A priest and a soldier walk together in a village in the island province of Basilan in the southern Philippines. (File photo by Joe Torres)
Nov 3 2021
“Let’s talk as friends,” said a missionary priest when I brought up the issue of the synodal process and its implications on the ground, especially in far-flung communities.
“I have been a priest for more than 20 years already, but I still don’t get what this so-called synodal process is,” he said. “How much more can the farmer or the catechist in the remote areas?”
The Vatican has announced that it is giving dioceses around the world more time to discuss with the faithful the various issues confronting Christian communities.
Local churches are encouraged to include “all the baptized” in the consultation process, not only churchgoers.
A handbook for dioceses said “special care should be taken to involve those persons who may risk being excluded,” such as women, refugees, migrants, people who live in poverty, and Catholics who rarely or never practice their faith.
Dioceses are given up to August 15, 2022, to complete the consultations and submit summaries for the next phase, moving forward to the 2023 synod of bishops in Rome.
Read the full news in LiCAS.news.
