How age challenges church and society

“It is vital that older people are humanised and represented in mainstream culture, with their voices amplified, and the issues they face told in an accurate and inclusive way”.

For many in the Church ‘age’ is a big question. Where are all the young people? Will we have any people in the pews in coming decades? Are all our priests too old? What about our ageing congregations? Can we as Catholics, take care of our ageing population?

Understanding ‘old age’ is a complicated matter and an issue that Age Discrimination Commissioner Robert Fitzgerald AM is tackling.

A recent study commissioned by the Australian Human Rights Commission “Shaping Perceptions: how Australian media reports on ageing” found that negative stereotypes of older people, and the under-reporting or misrepresentation of the matters affecting them, are widely prevalent in mainstream media.

It also found a culture of negativity in the media towards ageing, which either overlooks or minimises important issues, excludes older people’s personal experiences, or portrays them as an economic or social burden.

These perceptions are underpinned by a broader culture of ageism in the industry and in the wider Australian community.