Brisbane Archdiocese is holding a Synod to start putting into action the outcomes of the Plenary Council. Source: The Catholic Leader.
Synod chair Brisbane Auxiliary Bishop Tim Norton says the Plenary Council decrees are in Rome and awaiting assent from the Holy See, but there is a lot of work to do in the meantime.
“It’s time to have some actions,” he said.
Bishop Norton said the Synod’s focus would be crafting action plans around the Plenary Council decrees so “we can really be moving forward on mission together”.
Part of this process is coming together and listening, he said, particularly to the voices who “may not have been heard up until this point”.
The 150 Synod members will come from the community and reflect the diversity of the Church in Brisbane.
By canon law, the Synod must include bishops, clergy, religious, theologians, canonists and members of the lay faithful representing parishes, archdiocesan agencies, organisations and communities.
Each deanery will elect two parishioners as their representatives.
The Synod Engagement Team and the Synod Writing Team will engage in strategic consultations with key stakeholders, community members and Church agencies in the lead-up to the Synod.
They will be guided by the question: “How can we be a more co-responsible Church on mission?”
Synod executive officer Steph Unger is excited to see what action plans come out of the Synod.
She said the people of the Church in Brisbane had already listened and shared what the Holy Spirit was saying through the earlier phases of the Plenary Council and now was the time to turn that discernment into action plans.
“We want to make sure people are aware that we’re not changing Church teaching,” she said.
“It’s about how we’re going to move forward together as a Church that is a co-responsible Church on mission.”
The SYNOD24 will be held over two sessions in September and October.
FULL STORY
Synod24 launched as the Church moves ahead in mission together (By Joe Higgins, The Catholic Leader)
