Cardinal Sarah was one of the five cardinals who on August 21, 2023, sent a set of five questions or “Dubia” to Pope Francis to express their concerns and seek clarification on points of doctrine and discipline ahead of the opening of the Synod on Synodality at the Vatican in October 2023. He has been critical of the indiscriminate inclusion of all in the synodal dialogue in the name of the sensus fidelium: “Just because someone identifies as Catholic does not mean they are part of the sensus fidelium. To be Catholic is more than a cultural identification; it is a profession of faith.”
