‘Few pastors have promoted synodality, leaving many of the People of God with little awareness of its meaning or practical implications. Many pastors predictably maintain a clericalist and autocratic approach to parish decision-making.’
International Catholic reform groups wrote to the head of the Synod Secretariat raising concerns over the commitment of many bishops to synodality.
The letter to Cardinal Mario Grech, secretary general of the Synod of Bishops, dated 22 October, warned that canon laws mandating synodality will fail without strong papal backing.
It referred to the recent report published by the Synod’s Canonical Commission, titled “For a Synodal Church”, which proposed changes to the Code of Canon Law in accordance with the Final Document of the Synod on Synodality.
“Throughout the world, we have many reports of episcopal resistance to synodality disguised by synodal charades,” the letter warned, including “episcopally-directed assemblies, determined autocratically without consultation, presented as synods”.
Some bishops, the letter said, determine the agendas, the participants, processes and the outcomes of supposedly synodal
The signatories, including We Are Church International, Root & Branch, the Council of Australasian Catholics, Spirit Unbounded, Catholic Church Reform International and the International Church Reform Network, asked Cardinal Grech to bring their letter to the attention of the Pope.
They also requested that the Synod Secretariat, which is responsible for preparing synodal assemblies and guiding the ongoing synodal process, ensure that bishops commit to synodality in practice and culture.
Elsewhere, the letter warned that many parish priests throughout the world have received little synodal information from their bishops, have limited understanding of or commitment to synodality and fail to engage their parishioners on the topic, let alone adopt synodal decision-making.
“Few pastors have promoted synodality, leaving many of the People of God with little awareness of its meaning or practical implications. Many pastors predictably maintain a clericalist and autocratic approach to parish decision-making,” it said.
It also emphasised that a synodal culture of respectful listening, inclusion, transparency and accountability “must confront the exclusion of women”.
While welcoming the appointment of women to senior leadership roles in the Roman Curia and dioceses, the letter said women remain excluded from governance to the Church’s detriment.
The signatories requested a review of canons 129§1, 274§1 and 1024 – which reserve offices of “ecclesiastical governance” to clerics and say only men can be ordained – with a view to their repeal.