Conservative Cardinals Challenge Pope Francis on Same-Sex Couples and Women’s Roles in the Church

Five conservative cardinals have challenged Pope Francis on issues such as same-sex couples and women’s roles in the Catholic Church ahead of a major Vatican meeting. The cardinals, hailing from different parts of the world, have sent a set of formal questions, known as dubia, to the pope, seeking clarifications on these matters. Their action is the latest clash between Pope Francis and minority conservatives who accuse him of undermining traditional precepts. Meanwhile, a women’s group has also asserted that only men should have voting rights at the upcoming event. The bishops synod, a closed-door meeting, will address topics ranging from the role of women to the acceptance of LGBT Catholics. The meeting will be attended by around 365 members, including cardinals, bishops, lay people, and for the first time, women who will be granted voting rights. The discussions will continue through this month and resume in October 2024, with a papal document expected to follow, possibly in 2025. The involved cardinals, some of whom are vocal critics of the Pope, include Raymond Burke, Walter Brandmueller, Joseph Zen, Robert Sarah, and Juan Sandoval Iniquez. It remains unclear whether they have sought the support of other cardinals. German Cardinal Gerhard Mueller, another prominent critic of Pope Francis, was not among the signatories. Cardinal Burke explained that the group had earlier sent questions to the Pope, but his response did not meet their expectations. They reworded and resubmitted the queries to request a simple yes or no answer. The Vatican published the Pope’s seven-page response to the initial set of questions in July, signaling their seriousness. However, one unnamed Vatican source criticized the cardinals for treating the matter like a game show. The questions raised by the cardinals include whether same-sex couples can receive blessings and if the Church’s ban on women priests could be clarified further. The Pope had already stated that the door is closed on allowing women to become priests, referencing an earlier ruling by Saint Pope John Paul II. While proponents of the synod have welcomed it as an opportunity to change the Church’s power dynamics and grant a greater voice to lay Catholics, including women and the LGBT community, conservatives argue that the Church should maintain its traditional hierarchical structure, dominated by men. Last week, the US-based conservative Catholic women’s group, Restore Tradition, criticized the equal voting rights granted to women at the meeting, claiming that some of the women endorsed heretical doctrines against tradition. The conservative international group Tradition, Family, and Property described the synod as a dangerous Pandora’s Box in a 100-page booklet distributed to participants. Cardinal Burke, in the booklet’s foreword, expressed concerns about potential confusion, error, and division resulting from the synod.