Insult to the Laity: Francis Abolishes "Synod of Bishops"

en.news3 years agoedited

Insult to the Laity: Francis Abolishes "Synod of Bishops"

Francis amended his Apostolic Constitution Episcopalis Communio (EC) on 26th April to "allow" laity and women to vote at the forthcoming former "Synod of Bishops".

With this decision, the "Synod of Bishops" introduced after Vatican II has ceased to exist, although the organisers claim that the new members "do not change" the episcopal nature of the assembly, which is also an insult to the lay members who are part of this new assembly.

The newly established Episcopalis Communio assembly will deal with "synodality" and will have even less authority than the former Synod of Bishops.

In order to increase the number of lay people, ten priests working for the Institutes of Consecrated Life were excluded from the EC Synod in October 2023 and replaced by five female and five male religious.

The auditors present at the previous Synod of Bishops will be replaced by 70 non-episcopal members. Francis will chose them from a list of 140 people selected by the Bishops' Conferences. All will have the right to vote in the EC Synod.

Picture: © Mazur/catholicnews.org.uk, CC BY-NC-ND, #newsPphkqytunm

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Lea Hofmann3 years ago

Except – the Synod of Bishops is *not* deliberative, but consultative in nature, except in those cases in which the Pope grants it those powers (c. 343). That’s not to dismiss the work of this Synod or any other, but it’s important to keep in mind where the true authority lies.

foward3 years ago

Naturally, lay people will be well and suitably chosen for the cause.

pmfji3 years ago

‘laity and women’? Aren’t women ‘laity’ already? Are women another category??!

Louis IX3 years ago

The Synod is illegal as it is not a real synod. Disregard anything they make up.

Marysrose3 years agoedited

As satan said in the Bible: And you will be like gods, deciding right from wrong...

John Fritz Logan3 years ago

Some funs points:
1. Only 21 % are planned to be non-bishops.
2. Only half of those women.
3. A part will still be priests, deacons or male and female religious.
4. They'll still be nominated by bishops.
The Africans will nominate priests, deacons, nuns and lay men and women. An African nun lecturing Batzing at the synod would be soooo funny.
Was this even Francis or Hollerich and Grech? How much power does Francis still have anyways? Will he preside over the first assembly in October this year, let alone the second in 2024?