Rocco just pointed out something interesting and directly relevant to questions of what the synod might decide and what the pope might do with that and what collegiality means.
At the synod on the Word of God back in 2008, no less than 80% of the synod fathers favored opening the instituted ministry of lectors to women. (It’s a bit complicated: women can read at Mass, but they can’t be instituted in the official ministry.)
And then the synod proposal went to Pope Benedict … who did nothing with it.
And then the synod proposal went to Pope Benedict … who did nothing with it.
Popular history also recalls Good Pope Paul 6 received extraordinary consultation before the promulgation of Humanae vitae and chose to not only distance himself from that, but revised its contents in accord with the magisterial pronouncements. IIRC.
There’s also a theory that Bl. Paul VI purposely “stacked the deck” in the committee to (re)consider contraception less for the “vote” and more to ensure the best possible favorable argument—a “devil’s advocate”, if you will.
I wonder if the beatification of Paul VI at the end of the “synodal goings-on” last year was symbolic: “say what you want, write what you want, but this same thing can very easily still happen.”
It’s true that these synods are only advisory – and the Holy Father always makes the final call. However, they have the real possibility of dividing the Church.
The issue of instituted lectors (whom virtually no Catholic in the pew knows or cares about because we generally just appoint them regarless of sex) of course seems confined to the seminarians for the most part. But this is largely an irrelevant issue to dividing the Church because it is tangential to doctrine, and Paul VI made it clear that it is NOT an ordination to any minor orders.
Other issues do touch on Catholic doctrine however – and some of those really could divide the Church.
Of course, some on both sides think this is a good thing and want that to occur.
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