The Sat Report: The Synod on Synodality hits the halfway point

Updates from the Synod and feelings of where this is going

We are midway through the Synod and has work began on discussing Module 3 of the Instrumentum Laboris, “Pathways”, with a focus on i) integral and shared formation, ii) ecclesial discernment for mission, and iii) decision-making processes.

Jean-Claude Cardinal Hollerich S.J, the General Rapporteur of the Synod on Synodality presented the module on Thursday afternoon, summarising that the aim of this part of the Synodal process is to ask the question, “what articulation of decision-making processes in the Church is consistent with what we say about the relationships between vocations, charisms and ministries, about their reciprocity and complementarity, and with the statements about the dignity of every Baptized person?”

Yes.

Other points from his address that I think are significant, was an emphasis on formation, the “spiritual, theological and pastoral depth of an authentic process of discernment, which makes it different from any organizational or managerial technique or methodology”, and the “need for us to develop participatory methods of decision-making in the Church.”

Cardinal Hollerich concluded his presentation, “We are growing in a relationship of friendship in the Lord, we are learning to be a synodal Church, we are engaged in a process of discernment and we are a consultative body at the service of the Holy Father and his ministry: this section of the Instrumentum laboris speaks of us, hic et nunc!” Synodality really is the friends we made a long the way.

Together we shall discover God's will

Cardinal-designate Timothy Radcliffe OP, led a meditation on module 3 “Pathways” of the Instrumentum Laboris, calling it the “processes through which the Church changes.”

He said that the task of the Synod is to “is to live with difficult questions”, giving examples such as; “surely we must respond to all the cries of mothers and father from all over the world for the young daughters and sons caught up in war and poverty. We must not shut our ears, like the disciples then,” before going to list deeper questions; “How can men and women, made in the image and likeness of God, be equal and yet different? And how can the Church be the community of the baptised, all equal, and yet the Body of Christ, with different roles and hierarchy?” The Church has answered these question repeatedly over the years, one wonders why they are being asked again, and whether those posing these actually already know the answers, but don’t like the them, and therefore want answers that are more amenable to them. The Church bending to them, rather than them bending to the Church.

Cardinal-designate Radcliffe, alludes to this later in his address we when he says “Please stay, whatever your frustrations with the Church. Go on questioning! Together we shall discover the Lord’s will.” Adding, “many people want this Synod to give an immediate Yes or No on various issues! But that is not how the Church advances into the deep mystery of the Divine Love.”

The journey of synodality is and must be ecumenical

Friday was the 62nd Anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council, with the occasion marked by a Ecumenical Prayer Service in the Square of the Protomartyrs of Rome inside the Vatican’s walls, marking the location where St. Peter was crucified upside down during the persecutions of the Emperor Nero.

The prayers were inspired and drawn from Vatican’s Dogmatic constitution Lumen gentium and the Decree on Ecumenism Unitatis redintegratio.

My pre-Synod prediction for the outcome of the process was a radical reworking of Papal Supremacy in a way that is palatable to the Eastern Orthodox and the Coptics. I’m not saying that is going to fix the great schism, but I still think Pope Francis wants that to be a major part of his legacy. Unfortunately, ecumenical dialogue with the Copts has broken down completely, as a result of Fiducia supplicans, so more work is need to rebuilt trust first before further progress can be made.

With respect to role of the Bishop of Rome, a significant document itself titled Bishop of Rome, was published by the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, which outlined possible ways to exercise Papal Primacy and synodality as a means of achieving Christian unity. The document itself was the subject of a panel at one of the many side-events happening in Rome related to the Synod.

In this Pontificate the anniversary of the opening of Vatican II has often been commemorated by a Ecumenical Service. As Mario Cardinal Grech, the Secretary of the Synod of Bishops, Vatican II “inaugurated a new ecumenical era of which the Synod is an expression and witness in its active desire to help the whole Church advance along the path of full unity.” What I do find it midly humorous that Vatican II, as an Ecumenical Council, is not recognised as such by any of the Christian churches which took part in the service commemorating its anniversary. Perhaps this is their ‘give’ on the path to unity, which presumably will ultimately mean accepting the validity of the Council.

Is Synodality the Americanisation of the Church?

From much of the discussions of the Synod thus far, whether it be on authority, listening to a wide variety of opinions before making decisions, consulting with the laity, participation and welcoming, many of the concrete proposals have been common sense things that the Church in America does well. This is particularly true in dioceses that are striving, in communities that have undergone a rival in the faith which grew under the Pontificate of John Paul II, the so-called John Paul generation, and flourished during the Pontificate of Benedict XVI.

The Church in America has also learnt very hard lesson from the way it initially grossly mishandled the clerical sexual abuse crisis that has rocked the Church everywhere.

One thing that American Catholicism does not get enough credit for is how it has truly encapsulated Vatican II’s idea of empowering the laity. We see countless lay led organisations be in the advocacy of pro-life causes, religious media organisations, hospitals, charities aiding the poor and immigrant, and more recently embracing the Holy Father’s call to action on climate change. The Church in America has had to do this is in a country with a very firm division between Church and state, that the Church in Europe is still grappling with. The irony here being that Vatican II was primarily called in order to address this exact issue in the Church in Europe, namely how does the Church interface with secular society that is longer ruled by Kings who claim a divine right, and to which the Church has influence over. I do wonder if a result of this Synod will have the American model of doing things transferred to places like Europe and Latin America, in the hope that it will rekindle the embers of the faith, as it has done the USA.

The other major recurring theme that has continually cropped up in this Synod is a call for more direct lay involvement in the governance and decision making in the Church. I genuinely don’t know how this will look like, and don’t know whether lay people actually want more involvement or if this too, like the female diaconate, is the preserve of small, well organised minority.

Most faithful lay Catholics are interested in attain eternal salvation, by loving God and loving their neighbour. They want to do their part in building up the Kingdom of God, and want very little, nor have the time, to be involved in Church governance or decision making. It will be very interesting to see what proposals arise over the few days in this regards, and as always we’ll keep you up date.