Editorial

When I look at your heavens,

The work of your fingers,

The moon and the stars

That you have established;

What are humans

That you are mindful of them,

Mortals that you care for them?’

Psalm 8:3-4

During these pandemic years, I am sure we all yearn for improvement in our way of life, albeit appreciating the fragility of our existence against disease or the elements.  We live in uncertain times and search for hope.

We know the need – the homeless, the lonely, those ravaged by war, those impacted by fire or flood, the refugee, those enduring discrimination. The challenge is to address the need through our presence, by our listening and by our words and actions.

I came across an article at a recent ‘Brigidine Asylum Seeker Project’ Board meeting, ‘A World Displaced: What Refugees Can Teach Us About Hope’ by Martha Newsome, in which she writes, ‘Despite these seemingly unsurmountable challenges, we know refugees emerge as incredibly resilient and hopeful individuals. I have seen this truth among refugees around the globe – from Lebanon to Moldova, Uganda to Bangladesh. In dimly-lit tents and straw-roofed huts, in the labyrinths of congested camps and makeshift clinics, I have listened to their traumatic stories. Villages being torched, rape and terrorization. Harrowing journeys through ink-black nights and tumultuous seas. It is the making of nightmares that no human should ever endure.

And yet, there is a common thread that ties each testimony together: hope. Many have narrowly escaped the unthinkable, stopping just short of the edge of death, and yet emerged alive on the other side.

Somehow, they find hope.’

‘Christ has no body now but yours’

 Teresa of Avila

Some glimmers of hope are worth noting for our Church. These news headlines represent a recognition of the role of women in the Church and, the continued need for dialogue, learning, understanding and reform.

• Pope names three women to Dicastry for Bishops. The Dicastry assists the pope choose bishops. This fulfills a pledge he made that for the first time in the office’s history, women would be granted a voice in the department tasked with advising the pontiff on which Catholic priests to appoint as bishops across the world.
• Australian Presentation sister Professor Mary Coloe’s first volume of a feminist interpretation of the Gospel of John has been recognised in the Catholic Media Awards in the United States.
• ‘Praying for Change - After centuries, small cracks are beginning to show in the Vatican’s glass ceiling’ The Age 17 July.
• Australian Plenary Council – recognition of first nations people, the environment and (to a lesser extent) the role of women

Plenary Council – Concluding Statement extracts

‘Gathered by God, and called together by the Church in the name of Christ Jesus, the

members of the Plenary Council have sought to be faithful to their commission to listen to

and hear “what the Spirit is saying to the churches” (Rev 3:22).

The agenda and motions of the second assembly drew together the four years of the fruits of prayer, listening, dialogue and discernment which have been the marks of this long Plenary journey.

Since the Council was convoked, the fortunes of the world, the patterns of Church life, and

the rhythms of daily life have been disrupted by pandemic, natural disasters and war. In turn, these unforeseen events have affected the course of this Council. Despite these

obstacles, the Council has met, engaged in prayerful communal discernment, spirited and

creative discussion, and adopted concrete outcomes which are sure signs of the Holy Spirit’s work.

This process has been an expression of the synodality that Pope Francis has identified as a

key dimension of the Church’s life in the third millennium. Synodality is the way of being a

pilgrim Church, a Church that journeys together and listens together, so that we might more

faithfully act together in responding to our God-given vocation and mission.

As Pope Francis has noted, and as we have experienced, synodality is “an easy concept to

put into words, but not so easy to put into practice”.’

‘We sprinkled ash to express our deep lament and our commitment to justice and healing, as we acknowledged the trauma of those abused in the Church. We sought forgiveness for the wounds inflicted by European settlement and said “sorry to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in and beyond the Church” for the trauma they still suffer.’

‘We focused upon the diverse gifts and common dignity of women and men, and reaffirmed the Church’s commitment to recognising and fostering the participation of women in all the avenues of ministry and leadership open to the lay faithful’

‘We committed the Church in Australia to greater participation of all the laity, women and men, in our governance processes and leadership structures.’

The following decrees were agreed upon: 

Decree 1 Reconciliation – Healing Wounds, Receiving Gifts

Decree 2 Choosing Repentance – Seeking Healing

Decree 3 Called by Christ – Sent forth as Mission Disciples

Decree 4 Witnessing to the Equal Dignity of Women and Men

Decree 5 Communion in Grace – Sacrament to the World

Decree 6 Formation and Leadership for Mission and Ministry

Decree 7 At the Service of Communion Participation and Mission – Governance

Decree 8 Integral Ecology and Conversion for the Sake of Our Common Home

Decree 9 The Implementation Phase of the Fifth Plenary Council

Decree 10 The Decrees of the Fourth Plenary Council of Australia

While the recognition of the role of women in the Church is frustrating, it has never stopped our founders – the Brigidine and Presentation sisters from having a positive influence within the life of the Australian Church. After all, they, and others like them, were foundational in the establishment of Catholic education in this country.

‘The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few’ Matthew 9:37

Our Kildare Ministries ‘Living Justice Living Peace’ charter provides us with thoughtful prompt questions for these decrees:

What more do we need to ask?

What more do we need to learn?

What understanding and creative leadership will we require?

What compassionate responses will have an impact on justice and peace?

Kildare Ministries invite all to ‘come and see’ and this invitational Christian response is what gives me hope.

Jeff Burn

Acting Executive Director