For any Catholic living in Australia at the present moment the challenges to the faith are great indeed. The culture around us is changing rapidly, not only abandoning its Christian heritage but becoming increasingly hostile to the Church. Within the Church there is a serious struggle to know how to respond to these changes. Does the Church adapt itself to the culture? How can it preserve its true identity?

The evident decline in religion and in numbers of Catholics attending Sunday Mass and living a sacramental life is another area of concern. Is this decline terminal? Experiences like the sexual abuse crisis have further eroded the confidence of many Catholics, and some have lost confidence in the leadership of bishops. Is it time to change the governance structures of the Church?

As the Church prepares for a Plenary Council, these and many other issues challenge the Church here in Australia. Will the Council find the right way forward and plot a course which will ensure that the Church is able to effectively carry out the mission entrusted to it by the Lord?

The response we make to the issues we face must be grounded in a deep spirit of faith. It must be faithful to the revelation of Sacred Scripture. It must be grounded in its living Tradition, and continuous with the body of Magisterium.

The Plenary Council will shape the direction of the Church in Australia for decades to come.