Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Oct 20, 2025 / 15:23 pm

The Vatican has recognized an Australian bishop’s synodal plan to restructure the governance of his diocese.

The Vatican’s General Secretariat of the Synod has officially recognized a pastoral plan laid out by Bishop Michael Kennedy of Maitland-Newcastle that will see the diocese adopting a governance structure that “will operate in synodal mode.”

In an Oct. 14 response to the pastoral letter on social media, the Vatican synodal office posted the letter. The social media post said the bishop invites the faithful to “embrace this vision more fully,” fostering a Church that listens, learns, and acts together in the service of the Gospel.

What’s in the plan?

According to Kennedy’s missive, titled “Letter on Synodality and the New Dio

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