Archbishop Anthony Fisher OP, Archbishop of Sydney, joined his brother priests at a clergy conference in Leichhardt on 12 April, speaking to them at length about future changes in the archdiocese and the apostolic exhortation Amoris Laetitia, recently issued by Pope Francis.
The archbishop was keen to press the flesh with his priests after a period of convalescence, visiting every table of priests at the gathering.
In a substantive address, the archbishop said that the pope’s new teaching document warranted a careful and considered reading, asking priests to inform themselves fully of the various issues that it treats around marriage and family, and to share those learnings with parishioners.
The archbishop also encouraged priests to assist lay people in preparing for the expected plebiscite next year on changing the legal definition of marriage to include same-sex couples.
He also spoke about ongoing ‘2020’ parish planning, emanating from the 2020 planning committee, involving a plan for growth and for increased numbers of vocations.
The archbishop also detailed the archdiocese’s New Evangelisation project, headed by Anthony Hill, who also addressed the gathering.
The project will see a restructuring of archdiocesan agencies to better co-ordinate efforts to share the Good News with others, including the archdiocese’s instruction and communications agencies.
The Catholic Weekly understands that Archbishop Fisher is planning to return to work soon, involving an increasing number of engagements in the second half of the year, after falling ill with Guillain-Barré Syndrome at Christmas time.