The Cardinal of the Chicago Blase Cupich and Cardinal of San Diego Robert W. McElroy, close co-workers of Pope Francis, who participated in the Synod on Synods of Synodality, request that the governance structure of the US Bishops' Conference be reorganized. They want it to be more synod.
Card. McElroy proposed setting up a new, permanent Synodality Commission that would be liable for the implementation and evaluation of the work initiated by the Synod. The Commission would hire fresh staff. The thought was supported by the card. Cupich, adding that permanent backing is needed for this purpose.
Both hierarchs interviewed the National Catholic Reporter on October 27, a fewer hours after the solemn end of the synod. A day earlier, both cardinals voted in favour of the Final Synod Paper, which, among many proposals, calls for greater accountability and transparency in the decision-making process.
– The paper clearly states that this is what we should do said the cardinal. Cupich, pointing out the request to rethink the current governance structures of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
The improvement is intended to re-assess the structures of church governance in the US, measure the spending of funds and hold clergy liable for "the construction of a synodic missionary church".
According to the American hierarchs, each episcopate is obliged to “build a synodic missionary church”. This was to be served by the pope's three-year consultation process on the future of the Catholic Church.
Card. McElroy pointed out that while many are disappointed by the deficiency of concrete changes to which the Synod was expected to lead for synodity, the synod itself is simply a "return point" for greater secular engagement at all levels of the Church's life. In particular, the emphasis of the synod on the evaluation of priests is important. It's a major news of the synod. – If this is implemented, it will be a large change. With all due respect, we will all find ourselves in a situation where we will gotta answer in a caring and honest way the questions we are asked about why we are doing and why we are not doing what we should do – explained the cardinal. McErloy.
The clergyman added that but for ordination, women must be included in all services in the Church in order to participate "fully in the life of the Church." According to the hierarch, “most of the obstacles in the Church n “generally” stem from “a prejudice that women should not do certain things or that men should be preferred.” – This message is contrary to the Gospel and contrary to being a Missionary, Synod Church – continued the cardinal. McElroy, stressing that "a cultural change must take place in order to avoid these obstacles".
The Cardinal of San Diego, who has long supported the deaconate of women, stressed that it remains an open substance according to the synod. – I myself am a supporter of the deaconate of women, and I hope so. - He did.
Card. Cupich added that since the final paper highlights the issue of further discernment of this issue, the pope himself advocates maintaining this issue open to discussion.
The Hierarchs besides referred to the proposals set out in the Synod Final paper on setting up a peculiar survey group to consider how liturgical celebrations could better express synodality.
Card. Cupich expressed hopes that the survey group would show how the secular ones could be used. Cardinal McElroy added that 1 of the current problems is that during the large celebrations of the liturgical sanctuary is “all men”.
The American progressive hierarchs resisted allegations about Pope Francis that he was "autocratic and unsynodic" in his own way of ruling. Card. Cupich stated that “there are no grounds” for making specified a charge. He explained that Francis conducted extended consultations on various matters before making decisions. Cardinal McElroy added that papal consultations frequently take place outside the average structures of the Roman Curia, the central bureaucracie of the Vatican, and this is frequently "more effective" than consultations with Vatican bureaucrats. He besides pointed out that “synodity is simply a return to the ancient tradition”, rooted in the east churches, as well as in the Second Vatican Council, whose spirit the pope attempts to revive.
Card. Cupich recalled that from the very beginning of his pontificate, Pope Francis, issuing the first crucial document, the Apostolic Adhortation "Evangelii Gaudium" in 2013 pointed to the synodical direction of the Church. It was in this exhortation that “the way forward for the Church” was “designed” and there is no turning back from synodality. The Church is on this trajectory and although different perturbations can be expected, it will not turn back from this path.
Source: ncronline.org
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