September 16, 2024
Presenters:
Reflection: Brenda Hepler offered her reflection on how the Holy Trinity provides us with a functioning model of community, three separate persons, all equal, in one God. We are many diverse individuals unified in one body, the Body of Christ.
Focus on Canada: Rosemary Ganley offered insights into the state of the Catholic Church in Canada, discussing the influence of the French settlers, the secularization of Quebec, and the church’s engagement with issues such as medical assistance in dying and the impacts of colonialism, clerical abuse and reconciliation.
Focus on the USA: Rene Reid of Catholic Church Reform International discussed the current political landscape in the USA. In a synod held on the election, Catholics urged that our faith and values lead us to emphasize all the social teachings of our Church and not just the abortion issue. Participants hoped that the outcome of the election would welcome diverse voices, particularly those of women and marginalized communities.
Future Church: Russ Petrus from Future Church talked about the organization’s history, initiatives such as the Mary Magdalene celebration, and efforts to expand the lectionary to include female biblical figures accurately without distortion. He emphasized the importance of inclusive language and tangible actions discussed in the synodal process.
Canadian Network for Women’s Equality: Louise Dowhan outlined the Canadian Network for Women’s Equality’s goals for the synod, emphasizing the need for women’s ordination, inclusive church governance, and changes in the church’s stance on sexuality and priestly celibacy. She detailed the network’s activities and advocacy work leading to the Rome synod.
Association of Roman Catholic Women Priests: A recorded message from Bridget Mary Meehan discussed the Roman Catholic Women Priests’ mission and activities, celebrating the ordination of women in inclusive communities of equals. Upcoming plans, including a historic ordination event in Rome, were shared to demonstrate the movement’s commitment to creating a church for everyone now. Their wish is that Pope Francis would meet with them to better understand what drives them and to rescind their excommunication from the Church.
Association of US Catholic Priests: Steve Newton, CSC, talked about the association’s founding and ongoing advocacy efforts on issues like racism, clericalism, women deacons, and the need for new models of the priesthood, alongside their plans for future assemblies and the importance of synodal processes in church renewal.
Concerned Lay Catholics of Canada: Mark Guevara from Concerned Lay Catholics of Canada spoke about addressing the fallout of clergy sexual abuse and fostering synodality. He discussed their extensive listening sessions, educational efforts, and calls for a Canadian people’s synod, urging actionable steps toward greater lay involvement in church governance
Catholics for Choice: Chris Wimbush and Manuela Tironi presented Catholics for Choice’s perspective on why the synodal process needs to elevate the voices of those faithful Catholics who are marginalized by current church doctrines on matters related to abortion, contraception, gender, and freedom of conscience. Catholic social justice teaching calls us to treat all people equally and with respect to their individual consciences.
Dignity USA: Marianne Duddy Burke discussed the organization’s ongoing advocacy for LGBTQ+ Catholics. She detailed their synodal submissions, collaborative efforts with international organizations, and their hopes that synodal processes will lead to greater inclusion and equality.
Summary of the concerns and issues shared by each of these organizations and session attendees
Clericalism, which thrives within the Church’s hierarchical structure, is a deterrent and barrier to synodality. There is a call to change this hierarchical structure of the Church. The current call to become a Synodal Church seems to be incongruent hypocrisy. The Church hierarchy has invited the marginalized to come forward and voice their experiences, concerns and hopes in the spirit of synodality, but the laity do not have a voice when the hierarchy chooses not to listen. There is concern that many Canadian bishops, US bishops, and the newly ordained priests coming out of our seminaries today are displaying preference for Pre-Vatican II theology, agenda and practices. They appear to be resistant to any form of synodality and to reinforce the old pattern of exclusion. With this pattern comes the ongoing disconnect and departure of Church members.
Women’s equality is a major concern and yet it is continually pushed aside as a topic for discussion. In our culture there has been a long-standing acceptance of sexism and misogyny, and this has permeated our Church’s structure for centuries. The roles of women within the Jesus movement, starting with our biblical women such as Mary Magdalene, have been distorted or hidden from us. There is a strong belief among this group that the history of the roles of women in the Church must be truthfully corrected and the Lectionary and Canon Laws be made to reflect these corrections. This would then open the door for the first step into true equality and the ordination of women. There is a call for all Catholics to participate fully in Church life, leadership and ministry at all levels, no matter the gender or marital status.
There must be openness to listen to all our fellow pilgrims on this journey and to all topics of concern for our Church to be truly synodal. When one holds sacred space to truly listen, one affirms and validates others for who they are. This builds the trust needed for the marginalized (women, LGBTQ+, divorced & remarried, etc.) to respond to the invitation to speak. It takes a certain level of humility on all sides, recognizing that no one is all-knowing. Recognizing that the Spirit also resides within the laity, clergy can learn from the laity. If the Church is serious about synodality, we must all be open to discussing all topics, including clericalism, abuse, women’s ordination, the nature of sexuality, gender and reproduction issues. The medical and science fields can inform one’s understanding of the complexity of the human condition and expand our moral understanding of these critical issues.
Formation in all vocations, whether religious or lay, requires quality education. A functional moral understanding of Catholic values in action requires unbiased input from various fields of study to determine what is true today concerning these critical issues confronting us all.
Recommendations for reform are thus:
That the Church hierarchy be truly synodal and open to listening to all issues brought to them by laity, with openness to learning.
That concrete changes be made to the structure of the Church to create opportunities for more inclusive, enlightened policies so that all Catholics can participate fully and co-responsibly at all levels.
That the Catholic clergy be more active in supporting Catholic social justice values in their entirety, not just the one issue of abortion.
That formation of priests be reformed to include synodal communication, community, cultural, sexual and gender education; that all current clergy also be educated in these fields of study.
That the history of the roles of women in the Church must be truthfully corrected and that the Lectionary and Canon Laws be made to reflect these corrections.
That the opportunity for ordination be open to women and married men since all who are baptized are equal in the eyes of God.
That the punishment of excommunication be lifted for women priests in ministry serving the most marginalized and excluded, assisting them to find healing.
That Church Canons be rescinded and revised “that disallow women and lay people from preaching and women from the governing of the Church.” (As stated in the Catholic Church Reform International Agenda for the Synod.)
That clericalism be ended, while the Church reviews, revamps and renews theological, spiritual, and pastoral formation.
That all people, in particular the marginalized, (women, LGBTQ+, clerical abuse survivors, divorced and remarried, women priests, etc.) be given full inclusion and equality in the Church.