The Vatican has today published the list of participants for the Special Assembly of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon region, which will be held Oct. 6 to 27. The list includes all of the diocesan bishops of the nine countries from the Amazon region, as well as three from the United States: Cardinal Kevin Farrell, the prefect of the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life, Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston and Bishop Robert McElroy of San Diego.
The list includes all of the diocesan bishops of the nine countries from the Amazon region, as well as three from the United States.
The list also includes representatives of the indigenous peoples of the Amazon region, 12 top officials of the Roman Curia offices, 15 members elected by the Union of Superiors Generals of the men’s religious orders, most of whom work in the Amazon region, 25 experts (including at least four women) who will collaborate with the Special Secretariat of the Synod and 55 auditors. There are also six “fraternal delegates” from the Evangelical, Anglican and Presbyterian Christian churches in the Amazon region.
Among the 32 members nominated by Pope Francis are Cardinals Christoph Schonborn (Austria), Angelo Bagnasco (Italy, president of the Conferences of European Bishops), Jean-Claude Hollerich (Luxembourg), and in addition to O’Malley the other members of the Council of Cardinal Advisors: Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga, Reinhard Marx, Oswald Gracias and Giusseppe Bertello.
Twelve “special” guests have been invited to the synod, including Ban Ki-Moon (Korea), former Secretary General of the United Nations; René Castro Salazar (U.S.A.), assistant director of the FAO department on Climate, Biodiversity, Land, Water at the United Nations; Josianne Gauthier (Canada), Secretary General of CIDSE, the international Catholic Alliance of Agencies of Development; Carlos Alfoso Nobre (Brazil), winner of the Nobel Prize for Peace in 2007, Jeffrey Sachs (U.S.A.), professor of sustainable development at Columbia University, and Hans J. Schellenhuber (Germany), professor of atmospheric physics and emeritus director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.
The pope had already appointed Cardinal Claudio Hummes (Brazil) to the key position of chief relator, and two special secretaries: Michael Czerny, S.J., who will be made a cardinal later this month, and Bishop David Martinez de Aguirre Guinea, a Dominican from Peru.
The three president delegates who will chair the plenary sessions and were also nominated by Pope Francis are: Cardinals Baltazar Porras Cardozo (Venezuela), Pedro Barreto Jimeno, S.J., (Peru), and Joao Braz de Aviz (Brazil and the Vatican).
And where are the women?
Josianne Gauthier of Canada. Maybe she's the only woman?
exactly--and where are the married men he was supposed to be thinking about ordaining? But there are reps from other religions-- Go figure! There is such a gap between PF's words and actions....this synod assembly is built in typical Vatican style from the top down--hierarchy trumps everything else in the RCC, and Francis is no different from his predecessors. The only good name I see in all of this is Jeff Sachs from Columbia U.
Business as usual. Don't think they will get any votes either.
This past Sunday I went to mass at a Shrine I often go to, and because of a special event, they had a bishop celebrating instead of the usual priests. I went with my teenage son and daughter. The whole sermon was about how we need to do radical change because only 25% of American Catholics go to mass now (like this was news).
While I am looking at the altar, as this old man, is all decked out celebrating with about 10 other men on the alter, some priests, possibly a deacon (I couldn't tell because the new misogynistic plan is to hide that deacons aren't priests (by garbing them the same) during mass so our leaders can say to us stupid laity, see you didn't even notice the difference between a married priest and a celibate one [unlike if it was a yucky girl priest]) and all the time he preaches we need to ask ourselves, together, what must be done. I am thinking to myself there is not a woman in sight on this altar and I am sure that is intentional. The lector, from the Shrine, an older layman, did a far better job than the, deacon/priest whatchamacalit person did, at reading the Gospel (nothing new here) and am I thinking this bishop is so out to lunch I can't figure out why I am here right now. Getting a bishop should be a special and potent experience but instead I am thinking if this man were the regular pastor at my parish, I would switch parishes.
When we got out of mass, my daughter says quite loudly to all, in the parking lot, well that guy was one Saddy Susan! I guess our religion is doomed! She is 14 so I am like honey, please don't show disrespect of the bishop in the church parking lot. If you want to let me know you didn't think the sermon was very good at least wait till we are in the car and out of earshot. I admitted to her, in the car, I agree this bishop needs to remember all the surveys say we need to make our church one that ordains based on calling, character, and gifts not gender, and that our treatment of LGBT and children have caused many Catholics to leave but some bishops just tune out reality. This is unfortunate and we do need to desperately pray for a new kind of leadership.
And yet here we have another sexist synod where women are not given any voice because they would seek justice if they were given voice. Dah! - who cares anymore!- wake me when we get a Christian Pope until then zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz . .
I pray for a fruitful meeting.
The Synod meets in the midst of the burning lungs of the planet; in the most sacred of interior places that gives life to humanity (hear womb). The very place where the rape of Creation, and the powerless voices of the women and children scream from agonies of rape. Stilled by the silences of the male hierarchs. Do they not have ears to hear?
amen Donna.
Woman, both lay and religious have done the heavy lifting in keeping the Catholic faith alive among indigenous Brazilians. But, apparently they are not worthy of being included as full, voting members of this synod. Appalling and even disgusting, but not surprising in our misogynistic church. Really is this what Jesus had in mind?
I couldn't agree more, Mary.