Chairman of the US bishops: Participation of the laity is crucial

For the President of the US Conference of Catholic Bishops, Archbishop Timothy Broglio, the participation of the laity in the implementation phase of the Synod on Synodality is of crucial importance. "It was striking that less than one per cent of Catholics in the United States participated in the various phases of the synod process," Broglio told the Catholic news portal "Crux" on Thursday. He emphasised that the Church must "work very hard" to involve people in the synodal process. This also includes finding ways to involve them in decision-making processes.

In the USA, around 700,000 of an estimated 66.8 million Catholics took part in the first phase of the global synodal process - around one per cent. The president of the US bishops' conference therefore sees the need to hold more diocesan synods to encourage greater participation. "There was a sense that such gatherings should have some regularity," the archbishop said. "That could be a way of inviting people to participate more directly in the life of the church, especially in the decision-making processes."

Broglio also sees room for change within the US bishops' conference in terms of synodality. He referred to the positive experiences with smaller group meetings, which should increasingly be favoured over formal meetings. During his stay in Rome, he said, he had met a number of dicastery heads, among others, who had welcomed him "very warmly". In general, relations between the USA and the Vatican are "very good". "The Church in the United States has always tried to be faithful to the Holy See, and I don't think that has changed. I think the dialogue has become even more cordial," said Broglio. (mtr)