Bishop Columba Macbeth-Green OSPPE delivered the homily at the opening Mass of the Plenary Council’s second assembly on Sunday evening

The Members of the Fifth Plenary Council of Australia were urged to “cling to the cross” and “ask the Holy Spirit to help us” as they commenced the Council’s second assembly on Sunday evening.

The opening Mass of the second assembly began with a heartfelt Welcome to Country ceremony that included an apology to First Nations peoples on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Sunday.

Continue reading →

The four-year journey of the Fifth Plenary Council of Australia is about to reach its high point, with Members gathering in Sydney this weekend for the start of the Council’s second and final assembly.

“For the 277 Members, most of whom have been walking this journey for almost two-and-a-half years, this has something of the feel of a grand final,” Plenary Council president Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB said.

Continue reading →

Despite a fall in the number of people identifying as Christian, the fact almost half the population is still Christian means Jesus’ voice remains prominent in Australia, Archbishop Mark Coleridge has said.

On Tuesday, the Australian Bureau of Statistics released the first data from the 2021 Census. That included figures on religious affiliation, which show Catholics now make up 20 per cent of the population – down from 22.6 per cent in 2016.

Continue reading →

Sandhurst Bishop Shane Mackinlay has been appointed the new co-chair of the Methodist-Roman Catholic International Commission as the group prepares for a new round of dialogue set to begin in October.

Bishop Mackinlay, who joined the Commission during its previous term, said it was an “honour” to have the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity name him Catholic co-chair of the body, which was established in 1967.

Continue reading →

People from across the country are sharing their hopes and their prayers with the 277 Members of the Fifth Plenary Council of Australia who will gather in Sydney for the second and final assembly next week.

When the Council Members arrive for the assembly, cards handwritten by Catholics will be included in their welcome packs.

Continue reading →

Cardinal John Dew (left) and Reverend John Gilmore are among the observers who will attend the Plenary Council’s second assembly.

Leaders of the Catholic Church in the Asia-Pacific region and the head of the National Council of Churches in Australia are among those who will serve as observers at the second assembly of the Plenary Council.

There is a long tradition of having observers attend major Church events, and there will be five such observers at the Plenary Council.

Continue reading →

Australian delegates to the World Meeting of Families met with Australia’s Ambassador to the Holy See this week (Source: Twitter)

The Australian delegation to the World Meeting of Families in Rome has met with the Australian Ambassador to the Holy See, Chiara Porro, on the eve of the event.

Thousands of people from around the world are gathering in Rome, but communities around the world are also hosting local events centred on the theme “Family love: a vocation and a path to holiness”.

Continue reading →

Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB is inviting the Catholic community to attend the closing Mass of the Fifth Plenary Council of Australia – the culmination of a four-year journey of renewal for the Church.

The second and final assembly of the Plenary Council will be held in Sydney from July 3-9. The final Mass, to be held at St Mary’s Cathedral at 10.30am on Saturday, July 9, is open to the public.

Continue reading →

Bishop Vincent Long OFM Conv says while the Fair Work Commission’s decision to increase the minimum wage by 5.2 per cent falls short of the Church’s proposal, that boost will make a difference for many Australians.

Through the Australian Catholic Council for Employment Relations (ACCER), the Church’s submission on the national minimum wage said a 6.5 per cent increase was affordable and would deliver a more sustainable standard of living for low-paid workers and their families.

Continue reading →

Many workers earning the minimum waging are hoping to see their pay packets increase when the Fair Work Commission releases its determination on the national minimum wage.

A significant increase in the national minimum wage will deliver economic and social benefits, a key adviser to the Catholic Church’s submission to the Fair Work Commission has told the Media Blog podcast.

Tom Barnes, a senior research fellow at the Australian Catholic University, prepared detailed analysis to support the Australian Catholic Council for Employment Relations’ submission.

Continue reading →