The new, expanded two-year process to prepare for synods will begin in October and promises to flip the power structures in the church. When it comes to the voice of women in the church, though, it might not be enough.

The question of the role of women in church leadership remains one of the biggest ecclesial and social challenges in the Catholic Church.

Despite Pope Francis' appointment of women in leadership positions at the Vatican, women are not allowed to vote in synods — the summit of bishops at the Vatican — and cannot be ordained.

"The problem is that nowadays most people still have the mindset of the church as the hierarchy. No! It's not the reality of the church!" said Sr. Nathalie Becquart, who became the first female undersecretary of the Synod of Bishops when Pope Francis appointed her in 2021.

With the upcoming summit of bishops, "For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission," which will begin on Oct. 10 and end when bishops convene in Rome in October 2023, the focus will be on disrupting that historical hierarchy and establishing a new system, "where all the baptized are part of the mission of the church," Becquart said.

Synodality — or Francis' vision for how to approach synods — is a touchstone to understanding his plans to reform the Catholic Church, but its meaning and application have been left open to interpretation.

"It's not easy to explain what is synodality," Becquart told Religion News Service in the Synod offices, a stone's throw away from the Vatican, on Sept. 12. "You discover it through an experience."

To that end, images are Becquart's preferred medium to convey the meaning of synodality.

She pointed to several examples, from the biblical passage of the journey to Emmaus, where the resurrected Christ walked with two disciples, to the tent of the meeting in Exodus. Some, she said, have described synodality as "dancing together," while "listening to the music of the Holy Spirit."

The images attempt to convey a compelling decision-making model, where all Catholic faithful come together at the grassroots level to discuss, debate and dialogue on the direction of the church. What should emerge is a clearer understanding of the "sensus fidelium," or "sense of the faithful," an ephemeral concept meant to assign authority based on a universal consensus by believers.

The sensus fidelium, though, is still bound to the shepherding of the priests, bishops and even the pope, who are charged with keeping and preserving doctrine.

Decisions will be made differently, but this doesn't mean "getting rid of the hierarchal principles," Becquart said.

"Synodality is not a parliament" subjugated to majority and minority dynamics, she emphasized, but "through mutual listening we will find a consensus."

Ultimately, though, an exclusively male clergy will have the responsibility of representing their lay people's concerns and issues to the bishops' conference and eventually to the Vatican.

Becquart, who might be the only woman eligible to vote at the synod of bishops, said she believes women will feel like they are part of the synodal church's decision-making process through synodality.

But being part of the discussion may not be enough for a new generation of women who wish to have equal footing with men in the Catholic Church. With no promise of compelling male clergy to take into account the feelings of the faithful, especially women, synodality risks being nothing more than a well-intentioned conversation that can just as easily be dismissed.

"Will the talking ever end?" said Phyllis Zagano, a U.S. Catholic scholar who advocates for the promotion of women in the church, during a Sept. 10 webinar on synodality and women.

The effectiveness of synodality "will depend on the individual bishop," she added, pointing to the disparate responses to the synodal process in several dioceses, especially in the U.S.

"As Western culture increasingly accepts women in positions of authority, the church does not seem to do so," Zagano said.

Clericalism, the belief by clergy and faithful that those who are ordained have more authority, is "poised to derail the entire process if the voice of the people is not heard through official channels."

Of course, unofficial channels for women's voices to be heard have always existed in the church, through religious and lay movements and organizations, she added.

It's "part of people's DNA" today to expect women to be part of making decisions, said Ethna Regan, professor of theology and philosophy at Dublin City University, in an interview with RNS.

According to the theologian, the synod on synodality is an opportunity for the church "to really do something new in terms of consultation, and if they do not seize that moment, they have no faith in the Holy Spirit!"

"Either you believe the Holy Spirit is operative through the people of God and we can learn from each other, or you don't. It's as simple as that," she said.

• Claire Giangravé is an author at Religion News Service.

We all do it.

• "The church teaches such and such."
• "The church lobbied against gay marriage."
• "The church failed to protect children."
• "The church is homophobic and sexist."
• "The church is authoritarian."
• "I hate the church."

The word "church" has multiple meanings.

One theologian counted more than a dozen different ways "church" was used in the documents of the Second Vatican Council, referring to everything from a building to the Mystical Body of Christ.

"Church" is the word we use to translate the Greek word "ekklesia," which originally had the meaning of an assembly called together by a secular authority.

In the New Testament, the term is used more than 100 times — to refer to Christians assembled for the Eucharist, to a local congregation (such as the church at Corinth) or to all the people of God united as a body with Christ as its head.

The leaders of the community were not "the church," but the apostles, bishops, presbyters and elders.

Language matters

I remember in the 1980s taking a tour of the House of Commons in London.

The tour guide pointed to a plaque on the wall in honor of a minister "who was killed by the Irish Catholics." Not the IRA, not the Provos, not the terrorists, but the Irish Catholics.

Today we do the same thing when we say, "Muslims are killing Christians."

Saying that the Catholic church did not protect children is just as wrong.

It was the bishops.

It was the hierarchy.

We should not blame the the people of God for the sins of the hierarchy.

In many other churches, the people have some say in selecting their leadership and therefore have some responsibility for their hierarchy's actions.

Not so in the Catholic Church, where new leaders are chosen by current leaders.

If the hierarchy had been open with the laity about the sex abuse crisis, if the bishops had listened to the people, we would not be in the mess we are today.

Using the term "church" for "hierarchy" or "bishops" is sloppy writing, and I must plead guilty.

I confess that in the last few months, I have written: "everyone knows the church's position"; "The church's attitude toward LGBT members, clerical sex abuse, warfare, poverty, migration, human trafficking and corruption"; "the church's teaching on the inherent differences between men and women"; "the church's traditional approach of trying to cram its teaching and programs down the throats of the young"; "the crisis has severely undermined the church's credibility to speak to the young"; "the church needs to listen to the young and respond to their spiritual needs."

Confession is good for the soul and good for writing.

I will probably fail again in the future, but we should always pause before using the word "church" to ask ourselves whether there is a better, more exact word we can use.

• Thomas J. Reese SJ, is a Senior Analyst at RNS.
• First published in RNS. Republished with permission.
• The views expressed in this opinion piece do not necessarily reflect those of Religion News Service.

Over 1000 people are expected to attend including clergy, the Vatican's diplomatic representative, the apostolic nuncio Archbishop Martin Krebs, civic leaders and other Church leaders.

The ordination will be followed on Friday morning with the Installation Mass at 9.30am in St Joseph's Cathedral.

This Mass marks the reception of the bishop in the cathedral church of the diocese, at which he will preside for the first time with the priests and members of the diocese.

The President of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference (NZCBC), Bishop Patrick Dunn, expressed the joy of the Conference and the New Zealand Catholic community on the ordination.

"We welcome wholeheartedly Bishop Michael Dooley. Thursday, 26 April 2018 will be an important day for our new bishop and for everyone in the Dunedin diocese. We pray for Bishop Michael as he prepares for his ministry among us."

Colin Campbell, the current Bishop of Dunedin, said of the appointment "We feel most blessed to be able to welcome bishop-elect Michael into this role, and know his extensive knowledge of and work in this diocese will be welcome and gratefully appreciated.

"I have been blessed with Michael as my vicar-general and in the last eighteen months, taking on the role of financial administrator he has done a sterling job with this portfolio in the diocese. We are all truly blessed by Pope Francis' choice of Michael as the seventh bishop of the Dunedin Diocese."

Michael Dooley was born in Invercargill in 1961 to parents Joseph Dooley and Mary Hogan.

He was educated at Heddon Bush Primary School and Central Southland College.

Before entering Holy Cross College in 1984, Dooley completed an engineering apprenticeship as a fitter and turner.

He has Bachelor of Theology degree from Otago University and a Masters from Melbourne's College of Divinity.

Dooley was ordained on 13 December 1989. From 1995, he has served as a member of the Priests Council and was a Parish Priest for over 10 years in Southland and Otago.

His other roles have included:

She says they are just serving the needs of their own congregations rather than reaching out to the community and taking risks.

"Jesus didn't hang out with those who had it all together," she says.

Te Paa Daniel, who is an Anglican theologian, was being interviewed on TVNZ's Seven Sharp last Friday.

Power always protects itself and the church is reluctant to open itself up to interrogation she said.

When asked whom she was talking about, Te Paa Daniel pointed to "those people who relish being leaders". In her church, The Anglican Church, it was the bishops and archbishops and senior priests.

"But every church has its own hierarchy," she said.

On the same programme, Reverend Charles Waldegrave said there is a widespread "club' culture in the churches that make it more difficult for other people to come in.

The conservative forces are into just protecting the group, he said.

"Unfortunately, when you look at church budgets, they are much more committed to the internal preservation than they are to the mission."

As a wrap-up, Seven Sharp host Hillary Barry said, "I just want to point out there are some church groups doing some great stuff in the community."

She said the Salvation Army, the Anglican. Presbyterian, Methodist, Catholic and Baptist churches all have significant social outreaches.

Te Paa Daniel was the first indigenous Anglican laywoman appointed to lead an Anglican theological college in the worldwide Anglican Communion.

She served for three years as a lecturer and was then appointed Ahorangi or Dean of Te Rau Kahikatea at St. John's Theological College in Auckland for 22 years from 1992 until 2013.

Source

• tvnz.co.nz
• anglicantaonga.org.nz
• Image: c28blog.blogspot.co.nz

At least 69 priests from Ruteng Diocese submitted letters of resignation this week and demanded that Bishop Hubertus Leteng heed their calls for a complete overhaul of how the diocese is run.

According to reports, the priests say the bishop borrowed over $94,000 from the Indonesian Bishop's Conference and an additional $30,000 from his own diocese.

He did not provide a report for these sums, and it remains unclear how the money was spent.

Priests accuse him of giving the money to a woman with whom they allege he was having an affair.

Leteng, has dismissed the allegations, calling them "slanderous."

He says the money was given to a young man to attend flight school so he could become a commercial pilot. He added that the details were none of the priest's business.

Last year 112 of 167 diocesan priests signed a letter of no confidence in the bishop, according to the priest who spoke on condition of anonymity.

An appeal has been made to the the Vatican to intervene and resolve the dispute.

Representatives of the priests, accompanied by a bishops' conference official, met Archbishop Antonio Filipazzi, the outgoing apostolic nuncio in Indonesia June 16.

Father Alfonsius Segar, one of the priests who met with the nuncio, told ucanews.com that Archbishop Filipazzi has promised to help resolve the dispute.

"He will immediately take this issue up with the Vatican," Father Segar said.

Source

• ucannews.com
• catholic.org
• catholicherald.co.uk
• Image: directory.ucannews.com

Among those present in the Holy Cross Cathedral for the ceremony were the Governor General Sir Frank Kabui, government ministers

Overseas dignitaries, and family and friends included the retired archbishop of Gizo western province, Bishop Bernard O'p Granty, from Australia, who had spent almost 30 years doing religious work in Solomon Islands, Sr Mary McCarthy PBVM Religious education coordinator CBC in Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands, the superior of the Salesian Sisters, Sr Edner Mari, and Fr Moses Paluku SDB from Congo Africa.

Cardone succeeds Archbishop Adrian Smith, who served the church for more than 50 years.

The Honiara Diocese covers Honiara town and the provinces of Guadalcanal, Makira, Temotu and Central.

Archbishop Christopher Michael Cardone OP was born was born in Brooklyn, New York, in 1957.

He was ordained to the priesthood on in May 1986 and assigned to the Dominican Novitiate and parish of St Gertrude in Cincinnati, Ohio.

In 1988 he answered a call from the Australian Dominicans to spend three years in Solomon Islands teaching and doing pastoral work in Gizo Diocese in the Western Province.

In Gizo he was cathedral and administrator, Vicar General, founding parish priest in Noro Catholic Community and parish priest and secondary school teacher in the most far western parish of Holy Rosary in Nila in the Shortland islands.

The original three years commitment was extended four times and on March 25th in 2001, he was appointed by St. John Paul to be the auxiliary bishop of Gizo Diocese where he was vicar for youth and Education.

In October 2004, on the retirement of the Marist Bishop Gerald Loft, Cardone was appointed Bishop of Auki Diocese in Malaita.

Auki is one of the fastest growing dioceses in Oceania with one of the highest percentage of local priests.

Source

• solomonstarnews.com
• theislandsun.com
• Image: photos1.blogger.com

Boyle, who was the fifth bishop of the diocese of Dunedin, died on June 1.

A requiem mass - held at St Joseph Cathedral - featured Catholic bishops from around New Zealand.

The Deputy Prime Minister Bill English, the former Clutha-Southland MP, was also in attendance.

At his Requiem Mass, Bishop Colin Campbell, the present Bishop of Dunedin, told the parable of the prodigal son, one he said Bishop Boyle had chosen for the event.

The parable was a key to his life, and its teaching of repentance and the love of God was something he not only preached, but humbly lived by.

Another requiem took place in the Basilica in Invercargill on Thursday.

Bishop Boyle was buried at the Wreys Bush cemetery, just south of Nightcaps on Thursday afternoon.

Source

• Stuff.co.nz
• odt.co.nz
• Image: Stuff.co.nz

He came from a distinguished and well known Winton family known for their involvement with racing, rugby and the hotel trade.

Boyle himself had a love of horses. He often said "I'm away to a course" and on return would say, "I failed and have to repeat the course".

As well as being a farmer, shearer and freezing worker, he was a keen rugby player before training as a priest in Christchurch and Mosgiel in the 1950s and early 1960s.

Boyle, who had been living in Mosgiel, recently moved into the Sacred Heart Home of the Little Sisters of the Poor, Brockville, Dunedin.

He died peacefully on Wednesday morning.

Bishop Patrick Dunn, President of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference, said, "It is with sadness that we pay tribute to our brother bishop, recalling his commitment to the people he served and his ministry as a priest and bishop".

"He was a proud son of Southland. He would remark about the community spirit in Southland.

"Community was very important to him and his approach to priesthood over more than 50 years.

"In retirement he continued to serve as parish priest in various parishes throughout the Diocese wherever he was needed".

Len Boyle was ordained a bishop in Dunedin's Town Hall in 1983 and two years later was installed as Bishop of Dunedin on the death of Bishop John Kavanagh.

He was the first 'local' appointed to head the diocese, and was not trained in Rome as his predecessors had been.

Boyle was the subject of a biography in 2012, written by former Otago Daily Times journalist, Claire Ramsay.

It was aptly named 'The Good Shepherd'. The book described his unusual pastoral path to the priesthood.

At the time the book was launched Bishop Boyle joked that it was too flattering as it "included all the good but not the bad".

Months later he told the Otago Daily Times that he was growing fonder of the book, having resisted the suggestions by others to write an autobiography, and eventually giving in to the persistence of others for the book to be written.

"I wasn't too keen on it at first. I thought only grand people had books written about them," he said.

A natural storyteller, he had enjoyed being able to relate anecdotes and memories.

Bishop Boyle was born in Nightcaps, Southland, and educated at convent schools in Nightcaps and Winton and then later at St Kevin's College in Oamaru.

He served as a bishop until his retirement in 2004.

Boyle had five brothers, Jack, Eddie, Frank, Vincent, Cliff, and two sisters Patricia and Margaret (who died in infancy).

He is survived by his brother, Cliff, sister-in-law Eileen Boyle and his 27 nieces and nephews and their families.

Source

• Supplied
• Image: Supplied

Burial will take place after the Mass at Bromley Cemetery.

He will be taken to the Carmelite Monastery on Tuesday afternoon.

On Wednesday afternoon the Bishop will rest at Te Rangimarie Centre.

He will then lie in state at St Mary's Pro-Cathedral from Wednesday 7.30pm.

A Vigil Mass will take place at the Pro-Cathedral at 7pm on Thursday.

Bishop Jones died in Christchurch in the early hours of Saturday morning.

He had been readmitted to Christchurch Hospital on Friday after suffering a heart attack.

His health had been declining over the last few months following several strokes.

Father Rick Loughnan has been elected Administrator of the Diocese entrusted with the authority to run the diocese until a new bishop is appointed.

Loughnan said Jones had displayed "graciousness, patience, and gratitude to those who helped care for him" during his last few months of life.

"He has provided sterling leadership of the Diocese particularly in the exceptional circumstances following the earthquakes."

A new bishop will be appointed by the Pope after consultation between the Vatican and members of the church in New Zealand.

Cardinal John Dew, president of the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference, said Jones was a man of "great and unwavering faith."

"He was a humble and stoic man and this was particularly so in the face of his recent illness."

Jones was born in Rangiora on August 29, 1941, and went to school at St Joseph's Convent Primary and St Bede's College.

He studied for priesthood at Christchurch's Holy Name Seminary and Mosgiel's Holy Cross College, before being ordained as a priest in Rangiora on July 4, 1966.

He served at various parishes and ministries in Timaru, Christchurch, Akaroa, Burnham and the West Coast.

Jones was ordained Coadjutor Bishop of Christchurch in the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, Christchurch on 4 October, 2006.

He was installed as Bishop for the Christchurch Diocese on 4 May, 2007.

He was:

• NZCBC representative on Prison Chaplaincy Service of Aotearoa New Zealand Board
• NZCBC representative on the Interchurch Council for Hospital Chaplaincy
• Bishop member of Te Runanga o te Hahi Katorika ki Aotearoa
• A member of the Catholic Bishops Committee for Ecumenism and Anglican-Catholic Bilateral Dialogue
• A member of the NZCBC Commission for the Church in Society

Dew said Jones was a "proud Canterbury man . . . especially fond of his home town of Rangiora."

"The suffering and distress of those living in Christchurch during and after the earthquakes was always close to mind for him and he would often express to those of us outside of Canterbury the kind of challenges and daily stresses that the people of Christchurch were experiencing.

"He would often be mindful and express the needs of those that were most vulnerable, such was his empathy and pastoral nature."

Jones had a "dry sense of humour", which would be greatly missed, along with his wisdom and pastoral insights, Dew said.

"He was a man of few words, but unafraid to speak his mind and always with wisdom. He had an incredible sense of social justice, a grasp of tikanga Maori and was fluent in te reo."

Haere atu e te Rangatira o te Hahi, i roto i te korowai o te Atua.

Moe mai e Pa, moe mai.

Source

• New Zealand Catholic Bishops' Conference
• stuff.co.nz
• www.catholic.org.nz
• Image: www.chch.catholic.org.nz

Marking the 50th anniversary of the Synod of Bishops, Francis outlined his vision for a Church that is "synodal" at every level.

"A synodal church is a listening church, aware that listening is more than hearing. It is a reciprocal listening in which each one has something to learn," Pope Francis said.

Through Baptism and Confirmation all members of the Church have been anointed by the Holy Spirit.

The entire Christian community is infallible when its members discern together and speak with one voice on matters of faith and morals, Francis said.

"The ‘sensus fidei' (sense of faith) makes it impossible to rigidly separate the ‘ecclesia docens' (teaching church) and the ‘ecclesia discens' (learning church) because even the flock has a ‘nose' for discerning the new paths that the Lord is opening up to the Church," the Pope said.

But people sometimes misunderstand the Church's hierarchy and see it as a structure in which some people are placed above others, he noted.

The Church's structure, the Pope said, "is like an upside down pyramid" with the top on the bottom, which is why the ordained are called "ministers" - they serve the others.

In a diocese, he said, the bishop is the "vicar of that Jesus who, at the Last Supper, knelt to wash the feet of the apostles," and the pope is called to truly be "the servant of the servants of God".

Francis said that "the pope does not stand alone above the Church", but he is "within it as a baptised person among the baptised and in the episcopal college as a bishop among bishops, called at the same time - as the successor of the Apostle Peter - to guide the church of Rome, which presides in love over all the churches".

He added that a pope acts " . . . as the supreme witness of the faith of the entire Church".

Pope Francis said the Synod of Bishops is the convergence point of "this dynamic of listening conducted at all levels of Church life".

Cardinal John Dew blogged that it is very clear the Pope "has sought to re-energise the synod".

Sources

• Catholic News Service
• Full text of Pope Francis's address on 50 years of synod of bishops
• Image: New Ways Ministry

The launching of the jubilee attracted Catholic faithful in Port Moresby who packed the Mary Help of Christians' shrine at Don Bosco Technological Institute (DBTI) for the Eucharist which was celebrated by the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Michael Banach.

Speaking to the congregation, the Nuncio highlighted the history of the Catholic Church in PNG and how it has been an authentic model to lead the people of God.

As part of the celebration, 5 Bishops representing the 4 regions of PNG and 1 from the diocese of Honiara in Solomon Islands were invited to share their experience and contribution of their region to the church in PNG, Solomon Islands and the universal church.

In 1844, Pope Gregory XVI erected the vicariate apostolic of Melanesia.

A vicariate apostolic is a mission territory under the pastoral care of a bishop.

The vicariate of Melanesia included the present Independent States of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands.

As the Catholic church grew the original vicariate was divided and new vicariates were established.

It was not until 15th November, 1966 that dioceses were established in Papua New Guinea and in the the Solomon Islands.

Port Moresby and Honiara were established as metropolitan archdioceses.

There are now 19 dioceses in Papua New Guinea and 3 in Solomon Islands.

Source

• wantokniuspepa.com
• Image: mw2.google.com

About 1000 people at the Sydney Town Hall on September 7 heard her argue for a greater role for women in the Church.

"The old boys' club are going to have to go," she said.

Mrs McAleese said trying to be heard by the Catholic Church hierarchy was comparable to shouting at children.

"If I'm yelling it's because you didn't listen to me when I said it nicely . . . I look at the curia and I don't know too many of them who have gone through equal opportunity training."

Mrs McAleese said the governance of the Church "and the structure of church government needs to change".

"The Church is not terribly happy with criticism," she said to laughter from the audience.

"I'm saying that as gently as possible . . . the Church which will not listen to people who speak out of love has a very big problem."

Sydney archdiocese's Catholic Weekly had refused to advertise the event at which Mrs McAleese spoke.

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The Tablet's Rome correspondent Robert Mickens said the pontiff first made the decision in April shortly after his election as pope.

The title monsignor is an honorific of sorts normally granted to priests as a reward for service to the church or as a sign of some special function they serve in church governance.

The title is usually granted by the pope on the recommendation of the priest's local bishop.

The only exception is for those clerics who work in the Holy See's diplomatic service. The Rome daily, Il Messaggero said.

It is not clear if the discontinuation of permitting priests to take the title "monsignor" will remain just temporary provision, or if the title will be made obsolete permanently.

Sources

The Tablet

NCR Online

Image: The Telegraph

Specific mention was made of the role of women, married clergy and the treatment of homosexuals.

Members of a liberal group of U.S. Roman Catholics on Sunday called on Church leaders to open talks with their members on controversies ranging from the ordination of women to allowing priests to marry.

"When in God's name are the conversations going to begin?" asked Joan Chittister, a Benedictine nun who addressed the meeting of about 2,000 people — part of a liberal wing that represents a minority in the 1.2 billion-member Church.

She likened the structure, with bishops and archbishops answering to the pope in Rome, to "a medieval system that has now been abandoned by humanity everywhere, except by us."

The Archdiocese's website said, "All of the invited keynote speakers have manifested dissent from Catholic teachings or support for dissenters," and clergy who attended the meeting were warned by Detroit Archbishop Allen Vigneron they might be de-frocked.

The group's "Catholic Bill of Rights and Responsibilities" reads like a list of grievances against the conservative leadership of Pope Benedict, who has frustrated liberals by ruling out the possibility of women priests or a married clergy and putting pressure on dissenting theologians.

"Few people realize how powerful the pope is," Swiss theologian Hans Kueng told the meeting through a video presentation. "We have to change an absolutist system."

About 600 people attended a rival meeting espousing a more conservative version of Catholicism in nearby Livonia, Michigan, on Saturday, according to local media reports. The archdiocese endorsed but did not organize that meeting.

Sources

• Reuters
• Image: Detroit Free Press