Synod council reportedly chose against Pope’s preferred topic
October 06, 2016
Pope Francis had hoped to devote the next meeting of the Synod of Bishops to discussing the possibility of married priests, but the leadership of the Synod chose a different topic, according to one Vatican journalist.
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The Vatican announced on October 6 that the next meeting of the Synod would discuss “youth, faith, and vocational discerment.” (See today’s top CWN headline story.) But according to Edward Pentin of the National Catholic Register, Pope Francis had hoped for a session dedicated to the question of priestly celibacy and the possibility of allowing for married priests in the Latin rite. “That proposal was understood to have been voted down by the majority of members of the XIV Ordinary Council of the Synod of Bishops,” Pentin reports.
The Ordinary Council is composed of prelates, chosen by the members of the Synod of Bishops, who advise the Pontiff on subjects including the selection of a topic for the next Synod meeting. (For a full listing of the members of the Ordinary Council, see the last link below.)
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Further information:
- Next Synod Will Be on 'Young People, the Faith and Discernment of Vocation' (National Catholic Register)
- Proposed synod on married priests ‘was voted down by Pope’s advisors’ (Catholic Herald)
- 2018 synod theme announced (CWN, 10/6)
- 15-member council named for Synod of Bishops (CWN, 11/16/15)
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Posted by: jalsardl5053 -
Oct. 08, 2016 1:17 AM ET USA
I think the Holy Spirit was at work here. Vocational discernment is a far more important and potentially fruitful topic rather than some perceived "quick fix". This is more important today than ever for a number of reasons not the least of which is the total loss of any concept of "vocation" (vs. avocation). How to execute the disciple of discernment is a long lost subject that, I hope, will be properly revisited and one which all of us, most especially yours truly, could benefit from.
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Posted by: Bveritas2322 -
Oct. 07, 2016 7:15 PM ET USA
Francis will find a way to get what he wants. He always does. And his absence of a faith in providence, the ability to understand that the Church gets the number of vocations it deserves, will lead him to conclude that married priests are the answer to a vocations crisis, a decision that reflects his usual secular managerial reaction to problems rather than inspiring acts of prayerful humility that we become more holy and therefore deserve more vocations.
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Posted by: pvanderl7463 -
Oct. 06, 2016 10:01 PM ET USA
According to CRUX, half of the Catholics in the world do not have access to the sacraments. Many of us in the US are served by foreign priests whom we cannot understand what they proclaim Christ said. Many married men through a pastoral privilege do convey the grace of the sacraments to their parishioners. We have over 22,000 priests who could be given the privilege of their ministry back. Have mercy on worthy men and on us faithful. Breathe on the Bishops, O Holy Spirit, a Mighty Wind!!!!
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Posted by: loumiamo -
Oct. 06, 2016 5:19 PM ET USA
Gotta hand it to Francis. None of his predecessors had been able to get the laity to harbor good thoughts for the episcopacy. This is one Catholic who will step up his prayers of thanks for their intervention, at least on this issue.
