The Scottish Bishops have welcomed the Pope’s call for a synodal church after Francis announced a synod on the theme of synodality and the possibilities for a more participative form of church government.
Bishop of Aberdeen Hugh Gilbert, president of the bishops' conference in Scotland, said: “Last Sunday, the Church celebrated the Feast of Pentecost, the coming of the Holy Spirit on the Apostles and our Lady at the very beginning, the birthday of the Church.
“We gave thanks for the gifts of the Holy Spirit that first Pentecost, but also celebrated the ongoing gifts of the Holy Spirit to the Church. Mindful of these gifts the bishops of Scotland welcome the initiative of Pope Francis to listen to what the Holy Spirit is saying to the Church, to the People of God, to listen to one another, and to make that synodal journey together of communion, participation and mission.”
Bishop Gilbert’s statement continued: “The Pope has called for a very participative process, engaging all the faithful, which will prepare for this Synod. The Bishops of Scotland welcome the initiative for a Synodal Church: communion, participation and mission.
“As the principle and foundation of unity in our dioceses, the bishops look forward to the launch of the synodal journey, a period of consultation and discernment in our local Churches, on Sunday 17 October of this year, and preparations are now being made for this event. We ask all the faithful to pray for the success of this initiative in the life of the universal and local Church, and above all to open our hearts to the Holy Spirit and listen to the Holy Spirit speaking through us all in the Body of Christ.”
Synodality, the concept of “walking together”, has become a central motif of Pope Francis’s pontificate. In 2018, the International Theological Commission published Synodality In the Life and Mission of the Church, suggesting that every baptised person had a role in discerning the Church’s mission in the world and the best means of spreading the message of the Gospels to the wider world.
The commission stated: “A synodal church is a church of participation and co-responsibility. In exercising synodality she is called to give expression to the participation of all, according to each one’s calling, with the authority conferred by Christ on the College of Bishops headed by the pope. Participation is based on the fact that all the faithful are qualified and called to serve each other through the gifts they have all received from the Holy Spirit.”