Unless there is a papal election in the near future, the Vatican Synod on Synodality (#VATICAN3) will be one of the most important religion-beat stories of 2023 and 2024 (click here for the dates).

One of the first defining documents of this process was released the other day — “Instrumentum Laboris. A document of the whole Church.” Apparently this was a “religion” story, the kind of inside-baseball development that was covered by Catholic publications on the doctrinal left and right.

That surprised me, since — normally — anything about the Vatican, LGBTQ+rights and women’s ordination makes headlines. Thus, I was glad that Religion News Service published, well, a very typical RNS news story about this document. See if you can spot the big ideas in this double-decker headline:

Vatican confirm synod topics will address questions of LGBTQ+ and women deacons

The document addresses inclusivity toward LGBTQ+ faithful, the issue of female ordination and welcoming toward divorced, remarried or polygamous couples

This story include a massive gap, in terms of essential content (that’s my opinion, of course) and that provided the hook for this week’s “Crossroads” podcast (click here to tune that in). Before we go there, let’s look at a low-key document overview from The Pillar:

The document … acknowledges tensions in the synodal process, saying, “We should not be frightened by them, nor attempt at any cost to resolve them, but rather engage in ongoing synodal discernment. Only in this way can these tensions become sources of energy and not lapse into destructive polarizations.”

The goal of synodality, the document says, is to create “a Church of sisters and brothers in Christ who listen to one another and who, in so doing, are gradually transformed by the Spirit.”

A synodal Church, it says, is one marked by a willingness to listen, encounter, and dialogue, as well as by the humility to ask forgiveness for faults. It is a Church that celebrates unity in diversity and welcomes all people, while not shying away from speaking the truth in love.

For journalists who have covered decades of mainline Protestant life, terms such as “dialogue” and “unity in diversity” — perhaps even doctrinal diversity — will sound familiar.

With that in mind, let’s look at two crucial passages from the RNS report.

The document, or Instrumentum Laboris in Latin, is the latest step in Pope Francis’ Synod on Synodality, which began in 2021 with a two-year-long consultation with the Catholic faithful on topics ranging from sexual ethics to power structures and the priesthood. 

The ambitious project, spurred in part by Francis’ vision of more lay involvement and in part by a questioning that has grown out of the clergy sex abuse crisis, has heightened tensions between conservative and progressive factions in the church. But organizers told reporters at a news conference introducing the document that the synod is less about politics and more about listening to the Holy Spirit.

“We have no agenda. There was no conspiratorial meeting among cardinals about how we can add progressive points to the church,” said Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, the relator general of the synod.

Would it help to know the meaning of the term “relator general”?

I would assume so. The National Catholic Register noted, at the time of this cardinal’s appointment to the post:

Cardinal Hollerich’s duties will include helping to prepare the synod, presiding over the drafting of both the working and final documents, and presenting a summary of topics that emerge from the synodal discussions. 

In other words, this is the man who is in charge of the material that will be discussed during the synod and he is in charge of the documents defining any conclusions reached by the synod. That’s all.

Oh, and in the past, serving as relator general in a major Vatican project has proven to be a good indication that a man is a solid prospect to, well, occupy the Throne of St. Peter.

With that in mind, would it help to know that Cardinal Hollerich is one of the church’s most important princes in the powerful, but emploding (in terms of Catholic demographics), continent of Europe (especially greater Germany)? Also, since he insists that there is no progressive agenda in this project, would it help to know that Hollerich has said some rather bold on-the-record things about hot-button doctrinal issues? This is the overture for an “On Religion” column I wrote on this topic:

It isn't every day that a prince of the Roman Catholic Church, and a strategic Jesuit ally of the pope, openly rejects centuries of Christian teachings that clash with core doctrines of the Sexual Revolution.

"The Church's positions on homosexual relationships as sinful are wrong," said Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich of Luxembourg, in a recent interview with KDA, a German Catholic news agency. "I believe that the sociological and scientific foundation of this doctrine is no longer correct. It is time for a fundamental revision of Church teaching, and the way in which Pope Francis has spoken of homosexuality could lead to a change in doctrine. …

"In our archdiocese, in Luxembourg, no one is fired for being homosexual, or divorced and remarried. I can't toss them out, they would become unemployed, and how can such a thing be Christian? As for homosexual priests, there are many of these, and it would be good if they could talk about this with their bishop without his condemning them."

The Catechism is wrong on homosexuality.

Under the leadership of this pope, there is the possibility of doctrinal change in the church’s moral theology. Where would such a change begin? Back to that “On Religion” column:

… [R]ecent "Synodal Way" meetings of German Catholic leaders voted to approve draft texts that affirmed some of Cardinal Hollerich's beliefs, including overwhelming approval for a document entitled "Blessing celebrations for couples who love each other." Support was just as strong for a "Magisterial reassessment of homosexuality" text stating that official church teachings on chastity and homosexuality "should be revised."

Now, Pope Francis has made negative remarks about that German synod, such as (care of the Associated Press, via the National Catholic Register):

… Pope Francis decried the German Synodal Way as elitist, unhelpful, and running the risk of bringing ideological harm to Church processes.

“The German experience does not help,” the Pontiff told The Associated Press when asked about the controversial process, explaining that dialogue should involve “all the people of God.”

The 86-year-old Pontiff contrasted the German event, which is not a synod, with the universal Church’s recently extended Synod on Synodality.

In other words, what matters is the Synod on Synodcality. And who is the Jesuit in charge of the real synod? That would be Cardinal Hollerich. Has Pope Francis made any public efforts to discipline the German bishops or to negate the impact of those “draft texts”? How about papal efforts to investigate the clergy who have already indicated that they are blessing same-sex unions? Well, click here.

With that in mind, let’s look at one final summary passage from the aforementioned RNS report, indicating what is on the agenda of the Synod on Synodality:

The plenary assembly of the synod will focus on the structural and ecclesial organization of the church and on the need to promote diversity and unity. The latter will involve examining church attitudes and policies about LGBTQ+ Catholics, the issue of female ordination to the diaconate and welcoming divorced and remarried couples as well as polygamous relationships.

The Instrumentum Laboris proposes questions such as “How can we create spaces where those who feel hurt by the church and unwelcomed by the community feel recognized, received, free to ask questions and not judged?” and “What concrete steps are needed to welcome those who feel excluded from the church because of their status or sexuality?”

Once again, here is my basic journalism question: Do readers need to know details about on-the-record statements by Cardinal Hollerich — statements addressing hot-button topics the synod will handle — in order to understand why many Catholics are worried about his potential actions as the leader of the synod?

Stay tuned.

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FIRST IMAGE: From the Facebook page for the Vatican Synod on Synodality leaders.