The Synod on Synodality meeting in Rome is at risk of an internal legal crisis. On Monday afternoon, the Vatican Communications Office announced that the adoption of a “Message to the People of God”, originally planned for Monday midday, would probably be postponed until Wednesday.
The head of the Vatican Dicastery for Communication, Paolo Ruffini, said the postponement was due to several proposed amendments from members of the Synod.
Germany’s Catholic News Agency (KNA) learned from participants on Monday evening that some had criticised the drafting of the text as intransparent. In addition, participants criticised that essential elements were missing from the text.
Others had questioned the canonical authority of the entire assembly, sources within the Synod said. There had been no definition of what it meant when an institution created to give the College of Bishops a say was expanded to include non-bishops. Binding clarification was needed of what the Synod meant when it spoke of “we”.
Pope Francis had surprisingly announced at the end of April that, together with the bishops, numerous priests, members of religious orders and laypeople – including 54 women – would also be able to participate in the Synod with voting rights.
In this way, the “People of God” were to be included in the deliberations and votes. Until then, the advisory body created in 1965 as the Synod of Bishops had only worked with laypeople as advisers at most, with a right to speak – but never with a right to vote.
Originally reported by KNA Germany.
