"We have to listen to the cries of the earth and the cries of the poor. The vision has to become action" he said.

Coleridge stressed the insufficiency of ongoing discussions without tangible outcomes.

In a decisive move to address the pressing issues of environmental degradation and social injustice, the Brisbane Archdiocese on Thursday launched the Laudato Si' Action Plan 2024-2026 at the Francis Rush Centre.

Action-oriented strategy

Crafted through a collaborative effort among various agencies within the Brisbane archdiocese, the plan presents seven targeted goals.

These goals are designed to echo and respond actively to Pope Francis's environmental and social advocacies in the encyclical Laudato Si'.

The goals range from directly addressing the environmental crisis and aiding those in poverty, to transforming economic, educational and spiritual practices within the Brisbane Archdiocese.

Emma Beach, who spearheads the Laudato Si' Action Plan, underlined the commitment to realising these ambitions.

"It's going to happen" she said, signaling a shift from planning to implementation.

The action plan includes significant changes such as adjusting investment strategies, revamping the archdiocesan vehicle fleet to decrease fossil fuel dependency, and revising procurement processes.

Immediate steps and future goals

A standout feature of the plan is its actionable steps, each accompanied by specific deadlines and responsible parties.

For example, to combat reliance on fossil fuels, the first order of business is updating the archdiocese's car fleet within the next four years.

Moreover, in an effort to align financial practices with ethical standards, investment policies will be revised by January 2025 to include reports on fossil fuel investments and other non-congruent activities.

The action plan also emphasises ecological education, aiming to involve 15 parishes in developing their own Laudato Si' commitments by 2025-2026.

This strategy seeks to educate and empower communities to contribute actively to environmental stewardship and social justice.

The plan outlines seven goals in a four-year time frame:

• Responding to the Cry of the Earth
• Responding to the Cry of the Poor
• Ecological economics
• Adoption of sustainable lifestyles
• Ecological education
• Ecological spirituality
• Community resilience and empowerment

Beyond dialogue

The Brisbane Archdiocese's Laudato Si' Action Plan signifies a pivotal leap from dialogue to action in the face of global ecological and social challenges.

By setting clear goals, actionable steps and strict timelines, the Archdiocese underscores its dedication to making a substantive difference.

This initiative stands as a testament to the belief that effective response to the cries of the earth and the poor goes beyond talk, requiring immediate and committed action.

Source

• Catholic Leader

Brisbane Archbishop Mark Coleridge has issued a reflection, published by The Catholic Leader, saying to Australians "It's time to look forward rather than look back.

"There's an urgent need now to create a new kind of national unity, and that can't be left to the politicians because there's more to this than politics" Coleridge wrote.

The final vote on "The Voice" was 60 percent against the proposal. All six Australian states rejected the plan.

Bishop Charles Gauci, chair of the Bishops Commission for Relations with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples, commented, "Voters rejecting a referendum to give greater political rights to Indigenous people in Australia doesn't mean we accept the status quo."

Gauci said many Australians "will be glad" to see the campaign has come to an end.

"For our nation though this should be seen as a time for a new beginning" the bishop reflected.

Australia is home to just under a million Indigenous Australians, and a great number of those face disparities in health, education and opportunities in a nation of nearly 27 million people.

Moment of disagreement

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also made a call for unity in the face of this "moment of disagreement."

Albanese stated "We are not Yes voters or No voters, we are all Australians. And it is as Australians together that we must take our country beyond this debate."

Archbishop Coleridge said the Australian Catholic bishops have spoken of the need for a new engagement with Indigenous peoples.

"Fine words and symbolic gestures are not enough," the archbishop said

"In the Archdiocese of Brisbane we will commit ourselves more resolutely to our Reconciliation Action Plan.

"It's up to all of us to ensure that what we do from here serves national unity and racial justice, because we'll never have the first unless we have the second," Coleridge concluded.

Sources

Crux

The Catholic Leader

CathNews New Zealand

Speaking for a second time to the Assembly, Brisbane's Archbishop Mark Coleridge reflected on the experience in Australia and asked what the Church is learning.

"This is the time for a new surge in gospel energy," he said.

Imagination is part of evangelisation

Societal change is affecting the Church and there's nothing new in that, Coleridge commented.

However, it is a matter of how we approach this change, how we use this change and work with it that matters, he said.

"We have to have the courage to say farewell to that which has served us so well."

Coleridge said change will come from below from those most involved in the new situation, which isn't surprising.

"Lay people may lead this new surge, not the priests, not the monks, surprise surprise.

"We have to move from maintenance to mission."

Right now, we have too many churches, too many Masses and too many parishes.

The current model of Church in Australia and New Zealand is built on foundations that worked in the past. That model isn't sustainable, Coleridge told the Assembly.

"The Church and parishes were built on the assumption that most Catholics would come to Mass. But now they don't," Coleridge pointed out," he explained.

"We still have structures based on those other times."

Take a risk

Considering the facts in front of us today, Coleridge's suggestion for the diocesan priests to think laterally took shape.

He suggested showing a bit of apostolic integrity and taking some risks.

He realises many people hate change - but it has to happen, he said.

When it happens, the Church must include explanations that show everyone the reasons for decisions.

"In towns and cities, we are talking about 'communities of communities' where each community is respected but drawn into a larger community."

Coleridge said the prime goal is to generate new possibilities for mission - and Pope Francis is showing us the way forward.

The Papal court protocols imprisoned Pope Benedict, but Francis is breaking free from them. He, in turn, is showing us how to break free, he told the Assembly.

Moving towards a community of communities type model will require another leadership model because the current model is not sustainable. Coleridge said.

Changing times

The former abundance of clergy doesn't exist today, Coleridge noted.

As a Church with sacraments, we must have priests and bishops.The priesthood could be re-situated, however, taking its place in a leadership team, he suggested.

That would suggest moving from a hierarchical to a charismatic leadership model, although not all priests have that charism, he noted.

Lleaders may need to come from elsewhere, he suggested.

By way of an example, he said the community of communities' model leadership team might include lay people, a deacon, or a consecrated religious.

The new approach will need training and proper preparation, but it is vital to consider these times and think laterally as we do.

Source

• New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference

In a recently released letter, Archbishop Coleridge (pictured) encouraged all Australians to educate themselves on this crucial matter, advocating for a shift in focus from potential losses to the nation's potential gains.

Coleridge highlighted the profound significance of this impending decision, framing it as a critical juncture in Australia's history.

The Archbishop acknowledged Australia's accomplishments since European settlement and stressed that the referendum's importance transcends mere historical reflection. Increasingly, Australians are recognising the deep-seated damage inflicted upon Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island communities due to European colonisation.

Drawing attention to historical context, the Archbishop invoked the words of Australia's first Catholic bishop, John Bede Polding, who decried the devaluation of Indigenous lives in the mid-19th century. Polding wrote, "The life of an (Aboriginal) human being is valued no more than the life of a kangaroo, and far less…than that of a bullock."

Archbishop Coleridge noted that Polding's writings are a stark reminder of the injustices that prevailed during that era, and his assertion that the First Nations peoples had a legitimate claim to the land remains poignant.

The status quo is untenable

Emphasising the importance of listening to Indigenous voices, the Archbishop cited Pope Francis's approach to engaging with the Indigenous peoples of the Amazon.

"They are our principal dialogue partners, those from whom we have the most to learn. Their words, their hopes and their fears should be the most authoritative voice at the table. Otherwise the result would be, once again, ‘a plan drawn up by the few for the few'."

The status quo, Coleridge declared, is untenable. The disparity between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians continues to widen, demanding immediate attention. He implored every citizen to vote with a Gospel perspective, emphasising that commitment to addressing Indigenous disadvantage and fostering reconciliation must remain unwavering, regardless of the referendum's outcome.

The Referendum on the Voice is being held on October 14 2023. If successful, it will be the first constitutional change in Australia since 1977 and the first one to directly affect Indigenous peoples since 1967.

Correction: When first published, this article claimed the Voice Referendum was happening in 2024. The error has been corrected.

Sources

Catholic Leader

Catholic Outlook

CathNews New Zealand

This proposition, which suggests a potential waiver of clerical celibacy, aims to foster greater inclusivity and representation of First Nations Australians within the Church.

The views of Archbishop Coleridge (pictured) were shared during an interview with The Australian newspaper.

However, he clarified that the sensationalist headline, "End of celibacy nigh, says Brisbane Catholic Archbishop Mark Coleridge," may have exaggerated his statements.

"The headline went quite a way beyond what I actually said, but the article was fair enough," Archbishop Coleridge said in a subsequent interview with The Catholic Leader.

"Clerical celibacy is an undoubted value"

While Archbishop Coleridge doesn't foresee the complete abandonment of celibacy, he firmly believes that the question of its applicability is pertinent, particularly within Indigenous communities.

"Clerical celibacy is an undoubted value, but it's not an absolute value," he expressed.

"I have been more or less happily celibate through my life, and the Church would be greatly impoverished if celibacy were wholly abandoned.

"But the question is whether it should be mandatory for all, and the context of the question is the changing profile of the priesthood and the current needs of the People of God," the Archbishop concluded.

As the immediate past president of the Australian Catholic Bishops' Conference, Archbishop Coleridge's insights carry substantial influence.

This becomes even more pertinent with the upcoming Synod on Synodality in Rome commencing in October.

Within this historical gathering, discussions surrounding clerical matters will undoubtedly play a crucial role.

In his interview with The Australian, Archbishop Coleridge candidly predicted that mandated priestly celibacy could see significant modifications. Although he couldn't definitively pinpoint when or how this transformation might occur, he emphasised that the question itself demands attention and contemplation.

Sources

Catholic Leader

CathNews New Zealand

Archbishop Coleridge (pictured) stressed the need for the Catholic Church to evolve in order to thrive, especially in diverse cultural contexts.

Coleridge has proposed that Indigenous priests be granted an exemption from the celibacy requirement, arguing that the church would struggle to recruit celibate clergy within certain cultures.

The Archbishop cited the case of West Australian Labor senator Patrick Dodson, the sole Indigenous man ever admitted to the Catholic priesthood, who eventually left the priesthood.

National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council chair John Lochowiak said devout Indigenous men had shunned the priesthood because it meant choosing between their family-orientated culture and serving God.

"A big part of our worldview is family … you're expected to have children as an Aboriginal man, and it is a big thing to turn your back on that to become a priest," Lochowiak told The Australian.

"For most of us, it is just too much. I think that is why you have had only one Aboriginal priest ordained after all these years, so I would welcome the (celibacy) question being looked at."

The discussion of ordaining married men is not entirely new within the Catholic Church.

A lesser-known provision allows married ministers from Anglican and other Protestant denominations to become Catholic priests, maintaining their marital status and family life.

Pope open to change

The celibacy issue was notably brought to the forefront after a special Vatican conference in 2019 suggested suspending the celibacy rule in the Amazon region of South America to address the shortage of priests.

Though Pope Francis initially showed openness to this idea, further contemplation was deemed necessary.

Archbishop Coleridge refrained from using the term "inevitable" to describe a relaxation of the priestly celibacy rule but emphasised the likelihood of change. He noted that there will likely come a point of maturation where allowing married men to become priests will seem like a natural progression rather than a sudden upheaval of tradition.

The push for change to priestly celibacy is gaining support from other church leaders as well. Bishop of Darwin Charles Gauci expressed openness to discussions about ordaining married men, particularly within Indigenous communities, respecting their cultural context.

"I am of the opinion that it is a question that will continue to be raised," he told The Australian. "It is certainly not going away. I would not say that (change) is ­inevitable - the universal church has much to decide on this ­matter."

Change does not contradict church teaching

Australian Catholic Bishops Conference National Centre for Pastoral Research director Trudy Dantis said the ordination of married men did not contradict church teaching and should be considered.

Dr Dantis said calls for the ordination of married men as Catholic priests - allowed in Protestant denominations as well as Eastern Orthodox churches - had emerged "quite strongly" in Australian consultations for the Synod on Synodality.

"Given that this model does not contradict church teaching, I believe it is worthwhile considering alongside the current celibate clergy model which continues to have strong value and appeal for many," she said.

Archbishop Coleridge said he would not be attending the Synod on Synodality in October, convened by the Pope. It would be up to others to push for changes to priestly celibacy.

In line with church practice, he will offer his resignation as Archbishop of Brisbane to Francis on turning 75 next month.

Sources

The Weekend Australian

The Australian

CathNews New Zealand

Maguire, who passed away on May 8 at age 86, was remembered as a tireless advocate for social justice and a beacon of hope for those who had none.

Brisbane Archbishop Mark Coleridge presided over the state funeral, delivering a eulogy that touched on Maguire's difficult upbringing and unwavering commitment to helping others.

"Bob was broken by much of his earlier life, but he grew strong in the broken places, which is why he was able to understand and embrace human brokenness and to learn passionately to bring strength to the broken," Coleridge said.

It was a message Coleridge said the Catholic Church would do well to heed.

"[Maguire] was about action, not just words.

"He rolled up his sleeves and got stuff done ... he had mud on his boots.

"He didn't judge or condemn.

"He opened his door to all.

"He had an unrivalled and uncontrived sense of humour.

"Now put that profile together, and you have the kind of religion that has a chance in this country. Put the opposite profile together, and you have the kind of religion that has no chance whatsoever."

Father Bob would have enjoyed his state funeral

Maguire's funeral was attended by a wide range of people from all walks of life, including political and industry leaders, members of the clergy and Maguire's "cobber-wealth," the community of people he had worked with over the years to help the most vulnerable.

Broadcaster John Safran, who had helped make Maguire a household name, mused that his friend would have enjoyed his state funeral, despite initial misgivings.

Reflecting on the occasion, Safran said a State funeral is a rare honour, and it would really have annoyed his enemies.

He said that in the end, Maguire's message of love and compassion resonated the most.

Sources

The Age

Archdiocese of Brisbane

"It has been a great joy for the bishops to gather this week to pray for and consider their shared mission as the Chief Shepherds of the region," the concluding statement from the Federation of Catholic Bishops Conferences of Oceania (FCBCO) says.

Federation members meet every four years. They come from bishops conferences in Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea/Solomon Islands and many other islands of the south-west Pacific.

This year, they were invited to imagine a "theology of the Pacific", that would allow the Church in the region to speak with a voice and a faith that is "distinctive".

That discernment was supported by theological input from Oceania-based theologians on the Assembly's themes: Care for the Oceans; Formation for Mission; and Becoming a More Synodal Church.

Finding the Pacific voices

Commenting on the Assembly, Brisbane's Archbishop Mark Coleridge noted there is a slowly emerging "distinctively Pacific voice or symphony of voices".

"You don't get one voice in the Pacific; you get many voices," he said.

"But we are looking for and waiting for a distinctively Pacific symphony of theological voices, because the theology in this part of the world is based upon a different set of facts than in other parts of the world. It's not just Western theology that has been exported."

Finding that symphony of voices was part of this year's Assembly's aims.

It involved "listening to each other so that together we can speak with a distinctive voice and speak to the whole Church right around the world," Coleridge said.

"But at the heart of that, there is the theological enterprise, applying reason to faith in a way that does justice to the experience of the peoples of the Pacific."

Caring for the oceans

The bishops say their discussions on the ocean ranged from the impact of rising sea levels and extractive industries, to proper care for oceans.

"In our region, the ecological crisis is an existential threat for our people and communities," and it is manifested in different ways, including rising sea levels, the acidification of the oceans, droughts, floods and "more frequent and more extreme weather events".

For this reason, they said a so-called "ecological conversion (is) an urgent mission priority not only for us, but also for the whole Church".

Synodality

Becoming a more synodal Church and formation for mission were important concerns in all the Oceania Conferences.

In this respect the Assembly's concluding statement notes:

"Oceania is home to some of the world's youngest local churches and also the oldest continuing culture in the world.

"We appreciate the complexity of the contemporary world ... While being young may entail vulnerabilities, it also offers freshness and vitality."

The statement also acknowledges, "the youngest churches in our region have lessons to teach the more established churches about synodality and about maintaining the freshness of the encounter of the Gospel with local cultures and societies."

The next FCBCO assembly will be in Australia in 2027.

Source

• CruxNow
• Australian Catholic Bishops Conference
• FCBCO Assembly
• NZ Catholic Bishops Conference

That means Jesus's voice remains prominent in Australia, Coleridge says.

Data from the 2021 census has just been released by the Bureau of Statistics. It includes figures on religious affiliation which show Catholics now make up 20 per cent of the population. That's down from 22.6 per cent in 2016.

Nevertheless Catholics, at almost 5.1 million people, remain the largest religious group in Australia, followed by Anglicans at 10 per cent.

The combined Christian population is now 44 per cent. Those professing no religion comprise 39 per cent of those who answered the question on the census.

Coleridge says the decline in Catholic numbers is "no great surprise".

"It's been clear for some time that the Church is no longer the power in the land we once were.

"But we remain a large minority engaged far and wide in service of the community," including in education, social services, health and aged care - as well as parish life.

"Almost half the population still identify as Christian, which means that Jesus is very much part of the mix in the Australian soul.

"That means his will remain a key voice as we work together to shape the life of the nation into the future."

The Census data already released shows that the number of Australians born overseas continues to grow, which brings with it increased cultural and religious diversity.

Coleridge says many immigrants are Catholics, and "the Catholic community has been greatly enriched by people coming to Australia from elsewhere".

The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference's National Centre for Pastoral Research will begin analysing the data for those who self-identified as Catholics in the census.

The research aims to help the Church better understand its people. It will be released, along with other key demographic data, later in the year.

Source

• Australian Catholic Bishops Conference

Brisbane Archbishop Mark Coleridge said the innovation was sparked by the continued interest in online Masses. This is despite the easing of COVID-19 restrictions allowing parishioners to attend churches in person.

"We've always thought of a Catholic parish as something that has a geographic base around a church and perhaps a school, but the past two years have made us think about life differently," Archbishop Coleridge said.

"We know that some of our parishioners who began to watch Masses by livestream early last year are still watching and may not be able to make it to a physical parish. So, we decided that we would come to them by forming a dedicated online parish community with a priest who will engage with them regularly."

Brisbane's first online parish priest is Fr Peter Brannelly. He will be a regular face on the archdiocese's social media platforms engaging viewers across southeast Queensland and beyond.

Fr Brannelly added the online ministry to his role as parish priest of Caloundra.

"I was delighted to assist in this role because we know how online interaction has grown during the pandemic," Fr Brannelly said.

"We have been able to connect with Catholics in ways that we hadn't thought of before Covid came into our lives.

While many Catholic dioceses and parishes provided a livestream of Masses, the Brisbane archdiocese wanted to go a step further and created an online parish that could be a central meeting point in the same way a physical parish brings together its community.

Archbishop Coleridge said it was important for online parishioners to see a regular face and engage with a priest in something like the way they would if they were attending a physical parish.

Each week, Fr Brannelly will introduce the livestream of a Sunday Mass for parishioners, invite prayer intentions, delve into the lives of saints on their feast days and feature in other engagement opportunities with parishioners.

The online parish began in line with the new liturgical year, with the Advent season leading into Christmas celebrations.

Fr Brannelly said the online parish community enabled people to feel as though they had a regular connection in their faith, just as they would if they were coming to a parish.

"We expect we will engage with people who are still going to their physical parish but who may not be able to make it every weekend."

Sources

The Catholic Leader

CathNews

Australian Catholics

Archbishop Mark Coleridge sent a letter this week to all priests and deacons to comply with double-dose vaccination by December 15 or stand aside.

In the strongly worded letter on Monday, he warned that unvaccinated clergy "present a risk" to parishioners. He said that priests and deacons who failed to comply would have to show cause as to why they should not be immediately suspended.

Conscientious objection would not be accepted as grounds for exemption, he said.

"I will not consider conscientious objection to receiving the vaccination as a valid exception to the provisions set out here," wrote Coleridge. "I fully respect the right of conscience, especially when properly formed in the Catholic understanding. But I too have a conscience; and it is not just legal obligation but consciences which has led to my decision."

Leaders of other church communities have taken different approaches to vaccine mandates.

The Archbishop of Melbourne Peter Comensoli, heading Australia's largest Catholic community, said about 5 percent of clergy there were not fully vaccinated. While "strongly encouraging" priests to get the Covid shots, he had stopped short of mandating it.

"I have strongly encouraged vaccination for our clergy so that they can fully minister to our people in all circumstances. Most particularly for the care of the most vulnerable in hospitals and aged care," Archbishop Comensoli told The Australian. "To date, around 95 percent have achieved their double vaccination."

A spokesman for Anglican Primate, Geoffrey Smith, said the archbishop had "made his position very clear" that everyone should be vaccinated. But it is understood no Anglican diocese in Australia had made this compulsory.

Dr Coleridge recognised that vaccination was a "matter of personal choice," but, this was outweighed by legal obligations to civil law, state health directives, occupational health and safety requirements and the duty of care owed to parishioners.

"A pastor or assistant pastor in parish ministry is to know the faithful, visit families, care for the faithful, strengthening them in the Lord and refresh the faithful with the sacraments," he wrote.

"Diligently, he is to seek out the poor, the afflicted, the lonely and the exiled. He is to support spouses and parents in fulfilling their proper duties and to foster growth of Christian life in the family.

"That means that clergy engaged in parish ministry must be close to people. In the circumstances of the pandemic, clergy engaged in pastoral ministry who are not doubly vaccinated put the faithful of the parish at risk. They present a risk to the faithful to whom they minister, as well as to their families.

"Clergy not doubly vaccinated are failing in their duty of care for the faithful."

Sources

The Catholic Leader

The Australian

The Statement was signed in 2017 by 250 aboriginal and Torres Strait islander leaders.

It calls for the establishment of a ‘First Nations Voice' in the Australian Constitution and a ‘Makarrata Commission' to supervise a process of ‘agreement-making' and ‘truth-telling' between governments and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

So far it has not received backing from Australian lawmakers.

"… I call on all people of goodwill and good intention to support the journey of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples by endorsing the Uluru Statement From the Heart and putting it into action in every way possible," Coleridge said when endorsing the statement after a special Mass for First Nations leaders and parish representatives last Friday.

"Only a heart of stone could allow the indigenous peoples to become aliens, exiles, and refugees in their own land," he said.

"God is going to take out of us that heart of stone and give us a heart of flesh - the heart of Jesus… that recognises the other as a human being.

"What has been done to the indigenous peoples of this land could only have been done by denying that they were in fact human - they were at best perhaps subhuman.

"A heart of flesh says no to that, absolutely no."

The Mass and Coleridge's proclamation were part of his historic visit to the coastal lands of the Quandamooka people east of Brisbane this week - just days before the start of the Church's Plenary Council of Australia.

One of the Plenary's key themes is "renewing the Church's solidarity with First Australians".

To date, Government policies have largely failed Australia's First Nations peoples.

Coleridge said the poor health and incarceration rates of indigenous Australians - the highest in the world - is "a national disgrace".

"Our role is not to do things on behalf of aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples but to listen to them, to learn from them, to accompany them, and to support them to determine their own future.

"In 1967 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders people were counted for the first time, and now they seek to be heard.

"So as Archbishop I call on all people of goodwill and good intention to support the journey of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples by endorsing the Uluru Statement from the Heart, and by putting it into action in every way possible."

It is considered significant that Coleridge chose the traditional lands of the Quandamooka country to proclaim his support for the Uluru Statement.

It was the site of Australia's first Catholic mission to First Nations peoples in 1843.

Dean Parkin, a Quandamooka Uluru Statement signatory (pictured with Coleridge), welcomed the Church's support.

An indigenous body advising parliament would lead to better indigenous affairs policy on law making, which would lead to better outcomes and more efficient use of government funds, he said.

"The key thing is to give voice to those who have been previously unheard."

Source

• The Tablet
• The Catholic Leader
• Image: Archdiocese of Brisbane

The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference president says the government should provide at least 20,000 humanitarian places for refugees from Afghanistan in the wake of the current Taliban takeover.

In a letter to Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Coleridge points out the "outpouring of concern for the people of Afghanistan" since the Afghan government collapsed and the Taliban seized control ten days ago.

Even though Australia has provided 8,000 places for Afghan people for several years, the current need to increase the refugee intake is pressing, Coleridge urges.

He told Morrison that although the additional 3,000 places it is offering "is a substantial commitment," more are needed.

Based on estimates from key humanitarian organisations and pledges from other countries, Coleridge suggested to Morrison that at least another 17,000 places need to be made available.

Coleridge also promised Morrison help from the Catholic Church in Australia.

"Australia has stepped up before in response to significant humanitarian crises and I urge your government to be generous," his letter says.

The Catholic agencies "stand ready to assist your government with the resettlement of refugees as an expression of our great concern for the people of Afghanistan."

Coleridge's letter emphasises the very real danger people in Afghanistan face.

He said many Afghans would find themselves vulnerable under Taliban rule.

He made particular mention of those who supported Australia's defence personnel when they served in Afghanistan. They included people who lost their lives, religious minorities and women.

"It would seem our moral duty to stand with those who supported Australian military forces as interpreters or in other capacities, who it seems likely will suffer reprisals and even death for their work," he continues.

"We should also offer refuge to other Afghans who are likely to suffer persecution or risk being killed because of their opposition to the Taliban, or because of their beliefs, values and way of life, including members of the Christian community.

"There is a particular risk to women, and Australia's humanitarian response should recognise and support their dignity and human rights."

Source

• Australian Catholic Bishops' Conference
• Image: BBC

A weekly ‘must-read' for informed Catholics, the Letter shapes and unravels the burning issues of the day in the Vatican and the Church.

The conversation on synodality offers more than "flashes" and raises important questions for the Church to consider, wrote Letter author Robert Mickens.

Referring to an hour-long conversation hosted by Dr Joe Grayland of Palmerston North between Cardinal John Dew, (Wellington), Archbishop Mark Coleridge (Brisbane) and Professor Thomas O'Loughlin (Nottingham), Mickens says it was "well worth the time" and "went quickly."

"All four of these priests offered more than just "flashes" of insight regarding synodality. They also raised important questions about this new and not always clear path the Jesuit pope has pushed the Church to embark upon," he wrote.

Speaking with CathNews from Sydney, one of the originators of "Flashes of Insight", Michael Kelly SJ, is pleased Flashes of Insight influenced Mickens sufficiently to highlight it in his Letter from Rome.

"Against a backdrop of a synod in Germany and media talk about schism, La Croix International editor Robert Mickens obviously saw value in the Flashes of Insight conversation," Kelly said.

"It (Flashes of Insight) is an obvious outcome of what the technology allows us to do when realizing value out of what is a global Catholic community," he said.

Kelly said that "people all over the world have different insights into the same events and Flashes of Insight appreciates this difference in its assessment in things we actually share."

While this type of technology has been around for several years it is only recently being more universally embraced, Kelly said.

He acknowledges it is ‘early days' for Flashes of Insight but is hopeful.

Calling it a great opportunity he says starting something afresh is fraught.

"I have some appreciation of how difficult it is to start something locally, let alone virtually but we've got the technology."

"Jesus used a technology of his time, a boat, and went out on the water to address the crowds from a better vantage point."

"We've got the internet and a range of new tools."

"It's about the mission and we're giving it a crack."

Kelly is particularly hopeful that those who engage in the process, either by participating in the conversations, joining the audience, watching, and or commenting, will benefit.

He hopes people might also share Flashes of Insight.

Inviting people to join the conversation, Kelly said Flashes of Insight is dialogue rather than a formal didactic approach.

Archbishop Mark Coleridge of Brisbane, the president of the Australian Bishops' Conference, was speaking about the experience of the plenary council, the highest form of gathering for a local church, and one of the leading examples of "synodality" in global Catholicism.

Synodality, a concept which Pope Francis wants to see implemented from the parish upwards, brings people, priests and bishops together to make decisions about the future of the church.

"I think we are learning that the whole process is very slow and very messy. Autocracy was always quicker and cleaner," Archbishop Coleridge told a webinar organised by The Tablet.

"But if you are serious, and we are, about listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit, who is the only one who does know where are going, then it is slow and it is messy trying to hear the voice of the spirit in the vast cacophony or polyphony of the Church."

He went on: "It's the only way into the future that's worth having or a future that God might have in mind for us."

The Australian church's decision to convene a council was sparked by the clerical sexual abuse scandals and the findings of a Royal Commission which exposed the Church's institutional failings.

Archbishop Coleridge stressed reform is needed in the Church because "the current mode of leadership is unsustainable".

He was joined in the discussion by Archbishop Timothy Costelloe of Perth, the president of the plenary council.

The council has included a listening and discernment process where the contributions of more than 220,000 people had contributed to a working document.

This in turn will help produce an agenda for the two assemblies: the first taking place in October, and the second in July 2022.

Archbishop Costelloe said there had been an "extraordinary range of responses" and the challenge was listening to the "voice of the Holy Spirit" from within the multiplicity of voices.

Discernment, he stressed, is a vital, painstaking and time-consuming process and is not something the traditionally more action focussed Church in Australia has been well-versed in.

"It takes careful listening," he said. "It takes a lot of humility and a readiness to let go of a lot of my cherished ideas, perhaps, because I might be learning something from listening to someone else."

Another element, Archbishop Costello emphasised, is openness and not having a pre-determined agenda. "The whole point of this process of discernment is that we don't pre-empt it," he said.

"We don't know what the outcome of the plenary council will be, or what proposals, or decisions or new directions we might strike out in. We just don't know."

That doesn't mean, the archbishops stressed, that the Plenary Council won't lead to concrete conclusions as discernment must be geared to action.

Archbishop Coleridge pointed out that a council has more decision making power than a synod with the final decrees signed off by the Pope.

"A plenary council is anything but a talkfest, however long the preparation is," he said. "It is a moment of decision making, legislation…and decrees. And these would be geared to charting a very particular path into the future for the church in this country."

One of the areas up for discussion is how to include women at decision-making levels.

Archbishop Coleridge stresses that "a church which says we cannot ordain women to the priesthood and perhaps even to the diaconate" is, therefore "equally obliged in my view, and the view of many, to keep asking the question, how else might we include in imaginative and new ways, women, not just in the point of management but even in governance."

He pointed out, however, that church leadership is not contingent on ordination.

"It's a matter of exercising an evangelical imagination to ask how women can lead, and not just repeating forms of the past but creating new forms. So I look to the Holy Spirit to do this," the archbishop said.

"We need a less hierarchical and less monarchical form of governance...some fear the episcopal office or ministry is being undermined, I don't fear that at all. I think it is been re-situated, again in a way that might show it forth more clearly."

The plenary council working document has identified six characteristics of the church to reflect on: "missionary and evangelising"; "inclusive, participatory and synodal"; "prayerful and Eucharistic"; "humble, healing and merciful"; "A joyful, hope-filled and servant community" and "open to conversion, renewal and reform".

Although it was announced in 2016, Archbishop Coleridge said the roots of the Plenary Council date back to 2002 when the late Archbishop Philip Wilson of Adelaide suggested some form of "national ecclesial event".

This was sparked both by a sense of "trouble brewing" in relation to abuse Pope John Paul II's 2000 apostolic letter Novo Millenio Ineunte setting out priorities for the Church in the third millennium.

Momentum built, he explained, following both the election of Pope Francis in 2013 and the establishment of Royal Commission into responses by institutions to sexual abuse.

A turning point to call the council came after the 2015 synod of bishops on the family, which helped produce the Pope's marriage and family life document, Amoris Laetitia. During that synod, on 17 October, Francis gave one of the most important speeches of his pontificate.

"That was the moment for me, personally, when there was something like a flash of inspiration, when I thought that after all the years of uncertainty and hesitation, the discussion, the discernment, this was the time," Archbishop Coleridge, he took part in the synod gathering, explained.

During that speech, the Pope said the "path of synodality" is "what God expects of the Church of the third millennium".

Since then a number of countries have announced synodal processes such including Germany, Italy and Ireland.

The German synodal path has faced opposition from some in Rome because it has been discussing the ordination of women - ruled out by Pope Francis - and the possibility of offering blessings to same-sex couples. Continue reading

Pushed by a royal commission report to implement reforms, they recently reverted to standard operating procedures of delay and secrecy in suppressing a major report on governance reform.

While hoping to delay and control discussion, the bishops were outmanoeuvred by the leaking of the highly significant report. It will now be available to and discussed by all Catholics - as it should be.

Titled The Light from the Southern Cross: Promoting Co-Responsible Governance in the Catholic Church in Australia, the report deserves serious consideration - but by refusing to release it until at least November, the bishops displayed their usual disposition to not trust their people, to keep them in the dark and assign to themselves the sole right to consider and comment on the contents.

The report is the outcome of a royal commission recommendation that called for a review of the governance, leadership and management structures of dioceses and parishes, including issues of transparency, accountability, consultation and the participation of lay men and women.

The report provides an important analysis of why current arrangements are not fit-for-purpose and outlines how the church can operate in ways that are faithful to its calling, respect the dignity of its members and are consistent with the reasonable expectations of modern society for inclusiveness, transparency and accountability.

Confronted with the overwhelming demand for reform it seems the bishops panicked and reverted to their old habits.

All Catholics and the wider Australian community have a legitimate interest here so that effective and appropriate mechanisms in which the community can have confidence can be implemented.

Culturally, the focus of the review is closely related to the issue of clericalism, which the royal commission and Pope Francis have been explicit in stating lies at the root of many of the failures of the church and the perversion of its mission.

The review panel took the initiative in having international experts review and offer perspectives on its likely findings and recommendations.

The report was keenly awaited by Catholics in Australia and globally.

It breaks new ground in articulating a way forward - an Australian model of church that has universal application.

Such issues challenge many in the church, none more so than the current crop of Australian bishops.

In many ways the report gets to the nub of the need for real reform, and addresses the cultural challenges in implementing a model church that is open, accountable, non-clerical and inclusive.

For some time now the bishops have promised it will no longer be "business as usual" in the administration of the church and their role in considering the need for change.

Catholics and others might want to believe such commitments, but unfortunately they can't.

This most recent episode simply underscores that sad fact. It is particularly perverse that on the topic of "co-responsible governance", which goes to the heart of transparency and accountability, the bishops chose to send a message that they don't much value or want the views of Australian Catholics, and sought to completely control any discussion.

On this occasion, their little scheme has been sprung, and rightly all Catholics will be able to read and comment on the report.

By defending their outdated instincts for secrecy, the bishops cling to an arrogant operating style.

If Catholics or other Australians doubt this, they only have to read Malcolm Turnbull's account in his recent memoir of how Sydney Archbishop Anthony Fisher, shamelessly and contrary to all public commitments, conceded that the bishops do allocate Commonwealth education funds in ways that suit their own agendas.

It is a revelation breathtaking in its duplicity.

Little wonder then that Canberra's Archbishop, Christopher Prowse, wrote recently that demands for transparency and accountability are part of "society's aggressive secularism".

It seems openness and accountability are things to be feared and best avoided.

The work and report of the royal commission have been pivotal in generating internal momentum on church reform.

There is ample scope for both people and bishops to walk this journey together.

It is a case of trust-building trust.

There is little doubt that the review of church governance would not have happened were it not a key recommendation of an inquiry that shone a searching light into the fetid darkness of church hierarchy, culture and the perverted loyalties that dishonoured its mission and people.

The legitimate pressure of the Australian community and governments has been critical in this process and properly needs to continue, to ensure all Australians can be confident that necessary reforms are implemented.

The governance review is part of a broader initiative, led by Brisbane's Archbishop and president of the Australian Bishops Conference, Mark Coleridge, for a Plenary Council to consider the overall position of the church in Australia.

To his credit, Coleridge prevailed in promoting this idea against the natural instincts of a sizeable number of his colleagues.

A major consultative process, held over the past 18 months involving more than 17,000 submissions from individuals and groups, demonstrated strong buy-in from ordinary Catholics. An official summary of the inputs reached an unavoidable conclusion that most want serious and significant change and have little confidence in their bishops.

It was also clear that Australian Catholics are fed up with secrecy and a lack of accountability.

The governance report is even more powerful because there is fertile ground among ordinary Catholics for such reforms.

In the final analysis, ordinary Catholics are the church - and they are demanding shared leadership and control. But many clerics, and particularly the bishops, are of a different mind.

Confronted with the overwhelming demand for reform it seems the bishops panicked and reverted to their old habits.

This is evident not just in the suppression of the governance report but also the brutal way they stacked the composition of six discernment groups, whose task was to prepare position papers that will frame the agenda for the formal Plenary sessions.

These documents have now been released, and there is tentative evidence that, perhaps despite the efforts of some, the reform issues raised by ordinary Catholics are still in the mix.

This highlights the fact that the bishops seem to be coming slowly to accepting that major change is irresistible.

Although the message from the people to the bishops in the first stage of the Plenary Council consultations was a very emphatic "we don't trust our bishops", that lack of trust can be bridged by the bishops recognising the richness and faith in the input their people have provided.

There is ample scope for both people and bishops to walk this journey together.

It is a case of trust-building trust.

In 2018, Pope Francis wrote a "Letter to the People of God" - in other words, ordinary Catholics.

In it he called for their help in ridding the church of sexual abuse and clericalism.

Francis asked Catholics to be "active and assertive" in helping him to reform the church.

The implication, and the none-too-subtle conclusion, to draw was that Francis doubted that many of his leadership team, and local bishops, were up to the task.

So, he asked ordinary Catholics to support his push for reform from the grassroots.

It is significant that the Australian hierarchy effectively ignored the Pope's letter - a surprising and damning outcome that only confirmed the Pope's assessment.

Rather than working openly with their people as Francis encourages, the Australian bishops still resort to secrecy and control, old habits they need to leave behind.

The quality of the governance report, the product of a highly qualified but mainly non-clerical panel, should make the bishops start to trust their own people. Otherwise they may find themselves offside with the Pope and abandoned by most Australian Catholics.

• Terry Fewtrell is involved with Concerned Catholics of Canberra-Goulburn. This article first appeared on johnmenadue.com

The plenary council is set to begin in Adelaide October.

During his two-week trip to Rome, Coleridge will meet with senior curial figures and Pope Francis. They will focus on the plenary council, its key themes and its organizing principles.

The council is part of the Church in Australia's response to the sexual abuse crisis and issues including efforts by local governments to pass laws encroaching on religious freedom and the seal of confession.

Lay participants may contribute to Council sessions, but only bishops will vote on binding resolutions.

These resolutions will be sent to the Vatican for approval.

While he is in Rome, Coleridge also plans to discuss three sepcific topics.

These are: Vatican's response to the Australian Royal Commission's recommendations on the protection of minors, the seal of confession, and the case of imprisoned Cardinal George Pell.

A law passed in the state of Victoria last year requires clergy to report suspected child abuse to the authorities, even if it was revealed in the confessional. To obey this law means requiring priests to break the sacramental seal of confession.

The state's premier, Daniel Andrews, said he hoped the legislation would "send a message" to the Church on child sex abuse.

A national standard for mandatory reporting by clergy is also being considered.

Pell, the former Vatican prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy, was convicted on five charges of child sexual abuse and sentenced to six years in prison. He must serve three years and eight months before being eligible for parole. He is in a maximum-security prison and has appealed his conviction to Australia's High Court. The case will be heard on March 11 and 12.

Australian bishop Richard Umbers is emphasising the importance of a valid ecclesiology, Catholic language, and clear expression of Church teaching during the upcoming plenary council.

There must be a proper understanding of the hierarchical structure of the Church, and respect for Church teaching, during the council assembly, he says.

The plenary council has been preceded by a "listening and dialogue phase" where the lay faithful submitted suggested topics on what is asked of the Church in Australia, and the future of the Church.

According to the final report on the listening phase, "strongly discussed topics included the rule of celibacy for priests, the ordination of women and the inclusion of divorced and remarried Catholics."

The desire for "greater listening" and lay involvement in the Church, as well as better evangelization was also present in the submitted answers, the report said.

Source

• Catholic News Agency
• Image: ABC

Two years after a royal commission exposed the scale of child abuse in the church, Catholic leaders are reshaping the way clergy are appointed.

This includes new screening and monitoring protocols for candidates and a revamped "national program of priestly formation" being developed.

It is also widely rumoured that church leaders are discussing dismantling the seminary system altogether.

They are considering a broader model of priest apprenticeships with more interaction with the community, it is said.

Current priestly formation generally requires living in an exclusive, male-dominated residential college.

At the college the seminarians work on a seven-year training programme with four dimensions: spiritual, pastoral, human and academic.

Church leaders accept that past practices such as poor vetting, inadequate lessons in celibacy and ministry and a clerical culture that shunned women contributed to the church's abuse problem.

Evidence to the royal commission and subsequent legal cases showed a number of seminaries had become places where repressed young men would experiment sexually with one another with little consequence.

Some would later turn their attention to children in their parish.

Many priests began offending soon after they graduated.

The Australian Catholic Church now requires Catholic institutions, including seminaries, to meet new child protection standards.

They will be identified in public reports by the Catholic Professional Standards agency if they do not comply.

But Australian Catholics Bishops Conference chair Mark Coleridge says a "radical revision of how we recruit and prepare candidates for ordination" is needed for the church to learn from its past.

"Much has changed in our seminaries but one has to wonder whether seminaries are the place or way to train men for the priesthood now," Coleridge says.

This is not a new idea of Coleridge's. He has previously been reported as saying he is open to a priest "apprenticeship model".

In this trainee priests could receive broader training at universities and parishes while still being appropriately "formed" spiritually, intellectually and pastorally.

Further reform is now underway.

Screening protocols have been agreed by the Bishops' Conference and a review into the selection and training of clergy is currently underway.

This will form the basis of a new National Program of Priestly Formation, which the Conference will consider in November.

Source

• The Age
• Image: Australian Confraternity of Catholic Clergy

Mark Coleridge, who is also the head of the Australian Bishops' Conference, says a "willingness to act no matter the cost" is the only way to restore trust in the Church after recent clergy abuse revelations.

"Until there is a genuine restoration of trust, no apology is going to land," he says.

"We have to accept now [that] restoring trust will come over time only if in fact we do the things we say we're going to do.

"The dominant mood probably is a sense of bewilderment, really, because this is a crisis the like of which we haven't faced in our history."

In preventing a "fragmented and at times contradictory response" to "an area as vital as child protection" it is important to have a national approach, Coleridge says.

The national response in Australia faces "enormous challenges," he says.

This is because with seven distinct jurisdictions "Australia in the singular doesn't exist."

Coleridge says the Royal Commission with "its secular eye upon the life of the church was extraordinarily important and helpful," but that it "didn't do God and couldn't do God" the way the Church could.

"My own sense is that it is law being proposed or passed by people who don't understand the way the sacrament happens on the ground.

"If I as a priest confessor have someone come to me and confess anonymously to having abused a child...I don't know the identity of the perpetrator. I don't know the identity of the victim, and yet I am supposed to go to the police."

Emphasising the importance of listening to victims of abuse, Coleridge says: "Here, I'm echoing Pope Francis, because he talks about a synodal church as a listening church."

"We need that combination of passion and commitment to act. But patience, given that it will take time."

Source

• The Tablet
• Image: Religion News Service

The archbishops say Catholic educators are concerned non-government schools are starting term three with no idea about how much funding they would receive from the Turnbull government in 2019. Read more