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By Philippe Pullella
VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Pope Francis on Sunday launched a two-year global consultative process that could change the way the Roman Catholic Church makes its decisions and leave its mark long after its pontificate ends.
Supporters see the initiative titled “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation and Mission” as an opportunity to change the power dynamics of the Church and to give a greater voice to lay Catholics, including women, and men. people on the margins of society.
Conservatives say the three-step process is a waste of time, can erode the hierarchical structure of the 1.3 billion-member Church, and, in the long run, could dilute mainstream doctrine.
During a mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, Francis said Catholics should be open-minded about the process.
“Are we prepared for the adventure of this trip? Or are we afraid of the unknown, preferring to take refuge in the usual excuses: ‘It’s useless’ or ‘We’ve always done it like that’ ”? Francis said in his homily.
In the first step, Catholics in parishes and dioceses around the world will discuss issues such as whether the Church listens sufficiently to young people, women, minorities and those on the fringes of society.
They will also discuss how to identify stereotypes and prejudices in their local communities and what type of Church they think God wants in the world today.
After discussions at the national and continental levels, the bishops will meet at the Vatican for a month in 2023. They will prepare a document and then the Pope will write an Apostolic Exhortation giving his views, suggestions and possibly instructions on various matters.
“Let us not sound out our hearts; let us not remain barricaded in our certainties. Let us listen to one another”, declared the Pope during the mass attended by about 3,000 people.
Francis said that while there should be more consultation and mutual listening between different parts of the Church, only popes can make the ultimate decisions on doctrinal matters.
In his Sunday homily, he said that synodality, which comes from the Greek and means walking together on a common path, could not become “a church convention, study group, political congress or parliament, but rather an event, a healing process guided by the Holy Spirit. “
Writing in the conservative American Catholic newspaper First Things, which has often criticized the Pope, theologian George Weigel said it was not clear how “two years of self-referential Catholic gossip” would solve problems such as declining attendance. from the church.
The progressive US-based National Catholic Reporter hailed the initiative as a chance for more inclusion.
“It may not be a perfect process, but the Church is more likely to meet the needs of God’s people with than without it,” an editorial said.
(Reporting by Philip Pullella; editing by Barbara Lewis)
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