“In every market, there are the strong and the weak; the winners and losers. On the other hand, human dignity is bound up with social values that stress the importance of family and community,” said Autralian Retired High Court Chief Justice Murray Gleeson. Australian Catholic News
Addressing a St Vincent de Paul Society function in honour of Australian Vinnies founder Fr Gerald Ward, Justice Gleeson hit out at Australia’s materialist society, saying human rights were “atomised” when communities were treated like a commercial marketplace, The Age reports.
In his talk, Justice Gleeson praised church based charitable organisations which, he said, stressed the value of human life.
However, he criticised the current rights based community, which took individual liberty and self-expression as its highest value.
“Unfortunately, there are members of the community who, permanently or temporarily, lack the resources and abilities necessary to survive and prosper.”
He quoted current studies on homelessness, one of the problems encountered by Father Ward. Modern research suggested many homeless people had a dual diagnosis of mental illness and substance abuse, he said.
Mr Gleeson said there was a strong inclination to see the community as a marketplace, and individuals as consumers. But those who fell short in a competitive environment tended to become socially invisible.
“They carry no weight as consumers or voters or protesters. They can be ignored at little cost. Even when their welfare is acknowledged as a worthy subject of concern, it is likely to have a low priority,” he said.
Mr Gleeson praised the work of Fr Ward, who founded the society’s Australian branch after arriving in Victoria in 1850.
Tags: Australia, Austrial, Gleeson, SVDP
