This confidential 208 page Report ‘promoting Co-Responsible Governance in the Catholic Church in Australia’ was commissioned by the Australian Catholic Bishops and Religious Superiors to review the Catholic Church’s governance and management structures. This followed the final report of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
The Royal Commission found that clericalism, a belief that priests and bishops are superior to the lay faithful, resulted in dysfunctional governance and management. The Royal Commission found that the abuse of clerical power was a key contributor to sexual abuse in the Catholic Church
Consistent with the Bishop’s practise of inertia and delay they have decided to withhold the Report from public view for at least another six months.
But here is a link to the Report
03 FINAL Southern Cross Report 010520 Single Page – Copy
John Laurence Menadue is the publisher of Pearls & Irritations. He has had a distinguished career both in the private sector and in the Public Service.
Hi John,
Thanks for providing the link. I have had a very brief read of the first part of the Document but I must say I am not very impressed so far . Turgid, full of repetition and little of substance in the sense of real change. I wonder if any of the so called recommendations will actually see the light of day. It would be interesting to see how the lay delegates to Plenary Council reacts, particularly as it seems unlikely the Council could institute any changes to the Report.Maybe a good night’s sleep will place me in a better frame of mind.
Hi Gavin,
Recommendations are from page 133! I’m belong to a progressive parish in Melbourne we have a formal finance and school council where members of parishioners help make decision. The recommendations actually taking a step further – more like a corporate structure where delegations are defined
‘promoting Co – Responsibile Governance in the Catholic Church in Australia ‘– an oxymoron surely !
The difference in the USA right now is that so many bystanders have Iphones that record and disseminate incidents in moments and justice is less easily denied. The bishops too have not kept up. Their practice of inertia and delay rely on technologies that have been superseded and subservience that can no longer be presumed. Oh brave new world that has such changes in it! Thanks J.M.
John, there is a problem with that link, it is more than a single page.
(Well done, and thank you!)
Good play there, John.
Here’s my crass, heathen, test of “governance” progress: A star executive is adjudged to have sacrificed vulnerable kids to career and organisational prestige.
Does the board (a) speak up, and sack him (b) say nothing, and protect him.