After a Vatican summit on the future of the Catholic Church that ended without any major reforms, Pope Francis He faces questions about whether his 11 years of papacy are running out.
The pontiff, who will turn 88 in December and has suffered bouts of poor health, spent four years preparing the Synod of Bishopswhich did not produce any concrete action on issues such as expanding the role of women in the Church.
“It is difficult to see great innovations in a papacy that is more than 11 years old,” said the reverend Thomas Reese, Jesuit priest and commentator. “Part of what we’re seeing is that the novelty of Pope Francis is wearing off.”
Cardinals, bishops and lay people from more than 110 countries participated in the summit that ended Saturday, and among the 368 voting members there were almost 60 women.
The final text asked that women be granted more leadership roles in the Churchbut he fell short when it came to asking for their ordination as clerics.
“Young people realize that in the most intimate circles of the Church there is an astonishing reluctance to change”
According to Natalia Imperatori-Leeprofessor of religion at Manhattan College, many Catholics are “disappointed and even heartbroken.” “Young people are realizing that in the most intimate circles of the Church there is a reluctance to change… that is astonishing,” he said.
The final document of the Synod of Bishops, 52 pages, does not mention the LGBTQ communitybut makes a veiled reference to people in the Church who “experience the pain of feeling excluded or judged because of their marital status, identity, or sexuality.”
Marianne Duddy-Burke, CEO of DignityUSAa group that supports LGBTQ Catholics, said the text was “insufficient to address the pastoral and doctrinal harm the Church is doing to LGBTQ+ people and our families.”
The Pope slows down the pace
Francisco has tried to open the Catholic church to uncomfortable conversations and engaging with as wide an audience as possible.
He has suffered from the flu and related problems on several occasions since early 2023, and was forced to cancel a planned trip to the COP28 climate meeting in Dubai.
His age and his occasional poor health have led some Church observers to revive speculation about his possible resignation. Francisco has said that he has no plans in that regard. In March, he described that possibility as a “distant hypothesis.”
Francis has no other major summits or foreign trips scheduled this year, and his 2025 agenda will be packed with events and meetings to mark the occasion. Catholic Holy Year during which 32 million pilgrims are expected to converge on Rome.
Some Synod participants defended the assembly, saying its work would continue through 10 study groups that Francis has asked to continue reflecting on some of the most controversial issues, such as women’s leadership and the welcome of Catholics. LGBTQ.
The study groups will present a report to the Pope next June and could recommend broader reforms.
“The themes hot have moved to study groups that do not end today,” he said Anna Rowlands, professor and political theologian at the English University of Durhamwho participated in the synod as an expert without the right to vote. The central question, he said, is: “Will they be able to present thoughtful renovation plans next year?”
The four-year synodal process, first convened by Francis in March 2020, has been a signature initiative of his papacy. has involved an unprecedented two-year survey of Catholic opinions and two summits in Rome, held one year apart.
Advocates for a greater role for women in the Church had hoped that the 2024 synod assembly would call for women to serve as deacons, ordained ministers who, unlike priests, cannot celebrate Mass. In its final text, the Synod states that the issue “remains open”.
“The document has reaffirmed that we have heard women from all regions of the world say that they continue to encounter obstacles to living their Christian faith as full members of the Church,” he said. Catherine Clifford, voting member of the synod and part of the committee responsible for drafting the final document. “The issue is not closed, and that in itself I think is an encouragement,” said Clifford, a professor at Ottawa’s Saint Paul University.
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