Shadow synod calls for dismissal
over remarks about war
A four-day shadow synod organized by progressive
Catholic activists ended with a call for the dismissal of papal spokesperson
Joaquín Navarro-Valls, in response to his recent statements concerning
the use of force to combat terrorism.
During Pope John Paul IIs Sept. 22-25 trip to Kazakhstan,
where the pope made a strong appeal for peace, Navarro-Valls said the Vatican
would understand if a leader had to use force to defend his society
from terrorist threats. The comment was taken as a green light for an American
attack.
This message is directly contrary to the words of Jesus in
the gospel, the social teaching of our church and the statements of Pope John
Paul II himself who is calling for a peaceful solution, a statement from
the activists said.
Some 100 Catholics from five continents gathered Oct. 4-8 at the
Waldensian Theological Seminary in Rome, a 10-minute walk from the Vatican, to
stage what they called The Synod of the People of God. Organizers
included the We Are Church movement and the U.S. pro-reproductive rights group
Catholics for a Free Choice. Participants claimed to represent a network of
some 300 Catholic reform groups worldwide.
In addition to demanding Navarro-Valls removal, the
group:
- Called for the repeal of the recent Vatican document Dominus
Iesus. We must engage humbly in serious interfaith dialogue, abandon
any sense of Catholic superiority and welcome ecumenical cooperation, the
statement said.
- Asked church leaders to work for the eradication of the death
penalty, poverty, discrimination based on gender or sexual orientation and
racism.
- Supported collegiality, subsidiarity and shared responsibility
in the church.
- Proposed that clerical celibacy be optional.
- Demanded that women be included in leadership roles.
The group attempted to deliver their proposals to the secretary of
the bishops synod, Belgian Cardinal Jan Schotte, on Oct. 7. After some
initial police skepticism based on the fear that the document might be a letter
bomb, the group was allowed to deposit the text in Schottes mailbox.
In another sign of protest outside the synod, a multilingual
banner supporting the ordination of women to the priesthood is on display near
the Vatican. Organizers hosted a brief liturgy at the site Oct. 6, also with
police surveillance.
-- John L. Allen Jr.
National Catholic Reporter, October 19,
2001
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