African Cardinal will not speak about homosexuality at the Global Synod

The Congolese Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu does not want to talk about the content of the Catholic Church's treatment of homosexuals at the World Synod. Rather, he said, the meeting is about a new way of walking with each other towards God.

The African Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu does not want to talk about the content of the Catholic Church's treatment of homosexuals at the World Synod in the Vatican. It is a synod about synodality, the Archbishop of Kinshasa stressed to journalists on Saturday. It is about a new way of walking together towards God. The Cardinal from Congo said that the World Synod would not solve any problems. Instead, he said, it would determine new ways of negotiating in the Church and new ways of dealing with problems in the future. The Archbishop warned against exaggerated expectations.

Last Wednesday, the General Assembly of the World Synod began in the Vatican. The approximately 450 participants are discussing new forms of behaviour in the Church and more participation for the "People of God". They are guided by a working paper, the "Instrumentum laboris". The document contains, among other things, the question of how the church can approach people who feel excluded from it because of their sexuality, i.e. LGBTQ persons.

On Saturday, Synod participants completed the first module on "Synodality". Each working group submitted a first report to the Synod Secretariat, according to Synod spokesperson Sheila Pires. The reports were accepted by a majority within the groups. Modules on "Communion", "Mission" and "Participation" will now follow, as well as a final module. The assembly will end on 29 October. Then an interim report for the next stage should be available: a second Synod of Bishops will take place in October 2024 in the Vatican. (CBA)

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