Posted on 10/26/2024 1:40:34 PM PDT by ebb tide
VATICAN CITY (LifeSiteNews) — The official text and final document of the multi-year Synod on Synodality has been published: quieter on so-called “hot button” issues than last year, but instead urging a Church-wide reform in line with “synodality” – a word described as meaning a focus on ecumenism, listening, and renewal.
Divided into five parts and 155 paragraphs, the document will be issued to the whole Church. Closing the final meeting of the synod on Saturday night, Francis announced he would not be publishing an apostolic exhortation following the synod. “It’s enough that we’ve approved” the final document, he said, adding he would publish it immediately.
The document remains full of open questions, suggestions for future actions, and outlines of proposals for continued “discernment.” In this manner, the peculiar state emerges of an incredibly long process resulting in relatively few concrete results – at least on paper.
But, as Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich told the press Saturday night, the synod is about the journey. “We have walked together and now we now we have to walk together in the future,” he said about the work of the assembly itself.
Each paragraph was voted on individually, with all having been approved. The greatest objection was to paragraph 60 (258 for/97 against) dealing with certain questions relating to the role of women in the Church, and including the statement that “the question of women’s access to diaconal ministry remains open.” (Paragraph 60: 258 for/97 against)
It attested that “women continue to encounter obstacles in obtaining a fuller recognition of their charisms, vocation and roles in all the various areas of the Church’s life.”
Such a scenario, the document added, “is to the detriment of serving the Church’s shared mission.”
Consequently the synod:
… asks for full implementation of all the opportunities already provided for in Canon Law with regard to the role of women, particularly in those places where they remain under-explored. There is no reason or impediment that should prevent women from carrying out leadership roles in the Church: what comes from the Holy Spirit cannot be stopped.
Additionally, the question of women’s access to diaconal ministry remains open. This discernment needs to continue. The Assembly also asks that more attention be given to the language and images used in preaching, teaching, catechesis, and the drafting of official Church documents, giving more space to the contributions of female saints, theologians and mystics.
The document notes early on that though the official Synod on Synodality meetings have ended, the process has not: “The synodal process does not conclude with the end of the current Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, but it also includes the implementation phase.” (paragraph 9: 338 for/17 against)
It notes that the synod members “faced fatigue, resistance to change and the temptation to let our own ideas prevail over listening to the Gospel and the practice of discernment.” (6: 344/11)
Synodality, the members write, “requires repentance and conversion … This is why we want to be a merciful Church, capable of sharing with everyone the forgiveness and reconciliation that come from God: pure grace of which we are not masters, but only witnesses.” (6: 344/11)
Notably, the synod text calls for a continued synodal style of ecclesial life at every level, from local churches to the papacy. “Synodality involves gathering at all levels of the Church for mutual listening, dialogue, and community discernment,” the text further adds. (28: 340/15)
The text attests that synodality has revitalized the Church’s ministry and life: “to rediscover the root of the varieties of charisms, vocations and ministries.” (21: 354/1)
When “practised with humility, the synodal style enables the Church to be a prophetic voice in today’s world,” the document attested. (47: 350/5)
The text also mentioned that “unfortunately, others [synod participants] continued to experience the pain of feeling excluded or judged because of their marital situation, identity or sexuality,” appearing to allude to LGBT issues and the divorced and “re-married.” (50: 333/22)
The text also highlights the intimate link between synodality and ecumenism: “as well as constituting the basis of synodality baptism is also the foundation of ecumenism.” (23: 336/19) “Ecumenism is first and foremost a matter of spiritual renewal,” the document asserts, while praising “ecumenism of blood.” (23: 336/19)
Indeed, in a rare definition of synodality, the text states that “Synodality is the walking together of Christians with Christ and towards God’s Kingdom, in union with all humanity.” (28: 340/15)
Unity of Christians was highlighted (40: 348/7), as was religious dialogue (42: 334/21) and the ability of the “plurality of religions and cultures, the diversity of spiritual and theological traditions, the variety of the gifts of the Spirit and of the tasks of the community, as well as the diversity of age, sex and social affiliation within the Church” as an “invitation to each person to confront his or her own unconscious bias, resist the temptation of being at the centre, and open oneself to the acceptance of other perspectives.” (42: 334/21)
Much debate took place during the synod about the proposal for bishops’ conferences to have doctrinal authority. Calls were also made for councils at various levels of the national church to be made mandatory, thus enforcing a “synodal” style of devolved exercise of authority.”
In light of this, the document states that the Pope’s power cannot “ignore a direction which emerges through proper discernment within a consultative process, especially if this is done by participatory bodies.” (92: 316/39) The passage adds for a call to revise Canon Law to remove the phrasing of “consultative vote” in order to mandate the style of decision making shared by the Pope and consulting bodies.
Indeed, outlining the various decision making bodies accounted for in Canon Law, the final text stated that in order for the Church to be “synodal,” such bodies “must be made mandatory.” This would likely see the forced implementation of a much more secular style of institutional government. (104: 329/26)
The document also highlights plans for effecting a “’sound decentralisation’ (EG 16) and an effective inculturation of faith.” To this end, bishops conferences will receive more recognition along with provincial and plenary councils – in line with what was proposed by certain voices in the synod. (129: 317/38)
On the topics of both ecumenism and the papacy, the synod issues a firm plan for establishing “a Council of Patriarchs, Major Archbishops and Metropolitans of the Eastern Catholic Churches presided over by the Pope, which would be an expression of synodality and an instrument for promoting communion.” This would “also serve as a means of sharing liturgical, theological, canonical and spiritual patrimony.” (133: 318/37)
Additionally, the synod called for the Pope to convene a special synod to “promote the consolidation and re-flourishing of the Eastern Catholic Churches.” (133: 318/37)
Furthermore, in the service of “decentralization,” the text suggests a “theological and canonical study whose task would be to identify those matters that should be addressed to the Pope (reservatio papalis) and those that could be addressed to the bishops in their Churches or groupings of Churches.” In essence this appears to re-open the debate about whether local bishops can decide on doctrine. (134: 337/18)
Highlighting the important roles of the family, of children, and of the married state, the text issued a note from the synod members stating, “the Assembly once again expressed its closeness to and support for all those who accept being alone as a choice made in fidelity to the Church’s Tradition and Magisterium on marriage and sexual ethics, which they recognise as a source of life.” (64: 348/7)
Much discussion has also been made of the possibility of new ministries in the Church following the synod, particularly in relation to the question of new roles for women. This was furthered in the final document as a call was made for “discernment” about which “charisms … should take a ministerial form and thus be equipped with adequate criteria, tools and procedures,” since “not all charisms need to be configured as ministries, nor do all the baptized need to become ministers, nor do all ministries need to be instituted.” (66: 351/4)
“A missionary synodal Church would encourage more forms of lay ministries, that is, ministries that do not require the sacrament of Holy Orders, and this not only within the liturgical sphere,” the text adds. (66: 351/4)
Reiterating a talking point from a recent synod press briefing, a call was made by the synod for the laity to have “a greater voice in choosing bishops.” (70: 33/25)
Calls were additionally made for “a more active distribution of tasks and responsibilities and a more courageous discernment of what properly belongs to the ordained ministry,” with regard to the relationship between bishops, priests, and deacons. (74: 343/12)
Special mention was made of the non-instituted ministries – such as catechist of a community – and “extraordinary” ministers – such as of the Eucharist. Citing how some lay faithful already lead liturgies in the absence of a priest and offer baptism, the document echoed a call made by those in the Amazon region for lay-led ecclesial structures and the formation of new ministries:
Responsive to the needs of local contexts, consideration should be given to extending and stabilising these opportunities for the exercise of lay ministries. Finally, there are spontaneous services, which need no further conditions or explicit recognition. They reveal the ways that all the faithful, in various ways, participate in the mission through their gifts and charisms. (76: 345/10)
Calls for “increased participation” of laity in “all phases of decision-making processes,” were made in an accompanying passage. (77: 342/13)
Along the lines of new ministries was a call for more discernment for the proposed idea of a “ministry of listening and accompaniment” which “should be particularly aimed at welcoming those who are on the margins of the Church community, those who return after having drifted away and those who are searching for the truth and wish to be helped to meet the Lord.” (78: 322/33)
This story is developing…
Ping
Converting the Rock into putty, if it were possible.
It’s very scary. Not only womyn deekons, but a new Bogus Ordo. From X (Twitter):
Matt Gaspers
@MattGaspers
SYNOD NEWS: A final #Synod2024 press conference was held at the @HolySeePress
office this evening to discuss the final document. Vatican journalist @dianemontagna
asked two important questions:
1) Female deacons: Regarding para. 60, which received the most “No” votes (97 out of 355) and says “the question of women’s access to diaconal ministry remains open,” Montagna asked, “In what sense does it remain open, and … why does it remain open…?”
@cardinal_jch
: “This is a very delicate problem. So, when the Pope says he is signing this [final] document, that he makes it his own, that means also that passage [para. 60]. The Pope has said he has made this proposal his own, and who am I to contradict the Holy Father? So, I fully accept what the Holy Father says. The Holy Father hasn’t said women will be ordained deacon. He has not said women will not be ordained deacon. He has just said it remains open; it has to be studied.”
On this subject, see the following article by John Vennari (RIP): https://catholicfamilynews.com/blog/2016/08/08/deaconesses-strictly-speaking-never-existed
Based on this book-length scholar study: https://ignatius.com/deaconesses-deacp
2) Liturgy and Synodality: Regarding para. 27 (the third most unpopular of the 155 paragraphs), which calls for the adoption of “celebratory styles that make visible the face of a synodal Church,” Montagna asked for clarity as to what this means, practically speaking.
Para. 27 also calls for “the establishment of a specific Study Group to which would be entrusted reflection on how to make liturgical celebrations more an expression of synodality.”
As I have written before, this could have a direct impact on access to the Traditional Latin Mass (at least in diocesan settings): https://catholicfamilynews.com/blog/2022/09/29/desiderio-desideravi-ecclesiology-and-the-traditional-latin-mass
In other words, a “final solution” could still be forthcoming: https://catholicfamilynews.com/blog/2024/06/25/tlm-crackdown-a-final-solution-seems-probable
Cardinal Hollerich: “So, we have a liturgy, the one of Paul VI [referring to the Novus Ordo Missae] — the Second Vatican Council — and of course small things can always be changed, can be adapted. The fact is that many people have written — at the beginning when the Synod [on Synodality] started, in its first and second phase — that they had problems, that sometimes the liturgy did not speak to them. So, we have to take it serious. It has to be seen; it has to be studied.”
He assured everyone that there is “no plan” for “a revolution in liturgy. There is no plan to replace priests by [meaning ‘with’] lay men and lay women. It’s just, how can it be a little bit more participatory?”
Many would argue that a liturgical revolution already occurred following Vatican II. On this topic, see The Once and Future Roman Rite (@TANBooks
, 2022) by @DrKwasniewski
: https://tanbooks.com/products/books/the-once-and-future-roman-rite-returning-to-the-traditional-latin-liturgy-after-seventy-years-of-exile
Also, this article by Christopher Ferrara: https://salbert.tripod.com/SClel.htm
Official text of the final document (Italian): https://synod.va/content/dam/synod/news/2024-10-26_final-document/ITA-—Documento-finale-26.10.pdf
Working translation (English): https://t.co/i8s5ykqm8n
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