St Mary’s Cathedral College Hall, Sydney, 3 May 2026
They had met many times before—the disciples of Jesus after His ascension. To elect a replacement for Judas. To await the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost. To discern how to care for the widows. To choose and ordain the first deacons. But it’s the so-called ‘Council of Jerusalem’ held around 50 AD, recorded in Acts ch. 15, that was to be the model for synods.
The early Christians were divided over whether the Jewish law still applied to them, and especially the Gentile converts. Peter’s vision at Joppa convinced him no person or food is unclean. But, like Paul, he was inconsistent on the matter. The rigourists wanted the whole Law obeyed by all. The libertarians counted themselves free of laws and even morality. There were various positions in between. Behind these practical questions were matters of identity: Are we a sect of Jews or something new? Are we missionaries sent to all the world, or more about renewing Israel from within? Are we pro- or anti- tradition, and is it static or evolving? Who decides and how?
Stirrers from Jerusalem demanded the Gentile-Christians be circumcised, and it was very disruptive. So, Paul and Barnabas were delegated to go up to Jerusalem and seek clarification from Peter and the apostles. There it was decided to hold a council to hear the different views, pray and settle matters. Their long and impassioned speeches, as there was no Bishop Danny or Sr Anastasia as timekeepers. The Pharisee party spoke for abiding by the Torah. Peter, Barnabas and Paul argued for reducing the burdens on the Gentile Christians. Titus and John spoke also. James then proposed a compromise that allowed everyone to keep face but put some brakes on the extremists. A consensus was achieved, a decree issued, legates appointed and most were happy.
The ‘Council of Jerusalem’, with its delegates, hearings, debate, consensus, decision and promulgation, would be a model for addressing some future issues, resolving divisive disputes, maintaining communion under pressure. It evolved into great ecumenical councils, more recent continental gatherings, plenary councils and local synods.
We’ve just been through our own Council of Jerusalem experience. While the Church of Sydney two millennia later faces rather different challenges, it has approached these in a similar spirit of fidelity, listening, dialogue and discernment. A decade and more of consultations, followed by the prayerful and candid conversation of these days, have enabled us to hear the Holy Spirit speaking to our hearts in the Word of God, the apostolic tradition, and through our brothers and sisters. And wow, what sisters and brothers we have! The prayerfulness, positivity, wisdom, practicality, and sheer fraternity in this Synod Hall have been uplifting.
During these days together we’ve taken seriously the hunger of the People of God for liturgies and lives that are ever more prayerful, for parishes and communities that are even more Christ-centred, and for priests and people that are ever more missionary. We have received so many good ideas and sought to honour them all. We have engaged in a process of discernment to prioritise amongst them. Interestingly you struggled to pick just one from each of the three umbrellas and effectively gave me two from each. You have advised that ongoing liturgical formation, in view of but not limited to the International Eucharistic Congress, should be a priority. You have recommended that parishes and communities collaborate to offer more options for sacraments and prayer, longer opening hours, and active ministries of welcome and hospitality. And you have proposed that there be more training for clergy and laity in different ways of evangelisation, including dare I say digital evangelisation. And Mr Digges and I are greatly gratified that those who have proposed more money be spent on this or that can all be presumed to be volunteering to do the necessary fundraising for those projects!
Despite Bishop Danny’s plan to do more sorting in the last minutes before he goes ‘troppo’ in the tropics, I am pleased to announce that I readily accept all these recommendations from the Synod and will make these pastoral priorities for the archdiocese going forward. Some of your other preferences deserve our attention also, and I would hope many of these can be achieved too.
I want to thank all those who organised the preparatory stages and the celebration of this Synod: Bishop Danny Meagher, soon to go to Rockhampton as Bishop, whose synodal ‘swan-song’ has been a beautiful operatic aria and whom succeeded in keeping us on theme and on time; Varun Perera and the Working Party, and Kym, Monica and the team of helpers, who have faithfully guided the preparatory phase, organisation and celebration of this Synod; the Cathedral Dean, Precinct Manager, Cook and College Principal, who with their respective staffs have hosted us throughout. Our synod would have been impossible without such a dedicated team.
My congratulations and thanks also to all who have participated in these days: the MCs, table facilitators, presenters and interveners; the several observers from other dioceses and churches; the bishops, clergy and lay members of the Synod who have given their time and energy to this process; and all who have accompanied this grace-filled gathering.
Our Synod is not yet finished. As it began, so it will end with our greatest prayer and act of adoration, the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass tomorrow at 10:30am. I look forward to seeing you in your special section of the cathedral, along with the faithful of Sydney who have been accompanying us in prayer, as we bring our assembly to its conclusion, as well as at the sausage sizzle thereafter—rather than a democracy sausage it will be a synod sausage. And thereafter we will be seeing through your wise counsel and, by God’s grace, reap many fruits. There are many signs of a new springtime for the Church in Sydney, of a surge of interest, a spiritual wave for us to catch. You will have noticed in the cathedral square the impressive venue for the Sistine Revelations immersive experience that opens in just two weeks’ time. It is an adventure in evangelisation through sacred art and modern technology, and I expect that it will wow Sydney, including many who are not believers or regular churchgoers—not yet. Make sure you book and bring a busload with you from your community! It could be a synod reunion!
And as we heard from Acts at this morning’s Mass about the first Christians, so I pray that you too may be “filled with joy and the Holy Spirit”. Thank you and God bless you always.
