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The Synod of Synodality was supposed to decide important doctrinal issues but instead upset most, observers say.
A highly anticipated final report from a historic doctrinal gathering at the Vatican sidestepped the issues of women clergy and LGBTQ+ acceptance in its final report.
The Synod of Synodality, a gathering of Catholic Church representatives that has been meeting periodically since 2021 at the behest of Pope Francis, made history when it included women among the invited 400 church bishops. The Synod ultimately could not reach a consensus on the issue of women in the clergy or provide recognition of marriage equality and the acceptance of same-sex sexual relationships and orientation, but it did not close the door on the subjects either. These contentious issues were referred to 10 study groups in May, and the final report issued last week instead focuses on issues of church structure and general exhortations to continue the church’s good works.
“The Final Document calls for a new approach, no longer viewing the Church as a 'corporation' with branches but as a communion of Churches,” the Vatican said in a press release. “The term ‘universal Church’ is reframed to emphasize unity within diversity, seeing local Churches not as subordinate levels but as unique expressions of faith within a single Body of Christ.”
“We do not need a sedentary and defeatist Church, but a Church that hears the cry of the world and gets its hands dirty in serving,” Pope Francis said in his homily concluding the Synod, the Vatican reported.
The Pope’s words did little to satisfy the Synod’s observers and participants, however, who reported the middle road observed in the final report left many disappointed.
The synod “managed to make everyone unhappy,” Roberto de Mattei, president of the Catholic Lepanto Foundation, told the Washington Post.
More progressive elements within the church, hoping for an affirmation of marriage equality and acceptance of same-sex sexual orientation, met with pushback from conservative bishops from Eastern Europe, Africa, and Australia.
In response to emailed questions from the Post, the president of the Polish Bishop’s Conference, Archbishop Stanisław Gądecki, criticized the German church for blessing same-sex couples and calling for reforms that he claimed “draw profusely from Protestant theology and the language of modern politics” rather than traditional Catholic teachings.
“It’s hard to say whether this synod has actually taken any decision,” said Massimo Faggioli, a Catholic theologian at Villanova University, also told the Post.
Those decisions may depend on the outcome of the 10 study groups working on the most contentious issues. Their work is expected to continue into next year.
