AUSTRALIA'S political and religious leaders have bestowed their Christmas wishes to the Australian people and asked them to keep our troops in mind over the festive season.

Christmas message from the Prime Minister

Prime Minister Julia Gillard, a declared atheist, said Christmas was a time for tradition in her family and in her first in the nation's top job her task would remain unchanged.

“Everyone has the same job on Christmas Day,” Ms Gillard said.

“I always get to peel the potatoes and carrots.

“We eat the same food in the same order. Dad tells the same jokes!”

Ms Gillard said she hoped Australians were able to share their own special traditions with their loved ones.

“Whether that's time in church, or with your family, or at the cricket or on the beach, or helping others, I hope this Christmas is a special one.”

Christmas allowed time to reflect on how lucky we were to have each other and about what a lucky nation Australia is, Ms Gillard said.

“We are all Australians, all people of this place, and as a people, as a nation, we have got so much to be grateful for.

“Through it all, there's nowhere I'd rather be. We are still lucky.”

But for some it would be a sad time, including the families of 10 soldiers killed in Afghanistan while serving with the 2nd Combat Engineer Regiment, the 2nd Commando Regiment, the Special Air Service Regiment and 6RAR.

“We lost a lot of brave Australians this year...

“They died for us and I know every Australian has a special thought for their partners and children, their families, and their mates, this Christmas.

“We don't forget.”



The Prime Minister wished drought-stricken farmers rain and thanked our emergency services, nurses and troops abroad for their work on Christmas Day.

“So many people sacrifice their Christmas Day to make life better for others.

“It's hard to think of a more generous Christmas present than that.”

Christmas message from the Opposition Leader

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott said he hoped all Australians would draw closer to their loved ones at Christmas, an important family time.

“I hope we will think of those less fortunate than ourselves,” Mr Abbott said.

“I hope we will especially think of all of those people who make our country safer, stronger and more prosperous.

“They do a good job, we should think of them at Christmas time.”

Christmas Message from Archbishop Cardinal George Pell

Christmas has again come upon us quickly, as we gather to celebrate the most popular feast and festival in the calendar.

A mother and a father with a new child provoke universal approval, while the claim that Marys baby is the only Son of God, the anointed one who was long awaited, is a double blessing for those who believe.

In the Eastern states the drought has broken after about ten years, as the rains started and continued to fall. We thank God for all the long term good the floods will do to the river systems and the countryside, while ruefully acknowledging the dashed hopes for a bumper harvest.

Australia is often like this, but much, indeed most of Australian life is good and those of us blessed with prosperity and happiness should strive to spread the good cheer to those who are battling.

Many of the best aspects of life on our vast continent derive from the Christian tradition, even as some do not recognise this and a few refuse to acknowledge it.

Our two most important holidays celebrate Christmas and Easter. Sunday is still a day of rest in the much loved Australian weekend. We find church communities in every suburb and in every city and town, Christian schools, aged-care facilities, welfare agencies and often hospitals are serving everyone.

We acknowledge with gratitude the presence of the other major religious traditions and relish their friendship and cooperation. All people of good will, irreligious and religious contribute.

But it remains a fact that all the even more important level of virtues and values rather than institution, Christianity continues as a major force. The Australian principle of a fair go for all cannot be understood without the Christian teachings of universal love and forgiveness. Marriage, family, truth telling and social justice derive from the Judaeo Christian tradition

The wonderful reception from almost the whole population to the canonisation of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop demonstrated once again, like World Youth Day, the respect and affection of majority Australia for Christianity.

It remains only for us as Christians to practise what we preach and for me to wish everyone, especially the sad and the sick, a happy and peaceful Christmas.

Christmas message from Archbishop Dr Peter Jensen

Christmas 2010 - the end of the first decade of the 21st century. The children born this decade

are 21st century citizens. They never knew the last century. In another ten years they and their

friends will be judging us 20th century types. Thats what happened a hundred years ago

when the twentieth century people passed a savage judgment on the nineteenth century, the

Victorian era they called it.

What will they say? They wont be too happy at our reckless consumption, our materialism.

They will look back in wonder at our brutal wars. They will be astonished that we allowed

family life to decay and created a world of selfishness and aloneness. They will groan under

the weight of looking after aged baby-boomers without friends or family. Perhaps they will

find a lot to condemn in our legacy and if they can judge us, I suppose God will find it even

more simple.

But I am filled with hope for them, and I wont mind their criticisms. Human failure is not

the end of the story. We cant beat God that easily.

Each year will still end with Christmas until the end of time. Christmas says this: Our

failures, our sins, are not the last word. Hope and peace with God are still possible. God is

bigger than our failures. Christmas says this: Jesus Christ, the Saviour of the world came to

dwell among us, and save us from our failures. When we turn to him, we will find hope

rekindled and peace restored. Happy and hopeful Christmas!

Christmas message from Alistair Macrae, President of the Uniting Church in Australia

This Christmas let us be prayerfully mindful of all who currently await assessment of their applications for asylum in Australia. Seeking to escape persecution and death they live in a difficult limbo space waiting to see if this country will accept them.

Earlier this year I visited Christmas Island Detention Centre to see firsthand the situation facing this vulnerable group of people. For many Australians this issue serves as an indicator of our national moral health. It is pleasing that our government agreed to release children and unaccompanied minors into community-based placement while their claims are assessed.

May Christ be born in us again to soften and warm our hearts in the exercise of compassion; to strengthen our will in the pursuit of justice for all; to sharpen our minds to distinguish truth from expediency; and to move our spirits to respond with praise, gratitude and joy to the presence of the Living God, incarnate in Jesus Christ our Lord.

Originally published as Christmas wishes for all Aussies