Anglican Communion News Service

[Anglican Media Sydney] The Bishop of the Northern Territory in Australia has issued a pastoral letter addressing concerns relating to the former practice of separating Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander children from their families. The Australian Government pursued a policy of forced separation in the belief it could provide more appropriate education and care for the children.

"It may be that those involved believed that they were acting in the best interests of the children concerned," said the Rt Revd Philip Freier in his letter. "This was a widespread practice throughout the Northern Territory and other parts of Australia."

The letter is written against the background of an impending judgement from the Federal Court of Australia concerning a test case in the Stolen Generation debate. Much of the evidence concerns events in the Northern Territory.

"It is inevitable that there will be Stolen Generation cases which come before the courts which involve the Anglican Church and its agencies," the Bishop wrote. "There will be great hurt and sadness for all parties regardless of the outcomes. It is important that we recognise the positive current practices of our Church and its agencies and separate these from past practices."

The issue has been reflected in resolutions of both the General Synod of the Anglican Church of Australia, and the Northern Territory's Synod. Resolution 19.1 of June 1997 "recognises the pain and suffering endured by Aboriginal people forcibly removed from their families and apologises for any of our Church policies and actions that have ever contributed, in any way, to that hurt."

"It is unfortunate that, in some cases, children may have received treatment judged now not to be of an appropriate standard," wrote Bishop Philip Freier. "Many people, particularly those who have cared for Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander children when they had been separated from their families for schooling and other reasons, have re-affirmed their confidence in the quality of the care provided."

The Bishop ended his letter with a call for reconciliation and forgiveness in Christ.