Plenary Matters

Geraldine gives a preview of the big final day of the Plenary Council.

There'll be another longer episode out this afternoon.

Well today, day 3, really drew out the latent tensions and challenges always inherent in this Plenary Council process, ones that could not be dodged for much longer. It is not entirely clear as I write, what the final vote will be on issues around men and women’s status in the Church. So this issue could hardly be more significant.

It would appear (I am choosing my words carefully because a lot is opaque) that neither the broader members (the Consultative voters) nor the Bishops (Deliberative voters) gave these moves the requisite majority today. It is possible that the final motion lumped together a range of strands which proved too much for various members, lay and ordained alike. Emotions tipped over apparently within the Assembly and must have raised alarm bells. Because all the scheduled debates have been moved and the whole group sent back for further ‘discernment’: in other words code for ‘re-draw the motions’. Go back and re-think seems to be the message. It’s the first real set of clashes around nuance, tone and theology to my eyes. Virginia Bourke, a prominent Melbourne lay-woman well-known in health and legal realms in Victoria, will bring us up to speed in the second part of today’s pod. She is a lawyer, chair of Mercy Health and St John Ambulance Victoria and just appointed as pro-chancellor of the Australian Catholic University.

My first guest is Christopher Lamb - the Rome correspondent for the vital London Tablet magazine. He has been brought out for a range of speaking duties including the Helder Camara Lecture in Melbourne next week and one at Parramatta Diocese last night, as guest of Bishop Vincent Leong. He outlines the hostility to Francis from particular quarters but thinks Francis is playing “the long game” of finally seeing Vatican Two put into practice. It’s fascinating.

Today’s discussions about women and men was a bit of a wake-up call for optimists like me.

Two key issues have been on the discernment and consideration list for the Plenary Council members these past two days:

Reconciliation: Healing Wounds, Receiving Gifts - with an apology to Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander peoples and the role of Catholic education in the life of the Church. And as we'll hear, in the wider Australian community.

In this episode, Geraldine speaks to John Lochowiak, chair of NATSICC, the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council, born in Cooper Pedy to an Aboriginal mother and Polish father.

And to Jacinta Collins, head of the National Catholic Education Commission, and former Labor Senator.

Both guests are intimately connected with these stories. In their different ways, they bring alive big visions for the role played in the past by the Church, where it could include new elements of worship and especially in the case of education, where it could broadcast how much it has offered wider society and why it will continue to do so.

Thanks for listening! Join the conversation at the Facebook page "Plenary Matters" or email [email protected]

The Plenary Council is back in session, which means another season of Plenary Matters awaits.

In this episode Geraldine talks to Sarah Moffatt, a member of the Plenary Council Organising & Executive Committee. She's also the Director of Pastoral Life & Mission at Archdiocese of Adelaide.

Thanks for listening!

Join the conversation at the Facebook page "Plenary Matters" or email [email protected]

In this final episode of The Young and Restless, we meet Madeline Ford.

At just 25 years of age, she’s one of the youngest members of the Plenary Council and she’s passionate about ensuring that the voice of young people forms part of the Plenary Council process.

So where to now for the church and how best do we nurture the faith for future generations?

Geraldine talks to 28-year-old Luke Smith.

Raised a Catholic and educated at Riverview College in Sydney, he’s a thinker and a searcher.

While he may not be sure where it all might take him, he knows that he wants to go somewhere that is decent.

But how does the church relate to his search for meaning?

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In this podcast of the Young and Restless, Geraldine catches up with Fr Andy Nguyen.

Born in Vietnam, he studied architecture in the US, came to Australia to do a master’s degree, became a Catholic and entered the Jesuits in 2009 before being ordained a priest in 2019. His journey of faith and how he became a priest is fascinating.

He has cautious optimism for the Plenary Council and his great hope is that all the important questions that can be asked, are asked.

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Join the conversation at the Facebook group "Plenary Matters" or email [email protected]

27yo Joe Wehbe is an author, entrepreneur, writer, and deep thinker, with more than a touch of leadership about him.

He has his own podcast, a blog and he’s the co-founder and lead of the ‘Constant Student Community’. That's a place where young people starting out in their careers can find support and guidance ‘which is all about changing education, and supporting those who want to change the world.’

Joe tells Geraldine that his Jesuit education - where community service was a big part of the curriculum - still influences his thinking. But where does the church fit into his life today?

Join the conversation at our Facebook page "Plenary Matters" or email '[email protected]'

Thanks for listening!

In this episode Geraldine talks to Grace Brennan, who’s been instrumental in uniting Australia’s communities in the city and country.

Raised in Sydney, she went to school at Loreto Kirribilli. Her story of marrying a farmer and moving to Warren in western NSW, becoming a mother and starting up ‘Buy from The Bush’ is inspirational.

She describes herself as a proud Catholic, but says that she’s trying to navigate some of the more challenging positions of the church.

In 2019 with much of the country experiencing devastating drought and bushfires, she founded the ‘Buy from The Bush’ campaign. In the process, Grace started conversations, lifted spirits, created jobs, and saved businesses that otherwise may have failed.

Andy Hamilton is a Jesuit priest, a deep thinker and the final subject of this Wise Old Souls series. For many years Andy has contributed widely to theological and religious journals and has been editorial consultant for Eureka Street.

He’s taught theology and church history at the United Faculty of Theology in Melbourne for many years and he’s worked extensively with refugee communities and has written on the conditions of asylum seekers in Australia.

So where now for the church and how best do we nurture the faith for future generations?

For Andy Hamilton the answer lies in the need to integrate the faith into the world in which we live and relating it to the everyday issues that we all face.