A synodal church: what does it mean?
In September, Pope Francis will launch the most ambitious church renewal project since the Second Vatican Council when he opens the synod for a “synodal Church”. This isn't simply about a gathering in Rome, but a discernment process involving every diocese in the world.
Join us for a discussion with Archbishop Malcolm McMahon of Liverpool, and Professor Myriam Wijlens to find out more about what the Pope’s planned reforms could look like in practice, and how they are rooted in the tradition of the Church. Archbishop McMahon oversaw the 2020 Liverpool synod while Professor Wijlens, an adviser to the synod of bishops’ office in Rome, is one of the team helping to prepare the synod process. The conversation will be moderated by The Tablet’s Christopher Lamb.
Prof Dr Myriam Wijlens, from the Netherlands, is professor of canon law at Erfurt University in Germany. Dr. Wijlens is a consultor (adviser) to the synod of bishops' office in Rome and a member of the steering committee for the forthcoming synod "For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, Mission." She also serves on the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, works with the Pontifical Council for the Promotion of Christian Unity and is an honorary professor of ecumenism and canon law at the University of Durham (UK).
Malcolm McMahon O.P. is the Archbishop of Liverpool, who has recently oversen a two year synod process in his archdiocese. Placing ordinary Catholics at the heart of renewal efforts, the Liverpool synod has been held up as an example for other local churches to follow. Archbishop McMahon is Vice-President of the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, Chair of the Catholic Education Service, and National President of Pax Christi, the International Catholic Movement for Peace. From 1992 to 2000 he was Prior Provincial of the English Dominicans, and from 2000 to 2014 he was the Bishop of Nottingham.
Christopher Lamb is a British journalist who is the Rome Correspondent for The Tablet. He is a contributor to the Vatican Insider page of La Stampa and a regular commentator for the BBC on Vatican and religious affairs.