National Briefs
THE Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference is gathering for its second Plenary Assembly to assess Church governance, the impact of the pandemic on Church life and safeguarding against child abuse. The establishment of a new central body against sexual abuse will be the primary focus of the four-day meeting, held online as a precaution against COVID-19, similar to the first session held in May.
- Vatican News
POPE Francis’ general audience on Wednesday highlighted the importance of the four essential qualities of Church life: listening to the apostles’ teaching, safeguarding mutual communion, breaking of the bread, and prayer. The Pope stated that “any situation needs to be evaluated in the light of these four coordinates”, and warned against Catholics going astray by neglecting them.
- Catholic Weekly
THE River above Asia Oceania Ecclesial Network (RAOEN) has been launched this week in an effort to support rural Catholic communities in Southeast Asia, which are currently experiencing heavy flooding. The network will discuss Church teachings, local traditions and ways to enable the survival of local towns and villages.
- Ballarat Diocese
SYDNEY Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP commended the strength of Middle-Eastern Catholics as Sydney’s Melkite Catholic community gathered to plant a Lebanese cedar sapling beside St Mary’s Cathedral, commemorating the victims of the Port of Beirut explosion in August 2020. Archbishop Fisher hailed the Melkites as “a great blessing for our land” and applauded the unity of Australian Catholics as they gathered to pray and mourn for Lebanon.
- Catholic Weekly