Pope Francis has extended a lengthy global consultation of ordinary Catholics about the future of the Catholic Church by a year. Participation so far has been low in many countries, and many of Francis' opponents have scoffed at the entire initiative.
In addition, many of Francis’ opponents have scoffed at the entire initiative. A leading critic and former Vatican official, Cardinal Gerhard Mueller of Germany, recently warned that it represented a “hostile takeover” of the church. Others have pointed to a similar consultation process underway in Germany that has badly divided the church, amid debate on hot-button issues such as sexual morality, women in leadership roles and the church’s treatment of LGBTQ Catholics.
Announcing the yearlong extension Sunday, Francis said the fruits of this first phase had been many “but in order to reach a full maturity, it’s necessary that we not rush things.” Adding in another year, he said, would allow for a “more extended discernment.” “I trust that this decision will lead to an understanding of synodality as a constitutive dimension of the church, and to help everyone live it as a path of brothers and sisters who offer witness to the joy of the Gospel,” Francis said in his noon blessing overlooking St. Peter’s Square.Already, the Vatican office organizing the meeting had extended by several months the deadline to let ordinary dioceses and bishops conferences report back.
It’s not the first time that Francis has split a synod meeting up into two sessions, with a year of breathing room in between them. He did that for his synod on the family, which took place over the course of two sessions in 2014 and 2015, and resulted in his 2016 document that opened the door to letting divorced and civilly remarried Catholics receive Communion.
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