Bishop Athanasius Schneider is appealing to Pope Francis to rescind new norms that grant equal voting rights to bishops and laity at the October 2023 Synod on Synodality in Rome, saying they are a “radical novelty” that undermine the Church by “conforming it more to a Protestant or even secular model”.
The norms, issued on April 26 by the Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops, Maltese Cardinal Mario Grech, and its General Rapporteur, Luxembourger Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, SJ, emphasise that special priority is to be given to women and young people who, along with other non-bishop members, will comprise 25 per cent of the vote.
