Anthony Albanese presents Pope with $40 bottle of wine after securing first audience with pontiff in 16 years
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has presented Pope Leo with a bottle of Australian red wine that retails at Dan Murphy's for $41 and an indigenous artwork after securing Australia's first meeting with a pontiff in 16 years.
Pope Leo in return blessed the rosary beads that belonged to Maryanne Ellery, Mr Albanese's mother who the prime minister told the Pope on Sunday would be 'smiling down from heaven' at their encounter.
The Vatican said the Pope discussed religious freedom.
'An exchange of views then took place on the socio-political situation of the country, focusing in particular on themes of mutual interest, including environmental protection, integral human development and the freedom of religion,' the Vatican said.
Mr Albanese formally invited the Pope to visit Australia in 2028 for World Ecumenical Day.
The prime minister's visit came as Australia's new Ambassador to the Holy See Keith Pitt told The Nightly that the Catholic Church remained relevant to Australia's strategic interests and cited its charitable work in the Pacific as a prime example.
The former Liberal National MP Keith Pitt only arrived in Rome six weeks ago, after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese reached across the political aisle to personally appoint him Ambassador before the election.
He is so newly arrived in the Italian capital, he did not have the opportunity to present his credentials to the late Pope Francis before his death meaning that as Ambassador-designate, he was not able to meet the new Pontiff alongside the Prime Minister inside the Basilica after Pope Leo XIV's inaugural mass on Sunday.
Neither was he able to attend Mr Albanese's private audience late Monday afternoon local time with the new Pope at the Apostolic Palace inside Vatican City.
Mr Albanese was one of a string of the 151 world leaders and dignitaries the Pontiff received after they attended his first mass under the hot Roman sun on Sunday morning, along with 150,000 well-wishers who gathered in St Peter's Square and lined the streets.
The most high profile VIP was US Vice President JD Vance, who is a devout Catholic and was one of the late Pope Francis' final visitors.
Mr Vance presented Pope Leo, a Chicago native with a Chicago Bears jersey with the name 'Pope Leo' and 'XIV' on the back.
His office released a statement that said they discussed the persecution of Christians around the world, and the shared commitment of President Trump and Pope Leo XIV to stop the killing in Ukraine and the Middle East.
Mr Albanese is not a devout Catholic like Mr Vance but nominates his Catholic upbringing as one of his three great faiths, alongside the South Sydney Rabbitohs football club and the Labor party.
During his 40-minute audience, he gave the Pope a bottle of 2021 Penfolds Bin 28 Shiraz, which Dan Murphy's values at $41, and an indigenous artwork.
The piece, measuring 320mm x 45mm x 420mm is an acrylic on canvas by Amanda Westley.
It is called 'Raukkan' which means 'meeting place' in Westley's Ngarrindjeri community around 80 kilometres southeast of Adelaide.
The choice of gifts may have been last-minute choices, given the prime minister only confirmed a week after his landslide re-election that he would be attending the Pope's mass, extending what was originally going to be his first post-victory visit to Jakarta into a seven-day trip encompassing Europe.
Speaking to The Nightly in an exclusive interview conducted in his office overlooking the Vatican, Mr Pitt endorsed the prime minister's decision to extend his trip beyond Indonesia.
'It is important that we send delegations of the highest level, so the Governor-General attended the funeral — the prime minister is here for the inauguration,' he said.
'That is just an important reflection of the significance of the event and the work of the Church and the Pope in particular.
'Imagine if we didn't come, imagine if we weren't here.
'The fact that you've got such high-level delegations, at the funeral in particular.
'It was extraordinary, firstly the level of mourning and grief from people, even I thought, 'wow, it actually means something to them.''
Asked what interests Australia was advancing in the Catholic Church, Mr Pitt said its charitable work in the Pacific, which is the target of fierce competition between China and the West, was key.
'If you look at an area like the Pacific for example … there's a Cardinal for Tonga for example,' he said.
'The Vatican sometimes helps make those quieter voices heard.
'It's a critical area for Australia.
'When you look at the fact that there's over 1.2 billion Catholics around the world and the amount of significant work that the Church does, that's why it's critical.
'It's not just about the fact that it's a faith-based organisation, it's a global institution that has significant influence — and it's it's own country.'
Asked if Australia was pushing for the Church to increase its footprint in the region, Mr Pitt said: 'Absolutely.'
'They are obviously incredibly strong advocates for peace around the world in those conflict zones.'
He said the church, which and has been plagued by child-sexual abuse scandals over decades, stood for gender equality, climate change and safeguarding children from abuse online.
'I think that's quite a change.
'They've made significant changes in recent years,' he said.
'Pope Francis made a public apology, that's a very significant step.
'He's established what's called a pontifical commission …. there's always more to do.
'And it's one of the things that is incredibly important to the Australian government and it's an incredibly strong part of what we do and our advocacy here.'
He praised Pope Leo's recent intervention on artificial intelligence.
'Even I was surprised at the level of involvement, engagement, the understanding of artificial intelligence that Pope Leo has demonstrated,' he said.
'Pope Francis in particular made some changes in the time he was Pope and we shouldn't assume what Pope Leo might do.'
He insisted the Church's geopolitical activities were not inconsistent with its teachings that forbid women priests, marriage, homosexuality and abortion or the Australian government's positions on the same issues.
'That's the reason why you have an embassy here, to put forward those views, to try and create influence, to try and get outcomes that matter to the Australian people.'
But he said it was for the Church to decide whether it wanted to modernise to attract new followers.
'What the Church does in terms of its teachings and the way it moves forward in the future is entirely up to the Church,' he said.
'It's not up to me to try and tell them how they run their own institutions.'
Mr Pitt, who represented Hinkler in Bundaberg for the LNP declined to comment on whether he sought the posting because he saw the Coalition's landslide defeat coming.
'I'm appointed by the Governor General and I don't want to get in the weeks,' he said.
One of four boys raised Catholic, he described himself as a 'poor Catholic' and recounted going to mass in a timber church in central Queensland, and wore white shirts handmade by his mother for his First Communion, one of Catholicism's sacraments.
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The Advertiser
2 hours ago
- The Advertiser
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ON THE ASX: * The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index finished Friday 23.2 points lower, down 0.27 per cent to 8,515.7 * The broader All Ordinaries fell 26.7 points, or 0.3 per cent, to 8,741.9 CURRENCY SNAPSHOT: One Australian dollar buys: * 64.97 US cents, from 64.96 US cents on Thursday at 5pm * 93.56 Japanese yen, from 93.03 Japanese yen * 56.81 Euro cents, from 56.93 Euro cents * 47.95 British pence, from 47.95 pence * 107.58 NZ cents, from 107.70 NZ cents The Australian share market has slipped after again approaching its best-ever close, fading ahead of key US economic data and a long weekend in most Australian states. The S&P/ASX200 traded a tight range on Friday to finish 23.2 points lower, down 0.27 per cent to 8,515.7, as the broader All Ordinaries slipped 26.7 points, or 0.3 per cent, to 8,741.9. 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Qantas was among the ASX's best-performing large cap stocks, up 3.5 per cent to $10.76 as competitor Virgin Australia confirmed it would relist on the ASX on June 24 with an expected market cap of $2.3 billion. Gold explorer and developer Ora Banda took the wooden spoon, down 14 per cent after a production update failed to shine. The Australian dollar is buying 64.97 US cents, roughly on par with Thursday at 5pm, but at the upper end of its recent range against the greenback. 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The top 200 gained roughly one per cent for the week but failed to hold above its record close of 8,555.8 for a second straight day, as investors took profits ahead of a trading break on Monday and two potentially volatile US sessions before the next ASX open. With the local bourse so close to its record, some investors were asking if they were looking at a high-water mark, Moomoo market strategist Jessica Amir said. "With US debt concerns getting louder, investors are questioning whether markets could be due for a haircut," she told AAP. "But I think that'll be tested tonight when we get US jobs data, and if it really is weaker than expected then that will smash sentiment." Nine of 11 local sectors finished lower but energy shares offered some relief, up 0.7 per cent as hopes of resumed US-China trade talks pushed oil prices higher. Brent crude prices are up more than 3.5 per cent for the week, to $US64.86 a barrel, after a phone call between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping raised hopes for global growth and crude demand from the world's two largest economies. Financials weighed on the bourse, down 0.4 per cent as investors took profits on the banks. CBA was the big four's worst performer on Friday, fading 0.8 per cent after hitting a fresh peak of $182 on Thursday. Zooming out, the sector was up 1.9 per cent for the week and holding above its record close in February. Liquidity rotation from the banks and glimmers of global trade hopes helped push BHP and Fortescue higher, but it was not enough to stop the materials sector from slipping 0.1 per cent after a 1.4 per cent gain for the week. The brighter trade horizon weighed on critical minerals miners after China's export controls pushed them higher on Thursday, leaving Pilbara Minerals (down 5.2 per cent) and Iluka Resources (down 3.8 per cent) among the top 200's worst performers on Friday. Goldminers were a mixed bag all week, as the precious metal continued to chop within a range, with futures at $US3,384 ($A5,210) an ounce. Cryptocurrency Bitcoin slipped almost five per cent overnight but has recovered some of its losses to trade about $US103,200 ($A158,860), with no fundamental catalyst behind the dip, trading platform OKX's Australian boss Kate Cooper said. "The modest 5.6 per cent dip in the global cryptocurrency market cap today reflects broader market volatility, as participants react to the European Central Bank's downward revision of inflation expectations and reassess growth prospects," she said. Qantas was among the ASX's best-performing large cap stocks, up 3.5 per cent to $10.76 as competitor Virgin Australia confirmed it would relist on the ASX on June 24 with an expected market cap of $2.3 billion. Gold explorer and developer Ora Banda took the wooden spoon, down 14 per cent after a production update failed to shine. The Australian dollar is buying 64.97 US cents, roughly on par with Thursday at 5pm, but at the upper end of its recent range against the greenback. ON THE ASX: * The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index finished Friday 23.2 points lower, down 0.27 per cent to 8,515.7 * The broader All Ordinaries fell 26.7 points, or 0.3 per cent, to 8,741.9 CURRENCY SNAPSHOT: One Australian dollar buys: * 64.97 US cents, from 64.96 US cents on Thursday at 5pm * 93.56 Japanese yen, from 93.03 Japanese yen * 56.81 Euro cents, from 56.93 Euro cents * 47.95 British pence, from 47.95 pence * 107.58 NZ cents, from 107.70 NZ cents The Australian share market has slipped after again approaching its best-ever close, fading ahead of key US economic data and a long weekend in most Australian states. The S&P/ASX200 traded a tight range on Friday to finish 23.2 points lower, down 0.27 per cent to 8,515.7, as the broader All Ordinaries slipped 26.7 points, or 0.3 per cent, to 8,741.9. The top 200 gained roughly one per cent for the week but failed to hold above its record close of 8,555.8 for a second straight day, as investors took profits ahead of a trading break on Monday and two potentially volatile US sessions before the next ASX open. With the local bourse so close to its record, some investors were asking if they were looking at a high-water mark, Moomoo market strategist Jessica Amir said. "With US debt concerns getting louder, investors are questioning whether markets could be due for a haircut," she told AAP. "But I think that'll be tested tonight when we get US jobs data, and if it really is weaker than expected then that will smash sentiment." Nine of 11 local sectors finished lower but energy shares offered some relief, up 0.7 per cent as hopes of resumed US-China trade talks pushed oil prices higher. Brent crude prices are up more than 3.5 per cent for the week, to $US64.86 a barrel, after a phone call between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping raised hopes for global growth and crude demand from the world's two largest economies. Financials weighed on the bourse, down 0.4 per cent as investors took profits on the banks. CBA was the big four's worst performer on Friday, fading 0.8 per cent after hitting a fresh peak of $182 on Thursday. Zooming out, the sector was up 1.9 per cent for the week and holding above its record close in February. Liquidity rotation from the banks and glimmers of global trade hopes helped push BHP and Fortescue higher, but it was not enough to stop the materials sector from slipping 0.1 per cent after a 1.4 per cent gain for the week. The brighter trade horizon weighed on critical minerals miners after China's export controls pushed them higher on Thursday, leaving Pilbara Minerals (down 5.2 per cent) and Iluka Resources (down 3.8 per cent) among the top 200's worst performers on Friday. Goldminers were a mixed bag all week, as the precious metal continued to chop within a range, with futures at $US3,384 ($A5,210) an ounce. Cryptocurrency Bitcoin slipped almost five per cent overnight but has recovered some of its losses to trade about $US103,200 ($A158,860), with no fundamental catalyst behind the dip, trading platform OKX's Australian boss Kate Cooper said. "The modest 5.6 per cent dip in the global cryptocurrency market cap today reflects broader market volatility, as participants react to the European Central Bank's downward revision of inflation expectations and reassess growth prospects," she said. Qantas was among the ASX's best-performing large cap stocks, up 3.5 per cent to $10.76 as competitor Virgin Australia confirmed it would relist on the ASX on June 24 with an expected market cap of $2.3 billion. Gold explorer and developer Ora Banda took the wooden spoon, down 14 per cent after a production update failed to shine. The Australian dollar is buying 64.97 US cents, roughly on par with Thursday at 5pm, but at the upper end of its recent range against the greenback. ON THE ASX: * The benchmark S&P/ASX200 index finished Friday 23.2 points lower, down 0.27 per cent to 8,515.7 * The broader All Ordinaries fell 26.7 points, or 0.3 per cent, to 8,741.9 CURRENCY SNAPSHOT: One Australian dollar buys: * 64.97 US cents, from 64.96 US cents on Thursday at 5pm * 93.56 Japanese yen, from 93.03 Japanese yen * 56.81 Euro cents, from 56.93 Euro cents * 47.95 British pence, from 47.95 pence * 107.58 NZ cents, from 107.70 NZ cents
Sky News AU
2 hours ago
- Sky News AU
Labor defends Western Sydney Airport after shadow transport minister accuses them of targeting Liberal electorates with jet noise
Transport minister Catherine King has hit back at the Opposition after Labor was accused of concentrating jet noise over Liberal-held electorates. Ms King announced a ministerial directive for Airservices Australia to make 'Reciprocal Runway Operations' (RRO) the default at night at WSIA. RRO requires aircraft to take off and land facing the same direction—towards the southwest—but using opposite ends of the single runway. Ms King claimed the directive was to 'achieve the overall lowest possible impact on surrounding communities'. Shadow transport minister Bridget McKenzie claimed to Sky News on Thursday Labor was "attempting to concentrate nighttime aircraft noise over Liberal held electorates of Lindsay and Hume". But Ms King hit back on Friday, arguing Senator McKenzie "should be ashamed" for turning the new airport into a political dispute. "Senator McKenzie should be ashamed of herself for attempting to politicise Western Sydney International's flight paths, which are a highly technical and complex process that has taken years to get right," Ms King told "Let's not forget, it was the Coalition Government who selected the orientation of the runway and airspace design in the first place– the two most significant determinants of flight path design. "We've been working hard to fix their mess, including undertaking the most comprehensive community consultation program for any airspace development in Australian history, and we've found alternatives that could be safely implemented within the bounds of what we inherited, the biggest beneficiary of which is in fact Wallacia – which you'll find is not in a Labor electorate. "Perhaps Senator McKenzie should suggest what changes the Coalition would make and how they will impact communities across Western Sydney." Labor holds 11 of the 14 seats in the broader Western Sydney region, and Ms McKenzie said the Minister's directive would disproportionately impact the few Liberal seats in the area. 'Part of Labor's noise mitigation strategy is a risky ministerial direction to have planes fly head-on towards each other for take-offs and landings at night," she said. 'The government waited until after the election before finalising flight paths and attempted to hide the announcements behind the completion of runway construction.' Ms King's direction to Air Services Australia was to make reciprocal runway operations the "default operating mode" between 11pm and 5.30am. Western Sydney International Airport is expected to begin operations in 2026.
