Fr Bill Uren SJ offers sage advice and a history lesson in the lead up to the synod in Rome. The late Cardinal Pell warned that synodal reform would water down bishops’ authority, but Fr Uren takes the long view that earlier popes had already centralised church decision-making in reaction to 19th century revolutions and part unintended consequence of Vatican II. He also detects in Pope Francis’ response to Germany’s synodal way a deep fear of an irrecoverable loss of direction.

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