The rediscovery of synodality as a constitutive dimension of the Church is one fruit of ecumenical dialogue, especially with the Orthodox; c) The ecumenical movement as a laboratory of synodality. In the words of Pope Francis, A synodal church is a church which listens, which realizes that listening is more than simply hearing. It is a mutual listening in which everyone has something to learn. How is the Bishop, as the visible principle and foundation of unity (LG 23), called to promote ecumenism in a synodal manner in his local Church? On the contrary, whenever we enter into dialogue, we allow ourselves to be challenged, to advance on a journey. Mission is not the marketing of a religious product, but the construction of a community in which relationships are a manifestation of Gods love and therefore whose very life becomes a proclamation. Co-responsibility in Mission. Synodality is a term that Pope Francis has used in several talks throughout his papacy, and so it came as no surprise when he announced that the theme for the 2023 assembly of the Synod of Bishops was: "For A Synodal Church: Communion, Participation and Mission." The synod on synodality When we live out a spirituality of drawing nearer to others and seeking their welfare, our hearts are opened wide to the Lords greatest and most beautiful gifts. What insights can be gained from experiences in the digital environment? is different from that which derives from the Sacrament of Orders; spiritual authority linked to a charism is different from that linked to ministerial service. How can we better understand and articulate the relationship between the synodal Church and the Bishops ministry? For many, the great surprise was the experience of being listened to by the community, in some cases for the first time, thus receiving a recognition of their unique human worth that testifies to the Fathers love for each of his sons and daughters. 2) Since consulting the local Churches is an effective way to listen to the People of God, the Pastors discernment takes on the character of a collegial act that can authoritatively confirm what the Spirit has spoken to the Church through the People of Gods sense of faith: a) What degree of doctrinal authority can be attributed to the discernment of Episcopal Conferences? The three priorities of section B, developed through the respective worksheets, cover broad topics of great relevance. Also requested is a renewal of seminary programmes so as to be more synodally oriented and more in contact with the whole People of God; d) In reflecting on ordained Ministry at the service of the baptismal life, the first phase of the Synod presents clericalism as a force that isolates, separates and thus weakens and dissipates the energies of a healthy and wholly ministerial Church. In the New Testament, there are numerous examples of this mode of conversation. Do we know to recognise what is good and, at the same time, commit ourselves to prophetically denounce all that violates the dignity of persons, human communities and creation? The synodal process first given expression in the local Churches has now reached its second phase in the universal Church, with the unfolding of the two sessions of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops. How can they, in the light of the Gospel, respect and value the cultures of the different local contexts? How can these fears be addressed and overcome? In Pauls language, we were all baptized into one bodyJews or Greeks, slaves or freeand we were all made to drink of one Spirit (1Cor 12:13). The synod's working document, released at the Vatican on June 20, highlights three priorities for building a synodal church: communion, mission and participation. This latter confers rights and duties on each person, which each one must be able to exercise according to his or her charisms and ministries; b) this requires that structures and institutions function with adequate procedures that are transparent, mission-focused and open to participation; procedures that make room for women, young people, minorities, the poor and marginalised. Some insights will prove particularly stimulating in certain regions of the world, others in different regions. . What truly disturbed the detractors, he points out, is that his theology stems from . Only then will that particular dynamic of listening be completed in which each has something to learn. [9] Francis, Moment of Reflection for the beginning of the synodal journey, 9 October 2021. Introduction In October 2021, Pope Francis opened the Synod on Synodality, inviting the whole Church to speak and to listen together to the voice of the Holy Spirit. When does graduality make the path to complete communion possible? What relationship does this triple office of ordained Ministers have with the Church as a prophetic, priestly and royal People? In preparation for the international Synod of Bishops in 2023, Pope Francis wants your input on the topic of "For a Synodal Church, Communion, Participation, and Mission.". The Synod of Bishops is the dynamic point of convergence that calls for mutual listening to the Holy Spirit at every level of the life of the Church, as Pope Francis recalled in his address at the ceremony commemorating the 50th anniversary of the institution of the Synod of Bishops, on October 17, 2015. In this case the three paragraphs that follow, to which the three groups of worksheets in the appendix correspond, should not be read as parallel and non-communicating columns. LG 13): a) What value can the deliberations of a Plenary Council, a Particular Council, a Diocesan Synod have for other Churches? Encountering faces, meeting eyes, sharing each individuals history. 1) The communitys liturgical life is the source of its mission. LG 5): [T]he protagonist of the Synod is the Holy Spirit[5]. 4. 1) What space do we make in our decision-making processes to listen to the Word of God? Is the presence of qualified witnesses to the first phase of the synodal process sufficient to guarantee it? Diversity and interconnectedness do not threaten but rather provide the context for a more profound reception of our unity of creation, calling and destiny. 4) How can the Oriental Catholic Churches in diaspora preserve their identity and be recognised as more than just ethnic communities? From this point of view, they indicate a horizon towards which we are invited to travel with confidence, deepening the synodal practice of the Church. Episcopal ministry is properly reconceived and realised through the practice of synodality, which brings into unity the diverse gifts, charisms, ministries and vocations to which the Spirit gives rise in the Church; e) To proceed with the renewal of the episcopal ministry within a more fully synodal Church requires cultural and structural changes, a lot of mutual trust and above all, trust in the Lords guidance. There are forces at work in the world that oppose the mission of the Church, based on philosophical, economic and political ideologies that are founded on assumptions that inimical to the faith. This makes the contribution of each of the Baptized precious and indispensable. 49. In particular: a) In the footsteps of the Second Vatican Council, the necessary relationship between the common Priesthood and the ministerial Priesthood is reaffirmed. 3) Along the synodal path, what efforts have been made to welcome the voice of the poorest and to integrate their contribution? Jn 10:14.27), assisted also by the accompaniment of the Magisterium and theology. For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, Mission Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion - Ourlqm Church The pilgrim Church is missionary by her very nature (AG 2). It is desired that the Eastern Catholic Churches in the diaspora are able to preserve their identity and be recognised as more than ethnic communities, i.e. Thus, we were able to touch with our own hands the catholicity of the Church, which, in the variety of ages, sexes and social conditions, manifests an extraordinary wealth of charisms and ecclesial vocations, and is the custodian of a treasure trove of differences in languages, cultures, liturgical expressions and theological traditions. They shall be a point of reference and link with the Episcopal Conference and will accompany all the stages of the consultation process in the local church.. Preparatory Document (2021), DCS General Secretariat of the Synod, For a Synodal Church. This was followed by the procession by the representatives of the parish which included children, young, elderly, religious and priests. In particular, the Final Documents of the Continental Assemblies are particularly valuable for retaining the concreteness of the different contexts and the challenges posed by each. The order in which these three terms appear is inverted as explained in no. Are the structures we have adequate to ensure participation or do we need new ones? 44. Fr. What role can global institutions and those of the Holy See dedicated to the service of charity play in this regard? The first is devoted to each person taking the floor, starting from his or her own experience reread in prayer during the period of preparation. The Church wishes to build bridges for the promotion of peace, reconciliation, justice and freedom, but there are also situations that require us to exercise great patience and hope that things can change; c) in the relationship between the Church, on the one hand, and Western culture and forms of cultural colonisation, on the other. The word synod is a combination of two Greek wordssun (meaning with) and odos (meaning path). For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, Mission This working document, known as the Instrumentum laboris, was released on June 20, 2023, it will be the basis for the work of the . b) How does it achieve continuity with the first phase of the synodal process? 22. [1] Henceforth, for the sake of brevity and unless otherwise specified, the expressions Assembly and Synodal Assembly refer to the October 2023 session, at the service of which this IL is intended. Mission. For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission 1 Synod Message from Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, CSsR 2 1 2. Later in the weeks we had presentation of the material about the purpose and the process of the Synod. Celebrating a Synod means walking on the same road, walking together, encountering each other, listening to each other, and discerning the path forward. What processes, structures and institutions are needed in a missionary synodal Church? In particular, the long preparatory phase has already led to the production of a multiplicity of documents: PD, reports of the local Churches, DCS and Final Documents of the Continental Assemblies. 1. What can foster a more profound awareness and appreciation of this teaching in the fulfilment of the Churchs mission? This College participates in the synodal process when each Bishop initiates, guides and concludes the consultation of the People of God entrusted to him and when assembled Bishops exercise the charism of discernment in various assemblies: Synods or Councils of Hierarchs of the Eastern Catholic Churches, Episcopal Conferences, in continental Assemblies, and especially in the Synodal Assembly; b) To the Bishops, successors of the Apostles, who have undertaken the service of the community, presiding in the place of God over the flock whose shepherds they are (LG 20), the Continental Assemblies ask for a synodal conversion. 8) Can Lay people perform the role of community leaders, particularly in places where the number of ordained Ministers is very low? Subsequently, in the Eastern Hierarchical Structures and in the Episcopal Conferences, the Pastors carried out an act of collegial discernment weighing the contributions coming from the local Churches. 5) How can men and women better cooperate in pastoral ministry and exercising related responsibilities? On the one hand, it gives them the concrete expression: attention to procedures, rules, structures and institutions allows the mission to be consolidated over time and frees communion from mere emotional spontaneity. For a Synodal Church An integral experience. . A way forward for the synodal Church: conversation in the Spirit. Vatican releases Synod document calling for discussion of women, LGBT The dynamic between the participants articulates three fundamental steps. How can we find ways to overcome this together? Listening and discernment are at the heart of the synodal process; these require the courage to speak and the humility to listen. c) The experience of walking together in the local Church makes it possible to imagine new ministries at the service of a synodal Church. 6) The prospect of transparency and openness to joint consultation and discernment processes also raises fears. 2) The first phase of the synodal process implements a movement from the particular to the universal, with the consultation of the People of God in the local Churches and the subsequent acts of discernment first in the Eastern Hierarchical Structures and Episcopal Conferences, and then in the Continental Assemblies: a) how can we ensure that the consultation truly captures the manifestation of the sense of faith of the People of God living in a given Church? https://wherepeteris.com/author/fr-satish-joseph/, Gods Call: Discerning Genuine from False. We receive an anticipation of that moment in the liturgy, the place where the Church on its earthly journey experiences communion, nourishes it and builds it up. With reference to situations in which the Church causes wounds and those in which she herself is wounded, unless those involved are properly cared for, these situations become a stumbling block for the Churchs witness to Gods love and the truth of the Gospel; c) a key to prophetically opposing new and destructive colonialisms is the opening of places of unconditional service in imitation of Christ, who came not to be served but to serve (cf. The first, a Preparatory Document, contains a theological reflection on synodality. The radical call is, therefore, to build together, synodally, an attractive and concrete Church: an outgoing Church, in which all feel welcome. There is no border that this movement of the Spirit does not feel compelled to cross, to draw all into its dynamism. The chapter of Lumen gentium on the hierarchical constitution of the Church affirms the sacramentality of the episcopate. How does it equip itself through prayer and formation for these tasks? 1) How does the ministry of Priests, consecrated to preach the Gospel, shepherd the faithful and celebrate divine worship (LG 28), relate to baptismal Ministries? The main objectives that affect the form, the style, and the structure of the Church are: As is typical of Pope Francis, he begins by looking at Jesus. Should Bishops discern together with or separately from the other members of the People of God? In the Acts of the Apostles, Peters discourse is immediately followed by the account of the life of the primitive community, in which everything became an occasion for communion (cf. SYNODALITY IN THE LIFE AND MISSION OF THE CHURCH - Vatican The desire to grow in a commitment to mission is not hindered by awareness of the Christian communities limits nor the recognition of their failures. We promise not to spam you. How can formation in the method of authentic and insightful conversation in the Spirit be encouraged? Library : For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission At the root of this process is the acceptance, both personal and communal, of something that is both a gift and a challenge: to be a Church of sisters and brothers in Christ who listen to one another and who, in so doing, are gradually transformed by the Spirit. That is why it is important to address, with an attitude of discernment, the most recent findings of management and leadership sciences. A Synodal Church: Communion, Participation and Mission. Pope Francis, in an address commemorating the fiftieth anniversary of the institution of the Synod of Bishops, stated that the world in which we live, and which we are called to love and serve, even with its contradictions, demands that the church strengthen cooperation in all areas of her mission. To this end, he issued an invitation to all of the People of God to participate in the 2023 Synod. How should we evaluate the experiment of extending participation to a group of non-bishops in the first session of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops? On the contrary, the movement to going out of oneself in faith, hope and charity is a way to address this incompleteness. the reality of injustice, poverty and the destruction of nature, and from the reality of ecclesial clericalism. For this reason, there is a focus on discerning the voice of the Holy Spirit as the Church traverses and mission in todays world. d) How is the service of unity entrusted to the Bishop of Rome to be exercised when local institutions may adopt different approaches? On this point, the synodal path has been an opportunity to engage in a profound encounter, with humility and sincerity. From the vision of integral participation presented above emerges the third priority also addressed at the meetings of the continental stage: the question of authority, its meaning and the style of its exercise within a synodal Church. 9) How can the exchange of experiences and gifts be made active and fruitful not only between the different local Churches, but also between the different vocations, charisms and spiritualities within the People of God, including institutes of consecrated life and societies of apostolic life, lay associations and movements, and new communities? Sometimes, they were called to condemn heresies and to formulate articles of faith. Pope Francis has convoked a Synod. ### Media Contacts: Chieko Noguchi 202-541-3200 Email Me Featured Stories The Archdiocese of Bangalore has marked the year 2022-23 to be the Synodal Year. A perception of distance between the lay Faithful and their Pastors persists: what can help to overcome it? There must be a clear focus on the participation of the poor, marginalized, vulnerable and excluded, in order to listen to their voices and experiences. For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, Mission - Catholic Culture No local Church can live outside the relationships that unite it with all others, including that particular relationship with the Church of Rome, which is entrusted with the service of unity through the ministry of its Pastor, who has summoned the whole Church in Synod. AA Vatican Council II, Decree Apostolicam actuositatem (18 November 1965), AG Vatican Council II, Decree Ad gentes (7 December 1965), CA St. John Paul II, Encyclical Letter Centesimus annus (1 May 1991), CL St. John Paul II, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Christifideles laici (30 December 1988), CV Francis, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Christus vivit (25 March 2019), PD General Secretariat of the Synod, For a Synodal Church. Communion is a journey in which we are called to grow, until all of us come to the unity of faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to maturity, to the measure of the full stature of Christ (Eph 4:13). The Synod is very significant because of where the Church is at this point in history. Hence a demand for new modes of formation and places of encounter and dialogue, in a synodal key, between the different perspectives, spiritualities and sensitivities that make up the richness of the Church. The intended consequence is the ability to discern what the Holy Spirit is saying to the Church and the world on her mission. The Worksheets linked to this priority try to concretise this basic question with respect to topics such as the recognition of the variety of vocations, charisms and ministries, the promotion of the baptismal dignity of women, the role of the ordained Ministry and in particular the ministry of the Bishop within the missionary synodal Church. It will not be so among you (Mt 20:26; cf. 1) How do we increase awareness that the Church, both one and catholic, is already, and has been from the beginning, the bearer of a rich and multiform diversity. [17] Francis, Address at the ceremony commemorating the 50th anniversary of the institution of the Synod of Bishops, 17 October 2015. A creation byFr Olvin Veigas SJ& Mr Jude Britto. [4] Section B will offer the reasons for the inversion of the order with respect to the subtitle of the Synod: cf. Bishops Release North American Final Document to Conclude Continental 6) How can and must Consecrated men and women participate in the decision-making processes of the local Churches? c) How can women contribute to governance, helping to promote greater accountability and transparency and strengthen trust in the Church? 28. For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission - The Roman Therefore, the presentation of the Worksheets, the explanation of their structure and the instructions for how to use them need to be contextualised within the wider work of the Assembly. Required fields are marked *. The Church is a Communion, a Community always journeying together. They then present a question for discernment. Conversation in the Spirit is part of a long tradition of ecclesial discernment, which has produced a plurality of methods and approaches. This prerogative belongs to him as the visible principle and foundation of unity both of the bishops and of the multitude of the faithful (LG 23); c) Since The individual Bishops, however, are the visible principle and foundation of unity in their particular Churches in and from these particular Churches there exists the one unique catholic Church (LG 23), it is the responsibility of each diocesan Bishop to initiate, accompany and conclude the consultation of the People of God in his Church. In the Final Documents of the Continental Assemblies, it is described as a Pentecostal moment, as an opportunity to experience being Church and to move from listening to our brothers and sisters in Christ to listening to the Spirit, who is the authentic protagonist, and being sent forth in mission by Him. How can we raise awareness that professional, social, and political commitment and voluntary work are areas in which mission is exercised? In a Church that defines itself as a sign and instrument of union with God and of the unity of all humanity (cf. This hampers our walking together and can divide us. B 1.3 How can a dynamic relationship of gift exchange between the Churches grow? identify and formulate operational guidelines. Becoming a synodal church begins with communion, participation, and mission when taken seriously. How can authority and responsibility be understood and exercised such that it serves the participation of the whole People of God? There is a need to give new impetus and more incisive competence to the special participation of the Laity in evangelisation in the various spheres of social, cultural, economic and political life, assuming their own responsibilities, as well as enhancing the contribution of Consecrated men and women, with their different charisms, within the life of the local Church. They need to be addressed from the point of view of theology and canon law, as well as from that of pastoral care and spirituality. Rather, we are called to understand it by analogy with the liturgical assembly. "Synodality: Communion, Participation and Mission." Communion, participation and mission - a synod begins 51. Synod 2021 - 2023: For a synodal Church: communion, participation, and mission. From this point of view, the multiplicity of rites in the one Catholic Church is an authentic blessing, to be protected and promoted, as was also experienced during the liturgies of the Continental Assemblies. 4) The third phase involves the movement to return the results of the Synod Assembly to the local Churches for implementation: how can we help to fully realise the mutual interiority between the universal and local dimensions of the one Church? 4) In the spirit of the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation Christus Vivit, how can we walk together with young people? How can we give space and recognition to this contribution in the formal processes of discernment at every level of the Church? 4) Most of the Continental Assemblies and the syntheses of several Episcopal Conferences call for the question of womens inclusion in the diaconate to be considered. 2) How can conversation in the Spirit, which opens up the dynamism of community discernment, contribute to the renewal of decision-making processes in the Church? The first is encounter. This task belongs to all the Baptised (cf. We unfurled the Synod plaque and the meaning of the symbols was explained. Characteristic of a synodal Church is the ability to manage tensions without being crushed by them, experiencing them as a drive to deepen how communion, mission and participation are lived and understood. This Church is not afraid of the variety it bears, but values it without forcing it into uniformity. 2) How can we promote the active participation of the whole People of God in the ecumenical movement? Each of these constitutes an entry point to the priority in question which in this way can be approached from different but complementary perspectives related to different aspects of the life of the Church that have emerged through the work of the Continental Assemblies. d) an all-ministerial Church is not necessarily wholly a Church of instituted Ministries. and restore strength to our hands for our common mission. With the Apostolic Constitution Episcopalis communio (15 September 2018) Pope Francis contributed to this hoped-for perfecting, transforming the Synod from an event configured as an assembly of Bishops to a listening process unfolding in stages (cf. How could this missionary synodal renewal of the Church take shape, including by implementing the conclusions of the Synods of 2014-15 and 2018? Indeed, both synodality and ecumenism are rooted in the baptismal dignity of the entire People of God. The path of synodality, which the Catholic Church is on, is and must be ecumenical, just as the ecumenical path is synodal[11]. 4), in which the whole Church and everyone in the ChurchPeople of God, College of Bishops, Bishop of Romeparticipate more fully. The different order in which the three terms appear, with mission taking the central place, is also rooted in the awareness of the links that unite that developed during the first phase. They ask the Church to be at their side to accompany and promote the realisation of this. For a synodal Church, mission is always building with others rather than for others; d) in the digital environment, the Church is discovering an opportunity for evangelisation. The "Synod on Synodality: Communion, Participation, and Mission" is a two-year process of listening and dialogue beginning in 2021 and concluding in 2023. . The words communion and mission can risk remaining somewhat abstract, unless we cultivate an ecclesial praxis that expresses the concreteness of synodality at every step of our journey and activity, encouraging real involvement on the part of each and all [9]. 4) For the vast majority of the People of God, mission is accomplished by engaging in temporal affairs and by ordering them according to the plan of God (LG 31; cf. Jn 13:1-11). Rather it must always be adapted. The common work of the Synodal Assembly cannot disregard these sources for discernment. Section B of this IL, entitled Communion, mission, participation[4], articulates, in the form of three questions, the priorities that most strongly emerge from the work of all the continents, thus placing them before the Assembly for discernment. Their presence constitutes a particular call to the Catholic Faithful to walk together. Preparatory Document for the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the The purpose of convening Synod is to discuss at length religious issues that affect the life of the Church. In particular, communion and mission are interwoven and mirror each other, as already taught by Saint John Paul II: Communion and mission are profoundly connected with each other, they interpenetrate and mutually imply each other, to the point that communion represents both the source and the fruit of mission: communion gives rise to mission and mission is accomplished in communion (CL 32, taken up in PE I,4).