Regarding the article “Nordic Catholic Bishops: German ‘Synodal Way’ fills us with worry” feature in the “Always Forward” e-newsletter March 12, I agree wholeheartedly with the Nordic bishops in their concerns. 

Watering down the Catholic faith and the gospel, in order to satisfy the desires of some people to be like the rest of the world, would not increase the vitality of our parishes, but would kill any spirit of unity, hope, and faith that we have left.

I further agree that “Catholics who constitute and carry the life of our parishes and communities ... are not necessarily the ones inclined to fill in questionnaires or participate in group discussions.”

The purpose of the synod is not to turn the Church into a man-made institution where we vote on which of God’s commandments and which of the Apostles’ instructions we want to follow. I sincerely hope that the folly of the bishops in Germany will not be repeated.

— Marilyn Boussaid, St. James Church, Redondo Beach