Archbishop Andrew Nkea (pictured) of Bamenda, Cameroon, confirmed the African delegation's satisfaction with the synod's final report, which Pope Francis adopted.

African bishops sought to prevent any shift in doctrinal authority to local episcopal conferences, citing concerns over Church unity.

"We thought that if power to decide on doctrinal issues, or some of that power, shifted to national episcopal conferences, we'd have a chaotic Church" the archbishop explained.

African bishops and others emphasised that local conferences may handle pastoral matters but should not dictate doctrine. This stance reflects longstanding concerns among African Catholics regarding doctrinal consistency, especially considering past Western moves towards blessing same-sex unions.

"We agree that episcopal conferences should have a certain degree of leverage with regard to pastoral collaboration, local decisions and acculturation" Nkea said, "but in matters of faith and morals, the conferences cannot decide."

Women deacons

Archbishop Nkea underscored Pope Francis' clear opposition regarding women deacons but acknowledged that the subject remains open for discussion. He explained that while the synod may continue to discuss it, the Pope has not signalled any change.

"The Holy Father has said very clearly that, as for him, ‘this subject is closed'" Nkea noted.

Archbishop Nkea also expressed strong reservations regarding the Vatican's Fiducia Supplicans declaration, which endorsed same-sex blessings last year.

He described the declaration as a "not pleasant" experience for the African Church as it sparked intense backlash on the continent.

Nkea insisted that any significant decisions impacting the global Church should involve consultation with African leaders to avoid future surprises. He noted that African bishops pushed for guarantees in the synod's final recommendations to prevent similar situations arising again.

Archbishop Nkea then raised the growing vocation crisis in the West, linking it to declining interest in traditional Church teaching. He advocated for African-style small Christian communities as a potential model for the West, arguing that such communities foster faith and resist individualism.

"If the West listens to what Africa is saying, it could help" he added.

Sources

National Catholic Register

CathNews New Zealand

This letter, and the broader debate it represents, is emblematic of a Church at a crossroads.

It's a Church grappling with the need to maintain unity and doctrinal integrity while also engaging with the diverse realities of the global Catholic community.

The contention centres on the proposal by the German Church to establish a Synodal Council that would effectively share decision-making power between the bishops and the laity.

This proposal challenges the traditional hierarchy, where decision-making power has been predominantly vested in the ordained clergy, particularly the bishops.

Vatican response

The Vatican's response, citing Canon Law to argue against the proposed power-sharing arrangement, underscores a fundamental ecclesiological tension.

This is how the Church interprets and applies its laws in the face of evolving demands for inclusivity and participation from its members.

The resistance from Rome can be seen as a protective measure for the traditional culture of power through ordination.

With its rich tapestry of implicit and explicit theologies, Catholicism relies on semiotic codes like liturgy, hierarchy, and management to facilitate a global yet locally nuanced faith experience.

These codes, especially the symbolic code of ordained power, are crucial in maintaining the Church's unity and doctrinal consistency across diverse cultural contexts.

Contemporary concerns

The debate over the German proposal is not merely about ecclesiastical governance but touches on deeper questions of identity, authority, and the nature of the Church itself.

It highlights the challenge of balancing Catholicism's universal and local dimensions, a tension that is not new but has taken on new urgency in the contemporary context.

The letter to the German bishops and the discussions it has generated reflect broader themes within the Church, such as the struggle to articulate a vision of catholic unity that respects and incorporates diversity.

This struggle is not limited to the relationship between the clergy and laity but extends to theological and pastoral practices, liturgical rites, and ecclesial management.

Therefore, the German push for a synodal model of the church can be seen as part of a wider intra-church dialogue about adapting and evolving in a rapidly changing world while remaining faithful to the core tenets of the faith.

...vs African bishops

There is opposition from certain quarters of the Church, notably some African bishops, in response to the document on same-sex and irregular blessings, Fiducia Supplicans.

The document underscores the diverse ways in which different parts of the global Church interpret and prioritise the challenges they face.

The African bishops' rejection, framed in terms of an "African exceptionalism" that resists perceived Western moral relativism, contrasts with the German bishops' attempt to address the demands of their local context through structural reform.

Some clergy in Africa have even gone as far as to accuse the West of new colonialism through LGBTQ activism.

Culture, theology, governance, synodality

This juxtaposition of responses to the Church's challenges today illuminates the complex interplay between cultural context, theological interpretation, and ecclesial governance.

It raises important questions about how the Church can remain a unified body while respecting and incorporating the rich diversity of its global community.

A synodal Church as envisioned by the German proposal and broader ecclesial discussions, offers a potential pathway through this complex terrain.

By fostering a culture of listening and dialogue, a synodal approach promises to enable the Church to navigate better the tensions between unity and diversity, tradition and innovation.

Synodal Church - a new identity

The response to the German bishops' proposal demonstrates that the path toward a more synodal Church is fraught with challenges.

The critical question facing the Church today is not whether it will change but how it will change.

The current debates over synodality, ecclesial governance, and the role of the laity are not mere administrative concerns but are fundamentally about the identity and mission of the Church in the 21st century.

As the Church navigates these waters, it must find ways to honour its traditions while also responding to the legitimate aspirations of its members for greater participation and representation.

In conclusion, the curial letter to the German Bishops' Conference and the subsequent discussions it has generated represent a pivotal moment in the life of the Church.

The letter and ensuing discussions reflect a Church in dialogue with itself, struggling to reconcile its foundational beliefs with the pressing demands of a diverse and changing world.

The outcome of this dialogue will shape the future of the Church's governance and its ability to witness the Gospel in an increasingly pluralistic and interconnected global community.

• Dr Joe Grayland is currently a visiting professor at the University of Tübingen (Germany). For nearly 30 years, he has been a priest of the Diocese of Palmerston North in New Zealand.

In a preparatory meeting in Accra, Ghana ahead of October's synod on the family, the bishops stated "we must begin from the faith, reaffirm it and live it for the sake of evangelising cultures in depth".

According to one report, the bishops appear to have heeded the warnings of theologian and anthropologist Edouard Ade, from the Catholic University of Western Africa.

In a presentation, Professor Ade focused on what he called "the strategy of the enemy of the human race".

The professor said the desired goal of some is that the synod approve the blessing of second marriages and homosexual couples, but this appears to be out of reach.

Rather, their strategy will involve opening "loopholes" that could be widened later.

At the same time they will affirm that there is no intention to change doctrine.

Such loopholes could involve particular cases illustrated by proponents, who know they would not remain isolated cases.

Another strategy is to present changes as a balance between the impatience of those who want immediate change on divorce and same-sex marriage, as against a rigorism devoid of mercy.

Professor Ade also warned against "Trojan horses" proposed by activists for change.

These include always attributing a positive value to life arrangements outside of marriage, considering indissolubility an "ideal" that cannot be achieved by all, as well as new language that ends up changing the reality.

In remarks at the start of the meeting, Guinean Cardinal Robert Sarah encouraged the bishops not to be afraid of "reiterating the teaching of Christ on marriage".

In an interview this month with French magazine Famille Chretienne, Cardinal Sarah expressed his hopes for the synod.

"At the synod next October we will address, I hope, the question of marriage in an entirely positive manner, seeking to promote the family and the values that it bears.

"The African bishops will act to support that which God asks of man concerning the family, and to receive that which the Church has always taught."

Sources

• L'Espresso
• Image: The Dialog

(It turns out that the movie got the French slightly wrong. It's actually just the "Royal Cheese," but the point's the same.)

Although director Quentin Tarantino is nobody's idea of a Christian evangelist, there's nevertheless a missionary insight here: Whether we're talking about cheeseburgers or eternal salvation, the same product often has to be packaged in different ways for different audiences based on the languages they speak and the cultural worlds they inhabit.

That, believe it or not, is a way of introducing a report from the Oct. 7-28 Synod of Bishops in Rome on the new evangelization.

Whatever its defects, a synod is always a kind of graduate seminar about the realities of life in a global church, bringing together bishops and other church leaders from every nook and cranny of the planet. The opening week of this one has been devoted largely to surveying what works and what doesn't in terms of Catholic evangelization in various parts of the world, and some distinctive regional accents have already emerged.

To be sure, a bewildering variety of points are always made in the opening stages, and not all the voices from a given region are singing from the same hymnal. In broad strokes, however, here's what some leading Catholic voices seem to believe is required to make the church relevant in their neighborhoods:

• Asia: humility, simplicity and silence
• Africa: ministering to people scarred by poverty and violence
• Latin America: taking cues from what's already working, such as popular piety and small Christian communities (often called "base communities")
• Europe and the States: sound doctrine and sacramental practice as an antidote to the influence of a largely secular culture Read more

Sources

• John L Allen Jr in National Catholic Reporter
• Image: The Catholic Sun