Synod of Bishops Submission portal opens for next Synod of Bishops phase

Plenary Council

The final assembly of the Fifth Plenary Council of Australia came to an end on 9 July 2022, with Archbishop Timothy Costelloe reminding Members that the task of discerning what the Holy Spirit is asking of us continues throughout our lives.

In a letter to Christ’s faithful in the Archdiocese of Melbourne, Archbishop Peter A Comensoli reflects on the ways the Plenary Council prayerfully sought to envision and embody a 'more missionary and Christ-centred Church in Australia’. He invites us all to engage more deeply with the fruits of the Council by reading and discussing two significant documents: the Decrees of the Council, setting out the motions that were passed, and the final summary statement from the Assembly of what occurred during the week.

Australian synthesis for global Synod of Bishops

Catholics in Australia have expressed a strong need for a Church that is missionary and a Eucharistic community that is inclusive, the national synthesis for the global Synod on Synodality reveals.

The Australian synthesis, which emerged from a nine-month process that began in October 2021, draws from the diocesan consultation phase for the Synod of Bishops.

Earlier this year, Australian dioceses published a report on the findings of their local consultation – a process that every diocese around the world undertook. The National Centre for Pastoral Research prepared the national synthesis based on those diocesan reports.

Trudy Dantis, the Centre’s director, said there was much to draw upon from the diocesan reports, which themselves were the result of hundreds of submissions from groups and individuals.

“We also recognised that the Church in Australia captured very rich information through the Plenary Council, much of which was relevant to the experience of synodality,” she said.

“Through the Synod of Bishops and the Plenary Council, we have been able to capture and listen more deeply to the voices of people within and beyond the Catholic population.”

The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference recently approved the national synthesis.

Bishops Conference president Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB commended Dr Dantis and her team on developing the synthesis.

Adelaide Archbishop Patrick O’Regan, who along with Bishop Shane Mackinlay will represent the Bishops Conference at the October 2023 gathering in Rome, said the publication of the national synthesis is the next step in a long and important journey.

“This pilgrimage towards the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops will take three-and-a-half years and will help the global Church to better understand how we can all walk together in seeking to fulfil our mission,” he said.

Access the national synthesis at: www.catholic.org.au/synodalchurch