The Plenary Council and Catholic Mission – the interconnection

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The first assembly of the Plenary Council of the Catholic Church in Australia was held online from 3 to 10 October 2021 and it was inspiring to see the strong call to a more missionary Church emerging from the dialogue. The interconnection between the agenda for discernment and the work of Catholic Mission is significant.

Not only was one of Catholic Mission’s employees seconded to the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference to facilitate the process, but Catholic Mission joined the Plenary Council’s Facilitation Team as consultants to support the process.

Synergy with Catholic Mission’s work

A key area of discussion at the Plenary was how can formation become a normal part of Church culture. This means formation for everyone, from parishioners to Parish Councils, Priests and Bishops. Especially the need to understand the contemporary view of mission.

The importance of encounter emerged strongly, reflecting the need to accompany people, especially those on the peripheries who need support. The relationship between schools and parishes was identified as needing strengthening and the desire for parishes to be seen as local centres which provide outreach and formation arose. Schools were also named as places of encounter. There was a call to recognise culturally and linguistically diverse communities in the Church as a gift, and that the diversity of traditions should be reflected in our practices and liturgies.

This creates a unity and resonance with the global nature of our Church. In the footsteps of Pope Francis, mission to refugees and asylum seekers was also seen as an important focus for the Church. Linked to this is the work of interfaith and ecumenical dialogue.

A strong theme that emerged from the Plenary Assembly is the Church’s work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholics and the importance of their spirituality.

For at least 12 years Catholic Mission has had a strategic focus on partnering with the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council and local communities to provide opportunities to engage with them and understand the unique offering of their spirituality. We are working with partner communities to develop an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders’ program and to actively encourage First Nations’ spiritualities to infuse the Australian Church.

Lastly, the urgency for ecological justice and the need to reach out to young people with targeted programs have not only been recognised as common ground, but are critical to the future of the Church. •

Photo by Giovanni Portelli, Archdiocese of Sydney