Synodal process: Austria’s Catholics want a more open church

It has been almost exactly a year since Pope Francis called for a two-year synodal process on communion and participation. For two years, the church is to listen to the parishes and dioceses, collate the results and finally submit them to the pope as part of a synod of bishops. Halfway through this process, the results for Austria are available, which were developed in a large number of surveys, discussions and initiatives. “We are still at the beginning, but this synod will enable a major movement in the church,” said the chairman of the bishops’ conference, Franz Lackner, at the presentation on Wednesday.