THE National Synodal Assembly in Gormanstown, Co Meath, last weekend had within its gift the chance to do something truly historic: to vote on a more inclusive role for women.

However the proposal of a national office for women to promote their inclusion in the Irish Catholic church proved a step too far for delegates, who voted it down.

More than 300 men, women, lay, religious and clergy were asked to choose from four options, ranging from ‘highly recommend’ to ‘recommend’, to ‘requires further discernment’ and ‘I do not recommend’.

More than half of delegates – 55% to be exact – voted ‘I do not recommend’ which effectively shuts the door on any further discussion in the near future.

An exploration of women’s ministry, including the diaconate, received a slightly more positive response with 42% of delegates selecting highly recommend.

However the Synod votes point to divided opinion on structural reform within the Catholic church. And it appears Ireland is at variance with the Vatican viewpoint.

In March of this year, the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith published a 75-page report from its Synod study group on women’s participation, which advocated for expanding women’s leadership and non-ordained governance roles.

It went even further in criticising clericalism and what it described as “machismo”, though it drew the line at female ordination.

Reform advocates, including former President Mary McAleese, have long argued that women perform the vast majority of church work and deserve genuine, decision-making powers.

The vote results have been the subject of much heated debate over the airwaves in recent days; died-in-the-wool traditionalists maintain that women should have no official role within the Catholic Church whilst the more pragmatic believe the Church will die out if it does not move with the times.

The Bible contains many insights into the influential role played women in the early Christian church. Not least “our sister Phoebe, a deacon of the church of Cenchreae” as referenced by St Paul in Romans 16.

Others include Apphia, Chloe, Lydia and Priscilla, all noted as leaders of the house churches across the Roman empire, before they were effectively sidelined from ecclesiastical roles. While realists accept that the ordination of women priests was never going to make the debate on the Catholic church started by Pope Francis in 2021, it doesn’t make it any less disappointing.

His papacy has been defined by its liberal approach, but he too stops short in refusing to extend the principle of equality to women within the church’s hierarchy.

It seems that the wider hierarchy remains oblivious to the fact that its credibility is seriously undermined by the exclusion of women from ministry.

A working group set up with the aim of rebalancing the Catholic church’s unconscious bias to ensure women feel included and respected has clearly failed, and failed dismally.

Women played a pivotal role in the early development of the Catholic church. That same church now needs to empower and respect the women who continue to carry out most of the grassroots work behind the scenes to this day.

Breathalysers worthy

Was the €1.5m plan by the Road Safety Authority (RSA) to install breathalysers in pubs and hotels across the country such a bad idea?

Obviously, some in Government thought so, with the proposal scrapped earlier this week. Junior Transport Minister Séan Canney, who has responsibility for road safety said it was the right decision because there is never any justification for drinking and driving.

But the RSA pointed out that such an initiative would challenge the significant gap between how impaired people believe they are and their actual alcohol level. And in fairness, they are correct. If something can stop people getting behind the car when clearly over the limit, sure that should be welcomed. They did reiterate their message that if you are drinking, don’t drive.

The proposed initiative followed a pilot programme last year which showed how a high proportion of motorists mistakenly believed they were under the legal limit.

Such initiatives have proved to be very worthwhile at music festivals, including All Together Now in Waterford, where designated RSA stands have informed festival goers if they are under or over the legal driving limit.

There was no suggestion behind the RSA’s proposed initiative that any amount of alcohol is safe before driving, but the reality is that some people do drink and drive, some more than others, and some way over the legal alcohol limit.

We would welcome any measures to stop drink drivers causing carnage and deaths on our roads.