What I am going to say in this short article, I have said many times in the past fourteen years, but there is a sense in which I need to keep saying it. It is also provoked by a current dispute in the Irish political world, in which a politician is accusing his party of using what he called a “kangaroo court” in dealing with a dispute in which he is involved.
Association of Catholic Priests
ACP Disappointed Over Women’s Issues in the Synod
8 October 2024
The equality of women, and in particular calls for their ordination to the diaconate, has been one of the biggest issues to emerge in the synodal process around the world. Disappointingly, Pope Francis removed this, and other issues, from the current synodal meeting, asking committees to study them further and report to him in 2025.
Cardinal Fernandez, who chaired the committee on women deacons, has stated that there is currently no basis for ordaining women.
The Czech theologian, Tomas Halik, was recently asked to give a talk to a working meeting of the European delegates to the October Synod. It was, in my view, a most radical and profound talk. Here I wish to highlight what really stood out for me.
He begins by giving an outline of the breadth of the Synodal project, not just to the Church but to the whole world.
Synodality is not just to improve communication within the Church, but with the Church and the whole human family.
