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Report on the meeting of
the Diocesan Pastoral
Council
held at Park Place Pastoral Centre on 22 June 2002
The Steering Group of the PDPC had decided that
the June meeting of the Council should be a day of prayer and
reflection. Because the Catholic Church had been scandalised recently
over revelations about child abuse, and the community in the Diocese had
had its own share of suffering, the Day was devoted to seeking God’s
guidance and help in dealing with the hurt.
Members heard the Gospel reading from Matthew 10: 26-42, the theme of
which was "Open and fearless speech - do not be afraid". They considered
what special significance the reading held for them, why they thought it
was important, and what were the implications of the Gospel reading -
for their lives as Christians, for their work as members of their local
Pastoral Councils, and for their work as Members of the Diocesan
Pastoral Council.
The Gospel was read again and Members were organised into groups to have
the opportunity of sharing their feelings, again with the emphasis on
listening. Report back included the following points:
The spirit of prayer is important to us,
and we should not lose sight of what Jesus is saying to us. We
should not be afraid of or shy away from conflict.
It is difficult when scandals rock our
faith; but they should not frighten us. We must show our true face
to the world, and not say one thing and do another.
The PDPC needs to be more of a forum for
‘loving hearts’, giving genuine support to all the Deaneries and
Parishes, helping everyone to keep their heads up, and moving away
from blame culture.
We should deal with what has been
uncovered by being open and not seeking to hide it. We have a duty
of care to those who have been wounded and hurt, and we have a need
to protect them.
The Gospel reading gave us confidence not
to be afraid. We must listen to the Holy Spirit - and to each
other.
It was noted that "strife", referred to in
the Reading, was inter-generational, and we needed to be aware of
this. Listening was important in the context of easing strife.
Christ is in every person. It was
important to recognise Baptism in all Christian denominations.
There were stark challenges to be faced,
but we should not be afraid. The conflict reference in the Reading
was chilling when related to Child
Protection. There was a clear
need to support victims of family abuse.
The Internet was highlighted as the
potential "enemy in the household".
In bringing this part of the Day to a conclusion,
Bishop Crispian felt that this had been one of the most difficult years
he had ever experienced - but at the same time, was one of the most
grace-filled and rewarding. With the passing of years, he had less
reservations and a greater freedom to speak out and say what is right.
As a result, he had experienced much support from clergy and lay people.
After lunch, Members broke up into groups to
consider how the PDPC could help parishes in the event of a parish
priest or assistant priest being removed - specifically, the best way to
inform a parish; who the best person is to do it; how the PDPC can
initially help Parishes deal with the hurt and move forward as a
community.
In terms of the best way to inform a Parish, there was broad agreement
that the news should be communicated at Parish Masses, having been
broached first with the Parish Pastoral Council, where one existed. It
was important to manage the whole evolution in a caring and constructive
manner, with honesty, accuracy and promptness being key. The process
would need to be planned so that there was an orderly transition to the
new arrangements, with emphasis on continuous communication.
It was felt that the Bishop, Vicar General or Dean were best placed to
inform the Parish depending on the precise circumstances of the case,
but in any event, the prepared statement delivered to the Parish should
carry the authority of the Bishop and should be made readily available
for people to take away.
It was recognised that the Parish Pastoral Council would have an
important role to play in restoring faith and confidence in a bereaved
Parish and that the Diocesan Pastoral Council would need to work in
concert with it in helping it to move forward to recover. Visible
prayerful support to the Parish through liturgies and vigils was
important, along with a greater sense of pulling-together.
Graham Dorey, the Chair, felt the Day had been most beneficial in airing
important issues, action on which could now be taken forward.
(Next Meeting of the PDPC is on the 4th/5th
October 2002 at Park Place)
J Golden, Minutes Secretary
28th June 2002
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