Synod: 'Fraternal delegates' add distinctive voices to the mix
By JOHN L. ALLEN JR.
Rome
Delegates from other Christian bodies have long been invited to Synods of Bishops, but this time around they?re especially at home. The theme is the Bible, which represents the ?common ground? that all the divided branches of the Christian family still share.
Ecumenical sensitivity in this synod is palpable, from the large representation of ?fraternal delegates? to the decision to stage a joint vespers service on Oct. 18 led both by Pope Benedict XVI and Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople ? the first time a non-Catholic prelate will co-preside over a liturgy during a Synod of Bishops.