- Title: Amazon synod deepens faultlines between pope and conservatives
- Date: 3rd October 2019
- Summary: VATICAN CITY (OCTOBER 3, 2019) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF BISHOPS ARRIVING FOR VATICAN NEWS CONFERENCE ON THE OPENING OF THE SYNOD PEOPLE WALKING IN FRONT OF VATICAN CUPOLA (SOUNDBITE) (English) VATICAN SPOKESMAN MATTEO BRUNI SAYING: "The immediate goal of the synod then, is not political, nor strictly economical, nor social or environmental in itself, it is ecclesial." VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING IN FRONT OF VATICAN (SOUNDBITE) (English) REUTERS CORRESPONDENT PHILIP PULLELLA SAYING: "Towards the end of the synod the participants will produce a final document which will then be voted on by the voting members of the synod, point by point, paragraph by paragraph until everybody is happy with it or there is a vote on the wording of each paragraph. Then it is issued and it becomes the synod's final document but it is not binding, it has no doctrinal value it is just a compilation of suggestions and discussions that were carried out during the synod and then that document will be given to the pope. From that he can then write his own document which is known as an apostolic exhortation and that then will be a papal document with all the weight that that has." EXTERIOR OF VATICAN
- Embargoed: 17th October 2019 14:31
- Keywords: Pope Francis synod Amazon conservatives
- Location: VATICAN
- City: VATICAN
- Country: Vatican City
- Topics: Religion/Belief,Society/Social Issues
- Reuters ID: LVA002AZJK8QV
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: A three-week synod opens at the Vatican on Sunday (October 6) for bishops to discuss the future of the Roman Catholic Church in the Amazon, including the possibility of introducing married priests, a topic that has deepened faultlines between Pope Francis and conservatives who say it is heretical.
The assembly begins at a time when the region - made up of eight countries and the French territory of Guiana - is in the world spotlight because of recent devastating fires in Brazil.
About 260 participants, mostly bishops from the Amazon, will discuss spreading the faith, protection of the environment, climate change, deforestation, indigenous people and their right to keep their land and traditions.
"The immediate goal of the synod then is not political, nor strictly economical, nor social or environmental in itself, it is ecclesial," explained Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni.
While Francis' defence of the environment has been widely praised, including by the United Nations, conservatives, mainly in the United States, have attacked him. Many are aligned with conservative news outlets and well-funded political foundations sceptical of climate change science.
Conservatives are also angry with Francis over other issues, such as a more welcoming attitude towards homosexuals and moves to allow Catholics who have divorced and remarried outside the Church to receive communion.
"Towards the end of the synod the participants will produce a final document which will then be voted on by the voting members of the synod, point by point, paragraph by paragraph until everybody is happy with it or there is a vote on the wording of each paragraph," explained Reuters correspondent Philip Pullella.
"Then it is issued and it becomes the synod's final document but it is not binding, it has no doctrinal value it is just a compilation of suggestions and discussions that were carried out during the synod and then that document will be given to the pope. From that he can then write his own document which is known as an apostolic exhortation and that then will be a papal document with all the weight that that has," he said.
(Production: Gabriele Pileri, Antonio Denti, Eleanor Biles) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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