
Catholics pray for Pope Leo's mission, Australian visit
Australian Catholics' hopes are high for a papal visit as they express delight in the election of American-born Robert Prevost as the church's global leader.
Cardinal Prevost will be known by the name Pope Leo XIV and is the first American and first native English-speaker to be appointed to lead the faith.
Brisbane Archbishop Mark Coleridge said he had been impressed during their previous meetings and always thought the Chicago native was a "rough chance" to become Pope.
"But I was surprised when I woke early to the news of his election as Pope Leo XIV - I was also delighted," he said.
Archbishop Coleridge said despite a rapid rise, Pope Leo wasn't a man to "rush things" and had an air of calm that would serve him well.
"He struck me as a man who ... was hard to fluster, a good driver in heavy traffic ... he will be his own man," he said.
Melbourne Archbishop Peter Andrew Comensoli has met Pope Leo several times, saying he was a "great listener" with "wide experience and great depth of faith".
"Clearly the cardinals were confident that they chose Cardinal Prevost," Archbishop Comensoli told AAP.
"We have a chief shepherd and we will all look forward to getting a sense of him, as he begins his ministry."
Sydney Archbishop Anthony Fisher said the Chicago native's "missionary heart" would make him a unifier and peacemaker.
"He's in a very divided world and the divisions in culture, politics, diplomacy and the rest of the world have infected the church too," Archbishop Fisher said.
"This Pope is a very centrist kind of Pope and so that might make him less controversial."
The Sydney archbishop sees no reason why Australia won't soon have its first sovereign pontiff visit since Pope Benedict XVI in 2008.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has invited Pope Leo to visit Sydney in 2028 for the International Eucharistic Congress.
Archbishop Fisher is confident the pontiff will travel down under after backing Australia's candidacy to host the event.
"So we've got a foot in the door for making sure he comes to our Eucharistic Congress," the Archbishop said.
Leo spent decades as a missionary in Peru, before Pope Francis appointed him to lead the Vatican's bishop selection process.
Mr Albanese said the appointment brought joy and hope to Catholics.
"May the papacy of Pope Leo advance the cause of peace and social justice for all humanity," he said.
Churchgoers in Sydney celebrated the new Pope by attending mass at St Mary's Cathedral.
"I'm not even Christian ... but this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see these events," Shantipack Chomsin told AAP.
"It feels like everything is right again and we have something to look forward to, so it's fantastic news," Lauren Walker said.
Australian Catholic Bishops Conference president Archbishop Timothy Costelloe offered heartfelt congratulations.
"Cardinal Prevost brought to his most recent role as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops an approachability and willingness to listen which were no doubt developed throughout his many years as an Augustinian missionary in Peru," he said.
Catholic Social Services Australia executive director Jerry Nockles said Pope Leo's appointment came at a critical time when the world yearned for compassionate leadership grounded in gospel values of justice, dignity and solidarity with the vulnerable.
Cardinal Mykola Bychok was the sole Australian representative at the conclave in Rome.
Archbishop Costelloe and Sale Bishop Greg Bennet have indicated they will travel to Rome for the installation, representing the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference and the church in Australia.
Australian Catholics' hopes are high for a papal visit as they express delight in the election of American-born Robert Prevost as the church's global leader.
Cardinal Prevost will be known by the name Pope Leo XIV and is the first American and first native English-speaker to be appointed to lead the faith.
Brisbane Archbishop Mark Coleridge said he had been impressed during their previous meetings and always thought the Chicago native was a "rough chance" to become Pope.
"But I was surprised when I woke early to the news of his election as Pope Leo XIV - I was also delighted," he said.
Archbishop Coleridge said despite a rapid rise, Pope Leo wasn't a man to "rush things" and had an air of calm that would serve him well.
"He struck me as a man who ... was hard to fluster, a good driver in heavy traffic ... he will be his own man," he said.
Melbourne Archbishop Peter Andrew Comensoli has met Pope Leo several times, saying he was a "great listener" with "wide experience and great depth of faith".
"Clearly the cardinals were confident that they chose Cardinal Prevost," Archbishop Comensoli told AAP.
"We have a chief shepherd and we will all look forward to getting a sense of him, as he begins his ministry."
Sydney Archbishop Anthony Fisher said the Chicago native's "missionary heart" would make him a unifier and peacemaker.
"He's in a very divided world and the divisions in culture, politics, diplomacy and the rest of the world have infected the church too," Archbishop Fisher said.
"This Pope is a very centrist kind of Pope and so that might make him less controversial."
The Sydney archbishop sees no reason why Australia won't soon have its first sovereign pontiff visit since Pope Benedict XVI in 2008.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has invited Pope Leo to visit Sydney in 2028 for the International Eucharistic Congress.
Archbishop Fisher is confident the pontiff will travel down under after backing Australia's candidacy to host the event.
"So we've got a foot in the door for making sure he comes to our Eucharistic Congress," the Archbishop said.
Leo spent decades as a missionary in Peru, before Pope Francis appointed him to lead the Vatican's bishop selection process.
Mr Albanese said the appointment brought joy and hope to Catholics.
"May the papacy of Pope Leo advance the cause of peace and social justice for all humanity," he said.
Churchgoers in Sydney celebrated the new Pope by attending mass at St Mary's Cathedral.
"I'm not even Christian ... but this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see these events," Shantipack Chomsin told AAP.
"It feels like everything is right again and we have something to look forward to, so it's fantastic news," Lauren Walker said.
Australian Catholic Bishops Conference president Archbishop Timothy Costelloe offered heartfelt congratulations.
"Cardinal Prevost brought to his most recent role as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops an approachability and willingness to listen which were no doubt developed throughout his many years as an Augustinian missionary in Peru," he said.
Catholic Social Services Australia executive director Jerry Nockles said Pope Leo's appointment came at a critical time when the world yearned for compassionate leadership grounded in gospel values of justice, dignity and solidarity with the vulnerable.
Cardinal Mykola Bychok was the sole Australian representative at the conclave in Rome.
Archbishop Costelloe and Sale Bishop Greg Bennet have indicated they will travel to Rome for the installation, representing the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference and the church in Australia.
Australian Catholics' hopes are high for a papal visit as they express delight in the election of American-born Robert Prevost as the church's global leader.
Cardinal Prevost will be known by the name Pope Leo XIV and is the first American and first native English-speaker to be appointed to lead the faith.
Brisbane Archbishop Mark Coleridge said he had been impressed during their previous meetings and always thought the Chicago native was a "rough chance" to become Pope.
"But I was surprised when I woke early to the news of his election as Pope Leo XIV - I was also delighted," he said.
Archbishop Coleridge said despite a rapid rise, Pope Leo wasn't a man to "rush things" and had an air of calm that would serve him well.
"He struck me as a man who ... was hard to fluster, a good driver in heavy traffic ... he will be his own man," he said.
Melbourne Archbishop Peter Andrew Comensoli has met Pope Leo several times, saying he was a "great listener" with "wide experience and great depth of faith".
"Clearly the cardinals were confident that they chose Cardinal Prevost," Archbishop Comensoli told AAP.
"We have a chief shepherd and we will all look forward to getting a sense of him, as he begins his ministry."
Sydney Archbishop Anthony Fisher said the Chicago native's "missionary heart" would make him a unifier and peacemaker.
"He's in a very divided world and the divisions in culture, politics, diplomacy and the rest of the world have infected the church too," Archbishop Fisher said.
"This Pope is a very centrist kind of Pope and so that might make him less controversial."
The Sydney archbishop sees no reason why Australia won't soon have its first sovereign pontiff visit since Pope Benedict XVI in 2008.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has invited Pope Leo to visit Sydney in 2028 for the International Eucharistic Congress.
Archbishop Fisher is confident the pontiff will travel down under after backing Australia's candidacy to host the event.
"So we've got a foot in the door for making sure he comes to our Eucharistic Congress," the Archbishop said.
Leo spent decades as a missionary in Peru, before Pope Francis appointed him to lead the Vatican's bishop selection process.
Mr Albanese said the appointment brought joy and hope to Catholics.
"May the papacy of Pope Leo advance the cause of peace and social justice for all humanity," he said.
Churchgoers in Sydney celebrated the new Pope by attending mass at St Mary's Cathedral.
"I'm not even Christian ... but this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see these events," Shantipack Chomsin told AAP.
"It feels like everything is right again and we have something to look forward to, so it's fantastic news," Lauren Walker said.
Australian Catholic Bishops Conference president Archbishop Timothy Costelloe offered heartfelt congratulations.
"Cardinal Prevost brought to his most recent role as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops an approachability and willingness to listen which were no doubt developed throughout his many years as an Augustinian missionary in Peru," he said.
Catholic Social Services Australia executive director Jerry Nockles said Pope Leo's appointment came at a critical time when the world yearned for compassionate leadership grounded in gospel values of justice, dignity and solidarity with the vulnerable.
Cardinal Mykola Bychok was the sole Australian representative at the conclave in Rome.
Archbishop Costelloe and Sale Bishop Greg Bennet have indicated they will travel to Rome for the installation, representing the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference and the church in Australia.
Australian Catholics' hopes are high for a papal visit as they express delight in the election of American-born Robert Prevost as the church's global leader.
Cardinal Prevost will be known by the name Pope Leo XIV and is the first American and first native English-speaker to be appointed to lead the faith.
Brisbane Archbishop Mark Coleridge said he had been impressed during their previous meetings and always thought the Chicago native was a "rough chance" to become Pope.
"But I was surprised when I woke early to the news of his election as Pope Leo XIV - I was also delighted," he said.
Archbishop Coleridge said despite a rapid rise, Pope Leo wasn't a man to "rush things" and had an air of calm that would serve him well.
"He struck me as a man who ... was hard to fluster, a good driver in heavy traffic ... he will be his own man," he said.
Melbourne Archbishop Peter Andrew Comensoli has met Pope Leo several times, saying he was a "great listener" with "wide experience and great depth of faith".
"Clearly the cardinals were confident that they chose Cardinal Prevost," Archbishop Comensoli told AAP.
"We have a chief shepherd and we will all look forward to getting a sense of him, as he begins his ministry."
Sydney Archbishop Anthony Fisher said the Chicago native's "missionary heart" would make him a unifier and peacemaker.
"He's in a very divided world and the divisions in culture, politics, diplomacy and the rest of the world have infected the church too," Archbishop Fisher said.
"This Pope is a very centrist kind of Pope and so that might make him less controversial."
The Sydney archbishop sees no reason why Australia won't soon have its first sovereign pontiff visit since Pope Benedict XVI in 2008.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has invited Pope Leo to visit Sydney in 2028 for the International Eucharistic Congress.
Archbishop Fisher is confident the pontiff will travel down under after backing Australia's candidacy to host the event.
"So we've got a foot in the door for making sure he comes to our Eucharistic Congress," the Archbishop said.
Leo spent decades as a missionary in Peru, before Pope Francis appointed him to lead the Vatican's bishop selection process.
Mr Albanese said the appointment brought joy and hope to Catholics.
"May the papacy of Pope Leo advance the cause of peace and social justice for all humanity," he said.
Churchgoers in Sydney celebrated the new Pope by attending mass at St Mary's Cathedral.
"I'm not even Christian ... but this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see these events," Shantipack Chomsin told AAP.
"It feels like everything is right again and we have something to look forward to, so it's fantastic news," Lauren Walker said.
Australian Catholic Bishops Conference president Archbishop Timothy Costelloe offered heartfelt congratulations.
"Cardinal Prevost brought to his most recent role as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops an approachability and willingness to listen which were no doubt developed throughout his many years as an Augustinian missionary in Peru," he said.
Catholic Social Services Australia executive director Jerry Nockles said Pope Leo's appointment came at a critical time when the world yearned for compassionate leadership grounded in gospel values of justice, dignity and solidarity with the vulnerable.
Cardinal Mykola Bychok was the sole Australian representative at the conclave in Rome.
Archbishop Costelloe and Sale Bishop Greg Bennet have indicated they will travel to Rome for the installation, representing the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference and the church in Australia.
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39 minutes ago
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Scott Morrison lauded with highest King's Birthday honour for COVID leadership
Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison has been recognised with the highest award in the 2025 King's Birthday Honours list. Mr Morrison was made a Companion of the Order of Australia on June 8 for his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic and brokering the trilateral security partnership AUKUS. Mr Morrison, 57, served as Australia's 30th prime minister from 2018 to 2022. In a statement to ACM, the publisher of this masthead, Mr Morrison said he was "honoured and grateful" to receive the accolade. "It was an immense privilege to be given the opportunity by the Australian people to serve them, as their 30th Prime Minister of Australia from August 2018 to May 2022," he said. "During this time, Australia faced challenges and threats not experienced since the Second World War." "These ranged from unrelenting natural disasters and a once-in-a-century global pandemic and the recession it caused, to coercion and intimidation designed to threaten our support for a free and open Indo-Pacific, a world order that favours freedom and our strong bond with allies and partners," Mr Morrison said. Mr Morrison won the safe seat of Cook in Sydney's Sutherland Shire in 2007 and was swiftly appointed to the shadow cabinet after a stellar career as Liberal Party state director and head of Tourism Australia. In 2013, he became immigration minister in Prime Minister Tony Abbott's government where he coordinated the government's asylum seeker response known as Operation Sovereign Borders. In the reshuffle the following year, he was appointed social services minister and later treasurer in Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's government. READ MORE: Search the full King's Birthday Honours List In August 2018, he was sworn in as prime minister, rising to the leadership as a compromise candidate after Peter Dutton challenged Malcom Turnbull in a bruising leadership battle. Mr Morrison won a second term in May 2019 in a surprise victory despite the Coalition lagging in the polls in the weeks leading up to election day. He famously declared "I have always believed in miracles." Mr Morrison's career was also marked by controversy, including taking a family holiday in Hawaii during the Black Summer bushfires. He also faced backlash over his handling of parliamentary misconduct allegations and for his secret ministries scandal for which he was censured in November 2022 for failing to disclose his secret self-appointments to a number of ministries. Mr Morrison's government was defeated at the 2022 election after a large swing away from the Coalition and a clutch of "teal" independent wins in inner city seats. During the campaign, Mr Morrison famously crash-tackled eight-year-old student Luca Fauvette while visiting Devonport Strikers soccer club practice in northern Tasmania. He paid tribute to his wife Jenny and two "miracle girls" Abbey and Lily, who were conceived by the couple after years of infertility, during his valedictory speech in February 2023. "As most people know, subject only to God, my family is the centre of my life, and at the very centre of our family is Jen," he said. "I cannot imagine life without her. I love you, Jen, and always will- that is the cross you have to bear. "Your love has been my stay and strength." He left politics "appreciative and thankful, unburdened by offences and released from any bitterness that can so often haunt post-political lives". "This is due to my faith in Jesus Christ, which gives me the faith to both forgive, but also to be honest about my own failures and shortcomings," he said. Mr Morrison has worked as an advisor to various lobby groups and as a public speaker in his career after public service. He released Plans For Your Good: A Prime Minister's Testimony of God's Faithfulness in 2023, a part-political memoir, part-spiritual guide. One of the revelations in the book is that he used medication to treat anxiety between 2018 and 2022, a period that covers his time as prime minister. Mr Morrison also made headlines earlier this year after a photo album his wife accidentally donated to a charity shop was picked up by a TikToker. It was later safely returned. Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison has been recognised with the highest award in the 2025 King's Birthday Honours list. Mr Morrison was made a Companion of the Order of Australia on June 8 for his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic and brokering the trilateral security partnership AUKUS. Mr Morrison, 57, served as Australia's 30th prime minister from 2018 to 2022. In a statement to ACM, the publisher of this masthead, Mr Morrison said he was "honoured and grateful" to receive the accolade. "It was an immense privilege to be given the opportunity by the Australian people to serve them, as their 30th Prime Minister of Australia from August 2018 to May 2022," he said. "During this time, Australia faced challenges and threats not experienced since the Second World War." "These ranged from unrelenting natural disasters and a once-in-a-century global pandemic and the recession it caused, to coercion and intimidation designed to threaten our support for a free and open Indo-Pacific, a world order that favours freedom and our strong bond with allies and partners," Mr Morrison said. Mr Morrison won the safe seat of Cook in Sydney's Sutherland Shire in 2007 and was swiftly appointed to the shadow cabinet after a stellar career as Liberal Party state director and head of Tourism Australia. In 2013, he became immigration minister in Prime Minister Tony Abbott's government where he coordinated the government's asylum seeker response known as Operation Sovereign Borders. In the reshuffle the following year, he was appointed social services minister and later treasurer in Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's government. READ MORE: Search the full King's Birthday Honours List In August 2018, he was sworn in as prime minister, rising to the leadership as a compromise candidate after Peter Dutton challenged Malcom Turnbull in a bruising leadership battle. Mr Morrison won a second term in May 2019 in a surprise victory despite the Coalition lagging in the polls in the weeks leading up to election day. He famously declared "I have always believed in miracles." Mr Morrison's career was also marked by controversy, including taking a family holiday in Hawaii during the Black Summer bushfires. He also faced backlash over his handling of parliamentary misconduct allegations and for his secret ministries scandal for which he was censured in November 2022 for failing to disclose his secret self-appointments to a number of ministries. Mr Morrison's government was defeated at the 2022 election after a large swing away from the Coalition and a clutch of "teal" independent wins in inner city seats. During the campaign, Mr Morrison famously crash-tackled eight-year-old student Luca Fauvette while visiting Devonport Strikers soccer club practice in northern Tasmania. He paid tribute to his wife Jenny and two "miracle girls" Abbey and Lily, who were conceived by the couple after years of infertility, during his valedictory speech in February 2023. "As most people know, subject only to God, my family is the centre of my life, and at the very centre of our family is Jen," he said. "I cannot imagine life without her. I love you, Jen, and always will- that is the cross you have to bear. "Your love has been my stay and strength." He left politics "appreciative and thankful, unburdened by offences and released from any bitterness that can so often haunt post-political lives". "This is due to my faith in Jesus Christ, which gives me the faith to both forgive, but also to be honest about my own failures and shortcomings," he said. Mr Morrison has worked as an advisor to various lobby groups and as a public speaker in his career after public service. He released Plans For Your Good: A Prime Minister's Testimony of God's Faithfulness in 2023, a part-political memoir, part-spiritual guide. One of the revelations in the book is that he used medication to treat anxiety between 2018 and 2022, a period that covers his time as prime minister. Mr Morrison also made headlines earlier this year after a photo album his wife accidentally donated to a charity shop was picked up by a TikToker. It was later safely returned. Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison has been recognised with the highest award in the 2025 King's Birthday Honours list. Mr Morrison was made a Companion of the Order of Australia on June 8 for his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic and brokering the trilateral security partnership AUKUS. Mr Morrison, 57, served as Australia's 30th prime minister from 2018 to 2022. In a statement to ACM, the publisher of this masthead, Mr Morrison said he was "honoured and grateful" to receive the accolade. "It was an immense privilege to be given the opportunity by the Australian people to serve them, as their 30th Prime Minister of Australia from August 2018 to May 2022," he said. "During this time, Australia faced challenges and threats not experienced since the Second World War." "These ranged from unrelenting natural disasters and a once-in-a-century global pandemic and the recession it caused, to coercion and intimidation designed to threaten our support for a free and open Indo-Pacific, a world order that favours freedom and our strong bond with allies and partners," Mr Morrison said. Mr Morrison won the safe seat of Cook in Sydney's Sutherland Shire in 2007 and was swiftly appointed to the shadow cabinet after a stellar career as Liberal Party state director and head of Tourism Australia. In 2013, he became immigration minister in Prime Minister Tony Abbott's government where he coordinated the government's asylum seeker response known as Operation Sovereign Borders. In the reshuffle the following year, he was appointed social services minister and later treasurer in Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's government. READ MORE: Search the full King's Birthday Honours List In August 2018, he was sworn in as prime minister, rising to the leadership as a compromise candidate after Peter Dutton challenged Malcom Turnbull in a bruising leadership battle. Mr Morrison won a second term in May 2019 in a surprise victory despite the Coalition lagging in the polls in the weeks leading up to election day. He famously declared "I have always believed in miracles." Mr Morrison's career was also marked by controversy, including taking a family holiday in Hawaii during the Black Summer bushfires. He also faced backlash over his handling of parliamentary misconduct allegations and for his secret ministries scandal for which he was censured in November 2022 for failing to disclose his secret self-appointments to a number of ministries. Mr Morrison's government was defeated at the 2022 election after a large swing away from the Coalition and a clutch of "teal" independent wins in inner city seats. During the campaign, Mr Morrison famously crash-tackled eight-year-old student Luca Fauvette while visiting Devonport Strikers soccer club practice in northern Tasmania. He paid tribute to his wife Jenny and two "miracle girls" Abbey and Lily, who were conceived by the couple after years of infertility, during his valedictory speech in February 2023. "As most people know, subject only to God, my family is the centre of my life, and at the very centre of our family is Jen," he said. "I cannot imagine life without her. I love you, Jen, and always will- that is the cross you have to bear. "Your love has been my stay and strength." He left politics "appreciative and thankful, unburdened by offences and released from any bitterness that can so often haunt post-political lives". "This is due to my faith in Jesus Christ, which gives me the faith to both forgive, but also to be honest about my own failures and shortcomings," he said. Mr Morrison has worked as an advisor to various lobby groups and as a public speaker in his career after public service. He released Plans For Your Good: A Prime Minister's Testimony of God's Faithfulness in 2023, a part-political memoir, part-spiritual guide. One of the revelations in the book is that he used medication to treat anxiety between 2018 and 2022, a period that covers his time as prime minister. Mr Morrison also made headlines earlier this year after a photo album his wife accidentally donated to a charity shop was picked up by a TikToker. It was later safely returned. Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison has been recognised with the highest award in the 2025 King's Birthday Honours list. Mr Morrison was made a Companion of the Order of Australia on June 8 for his leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic and brokering the trilateral security partnership AUKUS. Mr Morrison, 57, served as Australia's 30th prime minister from 2018 to 2022. In a statement to ACM, the publisher of this masthead, Mr Morrison said he was "honoured and grateful" to receive the accolade. "It was an immense privilege to be given the opportunity by the Australian people to serve them, as their 30th Prime Minister of Australia from August 2018 to May 2022," he said. "During this time, Australia faced challenges and threats not experienced since the Second World War." "These ranged from unrelenting natural disasters and a once-in-a-century global pandemic and the recession it caused, to coercion and intimidation designed to threaten our support for a free and open Indo-Pacific, a world order that favours freedom and our strong bond with allies and partners," Mr Morrison said. Mr Morrison won the safe seat of Cook in Sydney's Sutherland Shire in 2007 and was swiftly appointed to the shadow cabinet after a stellar career as Liberal Party state director and head of Tourism Australia. In 2013, he became immigration minister in Prime Minister Tony Abbott's government where he coordinated the government's asylum seeker response known as Operation Sovereign Borders. In the reshuffle the following year, he was appointed social services minister and later treasurer in Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's government. READ MORE: Search the full King's Birthday Honours List In August 2018, he was sworn in as prime minister, rising to the leadership as a compromise candidate after Peter Dutton challenged Malcom Turnbull in a bruising leadership battle. Mr Morrison won a second term in May 2019 in a surprise victory despite the Coalition lagging in the polls in the weeks leading up to election day. He famously declared "I have always believed in miracles." Mr Morrison's career was also marked by controversy, including taking a family holiday in Hawaii during the Black Summer bushfires. He also faced backlash over his handling of parliamentary misconduct allegations and for his secret ministries scandal for which he was censured in November 2022 for failing to disclose his secret self-appointments to a number of ministries. Mr Morrison's government was defeated at the 2022 election after a large swing away from the Coalition and a clutch of "teal" independent wins in inner city seats. During the campaign, Mr Morrison famously crash-tackled eight-year-old student Luca Fauvette while visiting Devonport Strikers soccer club practice in northern Tasmania. He paid tribute to his wife Jenny and two "miracle girls" Abbey and Lily, who were conceived by the couple after years of infertility, during his valedictory speech in February 2023. "As most people know, subject only to God, my family is the centre of my life, and at the very centre of our family is Jen," he said. "I cannot imagine life without her. I love you, Jen, and always will- that is the cross you have to bear. "Your love has been my stay and strength." He left politics "appreciative and thankful, unburdened by offences and released from any bitterness that can so often haunt post-political lives". "This is due to my faith in Jesus Christ, which gives me the faith to both forgive, but also to be honest about my own failures and shortcomings," he said. Mr Morrison has worked as an advisor to various lobby groups and as a public speaker in his career after public service. He released Plans For Your Good: A Prime Minister's Testimony of God's Faithfulness in 2023, a part-political memoir, part-spiritual guide. One of the revelations in the book is that he used medication to treat anxiety between 2018 and 2022, a period that covers his time as prime minister. Mr Morrison also made headlines earlier this year after a photo album his wife accidentally donated to a charity shop was picked up by a TikToker. It was later safely returned.


The Advertiser
42 minutes ago
- The Advertiser
Trump deploys National Guard to quell LA protests
President Donald Trump's administration says it will deploy 2000 National Guard troops as federal agents in Los Angeles face off against a few hundred demonstrators during a second day of protests following immigration raids. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned on Saturday the Pentagon was prepared to mobilise active-duty troops "if violence continues" in Los Angeles, saying the Marines at nearby Camp Pendleton were "on high alert". Federal security agents on Saturday confronted protesters in the Paramount area in southeast Los Angeles, where some demonstrators displayed Mexican flags. A second protest in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday night attracted some 60 people, who chanted slogans including "ICE out of L.A.!" Trump signed a presidential memorandum to deploy the National Guard troops to "address the lawlessness that has been allowed to fester"the White House said in a statement. Trump's border czar, Tom Homan, told Fox News the National Guard would be deployed in Los Angeles on Saturday. California Governor Gavin Newsom called the decision "purposefully inflammatory". He posted on X that Trump was deploying the National Guard "not because there is a shortage of law enforcement, but because they want a spectacle", adding: "Don't give them one. Never use violence. Speak out peacefully." Newsom said it was "deranged behavior" for Hegseth to be "threatening to deploy active-duty Marines on American soil against its own citizens." Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that if Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass can't do their jobs "then the Federal Government will step in and solve the problem, RIOTS & LOOTERS, the way it should be solved!!!" The protests pit Democratic-run Los Angeles, where a significant portion of the population is Hispanic and foreign-born, against Trump's Republican White House, which has made cracking down on immigration a hallmark of his second term. Senior White House aide Stephen Miller, an immigration hardliner, described the protests as a "violent insurrection." The 1807 law empowers a president to deploy the US military to enforce the law and suppress events such as civil disorder. The last time it was invoked was during the 1992 Los Angeles riots at the request of the California governor. Video footage of the Paramount protest showed dozens of green-uniformed security personnel with gas masks lined up on a road strewn with overturned shopping carts as small canisters exploded into gas clouds. Los Angeles police posted on X that "multiple people have been detained for failing to disperse after multiple warnings were issued." It did not give further details. There was no official information of any arrests. "Now they know that they cannot go to anywhere in this country where our people are, and try to kidnap our workers, our people - they cannot do that without an organised and fierce resistance," said protester Ron Gochez, 44. A first round of protests kicked off on Friday night after Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents conducted enforcement operations in the city and arrested at least 44 people on alleged immigration violations. The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that there were about "1,000 rioters" at the protests on Friday. Reuters could not verify DHS's account. Angelica Salas, executive director of immigrants' rights organisation Chirla, said lawyers had not had access to those detained on Friday, which she called "very worrying". Trump has pledged to deport record numbers of people in the country illegally and lock down the US-Mexico border, with the White House setting a goal for ICE to arrest at least 3000 migrants per day. But the sweeping immigration crackdown has also caught up people legally residing in the country, including some with permanent residence, and has led to legal challenges. ICE, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Los Angeles Police Department did not respond to requests for comment on the protests or whether there had been any immigration raids on Saturday. President Donald Trump's administration says it will deploy 2000 National Guard troops as federal agents in Los Angeles face off against a few hundred demonstrators during a second day of protests following immigration raids. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned on Saturday the Pentagon was prepared to mobilise active-duty troops "if violence continues" in Los Angeles, saying the Marines at nearby Camp Pendleton were "on high alert". Federal security agents on Saturday confronted protesters in the Paramount area in southeast Los Angeles, where some demonstrators displayed Mexican flags. A second protest in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday night attracted some 60 people, who chanted slogans including "ICE out of L.A.!" Trump signed a presidential memorandum to deploy the National Guard troops to "address the lawlessness that has been allowed to fester"the White House said in a statement. Trump's border czar, Tom Homan, told Fox News the National Guard would be deployed in Los Angeles on Saturday. California Governor Gavin Newsom called the decision "purposefully inflammatory". He posted on X that Trump was deploying the National Guard "not because there is a shortage of law enforcement, but because they want a spectacle", adding: "Don't give them one. Never use violence. Speak out peacefully." Newsom said it was "deranged behavior" for Hegseth to be "threatening to deploy active-duty Marines on American soil against its own citizens." Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that if Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass can't do their jobs "then the Federal Government will step in and solve the problem, RIOTS & LOOTERS, the way it should be solved!!!" The protests pit Democratic-run Los Angeles, where a significant portion of the population is Hispanic and foreign-born, against Trump's Republican White House, which has made cracking down on immigration a hallmark of his second term. Senior White House aide Stephen Miller, an immigration hardliner, described the protests as a "violent insurrection." The 1807 law empowers a president to deploy the US military to enforce the law and suppress events such as civil disorder. The last time it was invoked was during the 1992 Los Angeles riots at the request of the California governor. Video footage of the Paramount protest showed dozens of green-uniformed security personnel with gas masks lined up on a road strewn with overturned shopping carts as small canisters exploded into gas clouds. Los Angeles police posted on X that "multiple people have been detained for failing to disperse after multiple warnings were issued." It did not give further details. There was no official information of any arrests. "Now they know that they cannot go to anywhere in this country where our people are, and try to kidnap our workers, our people - they cannot do that without an organised and fierce resistance," said protester Ron Gochez, 44. A first round of protests kicked off on Friday night after Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents conducted enforcement operations in the city and arrested at least 44 people on alleged immigration violations. The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that there were about "1,000 rioters" at the protests on Friday. Reuters could not verify DHS's account. Angelica Salas, executive director of immigrants' rights organisation Chirla, said lawyers had not had access to those detained on Friday, which she called "very worrying". Trump has pledged to deport record numbers of people in the country illegally and lock down the US-Mexico border, with the White House setting a goal for ICE to arrest at least 3000 migrants per day. But the sweeping immigration crackdown has also caught up people legally residing in the country, including some with permanent residence, and has led to legal challenges. ICE, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Los Angeles Police Department did not respond to requests for comment on the protests or whether there had been any immigration raids on Saturday. President Donald Trump's administration says it will deploy 2000 National Guard troops as federal agents in Los Angeles face off against a few hundred demonstrators during a second day of protests following immigration raids. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned on Saturday the Pentagon was prepared to mobilise active-duty troops "if violence continues" in Los Angeles, saying the Marines at nearby Camp Pendleton were "on high alert". Federal security agents on Saturday confronted protesters in the Paramount area in southeast Los Angeles, where some demonstrators displayed Mexican flags. A second protest in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday night attracted some 60 people, who chanted slogans including "ICE out of L.A.!" Trump signed a presidential memorandum to deploy the National Guard troops to "address the lawlessness that has been allowed to fester"the White House said in a statement. Trump's border czar, Tom Homan, told Fox News the National Guard would be deployed in Los Angeles on Saturday. California Governor Gavin Newsom called the decision "purposefully inflammatory". He posted on X that Trump was deploying the National Guard "not because there is a shortage of law enforcement, but because they want a spectacle", adding: "Don't give them one. Never use violence. Speak out peacefully." Newsom said it was "deranged behavior" for Hegseth to be "threatening to deploy active-duty Marines on American soil against its own citizens." Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that if Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass can't do their jobs "then the Federal Government will step in and solve the problem, RIOTS & LOOTERS, the way it should be solved!!!" The protests pit Democratic-run Los Angeles, where a significant portion of the population is Hispanic and foreign-born, against Trump's Republican White House, which has made cracking down on immigration a hallmark of his second term. Senior White House aide Stephen Miller, an immigration hardliner, described the protests as a "violent insurrection." The 1807 law empowers a president to deploy the US military to enforce the law and suppress events such as civil disorder. The last time it was invoked was during the 1992 Los Angeles riots at the request of the California governor. Video footage of the Paramount protest showed dozens of green-uniformed security personnel with gas masks lined up on a road strewn with overturned shopping carts as small canisters exploded into gas clouds. Los Angeles police posted on X that "multiple people have been detained for failing to disperse after multiple warnings were issued." It did not give further details. There was no official information of any arrests. "Now they know that they cannot go to anywhere in this country where our people are, and try to kidnap our workers, our people - they cannot do that without an organised and fierce resistance," said protester Ron Gochez, 44. A first round of protests kicked off on Friday night after Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents conducted enforcement operations in the city and arrested at least 44 people on alleged immigration violations. The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that there were about "1,000 rioters" at the protests on Friday. Reuters could not verify DHS's account. Angelica Salas, executive director of immigrants' rights organisation Chirla, said lawyers had not had access to those detained on Friday, which she called "very worrying". Trump has pledged to deport record numbers of people in the country illegally and lock down the US-Mexico border, with the White House setting a goal for ICE to arrest at least 3000 migrants per day. But the sweeping immigration crackdown has also caught up people legally residing in the country, including some with permanent residence, and has led to legal challenges. ICE, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Los Angeles Police Department did not respond to requests for comment on the protests or whether there had been any immigration raids on Saturday. President Donald Trump's administration says it will deploy 2000 National Guard troops as federal agents in Los Angeles face off against a few hundred demonstrators during a second day of protests following immigration raids. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned on Saturday the Pentagon was prepared to mobilise active-duty troops "if violence continues" in Los Angeles, saying the Marines at nearby Camp Pendleton were "on high alert". Federal security agents on Saturday confronted protesters in the Paramount area in southeast Los Angeles, where some demonstrators displayed Mexican flags. A second protest in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday night attracted some 60 people, who chanted slogans including "ICE out of L.A.!" Trump signed a presidential memorandum to deploy the National Guard troops to "address the lawlessness that has been allowed to fester"the White House said in a statement. Trump's border czar, Tom Homan, told Fox News the National Guard would be deployed in Los Angeles on Saturday. California Governor Gavin Newsom called the decision "purposefully inflammatory". He posted on X that Trump was deploying the National Guard "not because there is a shortage of law enforcement, but because they want a spectacle", adding: "Don't give them one. Never use violence. Speak out peacefully." Newsom said it was "deranged behavior" for Hegseth to be "threatening to deploy active-duty Marines on American soil against its own citizens." Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that if Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass can't do their jobs "then the Federal Government will step in and solve the problem, RIOTS & LOOTERS, the way it should be solved!!!" The protests pit Democratic-run Los Angeles, where a significant portion of the population is Hispanic and foreign-born, against Trump's Republican White House, which has made cracking down on immigration a hallmark of his second term. Senior White House aide Stephen Miller, an immigration hardliner, described the protests as a "violent insurrection." The 1807 law empowers a president to deploy the US military to enforce the law and suppress events such as civil disorder. The last time it was invoked was during the 1992 Los Angeles riots at the request of the California governor. Video footage of the Paramount protest showed dozens of green-uniformed security personnel with gas masks lined up on a road strewn with overturned shopping carts as small canisters exploded into gas clouds. Los Angeles police posted on X that "multiple people have been detained for failing to disperse after multiple warnings were issued." It did not give further details. There was no official information of any arrests. "Now they know that they cannot go to anywhere in this country where our people are, and try to kidnap our workers, our people - they cannot do that without an organised and fierce resistance," said protester Ron Gochez, 44. A first round of protests kicked off on Friday night after Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents conducted enforcement operations in the city and arrested at least 44 people on alleged immigration violations. The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that there were about "1,000 rioters" at the protests on Friday. Reuters could not verify DHS's account. Angelica Salas, executive director of immigrants' rights organisation Chirla, said lawyers had not had access to those detained on Friday, which she called "very worrying". Trump has pledged to deport record numbers of people in the country illegally and lock down the US-Mexico border, with the White House setting a goal for ICE to arrest at least 3000 migrants per day. But the sweeping immigration crackdown has also caught up people legally residing in the country, including some with permanent residence, and has led to legal challenges. ICE, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Los Angeles Police Department did not respond to requests for comment on the protests or whether there had been any immigration raids on Saturday.


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Leo, the first US Pope, criticises nationalist politics
Pope Leo has criticised the emergence of nationalist political movements, calling them unfortunate, without naming a specific country or national leader. Leo, the first Pope from the US, asked during a mass with a crowd of tens of thousands in St Peter's Square that God would "open borders, break down walls (and) dispel hatred". "There is no room for prejudice, for 'security' zones separating us from our neighbours, for the exclusionary mindset that, unfortunately, we now see emerging also in political nationalisms," said the pontiff. Leo, the former Cardinal Robert Prevost, was elected on May 8 to succeed the late Pope Francis as leader of the 1.4-billion-member church. Before becoming pontiff, Prevost was not shy about criticising US President Donald Trump, sharing numerous disapproving posts about Trump and Vice President JD Vance on X in recent years. The Vatican has not confirmed the new Pope's ownership of the X account, which had the handle @drprevost, and was deactivated after Leo's election. Francis, Pope for 12 years, was a sharp critic of Trump. The late Pope said in January that the president's plan to deport millions of migrants in the US during his second term was a "disgrace". Earlier, Francis said Trump was "not Christian" because of his views on immigration. "A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian," Francis said when asked about Trump in 2016. Leo was celebrating a mass for Pentecost, one of the church's most important holidays. Pope Leo has criticised the emergence of nationalist political movements, calling them unfortunate, without naming a specific country or national leader. Leo, the first Pope from the US, asked during a mass with a crowd of tens of thousands in St Peter's Square that God would "open borders, break down walls (and) dispel hatred". "There is no room for prejudice, for 'security' zones separating us from our neighbours, for the exclusionary mindset that, unfortunately, we now see emerging also in political nationalisms," said the pontiff. Leo, the former Cardinal Robert Prevost, was elected on May 8 to succeed the late Pope Francis as leader of the 1.4-billion-member church. Before becoming pontiff, Prevost was not shy about criticising US President Donald Trump, sharing numerous disapproving posts about Trump and Vice President JD Vance on X in recent years. The Vatican has not confirmed the new Pope's ownership of the X account, which had the handle @drprevost, and was deactivated after Leo's election. Francis, Pope for 12 years, was a sharp critic of Trump. The late Pope said in January that the president's plan to deport millions of migrants in the US during his second term was a "disgrace". Earlier, Francis said Trump was "not Christian" because of his views on immigration. "A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian," Francis said when asked about Trump in 2016. Leo was celebrating a mass for Pentecost, one of the church's most important holidays. Pope Leo has criticised the emergence of nationalist political movements, calling them unfortunate, without naming a specific country or national leader. Leo, the first Pope from the US, asked during a mass with a crowd of tens of thousands in St Peter's Square that God would "open borders, break down walls (and) dispel hatred". "There is no room for prejudice, for 'security' zones separating us from our neighbours, for the exclusionary mindset that, unfortunately, we now see emerging also in political nationalisms," said the pontiff. Leo, the former Cardinal Robert Prevost, was elected on May 8 to succeed the late Pope Francis as leader of the 1.4-billion-member church. Before becoming pontiff, Prevost was not shy about criticising US President Donald Trump, sharing numerous disapproving posts about Trump and Vice President JD Vance on X in recent years. The Vatican has not confirmed the new Pope's ownership of the X account, which had the handle @drprevost, and was deactivated after Leo's election. Francis, Pope for 12 years, was a sharp critic of Trump. The late Pope said in January that the president's plan to deport millions of migrants in the US during his second term was a "disgrace". Earlier, Francis said Trump was "not Christian" because of his views on immigration. "A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian," Francis said when asked about Trump in 2016. Leo was celebrating a mass for Pentecost, one of the church's most important holidays. Pope Leo has criticised the emergence of nationalist political movements, calling them unfortunate, without naming a specific country or national leader. Leo, the first Pope from the US, asked during a mass with a crowd of tens of thousands in St Peter's Square that God would "open borders, break down walls (and) dispel hatred". "There is no room for prejudice, for 'security' zones separating us from our neighbours, for the exclusionary mindset that, unfortunately, we now see emerging also in political nationalisms," said the pontiff. Leo, the former Cardinal Robert Prevost, was elected on May 8 to succeed the late Pope Francis as leader of the 1.4-billion-member church. Before becoming pontiff, Prevost was not shy about criticising US President Donald Trump, sharing numerous disapproving posts about Trump and Vice President JD Vance on X in recent years. The Vatican has not confirmed the new Pope's ownership of the X account, which had the handle @drprevost, and was deactivated after Leo's election. Francis, Pope for 12 years, was a sharp critic of Trump. The late Pope said in January that the president's plan to deport millions of migrants in the US during his second term was a "disgrace". Earlier, Francis said Trump was "not Christian" because of his views on immigration. "A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian," Francis said when asked about Trump in 2016. Leo was celebrating a mass for Pentecost, one of the church's most important holidays.