More than 550 submissions were sent to the Irish bishops as part of the Church’s initial public consultation for the synodal pathway, which will see a national synodal assembly held in Ireland within the next five years.
In a statement, the bishops announced Dr Nicola Brady as chair of the synodal steering committee and Andrew O’Callaghan and Bishop Brendan Leahy of Limerick as vice-chairs.
Full membership of the committee and of the synodal task group will be announced as part of the official launch of the pathway in coming months. Committee and task group members will help move the synodal process forward within the Irish Church.
The first two years of the Irish Synodal Pathway dovetail with the Church’s worldwide journey towards the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of Bishops in Rome, For a synodal Church: communion, participation and mission, which is scheduled to take place in Rome in October 2023.
During their meeting, the bishops also expressed concern about rising tensions in Northern Ireland. They noted the stresses in political Unionism, as well as the economic reaction to Brexit and the Northern Ireland Protocol, which they said were having “a very significant impact on the social cohesion of the whole island community”.
Political leaders were urged to be constructive in their engagement during negotiations and to maintain the continued functioning of the Stormont Assembly.
The bishops also addressed the ongoing debate over school patronage and urged the State to be responsive to “the rights of parents to have their philosophical and religious beliefs supported during their children’s education”.
They reaffirmed their commitment to the reconfiguration of patronage in the primary school sector and said they were supportive of an educational landscape which reflects the reality of the country’s increasingly diverse society.
“A true plurality of patronage across the country should ensure parental choice whilst enabling patrons to be true to their own ethos and characteristic spirit,” they stated.
Loading ...
