With growing criticism of the manner of the Synodal Process in countries such as Ireland and Germany, Pope Francis has admitted that it has had ‘deficiencies’ in how it has been conducted.
Speaking in Lisbon during World Youth Day, in remarks now published in La Civilt Cattolica, Francis said:
The joy that I have most present is the preparation for the Synod, even if at times I see, in some parts, that there are deficiencies in the way of conducting it. The joy of seeing how very beautiful reflections emerge from small parish groups, from small groups of churches and there is great excitement. It's a joy.
In this regard I want to reiterate one thing: the Synod is not my invention. It was Paul VI, at the end of the Council, who realized that the Catholic Church had lost synodality. The eastern one keeps it. So he said: "Something must be done", and created the Secretariat for the Synod of Bishops. There has been slow progress since then. Sometimes, very imperfectly. Some time ago, in 2001, I participated as President delegate in the Synod dedicated to the bishop as a servant of the Gospel of Jesus Christ for the hope of the world. When I was preparing things for the vote on what had come from the groups, the cardinal in charge of the Synod told me: «No, don't put this. Take it off." In short, they wanted a Synod with censorship, a curial censorship that blocked things.
Along the way there were these imperfections. There were many, but at the same time it was a path that was followed. When the fiftieth anniversary of the creation of the Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops was completed, I signed a document drawn up by theologians expert in synodal theology. If you want to see a good result after fifty years on the road, look at that document. And in the last 10 years we are still progressing, until we reach, I believe, a mature expression of what synodality is.
Synodality is not looking for votes, as a political party would do, it is not a question of preferences, of belonging to this or that party. In a Synod the protagonist is the Holy Spirit. He is the protagonist. So we need to let the Spirit guide things. Let him express himself as he did on Pentecost morning. I think that is the strongest path.
