Australia’s bishops called on individuals, communities and governments to reject rampant ageism and the toxic attitudes that often accompany concepts such as “intergenerational theft.” The bishops link Australia’s treatment of the elderly with Western discomfort around dying and point to the looming threat posed by euthanasia and assisted dying in a society that “idealizes notions of youthfulness and vitality.”
Calling for a “renewed solidarity among generations, young and old” — everywhere — the bishops point out a number of challenges confronting Australia as a country with a rapidly aging population. Their 2016-17 social justice statement, “A Place at the Table: Social Justice in an Aging Society,” was released in anticipation of Social Justice Sunday Sept. 25.
The bishops point to recent survey data showing a quarter of people over 50 had experienced some form of age-based discrimination in calling for greater workplace flexibility for older people, and for increased training, particularly in lieu of increased automation. The document also surveys the consequences of caring for children on women’s retirement savings and grandparents’ emotional and financial stress when caring for their grandchildren, often out of their own families’ financial necessity.
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