The church could be "dramatically overhauled" to give lay people more power, increase the number of women in leadership roles and force parishes to open up their finances to the public.

Peter Johnstone, who is the convener of the Australian Catholic Coalition for Church Reform, says it is "supremely ironic" that the bishops were now refusing to release a secret report asking them to be more transparent and inclusive of the communities they serve.

The report by the Australian Bishops' Conference report is said to respond to the findings of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Abuse.

The Commission found the hierarchical nature of the church, coupled with its lack of governance, had created "a culture of deferential obedience" in which the protection of paedophile priests was left unchallenged.

In a sign of how sensitive the church is to issues of reform, it is unlikely that the bishops will publicly release the report or reveal how it will respond to the Commission's 86 recommendations until the end of the year.

Brisbane Archbishop Mark Coleridge, who is the Conference's current president, acknowledged its proposals would have "far-reaching implications for the Church's life and mission.

"To do it justice, the bishops will now take advice, consider the report in depth, conduct discussions at a provincial level and otherwise prepare for a full discussion at their November plenary," he said.

The report followed a 15-month review of church governance, conducted by a seven-member panel led by Justice Neville Owen.

Owen is the former chair of the Truth, Justice and Healing Council.

It is understood the review recommends:

• Bishops cede more control to professional laity, taking a more collegial approach rather than simply being the chief decision maker.
• Catholic dioceses should set up pastoral councils or consultative bodies - ideally with equal numbers of men and women. Their roles would be to advise bishops and parish priests about pastoral matters.
• Church dioceses and agencies be required to meet similar governance standards to other entities. These would have clearer lines of accountability, greater oversight of risks and publicly available financial reports.

At present, religious charities are exempt from reporting to the national regulator. The church has always been guarded about its wealth - even to the point of misleading the royal commission.

However Comensoli has committed to greater financial transparency. Last month he told media "we're moving towards an annual report of some sort" - but the details were still being developed.

If the report's recommendations are adopted, the changes would represent a new paradigm for the church, its schools, hospitals and charities and could influence the Church in other parts of the world.

Source

• The Sydney Morning Hrrald
• Image: NPR

He pleaded not guilty to 28 criminal charges, including two counts of rape and 14 counts of unlawful and indecent assault.

Saunders, 74, denied all charges that initially surfaced in 2020 and allegedly occurred between 2008 and 2016.

Church officials launched their investigation into Saunders, later handing it over to the Vatican in 2022.

That investigation led to a police raid on Saunders' former residence in January 2023, followed by his arrest in February.

The charges stem from allegations that Saunders groomed and abused young Aboriginal men over eight years.

Some of the alleged victims reported being showered with gifts including cash, phones and alcohol.

Testimonies also detail incidents where Saunders allegedly engaged in inappropriate conduct, including hosting gatherings where guests were asked to strip and engage in sexual activities.

Hush money payments

Saunders' former secretary, Cherrille Quilty, alleged the bishop instructed her to make payments to his alleged victims.

"There was a list of names on the wall in the secretary's office with victims, potential victims and their bank account details" Quilty told The Pillar.

"It was so urgent that I pay them, it wasn't for odd jobs, I can tell you that now.

"It was hush money.

"One of the first victims that came forward was the one that I paid most frequently, and it was to shut him up.

"You didn't dare ask why [Saunders] was paying them. Didn't dare" Quilty said.

"He wasn't the sort of person you would ever cross or ask him anything."

The Church's investigation, which uncovered disturbing details, was pivotal in reigniting police interest in the case.

Leaked portions of the investigation highlighted Saunders' alleged pattern of grooming vulnerable young men, triggering further scrutiny by authorities.

While the Vatican's involvement in the case remains ongoing, the Australian Bishops' Conference, represented by Archbishop Timothy Costelloe of Perth, has promised full cooperation with law enforcement.

"It is right and proper, and indeed necessary, that all allegations be thoroughly investigated" Costelloe said following Saunders' arrest.

The former Bishop of Broome also faces separate firearms charges, though no plea was entered for these during the 30 September hearing.

The next court hearing for Saunders is scheduled for January 2025.

Sources

ABC News

The Pillar

CathNews New Zealand

During the past year Australian's resilience has been tested with the country coping with droughts and deadly bushfires followed by the Covid-19 pandemic and the uncertainty that goes with it.

"People experiencing mental ill-health are not some ‘other' people, they are ‘us'," Australian Catholic Bishops Conference president and Brisbane Archbishop, Mark Coleridge says.

In the foreword to the bishops' 2020-21 social justice statement, To Live Life to the Full: Mental Health in Australia Today, Coleridge writes:

"People in our families, faith communities, workplaces and society are suffering mental ill-health - and they can be of any age or socioeconomic background."

"It is surely time for us to make mental health a real priority, so that all people may know the fullness of life which Jesus offers (John 10:10)."

Australia's recent bushfires were implicated in over 400 deaths. They displaced entire small towns, and destroyed homes and businesses.

Their impact that has caused "environmental-related anxieties," and "led to resignation and loss of hope",,the bishops' statement says, noting:

• Suicide rates in rural and remote communities are 66 per cent higher than in major cities
• The greater frequency and intensity of weather-related disasters amplify the impact climate change is having on mental health
• The Covid-19 pandemic makes us recognise our vulnerability and we realise that we are not in control
• Our daily routines have been disrupted
• Over a million people have lost their jobs or been stood down
• Our workplaces and churches have been closed
• We have been forced to isolate ourselves from others
• Many people will be distressed or relive previous trauma through the impact the virus is having in their lives

Besides commenting on recent crises, the bishops also address other issues contributing to the mental health crisis.

"Mental health can be seen as a continuum," they say.

"At one end are people who are feeling well and coping with the demands of daily life. This is the case for 60 per cent of all Australians," the statement says.

"At the other end are people experiencing mental illness."

The interplay of poor mental health, homelessness and incarceration, and the over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island people on key measures of disadvantage including mental ill-health are all issues the bishops' social justice statement raises.

Besides costing Australia billions of dollars in expenses and lost revenue, the bishops say the real cost of mental illness denies a person's human dignity and their right to live life to the full.

"It is a rejection of the gifts that they have to offer and their membership in the Body of Christ.

"Our parishes, organisations and communities should be places of acceptance, care and healing, not places of rejection or judgement.

"Furthermore, as Pope Francis constantly reminds us, we have to take the initiative to go out to those pushed to the edges, rather than waiting for them to come to us seeking welcome."

Source

• The Tablet
• The Catholic Leader
• Image: Australian Catholic Social Justice Council

In their view, the companies should be fined for spreading fake news and offensive content.

The conference points out that social media platforms' core business is to sell advertising and maximise profits.

The bishops want greater regulation of digital platforms and coordinated efforts by governments around the world to achieve this.

In particular, they want users' personal data to be protected and basic standards that cannot be undermined by a drive for profit and market domination.

The viral spread of fake news, half-truths, lies and slander must also be addressed, the bishops' conference says.

"Our right to truthful information and trustworthy broadcasting requires greater regulation of digital platforms, with sanctions for the spread of fake, divisive and offensive content.

"Governments have a responsibility to support robust and independent journalism, particularly through the public broadcaster."

Far too often, the digital world has become a place of hatred, the bishops note.

"Pushing users to more extreme positions and promoting fake news and conspiracy theories sells. But this is at odds with human solidarity."

The bishops also say the digital community is falling prey to automated programmes.

These include the Twitter 'bots' that disseminated misinformation during the 2016 United States election.

"In an industry that is facing a growing backlash over the real impact of disinformation, electoral interference and data misuse, it is apparent to many that social media networks need some form of government accountability.

"Unfortunately, some nation states are doing the opposite ..."

The bishops cited the Christchurch mosque massacre which was broadcast on social media, saying "it becomes clearer that these platforms need to be held to account.

"Just as we would not accept a highway built of rubble that leads us nowhere we want to go, so too we cannot accept a digital world designed to exploit our weaknesses and bring out the worst in people," the bishops say.

• 9 News
• Image: Legal Zoom

The often talked about nexus between marriage, the family, and the Catholic Church makes this seem an extraordinary figure. If marriage and the family are so important in Catholic teaching, are we talking about a 50 per cent failure rate?

No. Family life is often thought to be the norm, but that is not correct. It holds no value in itself but it is an often fruitful means to a morally good life. Many mature age 'devout' Catholics who find themselves single and without families have been conditioned by their upbringing to write themselves off as failures. But their marital status, or how many children they have, is not the measure of success or failure. Read more

Sources

• Michael Mullins in Eureka Street
• See also CathNews NZ Pacific
• Image: Forgiveness Ministries

Michael Mullins is editor of Eureka Street.

It is in the heart of the family that life comes into being. In the heart of the family the joys, hopes, sorrows and worries of life are shouldered and shared. This intimate community provides our first experience of love, rejoicing when a child is born, educating and guiding little ones as they grow. It is where we learn the importance of sharing, overcoming disagreements and offering forgiveness. In the family we learn compassion and care for those who are ill, in need or in trouble. In the family we draw on the wisdom of generations and pass on the faith. These are some of the aspects of family life that each person longs for and that prepare us to take our place in society and meet life's challenges.

Families can be a beacon for a more compassionate and just society. Through the words and actions of their parents, a child will learn and emulate either an attitude of selfish insularity or an outlook of openness, kindness and inclusion. A child's heart will be richly blessed by a family's spirituality that teaches a genuine reverence for all people as sons and daughters of God. Nurturing a family is a vocation, and not an easy one. It requires commitment, sacrifice, love and generosity of spirit. In this Year of Grace, we celebrate and thank God for the gift of families. The
family is the domestic Church, the basis of our community of faith. In the family we see the expression of God's love and the unique gifts of the Spirit to be fostered in each member so that each can contribute to the common good by serving and sharing with others. Read more

Sources

• The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference Social Justice Statement 2012 — 2013
• Andrew Hamilton in Eureka Street
• Image: Drama Beans