Authentic synodality, an inclusive discerning process involving the laity and the ordained, may be one of the most important institutional reforms of Pope Francis’ pontificate.
25 November 2021 Fifty years ago the Second Vatican Council was clear: the church is the People of God. Yet, one of the most important precepts of the Second Vatican Council, synodality, has not been fully realized. Under Paul VI and succeeding popes, synodality was enacted through a synod of bishops -- an expression of episcopal collegiality, not synodality of the whole church.
Authentic synodality, an inclusive discerning process involving the laity and the ordained, may be one of the most important institutional reforms of Pope Francis’ pontificate.
As the Catholic Church and the whole People of God engages in the 2021 - 2023 Synod on Synodality: Communion, Participation, and Mission, We Are Church International call for the following:
We advocate for Pope Francis’s call for a revolution in the structure of the Catholic Church; where radical change moves the church from a top down institution to an inverted pyramid with the pope and the bishops “below” and “in service to the holy faithful people of God” above so that the whole People of God may come together in authentic partnership to discern the best way forward on critical matters facing Catholics today.
Because synodality calls for all the People of God to be involved in decision making, We Are Church urges Pope Francis to replace the Synod of Bishops with an Assembly of all the People of God that reflects the diversity of the church; where at least 50% of the assembly are women who are chosen by the laity.
Colm Holmes
Chair, We Are Church International
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M +353 86 606 3636