Vatican City, Oct 30, 2023 / 13:45 pm
Now that the Synod on Synodality has drawn to a close, all eyes are on the synthesis report emanating from the monthlong ecclesiastical gathering.
The acronym LGBTQ is notably absent, the question of a female diaconate received the lowest vote, and even the somewhat broad paragraph on controversial topics equating sexual identity and euthanasia lacks substantial consensus. Although all the paragraphs of the summary document from the first stage of the 2023 synod were approved with a two-thirds majority, it’s evident that the points lacking consensus stand out.
Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, the relator general of the synod, highlighted in a press conference on Oct. 28 that “some issues were expected to encounter more opposition. The surprising part is that many voted in favor, indicating the resistance wasn’t as significant as anticipated.” The cardinal’s words reveal a robust and unyielding debate, hinting at a desire for change, especially when the narrative throughout the synod revolved around “seeking communion.”
Those words also resonate with the fears of Cardinal Joseph Zen, bishop emeritus of Hong Kong, who, after having signed the last letter of the dubia sent to Pope Francis, also sent a letter to synod fathers highlighting the risk of pressure for a change in doctrine and above all denouncing the general secretariat of the synod as “very effective in the art of manipulation.”