In a spirit of joy and shared faith, Archbishop Mark O’Toole, the Archbishop of Cardiff and Bishop of Menevia, has issued a pastoral letter to the communities of the Archdiocese of Cardiff and the Diocese of Menevia. The letter, delivered on this Gaudete Sunday, encourages the faithful to consider the possibility of uniting the two Dioceses into one, aiming to enhance the mission and outreach of the Church.
In his letter, Archbishop Mark highlighted the need for the Church to be more “audacious in mission,” as called for by Pope Francis. He believes that uniting the two dioceses would enable the Church to be more effective in sharing the Gospel and serving those in need.
“By sharing resources and supporting one another, I believe we can give a more credible witness to Jesus Christ in our society and communicate Him more effectively, both in our own faith and in the good works that we undertake,” Archbishop Mark wrote.
The Archbishop has scheduled a series of “Open Listening Sessions” across both dioceses in the early months of 2024 to gather feedback from the faithful. The purpose of these sessions is to discuss the proposed union and to gather ideas on how to move forward together.
The Archbishop emphasises that no final decision has been made, and the ultimate decision rests with the Holy Father after the open listening and consultative phase. He expresses a keen desire to listen to the experiences and perspectives of the laypeople, religious, and clergy before making any recommendations.
“I humbly ask you to walk with me on this path so that together we can enter more fully into Jesus’ life and help others to do so too, so that the good news of the Christ child is communicated to the whole world,” Archbishop Mark concluded.
A more detailed outline of the consultation process will be available on the websites of the Archdiocese of Cardiff and the Diocese of Menevia in the coming weeks. The full pastoral letter can be found below:
Source: https://rcadc.org/two-dioceses-of-cardiff-and-menevia-into-one-diocese/
