Reverend Joseph E. Kurtz, D.D. Bishop | Archdiocese of Louisville

By Cindy Wooden, Catholic News Service

VATICAN CITY — The Synod of Bishops on synodality will convene at the Vatican in October with a focus on ensuring the Church's practices and structures are aligned for evangelization rather than self-preservation. This shift in focus follows the removal of several concrete issues, such as women deacons and seminary training, from the agenda.

Cardinal Mario Grech, general secretary of the Synod of Bishops, referenced Pope Francis' 2013 exhortation, "The Joy of the Gospel," to explain the purpose of this three-year synodal process. The working document for the second session, scheduled for Oct. 2-27, outlines its task as identifying paths and tools to enhance each baptized person's contribution to proclaiming the Gospel.

In a preface to a book on synodality published by the Vatican newspaper on Sept. 24, Cardinal Grech noted that consultations held worldwide starting in 2021-2022 highlighted concerns about a church perceived as exclusive. "What needs to change is not the Gospel, but our way of proclaiming it," he said.

Synod members will work on defining synodality and suggesting ways to implement it. This includes fostering listening among members and empowering every member to take responsibility for the church’s mission. They will also address reaching out to those who feel excluded by the church, increasing accountability in leadership positions, ensuring representative parish and diocesan councils, and providing more opportunities for women in leadership roles.

While these goals are organizationally sound, they challenge traditional views that tie governance and decision-making to ordination. Synod members from over 110 countries and various Eastern Catholic churches will need to balance respecting traditions with openness to new ideas.

Pope Francis has often remarked that diversity should lead to harmony rather than uniformity within the universal yet varied church. Cardinal Grech echoed this sentiment in his text published by the Vatican newspaper: “While traditionally Catholicism has focused more on the ‘singular,’ identifying in unity ‘cum et sub Petro’ (‘with and under Peter’) a safeguard against dispersion and error, today we feel the need to rebalance the discourse by making space for the ‘plural.’”

Cardinal Grech emphasized that criticism of clericalism stems from "missionary anxiety" rather than philosophical or political egalitarianism. He argued that clericalism weakens evangelization by limiting it to clergy and leaving laypeople passive.

“Clericalism restricts evangelization to the clergy,” he said, adding that it “leaves the ‘simple’ baptized in a position of passivity as if the missionary mandate of the Risen Lord did not apply to them as well.”