Pope Francis opened this Wednesday, October 4, the first global meeting of Church leaders, or synod, in four years, marking a decisive moment for his reformist agenda. On the table are calls to take concrete steps to elevate more women to decision-making roles in the Church, including as deaconesses, and for ordinary Catholic faithful to have a greater say in the administration of the Church.
A Vatican summit that generates both hope and resistance. With a Mass in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis formally opened the global meeting of leaders of the Catholic religion, or synod, to discuss the future of the Catholic Church.
The pontiff pointed to “reparations” to turn the church into a place of “welcome for all.” A statement in favor of changes that has the support of progressives, but raises alarm among the conservatives of the clergy.
And it is that on the priority agenda are calls to promote more women to high-value roles in the church, including as deaconesses; ways to better include Catholics in the LGBTIQ+ community; new accountability measures to check how bishops exercise their authority to prevent abuse; the impact of climate change on the poor and that ordinary parishioners have more voice in the church.
It is not a polarized parliament, but a place of grace and communion
Although no binding decisions will be made at this Vatican meeting and it is only the first session of a two-year process, the summit highlights the sharp line of division between the liberal and conservative lines of the Church and marks a decisive moment for Francis and his proposal for reforms.
The Argentine pontiff knows the friction generated by his calls for reforms, but he insists on taking on the challenges.
In his homily, the pope recalled that Saint Francis of Assisi also faced divisions and tensions throughout his life and responded with prayer, charity, humility and unity when asked to “rebuild” the church.
“Let’s do the same! (…) And if the holy people of God with their pastors from all over the world have expectations, hopes and even some fears about the synod that we began, let us continue to remember that it is not a political meeting, but a convocation in the spirit. It is not a polarized parliament, but a place of grace and communion,” stressed the highest representative of the Vatican.
🎥HIGHLIGHTS | Pope Francis presided over the Holy Mass in St. Peter’s Square for the Opening of the Synod on Synodality, with a call to focus on bringing Jesus to the world and approaching today’s challenges with a God-centered perspective. #Synod2023 pic.twitter.com/urQdNwyRNp
— EWTN Vatican (@EWTNVatican) October 4, 2023
The pontiff stressed that in difficult times there is a temptation to be “a rigid church,” which arms itself against the world, looks back and withdraws into itself, but that, instead, an alternative vision must be given:
A united and fraternal church, which listens and dialogues; a church that blesses and encourages, that helps those who seek the Lord, that lovingly awakens the indifferent, that opens paths to attract people to the beauty of faith. A church that has God at its center and is therefore not divided internally and is never harsh externally
The rise of women in the Church, at the forefront of proposals
Before the meeting began, a historic precedent was set, because the pope decided to allow women and lay people to vote alongside the bishops in any final document that is prepared.
Although less than a quarter of the 365 voting members are not bishops, the reform is a radical departure from a traditionally hierarchy-focused synod of bishops.
“It is a decisive moment (…) This is the first time that women have a qualitatively different voice at the table, and the opportunity to vote in decision-making is enormous,” said JoAnn Lopez, an Indian-born lay minister who helped organize two years of consultations before the meeting in the parishes where she worked in Seattle and Toronto.
The possible reforms generate great expectations. Some activists displayed a huge purple banner in a nearby square that said “ordain women,” a request for them to also serve as priestesses.
During decades, Women have been excluded from the priesthood and the highest ranks of power, but they are responsible for most of the institution’s work: teach in Catholic schools, run hospitals, and pass on the faith to the next generations.
Therefore, many demand greater decision-making in the administration of the Church, at least with the right to vote in the Vatican’s periodic synods, but also the right to preach at mass and be ordained as priests or deacons.
But the possibility of changes, both to elevate the role of women, and the open inclusion of the LGBTIQ+ community, have also unleashed strong criticism from the most radical religious people, who affirm that the reforms proposed by Francisco generate confusion and could lead to a schism within the church.
“Unfortunately, it is very clear that the invocation of the holy spirit by some is intended to present an agenda that is more political and human than ecclesiastical and divine,” said American Cardinal Raymond Burke, who added that attempting to divert the authority of the hierarchy “puts the very identity of the church at risk.”
Last Monday, Francis assured that cardinals should not be afraid of the questions posed by a changing world and after being asked specifically about the Church’s blessings for same-sex unions, the pope suggested that they could be allowed as long as Do not confuse them with sacramental marriage.
“The world may be approaching a breaking point”
In the face of climate change and its impacts, especially on the most disadvantaged populations on the planet, Francis also calls for action.
The pope remarked that “the world that welcomes us is crumbling and perhaps approaching a breaking point” and harshly criticized what he considers a policy “incapable” of facing the environmental crisis, due to power and economic interests.
This was expressed in a new exhortation published this October 4, entitled “Laudate Deum”, which comes as a continuation of his so-called “green encyclical”, published eight years ago. Since then, ““There have not been enough reactions,” he highlighted.
Pope Francis shamed and challenged world leaders to commit to binding targets to slow climate change before it’s too late, warning that God’s increasingly warming creation is fast reaching a “point of no return” https://t.co/ouZdrkPiOq
— TIME (@TIME) October 4, 2023
The pontiff insisted that global warming cannot be denied, but stressed that it is “undoubted” that its impact “will increasingly harm the lives and families of many people.”
“We will feel its effects in the areas of health, sources of work, access to resources, housing, forced migrations,” which is why he reiterated his call to policy makers to fully execute the commitments made to mitigate the greatest threat facing the population of all corners of the planet.
In order to take the necessary steps, the leader of the Catholic Church rejected the version of those who claim that “reducing the use of fossil fuels and developing cleaner forms of energy will lead to a reduction in jobs,” since ” “The transition to renewable forms of energy, well managed, as well as all efforts to adapt to the damage of climate change, are capable of generating countless jobs in different sectors.”
Francisco stressed that the most effective solutions must come “above all from major decisions in national and international politics,” but appealed to individual changes, because “everything adds up.”
With Reuters, AP and EFE
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