Catholic groups representing many thousands of Catholics throughout the world* have written to the Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops questioning the commitment of many bishops to the very concept of synodality. A copy of the letter is attached.
The letter rejects the widespread autocratic governance in the Church’s clericalist hierarchy. The signatories assert that the recent Canonical Commission’s proposed canon laws mandating synodality will fail.
Synodality
Synodality has been mandated by the late Pope Francis and by Pope Leo as:
- the specific modus vivendi et operandi of the Church, the People of God
- demanding listening to the faithful, inclusiveness, accountability and transparency
- applying to all Christian decision making, especially in the Church, vital to genuinely Christian governance.
- “part of the ordinary Magisterium of the Successor of Peter”,
- “the appropriate interpretative framework for understanding hierarchical ministry.”
Synodality is the antithesis of clericalist autocracy. Autocracy and clericalism were major factors in the cover-up of clerical child sexual abuse.
Synodal Charades
The signatories to the letter expose global synodal failures - “synodal charades”:
“. . . many bishops continue to lead and decide unilaterally and autocratically. Many of the mandated diocesan synods are in fact episcopally controlled, far from the spirit of synodality, with bishops determining the agendas, the participants, processes, and outcomes.”
Continued exclusion of Women
The signatories note that canon law continues to exclude women from ‘offices the exercise of which requires the power of order or the power of ecclesiastical governance’, despite the conclusion of the Synod on Synodality, that:
“There is no reason or impediment that should prevent women from carrying out leadership roles in the Church. . .”
Aim of Letter:
In essence, the signatories request the General Secretary to ensure that:
- bishops commit to synodality in practice and culture,
- all the people of God be included in synodal engagement,
- canons excluding women from leadership and ministry be repealed
- bishops and priests include the faithful fully in the spirit of synodality.
Media contact: Any of the signatories* or
General Contact, Peter Johnstone: E:
*
Church Renewal Signatory organisations
We Are Church International, Root & Branch, Council of Australasian Catholics, Spirit Unbounded, Catholic Church Reform International, International Church Reform Network, Association of Catholic Priests
Contact details – see below
Contact details for signatories
We Are Church International
Colm Holmes - Chair
https://www.we-are-church.org
E:
Root & Branch
Mary Varley, for the Core Team
www.rootandbranchsynod.org
E:
Council of Australasian Catholics
Eleanor Flynn, Kevin Liston - Co-chairs
https://australasiancatholics.org
E:
Spirit Unbounded
Penelope Middelboe and Claus Geissendoerfer
- Administrators on behalf of 50 companions
https://spiritunbounded.org
E:
Catholic Church Reform International
Rene Reid - Director
https://catholicchurchreformintl.org
E:
International Church Reform Network
Max Stetter
https://icrn.info/
E:
Association of Catholic Priests
Tony Flannery CSsR – Member Leadership Team
www.associationofcatholicpriests.ie
E: