An online poll on synodality attracted thousands of negative responses when it appeared on various social media platforms last week.
Those engaging with the survey were asked: “Do you believe that synodality as a path of conversion and reform can enhance the mission and participation of all the baptised?”
The users were asked to provide a “Yes” or “No” response.
News reports say during the 24- hour poll, 88 percent of responders said “No” and only 12 percent “Yes”. When that count was made, 6,938 people had voted on the X platform and fewer than 800 on Facebook.
It is unclear who participated in the social media poll and precisely what motivated the strongly negative response.
The Vatican Synod office hasn’t commented on the potentially embarrassing poll response.
The Synod on Synodality
Synodality is at the heart of the consultation process which Pope Francis launched in 2021 to help establish the Church’s future.
It is currently preparing for the Synod on Synodality’s final session this October.
The controversial synod involving consultation throughout the world is a legacy-defining event for Pope Francis, many say.
What’s the problem?
From the beginning, the Synod on Synodality was a difficult sell for many faithful. CruxNews reports that the concept of “synodality” was abstract and difficult to define.
“Synodality is generally understood to refer to a collaborative and consultative style of management in which all members, clerical and lay, participate in making decisions about the Church’s life and mission.”
Organisers insist the synod aims to make the Church a more open and welcoming place, driven less by a clerical power-structure and more on collaborative leadership.
Could timing be an issue?
Despite CruxNow reporting that social media online polls generally last for 24 hours, some media are suspicious – one critic says the poll closed ten minutes early.
Whether that’s the case is not clear. CruxNow states that results were still coming in seven minutes before the poll closed.
In an ironic public post on X, one Catholic television and streaming site asked “In the name of true Synodality, why delete the tweet?
“This goes against everything Pope Francis has been trying to do on this synodal journey.
“If 7,001 people voted and the result was the other way round, this tweet would not have been deleted. Have some credibility and stand by your convictions – you either want to hear people’s opinions or you don’t.”
Siphoning controversial concerns
The global consultation has stirred controversy. Discussions about married priests, women’s ordination and welcoming LGBTQ+ individuals have become conversational flashpoints.
While these topics were included in the official working document for last October’s Synod and were said to be “among the most emotional and contested points of discussion”, the summary document barely mentions them.
They are almost absent from the working document for this year’s synod.
The reason for this is that the Pope has set up working groups in the Roman Curia dedicated to studying these and other topics, CruxNow says.
This will free-up synod participants so they can focus on implementing synodality rather than getting bogged down or sidetracked on single issues.
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