German Archabbot regrets that women religious may not vote at the synod

[rug]

by Christa Pongratz-Lippitt | Oct. 13, 2015

As women religious were so deeply committed to pastoral work with families and did such a great job in this field, Benedictine Abbot Jeremias Schröder said he wished for a greater presence of women religious at a synod which was specifically on the family.

Schröder, who is in an English language group moderated by the Irish Archbishop Eamon Martin, gave an interview with the German section of Vatican Radio Tuesday.

Asked what he thought of Canadian Archbishop Paul-André Durocher's suggestion to ordain women deacons, Schröder replied, "I was impressed. That was very courageous. It seemed a convincing suggestion. I can imagine taking it up."

But Durocher's suggestion had found little resonance in the Synod Hall, he said. "It was one voice -- and that's it for the moment."

http://ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/german-archabbot-regrets-women-religious-may-not-vote-synod

[Fortinbras Armstrong]

1. How about something even more radical

In a synod on the family, have actual family members given a vote. I realize that the idea that men and women who are living in families might have better insights into the family than celibate men have is a difficult concept even for an archabbot, but it's at least worth considering.

I once had a conservative Catholic tell me, with a straight face, that celibate priests had a better understanding of marriage than married couples. I replied that's like saying that someone who has never gone to war has a better insight into what war is like than a combat veteran.

[rug]

2. Synods are regulated by Canons 342 to 348, not theology.

There is no reason they can not be amended to include laity.