Cardinal Mario Grech said that the criticisms of Germany are part and parcel of what it means to be a synodal Church which offers a forum to express disagreements.

The German synodal pathway ("Der Synodale Weg") was launched in response to the clerical sexual abuse scandals. It has focussed on the use of power in the Church, women's ministry and Catholic sexual teaching.

But the synodal path has faced heavy criticism in some quarters. Bishops from within and outside Germany have warned it will lead to schism.

A letter from 92 prelates said the Germans were wrong to place so much focus on the question of power. They said "it suggests a spirit fundamentally at odds with the real nature of Christian life".

However, Grech defended the German approach saying "Synodality offers that space where we can share our fears and our joys, our certainties and our doubts, our dreams. Obviously, there are dreams that can be realised, others that cannot. There are dreams that can be realised tomorrow, others need more time. But, personally, nothing really worries me insofar that we respect the fundamental principles of the Catholic Church."

Cardinal Grech pointed out that "nothing should be left under the carpet" during the synod discussion. People must be free to present issues for the Vatican to consider. He added that during the synod, "all the material that reaches our office will be submitted to the Holy Father."

He added that "nobody is excluded" provided they "want to be disciples of Jesus Christ."

The cardinal, who is secretary-general of the Synod of Bishops office in Rome, said the priority is to become a more "synodal Church" which is able to listen and discern together.

He suggested that the global synod "For a Synodal Church" is likely to go beyond a summit of bishops in the Vatican in October 2023.

"The synod has no end," he said. "There will be no end because once the process has started, it will proceed, even beyond October 23."

Sources

The Tablet

Francis launched the Synod last October and many countries have already completed the consultation phase where all baptised Catholics have an opportunity to contribute to local synod-focused discussions and recommendations.

In Ireland, the consultation phase is only now commencing according to a survey by lay Catholic lobby group We Are Church Ireland, which is supporting Phase 1 of the Synod.

Irish participation by the numbers

There are 26 Irish dioceses. Their websites show:

• Six dioceses make no mention of the Synod
• Four name their Synod contact person
• Five have online response forms
• Only seven diocesan websites get a "We Are Church Ireland" pass mark for their Global Synod efforts

Why consultation is important

"I have no doubt that the Global Synod will take place as planned in October 2023. But Pope Francis's plan that everyone should be involved will not happen," says Colm Holmes (pictured) of We Are Church Ireland.

"Seeking inputs from those at the margins and those who have walked away requires a major effort", he says.

"Much easier for each diocese to contact the few who remain in the pews after Covid.

"A large majority have little or no time for a Synod which, after Phase 1, is totally controlled by the bishops in all subsequent phases".

This involves organising a "Listening Session" with the theme "What changes are important for our Church?"

Why the delay in Ireland

It's possible that Ireland's upcoming National Synod is behind the slow start to the Global Synod.

He says in 2021 Ireland's bishops announced that they would hold an assembly or assemblies of the Church in Ireland within five years.

"The Global Synod has now been integrated into the first two years of our National Synodal Pathway" Holmes explains.

"Also, our bishops are quite conservative and they are no doubt waiting to see the outcomes in 2023 of both the German Synodal Path and the Global Synod".

In his view, the two main issues facing the Catholic Church are shared decision making and equality for women.

"We have seen with the German Synodal Path that laity and clerics can work together to tackle the important issues so long neglected by the Church of popes John Paul II and Benedict XVI.

He says he hopes Ireland's National Synodal Pathway follows the German model rather than the Roman hierarchical model.

'We Are Church Ireland' is part of a global coalition of national church reform groups representing the 'voice of the people in the pews'.

It is committed to renewing the Roman Catholic Church based on the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) and the theological spirit developed from it.

Source

• La Croix
• Image: YouTube

Archbishop Wolfgang Haas of Vaduz, Liechtenstein, announced his decision on Oct. 15, reported CNA Deutsch, CNA's German-language news partner.

"I am of the opinion that in our small archdiocese it is possible for good reasons to refrain from carrying out such a complex and sometimes even complicated procedure, which in our parts runs the risk of becoming ideological," the 73-year-old archbishop wrote.

The archdiocese is based in the capital of Liechtenstein, a German-speaking microstate located in the Alps between Austria and Switzerland.

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