Plenary Council Members have on Thursday said ecological conversion is “both personal and communal”, and that there was “urgent need for action” from Catholic entities through the development of, or alignment with, Laudato Si’ Action Plans inspired by Pope Francis’ encyclical letter of the same name. Photo: Fiona Basile/ACBC Plenary Council Members have passed all six motions they consid...

In his homily for the votive Mass Friday 8 July at the Second Assembly of the Fifth Plenary Council, Ballarat Bishop Paul Bird said the mother of Jesus is with us, as she was with those first disciples. Photo: Fiona Basile/ACBC. Members of the Fifth Plenary Council of Australia should persevere in their prayers to the Mother of God, Bishop Paul Bird CSsR said on Friday morning. The Bisho...

Archbishop of Wellington, New Zealand, Cardinal John Dew gave the homily at the Mass on Thursday 7 July, for the Second Assembly of the Fifth Plenary Council at Sydney's St Mary's Cathedral. Photo: Fiona Basile/ACBC. Those gathered for the Fifth Plenary Council of Australia are following in the footsteps of the early Christians, Cardinal John Dew said at Mass on Thursday evening. The Arc...

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Plenary Council Members have on Thursday 7 July been reflecting on four parts of the Motions and Amendments document on Thursday, assisted by input from the theological advisors to the Council. Photo: Fiona Basile/ACBC. After a change to the program, Plenary Council Members have been reflecting on four parts of the Motions and Amendments document on Thursday, assisted by input from the theo...

Members of the Fifth Plenary Council of Australia were encouraged on Tuesday evening to embrace the “new and demanding urgency” of ecumenism.

The first full day of proceedings of the Second Assembly concluded with a votive Mass of the Holy Spirit at Sydney’s St Mary’s Cathedral, celebrated according to the Ukrainian Rite by Bishop Mykola Bychok CSsr.

In the first afternoon session for Wednesday 7 July, an overwhelming majority of Members backed a motion to reconsider the two motions from Part 4 of the Council’s Motions and Amendments document entitled “Witnessing to the Equal Dignity of Women and Men”.

In an exclusive interview with The Australian this week, incoming Australian Catholic Bishops Conference President and Perth Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB says the Church’s falling support is a “wake-up call” as it works to balance its convictions with the realities of an increasingly secular nation. The Perth Archbishop said the Church needed to be faithful to its core principles a...