We stand at the half-way point of the Second Assembly of the Synod of Bishops in Rome that is exploring ‘Synodality’, how the Catholic Church can be a missionary synodal Church in our times.
Bishop Nicholas Hudson, who was chosen by Pope Francis to be a Synod member, has sent back a fascinating insight on proceedings as the Synod enters its latter stages.
The Holy Father’s eyes lit up brightly when I told him about our online meeting for priests. 120 priests from across England and Wales had come together with Archbishop Wilson, Bishop Stock and me just before our departure for the Synod. This was to hear the reports of two priests, Fr Marcus Holden and Fr Anthony Rosso, who had attended a meeting recently at Sacrofano near Rome for priests from around the world to share perspectives on synodality. Pope Francis had asked that, on their return, priests come together from across our countries to share the fruits of this gathering. He was so pleased to hear we had achieved this!
Empower parishes to be synodal
I detected, in that meeting of priests, an openness to synodality; a desire to know how we can begin to be more synodal in our parishes, which is precisely the focus of our Synod. We have been asking, for two weeks now, how we can be a missionary Synodal Church. There is a strong sense in the Synod Hall that, at the end of this Assembly, we shall be wishing to communicate something which will be easy to comprehend; and able to empower parishes to embark on a more synodal approach.
It has been a fascinating journey already. We gathered first in retreat, led by the newly-named Cardinal, Fr Timothy Radcliffe OP. He urged us in this Synod to be above all good listeners. Echoing Paul, that 'faith is born of listening' (Romans 10, 7), he suggested we should listen in order not so much to reply as to learn.
The centrality of salvation
As we came together for the first experience of round-table sharing, it was moving to listen to one another recalling the fruits that had been harvested from last year’s session. These had been gathered up comprehensively in the ‘Foundations’ section of the Instrumentum Laboris, the working document which guides our journey. They included the centrality of salvation, which Fr Marcus had pointed out at Sacrofano to be missing from the report of last October’s Assembly, and which I was pleased to find mentioned frequently in this ‘Foundations’ section of the working document, a measure of how the creators of the Synod had listened to the priests. We recalled, in those first few days, major insights yielded by last year’s Assembly, insights into coresponsibility, the importance of including laypeople in discernment at all levels of the Church, the gift to the Church of Conversation in the Spirit, and so much more.
Collaboration between lay and ordained
Soon we found ourselves in the groups to which we would belong for a fortnight to navigate together the process of the Synod proper. My table has been facilitated impressively by a female lecturer from Australia, the group comprising: two other women, one from Jordan, the other, Sr Nathalie Becquart XMCJ, French Undersecretary of the Synod of Bishops; Cardinal Roche, and bishops from the US, Kyiv, South Sudan, Nigeria, and Pakistan; with a German Presbyterian minister as our ‘fraternal delegate’. I find myself recalling often the words of Pope Francis in his opening address, when he said the presence of so many committed laypeople emphasises the need for collaboration between lay and ordained.
Deepening of perspectives and friendships
It has been extraordinarily stimulating in this group to navigate together the three major sections, on ‘Relationships’, ‘Means’ and ‘Contexts’. The fact that we remain in the same group for all three modules is a development from last year; and has been deepening of both perspectives and friendships. I marvel at the breadth of Church experience represented at my table! It is a feeling I found well captured in the very first pages of the working document which describes a synodal Church as 'a pilgrim people in every part of the world seeking synodal conversion for the sake of mission.' It conjures up our table wonderfully!
Our consideration of ‘Relationships’ majored on the Trinitarian foundation of discipleship in baptism; that communion is for mission, initiation for mission. Discussion of the sharing of gifts between churches who share communion with us and with other ecclesial communities also yielded a sense of a deeply shared mission which we hold in common. Listening to one another’s understanding about the ‘Means’ by which to realise this mission was dominated by Formation.
Bishop Hudson’s intervention
In my intervention, I pointed out that the word ‘Evangelisation’ is entirely absent from the document; and yet a synodal Church must have the New Evangelisation at its core. I suggested Conversations in the Spirit might be understood as a most timely strategy for realising the call of successive popes for synodal conversation, not only among ourselves but also with members of other ecclesial communions, other faiths and people who profess no faith. Formation for this would be essential. Transparency and accountability also featured largely in the section.
Sharing perspectives, lastly, on ‘Contexts’ has yielded a striking sense that Church belonging is in many places no longer simply a matter of geography. The suggestion that the Church is 'where we follow people to' was brought home to me very movingly by the African Bishop in my group who said, 'When the fishermen go hunting for fish, we follow them; when the miners abandon their village to pursue the goldrush, we go with them.'
The significance of digital media for evangelisation also featured highly. But there was a rootedness in our sharing too, an awareness that, where the Church is more stable, deep consideration needs to be given to how the diverse councils for discernment at our disposal might be made more synodal. We have yet to conclude the discussion of ‘Contexts’; and to see what it may continue to yield. Then we move back to our first groups to begin work on the document about which we shall vote.
Hope, humility and trust
The Synod is a unique experience. It feels very much like a journey, a shared journey that we make together, much more a pilgrimage than a conference. It felt very pilgrimage-like to process, laypeople leading the bishops together into St Peter’s Square for the opening Mass; to celebrate a vigil of mercy, a penitential service, after our retreat; to come in prayer to the Basilica of St Mary Major on the eve of the anniversary of the 7th October Hamas terror attack in Israel to pray the rosary and all to fast the next day; to gather one evening on the site of St Peter’s martyrdom for an ecumenical vigil; and to meet for Mass in St Peter’s in diverse rites and languages across the month.
In his opening address, Pope Francis indeed chose to describe this journey as a 'journey we make together with hope, humility and trust.' Hope, humility and trust, these three words I have held onto and sought to aspire to; and find they capture wonderfully the spirit in which so many around me also seek to live this unique enterprise.
Photo: ©synod.va/Lagarica
