Plenary Council Dumb Silence Title: The Polding House Push and The Catholic Weekly Bugle. Author: David Timbs Publisher: John Menadue – Pearls and Irritations Date: 20AUG2020 Over the past year in particular, Australian Catholics have become convinced that their bishops, with some exceptions, are playing games with them in the lead up to the national Plenary
Australian Catholic Church Silence Title: The Australian Catholic Church’s silent treatment Author: Garry Everett Publisher: John Menadue – Pearls and Irritations Date: 14AUG2020 Changing the culture of the church should be the major task for the Australian Bishops. After all, the first and only independent assessment of that culture, by the Royal Commission into the
Endemic secrecy Catholic Church Title: Endemic secrecy in the Catholic Church Author: Francis Sullivan Publisher: John Menadue – Pearls and Irritations Date: 13AUG2020 Throughout the child sexual abuse Royal Commission the inquirers regularly asked why institutions not only tolerated child abusers but actively concealed their crimes. Secrecy was endemic in the culture of these institutions.
Episcopal Conferences Seem Paralysed Title: Reflections on sixty years as a priest Author: Eric Hodgens Publisher: John Menadue – Pearls and Irritations Date: 31JUL2020 The more reflective component of the Church is crying out for imaginative leadership on the ministry crisis and institutional re-organisation. But episcopal conferences seem paralysed. Ordained in 1960 my major anniversaries
Kieran Tapsell Vademecum Analysis Title: Pope Francis finally makes bishops accountable for cover-ups Author: Kieran Tapsell Publisher: John Menadue-Pearls and Irritations Date: 24JUL2020 On 16 July 2020, the Vatican published a manual for dealing with allegations of child sexual abuse against Church personnel. It marks a significant change in culture expressed in canon law for
Catholics Want Reform Title: Catholics want reform Author: Peter Johnstone Publisher: John Menadue – Pearls and Irritations Date: 30JUN2020 Catholics are rising up and accepting responsibility for renewing their Church. Catholics across Australia and New Zealand have met via Zoom to support the growing movement for reform of the Catholic Church. Representatives of 17 reform groups
Plenary Broken Promises Australia Title: A Plenary of Broken Promises? Author: Gail Freyne Publisher: John Menadue-Pearls & Irritations Date: 17JUN2020 When the people in the pews get so restless that evidence of deceptive dealing at the top of the Catholic Church in Australia starts falling off the back of trucks these same leaders should know
Catholic Church Australia Fails Title: FRANCIS SULLIVAN The Light From the Southern Cross. A Report on Catholic Church Governance Author: John Menadue & Francis Sullivan Publisher: John Menadue – Pearls & Irritations Date: 11JUN2020 The Church culture of the past is still the culture we have today. And that is fundamentally what the Implementation Advisory
Australian Catholic Bishops’ Secrecy Title: TERRY FEWTRELL Catholic bishops need to give up secrecy and learn to trust Author: P & I guest writer: Terry Fewtrell Publisher: John Menadue – Pearls & Irritations Date: 10JUN2020 Australia’s Catholic bishops seem to have learned little from the sexual abuse scandal and associated cover-ups, writes Terry Fewtrell. Pushed
Light Southern Cross Coleridge Title: Leaked report needs ‘due consideration’ say bishops Author: Marilyn Rodrigues Publisher: The Catholic Weekly Date: 05JUN2020 Confidential document appeared online before release In a shock move, a confidential advisory report to Australia’s Catholics bishops and religious superiors has been leaked to French Catholic newspaper La Croix after they were criticised