Governance
In 2017, the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse delivered its final report. Subsequently in 2019, the Australian Catholic Bishops’ Conference, ACBC, commissioned a review of governance in the Catholic Church in Australia. The resultant ACBC-commissioned report in 2020 was titled Light from the Southern Cross: Co-Responsible Governance in the Catholic Church in Australia.
The Archbishop formed the Governance Committee to address implementation of Light from the Southern Cross in the Archdiocese. During 2021, the Committee agreed on a document to better inform Canberra-Goulburn Catholics about the Archdiocese’s role. The document asked and answered questions such as:
- Who we are;
- What we do and why; and
- How we are governed in the Archdiocese and parishes
Consistent with the ACBC-commissioned report, the document addresses the theme of co-responsible governance within the context of canon and civil law, within which the Archdiocese functions. The document explains relevant canon and civil law in lay terms with the goal of promoting understanding of the role of the clergy and laity.
Its preparation is part of the Archdiocesan preparation for the Church’s Plenary Council 2022.