For the first time in church history

With the Synod 2021-2024, Pope Francis initiated a participatory process for the first time in modern church history, in which fundamental questions about the shape and future of the Church were first discussed at the grassroots level, then in the dioceses and bishops’ conferences and at the continental level, and now be discussed at the universal church level. The World Synod in Rome in October was the place where conclusions were drawn from this process and concrete proposals for change were developed.

54 women with voting rights in the Synod of Bishops

For the first time in church history, 80 non-episcopal members with voting rights were able to take part in this synod of bishops, including 54 women. The fact that I was proposed by the European Bishops’ Conference has to do with the fact that I took part in the synodal assembly in the diocese of Basel in 2022, in the national assembly in Switzerland and also in the European assembly in Prague in 2023. In 2019 I had already accompanied Latin American partners of Fastenaktion at the Amazon Synod. This networking was very valuable in Rome in October. Of course, we women in particular celebrated this historic moment in Rome: it had never happened before that women voted on an equal footing with the bishops and cardinals in a synod!

Have an influence

There is currently no other place or other opportunity to influence the decisions of the universal church in the Catholic Church. It was therefore important to me to make the best possible use of this real opportunity at the Synod of Bishops. The universal church level is of great importance for the future of the Catholic Church because many important decisions are made in Rome according to current canon law: the position of women, understanding of office and admission conditions, decentralization of the church, church teaching on sexual morality and the image of humanity, inclusion of those who have previously been excluded or discriminated against people.

The doors have opened

Before the Amazon Synod in October 2019, “Voices of Faith” organized a conference in Rome with an international group of women religious – including women religious from the Fahr monastery, Baldegg, Stans and Ilanz – on the question of women’s voting rights in bishops’ synods. Her request for an interview with the Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops remained unanswered at the time. When a delegation called at the office at Via Conciliazione 34, the door was not opened. Two things still impress me today: the determined commitment of the women religious and the closed doors of the synod office! Exactly four years later, lay people with voting rights took part in a synod of bishops for the first time, including 54 women.

For me, as for many other members of the Church, it is incomprehensible and questionable that the Synod cannot make any binding decisions, but can only make suggestions to the Pope, and of course I would also like to see a much more diverse composition of the Synod: fewer bishops, more women and Basic Catholics, inclusion of queer people and those affected by abuse. But at least the Pope took a first opening step and opened the access door to the synod a crack, so that non-bishops and women with voting rights were admitted for the first time.

Universal church as a place of learning

During the World Synod, the opportunities for exchange between representatives of local churches were unique. We heard first-hand from Bishop Shane Mackinlay about the Fifth Plenary Council in Australia, the delegates from Ireland talked about the “Irish Synodal Pathway”, from our German colleagues about the Synodal Path and the women religious, lay people and bishops from Latin America brought us their synodal path Process closer.

Prof. Dr. Thomas Söding, Vice President of the Central Committee of German Catholics and expert at the Synod, writes in one of his “SMS from Rome” about the synodal processes worldwide: “The development is furthest in Latin America and the Caribbean. There have been continental assemblies of bishops there for a long time. The path of CELAM led from Rio de Janeiro (1955) via Medellin (1968), Puebla (1979) and Santo Domingo (1992) to Aparecida (2007). The theology of liberation was a driver, should be slowed down and yet has regained the upper hand, albeit in a different form. In this way the conviction grew that the episcopal assembly had to develop into a church assembly. Not only bishops, but also religious and “lay people” should take part as active partners.”

This global network was inspiration and a valuable impulse for further development and self-reflection. At the same time, I noticed that we in Switzerland are also on the right track with regard to church meetings and synodal structures, albeit very slowly. The “Synodal Process” working group, which was set up by the Bishops’ Conference and the cantonal churches, is working forward in this regard. So, the Swiss Church doesn’t have to hide. She can contribute her experiences to the global exchange and learn just as much from them in return!

All topics were on the table

Although the expansion of the Synod of Bishops was (still) minimal, according to many bishops and cardinals, the cooperation was very different compared to previous synods. In my opinion, a broader representation of God’s people in the synod brought a lot of dynamism and energy to the assembly, whose character also differed significantly from previous synods due to the many discussions at round tables. Expressions of opinion and reports from all continents impressively demonstrated the rich diversity and range of problems facing the universal church. At the same time, they made it clear how far apart the ideas of a good future for the church in accordance with the Gospel are. Nevertheless, overall, all topics that emerged from the global survey were discussed openly. The fact that the abuse crisis is shaking the church on all continents and that its systemic causes must be urgently addressed was a common theme throughout the four-week deliberations.

A lot of spiritual strength in the discussion about the role of women

Undoubtedly, the discussion on the role of women was one of the strongest and bravest moments of the Synod Assembly! The holy spirit’s power blew powerfully through the synod hall. Even bishops found it shameful that the synod did not consist of half women. And Sr. Liliana Gloria Echeverri, the president of the women’s orders in Latin America and the Caribbean, described in her theological-pastoral impulse on the topic painful and outrageous examples of how women are prevented or put aside in their pastoral and intellectual work.

When it comes to the role of women, the final document is much paler than the many inspiring statements and group reports in the synod assembly. While women’s access to all ordained offices was an explicit topic in the synod’s deliberations, the synthesis document only speaks of the diaconate. This, together with the non-inclusion of the topic of women’s ordination, raises fears that the admission of women to diaconate ordination could turn out to be a “dead end” or “final stop” – and not a “first step”. In addition, he could once again restrict women to their “serving” role. However, the synod also clearly stated that the equality of women is a fundamental question, that all leadership positions must be opened to women, and that the language of worship should be gender-equitable. The synod’s final document is honest, but less courageous than the assembly was. It is a compromise document. I compare it to a diplomatic document that allows everyone to sit down at the table again at the second synod in October this year and continue the discussion.

What matters now?

In order to harness the energy and dynamism of the Synod and reduce the risk that the process leads to a dead end, three points seem to me to be central:

1. The church can only become a truly synodal church with women. There needs to be a general awareness that the position of women, their participation in decisions and their admission to the ordained office are not a “special theological topic”, but rather fundamental questions. The equality and equality of all God’s children must have ecclesiological, canonical, liturgical and pastoral consequences. This is the only way the church can credibly fulfill its missionary mandate and advocate for human rights.

2. Building on the synodal energy and dynamism, concrete proposals for smaller and larger next steps must be made based on the practical experiences of women in the church and theological work. Horizontal networks across continents and cultures and vertical networks between all levels increase the chances of implementation.

3. We must move forward courageously on the path to discerning what needs to be decided and advanced at which level of church life. The urgently needed decentralization requires creative proposals for processes and structures that enable synodal decisions to be made at all levels with the involvement of all those affected, especially women. These must keep the way open for further developments, which God’s spiritual power will continue to encourage the church in the future.

Helena Jeppesen-Spuhler has been working for Fastenaktion (formerly Fastenopfer) as program manager for the Philippines for many years. She is involved in the reform-oriented “Equal Catholic Alliance”. In 2019 she accompanied Latin American partners of Lenten Action at the Amazon Synod. In 2022 she was a participant in the synodal assembly of the diocese of Basel and took part in the national assembly in Einsiedeln. In February 2023 she was also a delegate of the Swiss Catholic Church to the European Continental Synod in Prague. She was a regular delegate to the World Synod of Bishops in Rome in October 2023 and will also take part in the second assembly of the World Synod in October 2024.

Helena Jeppesen-Spuhler

February 2024

Women Voting in Synod: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/25/world/europe/women-vatican-synod-vote.html

Church Reformers Hopeful: https://www.ncronline.org/news/church-reformers-hopeful-about-synod-document-mention-womens-ordination-lgbtq-inclusion

“We can’t get out of here without results”: A Swiss woman speaks in Rome when the bishops meet

On Wednesday, Pope Francis opened the final phase of the Catholic World Synod in Rome, a major ecclesiastical event in which conservative and reformist demands collide. Right in the middle: the Swiss Helena Jeppesen-Spuhler.

Bishops and cardinals celebrate the start of the world synod in Rome.

Antonio Masiello/Getty

While everyday Roman life goes on as usual on this side of the Tiber, all hell is breaking loose over there, “oltretevere”, on the other side of the river that divides the Eternal City. In any case, the Vatican masters of ceremonies there currently have their hands full.

Four important dates attracted attention on Wednesday: the day of remembrance for Francis of Assisi, because of which the Pope bears the name Francis, the solemn mass with the newly appointed cardinals and thousands of believers in St. Peter’s Square, the publication of the apostolic letter “Laudate Deum “, in which the Pope comments on the climate crisis, and finally the opening of the General Assembly of the World Synod, which initiates a process that is intended to enable the “participation of all” in the Catholic Church, as the Vatican always emphasizes.

Different expectations

The synod in particular is causing a lot of unrest because it has raised very different expectations. While the Pope wishes for a rested discussion on the topics of “community, participation and mission” inspired by the Holy Spirit and emphasized again on Wednesday that the event was not a parliamentary assembly to discuss the future path of the Church decides, quite a few participants traveled to Rome with the clear expectation that something would finally move on the issues that are important to them – equal rights for women, celibacy, inclusion. And above all, there are cases of abuse that are currently shaking the church, not only in Switzerland.

The synod has no fewer than 464 participants. In addition to the diocesan bishops of the Roman Catholic Church, this includes people appointed by the Pope, including lay people. 365 participants are entitled to vote (the others are employees or ecumenical delegates). And for the first time in the history of the church, women are allowed to participate. There are 85 women in total, 54 of whom are entitled to vote.

They include the Swiss Helena Jeppesen-Spuhler, one of the ten European “non-bishops” appointed by the Pope to the world synod. She already took part in the February 2023 Continental Assembly in Prague, which served to prepare for the Roman event, and therefore has some experience in such synodal processes.

Born in the canton of Aargau in 1966, she studied at the religious education institute in Lucerne and initially worked as a parish chaplain and catechist in Lucerne, Zurzach and Basel. She has been working in various positions at the Catholic relief organization “Fastenaktion” (formerly “Fastenopfer”) for more than twenty years, currently as the person responsible for the Laos and Philippines country programs and the pan-Asian project partners. In 2019, she accompanied Latin American partners in the “Fasting Action” at the Amazon Synod, which gave rise to some controversial reform initiatives, for example in the area of equal rights for women in the church.

A historic moment

She had a positive experience of the opening day in Rome. Women and men sit together at round tables in the large audience hall next to St. Peter’s Basilica – a novelty for the Catholic Church. “That was nice,” says Jeppesen-Spuhler on the sidelines of the event, “we have worked for this for a long time, our mothers, all the women for generations. A great moment.”

However, she misses the boys. It is unacceptable that hardly any young people are represented at a meeting that is about the future. “That still needs to be corrected,” she says, with a view to the meeting in October next year, at which the world synod is to conclude.

She was pleased that she, of all people, was called up to Rome. “I think the synod secretariat wanted a woman from the German-speaking area who spoke out clearly about equal rights,” she suspects. It is also said that Swiss women are able to build bridges.

She achieved a certain level of prominence in the Catholic world this summer when the so-called working document for the synod was presented in Rome and she, “as a witness to the synodal process,” took part in one alongside heavyweights such as Cardinals Hollerich and Grech A press conference was held at which she commented positively on the highly controversial so-called “synodal path” of the German Church.

Her appearance was noticed, and at the same time it gave her a new experience: namely, that you can suddenly find yourself in harsh headwinds if you take a position on sensitive church issues. “That caused a real shitstorm for me on Twitter,” says Jeppesen-Spuhler with a smile and gives the impression of letting it go they don’t get down so easily.

Federalism in the church?

A “more colorful church, a more diverse church”: That is what the Swiss woman wants as a result of the world synod. For them, a “synodal church” is a church that shares power. The cases of abuse in particular have shown that the power of the bishops must be limited and controlled. “Today’s system has made too many things possible,” she is convinced. “Who decides? Who oversees a bishop?” These are the crucial questions.

It must also be possible to allow regionally different solutions. Compulsory celibacy could be relaxed in Africa, for example, while it remains in Asia, for example. Federalist approaches would also be conceivable for the diaconate of women. “Unity in diversity” – for the Swiss participant, that could be a viable path for the Catholic Church.

Will the meeting, which runs until the end of October, really contribute anything to this? The “setting” over there, on the other side of the Tiber, makes a somewhat strange impression. In contrast to the meticulously pre-stamped rules of the Church that have been practiced over the centuries, many things at the World Synod seem quite improvised. What is being voted on? According to what rules? With what commitment? How is communication to the outside world? Many of these questions are still open or will only be settled in the short term. The so-called “Regolamento”, which contains the synod’s procedures and guidelines, was only made available to participants on Wednesday.

The Roman gathering seems like a big experiment, including the risk of falling. “A flop is possible, yes,” says Helena Jeppesen-Spuhler. But everything can suddenly move very quickly, “like when the wall fell.”

“We can’t get out of here without results,” she says confidently. There is a lot of pressure from the grassroots. There has already been so much talk, questioning, discussion and demand in the parishes and dioceses. Now we need countable results.

Conservative resistance

Or, to use a Catholic phrase: reforms. The Pope has not shown his hand in this regard. Unlike the “Laudate Deum”, which is about the climate crisis, he remains vague and hopes for the unifying power of the Holy Spirit. At the same time, he does not shut down the reform discussion either.

The conservative forces in the Catholic Church have long recognized the danger this poses to them. They fear, not entirely without reason, that the World Synod, which has now entered its final phase, will initiate a reform process that is irreversible. A few days before the start of the current assembly, five older, conservative purple bearers in Rome publicly published a list of questions with which they expressed their “deepest concern” about the path now taken. The Latin title of their writing: “Dubia”, in German: doubt.