They marched in procession through St. Peter's Square, one behind the other. Laity and clergy, members of the general assembly of the "synod on synodality," arrived together on Wednesday, October 4, for the opening mass of this major meeting that could change the future of the Catholic Church. It was like a carefully staged representation of the place laypeople could take in Pope Francis' Church, which he dreams will be more horizontal.
At the pope's request, these synod delegates will spend four weeks discussing the many questions put to them by the faithful from all over the world, who have also been encouraged by the pontiff to give their opinion on how the institution should function. Church governance, the ordination of married men, the place of women and the laity, and the management of sexual violence committed by members of the clergy: There will be many burning issues on the menu of this first assembly, which is to be followed by a second in October 2024.
Historic because it could change the way the Church conducts itself, this event – which should serve to give shape to Francis' legacy – is also historic because of the composition of its members, where clerics (more numerous) and laypeople appear to be given equal power. For the first time, it's not just bishops who have to meet and vote on resolutions. Alongside them are laypeople, including women, who marched like the others in St. Peter's Square on Wednesday, as the litany of saints resounded.
For the first time, too, the members of the assembly are not meeting in the usual amphitheater-style synod venue, but in the enormous Paul VI Hall in the Vatican. They took their seats on Wednesday morning to get used to the new organization. Gone were the sloping bleachers where people would have been seated according to their rank. This time, laity and clerics together, organized in small linguistic groups, took their places around round tables without any hierarchy. It was another symbol of the equality and horizontality between clerics and laity Francis wanted for this event, but also within the Church. Sitting at the presiding table, itself barely higher than the others, the pope himself took part in this display of horizontality. A few minutes before the opening, Francis went into the middle of the crowd of participants, chatting with some and hugging others.
Between the image of a united Church that has come together to "journey" (the etymological meaning of the word "synod") in order to reflect and discuss its future, and the reality for the Church, however, there is a gulf. Outside Vatican territory, the divisions were already coming to the fore before the synod's work had even begun.
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