At the start of the synod on the future of the church, five influential prelates wrote to Francis to express their opposition to certain planned developments. REMO CASILLI / Portal
The cardinals expressed their “doubts” about the developments sought by the Synod on the Future of the Church, which begins this Wednesday. The Pope answered them.
The Synod on the Future of the Church, which begins this Wednesday in Rome for a month, should emphasize silence and prayer. A theological controversy has just shattered this serenity with a bang. Five cardinals directly opposed the developments desired by this synod and made them public. They particularly reject the prospect of blessing homosexual couples and ordaining women to the priesthood. They also remind that a synod only has advisory powers and does not have the power to change doctrine.
This synod desired by Francis – the term means “walking together” – is a gathering of 365 delegates who are supposed to submit proposals to the Pope for a more democratic and decentralized leadership of the church. Initially called the “Synod on Synodality”, then “Synod on the Future of the Church”, it meets in the Vatican in two sessions, in October 2023 and 2024. Many see this initiative as the crowning achievement of the pontificate…
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