Rome synod ends after laying foundations of significant shifts
from Religion Media Centre:
The Rome synod of bishops ended this weekend with reflections that it had “laid the foundations for a significant shakeup of the church”. Commenting on the groundbreaking gathering, The Tablet’s Rome correspondent, Christopher Lamb, said there were significant shifts on a range of issues, but no proposals on action – another synod will be held one year from now to take votes on policy. The final “synthesis” document spoke of an urgent need to guarantee that women can participate in decision-making processes and take on roles of responsibility and agreed that research on allowing women to be deacons should be released within a year. The document made no mention of LGBTQ+ or of same sex blessings, which has disappointed campaigners. but it said current “anthropological categories.. are not sufficient to capture the complexity of the elements that emerge from experience or scientific knowledge and require refinement or study.” The marginalised must be listened to with unconditional acceptance. The synod also discussed how sex abuse and financial scandals are investigated and the impact on the church’s mission.
LGBT Catholics encouraged after meeting Pope Francis
The Global Network of Rainbow Catholics sent a delegation to meet the Pope in what they describe as “an historic meeting” and told him of their experiences of harassment and being marginalised. They handed him a letter with stories of the persecution and rejection of gay Christians in Nigeria, India and Eastern Europe. Marianne Duddy-Burke, the Network’s co-chair, told how some gay young people who attended the church’s World Youth Day in Lisbon, were verbally harassed, “sometimes in a threatening manner”, had things stolen from them and even stones hurled at them during the Vigil before the Mass. The delegation recounted their stories and asked the Pope for his blessing, and the Pope responded with the words “andate avanti” (move forward). They took from the meeting that there was an evolving stance on inclusivity.
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Read also: The Church Is Not a Democracy by Gerhard Cardinal Müller, First Things
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