The six discernment papers have been released for the Fifth Plenary Council of Australia which Archbishop Timothy Costelloe SDB says signifies the latest milestone as the Church considers its present circumstances and discerns its future.

Six discernment and writing groups, one each for the six national themes for discernment that emerged from the Council’s Listening and Dialogue phase, were tasked with writing papers to bring some major themes and issues into focus.

“The papers are the fruits of communal discernment. The aim of the discernment process was to draw upon the lived faith and experiences of more than 220,000 Australians, the living tradition of the Church, sacred Scripture, papal teachings and additional insights from outside the Church,” said Archbishop Costelloe, the Plenary Council president.

Archbishop Costelloe said the papers are an important contribution to the Church in Australia’s ongoing discernment towards the Plenary Council.

“While not the final word on the six thematic areas which emerged from the Listening and Dialogue process, I encourage everyone to receive them in the spirit of faith and discernment with which they have been written,” he said.

“They both invite and challenge us to continue to ‘listen to what the Spirit is saying’.”

Each paper provides a reflection on some elements of the relevant pastoral reality, articulates a theological vision, outlines a number of challenges to be overcome, suggests prioritised questions to be answered and develops some proposals for change.

Council of Catholic School Parents NSW/ACT executive director Peter Grace, who is the chair of the Missionary and Evangelising discernment and writing group, said its discernment paper “names the challenging realities we face as a Church in Australia in the 21st century”.

“It is a call to action for God’s people, particularly those entrusted with making decisions that set the course to be followed by the Church in Australia,” he said.

“I hope that people will read and reflect on the paper with open minds and open hearts and will be stirred by the Holy Spirit to be agents of mission and evangelisation.”

Download the discernment papers