, Nov. 22—It isn't quite the first cyber-synod, but a meeting in Rome was greatly aided by access to the information superhighway.
“The Synod of Bishops' Special Assembly for Oceania, inaugurated by John Paul II … is taking place thanks to the Internet,” Jan Cardinal Schotte, the synod's secretary generalwas quoted saying in a recent report.
The report agreed with his assessment, citing these examples:
• The Internet removed the obstacle of the cumbersome time it took in the past for Rome to communicate with the far-flung islands at the bottom of the globe.
• Also, among the numerous proposals made to the secretariat of the Synod, is one from a 100-year-old who stumbled on the preparatory document (Lineamenta) while browsing through the Internet.