Held within the majestic setting of St Patrick's Cathedral in Parramatta, Australia, the Adult Confirmation Mass brought together people from around 20 parishes in the Diocese. It was celebrated by the Bishop of Parramatta, Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv.

At the Mass, Bishop Vincent said the sacrament marked a pivotal moment in the Catholic faith journey of these adults - no matter their age, background or faith journey.

"May they who commit themselves to receiving the gifts of the Holy Spirit live out their commitment as heralds of the Good News," Bishop Vincent said.

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The plan focuses on fostering a synodal Church aimed at strengthening inclusivity, collaboration and active participation within the diocese.

Bishop Vincent Long (pictured) launched the plan at an event which more than 220 attended.

Central to the plan is the emphasis on communal discernment, recognising the shared responsibility between clergy and laity in Church decision-making.

"Our journey has only just begun" Bishop Vincent said.

"As we move forward, we endeavour to institutionalise best practice in communal discernment, decision making and governance which would enhance the authority of the ordained and the rightful participation of the faithful" he said.

"Like the disciples on the road to Emmaus, we are strengthened by the encounter with Jesus as we embark on the journey of participation, communion and mission."

Sense of Faith

Reverend Dr Ormond Rush said the new Pastoral Plan is built on a framework of key shared principles.

These principles include the significance of baptism as the starting point for the Diocese's shared mission in the Church, as well as Sensus Fidei, meaning ‘sense of the faith'.

"We see this in how a person lives, speaks and acts as a follower of God. It helps us understand that everyone, not just clergy, can recognise true expressions of faith.

"It is this Sensus Fidei which propels us to work towards a Synodal Church by recognising the truth in what is said as we listen to others, to better understand our faith to make informed decisions, and to keep us on the right path" explained Rush.

Humility and openness

Bishop Long underscored the importance of a Church that listens and learns from its members, promoting a culture of humility and openness.

The new Pastoral Plan, shaped by insights from the 2023 Diocesan Synod, focuses on key objectives - creating an inclusive, humble and healing synodal Church; fostering a spirit of prayer and renewal; listening and reaching out to the margins; and encouraging collective journeying.

Five priorities have been set to achieve these goals:

• prayer
• mission
• formation
• listening and discernment
• building community.

The initiative is part of a broader effort by the Diocese of Parramatta to create a more vibrant and inclusive Church that remains relevant and responsive to the needs of its members and the world.

Sources

Catholic Outlook

CathNews New Zealand

Andrew proposed to Isabella at the Eiffel Tower in front of 170 pilgrims and passing Parisians under the sparkling lights of the city of love's most iconic landmark.

The long-time best friends are also teachers at St John Paul II Catholic College Schofields and Nirimba Fields and joined the pilgrimage to grow in faith, their love for God and each other.

"I've tried to hide this ring from her for Six months now. I've had to keep it safe on the plane and the whole journey here while keeping it from her," said Andrew. "It's been crazy stressful, but at the end of the day, it's been all worth it."

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With the formation of this council, the diocese seeks to tap into the diverse talents and experiences of its deacons and their wives, who play a crucial role in their vocation.

Over the past 17 years, the Parramatta Diocese has been dedicated to forming deacons, resulting in a current roster of 18 active deacons serving in various ministries, with an additional six deacons in the formation process.

Deacon Tony Hoban, a highly respected figure within the diocese, has been appointed as the Vicar for Deacons, taking on a leadership role in guiding the council.

In an interview with Catholic Outlook, Deacon Tony shared that, "It was originally Bishop Vincent's idea to establish a council," he said.

"He's very supportive of our community and what we bring to the diocese and wanted to utilise the gifts and talents of our community."

Support for the wives of deacons

Significantly, the council's formation also considers the views of parishioners.

With deacons serving in nearly half of the parishes across the diocese, including Deacon Tony and Deacon Rod as pastoral directors, the council can effectively incorporate the perspectives and needs of the local community.

Moreover, Deacon Tony stressed the importance of supporting deacons' wives.

"Every deacon and his wife have vastly differing backgrounds and experiences, which we can bring into our ministry. It's crucial that we have the wives' support on the council as the first vocation of a deacon is that of marriage and the family."

The inaugural meeting of the Diaconate Council is scheduled to take place in mid-June. Acting as an advisory body to the bishop, the council members will assess all aspects of diaconal ministry and evaluate the support provided after ordination.

Furthermore, the council will establish a platform for deacons and their families to engage in meaningful dialogue, fostering a sense of community and collaboration.

The news of the council's establishment has been met with enthusiasm by the diaconate community in Parramatta. They eagerly anticipate the opportunity to be heard, supported and receive additional training to enhance their fulfilment of the diaconal vocation.

Sources

Catholic Outlook

CathNews New Zealand

Individuals and groups were invited to reflect on and respond to a series of questions across the Synod of Bishops' three key themes: communion, participation and mission.

The online portal for submissions closed in March with more than 1100 responses received on behalf of thousands of people.

Trudy Dantis, the national coordinator of the Synod of Bishops and director of the National Centre for Pastoral Research, said the various sources of information will allow for meaningful reports to be prepared.

Dantis said, "When you add the significant content that was gathered during the Plenary Council's initial Listening and Dialogue phase, which was also collated at the diocesan level, there is rich material for each diocese to draw into their Synod of Bishops reports."

The Diocese of Parramatta held a Synod of Bishops Exhibition Night titled: ‘A Church diverse, but in union'.

The meeting was held over Zoom (pictured) and facilitated by the Diocesan Committee for the Consultation on the Synod of Bishops and the Diocesan Synod Writing Group.

More than 650 responses were received and then assembled into a draft synthesis titled "Go out into yhe deep: become the Church Christ calls us to be".

Anastasia Boulus, a member of the writing group, presented a summary of the responses. From the responses received, the writing group identified seven themes.

The themes explored and acknowledged the existing synodality of the diocese through pastoral councils, approaches to leadership, school commitments, and the wisdom of religious institutes.

The themes also identified areas for growth and change including

• cultural inclusion and welcome
• embracing the spirit of Vatican II
• transparent and synodal leadership
• more opportunities for education and formation
• greater inclusion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples
• LGBTQIA+ catholics
• those of other faiths
• creative and welcoming liturgies

Jim, a participant, described the Synod as "a group of people together, listening intently to each other across the great variety of differences of points of view and considering what they're hearing in a very prayerful way."

The Writing Group was due to finish its report on 1 May, then to be forwarded as the Diocesan Contribution to the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference.

Sources

Catholic Outlook

Diocese of Parramatta

Australia Catholic Bishops Conference

Go out into the Deep: Draft Document

The Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta (CEDP) split from Catholic Schools NSW, the statewide body, over its opposition to Mark Latham's anti-trans education bill.

Although later superseded by a subsequent submission, in its submission into an inquiry into the bill to parliament, the CEDP described Latham's proposal as "counter to promoting and respecting the human dignity of all."

It is "an unacceptable incursion into the professional judgement of Catholic schools and school systems," the CEDP wrote.

Reacting to CEDPs views in the submission, some priests and parents in the diocese accused Parramatta's bishop, Vincent Long Van Nguyen, of "heresy."

They called on him and CEDP boss Greg Whitby to resign.

Long then overruled Whitby in a new submission which he said "superseded" the CEDPs contribution.

The Parramatta diocese "affirms the prohibition of teaching gender ideology (gender fluidity) in an educational setting". He added that he had "serious concerns, echoing Pope Francis, about this ideology," Long wrote.

He then cited the Catholic position on gender theory set out by the Vatican in Male and Female He Created Them.

"The young need to be helped to accept their own body as it was created," Long quoted from the paper

Without explicitly supporting or opposing the bill, Long said it must not "prohibit a school from supporting children who are already at risk of marginalisation because of gender identity issues."

The diocese "strongly affirms the Catholic teaching that parents are the primary educators of their children in matters of faith and education," he said.

The about-face followed Long's letter to parishioners and parents on April 27 in which he assured them the earlier decision to oppose the bill was guided by Catholic teaching.

"I emphatically reject the notion of gender ideology," he wrote.

"What I advocate for is a compassionate, respectful, inclusive, Gospel-centred learning environment and a deep commitment to the wellbeing of all students, particularly those at risk.

"Their lives must not be made more intolerable by unjust laws such as elements of the ‘Latham' Bill that I have articulated above."

The Parramatta Catholic diocese includes 80 schools, 43,000 students and 5000 staff. Priests leading the backlash included one - Father John Rizzo, who urged Long to resign.

"Your stance regarding homosexuality is at odds with the teachings of the Catholic Church," Rizzo wrote.

"Your zealous approach to ‘inclusivity' towards the LGBTQI community is very confusing to Catholics wanting to be faithful to the church."

Catholic Schools NSW chief executive Dallas McInerney, supported the backlash against discussion of gender diversity in schools and welcomed Long's new submission.

"[We] look forward to engaging with Mr Latham's inquiry further on this matter now that we have the benefit of a more aligned position," he said.

Source

• Brisbane Times
• Image: Catholic Outlook

In their petition to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), the complainants from the Diocese of Parramatta, Australia.

They also seek the removal of the diocese's vicar general and its executive director of Catholic education.

The appeal accuses Bishop Vincent Long Văn Nguyễn and his vicar for education in the diocese, Father Christopher de Souza, of causing scandal by promoting in diocesan schools teachings on homosexuality that contradict Church teachings.

There are a series of other complaints, including allegations that two diocesan priests were harassed out of their positions because they do not share the diocese's approach to homosexuality.

Bishop Long, 59, is the first Vietnamese-born bishop to lead a diocese outside of Vietnam and the first Vietnamese-born bishop in Australia.

He was appointed auxiliary bishop of Melbourne in 2011 by Benedict XVI. Pope Francis appointed him the ordinary of Parramatta in 2016.

In 2017, Bishop Long made clear his approach, saying he was committed to making the Church in Parramatta a "house for all peoples, a church where there is less an experience of exclusion but more an encounter of radical love, inclusiveness and solidarity."

He added: "We must commit ourselves to the task of reaching out to our LGBTI brothers and sisters, affirming their dignity and accompanying them on our common journey towards the fullness of life and love in God."

Two petitions were sent last year to Bishop Long, the vicar general and the apostolic nuncio to Australia, Archbishop Tito Yllana, via email and registered mail, but the organizers said they received no response.

"After exhausting all possible means to discuss privately with the bishop with regard to the request for transparency and the curriculum issues, we have not heard from the bishop with regard to the formal submission of the two petitions to him," said Bernadette Ching, organizer of the first petition.

Ching and other disaffected faithful therefore took the decision to send a "formal canon-law submission to Rome" and called on the Vatican "to remove Bishop Long and vicar general [Father] Chris de Souza for violation of canon law and teaching doctrinal errors to the detriment of the souls of our faithful."

The petitioners are demanding Father de Souza's resignation because he oversees the work of the education department that they say has been responsible for introducing a pro-homosexual agenda into schools.

On Sunday, April 25 Long delivered a homily in which he said, "I don't believe we have anything to fear from a respectful and intelligent dialogue, with our sons and daughters, with our deeply committed teaching staff in a caring, Catholic environment."

Life can be "complex," he added, "but the Church is not a cult, a ghetto, that refuses to engage, to dialogue, or to challenge our contemporary culture."

The bishop's emphasis on the importance of dialogue did not go unnoticed by his concerned and unheeded flock as they wait to hear from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

"Although we all have yet to get a response to our request to dialogue," Ching said, "we hope Bishop Vincent Long stays true to his words."

Sources

• National Catholic Register