The 30 motions that will be considered during the second assembly of the Fifth Plenary Council of Australia in July, rising from four years of national conversation, have been published. They will form the backbone for reflection, discussion and decision when the Plenary Council gathers for its second assembly in July.
At this second assembly Plenary members will be asked to discern, and then to embrace, a church for the future. Those at the Plenary are called to recognise both the strengths and weaknesses of who we are and the hope which lies in who God is calling us to become.
The road to the Framework for Motions goes back to 2018 – starting with the Listening and Dialogue phase of the Council, which drew more than 17,000 submissions on behalf of 222,000 people. In recent months, the Council’s drafting committee has worked collaboratively to prepare this Framework for Motions. A key part of this process was input received from nearly 130 Council Members, who provided feedback on the initial working document that was distributed to them for reflection.
The motions are contained within eight sections of the document: (1) Reconciliation: Healing Wounds, Receiving Gifts; (2) Choosing Repentance – Seeking Healing; (3) Called by Christ – Sent Forth as Missionary Disciples; (4) Witnessing to the Equal Dignity of Women and Men; (5) Communion in Grace: Sacrament to the World; (6) Formation and Leadership for Mission and Ministry; (7) At the Service of Communion, Participation and Mission: Governance; (8) Integral Ecology and Conversion for the Sake of Our Common Home.
The commitment to “co-responsibility” that guided the document’s preparation will also be evident during the second assembly, when 277 Members from across the country will pray with, reflect upon and vote on the motions.
The second – and final – assembly of the Plenary Council will be held in Sydney from July 3-9. Plenary Council members are asked to review and respond to the motions by mid-June.
Leading up to the second Assembly of the Plenary Council there will be an opportunity to gather for a conversation around the Diocese with the diocesan members to encourage and affirm their participation in the Council. The Motions Framework document will be the focus of the meeting.
Details are:
• Mildura/Merbein/Red Cliffs – June 16, 2022 – OLSH Church, Merbein at 10.15am
– Monaghan Centre, Mildura at 2.00pm
– St Joseph’s Church, Red Cliffs at 4.30pm
• Horsham – June 22, 2022 at 7.00pm in the Parish Hall, Horsham
• Ballarat – June 23, 2022 at 7.00pm in Mackillop/Glowrey Room, Cathedral Precinct
• Warrnambool – June 29 at 7.00pm in the Parish Hall, Warrnambool
Members of the Plenary Council from our diocese are: Bishop Paul Bird, Marie Shaddock, Felicity Knobel and Fr Kevin Maloney. Other Members from our diocese representing different organisations are: Monsignour Glyn Murphy and Fr Kevin Lenehan.
The Mass to formally close the Council will be celebrated at St Mary’s Cathedral at 10.30am on Saturday, July 9. That Mass will be open to the public.
Access the Framework for Motions document at: https://plenarycouncil.catholic.org.au
or download from below:
