One of the outcomes of a Zoom meeting attended by more than 100 church reform advocates representing thousands of Catholics from Australia and New Zealand, was a call for the Australian bishops to appoint a woman as co-chairperson of the upcoming Plenary Council in that country.
The Zoom meeting took place on July 16. Among the 18 or so groups represented was “Be the Change”, New Zealand, as well as unaffiliated groups and individuals from Australia and New Zealand.
The Australian Catholic Coalition on Church Reform co-chairs Andrea Dean and John Warhurst said there was overwhelming support for recognition of women’s leadership in the Church. This is fundamental to the reform of Church governance.
“Women play a leading role in the day-to-day support of Catholic Church liturgies and in running its health, education and social services, but are excluded by church law from executive governance. For there not to be a woman chair of the Plenary and for women not to have equal representation in the preparation of discussion documents for the Plenary would expose the Plenary as an anachronism, with compromised credibility and relevance for the Australian community,” Ms Dean and Professor Warhurst said.
“A woman co-chair is a matter of justice. If the bishops were to reject this move, then it would be incumbent upon them to explain clearly why more than half of the active faithful should be excluded from leadership of the Plenary. Exclusion of women in this way would be a powerful symbol of business as usual.”
The co-chairs also called for “clarity in the agenda concerning priority for other necessary reforms, including the establishment of Diocesan Pastoral Councils and Assemblies before the Plenary”.
They also questioned why the Australian bishops were submitting the Instrumentum Laboris – the key document that will determine the Plenary agenda – to the Vatican in September, when the Plenary has been postponed until October, 2021.
“The planning committee developing advice to the Vatican on the Plenary Council requires an equal representation of women,” they added.
“Bishops throughout Australia must listen to the people, at least respecting the existing provisions of Church law, for diocesan pastoral councils and diocesan assemblies to be truly representative of the faithful.
“The Plenary Council will be judged on whether it ensures future accountability and integrity and listening in the Church’s decision making – that can’t occur without accepting the equality of women and introducing effective accountability in Church governance,” Ms Dean and Professor Warhurst said.
Among the groups represented at the Zoom meeting were Australian Reforming Catholics, For the Innocents, Inclusive Catholics, Rainbow Catholics InterAgency for Ministry, VOCAL (Voices of Catholic Australian Laity), WATAC (Women and the Australian Church), and WWITCH (Women’s Wisdom in the Church).
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