BackAustralasian Catholic Coalition for Church Reform (ACCCR) and Garratt Publishing present
IF AUSTRALASIAN CATHOLICISM BECOMES SYNODAL?
The promise and vision of living faith
WEBINAR
Thursday 24 July 2025
What are the pontential benefits for Australasian Catholicisim in becoming synodal?
The Synod on Synodality and its Final Document seem to have become yesterday’s news, with hardly a mention in parishes or church conversations. Who cares? What is the point in discussing communion, participation, and mission when nothing seems to change?
Synodality in practice, even if not in name, is central to the future of our church and for a realistic appreciation and living out of our faith. This significant shift of emphasis towards a faith characterised by a consultative and co-responsible Church with real participation by all Catholics deserves more attention than it currently receives.
Speakers Richard Lennan and Anne Benjamin shared their hopes and visions for a revitalised, expansive and inclusive faith where Catholicism is a broad church. They were joined by John Warhurst who moderated the event and Susan Chen who was the responder.
The presentation was recorded and is available to view below.
MODERATOR
John Warhurst AO
John is an Emeritus Professor of Political Science at the Australian National University in Canberra. He has been chair of the Australian Republican Movement (2002–2005), campaigning for an Australian Head of State for Australia, and Deputy Chair of Catholic Social Services Australia (2007–2012), the church’s peak body for social services. In 2009, he was made an Officer in the Order of Australia (AO) for services to political science and the community. Born and educated in Adelaide, he is a graduate of Flinders University.
SPEAKERS
Fr Richard Lennan
Richard is a priest of the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle and was ordained in 1983. After graduate studies at the University of Oxford and the University of Innsbruck (Austria), where he wrote his dissertation on Karl Rahner’s ecclesiology, he taught from 1992-2007 at the Catholic Institute of Sydney. He is currently Professor of Systematic Theology in the School of Theology and Ministry at Boston College. Richard’s research and teaching focus on ecclesiology, ministry, and the theology of Karl Rahner. He has authored or edited nine books. He is an editorial consultant for Theological Studies and served as a theological advisor to the preparation of Light from the Southern Cross (2019), a document on reforming governance in the Catholic Church in Australia. Most recently, Richard was a member of the theological panel for the Plenary Council of Australia (2021-22).
Anne Benjamin
Anne is a Sydney-based writer, consultant, and educator with roots in the Hunter Valley of NSW and strong links with South India. She has authored or co-authored over 40 significant reviews in Australia and internationally –these were mostly senior performance reviews or organisational reviews. For 16 years, she held senior administrative roles within education in Western Sydney, including university governance, involvement in NSW Government education boards and committees. She was Executive Director of 75 schools in the Catholic Diocese of Parramatta in Western Sydney for nine years. Anne is an Honorary Professor at Australian Catholic University, an Honorary Fellow University of Western Sydney, a Fellow of the Australian College of Educators and a Fellow of the Australian Council of Educational Leaders. Anne co-authored, with Charles Burford, Leadership in a Synodal Church.
RESPONDER
Susan Chen
Susan is an educator who worked in Catholic education for 34 years, including 11 years as principal of Marist Regional College in Bernie, Tasmania. Since 2023 she has been Chair of Concerned Catholics Tasmania, which was established in 2020 by members of the faithful. Concerned Catholic Tasmania promotes the decisions of the Plenary Council and the Synod.
