A ten-page synod feedback from the Dutch dioceses was published earlier this month. After Vatican II, the Netherlands was an "example" of the implementation of the Council. Today not even a shadow of the former Dutch Church remains. The diocese of Haarlem-Amsterdam, for example, announced in September 2022 that 60% of its churches would have to be closed within five years due to dwindling numbers of churchgoers. Cardinal Wim Eijk mentioned that the entire archdiocese of Utrecht might consist of only 10 to 15 churches still celebrating the Eucharist, compared to the current 280. Now it is clear that the Dutch dioceses want to continue on their downward path. Here are the main points of their synod feedback:
- The creation of new [invalid] ordained ministries, for both men and women, focused on "mission" [whatever that means].
- A more 'visible' role for women in the Church in the liturgy
- Different forms of liturgy with men and women presiding
- The invalid ordination of women to the …More