Launched by Pope Francis in October 2021, the Synod of Bishops – the theme of which is “communion, participation and mission” – has sought the perspectives of all baptized Catholics on fostering what the pope has described as a “listening Church.”

U.S. dioceses including Charlotte have been conducting more listening sessions as part of the Synod’s “interim stage” – described as a time of reflection and preparation for a second session of the global Synod on Synodality this October in Rome.

This stage of the Synod is building on – not repeating – the work of the Synod that already took place in 2022-23. Specifically, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops asked dioceses to host a few more listening sessions and provide feedback to the Vatican on:

n Where have I seen or experienced successes – and distresses – within the Church’s structure(s)/organization/leadership/life that encourage or hinder the mission?

n How can the structures and organization of the Church help all the baptized to respond to the call to proclaim the Gospel and to live as a community of love and mercy in Christ?

Bishop Peter Jugis enthusiastically responded to the USCCB’s call, resuming the local Synod effort led in 2022-23 by Dr. Alessandro Rovati from Belmont Abbey College and a team of three others: Ibis Centeno (Hispanic ministry coordinator, Salisbury Vicariate), Mary Selby (synod coordinator, St. Eugene Parish, Asheville), and Shane Page (director of evangelization, St. Michael Parish, Gastonia).

Bishop Jugis noted, “The participation of the Diocese of Charlotte … is an important way to foster the bonds of communion with other U.S. dioceses, the USCCB, and the universal Church and continue the path of listening to the People of God … thus giving a sign of the love and care the Church has for each person.”

In March, the local Synod team held eight listening sessions with selected key leaders – including the Presbyteral Council (a group of priests that advises the bishop), other clergy and parish council representatives, deacons, Hispanic Ministry coordinators, the African American Affairs Ministry, and the diocesan offices of Catechetical Formation, Youth Ministry, and Campus and Young Adult Ministry.

The local Synod team received positive feedback about the direction the diocese is headed, said team member Shane Page.

“There is eagerness and excitement about the growth of the diocese – especially the growing numbers of Hispanic Catholics and young people, and opportunities for catechesis and learning,” Page said.

The growing use of digital technologies, thanks in part to the pandemic, has also made the online efforts of parishes and ministries easier and more effective, he said.

The listening sessions also identified the need to go “to the peripheries” given the size of the diocese: more than 530,000 Catholics in 92 parishes and missions, spread out over 20,700 square miles.

Participants also acknowledged a need for better integration between English-speaking and Spanish-speaking Catholics in parish life.

Participants also expressed the desire for more catechesis and training so people can better evangelize in their own spheres.

Page noted that some participants approached the listening sessions with some cynicism, but afterwards said they enjoyed the experience.

“They saw that they were not alone in their opinions,” he said. “It was very edifying for them.”

Rovati and the local Synod team prepared a summary of the listening sessions for Bishop Jugis and Bishop-elect Martin’s review and sent it to the USCCB.

The USCCB is now preparing a national document based upon the feedback received from the U.S. dioceses and will share it with the Vatican at the beginning of May. In turn, the Vatican will use it and reports from other countries’ bishops conferences to prepare for the October 2024 Synod of Bishops in Rome, where they will decide what concrete proposals to give the pope.

Part of their task is figuring out how decisions are made in the Church in a way faithful to its nature – including discerning how episcopal collegiality is exercised in a synodal Church, where every member shares responsibility for the mission of evangelization.

The worldwide Synod on Synodality is meant to help the Church engage with more people and evangelize in today’s world, Page emphasized, not rewrite Church doctrine. “It’s about how we apply doctrine for the sake of evangelization. Where is the Church doing well, and where is it getting in its own way?”

— Patricia L. Guilfoyle. OSV News contributed.

More online

At www.charlottediocese.org/faith-life/synod: Learn more about the Synod on Synodality and read the Diocese of Charlotte’s 2023 Synod Report that summarized input from more than 7,000 Catholics who took part in 400 listening sessions in 2021-22.

Dentro de las reuniones de escucha del proceso sinodal diocesano, el Dr. Alessandro Rovati se reunió con los directores espirituales de los diversos movimientos apostólicos del ministerio hispano de la Diócesis de Charlotte. Esta reunión no solo sirvió para recibir las inquietudes de los sacerdotes y diáconos asistentes, sino también para promover la realización de otras sesiones dentro de los diferentes movimientos y ministerios. (César Hurtado | Catholic News Herald)

El pasado 30 de junio, la diócesis presentó su informe del sínodo a la Conferencia de Obispos Católicos de Estados Unidos, que ahora sintetizará los informes de todas las diócesis del país y compartirá sus hallazgos con el Vaticano.
Católicos de todo el oeste de Carolina del Norte participaron en el sínodo de la Diócesis de Charlotte, para escuchar en oración al Espíritu Santo y unos a otros a través de conversaciones sobre el tema ‘Por una iglesia sinodal: comunión, participación y misión’. El objetivo del Sínodo mundial es escuchar y consultar con el Pueblo de Dios sobre la visión del futuro de la Iglesia.

El Obispo Peter Jugis dijo durante la sesión de clausura realizada en junio que estudiará, asimilará y meditará sobre los pensamientos y sentimientos que surgieron durante el sínodo, para agregar a su comprensión “otra dimensión de mi conciencia de las necesidades de la diócesis” y proporcionar “un buen aporte para mi ministerio”.

El Dr. Alessandro Rovati, profesor de la Universidad Belmont Abbey, quien facilitó el sínodo local y escribió el informe final de la diócesis, llamó al sínodo un comienzo, no un final.

“Es notable que siete mil personas se comprometieran en el proceso”, dijo, “porque es un signo de que muchos tienen el deseo de crecer en su fe, de participar más plenamente en la vida de la Iglesia y de encomendar a su comunidad y la Iglesia en general sus alegrías y preocupaciones”.

El Dr. Rovati resaltó los siguientes aspectos que surgieron:

• El sínodo fue una ocasión para ver con claridad las muchas formas en que el Señor permanece presente y fiel a su pueblo.
• Los participantes lamentaron que a menudo se distraen y no permiten que la conciencia de la presencia de Cristo sea la fuerza principal en sus vidas.
• Subrayaron elementos de la sociedad contemporánea que son especialmente desafiantes.
• Existe la necesidad de superar las barreras del idioma, raza y cultura para profundizar el sentido de comunión.
• Los temas que parecen causar conflictos en las comunidades involucran el testimonio público de la Iglesia sobre el aborto, la homosexualidad y las cuestiones de género, el papel de la mujer en la Iglesia y el legado del Vaticano II en asuntos de liturgia y en la vida de la Iglesia.
• Hay divisiones causadas por la polarización y la desunión dentro de la Iglesia sobre algunas de sus enseñanzas y cómo incorporarlas en la sociedad. Mientras nos aferramos a las “verdades tradicionales de la doctrina cristiana”, como las describió el Papa, los desacuerdos internos son una invitación a examinar nuestra conciencia, crecer en nuestra comprensión sobre a qué nos llama el Señor y encarnar más plenamente los mandamientos de Cristo.

El sínodo de la diócesis se desarrolló desde el pasado octubre de 2021 hasta junio de 2022 e incluyó feligreses, ministerios, escuelas, asociaciones y grupos laicos, órdenes religiosas y otros. El Dr. Rovati enfatizó que, si bien aún queda trabajo para encarnar en última instancia la visión del sínodo, “el viaje sinodal diocesano fue profundamente conmovedor y hermoso”.

Fue particularmente conmovedor, dijo, “ver cuán fructífero es escuchar los testimonios de las formas en las que el Señor está obrando en nuestras vidas y las de nuestras comunidades, y las preguntas y desafíos que enfrentan las personas. El Señor nos está llamando a través de todas estas cosas, pidiéndonos que demos un paso adelante en nuestra vocación cristiana”.

— Catholic News Herald

Más online
En www.charlottediocese.org/synod2023: Lea más y vea el discurso del Dr. Alessandro Rovati durante la sesión de cierre del Sínodo diocesano

The listening session, held at St. Patrick Cathedral, was one of the last events in the diocese’s participation in a worldwide Synod of Bishops that Pope Francis has convened in 2023 to focus on “Communion, Participation, and Mission.”

Representatives from parishes, ministries, lay groups and more – 82 in total – came from across western North Carolina to share their findings with Bishop Peter Jugis and Dr. Alessandro Rovati, the diocesan synod contact person.

Bishop Jugis said the timing of this local phase of the worldwide synod – the Diocese of Charlotte’s 50th anniversary year – has been meaningful.

“The synod truly has been useful to us in the Diocese of Charlotte in a very unique way, because of this juncture in our history that we are celebrating this year,” he noted in his opening remarks at the listening session. “Our diocese spans a large territory, our parishes are spread out among 46 counties, and because of this situation, there is a risk for some communities to feel isolated and disconnected from the rest of the diocese – it’s just a matter of fact because of our geographical extent.”

“But,” he continued, “the synod has given us an occasion to bring us together and help bridge those distances. Here today at this listening session, the synod again is bringing us together – this time to share the fruits of all of those discussions that have been taking place across the length and breadth of the diocese.”

The wide-ranging nature of the diocesan synod is evident in the numbers.

More than 80 percent of parishes and missions, 76, held synod sessions. Nearly all Diocese of Charlotte offices, ministries and groups also took part – including Catholic Charities, Family Life, Youth Ministry, Faith Formation, Hispanic Ministry, Vietnamese Ministry, Korean Ministry, Campus Ministry, the diocese’s Catholic Schools, the Permanent Diaconate, St. Joseph College Seminary in Mount Holly, 16 lay associations and apostolates, and two religious orders.
Rovati said he has been amazed by the high level of participation across the diocese.

“I kept checking my spreadsheet, thinking I had made a mistake in the formula,” he said. “There is no mistake, though. What touches me is not the mere number of people that engaged in the process, but the fact that the participation is a sign that there are so many who have a desire to grow in their faith, to participate more fully in the life of the Church, and to entrust to their community and the broader Church their joys and concerns.”

Among them was Deacon Matthew Newsome, campus minister at Western Carolina University and the regional faith formation coordinator for the Smoky Mountain Vicariate. He participated in local, regional and diocesan synod conversations with people aged 18 to 80.

“I am struck by how similar most of the conversations have gone,” Deacon Newsome said.

He noted that most people mentioned the sacraments as the primary way they feel the Lord’s presence in their lives. “In addition, the traditional prayers and devotions of the Church are often cited as sources of comfort, especially in times of trial. And most often people have felt God’s presence in the community, the ways their fellow Christians have made Christ’s love manifest in their lives,” he said.

Deacon Newsome also facilitated the discussions at his table during June 11 event, sharing with Bishop Jugis what clergy and laity from the Asheville Vicariate had learned from their own local listening sessions.

Representatives described the challenges facing the local Church in western North Carolina – particularly those brought on by the pandemic.
Some parishioners – especially the elderly – have not yet returned to Mass and parish life due to ongoing health concerns. The drop-off means fewer people are volunteering for parish ministries.

Families are facing economic hardships amid the rising cost of living, and they are not spending as much time at church or faith formation classes. Some have dropped ties to any parish community and stopped practicing their Catholic faith.

Others expressed concerns about contemporary culture’s growing hostility to religion – which discourages some clergy from preaching on controversial topics, and some people from openly practicing their faith to avoid ridicule or discrimination.

Other participants brought out topics such as the need for a larger role for women in the Church, a need for more of a focus on social justice issues and assisting the poor, and for more transparency and clear statements from the bishops and the Vatican on issues of moral importance. Many said political interests have infected the Church with division and distrust.

While some of the views brought out in the discussions may have been difficult to hear, both Rovati and Bishop Jugis listened attentively and expressed appreciation for the input.

“The Synod is the work of the Holy Spirit. It’s God’s work. It’s God’s Church. And we are His humble collaborators,” Bishop Jugis said.

Rovati agreed. “When we began this process, we took as a guide what Pope Francis said at the opening of the synod: the goal of the synod process is to engage the whole People of God to ‘journey together, in order to experience a Church that receives and lives this gift of unity and is open to the voice of the Spirit.’

Rovati noted, “People were very touched by the experience of profound dialogue and unity we had and were especially touched by Bishop Jugis’ presence and active listening to their contributions. We all came away filled with the desire to find ways to cultivate the seeds of friendship and collaboration that the Lord planted in our midst.”

Rovati is now compiling a summary or “synthesis” of the diocesan-level synod that will be sent to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops by June 30.

— SueAnn Howell, Senior reporter

For more information

Watch Bishop Peter Jugis’ opening remarks and Dr. Alessandro Rovati’s keynote address from the June 11 diocesan Synod listening session

Dr. Alessandro Rovati, department chair and assistant professor of theology at Belmont Abbey College, was appointed by Bishop Peter Jugis to serve as the official contact person for the diocesan phase of the unprecedented worldwide synod.

Last fall Rovati reached out to all 92 parishes and missions, schools and colleges, auxiliary groups, lay movements, third orders, charitable ministries, religious communities, minority communities, immigrant populations, campus and youth ministries, and more.

Local listening sessions started in January. To date, more than 6,000 people have participated in synod discussions across the diocese. Another 1,000 people responded to the survey questions online.

“I sat in on almost 30 sessions across the diocese,” Rovati said. “I tried to visit as many places as I could. I got to meet people, to listen to them and rejoice in the many testimonies which were shared.”

He reports that across the diocese discussions so far have included: 67 parishes and missions; 17 diocesan offices and ministries (including Catholic Schools and Campus Ministry); two religious orders (the Sisters of Mercy of Belmont and the Benedictine monks of Belmont Abbey), in addition to 18 lay associations, apostolates and groups.

As of May 20, Rovati has received 100 reports from the synod discussions so far and expects to receive at least 50 more.

“What is impressive is that behind these numbers are people who took time to consider the questions and share their testimonies and comments,” Rovati said.

Rovati noted that he has already begun sharing some of his findings with Bishop Jugis.

He will present a preliminary report at a common gathering scheduled for June 11 at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte. The gathering will include the bishop as well as representatives of the different groups, who will have an opportunity to share some of the key results and testimonies from their listening sessions.

Looking back over the local synod process that is unfolding, Rovati emphasized, “It’s really moving that so many people expressed a desire to go deeper in a life of faith, to entrust their comments to the Church community and to respond to call of Bishop Jugis and the pope.”

A summary or “synthesis” of the diocesan-level synod will be sent to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops by June 30. The USCCB will then send a synthesis of all the U.S. dioceses’ work to the Vatican.

— SueAnn Howell, Senior reporter

For more information

At www.charlottediocese.org/synod2023: Learn more about the Synod 2021-2023

Dr. Alessandro Rovati, department chair and assistant professor of theology at Belmont Abbey College, was appointed by Bishop Peter Jugis in November to serve as the official contact person for the diocesan phase of the Synod. His work is already well under way.

Rovati has given prayerful consideration to the Synod documents in order to create the discussion questions and procedures that will be used in the Synod conversations.

“December was a month of study, research and prayer,” Rovati explained. “I collected all documents on the Synod and studied them to make sure I would incorporate best practices and ideas, and to enter into the vision of the Holy Father.”

In January Rovati reached out to all 92 parishes and missions, some of which have already begun creating committees. Parishes including St. Matthew Church in south Charlotte are now communicating to parishioners their plans for Synod conversations.

Synod discussions will begin this month across the diocese’s 10 vicariates. Discussion groups will include parishes, schools and colleges, auxiliary groups, lay movements, third orders, charitable ministries, religious communities, minority communities, immigrant populations, campus and youth ministries, and more.

“In order to allow us to have a common conversation across groups, I have created a script with three guiding questions for the Synodal discussions. All the groups will respond to all or some of the questions,” Rovati said.

“These are questions that I did not just make up, but have come out of what the pope and Synod of Bishops have said and are from documents I studied in the course of my research,” he added.

The goal is to conduct all Synod conversations, either in person or via online meetings, before April 30. Individuals will also be able to share their input online via the Synod website.

Rovati said he needs all input turned in by the end of April so that he can generate an interim report in May that will identify the key topics being brought forth.
On June 11, he will use the findings of the report to lead a day of prayer and discussion with more than 100 Synod representatives from across the diocese at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte.

“The goal of the Synod is to encounter the Lord and one another, and we cannot do that unless we are centered in the Lord and open our hearts to what He wants to say to us in our encounter with one another,” Rovati asserted.

Rovati will summarize the information and compile a final report, which will be given to the USCCB by June 30. The USCCB will then send a synthesis of all the U.S. dioceses’ work to the Vatican.

— SueAnn Howell, Senior reporter Patricia Guilfoyle contributed.

For more information

To learn more about the Synod 2021-2023, go online to www.charlottediocese.org/synod2023. For inquiries, email synod@rcdoc.org.

The pope's invitation to discern a path forward for the church stems from his belief that the Holy Spirit inspires all members to be missionary disciples, sharing core Christian beliefs by going out to the world.

The pope formally opened the synodal process at the Vatican Oct. 9-10. It launched Oct. 16-17 in dioceses worldwide.

Under the theme "For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation and Mission," the pope has called the church to practice synodality, that is listening to -- and hearing -- one another in all facets of church life, coordinators of the effort at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops explained.

The October opening "is just the first step in a larger, longer-term process of really incorporating the fruits of Vatican II and becoming a synodal church," said Julia McStravog, a former USCCB employee who is a consultant to the bishops on the process.

"We're going to have consultation. It's also going to be a learning process about how to actually engage in a synodal way," McStravog said.

The launch began a two-year journey that will culminate in the Synod of Bishops in October 2023. The synod is expected to adopt a final document that will guide the continuing development of a synodal church going into the future.

The pope's call to synodality is rooted in his deep involvement as a cardinal in 2007 in drafting a document on church life for the Latin American bishops' council, known as CELAM, its acronym in Spanish, which met in Aparecida, Brazil. The document issued repeated calls for a "continental mission," a church that goes out in search of ways to proclaim the Gospel to all.

In the first phase that is underway, dioceses and parishes have begun convening discussions, or consultations, in which people from across the church have been invited to participate. The listening sessions will continue through June.

Each diocese is asked to submit a summary report to the USCCB or their appropriate episcopal conference office, which will then have until Aug. 15 to present a report to the Synod of Bishops at the Vatican.

The process presents opportunities to welcome the Holy Spirit to guide discussions said Richard Coll, executive director of the bishops' Department of Justice, Peace and Human Development, who is coordinating the effort for the USCCB.

"The Synod of Bishops is saying don't focus on what the ultimate product is going to be. Focus on the process itself and how the Spirit will guide the church, represented in part through subsidiarity in the work that you are doing at the diocesan level," Coll said.

The diocesan consultations also are an opportunity for creativity, McStravog added.

"This is a moment to be co-creators with the Spirit. ... It is a chance for reinvigorating an engaged community through creativity and the call to be open. There's a chance to reaffirm the good and reimagine some things that could be better," she explained.

Bishop Daniel E. Flores of Brownsville, Texas, echoed the pope's invitation to creativity while addressing the bishops' fall general assembly in Baltimore in November.

"No one is unimportant in this time of listening," he said, encouraging the bishops to remember that the first phase of the process must involve the participation of the whole church "listening together, praying together, discerning together" the voice of the Holy Spirit.

"Pope Francis has asked us to invite people, to listen to people, including those who do not show up in our pews," said Bishop Flores, who began a three-year term as chairman of the bishops' Committee on Doctrine at the close of the assembly.

He also described the synodal process as a "deliberate pathway and style of communion."

To facilitate the effort, the Synod of Bishops, under Cardinal Mario Grech, secretary-general, introduced documents to guide the work being done in dioceses. The USCCB followed up by developing a supplemental document as well.

The primary Vatican document is a "vademecum," or handbook, offering support for diocesan teams "to prepare and gather the people of God so that they can give voice to their experience in their local church."

The USCCB document further defines the Vatican materials. It includes a checklist of actions, proposed timeline for dioceses to follow, and a listing of background materials to help walk parishes and dioceses through the initial process and ensure wide participation.

An addendum, developed by the U.S. bishops' Committee on Divine Worship, offers ideas for liturgical celebrations to mark the opening and closing of the synodal process in dioceses and suggestions for Scripture readings and musical themes.

As the first phase began, several U.S. prelates said the effort is an opportunity to better engage people in the life of the church.

In San Diego, Bishop Robert W. McElroy said he expects the diocese to become more synodal in its operation as the first phase unfolds, long before the final conclusions are reached by the Synod of Bishops and Pope Francis in October 2023.

"I hope this is an opportunity not only for us to assess the level of synodality, which is already present in the life of our local church, but to advance it dramatically," he said.

Meanwhile, Bishop Frank J. Caggiano of Bridgeport, Connecticut, convened a team of 260 delegates who have been charged with going out and prayerfully meeting with people. From parish town hall gatherings to one-on-one conversations, the delegates will be hearing from people about concerns, hurts and hopes, he said.

"In the end, we're not trying to solve a problem. What we're trying to do is discern the solution that is already there. The Holy Spirit already knows what the solution is," he said.

For several other dioceses, the process will build upon local synods that are addressing local priorities including young adults, family life and ministry to Latino members.

When the Vatican receives the synthesized reports of diocesan meetings from bishops' conferences around the world, the Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops will draft by fall 2022 the "instrumentum laboris," or working document, to guide continental or regional ecclesial assemblies that will take place by March 2023.

Those assemblies will produce another set of documents that will help in the drafting of a second working document for the October 2023 Synod of Bishops.

— Dennis Sadowski, Catholic News Service

"We have to deal with the fears," Xavière Missionary Sister Nathalie Becquart, undersecretary of the Synod of Bishops, said Dec. 16 during the conference on "Women in Synodality" sponsored by the Australian Embassy to the Holy See, Georgetown University and Civiltà Cattolica, a Jesuit journal.

The synod process, which aims to promote what Pope Francis calls a "synodal church" -- one where all the baptized listen to each other, participate and share responsibility for its unity and mission -- is calling for change, and change can bring fear, Sister Becquart said.

Since the current process will conclude with the assembly in 2023 of the world Synod of Bishops -- a gathering where men are the majority -- "I fear women won't be heard again after all," wrote one participant on the webinar's chat channel. Dozens of others made similar comments.

Catholic women, Sister Becquart said, need to encourage and support one another for the realization of "the church we dream about," one that is "truly inclusive," that values the gifts of all the baptized, promotes collaboration and listens to the Holy Spirit.

Immaculate Conception Sister Anne Béatrice Faye, a Senegalese theologian teaching in Burkina Faso, told the group, "A church that seeks to live a synodal style cannot fail to reflect on the condition and role of women in its midst and, consequently, in society in general."

Leadership in a synodal church must be "servant leadership" shared by women and men, she said. For that to happen, "it is necessary to remove the canonical obstacles that block the access of laypeople, and therefore women, to positions of responsibility that do not require ordination."

Susan Pascoe, chair of Catholic Emergency Relief Australia and a member of the synod commission on methodology, noted how in his 2018 letter "to the people of God" about the sexual abuse crisis, Pope Francis wrote, "Every one of the baptized should feel involved in the ecclesial and social change that we so greatly need."

In response to the "fear of clerical dominance" voiced by many of the webinar's viewers, Pascoe said the pope has issued an "authorization" for participation by "all the people of God: women, men, everybody, those who feel they've been excluded."

In preparing for the synod, she said, Pope Francis is telling all Catholics: "Be as creative as you want. Make your voice heard."

The process, as launched by the pope, Sister Becquart said, is one of "deep listening, mutual listening."

What is heard in parishes and dioceses will be synthesized and passed to the national bishops' conferences where a national report will be prepared for the general secretariat of the synod, she said.

But the results cannot be predetermined, she said. "It would not be very synodal if we said, 'This topic will be addressed like this and this one like this.'"

At each level of the church, she said, the synthesis must be done by a team, including the bishop, but not only. "If it is a woman alone or a bishop alone, you're missing something."

Myriam Wijlens, a canon lawyer and consultant to the synod secretariat, said a fundamental theological question involved in the synod regards the input of the bishops who will gather for the assembly.

"Theologically, the idea was always that the bishop would be a witness of the faith of his own church, so he does not speak about his own faith" at the synod, she said. At the same time, he witnesses to the faith of the church throughout the ages and not just to contemporary concerns.

The bishops, she said, should present "an honest report; it should not present their personal views. And an honest report, with the language of 'Gaudium et Spes,' expresses the hopes and the joys but also the challenges that the people are facing. So, I do hope that the bishops feel encouraged and brave to present and say this is what the people in my church believe and what they want to share with the rest of the community."

Loreto Sister Patricia Murray, executive secretary of the International Union of Superiors General and a member of the synod's spirituality commission, said if the synod process begins with listening to those who have been hurt or pushed aside, it will teach the whole church how to listen.

"The whole question of encounter and listening really has to start with listening to the hurt, to the abuses that have been felt, experienced at personal level within the church and by the church," she said. "If we don't listen to the pain that has been suffered, we won't see where we both individually and communally are called to change, called to conversion."

"The art of encounter and of listening with compassion and tenderness is something where we have to suspend judgment and enter into the pain that the other person has felt and experienced," Sister Murray said. "I think the Spirit guides us as we explore the way forward, as we acknowledge our faults, our failures, our sin as we see where we're called to healing and wholeness. I think if we fail to do that, the synodal journey will be seen to be incomplete."

— Cindy Wooden, Catholic News Service

The process over the next seven months must involve the participation of the whole church "listening together, praying together, discerning together," Bishop Flores, a member of the bishops' Committee on Doctrine, said Nov. 17, as the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops convened in Baltimore Nov. 15-18.

The listening comes at the invitation of Pope Francis, who has asked the church -- from those in the mainstream of church life to those on the margins -- to come together to voice their dreams, ideas and concerns in preparation for the Synod of Bishops in 2023.

Bishop Flores, who was voted in during the assembly as chairman-elect of the doctrine committee, said the process is rooted in the pope's vision for a more synodal church where everyone is walking together on a journey to God, sharing an equal role in the church.

It is through coming together to listen to each other that people can discern the voice of the Holy Spirit, he explained.

"Pope Francis has asked us to invite people, to listen to people, including those who do not show up in our pews," he said.

Bishop Flores said invitations must be extended to the poor, people confined to nursing facilities, migrants and refugees, and those of other faiths as well.

He described the synodal process as a "deliberate pathway and style of communion."

The synodal process opened in dioceses worldwide Oct. 17. The launch begins a two-year process that culminates in the 2023 world Synod of Bishops on synodality. The synod is expected to adopt a final document that will guide the continuing development of a synodal church going into the future.

However, a document is not the end the goal of the synodal process. Instead, the process itself is what matters to the pope.

In a video message to the assembly, Cardinal Mario Grech, secretary-general of the Synod of Bishops, described the process as a spiritual journey that must be inspired by the Holy Spirit.

"Pope Francis is calling us to discover that walking together is the most effective way of manifesting and putting into practice the nature of the church as a pilgrim and missionary children of God. Synodality is a way of being church. It is proper to the life of the church, making visible the core values of communion, participation and mission," the cardinal said.

"Synodality requires us to have a profound recognition ... (that) it is God's will that we are seeking to discern and discover and not our own nor our group's," he added.

Bishops offered ideas on how to reach out in the discussion that followed Bishop Flores' presentation. Some suggested having to go far beyond the parish to hear from people.

Bishop Flores said such efforts are necessary, urging the bishops to be creative in how they decide how to reach out. Creativity, he said, has been encouraged by the pope.

The synodal process involves three phases. The first involves gatherings and discussions rooted in prayer in dioceses. It will continue through June. Each diocese is being asked to submit a summary of local discussions to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Those summaries will be synthesized into a final written presentation for the Vatican.

Once the Vatican receives the synthesized reports from bishops' conferences around the world, the Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops will draft by this fall the "instrumentum laboris," or working document, to guide continental or regional ecclesial assemblies that will take place by March 2023.

Those assemblies will produce another set of documents that will help in the drafting of a second working document for the synod in October 2023. The synod is expected to produce a document on synodality throughout the entire church.

— Dennis Sadowski, Catholic News Service

Resources to guide the synodal process in dioceses are available on the USCCB website at www.usccb.org/synod.

The three-year effort calls on the Church across the world to prayerfully listen to the Holy Spirit and to one another to help guide its mission of proclaiming the Gospel of salvation to all people in the third millennium.
Pope Francis formally opened the synodal process Oct. 10, and since then dioceses around the world have been launching their local phases of prayer and conversation. The pope has asked for the discussion to rise from local churches to dioceses to episcopal conferences, before being discussed at the XVI Ordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops in October 2023.

At all Sunday Masses this weekend, Nov. 13-14, clergy will read a special “Letter to the Faithful” from Bishop Peter Jugis that will announce and describe the synod process for the Charlotte diocese. The bishop’s letter to the faithful will serve as the official public launch of the diocese’s effort.

His upcoming letter will reflect on the synod’s theme of “communion, participation, and mission,” and underscore the importance of active participation in the local process.

The aim is to involve any Catholic who wants to participate, as well as reaching out to people who no longer practice their faith and to others in the community.

Between now and next April, Bishop Jugis is inviting all groups in the diocese to hold conversations about the ways they currently experience the Church as a missionary community in which everyone is called to a life of discipleship, and to suggest ways to live such a call more fully.

These groups will include parishes, schools and colleges, auxiliary groups, lay movements, third orders, charitable ministries, religious communities, minority communities, immigrant populations, campus and youth ministries, and more.
Representatives from these different groups will share the fruits of their conversations at a common gathering scheduled for June 11, 2022, at St. Patrick Cathedral in Charlotte.

A summary or “synthesis” of the diocesan-level synod will be sent to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops by June 30, 2022. The USCCB will then send a synthesis of all the U.S. dioceses’ work to the Vatican.

RovatiSteering the local effort is Dr. Alessandro Rovati, who has been appointed by Bishop Jugis to serve as the official contact person for the diocesan phase of the synod.

Rovati is department chair and assistant professor of theology at Belmont Abbey College. He is a graduate of the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore in Milan and a published author with leadership roles in national theological associations. His areas of expertise include moral theology and Catholic social teaching. He has already served the Charlotte diocese by teaching classes for St. Joseph College Seminary and by delivering lectures and workshops to youth, laity, clergy, catechists and teachers.

“I am humbled by the bishop’s request to assist him in the organization of the Synod’s diocesan phase,” Rovati said. “I became a theologian to serve the Church and its people, so this opportunity is a dream come true.”

In coming months, Rovati will be contacting and responding to diocesan groups and others to help them organize local gatherings. He also will facilitate the diocese’s common gathering next June.

Rovati noted that while there will be a way to send individual reflections and contributions, people are encouraged to participate in the local gatherings around the diocese to have a chance to be with one another in dialogue and prayer.

“I encourage everyone to become actively involved in the synodal journey,” he said. “Encountering one another in prayerful conversation will give us a chance to discover what the Lord is doing in our lives and the further steps to which He is calling us, both individually and as a Church.

“The synod is an extraordinary opportunity to grow together in our faith. I cannot wait to travel around the diocese to talk and pray with people.”

Resources and planning materials provided by the Vatican are online at www.synod.va. The USCCB also has resources available online at www.usccb.org/synod.

In addition, the diocese is preparing a website with information about the synod and how to participate.
For inquiries, email synod@rcdoc.org.
— Patricia L. Guilfoyle, editor. Catholic News Service contributed.

"Celebrating a synod means walking on the same road, together" just like Jesus did -- encountering, listening and discerning with all who one meets, the pope said in his homily at the Mass in St. Peter's Basilica Oct. 10.

"Are we prepared for the adventure of this journey? Or are we fearful of the unknown, preferring to take refuge in the usual excuses: 'It's useless' or 'We've always done it this way?'" he asked.

Some 3,000 people attended the Mass, including the 270 people -- cardinals, bishops, priests, religious and laypeople -- invited to the day of reflection in the Vatican Synod Hall Oct. 9.

The weekend of events began the "synodal journey," which will explore the theme, "For a synodal church: communion, participation and mission."

In his homily, the pope said they should begin the synodal process "by asking ourselves -- all of us, pope, bishops, priests, religious and laity -- whether we, the Christian community, embody this 'style' of God, who travels the paths of history and shares in the life of humanity."

The day's Gospel reading (Mk 10:17-30) of Jesus setting out on a journey and encountering a rich man offers just one example of how Jesus "walks alongside people and listens to the questions and concerns lurking in their hearts," he said. "He shows us that God is not found in neat and orderly places, distant from reality, but walks ever at our side."

Celebrating a synod, he said, means walking on the same road as others and living out the "three verbs" that characterize a synod: to encounter, listen and discern.

"We too are called to become experts in the art of encounter. Not so much by organizing events or theorizing about problems as in taking time to encounter the Lord and one another," to devote time to prayer and adoration, and to listen to what the Holy Spirit wants to say to the church, the pope said.

Jesus shows that an encounter has the power to change someone's life -- "the Gospel is full of such encounters with Christ, encounters that uplift and bring healing," the pope said. In fact, Jesus was never in a hurry, and he would never have looked at a watch to signal it was time to wrap things up. "He was always at the service of people he met in order to listen to them."

Each encounter requires "openness, courage and a willingness to let ourselves be challenged by the presence and the stories of others," the pope said. It means not hiding behind a facade or stiff formalities indicative of a spirit of clericalism or of courtiers, but it means being a father.

To that end, the pope said he would be meeting a group of people who live on the streets later that day. He said they had already started meeting because another group of people had gone to listen to them and from there, "they have been able to begin the journey."

Sincere listening involves the heart, not just the ears, Pope Francis said. The aim is not to be able to answer people's questions, especially with pre-packaged or "artificial and shallow responses," but to provide an opportunity to tell one's story and speak freely.

"Whenever we listen with the heart, people feel that they are being heard, not judged; they feel free to recount their own experiences and their spiritual journey," he said.

Listening to one another "is a slow and perhaps tiring exercise" but it must be done, including listening to "the questions, concerns and hopes of every church, people and nation," and to the "challenges and changes" that world presents, he added.

Encountering and listening "are not ends in themselves" where everything stays the same, but must lead to discernment, he said.

"Whenever we enter into dialogue, we allow ourselves to be challenged, to advance on a journey. And in the end, we are no longer the same; we are changed," he said.

The synod is "a journey of spiritual discernment that takes place in adoration, in prayer and in dialogue with the word of God," the pope said.

Discernment is what lights the way and guides the synod, "preventing it from becoming a church convention, a study group or a political congress, but rather a grace-filled event, a process of healing guided by the Holy Spirit," Pope Francis said.

Like he asked the rich man in the Gospel reading, Jesus is asking everyone "to empty ourselves, to free ourselves from all that is worldly, including our inward-looking and outworn pastoral models, and to ask ourselves what it is that God wants to say to us in this time and the direction in which he wants to lead us," he said.

Pope Francis wished everyone "a good journey together! May we be pilgrims in love with the Gospel and open to the surprises of the Spirit."

— Carol Glatz, Catholic News Service

Pictured at top: Pope Francis gives the homily as he celebrates a Mass to open the process that will lead up to the assembly of the world Synod of Bishops in 2023, in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican Oct. 10. (CNS photo/Remo Casilli, Reuters)

Pope Francis officially opened the process Oct. 10 and bishops were to do the same in their dioceses a week later, opening a six-month period of prayer and discussion with the aim of involving any Catholic who wanted to participate as well as reaching out to people who no longer practice their faith and to the Catholic Church's ecumenical partners.

"During this period, we have heard, over and over again and from many quarters, the request to extend the duration of the first phase of the synodal process in order to provide a greater opportunity for the people of God to have an authentic experience of listening and dialogue," the synod office said in a note Oct. 29.

"Aware that a synodal church is a church that listens, considering that this first phase is essential for this synodal path and evaluating these requests, and always seeking the good of the church, the Ordinary Council of the Synod of Bishops has decided to extend until Aug. 15, 2022, the deadline for the presentation of the summaries of the consultations" by bishops' conferences and the Eastern Catholic churches, it said.

In the initial process, members of parishes, dioceses, religious orders and Catholic movements are asked to consider the ways in which they currently experience the church as "synodal," that is, as a community that walks together and to suggest ways to strengthen that in practice.

The dioceses and local groups originally were asked to send a synthesis of what they heard to their bishops' conferences so that a national summary could be prepared by April 2022. The synod office in Rome was hoping to prepare an initial working document for the synod by September 2022.

At all Sunday Masses this weekend, Nov. 13-14, clergy will read a special “Letter to the Faithful” from Bishop Peter Jugis that will announce and describe the synod process for the Charlotte diocese. The bishop’s letter to the faithful will serve as the official public launch of the diocese’s effort.

His upcoming letter will reflect on the synod’s theme of “communion, participation, and mission,” and underscore the importance of active participation in the local process. Read more.

The diocesan synod is a component of the worldwide invitation to all the faithful given by Pope Francis and is the first phase of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, whose theme is “For a Synodal Church: communion, participation and mission.” Its purpose? To listen and consult with the People of God about envisioning the future of the Church.

Synodality is “nothing new,” according to Dr. Jessica Murdoch, associate professor fundamental and dogmatic theology at Villanova University. “What the synod is, practically speaking, is an advisory panel. It is a body which gives the pope a way of discussing the issues of the day, and receiving feedback and advice from the episcopacy,” she said.

Pope Francis has asked for the discussion to rise from local churches to dioceses to bishops and episcopal conferences.

The Vatican issued a preparatory document and a “handbook” for dioceses Sept. 7 as part of the global Church’s preparation for the 2023 assembly.

“Pope Francis invites the entire Church to reflect on a theme that is decisive for its life and mission: ‘It is precisely this path of synodality which God expects of the Church of the third millennium,’” the document says.

The preparatory document and its questions are “at the service of the synodal journey, especially as a tool to facilitate the first phase of listening to and consulting the People of God in the particular churches in the hope of helping to set in motion the ideas, energy and creativity of all those who will take part in the journey, and to make it easier to share the fruits of their efforts,” it says.

“The purpose of this synod is not to produce more documents. Rather, it is intended to inspire people to dream about the Church we are called to be, to make people’s hopes flourish, to stimulate trust, to bind up wounds, to weave new and deeper relationships, to learn from one another, to build bridges, to enlighten minds, warm hearts and restore strength to our hands for our common mission,” the document notes.

The handbook, or “vademecum,” offers guidelines for bishops and those helping facilitate the synodal process locally on how they can best listen to and consult with Catholics and the wider community – particularly those on the margins of society, other Christians as well as non-Christians.

Pope Francis formally opened the synod process at the Vatican Oct. 9-10. (Read more below.)

The first phase of the synod consists of sessions on “Listening and Discernment in Local Churches,” taking place until April 2022 in dioceses and bishops’ conferences.

Surveys and listening sessions are among the possible tools dioceses can use to gather feedback from parishioners. That feedback will be compiled into a “synthesis” after each gathering, followed by a synthesis written for each diocese and ultimately for each bishops’ conference.

Bishops’ conferences and the synods of the Eastern Churches will provide a synthesis of all their local feedback to the Synod of Bishops, and all of that material will be the basis for the writing of two working documents. Bishops and auditors will then gather with Pope Francis at the Assembly of the Synod of Bishops in Rome in October 2023 to speak and listen to one another on the basis of the process that began at the local level.

— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter. Catholic News Service and Catholic News Agency contributed.

By listening to Holy Spirit, synod can be process of healing, pope says

VATICAN CITY — A synod calls on everyone to become experts in "the art of encounter" in a way that is uplifting and transformative, Pope Francis said, formally opening the process leading up to the assembly of the Synod of Bishops in 2023.

"Celebrating a synod means walking on the same road, together" just like Jesus did -- encountering, listening and discerning with all who one meets, the pope said in his homily at the Mass in St. Peter's Basilica Oct. 10.

"Are we prepared for the adventure of this journey? Or are we fearful of the unknown, preferring to take refuge in the usual excuses: 'It's useless' or 'We've always done it this way?'" he asked.

Some 3,000 people attended the Mass, including the 270 people -- cardinals, bishops, priests, religious and laypeople -- invited to the day of reflection in the Vatican Synod Hall Oct. 9.

The weekend of events began the "synodal journey," which will explore the theme, "For a synodal church: communion, participation and mission."

In his homily, the pope said they should begin the synodal process "by asking ourselves -- all of us, pope, bishops, priests, religious and laity -- whether we, the Christian community, embody this 'style' of God, who travels the paths of history and shares in the life of humanity."

The day's Gospel reading (Mk 10:17-30) of Jesus setting out on a journey and encountering a rich man offers just one example of how Jesus "walks alongside people and listens to the questions and concerns lurking in their hearts," he said. "He shows us that God is not found in neat and orderly places, distant from reality, but walks ever at our side."

Celebrating a synod, he said, means walking on the same road as others and living out the "three verbs" that characterize a synod: to encounter, listen and discern.

"We too are called to become experts in the art of encounter. Not so much by organizing events or theorizing about problems as in taking time to encounter the Lord and one another," to devote time to prayer and adoration, and to listen to what the Holy Spirit wants to say to the church, the pope said.

Jesus shows that an encounter has the power to change someone's life -- "the Gospel is full of such encounters with Christ, encounters that uplift and bring healing," the pope said. In fact, Jesus was never in a hurry, and he would never have looked at a watch to signal it was time to wrap things up. "He was always at the service of people he met in order to listen to them."

Each encounter requires "openness, courage and a willingness to let ourselves be challenged by the presence and the stories of others," the pope said. It means not hiding behind a facade or stiff formalities indicative of a spirit of clericalism or of courtiers, but it means being a father.

To that end, the pope said he would be meeting a group of people who live on the streets later that day. He said they had already started meeting because another group of people had gone to listen to them and from there, "they have been able to begin the journey."

Sincere listening involves the heart, not just the ears, Pope Francis said. The aim is not to be able to answer people's questions, especially with pre-packaged or "artificial and shallow responses," but to provide an opportunity to tell one's story and speak freely.

"Whenever we listen with the heart, people feel that they are being heard, not judged; they feel free to recount their own experiences and their spiritual journey," he said.

Listening to one another "is a slow and perhaps tiring exercise" but it must be done, including listening to "the questions, concerns and hopes of every church, people and nation," and to the "challenges and changes" that world presents, he added.

Encountering and listening "are not ends in themselves" where everything stays the same, but must lead to discernment, he said.

"Whenever we enter into dialogue, we allow ourselves to be challenged, to advance on a journey. And in the end, we are no longer the same; we are changed," he said.

The synod is "a journey of spiritual discernment that takes place in adoration, in prayer and in dialogue with the word of God," the pope said.

Discernment is what lights the way and guides the synod, "preventing it from becoming a church convention, a study group or a political congress, but rather a grace-filled event, a process of healing guided by the Holy Spirit," Pope Francis said.

Like he asked the rich man in the Gospel reading, Jesus is asking everyone "to empty ourselves, to free ourselves from all that is worldly, including our inward-looking and outworn pastoral models, and to ask ourselves what it is that God wants to say to us in this time and the direction in which he wants to lead us," he said.

Pope Francis wished everyone "a good journey together! May we be pilgrims in love with the Gospel and open to the surprises of the Spirit."

— Carol Glatz, Catholic News Service

Pictured at top: Pope Francis gives the homily as he celebrates a Mass to open the process that will lead up to the assembly of the world Synod of Bishops in 2023, in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican Oct. 10. (CNS photo/Remo Casilli, Reuters)

Women religious have key role in synod process, pope says

VATICAN CITY — Women religious have an essential role in the process of creating a more synodal church and in preparations for the Synod of Bishops, not just through their prayers and participation, but also by listening to people not usually part of such church activities, Pope Francis said.

"You consecrated women are an irreplaceable presence in the great community on the move, which is the church," the pope said Oct. 11 during an audience with members of the general chapter of the Sisters of Charity of St. Jeanne-Antide Thouret.

"Consecrated women are an extension of the female presence which walked with Jesus and the Twelve, sharing the mission and making your own unique contribution," the pope said, noting that the Gospel of St. Luke even names some of the women: Mary Magdalene, Joanna and Susanna.

As the Catholic Church takes up its commitment "to grow in synodality," he said, the Sisters of Charity and other consecrated women have an essential role.

While the Sisters of Charity have no "ready-made answers" to what they will bring to the process, which the pope launched Oct. 10, he said the theme of their general chapter provides a clue.

The theme of the gathering was "Starting afresh from Bethany, with Martha's concern and Mary's listening."

Martha and Mary, he said, were "two disciples who had a very important place in the life of Jesus and the Twelve, as we can see in the Gospels. This confirms that, first of all, as women and as baptized women, that is, as disciples of Jesus, you are a living presence in the church, participating in communion and mission."

But an added contribution comes from the "concern" and "listening" the sisters are focusing on, he said. "In particular, concern for the poor and listening to the poor. Here you are teachers. You are teachers not with words, but with deeds, with the history of so many of your sisters who have given their lives for this, in concern for and listening to the elderly, the sick, the marginalized; close to the little ones, to the least ones with the tenderness and compassion of God."

Concern and listening, he said, build up the church by helping it "walk in the way of Christ, which is the way of charity."

— Cindy Wooden, Catholic News Service

"Pope Francis invites the entire church to reflect on a theme that is decisive for its life and mission: 'It is precisely this path of synodality which God expects of the church of the third millennium,'" the new document said.

As such, the preparatory document and its questions are "at the service of the synodal journey, especially as a tool to facilitate the first phase of listening to and consulting the people of God in the particular churches in the hope of helping to set in motion the ideas, energy and creativity of all those who will take part in the journey, and to make it easier to share the fruits of their efforts," it said.

"The purpose of this synod is not to produce more documents. Rather, it is intended to inspire people to dream about the church we are called to be, to make people's hopes flourish, to stimulate trust, to bind up wounds, to weave new and deeper relationships, to learn from one another, to build bridges, to enlighten minds, warm hearts, and restore strength to our hands for our common mission," the preparatory document said.

The handbook or "vademecum" offers guidelines for bishops and those helping facilitate the synodal process locally on how they can best listen to and consult with Catholics and the wider community, particularly those on the margins of society, as well as Christians and non-Christians.

The materials were released Sept. 7 at a news conference at the Vatican and online in English and Spanish at the synod's official website: synod.va/en.html.

Pope Francis is scheduled to formally open the synod process at the Vatican Oct. 9-10, and the bishop of every diocese should open the process in his diocese Oct. 17. The diocesan phase runs until April.

The materials present a number of questions to help prompt reflection, input and ideas from as many people as possible.

The questions fall under 10 general themes, and people can address what is most pertinent to their situation and "share with honesty and openness about their real-life experiences, and to reflect together on what the Holy Spirit might be revealing through what they share with one another," the document said.

Some suggested questions include: "To whom does our particular church 'need to listen to'" and "how are the laity, especially young people and women, listened to? How do we integrate the contribution of consecrated men and women? What space is there for the voice of minorities, the discarded, and the excluded? Do we identify prejudices and stereotypes that hinder our listening? How do we listen to the social and cultural context in which we live?"

However, the basic and most fundamental question guiding the whole process is: "How does this 'journeying together,' which takes place today on different levels -- from the local level to the universal one -- allow the church to proclaim the Gospel in accordance with the mission entrusted to her; and what steps does the Spirit invite us to take in order to grow as a synodal church?" the document said.

Speaking at the Sept. 7 news conference, Cardinal Mario Grech, secretary-general of the Synod of Bishops, and others explained the main objectives and characteristics of a synodal process, which is "a spiritual process" that requires listening to the Holy Spirit as well as to each other.

"The synod will succeed or fail to the extent to which we rely on the Holy Spirit," the cardinal said.

The cardinal urged reporters to offer "correct communication" of what the synod and synodality are about, including not painting it as "a parliament" or as different sides playing against each other "in which the one who has more strength influences or subjugates the other."

When asked about the possibility of allowing women to vote in a Synod of Bishops, Cardinal Grech said he felt troubled by so much focus being on "the vote," saying "it is not the vote that matters."

What matters is the larger process that involves the entire people of God coming together to find common ground, which is not easy, he said. "So perhaps we have to insist more on how we can dialogue, converse, discern together in order to possibly reach this harmony," find consensus and not depend so much on the votes cast during the later phase of a synod.

Xaviere Missionary Sister Nathalie Becquart, one of two undersecretaries to the Synod of Bishops, will be the first woman with a right to vote at a meeting of the Synod of Bishops. In March, when she was appointed, Cardinal Grech said permitting her to vote in a synod was "a major milestone" and was something that should not be limited to just this one institution or just to voting rights.

Myriam Wijlens, a canon lawyer and Synod of Bishops consultor, told reporters that women need to "present themselves" and speak up "courageously" during this consultation phase. It will also be important to listen to what women from non-Western cultures are saying, she added.

The handbook said even though dioceses will be asked to spend six months doing extensive outreach and consultation with as many people as possible, the synodal process "is not a mechanical data-gathering exercise or a series of meetings and debates." 

"Synodal listening is oriented toward discernment," in which people listen to each other, to their faith tradition and to "the signs of the times in order to discern what God is saying to all of us," it said.

Read the whole document

Widespread participation is an important part of the diocesan process, the document said, with no one being excluded. "We must personally reach out to the peripheries, to those who have left the church, those who rarely or never practice their faith, those who experience poverty or marginalization, refugees, the excluded, the voiceless, etc."

This will require creativity, especially in parts of the world where restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19 are still in place, it added.

All the feedback that is generated throughout the listening process should be gathered into a "synthesis" after each gathering, followed by a "synthesis" to be written for each diocese and ultimately for each bishops' conference.

Bishops' conferences and the synods of the Eastern Churches will provide a synthesis of all the local feedback to the Synod of Bishops, and all of that material will be the basis for the writing of two working documents. Bishops and auditors will then gather with Pope Francis at the assembly of the Synod of Bishops in Rome in October 2023 to speak and listen to one another on the basis of the process that began at the local level.

The handbook said the synthesis "does not only report common trends and points of convergence, but also highlights those points that strike a chord, inspire an original point of view, or open a new horizon. The synthesis should pay special attention to the voices of those who are not often heard and integrate what we could call the 'minority report,'" it said.

Bishops have an important role throughout the synodal process as "pastors, teachers and priests of sacred worship," the handbook said. "Their charism of discernment calls them to be authentic guardians, interpreters, and witnesses to the faith of the church."

— Carol Glatz, Catholic News Service

Those calls are the hallmark of the pope's efforts to change the life of the church, the cardinal said May 4 in his talk, "Synodality and the Long Game of Pope Francis," for the annual Cardinal Bernardin Common Cause Lecture at Loyola University Chicago's Hank Center for the Catholic Intellectual Heritage.

To bring about that change, the pope has focused on synodality as the path forward, influenced by his experience as a church leader in Argentina, he explained.

"One way we can look at this is that the election of Pope Francis opened up the rest of the world to the rich theological foment of the church in Latin America, with its strong sense of mission, encounter, the peripheries and mercy. And many, including church leaders in this country, have found that shift to be uncomfortable," Cardinal Tobin said.

"They shouldn't because it didn't start with Francis and I believe it's not going away anytime soon," he added.

The path toward synodality, the cardinal continued, will require the church to undergo its own conversion, "a new way of understanding and approaching how we carry out our mission."

He said the pope has devoted his papacy toward seeking a church that walks with others on a long journey into the world as the body of Christ, "a journey that fosters ongoing conversion and ultimately calls us to mercy."

"(We are) disciples journeying together, companions on the journey who are to be of mutual service to one another, people walking in history toward fulfillment of the kingdom, walking together with Christ," he said.

Cardinal Tobin recalled that it was St. John XXIII who set the course toward becoming a church of mercy by calling together the Second Vatican Council and, in his opening address, urging participants to serve as "medicine of mercy" rather than "a spirit of severity."

Seeing the need for a merciful response to years of human suffering in the first half of the 20th century, St. John XXIII discerned that the church had to be intentional in its witness and "create a blueprinting for the engine to power the church" into its third millennium, he said.

Vatican II produced that blueprint, Cardinal Tobin said, but noted that other popes continued the work. He said St. John Paul II made sure it "kept to the exact specifications required" and Pope Benedict XVI put the finishing touches on the propulsion engine "and now Pope Francis has flipped the switch to on."

Describing how Pope Francis "is revving up the engine to see what it can do," Cardinal Tobin said those who feel most threatened by including those on the peripheries in the life of the church are those "with the most engineered grasp of all the norms and canons (of church law)."

"To this I would posit, you can be the most knowledgeable mechanic on earth and still be a rotten driver," Cardinal Tobin said.

Synodality, he said, requires that voices throughout the church are welcomed and heard.

The cardinal again turned to St. John XXIII, recalling how he urged Vatican II's participants to "open the window."

"We always associated this with letting in fresh air," Cardinal Tobin said. "But something else happens when you open a window. You can hear what the people outside, those below your window, are saying.

Such openness is at the root of synodality that Pope Francis seeks for the church, he said.

"Ideally, a synodal environment should give us a living snapshot of where the Holy Spirit is active in the church or an ecclesial cardiogram, if you will," he said.

Hearing from people who have not always been heard "can soften our hearts and give us bishops the confidence to know that yes, that new thing that we are discerning is a movement of the Holy Spirit because the people hear it also."

It's not just the church leaders who have all the answers, he noted, suggesting that the integration of all parts of the body of Christ is key to achieving true synodality.

"Imagine a body in which the outer extremities are cold and gray," he said. "The heart may be beating but the life force is not reaching the extremities."

In response to a question from a viewer after the lecture, Cardinal Tobin said he expects laypeople will be part of that planned 2022 Synod of Bishops that will look at synodality.

"I think the synod is going to have a different look coming up, and there's going to be a forum where laypeople and ordained members will be together in preparation for the final stages of the synod," he said.

"If we're going to be consistent with the gift of the Holy Spirit that's given at baptism and also recognize the diversity in the body of Christ that we are different members but a single body, then we have to reimagine how synods are going to take place," he said.

"In reimagining," he added, "I think there's going to be a new wineskin to hold the new wine."

— Dennis Sadowski, Catholic News Service