Dear Friends,
The recently concluded Second Session of the Plenary Council dealt with issues of importance to the Church and the Nation, particularly those pertaining to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people – endorsing the Uluru Statement from the Heart and engagement with processes for implementing the statement, at local, regional and national levels. Members supported saying sorry to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in and beyond the Church for past harms suffered.
Amidst the breadth of topics discussed, the members said sorry to the victims and survivors of sexual abuse, their families and communities, recommitted the Church to respond with justice and compassion to those who have suffered, and reaffirmed the commitment of the Church in Australia to the work of implementing and improving safeguarding standards and practices.
Some issues provoked vigorous debate, particularly those related to the participation and role of women in the Church. Initial proposals were supported strongly by the general assembly but fell just short of the two-thirds majority required from the Bishops. At the time, Archbishop Mark Coleridge (Brisbane) wrote:
‘I’m writing this from the eye of the storm in more ways than one. First, the weather in Sydney through this week has been appalling, with wind and rain making life tough. But there have been storms of a different kind at the assembly of the Plenary Council. This was always going to happen and shows more of how the Holy Spirit really works - not always along lines of neat predictability but at times in disruption.’
Controversy and vigorous debate have been part of many Councils of the Church from the earliest times. In the early stages of the Second Vatican Council, some sought to stymie debate and opt for bland solutions, especially in relation to our understanding of what it means to be Church – thankfully, the Holy Spirit had other ideas. The disruption mentioned in both Catholic and secular media is painful for all concerned but often leads to a better outcome. Reworded resolutions on the participation and role of women received stronger support later in the week and the Church now has greater clarity in how to move forward.
The Concluding Statement (inserted in this bulletin) describes the council as an ‘expression of the synodality that Pope Francis has identified as a key dimension of the Church’s life in the third millennium.’ The concept of ‘Synodality’ is built around the need for us to be, ‘a Church that journeys together and listens together, so that we might more faithfully act together in responding to our God-given vocation and mission.’ ‘Listening’ challenges us not only to listen to another’s words but to listen to the whole person!
‘The Holy Spirit has been both comforter and disrupter.’ As one Jesuit participant put it, had the voting and decision-making process not faltered, the Council’s outcomes would have been rather bland - still important and significant but less than they could have been.
As Church we are on a steep learning curve. Our journey is not without pain or scars. Social trends and secularity affect our attitudes and ability to uphold true, human values in a pluralistic society. Yet, the teachings of Vatican II and the example of Pope Francis call us to engage with our modern world and give faithful witness to the best human values, modelled by Jesus himself. Describing the Plenary Council’s outcomes, the Concluding Statement said:
‘They will re-shape our engagement with the world, our evangelising mission and our works of service in a rapidly changing environment.’ Fr Dave