A synod in the Catholic Church is a gathering of Catholic Bishops, considered as an advisory body to the pope, to have an opportunity to build relationships with one another, to share information and their experiences and to discuss how they could achieve solutions that have the potential for global application.

For a number of reasons actually. Synods work in many ways like an advisory body where a number of people, in this case-bishops, discuss local issues of interest to the faith and the institution. It is an opportunity for bishops across the globe to work together easier. Further, globally we are all unique with cultural differences and mores, customs and rituals meaningful to one group of people that do not transfer well globally.

Lastly, synods have been exclusively clerical. Without the lived experiences of the People of God known to the bishops, how is it feasible to lead us? They don’t relate naturally to us or relate to the kinds of issues we struggle with. To make our point (perhaps dramatically), we called our movement the Peoples Synod. Currently, and for the next couple years, our focus is to serve the People of God to engage in sharing educational opportunities that help us all to better understand our Church, our faith, and ourselves and put that learning into action. We will learn with you.

Very much in favor and such change is long overdue. We are living in chaotic times where everything is being challenged; we are convinced that Pope Francis was sent to us in these troubled times to steady a very unsteady ship. He is, in the opinion of many, “the Peoples Pope”; his pontificate is radically different than his predecessors. He mingles with us--human to human. He listens to understand.

---- Elected by his brother bishops to clean house, with primary concern were two priorities for the new pope: clean up the Vatican Bank and the fix the Curia. He is modernizing each and making them more accountable to the people they are to serve. Enormous change.

No and yes, in that order. Clerical abuse is less a sexual issue as it is a power issue so we are focused on abuses of power of so many levels and issues. To resolve those that plague the institution, we have taken a different route, a route to research and dialogue about a root cause. We are convinced we’ve found it: catechesis. Simply stated, we believe the religious instruction used is flawed.

In time, we want to share how it’s flawed, the history that defines how it came to be flawed and why in many ways, it has no resemblance to what Jesus taught.

To be critical of our position is to be critical of Jesus’ teaching. That is our touchstone. As we examine the institution’s teaching and compare and contrast it with what Jesus said and did, we have overt and covert proof of our position. We’re prepared.

To be honest, our work and dialogue took on a new dimension when Pope Francis invited the People of God to step out of their passivity and help him define the future of the institutional Church. The invitation came at the perfect moment and we are prepared to engage people in this unique response to the Vatican. Our response will be co-written by all who are interested in engaging soon. All data will be brought together for the bishops to consider and prepare recommendations to the Pope for the 2023 Vatican Synod on Synodality, the method that Francis invites others to adopt to respectfully engage in dialogue that hears all views before recommendations are considered.