Participants in the synod on synodality endorsed a report on October 28 proposing potentially far-reaching changes to foster a synodal Church. The 42-page “synthesis report” – “A synodal Church in mission” understands Synodality as “the walk of Christians with Christ toward the Kingdom, together with all humanity,” it said. This perhaps can be called deconstruction which is journey from an “I” to a “we”. This is the change Pope Francis brought about in the church. It became “a tool at the service of ongoing discernment” attribution of greater responsibility to the episcopal conferences in this area is urged.
After those processes, 365 voting dele-gates – more than 75% of them bishops – were invited to spend four weeks in October in Rome, discussing the topic of synodality, Vatican’s Paul VI Hall included almost 100 staffers, observers, and subject area experts invited to consult or take in the meeting
The text “widely reported need to make liturgical language more accessible to the faithful and more embodied in the diversity of cultures.” Episcopal conferences should be entrusted with a wider responsibility in this regard. Turning to the 23 autono-mous Eastern Catholic Churches in full communion with Rome, the report mentioned a proposal for the creation of a council connecting the heads of the Eastern Catholic Churches with the pope, as well as a “joint commission of Eastern and Latin theologians, historians and canonists” to address complex issues. A revision of the Code of Canon Law and the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches is requested.
“The Holy Father has significantly in-creased the number of women in positions of responsibility in the Roman Curia,” it added. “The same should happen at other levels of the life of the Church. Canon law must be adapted accordingly.”
The text noted that many assembly mem-bers had highlighted the danger of “‘cleri-calizing’ the laity, perpetuates inequalities and divisions among the People of God.” The possibility should be considered of re-inserting priests who have left the ministry in pastoral services.