Aboard the papal plane, 19 October, 2023 / 1:00 pm (ACI Africa).
Vatican Cardinal Michael Czerny said Thursday that synodality poses “no danger to the nature of the Church,” especially to her hierarchical structure.
The Canadian cardinal, who serves as prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, made this assessment one day after Synod on Synodality delegates were presented with a theologian’s sweeping vision for the hierarchical Church.
Czerny was asked a question about concerns that there were attempts to separate Church governance from the sacrament of holy orders at a press briefing on the synod Oct. 19.
“I think the identification between [holy] orders and offices is something that is being overcome,” Czerny said. “In other words, we are understanding orders not to be necessary for every office.”
He pointed to the fact that the prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communications has been led for several years by a layman, Paolo Ruffini.