Peter Wilkinson

 

June 16: Reflections on China trip
W
e have been staggered at the progress that has been made since Deng Xiao-Ping opened the nation up to the outside world

June 10, 2016: Why the delays in appointing Australia's bishops? (First published in The Swag, Winter 2016)

June 10, 2016: Choosing the next Archibishop of Melbourne How it should occur and why this is important

Co-responsibility: vision or pipedream? 
-  published in The Swag, Vol. 22, No. 3, Spring 2014, pp. 31-33.

This article is intimately related to what is happening in Rome.  There, Francis is asking the bishops present what they think about the challenges facing families in the countries/churches where they come from; but many of these bishops have never established a dialogue with families whose pastoral care is in their hands.  The bishop representing the Church in Australia is from a diocese which does not have a diocesan pastoral council and has not had a diocesan synod since 1916.
Sadly, the evidence shows that Vatican II’s bold and creative vision for co-responsibility has not flourished in Australia and is more like a pipedream. Nevertheless, with Pope Francis now re-emphasising the vision, perhaps it may yet become a reality

 

2014-05-01 - The Francis Effect: Joy and Fresh Hope?
Talk to Spirituality in the Pub Meeting, Sandringham, 23 April 2014.
I would like to talk about the pastoral leadership charism of Pope Francis, Bishop of Rome: how we have recognized it, where it is leading him, how he is using it to lead the Church of our times, and how I would assess his achievements to date

 

2014-03-22: Who ministers in Australia's parishes?
Local vocations to the priesthood remain low, religious sisters will make a declining contribution, and many bishops have not warmed to permanent deacons. Coupled with the continuing decline in Mass attendance and the reduced number of parishes, it takes great hope and faith to see an upturn in parish vitality just around the corner

 

2013 article

2012 articles 

2011 articles