This initiative, open until June 2025, allows individuals and groups within the Church to submit their insights, observations and proposals on key theological issues.

The Vatican's L'Osservatore Romano reported that Cardinal Grech, Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops, emphasised the importance of broad participation in the ten study groups established by Pope Francis in February.

These groups are tasked with addressing theological questions identified during the first session of the Synod on Synodality in October 2023.

Grech highlighted that while ecclesial leaders and pastors are integral to the process, the invitation is extended to all members of the Church.

This includes individual Catholics, associations, movements and communities. The initiative will ensure that the entire Church can partake in these discussions.

This means, Cardinal Grech explained "that, within them, these groups are called to favour the effective participation of all members" and also "to remain open to a wider participation, that of the entire People of God".

All of God's people

Pope Francis has urged that the Synod study groups operate using a truly synodal method, one that encourages the involvement of all of God's people.

The General Secretariat of the Synod "which the Pontiff has asked to guarantee the synodal method of work, will be responsible for collecting the material that will be sent to it, transmitting it from time to time to the Group or Groups concerned" the newspaper added.

The Synod of Bishops announced the members of the study groups in July, and representatives of the study groups updated synod participants on October 2.

The synod's second session is scheduled for next month but the contributions will continue to shape the discussions through June 2025.

Sources

Catholic Culture

L'Osservatore Romano

Vatican News

CathNews New Zealand

The "Instrumentum Laboris," or "working document," is an initial plan for the second and final stage of the synod that Pope Francis called in 2021.

His aim was to promote dialogue in the Church and beginning with months of listening sessions at the parish and diocesan levels.

Among the most mentioned concerns were LGBTQ acceptance, combating sexual abuse, fighting poverty and violence, and women's roles in the Church.

"The contributions received at all stages highlighted the need to give fuller recognition to the charisms, vocation and role of women, to better honour this reciprocity of relations in all spheres of the Church's life," Tuesday's document stated.'

What's happened since last year

After last October's synod meeting, bishops and lay representatives met to produce a report on the synod that was sent to local churches for feedback and reflection.

Male and female religious organisations, 108 national bishops' conferences as well as nine participating Eastern rite churches then sent their reflections back to the Vatican's synod office.

A team of 70 experts, including canon lawyers and theologians, collaborated to draft the document released on Tuesday.

But while the topic of female participation and leadership is prevalent in the latest document, highly anticipated questions about allowing women to serve as deacons — ordained persons who can perform some of the sacraments and preach at Mass — will not be discussed at the gathering.

The Vatican has made that clear.

Asked about women in the diaconate in a May interview with CBS News, Francis pushed back, saying that women have functioned as deaconesses without ordination in the past, providing "a great service" to the Church.

Off the agenda

On Tuesday, Cardinal Mario Grech, secretary general of the Vatican synod office, confirmed that women deacons would not be on the agenda at the synod.

"I read what the Holy Father said and so far it's a ‘no,'" Grech said at the news conference presenting the document on Tuesday.

"But at the same time, the Holy Father said that the reflection and in-depth theological analysis must go on."

Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, who leads the European bishops' conference, also clarified that the synod will not be making a final decision on such matters.

"The synod will entrust its conclusions to the Holy Father," he said.

A synodal Church in mission

Indeed, Francis has already asked that this October's meeting focus on the question of "how to be a synodal church in mission," pushing off other hot button topics, including the welcoming of LGBTQ people, priestly celibacy and women's ordination, for study by 10 small groups, which will issue a single report in 2025.

The "Instrumentum Laboris" instructed participants to consider practical actions to realise Catholic women's "untapped" potential and to develop new possibilities for women at every level.

The document suggested creating new spaces where women may share their skills and insights, allowing for more women in decision-making roles, expanding religious women's roles and responsibility and increasing the women's leadership in seminaries and Church tribunals.

The document urged acceptance and embrace of diverse communities in the Church more generally.

It calls calling for greater lay participation, accessible liturgies and for the welcoming of marginalised groups.

The document also asked that language and images used in churches be "more inclusive."

Synod participants were asked to strengthen the role of councils of lay and religious people that assist parish priests in managing the community.

"This is one of the most promising areas on which to act for a swift implementation of the synodal proposals and orientations, leading to changes with an effective and rapid impact," the document read.

The authors of the document appear to recognize that the financial and clerical abuse scandals of recent years have tarnished the Church's reputation.

They call for more scrutiny of local churches to ensure transparency and accountability, suggesting that laypeople with experience in financial planning and audits be more involved.

To combat abuse, the authors proposed that Catholic congregations explain how they have implemented safeguards.

All these issues, the "Intrumentum Laboris" said, could be better dealt with through closer collaboration between dioceses and the national bishops' conferences.

If the Vatican can't solve the most contentious disagreements in the Church, the latest document seemed to project a softer approach on these issues.

"Sure, there have been tensions and conflicts," said the Rev. Giacomo Costa, special secretary of the synod.

He adds: "the Church is not homogeneous but harmonious."

On Tuesday, Costa said at the news conference: "It would be nice if everyone were able to put harmony first, and not ideas, ideologies or interests, that end up destroying what we claim we want to preserve."

Source

• RNS

The meeting is taking place from 4 to 13 June at the General Curia of the Jesuits, near the Vatican.

The theologians, including theology, ecclesiology, and canon law experts, are tasked with drafting the guiding document, Instrumentum Laboris 2, for the upcoming October assembly.

This document will guide the work of the second session of the Synod on Synodality in October, said Father Giacomo Costa SJ in a June 5 press release.

Costa, the special secretary for the Synod on Synodality, said the group of theologians is meeting to carry out "an initial analysis" of reports from local communities and to discern their "questions and theological reflections".

The group aims to integrate these insights into a cohesive document that will guide the work of the 364 synod participants from 2 to 27 October.

The process involves reviewing contributions from diverse sources including women's religious orders, university faculties and religious associations. It also incorporates insights from a listening session with 300 parish priests held in Sacrofano, Italy, earlier this year.

Leaving nothing to chance

"The material received often adds real testimonies on how the particular Churches not only understand synodality but also how they are already putting this style into practice" said synod secretary general Cardinal Mario Grech in a press release.

"We are not leaving anything to chance" Grech added. "Each document is to be carefully read with the aim that at the end of this meeting the group will present a text that reflects the work, questions and insights received from the grassroots."

During their ten-day session, the theologians will also consider the work of five groups established in March.

These groups have examined various aspects of church governance including the roles of local and universal churches, episcopal conferences and synodal methods.

Additionally, Pope Francis has initiated ten more working groups to address other critical topics such as poverty, digital mission, ministerial forms, ecumenical practices and controversial doctrinal issues.

These groups will report their progress in October but have until June 2025 to finalise their findings.

Sources

La Croix International

Catholic News Agency

CathNews New Zealand

As announced by the Anglican Church in Canterbury, a meeting with Pope Francis is also planned at the Primates' Meeting next week (29 April to 3 May). A meeting with the Secretary General of the Catholic World Synod, Cardinal Mario Grech, is also on the programme.

The aim is to discuss the importance and possibilities of synodality, i.e. joint co-operation, for the entire Church. The Primates want to discuss the structure and decision-making in the Anglican Communion among themselves.

The Primates' Meeting is designed as a pilgrimage with joint prayer and Bible study, visits to holy sites and discussions on the mission of the Church in the world.

Read More

The decision comes amidst growing anticipation about key matters such as women's access to the diaconate and LGBTQ+ inclusion within the Church.

Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich clarified that the next synod would centre on synodality. He highlighted dialogue, welcome and listening as essential elements within the Church.

"The synod of bishops will be centred on the theme of synodality" said Cardinal Hollerich. He is the relator general of the general assembly of the synod of bishops.

He added "Addressing all these other topics within the context of the Synod on Synodality is impossible."

Synodality is a loosely defined term used by Pope Francis to describe "a new way of being church".

However, while promising to reform the traditionally hierarchical structure of the church, Francis has made clear that synodality is not synonymous with democracy.

"Only those who experience synodality understand what it means and what its fruits are" said Cardinal Mario Grech, the synod's general secretary.

Steady progress

The reshuffle aims to deepen understanding and study the complexities surrounding these issues.

To this end, the Pope has mandated the formation of ten study groups. They will address concerns such as ecumenical dialogue, the role of bishops, and controversial doctrinal questions. Special attention will be given to women's access to the diaconate. The interplay between doctrine and pastoral care for LGBTQ+ Catholics will also be a focus.

Additionally, five working groups have been established to delve into various themes. The role of bishops and decentralisation in the Church are two highlighted. Their findings will be presented at the synod's next meeting in October this year.

The synodal process, initiated in 2021, has seen extensive consultations across various levels of the Church, culminating in a diverse assembly in 2023. Laypeople participated alongside bishops and cardinals, reflecting a commitment to inclusivity and dialogue within the Church.

Sister Simona Brambilla, the new secretary of the Vatican Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, said the synod is "not about this or that topic".

"The important thing is how to reflect in a synodal way" she said, saying the Church at various levels "must clarify how to do this" and "walk together" in addressing important topics of broad interest.

While critics have raised concerns about the delay in addressing pressing issues, Hollerich said that the church is moving "slowly but surely" on a synodal path, facing "this great construction site that has been set before us".

Sources

Religion News Service

Crux

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

CathNews New Zealand

The Synod witnessed vigorous debates during small-group discussions. However Hollerich, a key figure in the month-long Vatican assembly, highlighted that even in the face of disagreements alternative solutions were found.

"To have this freedom and openness will change the Church" he said, "and I'm sure the Church will find answers, but perhaps not the exact answer this group or that group wants to have, but answers [with which] most people could feel well and listened to."

Cardinal Hollerich noted that the genuine process begins after the entire synod concludes, with expectations of a comprehensive document addressing theological aspects of synodality in the following year.

Hollerich emphasised that the document represents just a step in the Church's evolving journey.

Furthermore, the archbishop of Luxembourg underscored the synod's primary focus on synodality, stating that certain topics hold significance for some individuals, even if they weren't explicitly addressed in the synthesis report.

"And I think a synodal Church will more easily try to speak about these topics than the Church as it was structured in the past" he said.

"That's not to say that a synodal Church will just embrace everything," he added.

Happy with the result

Regarding the fact that some contentious issues in the assembly's report received opposition, Cardinal Mario Grech, the secretary general of the Synod of Bishops, said "There are points in which we agree and points in which there is still a way to go."

Hollerich commented: "It was clear to me that some topics would have resistance. I am full of wonder that so many people have voted in favour. That means that the resistance [was] not so great as people have thought before. So yes, I am happy with that result."

One notable point in the report was the consideration of women deacons, which received 277 votes in favour and 69 against.

Grech said, "This is the approach of Jesus, to create spaces for everyone so that no one feels excluded" he added. "Today, there was a tremendous joy that you could see with your own eyes."

"I think" Hollerich said, "people will leave tomorrow or the day after tomorrow going home with a heart full of hope, with a lot of ideas and I'm looking forward to seeing them back next year."

Sources

Catholic News Agency

CathNews New Zealand

The roughly 450 bishops and lay delegates involved in the October 4-29 Synod of Bishops have faced a series of disagreements.

Principally, the participation of the laity and questions about the role of women's ministries and the response to LGBTQ Catholics have raised temperatures.

For synod organisers — and, indeed, the pope himself — disagreement was all part of the plan.

Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich of Luxembourg, one of the synod's principal organisers, had warned of potential tensions.

"Tensions are a part of the process, as long as we consider ourselves to be sisters and brothers, walking together," Hollerich said.

In the second and third weeks of the assembly, the differences in opinions on various matters became evident.

Pope Francis had requested that members refrain from discussing the proceedings publicly.

The official guidelines for the meeting tasked small groups with identifying areas of agreement and disagreement and pinpointing topics that needed further study and theological reflection.

Laity more familiar with synodality

Both bishops and lay members noted that the laity appeared to be more familiar with synodality.

"Synodality is ingrained in the nature of the people of God," said Cardinal Mario Grech who runs the Vatican synod office.

"In the laity, I felt we are not bringing something new. To the contrary, we were harping a chord in their heart, and they were ready to sing and to dance to this music."

While expanding the synod's scope to include lay members aimed to integrate the entire church, some delegates found the emphasis on listening and active face-to-face interaction tiresome.

Unlike past synods, where participants could sit in a more relaxed setting, this synod required active engagement and eye-to-eye discussions.

Reports of incidents such as bishops walking out because of disagreements or clashes between articulate speakers and those less experienced added to the growing tension.

Sources

National Catholic Reporter

CathNews New Zealand

As the 364 attendees gathered at 35 round tables in the grand Paul VI Audience Hall, the initial three days were an intriguing mix of experimentation and camaraderie.

"If we act like Jesus, we will testify to God's love for the world" said Luxembourg Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich. Hollerich is one of the principal coordinators of the 2023 Synod.

"Failing to do so will make us look like an identitarian club."

Incredible diversity

One innovative approach that took centre stage was "conversation in the Spirit," a method that the organisers extolled for its ability to give every participant a voice, alternating between speaking and silence.

This fresh perspective stirred a range of initial reactions from the attendees.

Some were quick to praise the "incredible diversity" of the members. However, others whimsically compared the round table setup to a wedding banquet and even a cabaret.

Some seemed sceptical at the outset, with one participant remarking "Some came dragging their feet."

However as time passed, attitudes seemed to evolve.

"Some of the bishops present had not participated in the synodal process in their own countries and came here as if they were being punished" one noted, then added "But it seems things have taken off. They understand."

Process change

Significantly, Vatican Synod organisers pointed to establishing friendly bonds among participants with differing views.

Inside the assembly hall, discussions aim to foster a state of unity.

It is not only the 'hot' content of the debates but the synod forma that t is unfamiliar to Catholic bishops. These men are used to having the final word, usually in private, and sharing only what they wish.

However as Müller noted in his interview with EWTN, laypeople can vote on the church's future, so the synod's nature has changed.

Covid outbreak?

Earlier in the week a Vatican News article momentarily caused some confusion when it mistakenly stated that 118 synod participants had tested positive for Covid-19.

This statement was attributed to Cardinal Mario Grech, the secretary general of the Synod of Bishops.

Later, Cardinal Grech clarified that only "four people" had reported testing positive for Covid.

Sources

La Croix International

Catholic News Agency

The pope's latest effort, the Synod on Synodality, now underway and continuing through the end of 2024, has already fomented ardent debate on some of the most controversial topics within the church, from female ordination to LGBTQ inclusion.

Francis' vision for the synod is a balance of traditionalists' love of orthodoxy and the pope's enthusiasm for reform.

Cardinal Mario Grech, secretary general of the Vatican's synod office, told Religion News Service Wednesday (Nov. 30) that when considering expectations for the synod, "the only limit is the Word of God, understood in the light of tradition."

That formulation, however, has caught its organizers at the Vatican between the two sides and risks disappointing both.

Addressing this polarization, Grech said that any change that will come from the synod will be inspired by the Holy Spirit, while taking into account the church's historical beliefs.

"The Spirit doesn't speak in a vacuum, but it helps us to understand, deepen and translate the word of God in our everyday lives," he said.

"Obviously we also need a guide: how the word has been received, deepened and applied by those who came before us.

"If we use these tools, then we can be certain that we are walking down the right path," he added.

The synod, a massive consultation of Catholics around the world on the theme of "Communion, Participation and Mission," hands a microphone to the ordinary faithful, inviting them to express their ideas and concerns at the parish and diocesan level, in person and online.

The results of those discussions, communicated to the Vatican via the national bishop's conferences, have been collected in a summary called the Document for the Continental Stage.

It will be considered by large assemblies of lay and religious Catholics grouped in seven continental assemblies.

Much of the rank-and-file's discussion represented in the document, even from some of the church's most conservative corners, concern the ordination of women, the need to adapt church doctrine on sexuality and to combat clerical sexual abuse.

Conservatives fear that the synod will do too much; liberals fear it will do too little to keep up with these demands.

But Grech, speaking at the presentation of "Walking Together," a new book collecting Pope Francis' teaching on synodality, said, "The synod isn't the search for a compromise between opposing factions, opposing parties. There are neither winners nor losers."

The synod, he said, seeks to interpret the will of the Holy Spirit rooted in truth, "and truth can be presented by a minority, a group or even an individual."

How the truth will emerge from the synodal debates remains unclear.

The Document for the Continental State is also loosely interpreted as contributing to authoritative church teaching, but the final takeaway will likely not come until the pope has issued a post-synodal apostolic letter that comprises the main reflections and deductions of the synod.

The contents of such a letter are considered part of the magisterium, or official teaching of the church.

What is clear is that "synodality is a calling for the church in the third millennium," according to Sister Nathalie Becquart, the undersecretary at the Vatican's synod office and the first woman to occupy that office.

The synod will lead "to a new reception of the Second Vatican Council," she added, suggesting that the broad consultation with Catholics will allow the reforms of the mid-1960s to finally take hold."

While it's too early to determine the practical changes that the synod might bring, Becquart said she wouldn't rule out the possibility that the assemblies will discuss the church's need for "new structures."

What those new structures look like remains unknown.

When the world's Catholic bishops met in Rome for the Synod on the Family in 2015, the conversations were dominated by the possibility that the pope would allow divorced Catholics who have married to take Communion. (He softened but didn't reverse the ban.)

Media coverage of the 2019 synod on the Pan-Amazon region largely focused on whether women would be given the right to serve as deacons, often the first step toward ordination. (They were not.)

In this synod, female leadership is again a factor, and Grech said that women's roles in the church will "of course" be a part of the conversation, pointing to the amount devoted to the topic in the working document for the next stage.

But Grech advised Catholics to "have patience."

"We in Christian communities have to grow our appreciation for what women do in the church," he said.

"And we must create more spaces for female contribution, which makes a huge difference," he added, pointing to the need for more women theologians to shift the debate.

"Let us all pray and ask the Holy Spirit to give us instructions so that all who are baptized — without distinction between men and women — can find a space, a calling, a mission."

• Claire Giangravé - Vatican Correspondent RNS. First published in RNS. Republished with permission.

Questions about the reception of Communion for divorced and remarried Catholics and the blessing of same-sex couples are examples Cardinal Mario Grech (pictured) mentions.

"These issues are not to be understood simply in terms of doctrine, but in terms of God's ongoing encounter with human beings," Grech says.

"What has the church to fear if these two groups within the faithful are given the opportunity to express their intimate sense of spiritual realities which they experience?

"Might this be an opportunity for the church to listen to the Holy Spirit speaking through them also?"

Grech, the Synod of Bishops' secretary-general, made the remarks during a virtual address to the annual summit of Leadership Roundtable last week.

The Roundtable promotes a model of co-responsibility between ordained and lay people as a best practice for church governance.

"The whole people of God must be involved" in the current global synod process, Grech told the summit.

To support this view, the Vatican body named the "Synod of Bishops" is shifting its branding to "the Synod," as a signal that the office and the process is open to everyone.

"The Synod has been transformed into a listening process," he continued. "The Synod does not exist separately from the rest of the faithful."

While Grech was speaking, a group of theologians and pastoral leaders from six continents were meeting in Italy. With them they had over 100 national synod reports to synthesise for the next stage of the global synod.

That will take place at the continental level over the next year, before an October 2023 gathering in Rome.

Listening is the "founding act of the synod" and a "true pastoral conversion of the church," says Grech.

"Bishops have a duty to listen to their people."

All the baptised are "empowered by the sacraments of baptism and confirmation. Let us trust in our people.

"Let us trust that the Holy Spirit acts in and with our people. And this Spirit is not merely a property of the ecclesial hierarchy."

The Vatican synod office head acknowledges some bishops and others have "serious concerns" about where the synodal process will lead the church.

He hopes it will reveal that there is "legitimate" diversity in church life, but that should not lead to rupture among believers.

"The ties which draw the faithful together are stronger than those which separate them," he said. "Let them take unity in what is necessary, freedom in what is doubtful and charity in everything."

Whether it be LGBTQ Catholics or those who favour the Latin Mass, Grech says "everybody should be listened to" and "nobody is excluded".

"I hope the synodal process will provide an experience that will inaugurate a much-needed spiritual, systematic and missionary renovation for the whole church."

Source

• NCR Online

"Perhaps the communication on the reform project could have been better," Grech said in an interview with Anna Mertens, editor of the German Catholic news agency KNA, published on 29 August. But he said he trusted the German bishops "know what they are doing."

The cardinal was critical of other bishops for issuing open letters criticising the German church's Synodal Path. "Fraternal correction and dialogue" were something very positive, he said, but a "public denunciation" was not helpful and led only to further polarisation.

Read More

Cardinal Mario Grech said that the criticisms of Germany are part and parcel of what it means to be a synodal Church which offers a forum to express disagreements.

The German synodal pathway ("Der Synodale Weg") was launched in response to the clerical sexual abuse scandals. It has focussed on the use of power in the Church, women's ministry and Catholic sexual teaching.

But the synodal path has faced heavy criticism in some quarters. Bishops from within and outside Germany have warned it will lead to schism.

A letter from 92 prelates said the Germans were wrong to place so much focus on the question of power. They said "it suggests a spirit fundamentally at odds with the real nature of Christian life".

However, Grech defended the German approach saying "Synodality offers that space where we can share our fears and our joys, our certainties and our doubts, our dreams. Obviously, there are dreams that can be realised, others that cannot. There are dreams that can be realised tomorrow, others need more time. But, personally, nothing really worries me insofar that we respect the fundamental principles of the Catholic Church."

Cardinal Grech pointed out that "nothing should be left under the carpet" during the synod discussion. People must be free to present issues for the Vatican to consider. He added that during the synod, "all the material that reaches our office will be submitted to the Holy Father."

He added that "nobody is excluded" provided they "want to be disciples of Jesus Christ."

The cardinal, who is secretary-general of the Synod of Bishops office in Rome, said the priority is to become a more "synodal Church" which is able to listen and discern together.

He suggested that the global synod "For a Synodal Church" is likely to go beyond a summit of bishops in the Vatican in October 2023.

"The synod has no end," he said. "There will be no end because once the process has started, it will proceed, even beyond October 23."

Sources

The Tablet

In a letter addressed to all Catholic priests, Cardinal Mario Grech and Archbishop Lazarus You Heung-sik said priests should try to help show the church as a welcoming home inhabited by the Lord and enlivened by love.

Grech is secretary-general of the Synod of the Bishops, and You is the prefect of the Vatican Congregation for Clergy.

"It is well known that today's world is in urgent need of fraternity. Without realising it, the world yearns to meet Jesus," they said in a letter to the world's priests, including those who are also bishops and cardinals.

In order to help people encounter Jesus, priests "need to listen to the Spirit together with the whole people of God, so as to renew our faith and find new ways and languages to share the Gospel with our brothers and sisters," they wrote.

The two heads of dicasteries want to encourage priests to accept the invitation of Pope Francis "to set out, together, in mutual listening, in sharing ideas and projects, to show the true face of the Church: a hospitable "house", with open doors, inhabited by the Lord and animated by fraternal relationships".

The synodal process, they wrote, "is a novelty that can arouse enthusiasm as well as perplexity," even though practising synodality, that is, "walking together," was how the church lived in the first millennium.

The cardinal and archbishop noted priests may experience fear regarding the call to help make the process fruitful.

Rather than dwell on the fears, Grech and You asked the priests to make a threefold contribution to the synodal process:

• Do everything so that the journey rests on listening to and living the Word of God.
• Let us strive to ensure that our journey is marked by mutual listening and mutual acceptance.
• Take care that the journey does not lead us to introspection but stimulates us to go out to meet everyone.

"As pastors, we can do much so that love might heal relationships and heal the wounds that often affect the fabric of the church, so that the joy of feeling that we are one family, one people on a journey, children of the same father and therefore brothers and sisters to one another may return, beginning with the fraternity of priests," they said.

"Synodality is truly God's call for the church of the third millennium. Setting out in this direction will not be free of questions, fatigue and setbacks, however, we can be confident that it will return to us a hundredfold in fraternity and in fruits of evangelical life," the two prelates wrote.

Sources

Crux Now

Synod 21-23

Grech made the comments during an interview on Newsbook.com.mt with by Fr Joe Borg.

Grech said that after he was raised to the rank of Cardinal, he attended a meeting with Pope Francis and officials drew his attention to what he was wearing and suggested that he should reflect the established protocol.

The Cardinal then adopted attire according to the rules.

Francis reacted by asking him: "Did you come dressed for a wedding?"

"I was advised to do so and follow protocol," he had replied to Pope Francis who then suggested he could have turned up for the meeting in jeans.

Grech described Pope Francis as a person who has great faith in the flock. He is Bishop Emeritus of Gozo and Secretary General of the Synod of Bishops.

• Source: Newsbook

Cardinal Mario Grech, secretary of the synod, and the office's two undersecretaries, Xaviere Missionary Sister Nathalie Becquart and Bishop Luis Marín de San Martín, held the meetings June 14-18 in sessions divided by language.

Revisions to the synod process were announced May 21. Pope Francis asked that it begin with consultations with lay people on the diocesan level. The discussion and discernment would then move to a national level and then the 2023 synod assembly itself.

"Without this consultation, there would be no synodal process, because the discernment of pastors, which constitutes the second phase, emerges from listening to the people of God," Grech had explained in May.

After the first couple of meetings with leaders of bishops' conferences, the cardinal said the reaction was "surprising, very positive, and there is a lot of enthusiasm among the bishops we have heard."

Grech told Vatican News, not much is set in stone. "We have some general ideas, but we are open, as this is not a fixed process. We are listening to our partners because the synod is not a project of the secretariat but of the church."

The expanded consultation, listening and discernment, he said, is the desire of Francis. But it is based on the teaching of the Second Vatican Council that the church is the people of God.

The Synod, which presents itself as a real "synodal time", will be opened by Pope Francis on 9-10 October 2021.

The synodal journey will then be marked by three phases:
- a diocesan phase (October 2021 - April 2022) during which each individual faithful can participate in the diocesan consultation. This phase will end locally with a pre-synodal assembly: the culminating moment of diocesan discernment;
- a national phase during which discernment will be entrusted mainly to the Episcopal Conferences;
- a continental phase (September 2022 - March 2023) which will discuss the text of the first Instrumentum Laboris.

Finally, the synodal journey will culminate with the celebration of the XVI Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops on the theme "For a synodal Church: communion, participation and mission."

Sources

National Catholic Reporter

Vatican News

The additional time will allow for an unprecedented consultation with Catholic laity.

According to a Vatican communique, the three-stage process "will help to make possible a true listening to the People of God to ensure the participation of all in the synodal process."

"It is not just an event, but also a process that involves in synergy the People of God, the College of Bishops and the Bishop of Rome, each according to their proper function," the communique said.

In an interview with Vatican News, Cardinal Mario Grech, said the decision to postpone the Rome gathering was because the "time was ripe for a wider participation of the People of God in a decision-making process that affects the whole Church and everyone in the Church."

"The Second Vatican Council teaches that the People of God participate in the prophetic office of Christ. Therefore, we must listen to the People of God, and this means going out to the local churches," Grech said.

The pope has approved the proposal to postpone the assembly and to break it up into three separate phases: a diocesan phase, a continental phase, and a universal phase.

This has the potential of being a real bombshell or a colossal flop, says Robert Mickens, Editor in Chief of La Croix International. It all depends how it is played out.

Rome is asking every diocese across the world to begin the first phase of the process on 17 October 2021.

Each local church will be sent details for a consultation and listening process that must last until April 2022. At that point a diocese will be required to submit proposals to their bishops' conference.

It is not clear yet what the consultation will focus on but the theme of the synod is: "For a synodal Church: communion, participation and mission."

From September 2022 until March 2023 bishops from various regions will meet and draft a document to be sent to the synod office in Rome. The final phase of the synod will take place in the Vatican in October of that year.

Throughout his pontificate, Pope Francis has repeatedly called for a synodal church. A church where bishops, priests and people "walk together" in a common mission.

In a landmark 2015 speech, Francis stressed that synodality is what "God expects of the Church in the third millennium" and has called for the greater involvement of lay people in decision making.

Grech added: "God willing, one of the fruits of the Synod is that we might all understand that a decision-making process in the Church always begins with listening. In this way can we understand how and where the Spirit wants to lead the Church."

Even though the pope says he wants to include the views of all the People of God, the bishops continue to hold all the cards and control the procedure, says Mickens.

While the pope can tell them to carry out the plan, he has little control over how they do so.

Sources

CruxNow

La Croix International

The Tablet