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TO ASSEMBLY ONE OF THE PLENARY COUNCIL
In October 2021, the Catholic Church in Australia will gather for the first Assembly of the Plenary Council to be held since the second Vatican Council. In 2018, when the decision to hold a Plenary Council was announced, the entire People of God in Australia began preparing for this historic moment by listening to God and by listening to one another’s stories of faith.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the first Assembly will be a mix of in-person and online delivery. See the up-to-date PLENARY COUNCIL JOURNEY 2020-2022.
Responses to the discernment journey which began with the Listening and Dialogue Phase, followed by the Listening and Discernment Phase can still be accessed for your consideration and reflection. The six Thematic Discernment papers and Reflection Guide, prepared by several writing groups are also still available, by clicking here.
As we make the journey in these months towards the first Assembly, we are all invited to be mindful that the members (formerly called delegates) will be commissioned and participate in formation sessions in preparation to fulfil their role as members. At the same time, we are all called to continue our own journey of prayer and discernment as we look forward in hope to the renewal of the Catholic Church in Australia.
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Phase I: Listening and Dialogue
More than 222,000 people participated in Phase I: Listening and Dialogue, contributing 17,457 submissions. The voices of the faithful helped all of us to understand something of the historical experience and the current reality of the Catholic Church in Australia. This gathered data also reveals some deeper hopes and questions, and the diverse yearnings, that we continue to be challenged to consider together.
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Phase II: Listening and Discernment
The voices in the Listening and Dialogue submissions inspired The National Themes for Discernment, which have served as guides as we went through Phase II: Listening and Discernment. Catholics all over Australia participated in Writing and Discernment sessions, discerning on the submissions with prayerful hearts and minds. These responses made their way to our Writing and Discernment Groups via our website portal, who drafted thematic papers towards making the agenda for Assembly 1.
Discernment will go on indefinitely. We invite you to continue getting together with your community for sessions and sending us your responses via the website. -
Towards Assembly 1
With the calling of the members, we commenced work towards Assembly 1 of the Plenary Council in earnest. While Discernment continues across the country, members will undergo formation and be sent documents in advance. These documents included the THEMATIC DISCERNMENT PAPERS written by the Writing and Discernment Groups.
In 2020, we announced more than 280 members (formerly called delegates) for the Fifth Plenary Council of Australia, including members nominated by dioceses, eparchies, ordinariates, leaders of religious congregations, some church ministries and a personal prelature. The members will represent those local churches at the celebration of the Council over two assemblies – originally planned for Adelaide in October 2020 and in Sydney in mid-2021.
On April 6, 2020, Assembly 1 was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic preventing the desired process of discernment and formation for the members. As of June 2020, Assembly 1 will be held in a multi-modal form online on October 2-10, 2021 and Assembly 2 will be held in Sydney on July 4-9, 2022.
On February 2021, Continuing the Journey: Working Document (Instumentum Laboris) was released. Find the details on the Instrumentum Laboris page.
Your Voice
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Plenary Council Members experienced a wide range of emotions during the Council journey, and especially during the two assemblies. After the second assembly concluded, Members were invited to -- if they wish -- share a reflection on their personal experience, as part of a larger group drawn from the People of God across Australia.
Many members have agreed to have their reflections published on the Plenary Council website. Here are some excerpts from the reflections.
#listeningtothespirit #plenarycouncil
Day 7 - Saturday, 08 July 2022
Daily Sessions and Closing Mass Highlights
Photos by Fiona Basile
For more information, visit our socials:
WEBSITE: plenarycouncil.catholic.org.au
FACEBOOK: Plenary Council
Listen to the Plenary Podcast:
plenarycouncil.catholic.org.au/plenarypodcast/
anchor.fm/plenarypodcast
open.spotify.com/show/2gdkxo7YT2xCkGtKz6gNz8
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The four-year journey of the Fifth Plenary Council of Australia will reach the second – and final – assembly in July 2022. At the Second Assembly, the 277 Council Members will consider the motions that have emerged from that national journey, with the goal of renewing the life and mission of the Church in Australia.
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The Plenary Members having their picture taken after the Closing Mass of the Second Assembly of the 5th Plenary Council of Australia.
To know more about the members, click here:
plenarycouncil.catholic.org.au/members/
Saturday, 9 July 2022
Photo by Fiona Basile
#listentothespirit #plenarycouncil