The report is over 200 pages long and includes 86 recommendations. Many of these recommendations will be significant nationally and will be a valuable contribution to the ongoing discernment during our preparation for the upcoming Plenary Council. Alongside these national recommendations, many of the matters raised relate to dioceses and parishes and can therefore be acted on at the local level, rather than requiring national consensus.

A preliminary version of the report was presented to the bishops at our national meeting in May, and various corrections and clarifications have now been made, which were finalised in the last week. The bishops will consider a joint response at our national meeting in November.

I have attached the statement accompanying the report’s release, as well as an 8-page reading guide, which will give you a good overview of the range of issues and recommendations covered by the report. I encourage you to read and discuss the full report, which is available on the Bishops Conference website: https://catholic.org.au/governance

In our own diocese, this report is very timely, as it will be a valuable resource for us to draw on in the current Review of Strategic, Consultative and Administrative Structures. I will be reflecting on the report carefully myself, and I am confident that it will enrich the discussions and discernment that we undertake together in the years ahead.