Catholics from the three London dioceses of Brentwood, Southwark and Westminster have called for a “more participatory Church” after meeting over three years in response to the global Synod process of reform and renewal.
Drawn from 15 parishes across the three dioceses, the group submitted a document, “The Church we could become – an untorn net: beyond synod 2024” to the Vatican’s Synod Office and to the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales, as well as to the bishops of the three dioceses.
In the document, they group says, “The seeds of the Second Vatican Council might now bear fruit in one, holy, catholic, apostolic and synodal Church if only we nurture and allow these to flourish.”
Members say they were inspired by the documentation which has emerged from the Synodal process at both continental and Vatican Assembly levels, but “found our considerations much less reflected in the responses of the Catholic Bishops Conference of England and Wales.
This risks breeding local frustrations when there appears to be little encouragement from all levels of clergy to make synodality happen, not least because much of what we have discussed in the past three years mirrors many of the conclusions of the 1980 National Pastoral Congress process and event.
The ability to implement many of these was sadly blocked by the Vatican at that time.”
The title of the document is taken from “the untorn net” story in St John’s Gospel (21:2-3;5-6;8-11).
“Just as those gathered around Jesus were named, so everyone in the Church counts and should be named and recognised for who they are, particularly those who are marginalised at the edges of Church and society,” the group says.
“The core of what it means to be Church, to be the People of God, is found in baptism not ordination. The Spirit’s gifts which we receive in baptism and confirmation are the driving forces for our unity-in-diversity, for there is ‘one Lord, one faith, one baptism’.”
They call for “a conversion from seeing some people in the Church as problems to be solved, managed, or tolerated, to welcoming the gifts they bring in building up the rich diversity of the Body of Christ” and ask the bishops to facilitate “robust engagement” with implementing synodality.
Among their suggestions for practical progress is a synodal preaching resource, inclusive diocesan pastoral councils and local pastoral councils, not necessarily chaired by the local bishop, dean or parish priest.
There should also be consultation processes for he appointment of parish priests and bishops and the two seminaries, Oscott and Allen Hall, should include more women in academic roles and be open to lay-students of philosophy, theology, and pastoral ministry, the document says.
They also call for lay parish-administrators where there is no resident priest.
They add: “Women compose the majority of active participants in the Church. We therefore recommend that women religious, and other lay-people as appropriate, be more widely authorised to conduct anointing of the sick, marriage services, and funerals.”
The Vatican’s Synod Office responded to the document, saying: “Continue walking even though, (from) time to time, the way seems to be difficult.”