Work toward a Council began in 2016 when the Australian Bishops confirmed a plan to host one in 2020. In March 2018 Pope Francis granted formal approval for the Church in Australia to hold the Fifth Plenary Council of Australia.
The listening and dialogue phase began in May 2018, inviting people to consider the question 'What do you think God is asking of us in Australia at this time?'. In July 2019 the National Centre for Pastoral Research published 'Listen to What the Spirit is Saying', and then the Listening and Discernment phase opened, inviting people to reflect on the six National Themes for Discernment through prayer, listening, sharing and discernment. With the coming of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Plenary Council assemblies planned for October 2020 and April 2021 were postponed until October 2021 and July 2022.
The historic event will develop concrete proposals to create a more missionary, Christ-centred Church in Australia.
Australian Catholics and its sister publication Eureka Street have a number of articles explaining the journey to the Plenary Council and its deliberations.
Australian Catholic Bishops Conference
Time between assemblies a chance for prayer, maturation
Brisbane Mass closes Plenary Council's first assembly
Plenary Council's fist assembly 'inspiring, challenging'
Plenary members present final reports of first assembly
Plenary Council's task: 'Reveal the face of Christ'
Plenary members focus on mission in God's world
Plenary Council journey one for 'dusty, patient pilgrims'
Plenary Council to contemplate woundedness, seek new peripheries
Members unpack big questions facing the Church
Archbishop Fisher: 'Be Powerhouse of Prayer'
Council members begin work of communal discernment
Pope sends blessings to historic Church event
St Francis a model for Australia's Plenary Council
Catholics in Australia urged: 'Become true disciples'
The Journey to the Plenary Council
Australian Catholics
Anticipating the Plenary Council
Truth-telling and the Plenary Council
The Plenary Council
Listening to the Holy Spirit: A guide to discernment
Listening to the Holy Spirit: A Church where everybody leads
What is God asking of the Catholic church?
Eureka Street
The Plenary Council: Consulting the faithful
Strapped in for the Plenary Council ride
The challenges of representing Catholic Australia
The uncomfortable legacy: colonisation and the church
Plenary Council needs the Catholic community
A skeleton for the Plenary Council agenda
The Plenary Council must address structural inertia and church decline
Aussie bishops can't shy from celibacy questions
Plenary Council rocket science a matter of trust
Defend inclusiveness at Catholic Plenary Council
Assembly 1 blogs and podcasts
Toward a transparent, inclusive and humble church – John Warhurst AO
Opening Eucharist – Francis Sullivan blog
Plenary Matters – Geraldine Doogue
Fr Frank Brennan's homily – 3 October 2021
Plenary Council podcast