Pope Calls for Church to Be More Decentralized; Wants Lay Cath. to Play Role in Church Rulings

Pope Francis called today (October 17, 2015) for a Catholic Church that is far more decentralized, where the laity plays a greater role, bishops' conferences take care of certain problems, and even the papacy is rethought, the AP website reports.

Francis issued the call during a ceremony today to mark the 50th anniversary of the institution of the Synod of Bishops, a consultative body formed during the Second Vatican Council that was intended precisely to encourage more collegiality in the running of the church by inviting bishops to offer their advice to Rome.

Over the past five decades, the synod has been little more than a talk-fest. But Francis has sought to re-energize it, and the contentious meeting under way at the Vatican, in which conservative and progressive bishops are squaring off over ministering to families, has been the result.

Francis noted that he launched the family synod process two years ago by sending out a questionnaire to Catholic families around the world asking for their input -- a strong sign that ordinary lay Catholics have an important role to play in the governance of the church and spreading the faith.