Pope Francis has announced that Society of the Divine Word priest and former CRA vice-president, Fr Tim Norton, will become an auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of Brisbane.

Catholic religious communities from around Australia have united in prayer for the 2021 CRA National Day of Promise and Sorrow, remembering those who have been hurt by the sin of sexual abuse.

At the heart of the different opinions expressed at the Plenary Council is one fundamental question: ‘what type of Church do we truly and deeply desire’? Will we be an exclusive one, comprised of those who are doctrinally ‘pure’, content with the traditional style of operating, or will we be an expansive Church, welcoming divergent views and lifestyles, and learning from contemporary society and culture? We know that the first Christians faced the same challenge. Was the Church to be confined to Jewish practice or was it open to Gentiles who didn’t accept those traditions? The Council of Jerusalem chose the latter and consequently the Church spread rapidly, writes CRA President, Br Peter Carroll FMS.

The months between the first and second general assemblies of the Fifth Plenary Council of Australia are a time for “prayer, reflection, maturation and development”, according to a concluding statement from the first assembly.

In a culture that floods us with many images, a new prayer resource from the Columbans invites us to slow down and look deeply with a contemplative heart.