The Synodal Church: “A Different Church” – Pope Francis

“We need the ever new breath of God, the Spirit, who sets us free from every form of self-absorption, revives what is moribund, loosens shackles and spreads joy,” the Holy Father said in his Address for the Opening of the 16th Synod of Bishops in October 9, 2021 in New Synod Hall of Rome. Pope Francis formally opened the Synod with the theme, “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, Mission” which is “precisely the path of which God expects of the Church of the third millennium,” the Pontiff said. He began by saying that “this is an opportunity to move structurally towards a synodal church, ‘An open square where all can feel at home and participate.’” The Holy Father also quoted the late Dominican theologian Father Yves Congar that “there is no need to create another Church, but to create a different Church,” a “Church open to the newness that God wants to suggest…invoking the Holy Spirit in our journeying together as he, the source of communion and mission”.

Pope Francis dwelt on how the synodality of the Church is achieved through communion, participation, and mission. For this to happen, he said, there’s a need to change the “overly vertical, distorted and partial visions of the church, the priestly ministry, the role of the laity, ecclesial responsibilities, roles of governance and so forth.” He further said that, “If we want to speak of a synodal church, we cannot remain satisfied with appearances alone; we need content, means and structures that can facilitate dialogue and interaction within the People of God, especially between priests and laity.”

Synodality, a word of Greek origin which literally means “walking together”, has been a buzz word during Pope Francis’ pontificate, but the concept is still relatively unknown for the average Catholic. A tool called the Preparatory Document is released explaining the synodal process and its theological roots (Crux, October 9, 2021). The process which will take two years (2021-2023) involves the local Churches in different phases and from the bottom up where there will be meetings at diocesan levels, at national levels and also continental level and will culminate at the universal phase in the traditional assembly of the Synod of Bishops on October 2023.

Walking together is at the heart of what the Church is all about – the People of God on pilgrimage. Church and synods are synonyms since the Church is all about walking together (St. John Chrysostom).

Cardinal Mario Grech, General Secretary of the Synod of Bishops said that “the time was ripe for a wider participation of the People of God in a decision-making process that affects the whole Church…a process that always begins with listening where all voices may be heard because only this way can we understand how and where the Spirit wants to lead the Church.”

A synodal Church is a Church that listens…synodality is about journeying together through listening to one another… The synodality of listening to all, allowing to participate and taking to heart the nature of the Church: communion and community (Pope Francis). “Keep us from becoming a ‘museum Church’, beautiful but mute, with much past and little future”, the Holy Father prayed together with the representatives from the global Church gathered at the Vatican during the Moment of Reflection in 9 October, a day before the formal opening of the 16th Synod in 10 October. (Cynthia Chu)