The Italian canonist Donata Horak during the current Synod on Synodality argued for the request for changes in the church's power structure. In her opinion, the Catholic Church should be governed by synods with much more competence than is allowed by their erstwhile consultative character, and which are primarily gender-balanced.
Donata Horak, an Italian canonist who had previously performed before the exclusive Council of Cardinals of Pope Francis, presented her proposal at the Theological Forum, held at the planet Jesuit office in Rome on 9 October.
The Italian canonist described the Church's current approach to synods, in which the votes are consultative but not deliberal, as "monarchical" and professing "a lonely imagination of power".
"From a democratic mentality, it can be concluded that whoever has only an advisory vote does not count," she said. In Horak's opinion, the synods should reflect the church community proportionally, taking into account professional education, skills and especially... sex differences.
"The synodisms of the future must be typical of the People of God," said Horak, prof. of canon law at the Alberoni Theological survey in Piacenza, Italy. The canonist is besides a associate of the Council of Presidential Coordination of Italian Theologians and Secretary of Coordination of Italian Theological Associations.
The proposed changes are to be rooted in the Catholic tradition, in her opinion. In support of this thesis, Horak mentioned an example of east Churches, which are managed by synods with decision-making power. She did not mention, however, that only bishops are entitled to vote there, not "a typical part of the People of God", which is the main component of her proposal.
As she argued to make the synods more "deliberative", the popes could accept the final paper approved by the synod as part of the Magisterium, listing the names of all who participated in its preparation. Horak argued that this is now possible thanks to the canonical changes of Pope Francis of 2018 mentioned in Episcopalis Communio.
In her opinion, Pope Francis could do likewise with the final paper of the present Synod on Synodality.
Although Horak formally does not participate in the Synod on Synodality, he is an influential canonist lawyer. According to Vatican News, her presentation of 18 June before Pope Francis and his council of cardinals pointed to “a variety of antinomes specified as justice and mercy, consultative power and deliberal power, hierarchical rule and ecclesiology of communion, democratisation and monarchical model, in the context of broader reflection on canon law”.
Horak's presentation to the Cardinals' Council will be included in the upcoming book Power and Life: Economics and Law for the Church of Women and Men. The book, published on October 18, calls on the Catholic Church to "end all discrimination, primarily on grounds of gender", according to its publisher.
Source: ncregister.com
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