A perhaps controversial “lay-led inclusive synod” was recently held in Bristol and online on 5-12 September amid criticism from some Bishops. It was inspired by the notion that the Church needs a truly inclusive Synod that “starts with women, and doesn’t end there”. It offers The Bristol Text, a set of reflections and proposals as a contribution to the forthcoming global Synod, and to help inform each of us as Catholics to discern what our Lord is trying to tell us
Prof Mary Macalees, the former President of Republic of Ireland, in her keynote speech was sceptical about the process of the forthcoming Synod, observing that the lay consultative phase seemed limited. Critical of the current state of Canon Law, she argued that synodality can only work if set in a context of an unequivocal acceptance by the Church that all the faithful are entitled to the inalienable rights set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Sessions, talks and documents can be found here: The Root & Branch synod website
THE PORTICO Newsletter 