Practical implications for a synodal Church

The next phase of our synodal journey begins at the start of October, in Rome. It is too easy to become distracted by the multiplicity of stages, reports, syntheses. Some have become disillusioned with the process and fear that nothing will change, at least in the short term. For the average person in the pew, there may be too little evidence of progress for the length of discussions involved. The fact that there are representatives of the laity involved and that women delegates have the right to vote, is insufficient to win over those who have spent half a lifetime waiting for some sign of progress towards the aggionamento promised by the Second Vatican Council.

But this is only part of the story of our journey.

The development of a synodal Church was born of Francis’ experience of life as a Jesuit. Clergy and religious who operate within Orders often have an experience of and confidence in the power of communal discernment that is at odds with the lived experience of many secular clergy and much of the episcopate. From the Rule of Benedict to Ignatius Loyola and Antonio Rosmini, there has been an acknowledgement and acceptance of this dynamic power. The creation of a listening and attentive Church can only be achieved when synodality is understood and practised as an integral part of parish, deanery and diocesan life. The Synthesis Report for the Synod in October 2023 started with a recognition that more needs to be done to embed the synodal process in the lived experience of all Catholics. It recognised, too, the need to develop the training of seminarians in their capacity to operate in a listening and attentive Church.

The common division of the Church as universal and local – in which the two elements are essential and complementary – has been challenged by the current pattern of synodal discussion. The synodal process introduced an additional dimension to our perception of Church – the Continental Assemblies. These were held in the Spring of 2023 and brought together representatives of Episcopal Conferences across the designated geographic areas of Europe, Latin America and Caribbean, Oceania, Africa and Madagascar, North America and Canada, Middle East and Asia

Many episcopal conferences have come together across a geographic area to consider common issues – CEE and CELAM are but two obvious examples. The creation of the Continental Assemblies codified and extended the influence and capacity of these groupings. Their creation points to an emerging decentralisation of the Church as we have understood it. The tension of solidarity and subsidiarity has required an internal model for developing the Church within the context and culture of the continental area.

These two foci – the development of a local, parochial understanding of synodality and the development of an intermediate body between the Local and the Universal, point to the way forward for the Church.

Synodality seeks to create the Church that we were. It takes its strength from the first Council of Jerusalem in 50CE as described in the Acts of the Apostles. It aims to focus attention on issues of co-responsible laity, on our mission in the world, on being attentive to those whose voices have not been heard. Many regard synodality as something new, as an innovation, and some resent it for that. Yet what Pope Francis has done has been to remind us of our roots, of our way for being church to one another. It is working to restore the Church to its early missional character. Just as the Apostles had to discuss and debate real issues and come to some agreed resolution, so must we. We might take a close interest in every aspect of what happened in Rome last year and what might happen this year, but the litmus test of whether synodality is working is what happens at parish, deanery and diocesan level today.

There are parishes that have taken the message of synodality seriously. They have made a real effort to reach out and to hear all the voices. They have worked hard to bring those issues together and sought to address them. A similar effort was made in some dioceses. Those that made the effort will see the fruits of that labour. If their focus was on the young, they will be reviewing how they reach out to them and make church a more welcoming place. If they identified the need for greater outreach, they will be making a renewed effort. Such parishes will thrive and be beacons of hope. Synodality is no more and no less than making a determined and consistent effort to be bearers of the Gospel.

Synodality brings the expectation of change. The very act of gathering clergy, religious and laity together, holds the promise of something different. From the outset, Pope Francis has sought to limit expectations, to reduce the tempo of the drumbeat for change. The development of Study Groups was seen as a measure to temper the pace of change, to accommodate both those anxious for reform and those opposed to any.

The Continental Assemblies represent the Church’s capacity to respond to the different cultural pressures for change. It is a recognition that the universality of the Church needs to be fixed by its capacity for responding to the local. It represents the effort of balancing doctrinal issues-which belong to the Universal Church-with the practice and exercise of those issues within a specific cultural milieu. 

There were few diocesan synod reports from England and Wales that did not focus some specific attention on the need for further formation in synodality for clergy and laity. The Synthesis Report from October 2023 identified, too, the need for more detailed formation, so that all the People of God could play their part in the development of the Church. What progress has been made in this area has come mainly from the efforts of the laity themselves. There is an urgent need for the episcopate to recognise their responsibility for giving a lead both in promoting synodal activity at parish, deanery and diocesan level and in supporting the formation of the laity for this work. The reality is that synodality has been learnt through the very act of undertaking it. We have learned a little about discernment and the discipline it requires. We have started to understand the dynamics of power and service at parish level and recognised the competing claims on the parish resources. The development of materials and information to support this work are in preparation. The movements and organisations to support Church reform have been more active than many bishops in developing the understanding of clergy, religious and laity to the power of an inclusive and attentive Church.

The Synod in October will mark but one more stage in this journey of faith: it is not a destination but a staging post. We are having to acclimatise to this process in the way that I suspect mountaineers must adjust to each stage of a major climb. The routes become more difficult and the equipment we need to scale the higher peaks is different. The success of the process will not be measured in how much progress is made on specific areas of concern -though there will be many for whom that is critically important. Its success will depend on how much parishes and dioceses engage with the fruits of these meetings. It will depend, too, on the extent to which the Church can galvanise the interest and engagement of those beyond the walls of the institutional Church. Pope Francis has called for a listening Church but one that goes beyond the walls of specific ecclesial structures. 

Many of these issues will be at the heart of the ACTA National Conference to be held via Zoom on Saturday 28 September. Dr Liam Hayes, Margaret Beaufort Institute of Theology, will address the issues associated with those who no longer feel they belong in the Church, giving some perspectives on his report “Believing Not Belonging”. Dr Luca Badini Confalonieri, Wijngaard Institute, will consider the changes in Church governance that might better reflect a synodal Church. The Director of the Ignatian Spirituality Centre, Dr Catriona Fletcher, will speak on the critical importance of underpinning pastoral council discussions with a spirituality of discernment.

The Practical Implications for a Synodal Church

Saturday 28 September 2024

10.00 - 15.30

To register go to:

www.acalltoaction.org.uk/component/eventbooking/practical-implications/individual-registration