Byzantine Catholic bishop questions Western idea of synodality
August 25, 2023
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CWN Editor's Note: A Byzantine Catholic bishop has expressed concerns about the Synod on Synodality, saying that preparations for the meeting do not reflect the understanding of synodal government that has long prevailed in the Eastern churches.
Bishop Manuel Nin, the exarch of the Greek Catholic Church, pointed to the inclusion of lay people as voting members of the assembly, and remarked that “such synodality does not exist in the East.” He insisted that a synod cannot resemble “a modern Western democracy, possibly parliamentary, where everyone can say everything.”
A synod, Bishop Nin said, in the Eastern tradition means an assembly of bishops to discuss issues. Regarding the Synod on Synodality, he asked “what synodality are we talking about?”
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