Each month Bishop Manning writes a Letter to the Catholic Community of Parramatta Diocese, which is published in 'Catholic Outlook', the official diocesan newspaper. To review previous letters from the Bishop visit the archive.

July 2009

The Bishop's Letter

Gifts and challenges of diversity

Bishop Kevin Manning, Catholic Outlook, July 2009

My Dear People,

From 25-28 May this year, the priests of the Diocese of Parramatta gathered for a Clergy Conference at the St Joseph Centre for Reflective Living in Baulkham Hills. The conference theme was "One Church, Many Cultures: the Gifts and Challenges of Diversity".

The conference was generally acclaimed by those priests who were present as one of the best conferences they had attended in the Diocese.

This, principally, because of the excellent input from Prof Des Cahill and Fr Noel Connolly SSC, and from the importance of the topic, "multiculturalism", one of the more important issues in this Diocese.

To give you some idea of the uniqueness of the Diocese in this respect, here are some statistics:

• Parramatta is the fifth-largest diocese in Australia, and between 2001 and 2006 was the only diocese apart from Darwin (5%) to increase its Catholic population (1%).
• Parramatta with 32.8% of the total population Catholic, and Wagga (32%), are the most Catholic areas in Australia. The median age in Parramatta is 32 years, making it Australia's fourth-youngest Catholic diocese.
• In terms of those born overseas, Parramatta is third after Sydney and Perth, and in terms of those born overseas from non-English-speaking countries, Parramatta is second after Sydney.
• Approximately 55% of Parramatta Catholics are born overseas or have at least one parent born overseas in an English-speaking or non-English-speaking country. They are immigrants rather than refugees. And it is on this subject that I write to you this month.

The fact that 55% of Parramatta Catholics are born overseas, or have at least one parent born overseas, is an astounding and challenging statistic. The consequences of that statistic were well presented to our priests who attended the clergy conference.

What are some of the challenges? Multiculturalism is a very serious issue. One of the more important documents to come out of Rome in recent years is The Love of Christ towards Migrants, an Instruction issued by the Pontifical Council on the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People. It was approved by the Holy Father in May 2004, and is required reading.

The section of the document that touches into this Diocese is Part II: "Migrants and the Pastoral Care of Welcome", where it speaks of the Church, a sacrament of unity, which overcomes ideological or racial barriers and divisions, and proclaims to all people and all cultures the need to strive for the truth in the perspective of correctly facing differences by dialogue and mutual acceptance.

Different cultural identities are thus to open up to a universal way of understanding, not abandoning their own positive elements, but putting them at the service of the whole of humanity.

While this logic engages every particular Church, it highlights and reveals that unity in diversity that is contemplated in the Blessed Trinity, which, for its part, refers the communion of all to the fullness of the personal life of each one. (n. 34)

The cultural situation today, global and dynamic as it is, calls for the incarnation of the one faith in many cultures and thus represents an unprecedented challenge, a true opportunity for the whole People of God.

In this day and age we are face to face with a cultural and religious pluralism never experienced so consciously before. On the one hand, rapid progress is being made towards a worldwide openness facilitated by technological means, and the media.

The result is that culture and religious backgrounds, traditionally different and foreign to one another, are being brought into contact and even mingled with one another.

On the other hand, fresh demands for local identity emerge, which consider the cultural traits of each individual, the means for self-realisation." (n. 35)

Quite obviously, this meeting of cultures makes inculturation even more indispensable as it is not possible to evangelise without entering into serious dialogue with the different cultures. Together, with peoples of diverse backgrounds, other values and models of life are knocking at our doors.

While each culture tends to interpret the Gospel in terms of its own way of life, it is the task of the Church to guide these attempts and judge their validity.

The following statement is very important for us in our own Diocese: "Inculturation begins by listening, which means getting to know those to whom we proclaim the Gospel. Listening and knowing lead to a more adequate discernment of the values and the 'counter-values' of their cultures in the light of the Paschal Mystery of death and life.

"Tolerance is not enough; needed is a certain feeling for the other, respect as far as possible for the cultural identity of one's dialogue partners, to recognise and appreciate their positive aspects, which prepare them to accept the Gospel as a necessary prelude to its successful proclamation. This is the only way to create dialogue, understanding and trust.

"Keeping our eyes on the Gospel thus means attention to people too, to their dignity and freedom. Helping them to advance integrally requires a commitment to fraternity, solidarity, service and justice. The love of God, while it gives humankind the truth and shows everyone his highest vocation, also promotes his dignity and gives birth to a community, based on the Gospel proclamation being welcomed, interiorised, celebrated and lived." (n. 36)

It was with these issues that the priests wrestled over the three days of their conference and especially in the context of their having among them priests from other countries who were able to express their feelings about non-acceptance, misunderstanding, and inculturation.

This was a learning experience for all of us. My only disappointment was the fact that not every priest in the Diocese was present to experience multiculturalism, and I am left wondering if it would be any different if their parishioners were invited to a similar conference.

In conclusion, I ask you to think seriously about where you stand with the serious issue of multiculturalism.

Bishop Kevin Manning,
Bishop of Parramatta.