Summary: Reformists Plenary Council Q&A, Day One

Our Expert Attended A Plenary Council Q&A Hosted By The Australasian Council of Church Reform; This Is How It Went...

Laudetur Iesus Christus.

By no surprise, the group of mature, predominantly white panellists struggled to get the Zoom working before they began by complaining about the day's liturgy, especially the fact that there were no women on the altar.

Our plenary council specialist and Canon Law expert Associate Professor Roman Albright suggested that the group had a poor understanding of the Plenary process, practical realities, theology and Canon Law.

The 'Diverse' Panel

John Warhurst: (Much more reserved over Zoom than when he is writing opinion pieces.)

"The [lay] plenary council members cannot do this by themselves."

"The Church is kidding itself if it does not believe that factions exist within the Church [plenary process]."

Terry Fewtrell: (Seems angry with the world and likes to speak on behalf of his grandchildren's generation.)

"The plenary process has been manipulated and is not fit for purpose."

"The Plenary Council's governance is medieval and archaic."

"We need reformists to make a scene tomorrow; if not, it won't happen. "

"The Bishops are out of alignment [with reformists], and they need to get on board. We don't have any credibility [belief] in them."

Eleanor Flynn: (A Lousie Milligan fan.)

"Women basically run the Church in Australia; without them, the Church could not run; if we left the committees, stopped ironing the linen and replacing the flowers, they would be in great disarray. But we won't [leave] because it's our [women] Church, not their [men] Church."

"The patriarchy are terrified of women talking; I hope the spirit, who is most certainly a female, will blow them away."

In Summary:

It is not about God for these reformists; it is about Governance and petty politics.