Success! Rome synod moves priest shortage to top of papal agenda
The International Synod on the Eucharist broke a long-standing taboo and openly discussed the worldwide priest shortage and optional celibacy. CTA and FutureChurch deserve some credit: Sr. Chris Schenk, who traveled to Rome and personally gave synod delegates 35,000 petition signatures and the results of our survey of 15,000 priests in 55 U.S. dioceses, analyzed the synod’s successes and failures in a conference workshop.
Four of the synod’s 12 working groups wanted to study a married priesthood or the so-called viri probati option. Synod procedures require consensus, so the final proposition affirmed the current celibacy rule. But both Pittsburgh Bishop Donald Wuerl of the post-synod document committee and Vatican Cardinal Walter Kasper said discussion of married priests is still on the table. Cardinal Angelo Scola of Venice opened the synod by saying the Eucharist was a gift, not a right. However, Cardinal Julian Herranz, highest canon law official in the church, countered that canon law says Catholics have a right to receive the Eucharist from church leaders.
Bishops fail to lead
By publicly acknowledging that the priest shortage keeps millions of Catholics from the Eucharist, and then deciding to do nothing about it, our bishops have failed to exercise leadership about yet another crisis in the Church.
The Synod got some things right. It reaffirmed the liturgical changes of Vatican II, and insisted Mass in the vernacular is here to stay. It approved a resolution couched in liberation theology language not heard from the Vatican for years, strongly denouncing global economic injustice and depletion of the earth’s resources. But the Synod was a disappointment on other fronts like still withholding communion from the divorced/remarried and from non-Catholic Christians.
Appeal to pope remains
Synod proposals have now gone to Benedict XVI who will write a post-synodal exhortation within a year. The priest shortage is now squarely on his desk. FutureChurch and CTA urge letters to the pope and key bishops.
Also, nothing prevents national bishops’ conferences from petitioning the pope to look at the married priest option for their regions, a fact confirmed by Atlanta Archbishop Wilton Gregory in mid-October. Furthermore, the U.S. can't face up to the priest shortage without addressing women's ministerial roles. There are now more female lay ministers than active diocesan priests.
For more synod analysis and noteworthy quotes from synod bishops, visit www.futurechurch.org
Meanwhile…Lay Synods shift power to the people
The Fellowship of Southern Illinois Laity (FOSIL) has a formula for breaking through hierarchical indifference in their diocese, Belleville, Ill. Besides lobbing bishops to do the right thing in their official synods in Rome, FOSIL has been convening very suc-cessful and empowering Lay Synod — six in the last three years. FOSIL co-founder Lena Woltering shared the idea at two popular conference workshops.
The first gathering in June 2002 concen-trated on the rights and responsibilities of laity in canon law. “People were astounded to learn they had rights, not to mention responsibilities,” she said. So they have returned for five more gatherings, attracting up to 250 attendees in a predominantly rural community, openly voicing their concerns and hopes for their church. On one occa-sion Bishop Wilton Gregory forbade a synod meeting on Catholic property. The organiz-ers called the chancery and got nowhere. They then picketed Grogory’s office after no-tifying the local media. The bishop changed his mind.
“If we continue to allow the institutional church to marginalize us as dissenters or her-etics, they will succeed in creating the “rem-nant church” of their dreams – the church that is left once all us get frustrated and leave,” said Woltering. “It’s important to claim our rightful place within this church, right along side everyone else.”
When Gregory left Belleville, FOSIL asked for a voice in selecting his successor. When Edward Braxton was appointed with no suc consultation, FOSIL picketed his installation Mass. He said he’d meet with them, but reneged, saying he’ll only see one person at a time. FOSIL went straight to the media. The next day his refusal was on page one.
Synods in Michigan, New York
Michigan CTA held their first Lay Synod Nov. 19. Like FOSIL, they started with a canon lawyer, Sr. Kate Kuentsler. CTA-MI president, Sr. Beth Rindler, said the audience were enthused to learn their canonical rights, and Kuenstler was impressed with the re-formist energy in the people. More sessions are planned. BETHRIN@prodigy.net
New York State CTAers caucused at the na-tional conference to start planning the state’s first lay synod in June 2006. Conveners Jim and Sally Orgren of Buffalo made a direct connection with the Synod bishops’ failure to take the priest shortage seri-ously enough to endorse optional celibacy. wnycta@adelphia.net
Now a regional organizer for the CTA national board, Lena has been on the road promoting the Lay Synod concept and is available to speak to any group wanting input. Contact her at lena@cta-usa.org or FOSILize@aol.com.