The Synod on Synodality is now considering what is shaping up to be among its most contentious points: decentralising and regionalising church decision-making structures. One suggested option is to establish continental advisory and decision-making bodies with their own rules alongside or in addition to the existing national bishops’ conferences. This authority-sharing might even involve deciding Read more
At the end of August, the European Synod on Synodality participants in Linz met to discuss the working document for the second session of the Synod in the autumn. Among the 43 participants were the President of the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences (CCEE), Archbishop Gintaras Grusas (Vilnius), and the Presidents of the Bishops’ Conferences Read more
Decentralisation is likely to be the order of the day from now on, says Archbishop Mark Coleridge of Brisbane. “The days of Dioceses as independent fiefdoms and the bishops as a law unto themselves are gone.” Coleridge (pictured), who is the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference’s outgoing president, explains what he means by this in his Read more
The Bishop of Palmerston North Charles Drennan says the clunky sentence construction and often awkward vocabulary in the six-year-old translation of the Mass have tested us all, “Notwithstanding the introduction of some evocative language.” Writing in Welcom, Drennan made a plea for patience in regard to what action may be taken in New Zealand as a consequence Read more
Decentralising some Vatican offices as part of a number of Curia reforms is on the cards, communications from Pope Francis and the Council of Cardinals suggested after they met last week. This would mean transferring some offices from the Vatican to local bishops or episcopal conferences “in a spirit of healthy decentralization.” The Council said Read more
The Pope’s advisory council of cardinals is to focus on the possible decentralisation of the Church’s structures. In a press release on Saturday, the Vatican announced this and gave an update on the council’s meeting last week. In their next meeting in February, the so-called C9 council, which advises the Pope on Church governance, will reflect Read more