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Mary Mother of the Church
Catholic Parish Ivanhoe
Mary Mother of the Church
Catholic Parish Ivanhoe
News 2020
A broad and diverse mix of Local, National and International faith-related News, Information and Opinions.
Views expressed are those of the Authors and may or may not always represent those of the Parish.
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Plenary Council 2020-2021. Information for prospective delegates & Application as Delegate, see 12 January 2019 below
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Fr Bill Edebohls & Harvest invite you
"Visit from Bethlehem University"
Come
and hear Brother Peter Bray FSC (Vice Chancellor of Bethlehem
University) speak about
life in Bethlehem and the amazing ministry of
the only Catholic University in Palestine and its challenge to educate a new generation of
young Christian and Muslim leaders in a land ravaged by injustice, occupation and oppression.
Sunday 23rd February, 6.00pm, The Cunningham Centre (opposite St. Bernadette’s School)
53 Stanley St, Ivanhoe. Please RSVP Parish Office 9499 1515 or Ivanhoe@cam.org.au All Welcome! Brochure HERE
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2020 could see major Vatican shakeups
Extract from Elise Harris, Senior Correspondent, Crux, 18 January 2019
ROME - At the beginning of the week, the insider Catholic universe imploded when news broke that retired Pope Benedict XVI and Guinean Cardinal Robert Sarah had co-authored a new book defending priestly celibacy just as Pope Francis is considering an exception to the rule proposed during the Amazon synod. In the fierce and polemical debate that ensued, the role of a pope emeritus was questioned while Catholicism’s conservative and progressive camps exchanged arguments over Benedict XVI’s intentions with the book, titled From the Depths of Our Hearts: Priesthood, Celibacy and the Crisis of the Catholic Church, which hit shelves Jan. 15 in France. The saga culminated with Archbishop Georg Ganswein, personal secretary for Benedict XVI, saying the emeritus pope had asked that his name be withdrawn as a coauthor and removed from the book’s introduction and conclusion. Citing the Chicago Manual of Style, however, the English-language publisher, Ignatius Press, said it considers the publication “coauthored.” Though unprecedented is perhaps the wrong word to describe the bizarre episode, it was certainly odd, as Sarah, an active sitting cardinal who heads the Vatican’s liturgy office, took to social media to defend his credibility, issuing several statements and publishing correspondence between himself and Benedict - things that heads of Vatican departments don’t typically do.....(more). Photo: Cardinal Robert Sarah, Crux, Paul Haring CNS
Extract from Elise Harris, Senior Correspondent, Crux, 18 January 2019
ROME - At the beginning of the week, the insider Catholic universe imploded when news broke that retired Pope Benedict XVI and Guinean Cardinal Robert Sarah had co-authored a new book defending priestly celibacy just as Pope Francis is considering an exception to the rule proposed during the Amazon synod. In the fierce and polemical debate that ensued, the role of a pope emeritus was questioned while Catholicism’s conservative and progressive camps exchanged arguments over Benedict XVI’s intentions with the book, titled From the Depths of Our Hearts: Priesthood, Celibacy and the Crisis of the Catholic Church, which hit shelves Jan. 15 in France. The saga culminated with Archbishop Georg Ganswein, personal secretary for Benedict XVI, saying the emeritus pope had asked that his name be withdrawn as a coauthor and removed from the book’s introduction and conclusion. Citing the Chicago Manual of Style, however, the English-language publisher, Ignatius Press, said it considers the publication “coauthored.” Though unprecedented is perhaps the wrong word to describe the bizarre episode, it was certainly odd, as Sarah, an active sitting cardinal who heads the Vatican’s liturgy office, took to social media to defend his credibility, issuing several statements and publishing correspondence between himself and Benedict - things that heads of Vatican departments don’t typically do.....(more). Photo: Cardinal Robert Sarah, Crux, Paul Haring CNS
Francis finishes work on Amazon Synod text
Extract from CathNews, Joshua McAlwee, National Catholic Reporter, 17 January 2020
Pope Francis has completed work on his highly anticipated response to last year’s Vatican gathering of Catholic bishops from the Amazon. Source: NCR Online. Catholic bishops around the world are receiving a letter from the Vatican this week, advising them that the document, which may allow for the ordination of married men as Catholic priests in the nine-nation region is nearing publication. The document is also expected to lament devastating environmental destruction in the region and may detail new ministries for women in the Church. “The draft is currently being reviewed and corrected and then needs to be translated,” states the letter, which is signed by retired Brazilian Cardinal Claudio Hummes and was obtained by NCR. "Pope Francis hopes to promulgate it by the end of this month or in early February,” writes Cardinal Hummes, who served as the synod’s lead organiser. Francis’ response to the October 6-27 Synod of Bishops, is among the most awaited documents of his nearly seven-year papacy. The text is expected to address a request from the 185 synod members that he allow for bishops in the Amazon region to ordain current married deacons as priests, in order to meet sacramental needs in the vast, hard-to-traverse area. The as yet unpublished text received additional attention this week, with unexpected news that retired Pope Benedict XVI had co-authored a volume defending the Church’s practice of clerical celibacy. Benedict’s intervention touched off fears among theologians that the former pope might be trying to tie Francis’ hands, effectively preventing the reigning Pope from approving the synod’s request. Benedict’s personal secretary, Archbishop Georg Gänswein, has since claimed that the ailing, 92-year-old ex-pontiff did not mean to co-author the volume, and has asked that for the removal of Benedict’s name as a co-author.....(more). Photo: CNS Paul Haring CathNews 20190117
Extract from CathNews, Joshua McAlwee, National Catholic Reporter, 17 January 2020
Pope Francis has completed work on his highly anticipated response to last year’s Vatican gathering of Catholic bishops from the Amazon. Source: NCR Online. Catholic bishops around the world are receiving a letter from the Vatican this week, advising them that the document, which may allow for the ordination of married men as Catholic priests in the nine-nation region is nearing publication. The document is also expected to lament devastating environmental destruction in the region and may detail new ministries for women in the Church. “The draft is currently being reviewed and corrected and then needs to be translated,” states the letter, which is signed by retired Brazilian Cardinal Claudio Hummes and was obtained by NCR. "Pope Francis hopes to promulgate it by the end of this month or in early February,” writes Cardinal Hummes, who served as the synod’s lead organiser. Francis’ response to the October 6-27 Synod of Bishops, is among the most awaited documents of his nearly seven-year papacy. The text is expected to address a request from the 185 synod members that he allow for bishops in the Amazon region to ordain current married deacons as priests, in order to meet sacramental needs in the vast, hard-to-traverse area. The as yet unpublished text received additional attention this week, with unexpected news that retired Pope Benedict XVI had co-authored a volume defending the Church’s practice of clerical celibacy. Benedict’s intervention touched off fears among theologians that the former pope might be trying to tie Francis’ hands, effectively preventing the reigning Pope from approving the synod’s request. Benedict’s personal secretary, Archbishop Georg Gänswein, has since claimed that the ailing, 92-year-old ex-pontiff did not mean to co-author the volume, and has asked that for the removal of Benedict’s name as a co-author.....(more). Photo: CNS Paul Haring CathNews 20190117
Committee to recommend Australian bishops give laity certain controls
Extract from Michael Sainsbury, Catholic News Service, National Catholic Reporter, 15 January 2019
Yangon, Myanmar — A six-person committee charged with reviewing church governance and management is expected to present Australia's bishops with a plan to overhaul the management of the church in the country. The plan would cede control over financial, human resources and governance functions to professional laity, Jack de Groot, a member of the review committee, told Catholic News Service. The committee, established by the Australian Catholics Bishops' Conference and Catholic Religious Australia in May 2018, expects to present the plan by late March. It is the latest in a series of responses by the Australian church to the country's Royal Commission Into Institutional Child Sexual Abuse, which uncovered and documented the tragic history of abuses in religious and secular organizations, including Catholic-run schools and orphanages across the country. The commission found the Catholic Church, the denomination in Australia with the most followers, to be the worst offender and, since then, hundreds of millions of dollars have been paid in compensation to victims. Dozens of offenders, including many clerics, have been imprisoned. In June 2018, the government established a National Redress Scheme to provide support and compensation to survivors, although many have still chosen to pursue perpetrators through the courts. Catholic bishops and religious have been working to act on the series of recommendations handed down by the commissioners in August 2017. "The past year has seen steady and significant progress made across a range of areas, including in education, in governance reform and in responding to victims and survivors of child sexual abuse," Archbishop Mark Coleridge, president of the Australian bishops' conference, said in a progress report in mid-December. "Clearly, any institution that engages with young people must always be vigilant, working to ensure that strong and effective protocols and procedures are in place, generating a culture committed to prompt and decisive action when allegations arise." De Groot said the governance review was now the church's key priority. "We have a draft plan," he said, although he admitted it had been delayed from its original October target by the need to finalize an update for the Australian government on the church's response to the Royal Commission recommendations. A review of the governance of the Catholic Church was one of commission's central recommendations.....(more). Photo: NCR NS Maria Grazia Picciarella
Extract from Michael Sainsbury, Catholic News Service, National Catholic Reporter, 15 January 2019
Yangon, Myanmar — A six-person committee charged with reviewing church governance and management is expected to present Australia's bishops with a plan to overhaul the management of the church in the country. The plan would cede control over financial, human resources and governance functions to professional laity, Jack de Groot, a member of the review committee, told Catholic News Service. The committee, established by the Australian Catholics Bishops' Conference and Catholic Religious Australia in May 2018, expects to present the plan by late March. It is the latest in a series of responses by the Australian church to the country's Royal Commission Into Institutional Child Sexual Abuse, which uncovered and documented the tragic history of abuses in religious and secular organizations, including Catholic-run schools and orphanages across the country. The commission found the Catholic Church, the denomination in Australia with the most followers, to be the worst offender and, since then, hundreds of millions of dollars have been paid in compensation to victims. Dozens of offenders, including many clerics, have been imprisoned. In June 2018, the government established a National Redress Scheme to provide support and compensation to survivors, although many have still chosen to pursue perpetrators through the courts. Catholic bishops and religious have been working to act on the series of recommendations handed down by the commissioners in August 2017. "The past year has seen steady and significant progress made across a range of areas, including in education, in governance reform and in responding to victims and survivors of child sexual abuse," Archbishop Mark Coleridge, president of the Australian bishops' conference, said in a progress report in mid-December. "Clearly, any institution that engages with young people must always be vigilant, working to ensure that strong and effective protocols and procedures are in place, generating a culture committed to prompt and decisive action when allegations arise." De Groot said the governance review was now the church's key priority. "We have a draft plan," he said, although he admitted it had been delayed from its original October target by the need to finalize an update for the Australian government on the church's response to the Royal Commission recommendations. A review of the governance of the Catholic Church was one of commission's central recommendations.....(more). Photo: NCR NS Maria Grazia Picciarella
Francis appoints first woman to managerial role at Vatican's Secretariat of State
Extract from Joshua J. McElwee, National Catholic Reporter, 15 January 2019
Vatican City — Pope Francis appointed an Italian woman as an undersecretary in the Vatican's Secretariat of State Jan. 15, in the first such appointment of a woman to a managerial role in what is traditionally considered the city-state's most important office. Francesca Di Giovanni, who has worked for the Secretariat for 27 years, will be one of two undersecretaries in the Section for Relations with States, which is essentially the Vatican's foreign ministry. The section is led by British Archbishop Paul Gallagher. Di Giovanni joins Polish Msgr. Miroslaw Wachowski, who had been appointed an undersecretary to Gallagher in October. In making the new appointment, Francis appears to be elevating what normally would be called a capo ufficio, or department head, to a full undersecretary position. In an interview with the state-run Vatican News shortly after announcement of the appointment, Di Giovanni explained that she will be responsible for the Vatican's multilateral relationships, such as with international institutions, while Wachowski will focus on its bilateral ones, such as with individual countries. Both roles had previously been filled by one undersecretary, now-Archbishop Antoine Camilleri, who Francis appointed the Vatican's ambassador to Ethiopia and Djibouti last September. In the Vatican News interview, Di Giovanni, 66, praised the pope for appointing the first woman to such a role. "The Holy Father has made an unprecedented decision, certainly, which, beyond myself personally, represents an indication of an attention towards women," she said. "But the responsibility is connected to the job, rather than to the fact of being a woman." There are now about half a dozen women serving in undersecretary or equivalent roles in the Vatican's sprawling bureaucracy.....(more)
Extract from Joshua J. McElwee, National Catholic Reporter, 15 January 2019
Vatican City — Pope Francis appointed an Italian woman as an undersecretary in the Vatican's Secretariat of State Jan. 15, in the first such appointment of a woman to a managerial role in what is traditionally considered the city-state's most important office. Francesca Di Giovanni, who has worked for the Secretariat for 27 years, will be one of two undersecretaries in the Section for Relations with States, which is essentially the Vatican's foreign ministry. The section is led by British Archbishop Paul Gallagher. Di Giovanni joins Polish Msgr. Miroslaw Wachowski, who had been appointed an undersecretary to Gallagher in October. In making the new appointment, Francis appears to be elevating what normally would be called a capo ufficio, or department head, to a full undersecretary position. In an interview with the state-run Vatican News shortly after announcement of the appointment, Di Giovanni explained that she will be responsible for the Vatican's multilateral relationships, such as with international institutions, while Wachowski will focus on its bilateral ones, such as with individual countries. Both roles had previously been filled by one undersecretary, now-Archbishop Antoine Camilleri, who Francis appointed the Vatican's ambassador to Ethiopia and Djibouti last September. In the Vatican News interview, Di Giovanni, 66, praised the pope for appointing the first woman to such a role. "The Holy Father has made an unprecedented decision, certainly, which, beyond myself personally, represents an indication of an attention towards women," she said. "But the responsibility is connected to the job, rather than to the fact of being a woman." There are now about half a dozen women serving in undersecretary or equivalent roles in the Vatican's sprawling bureaucracy.....(more)
Benedict XVI distances himself from new book on celibacy
Limited and edited extract from Nicolas Senèze and Clémence Houdaille, subscription journal La Croix International, 15 January 2019
Vatican City.........The book, written in French, opposes ordaining married men as priests and has raised many eyebrows in the Vatican. It was seen as a challenge to Pope Francis, but not because of the arguments the two theologians put forth in defence of ecclesiastical celibacy. 'Benedict XVI did not write the book'. Apart from the fact that the retired pope is breaking his self-imposed silence on the Vatican government and Pope Francis' papacy, the signature that appears on the book is "Benedict XVI" and not "Benedict XVI/Joseph Ratzinger" as had been the case with an earlier book he wrote. It was done to distinguish his personal writings from that of the papal magisterium. A person close to Benedict XVI told several Vatican reporters that the Pope Emeritus "did not write the book with Cardinal Sarah." On the other hand, on Jan. 14, the Guinean cardinal stated that "Benedict XVI knew our project would be published as a book." "I sent the complete manuscript to the Pope Emeritus on Nov. 19, including the cover, a joint introduction, conclusion, Benedict XVI's text and my own text," wrote the cardinal, who has on many occasions crossed swords with Pope Francis. "On Nov. 25, the Pope Emeritus expressed his satisfaction, and said, "I agree for the text be published," said the 74-year-old cardinal, whom Pope Francis appointed to head the office of liturgical matters in 2014. 'Delete Benedict XVI's name'. On Jan. 14, Archbishop Georg Gänswein, Benedict's private secretary, went public against the book and Cardinal Sarah. "On the instructions of the Pope Emeritus, I asked Cardinal Robert Sarah to contact the publishers of the book and ask them to withdraw the name of Benedict XVI as co-author of the book, and also to withdraw his signature from the introduction and conclusions," he told the German agency KNA and the Italian agency Ansa.....(source)
Limited and edited extract from Nicolas Senèze and Clémence Houdaille, subscription journal La Croix International, 15 January 2019
Vatican City.........The book, written in French, opposes ordaining married men as priests and has raised many eyebrows in the Vatican. It was seen as a challenge to Pope Francis, but not because of the arguments the two theologians put forth in defence of ecclesiastical celibacy. 'Benedict XVI did not write the book'. Apart from the fact that the retired pope is breaking his self-imposed silence on the Vatican government and Pope Francis' papacy, the signature that appears on the book is "Benedict XVI" and not "Benedict XVI/Joseph Ratzinger" as had been the case with an earlier book he wrote. It was done to distinguish his personal writings from that of the papal magisterium. A person close to Benedict XVI told several Vatican reporters that the Pope Emeritus "did not write the book with Cardinal Sarah." On the other hand, on Jan. 14, the Guinean cardinal stated that "Benedict XVI knew our project would be published as a book." "I sent the complete manuscript to the Pope Emeritus on Nov. 19, including the cover, a joint introduction, conclusion, Benedict XVI's text and my own text," wrote the cardinal, who has on many occasions crossed swords with Pope Francis. "On Nov. 25, the Pope Emeritus expressed his satisfaction, and said, "I agree for the text be published," said the 74-year-old cardinal, whom Pope Francis appointed to head the office of liturgical matters in 2014. 'Delete Benedict XVI's name'. On Jan. 14, Archbishop Georg Gänswein, Benedict's private secretary, went public against the book and Cardinal Sarah. "On the instructions of the Pope Emeritus, I asked Cardinal Robert Sarah to contact the publishers of the book and ask them to withdraw the name of Benedict XVI as co-author of the book, and also to withdraw his signature from the introduction and conclusions," he told the German agency KNA and the Italian agency Ansa.....(source)
Pope Benedict XVI breaks silence to reaffirm priest celibacy
Extract from Nicole Winfield, Crux, 13 January 2019
ROME - Retired Pope Benedict XVI has broken his silence to reaffirm the “necessity” of priestly celibacy, co-authoring a bombshell book at the precise moment that Pope Francis is weighing whether to allow married men to be ordained to address the Catholic priest shortage. Benedict wrote the book, From the Depths of Our Hearts: Priesthood, Celibacy and the Crisis of the Catholic Church, along with his fellow conservative, Guinean Cardinal Robert Sarah, who heads the Vatican’s liturgy office and has been a quiet critic of Francis. The French daily Le Figaro published excerpts of the book late Sunday; The Associated Press obtained galleys of the English edition, which is being published by Ignatius Press. Benedict’s intervention is extraordinary, given he had promised to remain “hidden from the world” when he retired in 2013, and pledged his obedience to the new pope. He has largely held to that pledge, though he penned an odd essay last year on the sexual abuse scandal that blamed the crisis on the sexual revolution of the 1960s. His reaffirmation of priestly celibacy, however, gets to the heart of a fraught policy issue that Francis is expected to weigh in on in the coming weeks, and could well be considered a public attempt by the former pope to sway the thinking of the current one. The implications for such an intervention are grave, given the current opposition to Francis by conservatives and traditionalists nostalgic for Benedict’s orthodoxy, some of whom even consider his resignation illegitimate. It is likely to fuel renewed anxiety about the wisdom of Benedict’s decision to remain an “emeritus pope,” rather than merely a retired bishop, and the unprecedented situation he created by having two popes, one retired and one reigning, living side by side in the Vatican gardens. In that light, it is significant that the English edition of the book lists the author as “Benedict XVI,” with no mention of his emeritus papal status on the cover. The authors clearly anticipated the potential interpretation of their book as criticism of the current pope, and stressed in their joint introduction that they were penning it “in a spirit of filial obedience, to Pope Francis.” But they also said that the current “crisis” in the Church required them not to remain silent.....(more)
Extract from Nicole Winfield, Crux, 13 January 2019
ROME - Retired Pope Benedict XVI has broken his silence to reaffirm the “necessity” of priestly celibacy, co-authoring a bombshell book at the precise moment that Pope Francis is weighing whether to allow married men to be ordained to address the Catholic priest shortage. Benedict wrote the book, From the Depths of Our Hearts: Priesthood, Celibacy and the Crisis of the Catholic Church, along with his fellow conservative, Guinean Cardinal Robert Sarah, who heads the Vatican’s liturgy office and has been a quiet critic of Francis. The French daily Le Figaro published excerpts of the book late Sunday; The Associated Press obtained galleys of the English edition, which is being published by Ignatius Press. Benedict’s intervention is extraordinary, given he had promised to remain “hidden from the world” when he retired in 2013, and pledged his obedience to the new pope. He has largely held to that pledge, though he penned an odd essay last year on the sexual abuse scandal that blamed the crisis on the sexual revolution of the 1960s. His reaffirmation of priestly celibacy, however, gets to the heart of a fraught policy issue that Francis is expected to weigh in on in the coming weeks, and could well be considered a public attempt by the former pope to sway the thinking of the current one. The implications for such an intervention are grave, given the current opposition to Francis by conservatives and traditionalists nostalgic for Benedict’s orthodoxy, some of whom even consider his resignation illegitimate. It is likely to fuel renewed anxiety about the wisdom of Benedict’s decision to remain an “emeritus pope,” rather than merely a retired bishop, and the unprecedented situation he created by having two popes, one retired and one reigning, living side by side in the Vatican gardens. In that light, it is significant that the English edition of the book lists the author as “Benedict XVI,” with no mention of his emeritus papal status on the cover. The authors clearly anticipated the potential interpretation of their book as criticism of the current pope, and stressed in their joint introduction that they were penning it “in a spirit of filial obedience, to Pope Francis.” But they also said that the current “crisis” in the Church required them not to remain silent.....(more)
Plenary Council 2020-2021
Application as Delegate, 12 January 2019
The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference has requested that each Diocese nominate four people, who may be laypersons, members of religious orders or Clergy, who are willing to be called as delegates for the Plenary Council Sessions in October 2020 and June and July of 2021.
As a delegate, you will participate in the process of discernment and contribute to a variety of forums before, during and after the Plenary Council Sessions. This is an important and critical role for the life of Catholic Church in Australia.
To apply, please fill out the following form and submit by the deadline of Friday 24 January 2020. Please note that the application process requires two referees including one active Priest (on appointment). Prospective delegate information HERE Delegate Nomination form HERE
Application as Delegate, 12 January 2019
The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference has requested that each Diocese nominate four people, who may be laypersons, members of religious orders or Clergy, who are willing to be called as delegates for the Plenary Council Sessions in October 2020 and June and July of 2021.
As a delegate, you will participate in the process of discernment and contribute to a variety of forums before, during and after the Plenary Council Sessions. This is an important and critical role for the life of Catholic Church in Australia.
To apply, please fill out the following form and submit by the deadline of Friday 24 January 2020. Please note that the application process requires two referees including one active Priest (on appointment). Prospective delegate information HERE Delegate Nomination form HERE
A prayer during the Australian bushfires
Extract from Peter Bierer, America. The Jesuit Review, 7 January 2020
A native Minnesotan, I have spent the last three years living and working in the Archdiocese of Adelaide, Australia, with my wife and children. Lauren, my wife, was born and raised in Adelaide, so when it came time to consider moving to her home country, we knew the benefits and risks involved. Bushfires are an ever-present risk in much of the country, but something about this year’s fires is very different. The year 2019 was the hottest, driest on record for the country, and many bushfires have been raging for months. We have been visiting family back in Minnesota during the worst of the fires in December and January, praying for our fellow Aussies and crying out for rain. While our home has been spared from danger thus far, I cannot help but anguish over the destruction facing Aussies in every corner of the continent. The following prayer is a lament, a petition for help and a search for hope. If it works for you, consider this prayer your own......(more)Photo: Bushfire Bairnsdale Aus. America The Jesuit Review Glen Morey via AP 20201007
Meeting of Church heavy-hitters calls for ‘adjustments’ to priestly formation
Extract from Christopher White, National Correspondent, Crux, 7 January 2019
NEW YORK - A major gathering of ecclesial heavy hitters focusing on the future of the priesthood concluded with a call for a reimagining of priestly formation - one that incorporates the laity and women in the process and better reflects the racial and cultural diversity within the U.S. Church. The two-day symposium at Boston College took place January 2-3 and was organized around “To Serve the People of God: Renewing the Conversation on Priesthood and Ministry,” a document first published in December 2018, which was the result of a series of seminars sponsored by the college’s Department of Theology and School of Theology and Ministry. “All consideration of priesthood and ministry must flow from the Second Vatican Council’s affirmation of the Church’s living tradition as it has been received and developed by Pope Francis,” said a communiqué from the conference released on Monday. “He has called the Church to missionary discipleship that goes to “the peripheries” and is responsive to the gifts and challenges of contemporary cultures.” The document goes on to outline ten pastoral recommendations, among them greater human formation in seminaries to “foster authentic psychosexual maturity and integration,” an evaluation process for candidates that allows i Some of the strongest language is reserved for the role of women in priestly formation, where organizers noted that women should be included in the faculty of seminaries.....(more)
Extract from Christopher White, National Correspondent, Crux, 7 January 2019
NEW YORK - A major gathering of ecclesial heavy hitters focusing on the future of the priesthood concluded with a call for a reimagining of priestly formation - one that incorporates the laity and women in the process and better reflects the racial and cultural diversity within the U.S. Church. The two-day symposium at Boston College took place January 2-3 and was organized around “To Serve the People of God: Renewing the Conversation on Priesthood and Ministry,” a document first published in December 2018, which was the result of a series of seminars sponsored by the college’s Department of Theology and School of Theology and Ministry. “All consideration of priesthood and ministry must flow from the Second Vatican Council’s affirmation of the Church’s living tradition as it has been received and developed by Pope Francis,” said a communiqué from the conference released on Monday. “He has called the Church to missionary discipleship that goes to “the peripheries” and is responsive to the gifts and challenges of contemporary cultures.” The document goes on to outline ten pastoral recommendations, among them greater human formation in seminaries to “foster authentic psychosexual maturity and integration,” an evaluation process for candidates that allows i Some of the strongest language is reserved for the role of women in priestly formation, where organizers noted that women should be included in the faculty of seminaries.....(more)
Pope Francis begins the most important year of his pontificate.
Extract from Robert Mickens*, Pearls and Irritations, John Menadue website, 4 January 2020
When the history of Pope Francis’ time as Bishop of Rome is finally written, there is a good chance that the Year of Our Lord 2020 will be recorded as the most important of his entire pontificate. Some are wondering whether it may actually be his last. The pope’s recent decisions to “retire” the powerful Italian churchman Angelo Sodano as dean of the College of Cardinals and to make Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of the Philippines head one of the most powerful Vatican offices – Propaganda Fide – are being read as signs that Francis is beginning to prepare for the election of his successor on the Chair of Peter. The 83-year-old Jesuit pope will also be issuing two major documents in 2020, and probably a few others. He’ll continue to travel the globe, possibly going to places where his predecessors had hoped to visit but were denied entry. And there’s no doubt he will add more men to the illustrious red-hatted group from which will emerge the next Bishop of Rome. So any way one looks at this new calendar year, it will almost certainly prove to be pivotal. The Synod paves the way to reform Pope Francis is to publish at least two extremely important documents already in the initial weeks of 2020. The first of these texts is an apostolic exhortation on last October’s special assembly of the Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon Region. Francis has already hinted that he will endorse a number of changes in pastoral practice that the Synod participants proposed to him. One of these is the priestly ordination of the viri probati (married men of proven virtue), specifically those who are already permanent deacons. Another is the establishment of a new papal commission to study the possibility of instituting the diaconate and other ministries for women. And a third is the compilation of a new liturgical rite to incorporate cultural elements particular to the native peoples of the Amazon. This highly anticipated post-synodal apostolic exhortation is likely to open up other avenues for reform, as well. So its importance should not be underestimated..........No one can read the future, but the Year of Our Lord 2020 looks like it could be one of the most crucial and important for the recent history of Roman Catholicism.....(more) *Robert Mickens is Rome Correspondent for La Croix International. This article was first published on Jan 2, 2020. Photo: Pope Francis and Akubra hat with Abp Mark Coleridge, June 2019 ad limina.
Extract from Robert Mickens*, Pearls and Irritations, John Menadue website, 4 January 2020
When the history of Pope Francis’ time as Bishop of Rome is finally written, there is a good chance that the Year of Our Lord 2020 will be recorded as the most important of his entire pontificate. Some are wondering whether it may actually be his last. The pope’s recent decisions to “retire” the powerful Italian churchman Angelo Sodano as dean of the College of Cardinals and to make Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of the Philippines head one of the most powerful Vatican offices – Propaganda Fide – are being read as signs that Francis is beginning to prepare for the election of his successor on the Chair of Peter. The 83-year-old Jesuit pope will also be issuing two major documents in 2020, and probably a few others. He’ll continue to travel the globe, possibly going to places where his predecessors had hoped to visit but were denied entry. And there’s no doubt he will add more men to the illustrious red-hatted group from which will emerge the next Bishop of Rome. So any way one looks at this new calendar year, it will almost certainly prove to be pivotal. The Synod paves the way to reform Pope Francis is to publish at least two extremely important documents already in the initial weeks of 2020. The first of these texts is an apostolic exhortation on last October’s special assembly of the Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon Region. Francis has already hinted that he will endorse a number of changes in pastoral practice that the Synod participants proposed to him. One of these is the priestly ordination of the viri probati (married men of proven virtue), specifically those who are already permanent deacons. Another is the establishment of a new papal commission to study the possibility of instituting the diaconate and other ministries for women. And a third is the compilation of a new liturgical rite to incorporate cultural elements particular to the native peoples of the Amazon. This highly anticipated post-synodal apostolic exhortation is likely to open up other avenues for reform, as well. So its importance should not be underestimated..........No one can read the future, but the Year of Our Lord 2020 looks like it could be one of the most crucial and important for the recent history of Roman Catholicism.....(more) *Robert Mickens is Rome Correspondent for La Croix International. This article was first published on Jan 2, 2020. Photo: Pope Francis and Akubra hat with Abp Mark Coleridge, June 2019 ad limina.
Expressions of interest for Diocesan Plenary Council 2020 delegates
Extract from Catholic Outlook, Diocese of Parramatta
Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv, the Bishop of Parramatta, has invited the faithful of Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains to express their interest in being a delegate for our local Church to the Plenary Council. Our diocese will be sending a delegation of people to the Plenary Council and this includes - Two (2) delegates called from our diocese from the “presbyters and others of Christ’s faithful” These two people are to be called from among the “presbyters and others of Christ’s faithful” of our diocesan Church, that is: from among the clergy and the laity. Some characteristics of the delegates to be called to consider are: The person’s demonstrated commitment to leadership in the Church and/or her ministries (e.g. an active parish ministries leader, Catholic Education staff member, Catholic Social Services worker or ecclesial movement leader, etc.); The person’s living of the Gospel in their life through both prayer and deeds Their awareness of ‘the bigger picture’ of Catholic faith, community and works in context of contemporary Australian society; Previous participation in / leadership of listening and dialogue, or listening and discernment encounters with people in the person’s community, workplace or family. Ultimately, the foundational characteristic to be considered is the person’s ability and capacity to discern with an open heart, listening to what the Spirit is saying to the Church in Australia. Any person who expresses their interest in being called by our diocese to be a delegate to the Plenary Council must be available for the following dates....(more) Photo: Diocese of Parramatta Plenary Council 2020 delegates 2020103 Catholic Outlook
Extract from Catholic Outlook, Diocese of Parramatta
Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv, the Bishop of Parramatta, has invited the faithful of Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains to express their interest in being a delegate for our local Church to the Plenary Council. Our diocese will be sending a delegation of people to the Plenary Council and this includes - Two (2) delegates called from our diocese from the “presbyters and others of Christ’s faithful” These two people are to be called from among the “presbyters and others of Christ’s faithful” of our diocesan Church, that is: from among the clergy and the laity. Some characteristics of the delegates to be called to consider are: The person’s demonstrated commitment to leadership in the Church and/or her ministries (e.g. an active parish ministries leader, Catholic Education staff member, Catholic Social Services worker or ecclesial movement leader, etc.); The person’s living of the Gospel in their life through both prayer and deeds Their awareness of ‘the bigger picture’ of Catholic faith, community and works in context of contemporary Australian society; Previous participation in / leadership of listening and dialogue, or listening and discernment encounters with people in the person’s community, workplace or family. Ultimately, the foundational characteristic to be considered is the person’s ability and capacity to discern with an open heart, listening to what the Spirit is saying to the Church in Australia. Any person who expresses their interest in being called by our diocese to be a delegate to the Plenary Council must be available for the following dates....(more) Photo: Diocese of Parramatta Plenary Council 2020 delegates 2020103 Catholic Outlook
Two Submissions to the Plenary Council Phase 2 Themes Working Groups available
John Costa, 1 January 2019
John Costa, 1 January 2019
Because our Parish submission to the Plenary Council Phase 1 process effectively also included responses relevant to the Phase 2 process we did not separately submit inputs to the Phase 2 process. That Phase 1 report report is published on this website Plenary Council website page.
St Kevin's Parish Templestowe has published its submission to the Plenary Council Phase 11 Working groups on its website, also available HERE.
The Catholics For Renewal submission to the Plenary Council phase two Theme Working Groups is also available HERE. The Plenary Working Groups comprise: 1.Missionary and Evangelising; 2.Inclusive, Participatory and Synodal; 3. Prayerful and Eucharistic; 4. Humble, healing and merciful; 5. A joyful, hope-filled and servant community; and 6. Open to Conversion, renewal and reform. The submissions comply with the 1000 character limit for each of the themes. Further details and actions supporting the Catholics For Renewal submission are included in their Plenary Council submission/book Getting Back on Mission: Reforming Our Church Together (details HERE)