by Gerard Bogan

Preparations are starting to be made for the forthcoming synod called by Pope Francis. Whatever may be meant by ‘synodality’ I am confident that in the coming months there will be long discussions among priests regarding Church structures. It is possible, I suppose, that such deliberations may produce fruit, but I am doubtful. Of course, there are useful developments which might profitably be made; however, if this were little more than some clerics attempting to remould the Church to suit their own personal views it would be of no value. It would still be viewing the Church in terms of clerical hierarchy, and even with the insertion of a few lay people, carefully selected to bolster the views of a few priests, it would still be a clerical (or quasi-clerical) expression of the Church.