Synod Heads to Vatican

The Continental Stage of the ongoing Bishops’ Synod on Synodality is completed. The final stages will meet at the Vatican: the first on October 4-29, 2023; the second in October 2024. In the Continental Stage, groups of Catholics, including laity, religious, priests and bishops, met in small groups, either in person or virtually. They continued the line of discussions which were started at local levels. The North American Continental Document, with choice of languages, is available at the USCCB website at the link HERE.

At the Vatican News website, the April 20, 2023 article, "Synod Continental Stage: ‘Most innovative aspect of synodal process'" can be found HERE.

As you may tell from my repeated links to the continued activities of this Synod, I have been quite interested in it. Part of the reason is that it is the first in which not only the opinions and concerns of the average Catholic are directly expressed and included in forming the points of discussion of a Bishops Synod, there will be laity and religious who will be able to vote (comments from laity were sought for the Synod of the Family in 2014, related post HERE). Of course, many of the problems discussed by the Catholic Magisterium throughout history were to guide and protect all Catholics about spiritual matters. But somehow, as one bishop mentioned in the continental document, the organization that the Church has become seems to have separated the leadership from their very people. From page 17 of the document:

Indeed, the listening sessions in the local Churches caused bishops to reflect on the structural challenges that make it difficult to sustain this style in a consistent way. “Has the Church been so organized that it becomes difficult to speak to it? The Church has organizationally isolated itself from the people of God” (Session III Group 17).

Many have felt there is no turning back from the Synodal way. However, even when all are asked to participate, much depends on leadership, for there can be resistance to change. I pray for Pope Francis to be able to continue his efforts to help us walk with the Holy Spirit.

More Synod Links

Here are a few more links to information about the upcoming Bishops Synod on Synodality (Synod 21-24). Of course, with my blog’s less than systematic posts, I won’t be covering the Synod like a reporter would. I do follow some of the coverage, though, and would like to comment on it occasionally. Perhaps the links I provide will help someone less familiar with the proceedings to get connected.

An article which reports that the Working Document for the Synod on Synodality is approved is HERE.

A website that lists the participants of the General Secretariat of the Synod is HERE.

Content on the Synod website is HERE.

And, again, the main Synod on Synodality website is HERE.

The Vatican website has general information on the Synod of Bishops. Under "The Synod of Bishops: An Introduction," the first paragraph reads:

The Synod of Bishops is a permanent institution established by Pope Paul VI, 15 September 1965, in response to the desire of the Fathers of the Second Vatican Council to keep alive the positive spirit engendered by the conciliar experience.

The link to this webpage is HERE.

Inclusive Synod

The biological facts of Creationism have been a big part of my blog, along with other subjects as listed in the right column of the original format. I’m grateful that I’ve felt free to write facts and opinions, and even some personal journaling, in the Womanatwell mix. I am still reading some things about the theology of Creationism but would like to get on with some other topics I’ve just touched upon or not addressed at all. 

I also want to keep an eye on the ongoing Catholic Synod on Synodality, as I have done in some of the past few posts. Another major announcement has been made about the Synod, to which I will link below.

First, I would like to point out that the logo for the Synod is changed slightly, from 2021-2023 to 2021-2024. This is because there will now be two Vatican Bishops’ meetings concerning this work in the Catholic Church, one each in 2023 and 2024. I’m putting the new logo here with a link to information about it on the Synod website. Click on the logo for the link.

The latest news is about the participants that will be attending and for the first time able to vote in a Bishops’ Synod.

From the Catholic News Agency article, “Vatican announces laypeople, including women, will vote in Synod on Synodality assembly,” dated April 26, 2023 (link HERE):

The biggest change announced Wednesday was the removal of the “auditor” role. In past synods, auditors included priests, religious, and laypeople, who did not have the right to vote in synod deliberations.

Now, these 70 members, who may be priests, consecrated women, deacons, and laypeople, will be able to vote. They will be chosen by the pope from among a list of 140 people selected by the leadership of this year’s continental synod meetings.

According to the synod leadership, it is requested that “50% of [the selected people] be women and that the presence of young people also be emphasized.”

I am pleased about women becoming more a part of the voice and leadership of the Church.

Women are not just physical companions to men but intellectual and psychological colleagues as well, and that includes single and married women. This is despite the prevailing philosophy, already in Aristotle's time, that said women are incomplete or deficient men. Thomas Aquinas stated that women had little intellect and were only good for generation (reproduction). Supposedly our inferior sexual status was sometimes brought about by moist south winds at the time of our conception (Summa Theologica, Part I, Q. 92, Art. 1). Science has changed, and although Aristotle and Thomas Aquinas were both geniuses, that doesn't mean they were always right. When women are kept from education, they may seem less brilliant than these men, but fortunately we now have that opportunity.

A large part of this Synod is to give voice to all Catholics, not just those who have been in power in the past and present. Many of the faithful have felt marginalized, and that has included women, the disabled, young persons and immigrants. Of course, other groups are important, and, for example, bishops from small countries that were not previously represented will have at least one voting member included in the Synod.

And we must remember the ultimate goal for us all: Catholics need to carry out the real purpose of evangelization, which is telling others about God the Father, Holy Spirit, and Jesus Christ, Who suffered atonement for our sins, rose from the dead. and is our only way to Heaven.