47 Comments
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Matt Garland's avatar

I know I shouldn't care about how the Vatican chooses to spend its money, but I just have to ask what is the value being received from these meetings after meetings and sessions after sessions? What good is it doing towards the Church's mission of saving souls? What outcomes?

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GrantEd's avatar

As I recall, the entire point of the meetings is to discuss the value of those meetings.

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ALT's avatar

They synodally synod about synodality and how best to synodalize.

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Chas2r2's avatar

Sounds like a Seinfeld episode

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Mark Steo's avatar

The value of the meeting is to allow the Holy Spirit through members of the human community to share in the needs of the body His Church. After 10,000 meetings, the church will move slowly as it always has even if we were 10 meetings. We want that. Don’t forget that. Because if it moves too fast, there could be human errors within. Faith seeking understanding includes listening. m

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LinaMGM's avatar

I don’t know, given the other pillar pieces on the finances of the Vatican, maybe someone should care how they spend their money 🤷🏽‍♀️

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ALT's avatar

The Vatican gets its money from you, so I don't see why you shouldn't care. Dioceses tax parishes based on their offeratory amounts, and send contributions to the Vatican. A little under 25% of the Vatican's funding comes from the US, although I don't know how much of that is via diocesan giving vs. individual giving.

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Maurice Cannelloni's avatar

“Saving souls?” meme.

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Martin's avatar

The implementation... of what exactly? What are "orientations of the synod" (I hesitate to speculate what certain synod boosters' favorite "orientation" might be...) What are churches supposed to "receive"? It couldn't possibly be the case that the "study groups" would magically come back with recommendations that lady deacons, inter-communion with protestants, and that the sixth commandment is outdated must be "received" as part of the "ordinary magisterium" that covers synodality like a blanket pardon covers the family members of the powerful, would it?

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Benjamin's avatar

Maybe the phrasing is a sly preview of plans to reinstate the liturgical norm of celebrating “ad orientem”?

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Maurice Cannelloni's avatar

A man surely can dream!

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Lucas's avatar

The synodality will continue until morale improves...

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Perry's avatar

Just when you thought it was safe to sell the round tables.

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LinaMGM's avatar

The way I laughed all the way out loud reading this 😆😆😆

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Seth G's avatar

You have to hand it to these guys. What synodality lacks in having a clear purpose, they make up for by endlessly searching for one.

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Teresa's avatar

Hahaha - I was trying to think of a way to express this. I know exactly what you mean!!!

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KP's avatar

Beat me to it!

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Aidan T's avatar

Lord, make it stop.

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Mark Steo's avatar

Aidan, what precisely would you like to stop? The terminology or the irony of the terminology? ContinualMeetings will always kill us in the end. m

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Oswald's avatar

There's a decent chance Pope Francis doesn't make it to the end of 2025 as Pope, let alone 2028. I think the survival of this project, at least in its current form, will depend heavily on who is Pope then.

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Jon's avatar

In that scenario, the next conclave will be postponed until the synodal process is complete.

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Katie FWSB's avatar

Don't give them ideas...

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Mark Steo's avatar

they’re probably not listening to this idea. m

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KP's avatar

Cardinal Becciu is…

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Teresa's avatar

.......Cardinal Grech's quotes read like a corporate business jargon email. Sounds like they'll keep planning these meetings until they figure out why they're meeting.

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Jon's avatar

No, corporate business jargon emails, while a bit programmatic, still convey a legitimate objective : )

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Teresa's avatar

Very curious to see if this "process" continues at all should Pope Francis pass away before 2028 (I hope that doesn't sound insensitive; I don't mean for it to).

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Quanah's avatar

For God so loved the world, He did not send a committee.

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Mark Steo's avatar

it’s either the 12 apostles and their descendants or the two witnesses dressed in white. m

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Nic V.'s avatar

It's telling that the virtues of this whole thing are a laundry list of "firsts" - as if novelty is a good in itself?

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Joelle Presby's avatar

Is the Holy Father healthy enough to actually be making these decisions himself? This seems like a repeat of the Biden autopen in use while the principal is unaware situation.

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emba02's avatar

I agree completely, I wonder who is really making the decisions in the Vatican. God knows Cardinal Cupich and Tobin are chomping at the bit to take the seat. If that happens buckle up it's gonna get a lot worse.

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Eugene Francisco's Mini's avatar

I hav tried to remain open to the workings of the Spirit regarding Synodality. Personally,I have involved myself in as much as possible. HOWEVER- the ho-hum enthusiasm of clergy in our diocese and in several others makes me wonder. We have priests who do not support Francis and who do not support anything he proposes. The concept is great but the actual participation has been minimal if any. Our parish is one of the largest in the country.We had one bulletin announcement and one meeting where 68 people out of 30,000 attended. The report sent back from the diocese would make one think we were a model. Everything was wonderful. Who are we kidding here? I wish we could have a synod on TRUTH.

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Shannon's avatar

Smoke and mirrors.

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Mark Steo's avatar

are you alluding to the Holy smoke (cloud) of his presence as written in the Old Testament and the mirror of reflection as written by the many mystics of the Church? m

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Shannon's avatar

unfortunately, quite the opposite.

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Mark Steo's avatar

you see – – that’s funny

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Douglas Taylor-Weiss's avatar

Not too much interest here in God. And since when is the Pope "the principle [arche?] of unity in the Church"? Sign, maybe, but "principle"?

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Bob S.'s avatar

I read this and had to check my phone to make sure it wasn't April 1st yet.

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Marc M's avatar

The push for synodality does not seem very synodal.

How many of the Catholic lay faithful are demanding "I want more synodality in my Church"? It seems like synodality is a pet issue of a certain group of prelates who are, at best, imposing it in a top-down manner. A truly "listening Church" would understand that low synodal participation rates (1% per CNA in 2023) show synodality is low on the faithful's priority list, no?

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Mark Wurtz's avatar

"I didn't get an Harumph out of that guy!"

Mayor LaPetomine from Blazzing Saddles

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