Church Governance conference 2-3 March 2019

Rarely have so many wise, experienced and talented church governance practitioners gathered as did on the weekend of 2-3 March 2019. The Principles and Practice for Church Governance workshop was organised by the University of Divinity: Yarra Theological Union.

Below are links to the papers and a summary of each by Lawrie Hallinan, AMPJP Executive Officer.

Fitzgerald – A personal address – YTU – 2Mar2019

Fitzgerald – Extracts from the Royal Commission – YTU – 2Mar2019

• Robert Fitzgerald says diocesan and parish governance has not matched the governance (accountable, transparent and participatory models) of Religious Institutes and the Church’s education, health and community service ministries.
• Fitzgerald says the Catholic Church (especially dioceses and parishes ) do not rate well against contemporary governance standards, such as the United Nations Development Programme principles.
• Fitzgerald (pg4) says: “Church governance should be based on a stewardship model that recognises that the organisation is governed for the benefit of promoting the word of God, for the benefit of the community of faithful, in the best interests of the people and community its serves and recognises the interests of broader community within which it is located.”
• Fitzgerald (pg6) advocates good church governance should be based on five key principles:

1. Legitimacy– through the participation of women and men (ordained, religious and lay) in all decision making processes, giving them voice and responding to those voices. It values relationships of trust, respect and reciprocity.

2. Stewardship– by governing for the benefit of God and the faithful, and acting in the best interests of those we serve and the community, ever faithful to the long- term mission of the Church, as diligent custodians of the enterprise.

3. Accountability and transparency– embracing clear lines of responsibility, being accountable for the consequences of decisions and being open to the Church and broader communities in relation to information, data, performance and processes (and their outcomes).

4. Strategic Performance– by developing clearly articulated goals and strategies, using evidence, expertise and appropriate discernment to guide decisions and openly reviewing and reporting on processes and performance.

5. Integrity– through acting faithfully, fairly, justly and ethically in all decision making having regard to Church and societal norms and laws. Ensuring a culture and leadership that requires these values to be lived throughout all levels and aspects of the Church enterprise. Each Church institution should be infused with the charisms and prophetic teachings of their founders which are core to their individual integrity and inform the values to be safeguarded and lived.

• Fitzgerald (pg6-8) proposes a number of practical applications of these principles in the structures and process of various areas of the Catholic Church (national, diocesan, parish, ministry etc).

Limbrick – Safeguarding and Governance – YTU – 2Mar2019

• Sheree Limbrick’s PowerPoint gives an overview of the purpose and structure of Catholic Professional Standards Limited (CPSL).
• She outlines the content and importance of the National Catholic Safeguarding Standards.
• She then gives an overview of how CPSL will conduct audits of Church entities using the National Catholic Safeguarding Standards.

Ranson – Theology of Church Governance – YTU – 2Mar2019

Ranson – Novo Millenio Inuente – YTU – 2Mar2019

• David Ranson says that there are rich sources within Church tradition that can be applied to the Royal Commission’s recommendation (16.7) of a review of Catholic Church governance (especially dioceses and parishes).
• Ranson says that our image of God has an impact on how we imagine governance within the Church. Rather than the usual image of God as King, General and judge, he draws attention to the image of God as Trinity (“A Community in Missionary Tension” John Paul II, Pastores dabo vobis, n.12)
• Ranson’s presentation quotes various sources to present a theology of: Trinity, communion and synodality. John Paul II (2001) Novo Millenio Ineunte, “At the Beginning of the New Millennium” is a major source of theology of Church as communion.
•  Ranson says that applying the theology of: Trinity, communion and synodality to our ecclesiology will lead to structures characterised by:

1. Inclusion (Participation, Consultation and Dialogue, Empowerment)
2. Accountability (Collaboration, Planning, Appraisals)
3. Transparency (Communication, Reporting)

Pascoe – Best Practice in Governance YTU – 3Mar2019

• Susan Pascoe notes that both the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse and the US Catholic Leadership Summit (Feb 2019) identified the Church’s governance failures as being: “…lack of bishop accountability, clericalism, lack of transparency, lack of co-responsible governance structures, and the need for synodality” (pg3).

Practical challenges of Catholic Church agencies

• Pascoe quotes Church sources that require Catholics to obey both civil and Church law.
• She then highlights the unequal positions of power where the Church grants greater power to it authorities than society allows for civil authorities. Civil authorities are much more accountable with a greater requirement to work collaboratively.
• She quotes Rodger Austin’s paper on canon law for the TJHC as saying that a Bishop has the fullness of authority within the local Church. Consequently those who report to that Bishop are reliant on him for productive and professional relations.
• Pascoe distinguishes between governance and management functions and Ministerial PJP compared to diocesan governance.
• Pascoe also raises the dilemma of CEOs of Church agencies who, as signatories of funding contracts, become legally responsible for the fulfillment of these contracts. This is a legal position that some within the agency and wider Church do not always seem to appreciate.
• Pascoe notes that the co-location of ministries with parishes/religious institutes raises conflicts of interest and the potential for misuse of public funds (or at least the inability to provide clear evidence of no inappropriate related party transactions).
• Pascoe raises similar cautions that the co-mingling of property and personnel requires: clear delegations, reporting lines and processes for managing conflicts of interest. She also suggests the option of an independent probity expert.
• Pascoe references governance bodies and inquires that have found “… that culture is inextricably linked to governance, and that strong governance underpins a healthy culture.”(pg13) and “A healthy culture is founded on an ethical base, avoids complacency by undertaking regular reviews, is mission-focussed, listens to its stakeholders and those impacted by its works, and is transparent and accountable for its actions.”(pg 13).

Best Practice in the Governance of Church Agencies

• Pascoe says the Church would do will to adopt the principles and outcomes suggested by the February 2019 US Catholic Partnership Summit.
• Pascoe says the foundations of good Catholic leadership draw on Catholic Social Teaching and are authentically works of the Church.
• Pascoe says “… it reasonable to expect churches to operate according to the same standards of governance as other NFP organisations “ (pg 17). She highlights some civil governance principles and resources that could be used to assist the Church improve its governance.
• Pascoe also highlights the need for Boards that govern Catholic enterprises to be composed and operate according to civil best practice as well as theological inspiration.