Much of this month will be taken up by the Synod on Synodality, the latest instalment in the synodal process which has been such a distinctive element of this pontificate. That said, it seems unlikely to result in any disruptive change to doctrine or practice within the Church. The most neuralgic issues, such as the ordination of women to the diaconate or the blessing of same-sex unions, have either been dealt with by Pope Francis directly or kicked into the long grass.
Indeed, the remarkable feature of the event is that it is a process about a process. In the Catholic Church, synods have normally been assemblies of bishops, but this one includes 100 non-bishops – of whom 54 are women. We should note that the least-represented group is the diocesan clergy, who would be obliged to weather the brunt of any changes of a controversial kind in their parishes.
