VATICAN CITY — While the Synod of Bishops for the
Amazon is focused on one small, but important geographical area, the issues
involved impact the universal Catholic Church, said Cardinal Lorenzo
Baldisseri, secretary-general of the Synod of Bishops.
As a
"special assembly" rather than an "ordinary general
assembly" of the Synod of Bishops, the members of the synod for the Amazon
are mainly the bishops of the Amazon region of nine South American countries,
and the discussions will focus on evangelization and safeguarding creation in
that region, he said at the opening session Oct. 7.
But,
"while regarding a specific geographic area, it is still a synod that
interests the universal church," Cardinal Baldisseri said, so the heads of
Vatican offices and representative bishops from around the world also are
voting members.
He
listed the 185 voting members as: 137 participating because of the office they
hold, including 113 from church jurisdictions in the Amazon, 13 heads of Roman
Curia offices and 11 bishops and priests from the council that prepared the
synod; 14 religious priests and one religious brother elected by the Union of
Superiors General; and 33 members named by the pope.
The
discussions in the hall were to treat topics according to the order they are
presented in the synod working document, which was published in June after
consultation with bishops in the region, the offices of the Roman Curia,
religious orders, Catholic faithful in the Amazon and representatives of the
indigenous communities there.
The
document -- including its references to indigenous spirituality, the possible
ordination of married elders to respond to a serious shortage of priests and to
climate change and the devastation of the forests fueled by greed -- has been
criticized by a handful of commentators. The critics, including a few cardinals,
have said the document appears to promote pantheism and an end to mandatory
celibacy for most priests in the Latin-rite church.
Cardinal
Baldisseri told members of the synod that the working document is "the
point of reference and necessary basis for synodal reflection and debate and is
not a text to be amended."
But the
working document's function and utility end, he said, when the first draft of
the final document is prepared and presented to synod members for discussion,
amendment and a final vote.
With a few
exceptions, synod participants will gather for sessions in the morning and late
afternoon Monday through Friday and Saturday mornings through Oct. 26.
Each of the
185 voting members, 55 observers, six fraternal delegates from other Christian
communities and 12 special guests will have one four-minute opportunity to
address the entire assembly, although Cardinal Baldisseri asked them to
consider the option of keeping their input for their small groups.
In
addition, the afternoon-evening sessions will include one hour of free
discussion, which the cardinal said is designed "to offer a space for open
dialogue and sincere debate." The session is not the time for "a
second speech," he said, but to react to another's speech, request
clarification or express support for or disagreement with another's point.
General
sessions will alternate with small-group work throughout the meeting, he said.
For example, general sessions were scheduled for Oct. 7-8, while the first
meetings of small groups were set for Oct. 9-11 before returning to the full
assembly Oct. 12.
A first
draft of a document summarizing the speeches in the hall and
"especially" the summaries of the small group discussions will be
presented Oct. 21, he said. The small groups will discuss the draft and propose
amendments to it.
The
proposed amendments will be given to the committee drafting the synod's final
document, Cardinal Baldisseri said. The committee will consist of Brazilian
Cardinal Claudio Hummes, relator general of the gathering, Cardinal Baldisseri,
the two special secretaries of the synod, four members elected by the synod and
three members nominated by Pope Francis.
The final
document will be presented to the assembly the morning of Oct. 25 so that
members have time to study it before voting on the document the afternoon of
Oct. 26. The closing Mass for the synod is scheduled for Oct. 27.
Cardinal
Baldisseri also announced that in order to offset the carbon emissions caused
by airplane flights to bring participants to Rome and by the electricity used
in the hall, the Vatican would spend about $11,000 to plant trees on a 50-acre
site in the Amazon basin. The paper used at the synod has been certified as
recycled, he added, and the bags given to each participant to carry their papers
are made of a natural fiber.