and respectful listening, there is no doubt that we can find a way forward and embrace a day when we are all equally and joyfully received in the Catholic Church. Disclaimer The views presented in this paper are the views of the authors and may not represent the views of the Aboriginal Catholic Ministry or the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney. Bibliography ACM Sydney. ‘‘Liturgy Conference Proceedings.’’ December 20, 2013, http://acmsydney.wordpress.com/2013/ 12/20/liturgy-conference-proceedings/ (accessed May 2014). ‘‘Ad Gentes, Decree on the Church’s Missionary Activity.’’ In Walter M. Abbott, ed., The Documents of Vatican II. London: Geoffrey Chapman, 1966. ABORIGINAL INCULTURATION OF THE AUSTRALIAN CATHOLIC CHURCH 115 Anand, S. ‘‘Spirituality in Inculturation.’’ In James H. Kroeger, ed., Asia: Directions, Initiative and Options, M.M. FABC Papers No.115, 17–19. Hong Kong: Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences, 2009. 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Kroeger, ed., Inculturation in Asia: Directions, Initiative, and Options, M.M. FABC Papers No. 115, 3–5. Hong Kong: Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences, 2009. Rosendale, G. ‘‘Breaking Open the Word for Aborigines.’’ Compass: A Review of Topical Theology 37, no. 3 (Spring 2003). http://compassreview.org/spring03/2.html (accessed May 2014). ‘‘Sacrosanctum Concilium, Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy.’’ In Walter M. Abbott, ed., The Documents of Vatican II. London: Geoffrey Chapman, 1966. Skye, L.M. ‘‘Australian Aboriginal Catholic Women Seek Wholeness: Hearts are Still Burning.’’ Pacifica 19 (2006): 283–307. Smith, P. ‘‘Our Role in Liturgy, Ministry and Theology.’’ InDavid Thompson and Wontulp-Bi-Buya (College) (eds) Milbi Dabaar: A Resource Book for Teachers, Leaders, Pastors and Students for Use in Christian Ministry among Aborigines of Australia. North Cairns, Queensland: Wontulp-Bi-Buya College, 2004. Smith, P., and T. Gertz. ‘‘Reconciliation through Indigenous Participation in the Liturgy.’’ ‘‘Dreaming from the Heart’’, National Assembly of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council, Alice Springs, October 2006, 1–8. Thompson, D., and M. Connolly. ‘‘Clapsticks and Karaoke: The Melting Pot of Indigenous Identity.’’ Pacficia 19 (2006): 344–55. 116 GABRIELLE RUSSELL-MUNDINE and GRAEME MUNDINE Pope Francis. ‘‘Be Salt of the Earth.’’ Vatican Radio, http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2013/05/23/pope_ francis_at_mass:_be_salt_of_the_earth/en1-694853 (accessed April 2014). Notes on contributor Gabrielle Russell-Mundine is the Research and Projects Coordinator at the Aboriginal Catholic Ministry of the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney, Australia. She also lectures in Indigenous Studies and education at the University of Notre Dame Australia. Gabrielle has a PhD in Indigenous capacity building. Gabrielle’s research interests include church and Indigenous peoples, capacity development, effective Indigenous and non-Indigenous partnerships and Federal Indigenous affairs policy. Her publications include: G. Russel-Mundine, ‘‘Reflexivity in Indigenous Research: Reframing and Decolonising Research?’’ Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management 19 (2012): e7; F. Higgins-Desbiolles and G. Russell-Mundine ‘‘Absences in the Volunteer Tourism Phenomenon: The Right to Travel, Solidarity, Tourism and Transformations Beyond the One-Way,’’ in S. Wearing and K. Lyons, eds, Journeys of Discovery in Volunteer Tourism: International Case Study Perspectives (Wallingford: CABI, 2008), 182–94, and G. Russell-Mundine, ‘‘Factors for the Successful Development of Australian Indigenous Entrepreneurship,’’ Tourism: Special Issue Community Development and Entrepreneurial Activity 55 (2007): 365–484. Graeme Mundine is the Executive Officer of the Aboriginal Catholic Ministry of the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney. Graeme is a Bundjalung Man from Northern NSW. A former Marist, Brother Graeme has been advocating for the rights of Aboriginal people in a Church context for 35 years. Correspondence to: Gabrielle Russell-Mundine, Aboriginal Catholic Ministry, Sydney Archdiocese, PO Box 121, Alexandria, NSW, 2015, Australia. Email: grussellmundine@gmail.com Copyright of Black Theology: An International Journal is the property of Maney Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use.