OCEANIA/AUSTRALIA - The Australian Bishops meet the Pope: new ways to witness Jesus Christ in society

Thursday, 27 June 2019 bishops   mission   evangelization   indigenous   human rights  

Rome (Agenzia Fides) - "Pope Francis has given his apostolic blessing to the Australian Catholic bishops and encouraged them to explore new ways of being missionary in Australia. The Bishops raised with Pope Francis a number of topics that are of deep concern to the Catholic Church in Australia. Among them were the Church’s work to eliminate child sexual abuse and to accompany survivors of abuse, the bishops’ desire to support and minister to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, the hopes for the 2020 Plenary Council and the need to find new ways of witnessing to Jesus Christ in Australian society in a time of change". This is what was reported by a note sent to Agenzia Fides by the Australian Bishops’ Conference, in these days in Rome for their Ad Limina Apostolorum visit.
The meeting between Pope Francis and almost 40 Bishops of Australia took place on Monday 24 June, after the participants celebrated Mass at the tomb of St. Peter. With regard to this experience, the president of the Bishops' Conference, Archbishop Mark Coleridge, said: "To celebrate the Eucharist at the tomb of Peter and then to engage in pastoral dialogue with his successor was a unique and grace-filled way to start our week in Rome".
The Ad Limina visit continues until Friday, June 28. The Australian bishops will meet in the coming days with the various departments of the Holy See with responsibilities for different aspects of Church life. (LF) (Agenzia Fides, 27/6/2019)


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