Expectations for the World Synod in Rome are high. Too high for the Pope. That’s why Francis counteracts hopes for concrete reforms right from the start.
At the beginning of the World Synod in Rome, Pope Francis dampened hopes for concrete reforms in the Catholic Church. “We are not here to advance a parliamentary session or a reform plan,” the 86-year-old made clear at the beginning of the church conference. In Germany and other countries, many believers had hoped for concrete reforms, for example regarding women’s access to ordination or the treatment of homosexuals.
However, the pontiff and his Luxembourg synod coordinator Jean-Claude Hollerich had repeatedly emphasized in advance that the world synod was not initially about concrete changes, but rather about how Catholics wanted to interact with one another within the church and make decisions in the future. So you want to talk about the “how” rather than the “what”. That will come later in further steps.
What is the World Synod?
The World Synod is considered one of Pope Francis’ most important reform projects in his ten-year term in office. The pontiff presents the synod as a large co-determination project. Around 365 voting members will take part in the conference from October 4th to 29th.
The vast majority are bishops, but there are also other clergy and lay people – non-clergy. For the first time in the history of the Catholic Church, 54 women were admitted as voting members.
Criticism from several sides
Criticism of Francis’ world synod has already been voiced from both sides of the Catholic spectrum. Reformers expect that the World Synod will not bring any tangible changes either. They complain that the working paper previously drawn up in the local churches is far too vague.
For conservatives, however, the entire process has gone far too far. The former prefect of the Roman Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Gerhard Ludwig Müller, said that there was a danger that the synod would lose sight of what was actually Catholic and slide into a general sociology.
“In the end, this could also be a plea from the United Nations or other welfare organizations, according to the motto: We must, we should,” said the former Bishop of Regensburg, who is known as an ultra-conservative, to the German Press Agency.
Pope presumably distributes against German Catholics
In view of such disputes, the Pope warned all participants at the opening service that ideological battles should not play a role at the gathering. Political considerations should also not be important. “It is not necessary for the synod to grant this or that permission, to open this or that door.”
He wanted the participants to present the image of a church that “does not divide internally and is never harsh on the outside”. The synod is not about strategies – and above all, the assembly should not be misunderstood as a parliament, Francis made clear. This could also be understood as a swipe at the German Catholics, who debated and voted in the synodal assembly of their own reform process as if in a parliament.
In his address to the first plenary session in the afternoon, Francis again focused on the expectations of the World Synod. “The synod is not a meeting of friends to solve certain problems or express opinions. It is something different.” One should not forget that the protagonist of the synod is not the participants, but the Holy Spirit, said Francis in the large Vatican audience hall.
The world synod also includes six participants from Germany. The German Bishops’ Conference has appointed its chairman Georg Bätzing from Limburg, Bertram Meier from Augsburg and Franz-Josef Overbeck from Essen. The Pope also appointed the bishops of Münster, Felix Genn, and Passau, Stefan Oster, as well as his opponent within the church, Cardinal Müller.
Reactions from Germany
Despite everything, Bätzing was optimistic before the first major plenary session. He was “convinced that all topics will be on the table,” he told the German Press Agency. It is also by no means the case that the issues that are important to German believers do not play a role in other countries: “The questions about reforms have been raised in advance by many countries.” The President of the Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK), Irme Stetter-Karp, called for “courageous debates” at the synod.
Former Federal Education Minister and Vatican Ambassador Annette Schavan (CDU) said that Germans would have to come to terms with the fact that Pope Francis is setting his own priorities. The Argentinian wanted to move away from the national to a global perspective, she told “Zeit”: “He’s not flying to Berlin, Paris, Madrid, but to the periphery.” Neither the Germans nor the Europeans are at the center of his thinking.
Pope calls for action against climate crisis
In a new teaching letter, Pope Francis previously called for urgent action against climate change and denounced a lack of action by politics and business. Global warming is one of the greatest challenges for society and the global community, says the apostolic exhortation “Laudate Deum” (Praise God).
“As time goes on, it becomes clear to me that we are not responding enough while the world that surrounds us is crumbling and perhaps facing a deep break,” wrote the head of the Catholic Church.
The situation is becoming more and more urgent and concern for the common home is growing, the Pope explained. What is therefore necessary is a rethinking of people and, above all, politics. “Let’s finally stop the irresponsible ridicule that portrays this issue as something purely ecological, “green”, romantic, which is often ridiculed by economic interests.”
He clearly rejected climate change deniers. There is no shortage of people who downplay the experts’ observations. But: “No matter how much you try to deny, hide, conceal or relativize them: the signs of climate change are there and are becoming increasingly clear.”
The now published letter “Laudate Deum” is to be understood as an update of the widely respected environmental encyclical “Laudato Si'” from 2015. An encyclical is one of the most important teaching documents of the Catholic Church. In “Laudato Si'”, Francis called for an “ecological reversal” and more climate protection and denounced environmental destruction, social injustice and consumerism.
Pope: Human power should be reconsidered
Specifically, the 86-year-old Francis is calling on international politics to adopt a new multilateralism. Climate change affects the entire world – global cooperation is needed that does not depend on changing political circumstances or the interests of a few. Human power should also be reconsidered. The world is not an object of exploitation and unbridled use. One must recognize that “our power and the progress we create are directed against ourselves”.
A practical measure is therefore the transition to renewable forms of energy. The Pope sees the West as having a particular responsibility for the major energy transition. A wholesale change in the irresponsible lifestyle associated with the Western model would therefore have a significant long-term impact. Because in this context, according to him, millions of poor people who suffered the most from climate change are being exploited.
The global average temperature has increased significantly, particularly in the past few decades. It has risen by almost 0.2 degrees Celsius per decade since the 1980s and is currently about 1.2 degrees above the level from 1850 to 1900. The ten warmest years have all occurred since 2010.
Environmental and climate protection requires the participation of everyone, said the Pope. “No one saves themselves alone,” Francis continued. He sees the commitment of climate activists as positive. So-called radicalized groups draw attention to themselves with actions – but in doing so they fill a gap in society that needs healthy “pressure”. “It is up to every family to remember that their children’s future is at stake.”