Synod: In first important vote, a moderate line prevails
By JOHN L. ALLEN JR.
Rome
In the first important ballot taken during the Synod of Bishops on the Bible, the roughly 250 bishops and clergy with the right to vote appear to have opted for a broadly moderate line, electing members of a commission that will craft the synod?s final message known as centrists on most theological matters.
The ?Commission for the Message? will produce a brief statement at the end of the synod, which is addressed to the wider world. That public message, along with a set of private propositions presented to the pope, represents the primary ?work product? of the meeting, which runs from Oct. 5-26.