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His Eminence Cardinal Mykola Bychok was a keynote speaker at the Catholic Social Services National Conference in Sydney last week, which brought together Catholic practitioners, religious leaders, academics, and advocates from across Australia.
Inspired by the Catholic Church’s 2025 Jubilee Year, the conference explored Hope in Action, a theme grounded in Catholic Social Teaching’s commitment to human dignity and the common good.
Elevated to the College of Cardinals by Pope Francis in December 2024 at just 44, Cardinal Bychok is the world’s youngest cardinal and Australia’s first since the death of Cardinal George Pell. In his address, he reflected on the link between truth and peace – a subject deeply personal to him as his birth country, Ukraine, has been under attack from Russia for over three years.
Truth and Peace
Noting that truth is “necessary if we seek peace, reconciliation, and fraternal love with one another”, Cardinal Bychok examined the manipulation of truth by Russia and other states. He urged delegates to uphold and proclaim the truth of Christ, which brings enduring peace.
Cardinal Bychok stated, “But for Christians, peace must be more than an aspiration or dream. It must, as St Paul says, be kept in our hearts through God (Phil 4:6), indeed Christ gifts his disciples and all of us nothing less than his peace:
“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you” (Jn 14:27). He also tells us that in becoming peacemakers, we become children of God (Mt 5:9).”
His Eminence continued, “It is only in confronting truth, face to face, that we are able to discover and experience peace. How so? Well, lies and falsehoods are not of God but come from darkness. Satan is known for being a deceiver, one who sows discord and division, and who uses lies to separate us from one another and to cause enmity. Truth then, is necessary if we seek peace, reconciliation, and fraternal love with one another. Yet in our culture today, there are many who reject truth outright. Others are confused or unsure where truth can be found. Some think that there is more than one ‘truth’ – there is for example your truth and my truth.”
The conference also shone a spotlight on pressing social issues, including child poverty, homelessness, and family and domestic violence – challenges often tied to entrenched inequality, and included presentations by some CHA members such as MercyCare in WA.
A key highlight of the CSSA conference was a presentation by Professor David Gilchrist, Director of the UWA Centre for Public Value, who unveiled Real Costs, Real Impacts: A Path to Community Services Sustainability. His research detailed the financial pressures threatening the sector’s ability to support vulnerable Australians and outlined strategies for ensuring its long-term viability.
Half a million Australians supported
CSSA and its supporters work tirelessly to serve over 500,000 Australians each year through more than 700 service sites across the country.
CSSA Executive Director Dr. Jerry Nockles commended the collective strength of the network.
“This conference has reaffirmed our shared mission – to bring truth where there is injustice, peace where there is suffering, and hope where there is despair. Our recent statement on the Common Good Accord highlights the need for a renewed social contract – one that places the dignity of the human person and the wellbeing of our communities at the heart of public policy. We are deeply grateful for the dedication of our members, whose daily work transforms lives.”
