On 11 October, the ninth day of the Second Assembly Bishop Shane joined the Synodal Press Briefing panel as a Guest. He spoke about the similarities between the Synod on Synodality and the Plenary Council that took place in Australia over the past few years. He noted in particular the representation of the whole people of God along with the Bishops; the methodology of conversation in the Spirit; and the various stages of consultation; as well as the division of the General Assemblies among the commonalities between the two ecclesial events.
Thursday, 17 October 2024 16:48
Bishop Draws Parallels between Synod on Synodality and Australian Plenary Council
Bishop Mackinlay also noted that similar topics and themes had arisen in both gatherings, reflecting similar concerns and hopes expressed by the People of God in Australia and around the world.
While the Plenary Council in Australia made important and worthwhile decisions, Bishop Mackinlay highlighted the change in ecclesial culture as one of the most important fruits of the process. “We changed the way that we understand the Church in Australia, the standard way of approaching things,” he said, adding that he feels the same thing is happening in the Synod.
Concluding his remarks, Bishop Mackinlay highlighted one of the challenges for Synod participants, saying they are still working on determining how to use the processes of discernment and the method of conversation in the spirit “most effectively” in decision making. He described the transition from listening and discernment to the resolution of difficulties as “challenging.”
At the same time, he suggested that it might be helpful to gather different models and paradigms that could serve as models for decision making.
This story was first published in Vatican News on 11 October 2024. It has been republished with permission.
