A recent meeting of Catholic bishops and laity led by Pope Francis at the Vatican has concluded and the main points, which were the fruits for further work, were to raise the involvement of women in Church Governance.
A study on the admission of women to deacon ministry is also due to be published within the year.
The result of the month-long meeting was the adoption of a 42-page text on various issues that will now be considered at the second session next year. Each item has to be looked over by the Pope, so far nothing has been accepted. However, the vote passed with the necessary two-thirds majority, but the ones that received the most negative votes were those concerning women and questioning priestly celibacy. The issue of LGBTQ+ Catholics has not been raised up.
Pope Francis Pope Francis convened this synod more than two years ago, which created in turn a thrust towards reformist change. The Church needs to be more inclusive so that the laity have a greater say in its life.
The role of women in Church Governance In an unprecedented move, Pope Francis allowed women and the laity to vote with the bishops at this meeting. There is still no decision, but serious suggestions have been made regarding their participation. The urgent need for women’s participation in decision-making and pastoral duties has also been emphasised.
The final text does not mention homosexuality, which caused many to be disappointed. In addition, the Pope repeatedly addressed the homosexual community.
Besides the issue of the importance of women in Church life, questions were also raised about sexual abuse by clergy and the abuse by bishops of their unchecked power, which has affected children, nuns and laypeople.
It was also suggested that the inclusion of laypeople among those attending the meetings had allowed its legitimacy to be questioned.
In conclusion, it is necessary to understand that while the past synod was an important step towards reforming the Catholic Church, it also showed up deep pockets of resistance. However, it is all one big journey towards creating a more welcoming church, as Timothy Radcliffe reported.
