SynodWatch RoundUP for Oct. 5: Sheroes; Small Groups; and an Accuser

During the press briefing, the head of Vatican media, Dr. Paolo Ruffini explained that the participants introduced themselves today, and voted for the person in their group who would report to the wider body.  The person who is chosen to report is important.  There was a total of three votes taken within the small group to determine who that person would be.

A Shero

One of our sheroes at the synod, Sheila Pires was appointed by Pope Francis as Secretary of the Synod on Synodality Commission

for Information.  She is a veteran Mozambican journalist who serves in the communications office of the Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference (SACBC).  FutureChurch was fortunate to have her join our 2020 Pilgrimage to Greece where upon returning to South Africa, she shared what she learned about Early Christian women during her show on Radio Veritas.

Small Groups

Sheila explained that the Small Language Groups met in the morning and discussed their experience of synodality prior to coming to Rome.  Participants had about 4 minutes (each) to share their experience.  After this sharing, there was silence, prayer, and then a kind of feedback where participants shared what touched them.

In the third round, the Small Groups made notes on areas that stood out, areas where they agreed and areas where they heard differences.  A report was drafted of this summary and shared with all the participants by the reporter from each group.

Finally, if a participant feels their comments were not taken into account, they can submit them directly to the Secretariat of the Synod.  Here is a link to the powerpoint that was given today showing the methodology used at the synod:  https://www.synod.va/content/dam/synod/assembly/0510/ENG-Methodology.pdf

An Accuser

Q & A

During the Q & A period, Diane Montagna who writes for the Catholic Herald and used to write for the notorious LifeSite News started her question by asking why participants will be bound to silence, even after the synod.  A good question to be sure, but then she went on to cast aspersions some of the women who have been invited to participate in the synod because they “hold positions that are contrary to the Catholic faith.”   She went on to identify one such women, Helena Jeppesen-Spuhler, a synod participant

from Switzerland who supports the ordination of women.

Lions, and tigers, and bears, oh my.

I have sat next to Montagna at former synods, and she never fails to get on my last nerve with her manufactured outrage and her mean girl attitude. The sound of fingernails on a blackboard is easier to bear than these brittle and often brutal comments.

God bless the women, and especially sheroes like Helena Jeppesen-Spuhler.