Appeal from We are Church to the European participants of the World Synod 2024 at the preparatory meeting from 29 to 31 August 2024 in Linz
August 2024
The international Catholic reform movement We are Church very much welcomes the fact that voting synod members and theological experts from Europe will be preparing together in Linz/Austria at the end of August 2024 for the second plenary assembly of the World Synod in Rome in October 2024. The European Continental Assembly in February 2023 in Prague/Czech Republic, which We are Church and other reform groups had accompanied, still revealed very clear differences between the local churches and bishops' conferences in their understanding of the church and church practice.
The Roman Catholic world church is currently in an important transitional phase. In contrast to the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), which intended a theological revaluation of the local churches, a centralised understanding of the church was consolidated during the last two pontificates. Pope Francis has revised this in many small steps and led the Church back onto the course of the Council.
The worldwide synodal process initiated by Pope Francis is now pursuing the goal of developing a common vision of the local churches of ministries, charisms, services and other forms of activity in the community of believers, based on the ecclesiology of the People of God of the Second Vatican Council. Due to the long divisions of Europe, this Council was received very differently. This is why theological and cultural exchange is now so important, especially among the churches in Europe.
Responsibility for the local churches
We are Church welcomes the proposal in the preparatory paper (‘Instrumentum laboris’) for the assembly in October 2024 that the local churches ‘should be recognised as ecclesial subjects endowed with doctrinal authority’. In the context of a diverse Church, the ‘valorisation of liturgical, disciplinary, theological and spiritual expressions adapted to the different socio-cultural contexts should be promoted.’ (97 a)
From the perspective of We Are Church, however, it is equally important to ‘develop effective forms and procedures of transparency and accountability that are ... appropriate to the diversity of contexts’ (78). Therefore, the people of God, the people of the church, must be involved in a representative manner not only in decision making, but also in the final decision. A synodal church requires changes in the structures in which women in particular can participate in decision-making on an equal footing, not just in consultation.
Questions for the future of the church
The non-transparent outsourcing of individual issues to ten study groups, which resulted from the first assembly of the World Synod in Rome in October 2023, must not mean a delay in urgently needed reform steps. Rather, it is to be hoped that the so-called ‘women's question’ in particular will be discussed openly, as it was at the synod in October 2023. Women must no longer be denied ordination! Equal rights for women and queer people are crucial for the credibility of the church.
In the struggle for the future of the church, pastoral and structural issues should no longer be played off against each other! The problematic church structures that have led to abuse and loss of trust must be permanently corrected! As important as the basic line of evangelisation laid down by Pope Francis is, a real reappraisal of sexualised and spiritual violence is an essential element of evangelisation! The Gospel takes sides with the disenfranchised, the maltreated and the wounded. Without this perspective, any attempt at evangelisation will come to nothing.
Model for democracies
In a time of political upheaval, in which authority, especially authority from above, is no longer readily accepted, church synodality could also be a good model for democracies. We are Church supports Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, Relator of the World Synod, in his statement: ‘Yes, we don't just need one theology of synodality, we need different theologies of synodality. We need reflection so that the Church of God can move forward in time and recognise the signs of the times in our world."
Background
European synod participants meet in Linz at the end of August. The meeting from 29 to 31 August 2024 at the Faculty of Theology of the Catholic Private University (KU) Linz will be hosted by the local pastoral theologian and Dean Prof. Klara Csiszar.
Other members of the preparatory group are the Vice-President of the Council of the Bishops' Conferences of Europe (CCEE), Archbishop Ladislav Nemet from Belgrade, as well as the synod experts Prof Christoph Theobald (Paris) and Prof Myriam Wijlens (Erfurt). The meeting will be accompanied spiritually by Prof Tomas Halik (Prague).
Similar preparatory meetings prior to the second plenary assembly of the World Synod from 2 to 27 October 2024 in Rome have also taken place on other continents.
Press contact:
Colm Holmes, chair We are Church International,
Martha Heizer, vice-chair We are Church International,
Christian Weisner, We are Church,
Mauro Castagnaro, Noi siamo Chiesa,
Alicja Baranowska, Women's Ordination Worldwide,